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Better Camping, More Tourism in Castle Parks

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From the Alberta Government:

New family campsites, improved rustic backcountry camping and a new tourism campaign will encourage more Albertans to visit the Castle region this summer.

Albertans will have more opportunities for adventure this year as the province invests $3 million in capital upgrades in the Castle parks. Improvements will include new and improved family-friendly camping opportunities, trails, highly accessible front-country experiences and better access to the vast wilderness.

 

“Albertans have loved the Castle for generations. The region’s majestic landscapes are home to stunning mountains, rolling hills, montane forests and meadows. I’m pleased that through our capital funding commitment we can ensure families and visitors have an amazing and quality outdoors experience.”

– Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks

 

In addition to the capital funding, Travel Alberta is contributing to and leading a $400,000 advertising campaign to encourage local visitation and boost international tourism to the Castle region. The campaign follows a series of closures in Waterton Lakes National Park due to damage from last year’s wildfires in southern Alberta.

 

“The Castle region is ready and open for business. Working with Travel Alberta, Alberta Parks and tourism operators, we’ve developed a campaign to help raise awareness and encourage visitation. It’s another way we are assisting in the local tourism recovery effort. I encourage Albertans and visitors alike to get out and explore all the hidden gems the Castle region has to offer.  Get ready, there is so much to see and do.”

 – Ricardo Miranda, Minister of Culture and Tourism

 

The tourism strategy will improve visitor access by paving Highway 774 south of Beaver Mines to Castle Mountain Resort and support the installation of water lines. Tourism signage on primary highways and wayfinding along travel routes through the Castle parks and region will also be installed this summer.

The Government of Alberta is also releasing the Castle Management Plan. The plan reflects input provided through extensive engagement and consultation with First Nations, stakeholders and Albertans. Protection of wildlife and headwaters, the respect of Indigenous rights and exceptional recreational experiences remain the primary management objectives of the parks.

 

“The Castle Management Plan provides great opportunities to enjoy this beautiful and diverse landscape. The Great Divide Trail is the world’s best wilderness long-distance hiking trail, starting on the U.S.-Canada border travelling northward to the newly formed Castle parks. We couldn’t be happier with the outcomes in the plan. It has provided clarity, assurance and opportunity for recreation users who love the quiet contemplation of wild nature, and a reduced footprint on this ecologically important area of Alberta.”

 – Dave Hockey, president, Great Divide Trail Association

 

“Equines and equine enthusiasts are an integral part of Alberta. The Alberta Equestrian Federation provides programs and services that cover a wide range of equestrian activities for beginners to experts in a multitude of disciplines. The Alberta Equestrian Federation is pleased to have participated in the public consultation process for Castle parks and we are excited about today’s announcement that facilitates equestrian use and enjoyment of this beautiful area.”

 – Jason Edworthy, director, Alberta Equestrian Federation 

 

 

“Castle parks is a prime destination for Albertans hitting the road for a weekend with their family. The Recreation Vehicle Dealers of Alberta are pleased that these announcements today will result in more Alberta locations for owners of RVs to enjoy the RV lifestyle experience and keep Albertans supporting the local economy.”

     – Dan Merkowsky, executive vice-president, RVDA of Alberta

 

 

“United Riders of Crowsnest Club is very enthusiastic about Alberta Parks’ plan for recreational trail development in the Castle provincial parks. A new ‘Epic’ mountain biking trail, linked to the communities of Crowsnest Pass and existing trails, will provide a great draw for mountain bikers. We look forward to sharing our spectacular scenery and trails as the Castle parks and Crowsnest area are increasingly recognized as a great outdoor recreational destination.”

– Jim Lucas, trails coordinator, United Riders of Crowsnest

 

Albertans won’t have to wait long to see changes to the new parks. A variety of small-scale infrastructure developments will be implemented to support the visitor experience, including improved camping amenities, trailhead parking, equestrian facilities and backcountry campsites.

2018 improvements in the Castle Parks

  • Twelve new campsites in Lynx Creek, each with a new fire pit, picnic table, washroom facility and garbage receptacle.
  • Nine improved rustic camping areas with space for over 150 camping units, each with a fire pit.
  • Two new warm-up huts with seating for 12, each including a wood stove, open at the Syncline South Staging area and Beaver Mines Lake Boat Launch.
  • Five new comfort cabins installed at Beaver Mines Lake; each includes sleeping space for four.
  • Trail improvements including water crossings, debris-clearing and hazard tree removal at Table Mountain, Grizzly Lake and Barnaby.
  • Improvements to backcountry campsites at Grizzly Lake, Southforks/Barnaby Lake and Bovin Lake.
  • Installation of new wayfinding signage, including 14 kiosks throughout the park to post trail and park details, and emergency contact information.

