St. Albert NDP MLA Marie Renaud with some of her supporters after last night’s all candidates meeting (Photo: Dan MacLennan).

St. ALBERT, Alberta – I’ve been to a couple of all-candidate forums in St. Albert over the years that got pretty lively, and one in 2015 that was downright rowdy, but the nasty tone of last night’s candidate forum at the St. Albert Inn was something new. 

Angela Wood, the UCP’s candidate in the St. Albert riding (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).

Apparently this opinion was shared by some of my fellow St. Albertans, as I was approached by a couple of folks from around town who made the same observation that the attitude of the hecklers was meaner and more organized than anything they’ve seen or heard before in this suburban community northwest of Edmonton. 

Well, there’s been a general decline in the tone of civil discourse in North America since the presidency of Donald Trump, and there’s no question it’s come to Alberta. It was inevitable that sooner or later we’d see some of the same in this small city too. 

But maybe the sizeable group of United Conservative Party supporters that arrived early and occupied the first few rows of seats to cheer on their candidate, Angela Wood, weren’t all from around here. There were some familiar faces, some less familiar ones, and one big ole UCP MLA who was definitely from out of town. (That would be Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland’s Shane Getson, best known for joining convoy protesters in a gravel truck jamming traffic near their Alberta Legislature in January last year to support the people illegally blockading the border at Coutts.) 

Or maybe the group contained some of the same folks who made news recently for their offensive comments during a series of meetings and surveys about the municipality’s naming policies last year. That one turned into a national embarrassment. 

Who knows?

Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland MLA Shane Getson (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).

Be that as it may, it’s fair enough to cheer on your candidate, but that ought not to extend to catcalling the only other candidate at the event, New Democrat MLA Marie Renault, shouting “liar” when she tried to make a point, and it was certainly over the line to call out the c-word as someone did. 

There were some cries of support for Ms. Renaud, too, but nothing like ugly tone of the UCP crowd.

I spoke to Ms. Renaud briefly after the meeting, and she seemed quite shaken by the reception she received from the peanut gallery. 

If Ms. Wood or Mr. Getson, who was sitting in the front row, told folks on their side to simmer down and watch their language, it wasn’t audible where I was. Might’ve happened. As for the moderator, Alberta Chambers of Commerce Chief Operating Officer Jason Leslie, he deserves credit for getting the crowd to behave. 

Some of the claims Ms. Wood made could also be reasonably described as what the Cockneys of London call porkies. Just one example: “The NDP want to bring injection sites into every community in Alberta, and that includes St. Albert.” (Emphasis added.)

Morinville-St. Albert NDP candidate Karen Shaw (Photo: David J. Climenhaga).

I think we can safely assume the UCP knows that is not true – although it is true that suburban communities like St. Albert are not immune to the consequences of addictive-drug use or that the policies advocated by the UCP will lead to the deaths of drug users, here as elsewhere. I understand UCP candidates are making this claim throughout the province.

Beyond that, there’s not much point quoting the debate, such as it was, because both candidates stuck close to their party talking points and there wasn’t much new to be learned. The 150 or so people at the meeting were mostly supporters of one candidate or the other, so it’s unlikely any minds were changed. 

Green Party candidate Cameron Jefferies, probably wisely, didn’t show up. 

I imagine staff at the NDP’s joint campaign office for the area are concerned the same crowd will show up at the all-candidates forum in nearby Morinville tonight to support Morinville-St. Albert UCP MLA Dale Nally and give a hard time to the NDP, Green Party and Alberta Party candidates. 

If by chance some nut says the same thing to New Democrat Karen Shaw as was said to Ms. Renaud, the four-term Sturgeon County councillor needs to stop, point him out to the crowd, and ask, sharply, “What did you just say to me?”

