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Blackfalds Mayor Requests Town’s Name Be Included In Provincial Constituency Name

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3 minute read

Melodie Stol

(Blackfalds Mayor Melodie Stol)

Written by Sheldon Spackman / Photos by Lindsay Wiebe

A review of Alberta’s Electoral Boundaries is underway and Red Deer was the site on January 20th of a Public Hearing to hear from area residents as part of that review. In fact, 15 Public Hearings are taking place across the Province this month and next, with another one slated for Olds on Wednesday, January 25th. The review is being done by the Electoral Boundaries Commission, as the last one was done in 2009/2010. Red Deer’s Public Hearing took place at the Baymont Inn and Suites and featured numerous presenters.

Among the presenters, Blackfalds Mayor Melodie Stol who expressed the town’s desire to have it’s name included in the provincial Constituency name. At the hearing, Stol said “The Town of Blackfalds has been one of Alberta’s fastest growing communities, having experienced a population increase of 8.5 percent in the single year of 2015-2016 and we are home to a total now of 9,510 residents.” Stol added, “Since the year 2006, Blackfalds has grown 101 percent, compared to the provincial average of 25 percent. It is our wish that in whichever constituency that we are placed, that we be called Blackfalds -Lacombe-Ponoka in this situation.” Stol pointed out that Blackfalds now has more population than the Town of Ponoka and it is currently not acknowledged in the Constituency name. She also requested that Blackfalds stay within it’s current Constituency of Lacombe-Ponoka, as the three communities have a number of  partnerships, including a Regional Water Line and Regional Waste Water Line project they’re currently working on. Stol closed out her remarks by saying “We’re not anyone’s bedroom community anymore, we’re a successful, thriving town and that acknowledgement should happen.”

In a Provincial Government release, Honourable Justice Myra Bielby, Commission chair, says “Given that our population has grown by more than 20 per cent in the last eight years, a review is key to ensuring fair and effective representation for all Albertans.” Bielby adds, “Now is the time for Albertans to share their thoughts as to how constituency boundaries should change through oral or written submissions.”

Any Albertan can take part in the process by providing a written submission by February 8th. Submissions and the identities of the authors will be made public. Officials say the Commission will ultimately make recommendations to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as to the areas, boundaries and names of the existing electoral constituencies of the province. The Commission will consider public input, population figures and relative population density throughout the province, common community interests, existing municipal and natural boundaries and effective representation.

An Interim Report on the Review is expected by May 31st, with the Final Report available by October 31st of 2017.

International

Tulsi Gabbard tells Trump she has ‘evidence’ voting machines are ‘vulnerable to hackers’

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From LifeSiteNews

By Stephen Kokx

Last month, Trump signed an executive order directing federal election-related funds to be conditioned on states “complying with the integrity measures set forth by Federal law, including the requirement that states use the national mail voter registration form that will now require proof of citizenship.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced during a Cabinet meeting last week at the White House that voting machines across the U.S. are not secure.

“We have evidence of how these electronic voting systems have been vulnerable to hackers for a very long time, and vulnerable to exploitation to manipulate the results of the votes being cast,” she said about a half hour into the meeting.

 

Gabbard’s remarks confirm what millions of Americans have long suspected about elections across the U.S.

President Donald Trump himself has maintained skepticism of current voting methods and has called for paper ballots to prevent cheating.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell was one of only a few voices to publicly argue that voting machines, like those run by Dominion and Smartmatic which were used during the 2020 presidential election, were compromised. GOP Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene took to X to praise the businessman after Gabbard made her remarks.

“Mike Lindell along with MANY others vindicated!!” she exclaimed on X. “Another conspiracy theory being proven right! Guess what Democrats already knew this and publicly talked about it in 2019! And then lied and lied and lied!!!”

 

Last month, Trump signed an executive order directing federal election-related funds to be conditioned on states “complying with the integrity measures set forth by Federal law, including the requirement that states use the national mail voter registration form that will now require proof of citizenship.”

Congress has also taken steps to ensure election integrity by voting on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (also known as the SAVE Act) last week. Dubbed “controversial” by the media and left-wing groups, the common sense bill would require persons to show proof of citizenship before voting. The House approved the measure 220-208 with four Democrats in support. The bill now heads to the Senate where it will face an uphill battle for the required 60 votes. Republicans currently have a 53 seat majority.

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International

Germany launches first permanent foreign troop deployment since WW2

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MXM logo  MxM News

Quick Hit:

Germany activated a 5,000-strong armored brigade in Lithuania — marking its first permanent foreign military deployment since World War II. The move strengthens NATO’s eastern flank amid Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.

Key Details:

  • The 45th Armored Brigade was formally launched outside Vilnius on Tuesday.
  • Germany plans for the brigade to be fully operational by 2027 in Rūdninkai, near the Belarus border.
  • The deployment marks a major policy shift for Berlin and a boost for NATO’s deterrence posture.

Diving Deeper:

Germany has officially entered a new era of military engagement, launching its first permanent foreign troop deployment since the end of World War II. The move, announced Tuesday, sees the activation of a 5,000-strong armored brigade in Lithuania as part of a broader NATO strategy to counter the perceived threat from Russia.

The newly formed 45th Armored Brigade was ceremonially inaugurated outside the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. German Brigadier General Christoph Huber assumed command, overseeing the establishment of a temporary headquarters and unveiling the unit’s crest. “We have a clear mission: to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies on NATO’s eastern flank,” Huber said, adding that the unit’s presence also directly contributes to the defense of Germany and NATO as a whole.

The deployment follows a pledge made by Berlin in 2023 — a decision that broke with decades of postwar defense policy rooted in military restraint. German officials had long avoided permanently stationing combat troops abroad. That posture has changed in response to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has turned the Baltic region into one of NATO’s most vulnerable frontlines.

Germany’s commitment includes more than just fighting forces. The brigade will also feature key support elements, such as a medical center, communications specialists, and command support units dispersed across multiple Lithuanian locations. Troops will initially operate out of temporary facilities, with a permanent base under construction in Rūdninkai, located roughly 30 kilometers south of Vilnius.

Currently, 150 German soldiers are already on the ground in Lithuania. That figure is expected to rise to 500 by the end of the year as the new brigade scales up operations.

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