For more information visit albertaparks.ca

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Russiagate Remnants

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Racket News

It would be a crime to abandon investigations into Russiagate, both because it’s ongoing and because of the cost to those of us who were victims of it

Remnants. Thats what we are; that’s even what some of us call ourselves. Remainders. Leftovers. Residue. The stub of the cigar of the fake Russiagate scandal, left to smoke and shrink away in the overfull ashtray of national shame.

We Russia hoax Remnants feel differently about President Donald Trump’s recent landslide victory, and our expectations are diverse. But we all, to some degree, have similar stories and hopes — not for retribution, as delicious as that may be, but for accountability and reform.

And Kash Patel, President Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is the man we need. Like the President elect, he has seen this abuse up close. They are uniquely qualified.

Make no mistake, when we all chose politics as a profession, we knew it was bloodsport. But none of us expected the personal toll that impacted not just careers, but health and families — especially our children.

There are many families like my own, destroyed completely by the Democrats’ illegal zeal to Get Trump at any cost. During Russiagate and the subsequent hoaxes, I screamed at the top of my lungs on television several times each week as my wife and daughters lived in fear in our Buffalo-area home.

Most Remnants stayed silent. They were the smart ones.

Those subjects of the bogus Russian collusion investigations are quietly reassembling their lives today. Just six or seven years ago, some pulled their children from school, bullied by students and teachers alike. Both parents in at least one family were fired, and with no money for tuition their son was forced to drop out of the college he worked tirelessly to attend. I don’t think he ever returned.

These Remnant stories are commonplace. Many families lost their homes; most lost their life savings. I know of older targets living on meager pensions now that their bank accounts were drained by lawfare legal fees. Those still working are earning less than half the income of their peers.

One family left the country, disheartened by what America had become. Another man, once an international business success, was wrongly debased and finally diminished to serve in a bureaucracy.

Then there is the death and near deaths, the suicide attempts readers will never know, the illnesses brought on by stress. When I fell with head and neck cancer, another Remnant struck by the disease called me twice a week to share our battles. After several months, his calls stopped.

My colleague had finally succumbed to the Crossfire Hurricane plague, unfathomable stress that drives cancer. Readers don’t even know his name; his wife and two young children know he was a hero.

He did nothing wrong. He was a Remnant.

The mentally ill, weaponized by brazen Democrat lies, harassed nearly all of us. My frequent media appearances made me more recognizable than the smarter, quieter Remnants. That made my family a target of a local retired mailman who was arrested and prosecuted for harassment.

My youngest daughters, just five and seven years old at the time, were often harassed while playing in our front yard. A local elderly woman, an otherwise benign community museum volunteer, posted dozens of times on social media during her daily walks by our house, including photos showing our address. She screamed at my girls and mocked their safety.

The bitter old lady died recently and the nutty mailman is still creeping around. Our family prays for their souls because, like all the Remnants, we know the banality of evil. Unhinged activists, some neighbors, forced us to leave our beloved hometown forever. We miss it every day — especially after a big, beautiful Buffalo snowfall.

It’s worse for some, like Paul Manafort, Carter Page, and the inimitable Roger Stone. Last year Roger and I had a late lunch a few miles from his home. Out of nowhere, an Antifa activist showed up to threaten him in the empty restaurant. Clearly, these pongos are still tracking Roger closely. He did nothing wrong, yet I still fear for his safety.

I have talked to many of the Remnants since Election Day. Some have high hopes; these patriots still believe in our justice system. Others expect nothing at all after seeing enough corruption to believe justice is dead. Most are somewhere in between.

All of us agree the original Russiagate conspiracy continues even today. The Russia hoax was created by Hillary Clinton aide Jake Sullivan, who carries on with his lies today as President Joe Biden’s national security advisor. Christopher Steele, the British spy hired by Clinton to create the dodgy dossier, and his Fusion GPS co-conspirator Glenn Simpson are still doing the same work for similar clients. Andrew Weissmann, Peter Strzok, John Brennan, and more still peddle their lies. Elements of the original conspiracy were woven into Ukrainian meddling in the 2016 American election, then bogus Trump impeachments, January 6th prosecutions, anti-Trump lawfare, and Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Mar-a-lago raid.

FBI Director Patel can prove the original 2016 conspiracy continues today. Much of the evidence remains in federal and public databases. Preemptive pardons aside, that means Sullivan, Weissmann, Mary McCord, Steele, Simpson, Victoria Nuland, Alexander Vindman, Eric Ciaramella, Smith, and others may still be in the jackpot. We agree with attorney Mike Davis: these perpetrators potentially violated 18 U.S.C. § 241 and 242, federal civil rights statutes that prohibit conspiracies to violate the rights of others.