Podcast link

I head the great pleasure today of chatting with Alexander Cosh of The Maple about the Alberta election on the North Untapped Podcast. You can listen here. DJC

Join the Conversation

49 Comments

  1. They are lucky that I wasn’t there at this all candidates forum, because if I was present, I would have let them have it. The supporters of these pretend conservatives and Reformers are all mouth and no brains, and judging by their behavior at this event, it’s very clear that is the case. They feel it’s okay to be ripped off of the proper oil royalty rates, and corporate tax rates, that Peter Lougheed gave us, losing us hundreds of billions of dollars, see the most priciest shenanigans happen, which cost us billions of dollars more, have our public healthcare system and public education system in Alberta harmed, so they can be privatized, have the environment compromised even further, see the costs of utilities, insurance, property taxes, and tuition go upwards, and see more people struggling to get by. Where is the sense in this? If these mouthy UCP supporters are doing this at this event, what is it like at other all candidates forums in Alberta?

    1. Anonymous You would think that they would be smart enough to realize that Danielle Smith was deliberately insulting them when she compared them to Nazis? You would think they would be concerned when she was suggesting she sell off our hospitals and create a mess for Calgarians but they don’t care? Even when she suggested the UCP force them into paying User Fees they aren’t smart enough to understand that? It’s sad how stupid they are, isn’t it?

      1. Alan K. Spiller: I had uncles who fought in World War 2. I don’t think they would be impressed with Danielle Smith’s Nazi remarks. I recall one of my uncles, which passed away four years ago, who would be 98 next month, alluding to me and one of my brothers how bad Ralph Klein was. We all were on the same page. My dad, who is in his 90s, also didn’t seem to have any respect for Ralph Klein. I remember him saying to me about how clever Ralph Klein thought he was by vote buying, before a provincial election. Other seniors I know, including one of my aunts, and another uncle, thought Ralph Klein was great. I don’t know how they came to that conclusion. The seniors who know how bad Ralph Klein was are definitely smart. They also would likely know that Danielle Smith is no good. She is like Ralph Klein.

    1. I wish I could be that optimistic. There is an evil, but effective organization behind all this, and they’re applying these techniques because they’re known to work. Especially in the online world, it seems to me that both federally and provincially the NDP and LPC are like little babes in the woods, walking right into a wood chipper. I see no evidence whatsoever of any effort to counteract the devastating right wing propaganda campaign. I mean for chrissake we’re giving millions of dollars to the national pest: in war, one is supposed to attack one’s enemies’ systems of command, control, and logistics. Not send them bouquets of bloody roses.

  2. The really disapointing outcome of the event was that Wood demonstrated that she does not want to represent all members of the St. Albert constituency. Woods really did only pander to the Take Back Alberta group throwing out baseless facts and innuendo so they could yell in her support. The undecided voter has seen her true lack of character. MARIE RENAUD showed why she has deserved the vote of the people of St. Albert and after being referred to a Cxxx word and the lack of character by her opponent to not call out her supporters for the lack or respect and decorum demonstrates she is not the right person to represent all the people of St. Albert.
    Ms. RENAUD on the other hand demonstrated poise and strength that earns our respect to put her back in the Prov. Legislature as our representative in St. Albert.

    1. That is 100% a LIE. Repeatedly Woods stated the UPC represents ALL Albertans. You must have nodded off during the back and forth.

      1. a “LIE” is it? You claim that Woods stated that “the UPC represents ALL Albertans”. I mean, it clearly does no such thing, but that doesn’t matter. Whether it does or not, whether your description of Woods statements are correct or not, nothing in there contradicts any of Mr. Kniel’s claims. If anyone here is LYING, it’s you.

      2. Mary: Simply stating that you or your party represents all Albertans doesn’t make it so. Behaviour is a better guide. I was there and I agree that Ms. Wood did say that she would represent all St. Albertans and the UCP would represent all Albertans. I don’t think she repeatedly stated that, but perhaps I too nodded off during the back and forth. Be that as it may, Ms. Wood did not say anything to get her supporters to act with more civility and, in my view based on my observations, encouraged her supporters through her nods and smirks to keep up the bad work. That suggests to me that she was not sincere in her statements about being prepared to govern for all. That, of course, is an opinion, with which you are welcome to disagree. That does not make it a lie, any more than Mr. Kniel was a lying when he expressed a similar opinion. But shouting “liar” when people stated facts at odds with the UCP position did seem to be what Ms. Wood’s supporters did last night. DJC

  3. My guess is it was David Parkers bully boys (brownshirts?) operating from the far, far right US playbook. Probably got it from S. Harper and his group. IMO, Alberta is entering some very ominous times with the rise of the TBA. Ignorant, ideologues, bullies, being manipulated by whom? Certainly they have no love for Parliamentary Democracy, civil debate, etc.

