Juno News - Christmas deemed not inclusive enough by elementary school

00:00:00.000 An Albertan elementary school in White Court cancelled its winter concert before Christmas

00:00:04.480 break after the principal said it wasn't inclusive enough. We'll be discussing another

00:00:09.040 small Albertan town on the show today too, that being Barhead for passing a bylaw that ensures

00:00:14.560 all public buildings, crosswalks, and flags remain neutral on social or political issues.

00:00:20.580 Looking more provincially, Albertans will be able to rejoice at the fact that the province

00:00:24.540 plans to remove 70% of photo radar sites. Then moving from provincially to federally, we'll look

00:00:30.460 at a recent report showing that despite the Liberals' oil and gas emissions cap and other

00:00:35.240 anti-energy policies, Canadian oil and gas drilling will reach levels not seen since before Prime

00:00:41.560 Minister Justin Trudeau took office in 2015. I'm Isaac Lamoureux, your host of the Alberta Roundup.

00:00:47.220 Let's hop into that first story now.

00:00:54.540 So just like last week, we're going to visit our old friend and host of the show, Rachel Parker,

00:01:05.120 who posted portions of the Pat Hardy Elementary School principal's statement to X. The post

00:01:10.840 featured a link to the full document, but warned that it might soon be deleted. And that's exactly

00:01:16.740 what happened. When I wrote the story last Friday, the statement was completely accessible

00:01:21.460 with the link. It has since been removed. In her statement, the principal said, quote,

00:01:27.360 not all students celebrate Christmas, and their families may or may not choose to have them

00:01:31.940 participate in the Christmas concert. Other families celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday,

00:01:37.700 but do not want children engaging in the non-religious parts such as Santa, Christmas, trees, etc.

00:01:43.760 Despite arguing that Christmas is a non-inclusive time, the entire school has Christmas break and no

00:01:49.660 school between December 23rd and January 7th. The principal added that while some students

00:01:55.340 celebrate Christmas traditions such as Santa, trees, and gifts, they do not participate in the

00:02:01.100 religious aspect of the holiday. She said in her since-deleted statement, quote,

00:02:06.180 preparing for a concert involves months of preparation and daily practice in the final weeks prior to the

00:02:11.580 event. As a result, students who are not participating are excluded from multiple music lessons and

00:02:16.680 classroom practices for an extended period of time. She added, quote, we work hard to find ways to ensure

00:02:23.880 our events are as inclusive to as many students and families as possible. The principal explained that

00:02:29.360 the music teacher is currently covering a grade four classroom and cannot facilitate this year's

00:02:33.780 concert. She said that a spring concert would be more inclusive. Northern Gateway Public School's

00:02:39.280 superintendent, Kevin Byrd, said in a statement to me that the principal's initial statement poorly

00:02:45.040 expressed the reason for the concert being moved, which he said was due to the music teacher's

00:02:50.080 unavailability. He said the decision was made weeks ago and was supported by numerous parents.

00:02:55.820 However, Byrd alluded to the fact that the school faced backlash for this decision, especially from

00:03:00.900 Ontario, where he said many of the calls to the school came from. Byrd added that various Christmas

00:03:06.240 events, including Christmas choir, tree decorating, gift making, and more are still taking place at the

00:03:12.280 school. He said, quote, while I am not happy with the move of the concert, I am heartened by the

00:03:18.740 scheduled events and the reality of Christmas activities for the students that seem reflective

00:03:23.140 of the true meaning of Christmas. He added that he has not once heard a recent immigrant or refugee

00:03:28.640 to Canada express concerns about a Christmas concert and is frustrated that the school may have contributed

00:03:34.400 negatively to the narrative. Byrd said, quote, while I know that what was published in the newsletter

00:03:40.140 was done with the best of intentions, that doesn't mean it was done the right way or in the right

00:03:44.900 place. He added that some students do not participate in some or all Christmas activities, but that no

00:03:51.260 families have ever asked for a school-wide change. Byrd said, quote, with inflation, increased taxation,

00:03:58.240 political scandals, strife abroad, etc., it is a difficult time. There are people struggling in all

00:04:04.680 our communities with physical and emotional needs or perhaps struggling also to find place and purpose.

00:04:10.320 He noted that many things are taking place in the community to support those in need. Byrd said,

00:04:15.080 quote, I would have liked to see some of the items discussed in the school newsletter as reasons to

00:04:20.040 have Christmas concerts rather than the other way around, providing perhaps a momentary reminder of

00:04:25.540 peace and goodwill in what for some, including me at times, can be a very difficult season.

