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Intersection Safety A Focus For Red Deer Mounties This Month

Published

8 years ago

5 minute read

By Sheldon Spackman

Intersection safety and aggressive driving are the focus for Red Deer RCMP this month. Mounties say between January 1st and 12th, they responded to roughly 119 collisions, with 57 of those being at intersections.

Police say 19 of those 57 intersections collisions were caused by someone running a red light or making an unsafe turn at an intersection. Two more were caused when drivers ran stop signs. 15 collisions came about when a driver rear-ended a vehicle that was stopped at a red light, another two when drivers were rear-ended while waiting to turn at an intersection, and one more driver was rear-ended while they were stopped at a crosswalk to allow a pedestrian to cross. Seven more intersection collisions occurred when drivers were unable to stop safely on icy roads. Fortunately, most of these collisions resulted in no injury or minor injury.

RCMP say the two intersections in Red Deer with the highest collision rates are at 30th Avenue and 67th Street and at Gaetz Avenue and 67th Street. Mounties offer the following Traffic and Pedestrian Safety tips below, as well as when and how to report a collision:

Traffic safety tips:

  • Drive for the weather – slow down and prepare for longer stopping times on icy streets.
  • Don’t roll through stop signs, speed through intersections, or follow too closely.
  • Don’t rely on having the right of way – check in all directions before turning at an intersection, whether the light is with you or against you.
  • Keep intersections clear so that traffic will be able to proceed if a light changes colour.
  • U-turns are prohibited at intersections controlled by lights, and where there are signs indicating that u-turns are not allowed.
  • Pedestrians have the right of way in crosswalks, unmarked intersections, or at stop signs unless otherwise indicated by sign. Failure to yield to a pedestrian in a cross walk results in a $776 fine and three demerits.
  • If an emergency vehicle approaches with its emergency lights activated, be cautious not to block any part of the intersection. Pull over and stop until the emergency vehicle passes through the intersection. Failure to yield to an emergency vehicle is a $233 fine and three demerit points.

Pedestrian safety tips:

  • Be alert at intersections.
  • Always look out for possible dangers when crossing the street.
  • Make eye contact with drivers before you cross the street – when eyes lock, it’s safer to walk.
  • Abide by traffic signs and signals. They are in place to protect your safety.

You can report unsafe drivers when it is safe to do so by calling the Red Deer RCMP complaint line at 403-343-5575 with a description of the car and driver, license plate and direction of travel.

Reporting collisions to RCMP:

Do you need police at the scene of a motor vehicle collision?

If there is a serious injury or fatality, call 911. If any involved vehicle is not drivable, or if any driver fails to produce registration or insurance, call the RCMP complaint line at 403-343-5575 (24 hours). If the vehicles are drivable and the above factors don’t apply, you don’t need police at the scene.

Do you need to report a collision to police after the fact?

You must make a police report after the collision if there is any injury, even a minor one, or if there appears to be $2000 or more in damage (if you aren’t sure, get an estimate first).

Exchange information with the other driver:

You need to exchange registration, insurance and drivers’ license information with the other driver(s). If you have a cell phone, it’s easiest to take photographs that information. Make sure to also take pictures of the damage to all involved vehicles and the collision location.

Report the collision in person at the downtown (4602 51 Avenue) or north (6592 58 Avenue) detachments:

You will need to provide the registration, insurance and drivers’ license information you exchanged with the other driver, damage to involved vehicles and the collision location. You will need to fill out a collision report.

Reporting a Hit and Run

If you are the victim of a hit and run, report it to the police. If you see the other vehicle, record its make, model, and license plate number – partial license plates may be useful.

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Broken ‘equalization’ program bad for all provinces

Business

Broken ‘equalization’ program bad for all provinces

Published on November 21, 2024

By

From the Fraser Institute

By Alex Whalen  and Tegan Hill

Back in the summer at a meeting in Halifax, several provincial premiers discussed a lawsuit meant to force the federal government to make changes to Canada’s equalization program. The suit—filed by Newfoundland and Labrador and backed by British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Alberta—effectively argues that the current formula isn’t fair. But while the question of “fairness” can be subjective, its clear the equalization program is broken.

In theory, the program equalizes the ability of provinces to deliver reasonably comparable services at a reasonably comparable level of taxation. Any province’s ability to pay is based on its “fiscal capacity”—that is, its ability to raise revenue.

This year, equalization payments will total a projected $25.3 billion with all provinces except B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan to receive some money. Whether due to higher incomes, higher employment or other factors, these three provinces have a greater ability to collect government revenue so they will not receive equalization.

