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Alberta

Man at the centre of lockdown battle urges Premier Kenney to ease lockdown restrictions

Published

4 years ago

8 minute read

In Alberta’s political theatre, the little Whistle Stop Cafe along the highway at Mirror is punching way above it’s weight.  By opening to sit-down customers when it wasn’t legal to do so, owner Christopher Scott was risking fines and even imprisonment to keep his small business alive.  Other restaurant and business owners have done the same, but perhaps none have communicated as eloquently with the public. Through his facebook posts, Chris Scott has become the epicentre of the battle to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions and reopen businesses.
The latest example is from an article Chris posted to The Whistle Stop Cafe Facebook page on Tuesday evening.  In less than three days the post has been shared well over 1,000 times and hundreds of comments are streaming in from across Alberta and beyond.  It’s clear this restaurant owner has hit a nerve in a province full of small business owners who feel they are on the edge.

The post was written as a response to Premier Kenney’s regular Q and A Facebook livestream with Albertans.

My comment on Premier Kenney’s recent livestream. I’m sorry for the length of it. I had more to say but I’m getting angry just thinking about everything i want to write!
“Premier Kenney, you have a big problem on your hands right now. The majority of us have realized, (after hearing you and Dr. Hinshaw speak,) that these restrictions will be never ending. You and the government that we worked so hard to ensure were given the opportunity to govern responsibly have let us down. Our Party, the UCP is supposed to be a grass roots party guided by its membership. We don’t see that happening. As a matter of fact, we’re demanding that recall legislation is put on the table immediately.
How do you feel knowing that Albertans have given up on you and your governance and instead have asked the owner of a small cafe in the boonies to run for your office? Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? But it’s very telling. What I see as ridiculous is a government that lives in fear. A government that is hell bent on destroying small business by implementing sweeping mandates that are NOT backed by sufficient evidence. You’re likely to see that once I get my day in court.
I see a government where the Premier is chastising MLA’s for supporting their constituents. That’s completely disgusting. You should never have done that. It shows you wish to silence the voices that need to be heard, to keep your own ego intact.
One of the greatest blessings of being in the middle of a hub like this is that I get to talk to hundreds of people. Just like you do. But I listen. I listen to the doctors, and nurses, and law enforcement people who think what you’re doing is garbage. Do you know how many front line workers I’ve talked to since I put my neck on the chopping block to protest against your restrictions? The repeating information that I get is that it’s BS. Nurses have spoke to me that there was never a concern about COVID like what’s pushed by the media, by you. At first, yes they were worried because they didn’t know what they were dealing with. But not now. Doctors have spoken out to me, (in confidence as they’re worried they will be persecuted for speaking out,) and the common denominator in all the conversations is “this virus is really no different, and in some cases less transmissible and or deadly than previous concerns such as H1N1.” These words come straight from the mouths of those working on the front lines.
Now I’ll concede, of course, that this is a deadly virus worse than your average flu. I’m sure you are aware that most flu strains, common cold etc are of the corona variety. They kill the elderly, every year. Our average death age in Alberta is 82, and remarkably the average COVID death age is 82. What does that tell you? Of course I believe we should protect the vulnerable and elderly. I’m not a monster.
My question is, with the current and ongoing restrictions especially casinos and gaming, you must know that the AGLC is losing up to $18,000,000 PER DAY that would otherwise be funding our healthcare system. That’s a big number and could go a LONG way to protecting our vulnerable. Let’s not even think about the lost tax revenue from small business that will carry losses forward for years.
So who doesn’t care about our front line workers? I’d say the government that shoots AHS in the foot and forces them to enforce rules that HURT our healthcare system! Did you know that in long term care facilities, (which are still being forced to accept COVID positive clients, by the way,) when a staff member tests positive they isolate that wing, test the staff and the staff RETURN TO WORK while awaiting their results? But my cafe of 30 seats will “do irreparable harm to the people of Alberta.” YOU’RE doing irreparable harm with your garbage, sweeping policies that lack evidentiary merit.
I’m growing tired of your veiled, or direct threats. I’m growing tired of your fear mongering and use of the media to peddle this fear. I’m growing tired of hearing heart wrenching tales of the damage to my friends and neighbors from these restrictions. The majority of Albertans are tired of you, and your unwillingness to stand up for us. Our voice is getting louder and louder by the day. We’re becoming organized. We’re listening to each other and we’re taking the time to talk to front line workers, the elderly and frail, and others directly affected or at risk and THEY are supporting our move to lift restrictions as well.
Who are you listening to? Perhaps Ms. Notley’s friend Dr. Hinshaw? We see you’re being led down the wrong path and we refuse to let you take Alberta with you. I suggest you take time to reflect on these words and become the leader you promised you would. If you don’t want to do that, that’s ok too. But in that case, you should get out of the way and let someone else do it.
Respectfully,
Christopher Scott, the irresponsible, selfish Rebel.”
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After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Alberta

