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Will any of 50+candidates address change in the October 16 2017 municipal election.

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6 minute read

Change is Constant. Will we accept that?
Is the status quo acceptable for sustainable development, when the city’s population has, in fact, declined by 1% in 1 year?
Should we accept having all 6 high schools south of the river? Should we accept 5 high schools along 30 Ave? Should we accept having no high schools north of the river forcing 30% of the population to commute across the river?
Red Deer region has the poorest air quality in Alberta, is there a plan?
Red Deer has been cited for having often times the second highest crime rate, per capita. Again, is there a plan?
Businesses are leaving the city proper to open up in areas abutting the city like Gasoline Alley, why? Is anyone asking?
Should we accept 10 recreational facilities on the south side where we have; the Downtown Recreation Centre, Michener Aquatic Centre, Downtown Arena, Centrium complex, Collicutt Recreation Centre, Pidherney Curling Centre, Kinex Arena, Kinsmen Community Arenas, Red Deer Curling Centre, and the under-construction Gary W. Harris Centre. The city is also talking about replacing the downtown recreation centre with an expanded 50m pool. While only having the Dawe Centre on the north side?
On October 16 2017 we will be voting for a Mayor, 8 city councillors and either 7 public school board trustees or 5 separate school board trustees.
The last election in 2013 we had 5 people running for mayor, 30 people running for council, 14 people running for public school board and 7 people run for the separate school board, 56 people in total.
This year we may have more choices. The incumbents will all have an advantage over the other candidates, and I have yet to hear of any incumbents deciding to not run again.
So the questions previously asked are important. Will the incumbents offer any explanations for the declining populations, the unequal distribution of high schools and recreational facilities? Will they blame the provincial economy?
Penhold is growing and looking to annex enough land to double it’s footprint. Blackfalds increased it’s population by 700 in 1 year. Are they not affected by the same economy? Sylvan Lake, Penhold and Blackfalds which has less population together as Red Deer has north of the river but they are each in line to have a high school, while there is no plans to build a high school north of the river in Red Deer.
The land north of 11a is up for development, and if the city starts to grow again, we could see 55,000 residents north of the river but no high school. Is that acceptable?
Talking about developing north of 11a, there is Hazlett Lake. Largest lake in Red Deer. Remember, Hazlett Lake is a natural lake that covers a surface area of 0.45 km2 (0.17 mi2), has an average depth of 3 meters (10 feet). Hazlett Lake has a total shore line of 4 kilometers (2 miles). It is 108.8 acres in size. Located in the north-west sector of Red Deer. It is highly visible from Hwy 2 and Hwy 11A, and could help with tourism and with the needs of Red Deer’s own citizens.
The Collicutt Centre was built in the south-east corner of Red Deer and it facilitated growth in Red Deer. Blackfalds, Penhold and Sylvan Lake all followed suit, built new recreational complexes and enjoyed phenomenal growth soon after. So build a “Collicutt 2” in the north-west by Hazlett Lake to help facilitate growth in the north west. Will the candidates even consider these ideas or will they settle on the status quo?
During the last 9 elections we have heard about developing the land along the river, moving the public works and building a beautiful 23 acre neighbourhood with a 23 million dollar footbridge to Bower Ponds so pedestrians do not have to walk 300 metres to Taylor Bridge. It will come up in the next 4 elections before it is completed.
We will again hear how beautiful our trails are, and the importance of downtown revitalization. We could get the material from candidates in the last 9 elections.
Has Red Deer hit a glass ceiling? 99,800 residents, schools in the east, facilities downtown, industry in the north-west?
For 2 weeks in 2019, we will have 35,000 visitors, and it will only cost 70 million dollars. Is that it? No plans, no answers, no vision, just the status quo and 2 weeks in 2019?
Change is constant, and the world is changing, is Red Deer changing?
I believe Red Deer is changing and needs to address these issues and many more. I believe that it is important to offer something for the future and not campaign on the past. Do not accept platitudes and rhetoric and look for answers to questions that may not have been asked yet.
I need to hear a plan, and I need to see a vision not just hear words and see a smile. Red Deer needs it, now more than ever, because Red Deer is shrinking, like never before. Yesterday’s words are not sufficient in today’s world. Remember that.