00:04:30.920 Now moving over to a different Alberta town, Barhead has passed a bylaw to ensure that all public

00:04:36.880 buildings, crosswalks, and flags remain, quote, neutral on social or political issues. This means

00:04:44.220 pride crosswalks will not be allowed. The town of Barhead held a plebiscite vote on the motion on Monday.

00:04:50.880 A total of 1,145 votes were cast, 653 or 57% for and 492 or 43% against. The neutral space bylaw

00:05:03.320 mandates that crosswalks are only painted in standard white stripe patterns between two parallel

00:05:08.600 lines. The bylaw also states that only national flags, the provincial flag of Alberta, or the town

00:05:15.040 of Barhead flags are flown on public property. The bylaw reads, quote, there will be no decoration

00:05:20.840 on town crosswalks or displaying a flag supporting political, social, or religious movements or

00:05:27.060 commercial entities. It added, quote, no grandfathering of any existing crosswalks or flags that

00:05:33.080 contravene the new bylaw will be authorized. Now you may remember that Westlock held a similar vote

00:05:39.960 in February 2024. That vote, however, was much closer with 663 people voting yes and 639 voting no.

00:05:48.840 According to Alberta's Municipal Government Act, a petition must be signed by at least 10% of a

00:05:54.280 municipality's population to go before the city council. Barhead's petition for the bylaw featured

00:05:59.420 signatures from around 16% of the population. The city said that more than double that, 33% of

00:06:06.780 eligible voters came to cast their ballots. The city council could either pass the bylaw through

00:06:11.920 three readings or allow the community to decide through a plebiscite. The city said, quote,

00:06:17.520 to ensure a broader representation of community voices, council opted for the plebiscite. The

00:06:23.900 petition was sponsored by Barhead Neutrality, a group of residents who said it supports the freedoms

00:06:29.100 of beliefs, speech, and expression of all people. Ard Durnbos, a member of Barhead Neutrality,

00:06:35.680 told me that it was encouraging that the Barhead vote had a larger margin of agreement than Westlock.

00:06:41.980 He said, going door-to-door was not difficult, but time-consuming and required many volunteers.

00:06:48.040 Durnbos said, quote,

00:06:49.140 He did add, however, that the town was mostly supportive and that over 20 businesses put up

00:07:13.340 posters supporting the group and its motion. Durnbos said, quote,

00:07:18.100 I want to reiterate that this was not a love versus hate vote for us. We did not set out to

00:07:23.300 incite hate into the community, but rather to keep our community open and welcome to everyone of all

00:07:29.100 stripes. We saw the past two years of the division caused by painted crosswalks and didn't feel we

00:07:35.700 had any recourse to appeal them. I also had the chance to speak with Stephanie Bacher, a spokesperson

00:07:41.260 for the Westlock Neutrality team that helped lead her town's petition. She said her team had been in

00:07:46.640 contact with Barheads throughout the entire process. While Bacher said she feels Westlock

00:07:51.340 influenced what happened in Barhead, she noted that their city council took a more neutral stance

00:07:56.100 compared to when Westlock's mayor and council publicly opposed the bylaw, which she added may

00:08:01.340 have worked against them. Bacher added that all the negative hypotheticals people proposed would

00:08:06.860 happen in Westlock following their bylaw enactment, like being unable to attract doctors to the town,

00:08:12.380 did not occur. She said, quote, it's easy to be angry online, but when you're face to face with your

00:08:18.300 neighbor in the grocery store, people behave a lot differently. Bacher said that the tides may be

00:08:23.620 shifting in Alberta, where people are beginning to realize they're not alone and just want to get

00:08:28.560 along. She thinks the bylaw has actually encouraged kindness instead of hate. She said that other towns

00:08:36.320 have reached out and encouraged any others seeking guidance to follow suit. So my question for all of you

00:08:42.380 is, why does it seem like the small towns in Alberta always seem to be the ones sticking up for

00:08:48.220 freedom? Not just in this example, but as we've also seen with photo radar, for example, I mean,

00:08:54.520 do you think there's anything that could occur in the cities to force them to follow suit or perhaps

00:09:00.420 just encourage them? Anyways, speaking of photo radar, let's hop into the next story, which is of the

00:09:05.320 Alberta government announcing it would end using photo radar as a revenue generator at a Monday press

00:09:10.840 conference. Alberta's Minister of Transportation, Devin Dreeshan, had the following to say about the

00:09:15.800 cash cow that is photo radar. Our goal is clear to ensure that photo radar is a tool for protecting

00:09:21.560 people, not a government cash cow. Last year alone, Alberta's photo radar system generated $145 million,

00:09:29.560 but this revenue came at the expense of public trust. With these changes, we are putting safety first.