Owner sells gas for 80 cents per litre to show Albertans how low prices ‘could’ be

Published on April 2, 2025

By

Undoubtedly some of the motorists driving past The Whistle Stop Cafe at Mirror on Tuesday morning thought it was an April Fools prank.  It wasn’t.

Chris Scott, owner of the gas station at The Whistle Stop Cafe offered a one day promotion on April 1st. Scott sold 8000 litres of regular gasoline for $0.80/ litre.

The promotion was funded by Scott and the Alberta Prosperity Project.  In this video posted to his social media, Chris Scott explains why they did it.

www.albertaprosperityproject.com

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Alberta

The beauty of economic corridors: Inside Alberta’s work to link products with new markets

Published on April 1, 2025

By

From the Canadian Energy Centre

Q&A with Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transport and Economic Corridors

Devin Dreeshen, Alberta’s Minister of Transportation
and Economic Corridors.

CEC: How have recent developments impacted Alberta’s ability to expand trade routes and access new markets for energy and natural resources?

Dreeshen: With the U.S. trade dispute going on right now, it’s great to see that other provinces and the federal government are taking an interest in our east, west and northern trade routes, something that we in Alberta have been advocating for a long time.

We signed agreements with Saskatchewan and Manitoba to have an economic corridor to stretch across the prairies, as well as a recent agreement with the Northwest Territories to go north. With the leadership of Premier Danielle Smith, she’s been working on a BC, prairie and three northern territories economic corridor agreement with pretty much the entire western and northern block of Canada.

There has been a tremendous amount of work trying to get Alberta products to market and to make sure we can build big projects in Canada again.

CEC: Which infrastructure projects, whether pipeline, rail or port expansions, do you see as the most viable for improving Alberta’s global market access?

Dreeshen: We look at everything. Obviously, pipelines are the safest way to transport oil and gas, but also rail is part of the mix of getting over four million barrels per day to markets around the world.

The beauty of economic corridors is that it’s a swath of land that can have any type of utility in it, whether it be a roadway, railway, pipeline or a utility line. When you have all the environmental permits that are approved in a timely manner, and you have that designated swath of land, it politically de-risks any type of project.

CEC: A key focus of your ministry has been expanding trade corridors, including an agreement with Saskatchewan and Manitoba to explore access to Hudson’s Bay. Is there any interest from industry in developing this corridor further?

Dreeshen: There’s been lots of talk [about] Hudson Bay, a trade corridor with rail and port access. We’ve seen some improvements to go to Churchill, but also an interest in the Nelson River.

We’re starting to see more confidence in the private sector and industry wanting to build these projects. It’s great that governments can get together and work on a common goal to build things here in Canada.

CEC: What is your vision for Alberta’s future as a leader in global trade, and how do economic corridors fit into that strategy?

Dreeshen: Premier Smith has talked about C-69 being repealed by the federal government [and] the reversal of the West Coast tanker ban, which targets Alberta energy going west out of the Pacific.

There’s a lot of work that needs to be done on the federal side. Alberta has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to economic corridors.

We’ve asked the federal government if they could develop an economic corridor agency. We want to make sure that the federal government can come to the table, work with provinces [and] work with First Nations across this country to make sure that we can see these projects being built again here in Canada.

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