This is where many Remnants stand: please do not forget the families in the ash tray and simply move on. Investigate the perpetrators now, reach back to the beginning of their Russiagate criminal conspiracy and follow it to today. Prosecute them fully and legally; expose how they illegally crushed us.

But do this only in pursuit of true justice — not for retribution, but for accountability and reform.

Michael Caputo worked at the highest levels of global politics for 40 years. He served as HHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs during the COVID pandemic and as a senior advisor to the 2016 and 2024 Donald Trump for President campaigns. He is the Jeffrey Bell senior fellow at the American Principles Project.

 A guest post by
Michael R. Caputo
Candidate, Master of Arts in Theology, Ave Maria University. Former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at US-HHS during the onset of COVID. OG Trump, Deadhead, 25ID Veteran. Jack Kemp made me do it.

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Daily Caller

You Might Have Missed It, But Ray Epps’ Lawsuit Against Tucker Went Down In Flames

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From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Adam Pack

A federal judge dismissed a January 6th defendant’s defamation lawsuit against Fox News and its former primetime TV anchor, Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson on Wednesday.

Delaware Federal District Court Judge, Jennifer Hall, ruled that Carlson’s reporting on Epps was protected under the First Amendment because Epps’ lawyers did not prove Carlson had acted with “actual malice.”

“For the reasons announced from the bench today, it is hereby ordered that Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for Failure to State a Claim is granted,” Hall, a Biden appointee, wrote.

Members of the corporate media claimed that Epps would win his lawsuit against Fox News and prove Carlson had acted with “actual malice” in his reporting on the Jan. 6 defendant, according to an MSNBC discussion on the defamation case led by former Republican National Committee chairman and MSNBC political analyst Michael Steele on July 16, 2023, following news of Epps’ lawsuit.

 

“I think what Dominion ushered in this question of actual malice and we saw the $800 million settlement has really ripped open if you will, the opportunity for others to go at Fox News,” former Florida Republican Rep. David Jolly said during the clip.

“They better get out a really big check book because they’re gonna pay heavily,” former Democratic Maryland Rep. Donna Edwards also said.

Judge Hall, however, sided with Fox News’ lawyers and dismissed the lawsuit before it could proceed to trial.

“It is especially clear that any conclusions were only opinions, because the statements were replete with ‘cautionary language’ that signal opinion and interpretation,” Fox News’ lawyers wrote in a memorandum in support of the network’s motion to dismiss Epps’ lawsuit. “In one segment, after showing a video of Plaintiff, Mr. Carlson squarely stated: ‘Once again, you can draw whatever conclusions you like from that video. We have ours and we shared them with you’. Fox opinion hosts were clearly providing their interpretations that listeners could accept or reject based on their own assessment of the fully disclosed facts.”

“First amendment protection for such commentary is essential for our democracy,” the memorandum also stated.

“Epps and his wife have clearly been through a nightmare of threats and innuendo,” Jonathan Turley, Fox News legal commentator wrote on his personal website following the judge’s ruling. “However, this public controversy was discussed by various networks and the Jan. 6th Committee. It was also a matter of legitimate public debate and commentary, with people on both sides expressing their views on the evidence and underlying allegations.”

Epps sued Fox News in July 2023 following Carlson’s comments that suggested Epps may have been a government agent after video footage surfaced showing him the night before Jan. 6, 2021, encouraging Trump supporters to go inside the Capitol the next day, leading to speculation that he may have been an FBI informant.

 

“We’re far beyond that. In fact, tomorrow—I don’t even like to say it because I’ll be arrested—we need to go into the Capitol. We’re here to defend the Constitution,” Epps could be heard saying in the video.

“I’m going to put this out there. I’m probably going to jail for it. Tomorrow, we need to go into the Capitol. Into the Capitol. Peacefully,” Epps added. Someone in the crowd responded by calling Epps a “fed,” the video showed.

Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia James Boasberg sentenced Epps to just 12 months probation on Jan. 9, three years after Epps encouraged Trump supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol.

Other Jan. 6 defendants received much longer sentences than Epps. Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors offered Epps a misdemeanor plea deal for cooperating with federal authorities and expressing remorse for his actions, and recommended he serve six months in jail for his conduct on and preceding the Jan. 6 riot. Epps was sentenced to twelve months probation in January.

“It’s amazing Ray Epps gets mere probation after there is video evidence he helped incite the January 6th riot, while Trump supporters get sent to prison for months — even years — for trespassing and taking selfies on the Senate floor,” Mike Davis, founder and president of the Article III Project previously told the DCNF. “The FBI protects its own.”

Carlson also accused Epps of lying in his testimony to the January 6th Committee.

 

“Following the dismissals of the Jankowicz, Bobulinski, and now Epps cases, Fox News is pleased with these back-to-back decisions from federal courts preserving the press freedoms of the First Amendment,” Fox News told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a written statement.

Epps’ lawyer did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

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