    1. Roger: It’s possible. I didn’t recognize a lot of epople in that group, which I usually do at St. Albert meetings. That said, these guys looked too old to be TBA types. DJC

      1. “too old”? Really? Treading on shaky ground with that one! lolol But might it be the “old” bulls, showing the young “studs” how to be obnoxious, ignorant, disruptive, impolite in the extreme, etc, etc. So they can see how (easy) it is to intimidate people?

    2. None of this is new, and it was SOP for Reformakons thirty years ago. Rob Anders was working with super-kooky Republikons down in the US, engaged in infantile fascist tactics like wearing a Pinocchio nose while heckling political candidates. The wacky hi-jinks of Logan Day were well-documented in Ottawa. One has to keep in mind that Kons view government as something to be manipulated with the mindset of “whatever works” to get what they want. The corruption inherent in Kon-jobs is always based around the personal relationships they form with government members. They don’t see government as a mechanism intended to serve a greater good for all Albertans. I’ve been reading an old book about the rise of the Mafia in Sicily after 1943, and I am struck by the apparent similarities in mindset to the Alberta Kons.

  4. I just checked my handy-dandy hit list of constituencies that the UCP-TBA think they will lose. St. Albert and Morinville-St. Albert are both on it. You can expect more of the same from the UCP-TBA tonight, and in all the locations on the list. It’s more of the intimidation tactics they’ve learned from their snaggle-toothed Republican cousins south of the border, so of course Shane Getson was there. These Trump-a-dumpers plans to use intimidation tactics at the polls, too, to either slow down voting to the point that voters will give up and leave, or disenfranchise anyone who is not a landowner. They might even go after busloads of seniors. Who knew? Have they made their senior base so angry over removing the Canada Pension Plan that they’ll show up en masse to vote against them? One can hope.

    Here’s the list of constituencies where progressives would be well-advised to vote in advance.

    https://pressprogress.ca/take-back-alberta-leaders-are-training-scrutineers-to-infiltrate-campaigns-and-act-as-security-on-voting-day/

    Here’s the dude-bro in the shadows we can thank for much of this disgraceful behavior post-2019. Politics in Alberta has certainly gone to hell in a handcart since he landed in our laps.

    https://thetyee.ca/News/2023/05/17/Bully-Haunting-Alberta-Election/

    Civil discourse has not existed since before Smith called vaccinated people Nazis, then called us all mentally-ill crazies. Conservatives in Alberta have gone to the dark side. A vote for Smith and her UCP-TBA band of bullies is a vote against democracy.

    I’ll leave the final word to Mr. Eric Dyck.

    https://twitter.com/mr_ericdyck/status/1658872805784715270

    1. Abs: let me make the record clear on something.

      We’re not going to employ any form of intimidation tactic at any polling place, nor will we let our scrutineers act as “security”. That’s ridiculous.

      First off, there’s the logistical fact that the returning officer at each polling place has the authority to remove our scrutineers if we do any such thing. Given the important role scrutineers play in a properly functioning GOTV plan we would be shooting ourselves in the foot.

      Secondly, there’s the fact that there are people like me around who would never stand for it. I can’t imagine any effective campaign being run by anyone foolish enough to try what is being described here.

      Vote however you’d like, advance polling or not, and rest assured that our scrutineers will be doing their jobs professionally and without intimidation.

      If you are looking for proof that progressive-leaning people can spread disinformation as well as any conservative, look no further than hour own post.

    2. Regarding Jennifer Johnson’s—City news/ Canadian Press-May 17/ 2023.
      ..”comparing transgender kids to poop on food”, along with the rest of her ‘beliefs ‘, speaks volumes when her response to being called out was ,–” If elected as an MLA, I will seek advice and counsel on how to best communicate my views and discuss these issues meaningfully moving forward”.

