A small group of counter-demonstrators in Edmonton yesterday managed to blockade a parade of “Freedom Convoy” supporters on their way to the city’s downtown for the better part of an hour mid-day yesterday. When Edmonton Police and Alberta Sheriffs arrived at the intersection of River Valley Road and Fortway Drive about half an hour after […]
Posted inBestsellers
When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill tops Alberta independent bookshops’ fiction bestseller list for week ended Feb. 6
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022. 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. When We Lost Our Heads – […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Economic shock of border blockade grows; Canadian Conservatives change their tune … a little
The economic attack on Canada by the operators of trucks now blockading three major border crossings to the United States and occupying Ottawa is certainly causing more damage to the national economy than the sporadic land-defender rail blockades in 2020. Things have gotten so far out of hand that the governor of Michigan, Democrat Gretchen […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Alberta bid to recover $1.3-billion loss from KXL shutdown is politically motivated and unlikely to succeed
A brief statement by Energy Minister Sonya Savage yesterday says Alberta’s United Conservative Party Government intends to use a legacy provision of the now-kaput North American Free Trade Agreement to recover the government’s “investment” in the cancelled Keystone XL Pipeline project. The minister’s statement – heavy with nearly incomprehensible business-bureaucratic jargon despite its economical use […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Kenny pulls plug on vaccine passport, as expected, but still manages to gobsmack news conference watchers
There were exactly zero policy surprises at Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s afternoon COVID-19 news conference yesterday. As predicted by everyone everywhere, Mr. Kenney pulled the plug immediately on the province’s vaccine passport – which was euphemistically known as the “Restrictions Exemption Program,” so he could deny ever having implemented such a thing. By the time […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
‘It’s time for this lawlessness to end’ – Rachel Notley rips Jason Kenney’s inaction on illegal border blockade
The 10-day blockade of the main border crossing between Alberta and the United States had damaged the provincial economy to the tune of about half a billion dollars by yesterday. Yet Jason Kenney – the self-described premier of jobs, economy, pipelines – has done nothing about the illegal blockade on the highway just north of […]
Posted inCanadian Politics
Right-wing U.S. paw prints are all over Ottawa occupation and other convoy disruptions
Where are Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and his United Conservative Party now that evidence is accumulating the disruptive and threatening “Freedom Convoy” occupation of Ottawa is being funded and supported by far-right activists in the United States? Mr. Kenney and his crowd, after all, were the guys who demanded a “public inquiry” into alleged foreign […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
$9.8M lawsuit targets Ottawa occupation leaders; GoFundMe cuts off $10M fund; Tamara Lich quits Maverick Party board
Ottawa lawyer Paul Champ filed a statement of claim in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice yesterday seeking $4.8 million in damages for “private nuisance” and $5 million in punitive damages for the beleaguered residents of the national capital’s downtown core from the outlaw truckers occupying the city. The $9.8-million class action lawsuit focuses on […]
Posted inBestsellers
Avenue of Champions by Metis author Conor Kerr returns to top of Alberta independent bookshops’ fiction bestseller list
Here are the lists of the top 10 fiction and non-fiction titles sold by independent booksellers in Alberta during the week ended Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022. The lists are compiled by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta, and include sales at Audreys Books and Glass Bookshop in Edmonton. Readers will notice that Mr. Kerr’s An Explosion of Feathers […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Emboldened by Erin O’Toole’s fate in Ottawa, UCP anti-vaxx faction eyes Jason Kenney
Emboldened by the success of the social conservative coup plotters who overthrew Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O’Toole in Ottawa Wednesday, the same anti-vaccine faction of Alberta’s United Conservative Party is now eyeing Premier Jason Kenney. Not that Mr. Kenney is a moderate. Far from it. But he is politically wounded, unpopular with voters, […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Five environmental groups file statement of claim in defamation suit against Jason Kenney
After giving Jason Kenney more than two months to apologize for or retract his claims they spread false information about Alberta’s fossil fuel industry, five environmental groups followed through yesterday on their threat to sue Alberta’s premier and the provincial government for defamation. In a statement of claim filed with Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench […]
Posted inAlberta Politics
Danielle Larivee, nurse and former NDP cabinet minister, announces plan to return to public life
After all the grim, disturbing and strangely familiar Groundhog Day news yesterday, it was nice to learn this morning of a positive development in Alberta politics – the return of Danielle Larivee to public life. Ms. Larivee, a public health nurse and capable former NDP cabinet minister, said in a news release she intends to […]