News
Wild week for Rocky Mountain House RCMP on the Sunchild and O’Chiese First Nations
From the Rocky Mountain House RCMP
Rocky Mountain House RCMP respond to incidents on Sunchild and O’Chiese First Nations
Over a period of three days, Rocky Mountain House RCMP responded to three different incidents involving guns, a pursuit and threats. Two of the incidents have been cleared with charges and one remains under active investigation.
Dec. 17 at 12:30 p.m. the RCMP were dispatched to a disturbance in progress at the O’Chiese First Nation. A male was alleged to be smashing up a residence and threatening to kill neighbours.
Responding members contained the residence and negotiated with the suspect male to exit. The male came out armed with a knife and began walking towards and threatening the RCMP members. He alternated between being outside and inside, and threatening to shoot the police. At one point he exited the residence with an object wrapped in a blanket, which he pointed at police. Eventually, he complied with directions, dropped the object, which turned out to be a cane, and after a brief struggle, was taken into custody.
Rodney Wayne Strawberry (31) is facing eight criminal charges as a result of this incident, including assault police officer with a weapon.
Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m., the RCMP responded to a complaint of a shot fired outside a residence on the Sunchild First Nation. No one was injured, and the suspects fled in a vehicle which was known to the RCMP.
Several responding units contained the area and located the suspect vehicle. A traffic stop was attempted but the vehicle failed to stop and a pursuit was initiated. Police Dog Services (PDS) and the Emergency Response Team (ERT) were both deployed. Drayton Valley RCMP provided resources to assist. During the pursuit, a firearm was discharged towards the police. A tire deflation device was successful in stopping the vehicle. Multiple occupants of the vehicle fled on foot into the woods. The area was contained for the arrival of PDS and ERT. Three suspects surrendered to the RCMP prior to ERT arrival, and following a PDS/ERT track – two males were located and arrested. Firearms were recovered and seized by the RCMP.
Elliott John Lagrelle (38), Evan Redcalf (26), Sonya Lynn Chipaway (20), Livia Eaglestar Goodrunning (26) and Seth Lagrelle (18) are jointly facing six criminal charges. Elliott Lagrelle is facing a further seven charges including fail to comply with conditions of an undertaking and assault with a weapon against a police officer. Evan Redcalf is facing four further charges, and Sonya Chipaway charged with uttering death threats.
It is very fortunate that no one involved; neither the original complainant, the police nor the accused, was injured throughout these events.
Dec. 19 at 4:55 a.m., Rocky Mountain House responded to assist with a male at a residence on the Sunchild First Nation. The male, who was outside of the residence and suffering from a gunshot wound was transported to the hospital. An investigation was launched, with assistance from the General Investigation Section (GIS).
The male remains in hospital and the RCMP continue to investigate this occurrence. Active soliciting of witness information is underway.
“The Rocky Mountain House RCMP is striving to work with O’Chiese and Sunchild First Nations in an effort to restore community safety” says Staff Sergeant Carl Dinsdale of Rocky Mountain House RCMP. “I recognize that these incidents are wearing on the spirit of both the communities and our Members. The leaders and Elders from both Sunchild and O’Chiese First Nations, as well as the Rocky Mountain House RCMP, are extremely concerned about the rise in violent crime. We intend to remain diligent in our escalated efforts to suppress the crime that has been happening. It is vitally important that the communities support and assist the police with these investigations by coming forward with any information they might have.”
If you have information about the above investigations, or any other crimes or suspicious activities, please contact the Rocky Mountain RCMP at 403-845-2881.
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:
National
Liberals, NDP admit closed-door meetings took place in attempt to delay Canada’s next election
From LifeSiteNews
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.”
Berthold then asked, “You nevertheless suggested amendments to the legislation including a change of dates?”
“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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