      So only ‘ if ‘ she’s elected; if not, then she will continue to express those views??

      More sorry not sorry, imprecise, waaaay back when,(last yr), …….we have all heard the reiterations before.
      I’m starting to believe that the CPC /UPC/BCUP…..have all been infiltrated by the SBannon culture of chaos under the umbrella of so called conservative/ Christian values that are a pretence for power, and wealth being a side benefit. And I almost, but not very much, feel sorry for the female UCP candidates ,because they don’t seem to be aware that if David/TBA are going to be true to their word, their careers are going to cut short, or they will be used as window dressing as needed.

      The event in St Albert is IMHO a prelude, and comes with the timing of PP ramping up the rage in the HoC…I think he was only a whisker away from saying ” you’re fired ” to Chrystia today. And his followers/bots were like a pack of jackals afterwards.
      Since Elon took over, any sense of restraint has gone into the ditch, and the ambiguous threats are ramping up big time. For someone who is supposedly so concerned about the threats of violence with repeat offenders, he has no problem allowing it on his Twitter account….Let me guess, plausible deniability, or just scheduling problems?

      Alberta has become a litmus test for democracy in the rest of Canada…….. are people paying attention?

  5. Yes, I agree there are several things causing this behaviour. First, is just a general decline in civility or manners. Second, is a more polarized, partisan and closer election. In the pre 2015 era, the election result was largely expected in advance, so some people did not bother to show up, get emotionally invested or as involved in political events. In our previous long time status as a mostly one party state, they often kept their thoughts to themselves and were not as vocal.

    Interestingly the many of most vocal are on now the right. I believe like in the US, the prospect of losing power or control genuinely frightens many of them. Deep down I believe they fear others will run as roughshod over them as they have over others. I’m not sure that is really the case, but of course fears are not always rational. It is then that sort of irrational state that leads to putting forth things like injection sites in St. Albert, which are very unlikely, regardless of what party is in power.

    There was a great deal of irrational behaviour, statements and fear stirred up during COVID and some people, particularly on the right remain in that state. Some politicians on the right have figured out how to use this to their advantage. It doesn’t help that some of the political toxicity seeps through from the US and some here think this approach will help them win.

    However, I’m not sure sort of this behaviour achieves anything. I suspect it puts off as many, or perhaps more people, than it motivates. In my more optimistic moments, I believe they will eventually realize it is not a winning or successful strategy and so it will gradually go out of fashion. However, I suppose they could also just become more frustrated and try shout louder.

  6. I went to the debate to make a decision.
    I did witness Shane Getson clapping for both debate candidates after they spoke. He was not saying anything derogatory about the NDP candidate.
    It appeared from where I was sitting that there was an equal amount of jeering coming from both sides. There were lots of NDP supporters that were booing the UCP candidate whom handled herself very professionally and answered questions very directly.

    1. This article’s commentary sounds very similar to the work of the Aberhart/Manning governments and that of the behaviour of the Klein government. As I observed in the past Alberta government often resembles the Quebec Duplesis regime of the 1950’s. Alas Alberta has yet to have a quiet revolution. So glad I don’t live there any more. Alberta strong and free indeed!

      1. I was thinking of Ralph Klein’s bullying attitude while I read Mr. Rusnell’s report. More recently, I’m thinking of the inevitable comparisons to Donald Trump and his mini-me in Canada, Pierre Poilievre.

        I’ve read comments by people who know both Danielle Smith and Jason Kenney. Ken Boessenkool is one; some don’t want their names published (e.g. insiders who work for the UCP). The consensus is that Danielle Smith is a nice person and Jason Kenney is not. Has anyone noticed a reduction of online trolling since Smith kicked Kenney out?

        Kenney’s team is still in place, except for those who quit rather than work for Smith. Worse, Kenney egged on the haters by his example. That’s not going to fade any time soon.

