Connect with us
[the_ad id="89560"]

Alberta

THE HALFTIME REPORT News from the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

Published

5 minute read

ASHFM Staff Supporting Their Favourite Alberta Teams

The Battle of Alberta was fantastic. Let’s do this again soon! This is the first time the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames have met during the NHL Playoffs since 1991. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame had a ton of fun creating a number of different ways for Albertans to learn about and participate in the rivalry.

We created a poll where visitors to the museum placed a sticker on our board to indicate which Albertan NHL team they cheer for. Those unable to stop in were encouraged to comment on our social media posts, telling us their team, so we could place the sticker for them. Both teams had over 200 votes, with the total climbing higher each day.

We also highlighted some of our honoured members who have played for, or been associated with either of these teams, such as Wayne Gretzky, Michael Vernon, Glen Sather, and Peter Maher.

Other initiatives include Jersey Day, where visitors who come in on a Battle of Alberta game day wearing a Flames or Oilers jersey get 50% off of their admission into the museum, highlighting iconic BoA moments through Youtube, and more!

This newsletter is sponsored by the RBC Foundation.

Honoured Member in Focus: Wayne Bowes and Bob Daku

Wayne Bowes and Bob Daku began playing racquetball together in 1969, after meeting at the Lethbridge YMCA. They dominated the Canadian Open Men’s Doubles in racquetball from 1974 to 1982. Together, they won nine consecutive national titles.

Besides their national titles, this team won numerous Alberta crowns and competed at the 1974 World Amateur Racquetball Championships.  They won two more titles, in 1984 and 1985, and then retired from competitive racquetball with eleven of thirteen national titles.

For more information about this team, please see their Honoured Member Profile, linked below.

Honoured Member Profile

Provincial Sport Organization: Alberta Racquetball Association

The Alberta Racquetball Association’s vision is to make racquetball accessible to all Albertans and to be a national leader in programming, athlete development, and good governance.Its mission is to facilitate the participation and enjoyment of racquetball through the delivery of programs, access to resources, the development of coaches and officials, and support to clubs and affiliates.

They strive to build a strong future and legacy for racquetball by supporting competitive athletes, fostering lifelong participants and aim to increase involvement and accessibility at all levels through promotion, advocacy, and funding.

 
Artifact in Focus!

The artifact that we are highlighting is a racquetball racquet. The cover is made of faux, brown, leather.

New Billboard

Next time you’re driving down the QEII you will notice the new billboard on our building!  Our new billboard reads “This Hall’s Got Game,” and is visible from Highway 2.

Honoured Member Theo Fleury Visits ASHFM

Honoured Member Theo Fleury stopped by the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame recently to film a promotional video.

To learn more about Theo Fleury, please click on the link to his profile below.

Honoured Member Profile

Leave a legacy

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame needs your support to continue the ongoing preservation of Alberta’s sports history and the development of museum exhibits. We are grateful and appreciative of the generosity of our supporters and friends. We would be happy to assist you in choosing how your personal legacy will be fulfilled and the many options available. Here is some information on donating shares to ASHFM and the benefits to you as a donor.

Donate
Copyright © 2021 The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
#102 – 4200 Highway 2
Red Deer, AB T4N 1E3
(403) 341- 8614
[email protected]

Before Post

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame provides a family-friendly, interactive experience. You will be surprised by what you discover inside! Have fun, laugh, play and discover Alberta sports heroes together. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta's sporting history. Our over 7,000 square feet of exhibit space includes a multisport area with virtual baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer; an adaptive sports area, including a 200 meter wheelchair challenge; a Treadwall climbing wall; the Orest Korbutt Theatre; the Hall of Fame Gallery; an art gallery displaying works by provincial artists, and much more. Our venue boasts a collection of over 17,000 artefacts of Alberta sports history and showcases many of these items in a number of displays. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame also offers an education program, group activities, and a unique environment to rent for your birthday party, special event, corporate reception or meetings.

Follow Author

Alberta

Alberta mother accuses health agency of trying to vaccinate son against her wishes

Published on

From LifeSiteNews

By Clare Marie Merkowsky

 

Alberta Health Services has been accused of attempting to vaccinate a child in school against his parent’s wishes.  

On November 6, Alberta Health Services staffers visited Edmonton Hardisty School where they reportedly attempted to vaccinate a grade 6 student despite his parents signing a form stating that they did not wish for him to receive the vaccines.  

 

“It is clear they do not prioritize parental rights, and in not doing so, they traumatize students,” the boy’s mother Kerri Findling told the Counter Signal. 

