11779 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

These people actually think writing letters demanding reparations from Venezuela is a sensible step. They think installing bicycle lanes is going to help fix the #climateemergency (I'm not against bicycle lanes per se - but let's at least be honest about them). They think Trudeau and Notley give two shits about their O&G opinions. 

 

I don't think that they believe either. They know that identity politics divides the community and it is that divisiveness that drives their funding and support.

[Nparker]

...They know that identity politics divides the community and it is that divisiveness that drives their funding and support.

I wish I hadn't grown so cynical as to believe this, but alas, the past few years in local, as well as less local politics, has made me highly suspicious of everyone's motives.

[AllseeingEye]

Its a win win for Helps. If she is confronted then she plays the victim and her supporters rally around her. If she is welcomed then she can claim that she engaged with the "other side" but they wouldn't yield.

No "if's" about it: if she is dumb enough to not only engage but physically 'walk about' Ft Mac or any other part of Alberta soil she better have RCMP or other security.

 

When I was there routinely having a beer with customers or out for dinner Albertans were only bemused by the antics of BC "tree huggers". Nowadays since they perceive BC rightly or wrongly as a major obstacle to their continued employment and prosperity, bemusement has given way to outright anger, hostility and distrust.

[spanky123]

No "if's" about it: if she is dumb enough to not only engage but physically 'walk about' Ft Mac or any other part of Alberta soil she better have RCMP or other security.

 

When I was there routinely having a beer with customers or out for dinner Albertans were only bemused by the antics of BC "tree huggers". Nowadays since they perceive BC rightly or wrongly as a major obstacle to their continued employment and prosperity, bemusement has given way to outright anger, hostility and distrust.

 

I am sure that she will have her new CoS and PR entourage with her. Will need lots of photos, tweets and blog posts in support of her adventure.

[rmpeers]

Mayor Lisa Helps said the community consultation will be “meaningful,” even though it will be expedited.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that there is no time to waste in reducing greenhouse gases, and that means no time to waste in completing the bike network, she said.


https://www.timescol...work-1.23642139

So the pretend consultation will be expedited. Why not forgo the charade and just do what they are already planning to do, poorly executed and at double the projected budget? Just do whatever the noisy bike lobbyists want and get it over with. That way the squeaky wheels will get what they want. But spare us the talk about consultation and "emergencies", Trump. Just build the wall and to hell with everything else.

[Rob Randall]

No "if's" about it: if she is dumb enough to not only engage but physically 'walk about' Ft Mac or any other part of Alberta soil she better have RCMP or other security.

 

When I was there routinely having a beer with customers or out for dinner Albertans were only bemused by the antics of BC "tree huggers". Nowadays since they perceive BC rightly or wrongly as a major obstacle to their continued employment and prosperity, bemusement has given way to outright anger, hostility and distrust.

 

The devastating fires of 2016 demonstrated two things: the bravery and tenaciousness of the residents of Fort McMurray and the ability of all Canadians to offer support in times of crisis. 

 

Stating that a person of any ideology or political stripe could face physical danger there from a resident is an insult to that community.

[Brantastic]

In that Times Colonist article, it says there are already plans for bike lanes from the area of Doncaster/North Dairy down to Gonzales Beach. What exactly are they talking about there?

[AllseeingEye]

The devastating fires of 2016 demonstrated two things: the bravery and tenaciousness of the residents of Fort McMurray and the ability of all Canadians to offer support in times of crisis. 

 

Stating that a person of any ideology or political stripe could face physical danger there from a resident is an insult to that community.

You 1) utterly missed the point of the post and 2) you clearly haven't spent much time on the ground in Alberta. in case you haven't noticed they're not particularly happy with BC'ers in particular who are generally perceived as anti-oil and anti-pipeline, and not particularly sympathetic to the plight of Alberta workers or its economy. The "point" was to criticize Helps, not the good folks in Ft Mac - many of whom BTW are good friends of mine.

 

As someone else pointed out perhaps just maybe Helps and Co should focus on fixing the &&^%@@ potholes and the many other items that need addressing in this community - and which are the core of their municipal responsibility; prancing about the oil patch has nothing to do with her mandate as the mayor of Victoria. Perhaps if less taxpayer $ was used to fly her worship to Alberta on a "keeping an open mind" tour there would be more funds for - oh, I dunno - maybe more beat cops on the street in Victoria??

Edited by AllseeingEye, 22 February 2019 - 04:36 PM.

