A civilization that forgets its poetry is barely worthy of the name. Like fiction and unlike non-fiction, poetry is how a culture’s most profound truths are told. Unlike fiction, poetry does this vital work with great economy of words. That is why all great civilizations honour their great poets. Those that forget their poetry – […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
That office drinking scandal? Just never mind! Jason Kenney launches job program update in Calgary pub
No wonder they call it the Liquor Cabinet! You’d think it might have occurred to someone in the United Conservative Party strategic brain trust to factor former agriculture minister Devin Dreeshen’s very recent, very public troubles with office drinking into the equation when they decided to hold a news conference about a part-time employment wage […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Edmonton officials want another $3-million sole-source advertising deal with Postmedia – they should do better
With the implication there’s no alternative solution, Edmonton’s city administration has asked City Council’s Executive Committee to ratify a $3-million sole-source contract with Postmedia tomorrow to provide print and digital advertising to the city for another three years. After all, says the administration’s report, we’ve been putting ads in the Edmonton Journal for 20 years, […]
Posted inBestsellers
Edmonton author Theresa Shea’s The Shade Tree tops Alberta independent bookshops’ bestseller list for week ended Oct. 31
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021. The lists are compiled by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and include sales at Audreys Books and Glass Bookshop in Edmonton. ALBERTA FICTION BESTSELLERS 1. The Shade Tree – Theresa Shea […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
No one expected Devin Dreeshen to quit Jason Kenney’s cabinet – so what happened between Monday and Friday this week?
Almost no one expected Devin Dreeshen to resign from Jason Kenney’s cabinet Friday morning. The thirtysomething minister of agriculture may have been mired in a messy scandal stemming from allegations made in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit by a former United Conservative Party political staffer, and facing public accusations of drunken and bullying behaviour in his […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
UCP bill will allow big money and dark money back into election financing, restrict free speech rights, NDP Opposition says
Alberta’s United Conservative Party introduced new election financing legislation yesterday that appears likely to allow big money and dark money to start flowing back into provincial politics as well as restricting the free speech rights of groups that disagree with the government. So it seems on brand for the UCP to headline its press release […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
On Alberta’s anti-equalization referendum, BQ’s Blanchet tells UCP’s Kenney: Bring it on!
As the folk wisdom goes, be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. Jason Kenney got his wish yesterday when Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet told him, in effect, to bring it on. “Let’s open the constitution,” Mr. Blanchet said with a gallic shrug and a sly momentary smile at a news […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Jason Kenney throws chief medical officer of health under the bus for Alberta’s vicious fourth wave of COVID-19
The second-most-predicted event since the election of Jason Kenney and the United Conservative Party as premier and government of Alberta in 2019 has come to pass. The most predicted event took place immediately after Mr. Kenney’s smiley faced June 18 news conference at which he announced, Delta variant or no Delta variant, Alberta was pulling […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Rachel Notley’s NDP raises more cash than Jason Kenney’s UCP for third consecutive quarter
Alberta’s Opposition New Democratic Party led the United Conservative Party in fund-raising for the third consecutive quarter of 2021, although not by the dramatic margins seen in the first two quarters. This leaves Rachel Notley’s NDP far in the lead for year-to-date contributions from Albertans, but it contains a warning for the party’s supporters too. […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Minister’s claim his chief of staff’s troubles were news to him, raises eyebrows, prompts doubts
Judging from the reaction on social media, not a lot of Albertans believed Jobs, Economy and Innovation Minister Doug Schweitzer when he told a news reporter last week it wasn’t his decision in February to fire his former chief of staff, Ariella Kimmel. After the story broke last Thursday that Ms. Kimmel had filed a […]
Posted inBestsellers
Two celebrity murder mysteries back atop Alberta independent bookshops’ fiction bestseller list for second week
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021. The lists are compiled by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and include sales at Audreys Books and Glass Bookshop in Edmonton. Last week’s celebrity murder mysteries are back for a second […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
UCP Government imploding? Sexual harassment scandal hits Premier’s Office hours after supposed referendum victory
Premier Jason Kenney had less than 24 hours to savour his dubious victory in Alberta’s anti-equalization referendum before a serious scandal involving accusations of sexual-harassment, heavy drinking in the office, and the firing of a victim hit the headlines. It’s not clear if the revelation a former ministerial chief of staff has filed a lawsuit […]