However, contrary to the intent of the program, as recently as 2021, equalization program costs increased despite a decline in the fiscal capacity of oil-producing provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador. In other words, the fiscal capacity gap among provinces was shrinking, yet recipient provinces still received a larger equalization payment.

Why? Because a “fixed-growth rule,” introduced by the Harper government in 2009, ensures that payments grow roughly in line with the economy—even if the gap between richer and poorer provinces shrinks. The result? Total equalization payments (before adjusting for inflation) increased by 19 per cent between 2015/16 and 2020/21 despite the gap in fiscal capacities between provinces shrinking during this time.

Moreover, the structure of the equalization program is also causing problems, even for recipient provinces, because it generates strong disincentives to natural resource development and the resulting economic growth because the program “claws back” equalization dollars when provinces raise revenue from natural resource development. Despite some changes to reduce this problem, one study estimated that a recipient province wishing to increase its natural resource revenues by a modest 10 per cent could face up to a 97 per cent claw back in equalization payments.

Put simply, provinces that generally do not receive equalization such as Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan have been punished for developing their resources, whereas recipient provinces such as Quebec and in the Maritimes have been rewarded for not developing theirs.

Finally, the current program design also encourages recipient provinces to maintain high personal and business income tax rates. While higher tax rates can reduce the incentive to work, invest and be productive, they also raise the national standard average tax rate, which is used in the equalization allocation formula. Therefore, provinces are incentivized to maintain high and economically damaging tax rates to maximize equalization payments.

Unless premiers push for reforms that will improve economic incentives and contain program costs, all provinces—recipient and non-recipient—will suffer the consequences.

Authors:

Alex Whalen  and Tegan Hill
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National

Liberals, NDP admit closed-door meetings took place in attempt to delay Canada’s next election

Published on November 12, 2024

By

From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

Pushing back the date would preserve the pensions of some of the MPs who could be voted out of office in October 2025.

Aides to the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed that MPs from the Liberal and New Democratic Party (NDP) did indeed hold closed-door “briefings” to rewrite Canada’s elections laws so that they could push back the date of the next election.

The closed-door talks between the NDP and Liberals confirmed the aides included a revision that would guarantee some of its 28 MPs, including three of Trudeau’s cabinet members, would get a pension.

Allen Sutherland, who serves as the assistant cabinet secretary, testified before the House of Commons affairs committee that the changes to the Elections Act were discussed in the meetings.

“We attended a meeting where the substance of that proposal was discussed,” he said, adding that his “understanding is the briefing was primarily oral.”

According to Sutherland, as reported by Blacklock’s Reporter, it was only NDP and Liberal MPs who attended the secret meetings regarding changes to Canada’s Elections Act via Bill C-65, An Act to Amend the Canada Elections Act before the bill was introduced in March.

As reported by LifeSiteNews before, the Liberals were hoping to delay the 2025 federal election by a few days in what many see as a stunt to secure pensions for MPs who are projected to lose their seats. Approximately 80 MPs would qualify for pensions should they sit as MPs until at least October 27, 2025, which is the newly proposed election date. The election date is currently set for October 20, 2025.

Sutherland noted when asked by Conservative MP Luc Berthold that he recalled little from the meetings, but he did confirm he attended “two meetings of that kind.”

“Didn’t you find it unusual that a discussion about amending the Elections Act included only two political parties and excluded the others?” Berthold asked.

Sutherland responded, “It’s important to understand what my role was in those meetings which was simply to provide background information.”

“My role was to provide information,” replied Sutherland, who added he could not provide the exact dates of the meetings.

MPs must serve at least six years to qualify for a pension that pays $77,900 a year. Should an election be called today, many MPs would fall short of reaching the six years, hence Bill C-65 was introduced by the Liberals and NDP.

The Liberals have claimed that pushing back the next election date is not over pensions but due to “trying to observe religious holidays,” as noted by Liberal MP Mark Gerretsen.

“Conservatives voted against this bill,” Berthold said, as they are “confident of winning re-election. We don’t need this change.”

Trudeau’s popularity is at a all-time low, but he has refused to step down as PM, call an early election, or even step aside as Liberal Party leader.

As for the amendments to elections laws, they come after months of polling in favour of the Conservative Party under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre.

A recent poll found that 70 percent of Canadians believe the country is “broken” as Trudeau focuses on less critical issues. Similarly, in January, most Canadians reported that they are worse off financially since Trudeau took office.

Additionally, a January poll showed that 46 percent of Canadians expressed a desire for the federal election to take place sooner rather than the latest mandated date in the fall of 2025.

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