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Aristotle Foundation

How Vimy Ridge Shaped Canada

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The Battle of Vimy Ridge was a unifying moment for Canada, then a young country. The Aristotle Foundation’s Danny Randell explains what happened at Vimy in 1917, and why it still matters to Canada today.

About the Aristotle Foundation

The Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy is a new think tank that aims to renew civil, common-sense discourse in Canada. As an educational charity, we publish books, videos, fact sheets, studies, columns, interviews, and infographics.

Visit our website at www.aristotlefoundation.org for more of our content.

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Business

World Economic Forum Aims to Repair Relations with Schwab

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Armstrong Economics

 By Martin Armstrong

The whistleblower has always been anonymous, and it remains very suspicious that the very organization he created would turn on him after receiving an anonymous letter that they admitted may not have been credible.

World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab stepped down from his chairman position at the organization on April 20, 2025, amid accusations of fraud. Our computer had forecast that the WEF would enter a declining trend with the 2024 ECM turning point. This staged coup happened about 37 years after the first Davos meeting (8.6 x 4.3). From our model’s perspective, this was right on time. Now, Schwab and the WEF are working to repair ties.

An anonymous whistleblower claimed that Klaus Schwab and his wife collaborated with USAID to steal tens of millions in funding. The whistleblower has always been anonymous, and it remains very suspicious that the very organization he created would turn on him after receiving an anonymous letter that they admitted may not have been credible. Something like this would never be acceptable in any court of law, especially if it’s anonymous. It would be the worst or the worst hearsay, where you cannot even point to who made the allegation.

Back in April, the WEF said its board unanimously supported the decision to initiate an independent investigation “following a whistleblower letter containing allegations against former Chairman Klaus Schwab. This decision was made after consultation with external legal counsel.”

Now, the WEF is attempting to repair its relationship with its founder ahead of the next Davos meeting. Bloomberg reported that the WEF would like to “normalize their relationship [with Klaus Schwab] in order to safeguard the forum and the legacy of the founder.”

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe has replaced Schwab for the time being, but is less of a commanding force. Schwab’s sudden departure has caused instability in the organization and its ongoing mission. Board members are concerned that support for the organization will begin to decline as this situation remains unresolved.

Davos is the Problem

The World Economic Forum’s annual revenue in 2024 was 440 million francs ($543 million), with the majority of proceeds coming from member companies and fees. Yet, the number of people registered to attend the 2025 Davos event is on par if not slightly exceeding the number of participants from the year prior.

WEF Schwab You Will Own Nothing

Schwab’s departure has damaged the Davos brand. There is a possibility that the organization is attempted to rebrand after Agenda 2030 failed. The WEF attempted to move away from its zero tolerance stance on ESG initiatives after they became widely unpopular among the big industry players and shifting governments. The brand has attempted to integrate the importance of digital transformation and AI to remain relevant as the tech gurus grow in power and popularity. Those who are familiar with Klaus Schwab know the phrase, “You will own nothing and be happy.” These words have been widely unpopular and caused a type of sinister chaos to surround the brand that was once respected as the high-brow institution of globalist elites.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde was slated to replace Schwab in 2027 when her term ends, and all reports claimed that he was prepared to remain in the chairman role for an additional two years to ensure Lagarde could take his place. What changed seemingly overnight that would cause the organization to discard Schwab before he was due to retire?

Schwab denies any misconduct and filed lawsuits against the whistleblowers, calling the accusations “calumnious” and “unfounded.” He believes “character assassination” was the premise of the claims.

WEC 2020 Arm v Schwab

I am no fan of Klaus Schwab, as everyone knows. I disagree with his theories from start to finish. Nevertheless, something doesn’t smell right here. This appears to be an internal coup, perhaps to distract attention from the question of alleged funds for the WEF from USAID, or to try to salvage the failed Agenda 2030. Perhaps they will claim that no misconduct had occurred since DOGE did not raise concerns or there is a possibility that those behind the internal coup are concerned that Schwab’s counter lawsuit could uncover new corruption. The investigation into Schwab has not concluded, but after only three months, the WEF would like to wrap it up. It appears that the WEF does not want to welcome Schwab back; rather, they would like to ensure an amicable resolution to maintain both the brand’s reputation as well as the founder’s.

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