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Is the City of Red Deer a Small Tent that is getting even smaller?

Published

8 years ago

5 minute read

Red Deer appears to be shrinking in more ways than in population. Our city is becoming a smaller and smaller tent. The most recent example is the city’s decision to withdraw from the Central Alberta Economic Partnership, (CAEP).
With a partnership of 40 municipalities representing 300,000 residents, and Red Deer representing 1/3 of the population. It is a commendable group seeking solidarity in voice with the larger governments. This was a big tent endeavour that could be a help or a hindrance, but as in any group it would be impossible to get unanimity on any issue. Of course politics can impede or derail even the best of intentions.
Perhaps Red Deer outgrew the CAEP, which is a possibility, but should we withdraw. Could we not listen and learn from the other partners. While Red Deer is shrinking in population, others are growing.
Councillor Lee recommended the withdrawal, citing the plan to focus on Red Deer’s interest like Sports Tourism and Downtown Redevelopment. I interpret this to mean 2019 Canada Games and a new aquatic centre and concert hall downtown and the Riverlands.
Sports Tourism, is a great sound byte, but is not given any serious consideration beyond the 2019 games and how it benefit’s the downtown, that is it. Just ask Councillor Lee about building the Aquatic Centre around Hazlett Lake, visible from Hwy2, incorporating the lake for a high-profile highly-visible tourist attraction and not downtown, replacing the Rec Centre. I did and he responded, about the needs of the Riverlands.
I remember talking about moving the public yard, the railroad and downtown redevelopment almost 30 years ago. The city admits it will be 20 more years before the Riverlands is fully developed and downtown redevelopment is a never ending process.
The CAEP may be a tool, we have failed to avail ourselves. I know we deal with other communities on many issues, but perhaps we could adjust the bigger picture. Less focus on single issues and more real-time focus on bigger issues.
I have been told on numerous occasions that the city focuses too much of it’s time, money and energy on the downtown. Nearly 1,000 people moved out of Red Deer last year, 777 of those who moved away lived north of the river. The city hasn’t ever built a high school north of the river, they are planning 6 south of the river. They haven’t built a school north of the river in 41 years. It has been over 40 years since they built an indoor pool or indoor ice rink north of the river.
Blackfalds, built the Abbey Centre away from their downtown and their population grew by over 700 residents, last year. Penhold built a multi-plex near Hwy2 and their town needs to expropriate more land for residential developments.
These communities live in the same province, at the same time but are achieving drastically different results.
Perhaps instead of withdrawing into a smaller and smaller tent, instead of focusing inward it should be focusing outward and seek a bigger tent.
So, (I have to add) how about building a Collicutt type complex, incorporating a 51m pool, and an indoor ice rink, around Hazlett Lake. It is visible from Hwy 2 and Hwy 11A. You could incorporate the lake for competitive swimming, canoeing, boat races, outdoor skating, hockey games, even ice fishing. It would boost tourism, kick-start development in the north, help the less fortunate who needs a staycation destination. What do you say? I know; it is not downtown, how dare I even dream of it. Could you at least build a high school for the thousand plus students living on the north side?
These suggestions don’t fit in a small tent.

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Ontario to restrict Canadian government’s supervised drug sites, shift focus to helping addicts

Published on November 21, 2024

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford is making good on a promise to close so-called drug “supervision” sites in his province and says his government will focus on helping addicts get better instead of giving them free drugs.

Ford’s Progressive Conservative government on Monday tabled the Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act that will place into law specific bans on where such drug consumption sites are located.

Specifically, the new bill will ban “supervised” drug consumption sites from being close to schools or childcare centers. Ten sites will close for now, including five in Toronto.

The new law would prohibit the “establishment and operation of a supervised consumption site at a location that is less than 200 meters from certain types of schools, private schools, childcare centers, Early child and family centers and such other premises as may be prescribed by the regulations.”

It would also in effect ban municipalities and local boards from applying for an “exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada) for the purpose of decriminalizing the personal possession of a controlled substance or precursor.”

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“Municipalities and local boards may only make such applications or support such applications if they have obtained the approval of the provincial Minister of Health,” the bill reads.

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In September, Ford had called the federal government’s lax drug policies tantamount to being the “biggest drug dealer in the entire country” and had vowed to act.

In speaking about the new bill, Ontario Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the Ford government does not plan to allow municipal requests to the government regarding supervised consumption sites.

“Municipalities and organizations like public health units have to first come to the province because we don’t want them bypassing and getting any federal approval for something that we vehemently disagree with,” Jones told the media on Monday.

She also clarified that “there will be no further safe injection sites in the province of Ontario under our government.”

Ontario will instead create 19 new intensive addiction recovery to help those addicted to deadly drugs.

Alberta and other provinces have had success helping addicts instead of giving them free drugs.

As reported by LifeSiteNews, deaths related to opioid and other drug overdoses in Alberta fell to their lowest levels in years after the Conservative government began to focus on helping addicts via a recovery-based approach instead of the Liberal-minded, so-called “safe-supply” method.

Despite public backlash with respect to supervised drug consumption sites, Health Canada recently approved 16 more drug consumption sites in Ontario. Ford mentioned in the press conference that each day he gets “endless phone calls about needles being in the parks, needles being by the schools and the daycares,” calling the situation “unacceptable.”

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Alberta

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

Published on November 21, 2024

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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).

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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.

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