        Jason Kenney proved you can get elected by being arrogant, angry, vindictive and mean. You can govern that way, too—but only if the economy’s booming. When hard times come, and they always do, bullying the other guys just makes everything worse. No Conservative premier since Ralph Klein has served out an entire term; every one has been kicked out by his/her own party.

        Danielle Smith may become premier; but the Conservatives are more focused on fighting among themselves than on governing. I don’t think that’s going to change just because Danielle Smith has a nice smile and can make pleasant conversation.

        1. Mike: I certainly have noticed that the trolling by cabinet press secretaries, chiefs of staff and the like has declined, with a few exceptions. As for more generalized trolling, especially the use of bots, I don’t think there’s much difference. DJC

    2. Mike J Danysh: It’s much like headcheese. There are people who don’t like it. It’s something that is commonplace amongst those with Ukrainan ancestry on the prairies in Canada. The UCP are following in the footsteps of their hero, Ralph Klein. He was a bully too. Opposition MLAs, the severely handicapped, and the homeless, were some of his targets. The UCP thinks that bullying is the way forward. It isn’t.

  7. Horrid people! I just had to donate to Marie again. Her signs are being removed and vandalized throughout my neighbourhood! What kind of world has come to my door step?

  8. The reason I left Alberta? Why would I put up with the abuse? If I had to pick the most culturally dysfunctional construct? It w0uld be my birth place. Alberta.

  9. Waaah, I got heckled. Is it because my ideas are bad?

    No, it’s because the UCP is racist, or whatever. Yeah.

    1. Good point! You need to flesh it out a bit. What specific policy positions meet your definition of being bad. Be sure to check the actual policy positions are being made by the party & not just something filtered through their opponents lens.

    2. yall have done NOTHING to articulate what “ideas” the NDP has put forward in their platform you have issue with: preferring to act like petulant children and instead scream about drag shows, grooming (still much more common in the church than ANYWHERE ELSE), vaccines and the WEF. So uh yah, you’re not racist, you’re bigoted, it’s a massive problem within the right wing in alberta, it goes back decades, and you’re not going to gaslight the readers of this blog or anyone else with half a brain into thinking it isn’t happening. Precisely because of this, you’ve resorted to heckling and bullying to attempt to get the province to knuckle under to you knuckle draggers, that angers a lot of folks, and it’s bound to catch up with you.

  10. Marie Renaud has served st albert very well over the past several years.
    she is the best candidate.
    Marie is not a conspiracy nut pandering to trumpian troglodytes.

  11. in my neighbourhood you can not put up an ndp sign.
    you will be vandalized and harassed
    which party seems decent?

  12. Want to bet most attending were seniors, like I saw attending these gatherings when Klein was making a fool of himself? It didn’t matter what he did to us , he was their hero. The ones attacking me on the newspaper blogs certainly are seniors. I think lawyer friends have been right over the years. Most young people aren’t interested in politics , they don’t have time to follow it, and vote the same way their parents and grandparents do and with all the ignorant seniors in this province that’s a huge problem for those of us who know how dangerous these reformers are. I have had young Albertans point this out to me in the past and tell me they will never follow their parents path in the future doing what they say was a dumb idea after seeing what these phoney conservatives have done to us. Let’s hope there are a lot more of them to help us kick these Reformers out once and for all.

  13. Interesting comments. The NDP are defacing Angela Wood’s sign – Does that sound like the UCP have issues or that the NDP do???

    1. M: The link on the picture you sent did not work. It appeared to be directed to a file in your computer. I deleted it. Of course vandalism against one sign proves nothing about who the vandal was. For what it’s worth, all the damaged signs I have seen in St. Albert, and there were several, were NDP signs. Most sign vandalism in all communities and all elections is done by bored teenagers too young to have cars to go somewhere more interesting. More relevant, the reactions of members of the audience at Tuesday’s all candidates’ meeting in St. Albert were clear, and it was obvious who was who. DJC