[Rob Randall]

I understand what you wrote. That's why I had to write what I wrote.

[FogPub]

In that Times Colonist article, it says there are already plans for bike lanes from the area of Doncaster/North Dairy down to Gonzales Beach. What exactly are they talking about there?

Don't know, but there's a fairly flat route to be had there - start at North Dairy, south along Doncaster into Oaklands then through the residential streets (e.g. along Scott St maybe?) to a crossing of Shelbourne at some point (Pembroke?) then over to Richmond and follow that all the way to Gonzales Beach.

 

The crossing at Hillside is already there.  The Shelbourne crossing at Pembroke would likely mean yet another traffic light.  Crossing Fort would be a mess no matter where they put it.  But those are the only three major street crossings this route would have to worry about - I can (and the CoV already did!) think of worse places for a bike route.

[Brantastic]

Don't know, but there's a fairly flat route to be had there - start at North Dairy, south along Doncaster into Oaklands then through the residential streets (e.g. along Scott St maybe?) to a crossing of Shelbourne at some point (Pembroke?) then over to Richmond and follow that all the way to Gonzales Beach.

 

The crossing at Hillside is already there.  The Shelbourne crossing at Pembroke would likely mean yet another traffic light.  Crossing Fort would be a mess no matter where they put it.  But those are the only three major street crossings this route would have to worry about - I can (and the CoV already did!) think of worse places for a bike route.

There are no plans within the 2019 budget, nor within the 2022 AAA network plans for a bike lane to Gonzales Beach from Hillside, so it's strange for The Times Colonist to mention it when it has never been mentioned elsewhere that I have seen. There are plans for a Shakespeare/Gladstone/Stanley bikeway to connect Oaklands/Fernwood to downtown, as well as a completely separate bikeway along Richardson from downtown to the Gonzales neighbourhood. I have not heard of one directly connecting Gonzales to Hillside though.

[spanky123]

It is fun watching Mayor Helps chat with different news media in different regions because she says something different to every one. Instead of suing Alberta for pumping the oil that we use, she tells the Fort Mac media that. https://www.mymcmurr...ffalo-oilsands/

 

“My stance, at this point, is that fossil fuels are best kept in the ground. Workers working in that industry deserve a just transition. No one should be unemployed, and I think that the federal government should dump billions of dollars into Alberta to make it an energy superpower of the future.”

[Sparky]

^ What the hell does that even mean?

[LJ]

I'm still trying to figure out why anybody from Alberta would invite Helps there at all. She can't do anything for them or to them, they would be better off inviting Horgan or somebody with some actual power to help them.

[Brantastic]

It sounds like a Canadian version of the States' Green New Deal, particularly in her use of the words "just transition", a major focus of the proposal. The just transition referring in part to the assurances that those who work in the fossil fuel industries would not be left jobless, but would be provided with work training and jobs related to the development of green energy infrastructure.

[spanky123]

I'm still trying to figure out why anybody from Alberta would invite Helps there at all. She can't do anything for them or to them, they would be better off inviting Horgan or somebody with some actual power to help them.

It was a badly played hand by a City of Calgary councilor. I am sure that he figured that nobody would take him up on his offer. Now he will have to deal with the Helps / Green party PR machine

[spanky123]

From a CBC article today. https://www.cbc.ca/n...visit-1.5028605

 

I had a conversation with the Canadian federal minister of the environment to talk about, what does a just transition look like? How can the federal government start making those investments now to make sure that not one person loses a job in the long-term as we move to renewable energy.

 

I am assuming that this is the conversation she mentioned last week which was with the environment Minister's assistant. Nevertheless, instead of focusing on jobs for Albertans, perhaps she can focus on her own staff doing their jobs.

[Nparker]

Someone more cynical than I am, might think Her Worseship's primary goal is to get her name out there with the intent of running for higher office.

[spanky123]

Someone more cynical than I am, might think Her Worseship's primary goal is to get her name out there with the intent of running for higher office.

 

I don't think that you have to be cynical to think that at all. Thanks to a foolish councilor from Calgary, Helps has been interviewing with media across the country on how she is going to solve the climate emergency such that we are not all dead by 2030. CLEARLY her intent is to broaden her appeal and message.

Edited by spanky123, 22 February 2019 - 08:56 PM.

[Nparker]

While I would absolutely welcome making Lisa Helps Ottawa's problem, I fear who would take her place should she leave CoV council.