During the school visit, AHS planned to vaccinate sixth graders with the HPV and hepatitis B vaccines. Notably, both HPV and hepatitis B are vaccines given to prevent diseases normally transmitted sexually.  

Among the chief concerns about the HPV vaccine has been the high number of adverse reactions reported after taking it, including a case where a 16 year-old Australian girl was made infertile due to the vaccine.  

Additionally, in 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration received reports of 28 deaths associated with the HPV vaccine. Among the 6,723 adverse reactions reported that year, 142 were deemed life-threatening and 1,061 were considered serious.   

Children whose parents had written “refused” on their forms were supposed to return to the classroom when the rest of the class was called into the vaccination area.  

However, in this case, Findling alleged that AHS staffers told her son to proceed to the vaccination area, despite seeing that she had written “refused” on his form. 

When the boy asked if he could return to the classroom, as he was certain his parents did not intend for him to receive the shots, the staff reportedly said “no.” However, he chose to return to the classroom anyway.    

Following his parents’ arrival at the school, AHS claimed the incident was a misunderstanding due to a “new hire,” attesting that the mistake would have been caught before their son was vaccinated.   

“If a student leaves the vaccination center without receiving the vaccine, it should be up to the parents to get the vaccine at a different time, if they so desire, not the school to enforce vaccination on behalf of AHS,” Findling declared.  

Findling’s story comes just a few months after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith promised a new Bill of Rights affirming “God-given” parental authority over children. 

A draft version of a forthcoming Alberta Bill of Rights provided to LifeSiteNews includes a provision beefing up parental rights, declaring the “freedom of parents to make informed decisions concerning the health, education, welfare and upbringing of their children.” 

Continue Reading

Alberta

Alberta’s fiscal update projects budget surplus, but fiscal fortunes could quickly turn

Published on

From the Fraser Institute

By Tegan Hill

According to the recent mid-year update tabled Thursday, the Smith government projects a $4.6 billion surplus in 2024/25, up from the $2.9 billion surplus projected just a few months ago. Despite the good news, Premier Smith must reduce spending to avoid budget deficits.

The fiscal update projects resource revenue of $20.3 billion in 2024/25. Today’s relatively high—but very volatile—resource revenue (including oil and gas royalties) is helping finance today’s spending and maintain a balanced budget. But it will not last forever.

For perspective, in just the last decade the Alberta government’s annual resource revenue has been as low as $2.8 billion (2015/16) and as high as $25.2 billion (2022/23).

And while the resource revenue rollercoaster is currently in Alberta’s favor, Finance Minister Nate Horner acknowledges that “risks are on the rise” as oil prices have dropped considerably and forecasters are projecting downward pressure on prices—all of which impacts resource revenue.

In fact, the government’s own estimates show a $1 change in oil prices results in an estimated $630 million revenue swing. So while the Smith government plans to maintain a surplus in 2024/25, a small change in oil prices could quickly plunge Alberta back into deficit. Premier Smith has warned that her government may fall into a budget deficit this fiscal year.

This should come as no surprise. Alberta’s been on the resource revenue rollercoaster for decades. Successive governments have increased spending during the good times of high resource revenue, but failed to rein in spending when resource revenues fell.

Previous research has shown that, in Alberta, a $1 increase in resource revenue is associated with an estimated 56-cent increase in program spending the following fiscal year (on a per-person, inflation-adjusted basis). However, a decline in resource revenue is not similarly associated with a reduction in program spending. This pattern has led to historically high levels of government spending—and budget deficits—even in more recent years.

Consider this: If this fiscal year the Smith government received an average level of resource revenue (based on levels over the last 10 years), it would receive approximately $13,000 per Albertan. Yet the government plans to spend nearly $15,000 per Albertan this fiscal year (after adjusting for inflation). That’s a huge gap of roughly $2,000—and it means the government is continuing to take big risks with the provincial budget.

Of course, if the government falls back into deficit there are implications for everyday Albertans.

When the government runs a deficit, it accumulates debt, which Albertans must pay to service. In 2024/25, the government’s debt interest payments will cost each Albertan nearly $650. That’s largely because, despite running surpluses over the last few years, Albertans are still paying for debt accumulated during the most recent string of deficits from 2008/09 to 2020/21 (excluding 2014/15), which only ended when the government enjoyed an unexpected windfall in resource revenue in 2021/22.

According to Thursday’s mid-year fiscal update, Alberta’s finances continue to be at risk. To avoid deficits, the Smith government should meaningfully reduce spending so that it’s aligned with more reliable, stable levels of revenue.

Continue Reading

Trending

X