00:09:36.560 Let me be clear, our government has zero tolerance for dangerous or reckless driving. Traditional

00:09:42.460 enforcement has always been and always will be important to keep our roads and communities safe.

00:09:48.820 These changes ensure that enforcement focuses on where it matters most, protecting lives and enhancing

00:09:54.520 safety on our roads. This is a historic day for Alberta drivers. As we turn up the heat,

00:10:00.340 we fire up the grill and say goodbye to the photo radar cash cow. 0.93

00:10:04.260 So starting April 1st, 2025, photo radar usage will be restricted to schools, playgrounds and

00:10:11.180 construction zones. Photo radar will also be removed from intersections where drivers were ticketed

00:10:17.240 speeding on a green light. However, red light cameras will remain. Every single photo radar site in

00:10:23.580 Alberta will be reviewed over the next four months. The changes are anticipated to bring down the current

00:10:28.600 2,200 photo radar sites down to 650 locations, which is a 70% reduction. The reduction will put Alberta

00:10:36.520 more in line with other provinces. Apparently, approximately 70% more photo radar sites are used

00:10:42.520 in Alberta's 24 municipalities compared to the next highest province. However, municipalities will have

00:10:48.720 the ability to request photo radar outside of the three key areas on a case-by-case basis if they can

00:10:54.480 provide evidence of a high frequency of collisions. These exceptions would come on a quote,

00:10:59.880 exceptional basis, according to the province's press release. The exceptions would be subject to

00:11:04.780 an audit every two years to prove they're reducing collisions. Drieschen said that successful photo

00:11:10.540 radar should slow drivers down immediately, not result in them being mailed a ticket weeks later,

00:11:16.880 a ticket they aren't receiving anyways, thanks to the Canada Post strike. While some municipalities have

00:11:21.860 claimed that photo radar has resulted in fewer tickets and collisions, Drieschen argued that the

00:11:26.240 data show mixed results. For example, he said that some municipalities have also removed photo radar

00:11:32.260 and seen fewer collisions. Alberta previously banned photo radar fishing holes that focused on revenue

00:11:38.820 generation instead of traffic safety on ring roads in Edmonton and Calgary in November 2023. Drieschen

00:11:45.380 highlighted Camrose as a successful photo radar program. He said,

00:11:49.080 they lose money on photo radar, but nobody speeds through the city. Drieschen said, quote,

00:11:54.460 and that's something that we want to work with municipalities to make sure we can help them use

00:11:58.340 photo radar as a traffic safety tool and not as a revenue generator. While photo radar will decrease,

00:12:04.340 Drieschen said cities could install more red light cameras. However, he said, at least with those,

00:12:09.600 the data are clear. Drivers slow down because of red light cameras. The changes are expected to negatively

00:12:15.160 affect the provinces and municipalities bottom lines. However, the province's most recent fiscal update

00:12:21.780 showed that the expected surplus rose once again to now $4.6 billion, a further increase from the

00:12:28.900 updated $2.9 billion after the initially forecasted $367 million surplus. Now taking a rare national look

00:12:37.600 at things on this Alberta show, the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors forecasts an

00:12:43.180 increase in Canadian oil and gas drilling with levels not seen since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

00:12:48.160 took office in 2015. While the report highlighted the industry's positive contributions and commitment

00:12:54.160 to responsible resource development, it was critical of the federal government. The report reads,

00:12:59.700 quote, however, the association has been sorely disappointed by the lack of support from the

00:13:05.520 federal government. Policies like the oil and gas emissions cap and anti-greenwashing provisions in

00:13:11.440 Bill C-59 have left Canada's energy sector in a difficult position, severely weakening its investment

00:13:18.180 climate and creating additional uncertainty at a time when affordability and global energy security are

00:13:23.920 already under threat. The report also expects the number of jobs to increase to 41,800 in 2025,

00:13:31.040 which will be a 7% increase from 2024. The release reads, quote, with increased pipeline capacity

00:13:37.460 following the completion of the Trans Mountain expansion and LNG Canada projects, combined with

00:13:43.420 the new U.S. administration's strong interests in securing more affordable energy, Canada's growth

00:13:49.160 potential in oil and gas is only expected to increase. The association argued that while other

00:13:54.660 countries have seen the importance of hydrocarbons in the world's energy future, Canada's federal

00:14:00.380 government has taken the opposite approach. The release reads, quote, Ottawa's top-down approach with

00:14:06.240 energy-producing provinces has not only ignored the strategic value of Canada's resources but also

00:14:11.980 posed potential constitutional challenges. We'll remember that even if the federal government

00:14:16.640 continues to wage its war on energy, Danielle Smith will not let them encroach on provincial