    2. Sign vandalism is NOT a party – NDP or UCP issue! It is a humanity issue – an ill informed, undemocratic citizen issue! Citizens who come from all political leanings as sadly, there are signs being vandalized from both parties across the province.
      The candidates are governed by Elections Alberta and the where and how of sign placement are under strict restrictions -the same for all parties. Signs may be posted on private property ONLY with consent of the property owner. This is done to display SUPPORT for the candidate/party. Signs can posted on PUBLIC property by the candidate’s team and this is done to raise AWARENESS of the candidate/ party. Thankfully, in Alberta we are given a choice of who we want representing us. All citizens regardless of political leanings have the right to know of the candidates running so voters can make an informed choice! And ALL candidates running have the right to get their name, party and agenda out to the voters! This is what campaign time is about…voters being able to make an informed choice of our government reps.
      Sign vandalizers and candidate forum disrupters are ill informed, blind following, undemocratic citizens first and foremost, before any political party they think they’re from.
      The informed citizen learns EACH party’s platform and commitments, they want to hear all platforms so they can support & vote for the candidate that best represents them. A truly informed democratically minded person of any party does not vandalize signs or prohibit a candidate from safely speaking at a forum. For informed voters – from writ drop to Election Day that is the whole point of the process – the candidates name and party name, as well as their official party line getting out there to all citizens, so we can CHOOSE. That is why the informed citizens engage by volunteering at a campaign (regardless of which party) actions such as door-knocking, phone calling, consented sign placement – so voters are aware of the choices! This is effective election action!!
      Sign vandalism and organized forum disruptions are not indicators of issues at a Party, do not reflect Party stands on voter legitimate issues concerning Albertans, and since damaged signs and ruined forums don’t count as votes – do not indicate which Party is ahead. Not a Party problem root, it is however uninformed, useless, undemocratic trolling , and in some cases illegal- totally a human problem.
      With the organized forum disrupting data could be collected to see which party these disrupters “think” they’re supporting. But the sign vandalism is a bit more difficult to pin down. There is only the documented reported cases of sign vandalism and only which party/candidate sign has been vandalized, and it cannot be confirmed which party/candidate this vandalizer thinks they’re supporting. I guess within these parameters, stats could be run to see which Party is being “claimed” more if the Party wanted to act in this undemocratic behaviour in their name. Because, no respectable service minded Party or informed and engaged voter is going to partake in this behaviour. That is why it’s humanity issue rather than a Party issue. I can only comment on the vandalized signs I’ve seen in my riding with my eyes. And I can only react to it as it truly is a criminal act done by an uninformed, undemocratic person, by sticking up further for my democratic rights! Knowing the legitimate issues and election commitments of all parties and supporting, volunteering then voting for the candidate who works best for me.

  14. Shane Getson tell the UCP supporter to simmer down and act respectable?

    That would be pretty amazing from a guy to likened people on CERB to being Cheet-oo eating drug addicts. I wouldn’t hold my breath for that miracle to ever happen.

    But this is the face of politics in Alberta; it’s meaner, more deceitful, completely indecent and uncivilized, and without hope. We all should know by now that TBA wants to build a Gilead on of Alberta’s peacible kingdom. Worse, there are those of that ilk that are actively saying that you don’t like the Alberta we want, move. GTFO and never come back.

    I’ve always found the sovereignist leaning among Albertans to be of the xenophobic and racist variety. At least, in Quebec, their sovereignist core was encouraged to silence and ostracize the more racist elements among them. Everyone remembers Jacques Parizeau’s drunken tirade on Referendum night, when he bleeched out that the decision was lost to “money” and the “ethnics”. The next morning, a much more sober Parizeau found himself under the most severe assaults from within the sovereignist fold. Lucien Bouchard denounced Parizeau and demanded that he leave public life at once. Parizeau did and went into certain exile. That is why Quebec is the best province in Canada.

    As for Alberta, it seems that the love it when they are lead by a dick. Best still, if that dick of a leader is a dick to everyone else, applying the hatred equally, then he becomes that much more popular. The problem with wanting a dick to lead you will eventually lead to mistreatment. Alberta learned a hard lesson with Kenney and his dickishness, but they appear to destined to repeat it.

