PHOTO: Don’t be fooled. The plan is for this blog to be closed for the virtual equivalent of overnight, not forever. AlbertaPolitics.ca will be back soon.

There hasn’t been a dull moment in Alberta politics for about four years now. Which makes it hard to believe that, before 2011, when Alison Redford stumbled confidently onto the provincial stage, metaphorical sledge hammer metaphorically in hand, this was supposed to be the most boring of Canadian political jurisdictions.

Well, that’s all changed, and I for one am thankful for it. I’m pretty sure it’s not going to calm down any time soon.

It does, however, make it difficult to step away from the computer, even for a few days for vacations, or, more daunting still, to consider other literary projects.

So I wanted to reassure my loyal readers, especially those who have made donations to help defer the costs of running this website – as well as those of you who hate every word I write, but for some reason just can’t stop reading them – that I will be back very soon, after scouting the land of my ancestors, pre-1793.

Moreover, although I will be away from Alberta and not paying as much attention to Alberta politics as usual, I may well post the occasional story on one of those geopolitical issues I so love to bloviate about.

I grew up in the newspaper business in the days when a foreign placeline was not just a sign of achievement, something to wave in the faces of less favoured colleagues, but brought with it for the civilians who read your copy a hint of drama, romance and excitement. As a result, I surely hate to let the opportunity slip past to post a story from an exotic foreign locale, especially a capital city. However, it was considered bad form in that long-ago era to put a placeline on a story if you weren’t actually there when you filed it, and I try to act accordingly, even now when the Internet and Photoshop let you pretend to be anywhere.

In addition, I grew up in a family when there was never a bad moment to haul out the slide projector and bore the relatives nearly to tears, so I may indulge in some of that too, here if not on Rabble, with a potential audience of billions to torment.

This will, of course, depend on whether the WiFi gods smile on me.

In my absence, I recommend to readers my colleague Dave Cournoyer’s thoughtful and informative, if slightly less compulsively published, Daveberta.ca blog to remain au courant with Alberta politics.

Auf Wiedersehen.

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8 Comments

  1. Wherever you’re heading, have a great vacation. And hurry back! I need more torment…as if politics in Alberta isn’t torment enough!

  2. Have a great trip. I visited the land of my ancestors several years ago. I couldn’t believe how familiar (in the real sense of the word) everyone looked, like a gigantic extended family get together. Even the landscape looked familiar. Now…that was really strange.

    Looking forward to a few dispatches from Alberta’s Foreign Correspondent.

  3. As NATO forces creep closer to Russian borders, should you discover that an overzealous commander has launched an attack, please let your readers know.

  4. We’ll try not to let this place be taken over by the Kudatah Klan while you’re gone. But don’t be gone for too long. Alberta Cain’t Wait. 😉

    Have fun!

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