00:14:21.980 jurisdiction. Smith said that Alberta will invoke the Sovereignty Act to combat the Liberals' oil and gas

00:14:27.320 emissions cap, arguing that it violated Section 92A of the Constitution, which grants provinces

00:14:33.200 exclusive jurisdiction over non-renewable natural resource development. The report said that if Canada

00:14:39.180 continues its war against energy, it will further erode its GDP growth and translate into smaller paychecks

00:14:45.200 and a lower standard of living for Canadian families. A report from the Conference Board of Canada

00:14:50.720 previously estimated that the emissions cap would result in the average Canadian family having

00:14:55.120 $419 less monthly for groceries, utility, and mortgage payments. The report added that the cap would

00:15:02.300 reduce Canada's GDP by up to $1 trillion between 2030 and 2040 and risk losing up to 151,000 jobs by 2030.

00:15:11.960 The association called on the Liberals to introduce legislation allowing Canada to preserve millions

00:15:17.740 of Canadians' jobs and livelihoods while supporting environmental stewardship in the industry.

00:15:23.560 It reads, quote,

00:15:24.520 Our future and the future of generations to come depend on Canada's ability to compete on the world stage,

00:15:31.160 which will never be achieved unless the positive contributions and economic significance of our

00:15:36.200 industry are recognized at the highest levels of government. We must work together to design

00:15:41.180 pragmatic legislation that reflects our potential and strengthens our presence in the global energy

00:15:46.140 sector, and our association is committed to collaborating with any government to reach that goal.

00:15:51.660 So that wraps up our stories for this week, but we'll hop into the comment roundup section here.

00:15:56.620 Lots of the comments were in response to Smith's pledge to invoke the Sovereignty Act, so we'll start there.

00:16:02.060 Yeah, I figured this comment would be fitting to start with, given the last story in today's show,

00:16:13.580 considering we're actually anticipating oil and gas drilling to grow in lieu of the emissions cap and

00:16:18.780 other anti-energy initiatives. My question is, how strong could our economy be if we actually supported

00:16:24.620 energy development and production instead of the opposite? Maybe we'll find out one day if Canada inherits a

00:16:30.700 federal government that treats energy development favorably and realizes that we can have a global

00:16:35.340 impact in a time of need. Yeah, so it's more challenging to find other comments not about

00:16:39.900 Smith, as so many of you were celebrating her in the last video. However, I thought I'd highlight

00:16:45.660 the next comment which came from at mrg8255 who said, quote, the UCP is the hardest working government

00:16:53.420 in Canada. The raise is quite modest and reasonable. So I wanted to highlight this because I wasn't sure how

00:16:58.700 you'd all react to the politicians increasing their living accommodation allowances, as most people

00:17:04.220 are usually against politicians giving themselves raises. Although, as I mentioned last week, they

00:17:09.500 said the raise was long overdue and well below how much the cost of living has increased since their

00:17:14.860 last raise. But a lot of you liked that comment, so I thought I'd highlight it. So the last comments I

00:17:20.300 want to cover are about Alberta's separation. At Basement Banter 366 said, quote, should be invoking

00:17:25.980 a separation act, Saskatchewan as well, and I assume you were talking about Alberta. Similarly,

00:17:31.100 Fat Lewis 085222 said, quote, Alberta wants independence from Ottawa. At least in my mind,

00:17:38.460 these are two separate things, so I'll discuss them both separately. Firstly, on the separation,

00:17:43.500 I don't see that being pursued as I think many conservative premiers are counting down the days until the

00:17:49.500 next federal election, confident that the conservatives will win federally and thus the

00:17:53.980 need to separate will be short-lived. However, I've always thought that if Trudeau were to somehow win

00:17:59.020 the next election, Smith might seriously consider separating from Canada. Although it's unclear to me

00:18:04.140 how easy that would be to initiate in reality, but based on President-elect Donald Trump's recent

00:18:10.300 statements, I'm sure he'd accept her happily. As for the independence from Ottawa comment,

00:18:15.100 the first thing that comes to mind are the federal elections. The election always seems to be called

00:18:21.900 before the West is even counted. The East has that much electoral power. So I'll ask you,

00:18:27.820 do any electoral reforms come to mind that might grant the West more power? And is this an issue that

00:18:33.820 even needs to be addressed? That wraps up our Comment Roundup and this week's show. Once again,

00:18:39.020 my name's Isaac Lameru, your host of the Alberta Roundup. Have a great weekend. Thank you and God bless.

00:18:44.380 May Alberta prosper, strong and free.

Juno News - December 07, 2024

Christmas deemed not inclusive enough by elementary school

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