    Danielle Smith is a compulsive liar, a deceitful person, and holds the most disgusting views imaginable. And the UCP love her for it.

    With Smith as premier, Alberta will be forever doomed to be a racist, xenophobic hellscape, soothed only by the noise in its favourite Twitter echo chambers. It longs to be ruled by its own Trump, if not the real one. The rest of Canada will move on, but Alberta will become the Gilead of Jordan Peterson’s dreams.

    1. And speaking of it— JP —
      one should/would/could assume that him selling himself in Red Deer from $89.95 to $500.00+ , next week is just a coincidence?? I’m sure he’ll be in fine fetal after being canceled in BC…..poor us ….heavy sarcasm!!

  15. DJC…. did Joe just admit to working for TBA….that’s what it seems like to me.
    D’rump playbook…
    1. we are most definitely not, no way, never, not us …
    2. it’s not “security “…. ( we call them enforcers) same
    purpose, different name
    etc. etc etc

  16. I am appalled at the article written about the St.Albert debate. I have never been to a debate prior and I was sitting near the supporters of Angela Wood. Not once did I hear anyone call Marie a c… liar yes definitely . I saw passionate, supportive people and I believe debates can all be like that. I do see this article and even the photos very one sided, even the moderator was disrespectful and when announcing the candidates did not say Angela Wood just Angela. All evening he seemed one sided even stopping and asking if Marie was alright to continue. Marie sat there eye rolling and shaking her head, never did I see Mrs Wood do that. Then you see a photo op on the front of this article, all very cheap and disheartening that even the narrator is not writing fair. Again, I live in St.Albert and have never been before so didn’t know what to expect, but I for one would vote for someone who has passionate, supportive large number of “fans” over someone who whines, rolls her eyes and lies.Afterall, this country has gone to crap since the Trudeau take over and being as Notleys boss is in coalition with the Lberals and they hate Alberta. A vote for NDP is a vote for Liberals. Marie doesn’t even live in St.Albert so that’s a no for me

    1. By “Trudeau takeover,” do you mean the election of Trudeau?

      Your stripes are showing if it’s only a democracy when your side wins.

  17. I attended an all-candidates’ forum in Grande Prairie last night, for both constituencies: Grande Prairie [urban], & Grande Prairie-Wapiti. I posted a more fulsome description of the event on Susan On The Soapbox’s blog, so I won’t duplicate that here. But here are a couple of highlights — or, should I say, “lowlights”.

    There were some appalling moments, such as when there was a question on 2SLGBTQIA+ rights that was directed at one of the NDP candidates, & his answer elicited a loud chorus of booing & jeering. The crowd reacted similarly to for other Nee Democrat when, in answer to a question about the province’s wildfire response, bravely prefaced his answer with “first, climate change is real”. The moderator did nothing to control the hostility from the crowd.

    David Braun of the AIP got some of the loudest cheering, even louder than the UCP candidates. He riffed on the false tropes about equalization, saying a sovereign Alberta could balance the budget by “stopping the flow of money to Ottawa”. Meanwhile, his fellow AIP candidate, Brooklyn Biegel, ranted about a sovereign Alberta never joining any ”globalist” organizations like the World Economic Forum, the World Health Organization or the United Nations. She also quoted extensively from the Bible in both her opening & closing remarks, leading me to wonder if this was a political event or a sermon.

    The joys of living in the North I guess … *sigh*

    1. Personally, as you know, Jerry, I am always willing to quote fulsomely from the Bible. Last night or the night before, indeed, I very nearly published a post I have been considering for several years about the real reason Sodom and Gomorrah got nailed. I chickened out, but sooner or later that sermon is coming. Here endeth the lesson. DJC

      1. DJC, LOL, so you can use that picture of Shandro speaking (Jan??) with Dani just back and to his right, slightly shadowy (?)…..
        Since you won’t be able to print it in Alberta, and alot of people will want to read it (certain segment hoping for cheap thrills), then we will be happy to be intermediaries, send in plain brown wrapping, because TBA would definitely ban it….lol

        Thanks, now I can go to sleep….it’s been a brain drain day. CHEERS !!

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