Calgary
Why I trust Jimmy Dore’s news commentary more than any mainstream news outlet
I grew up watching news anchors who exuded a trustworthy and knowledgeable aura which filled me with confidence that what I was being told was the gospel truth. The news anchors who were usually men, reminded me of a favorite uncle, or a trusted teacher. They seemed like people who I could count on to give me the straight goods, without spin or the ugly taint of personal bias.
But eventually…sadly, I grew up.
Every major network that I can name has repeatedly discredited themselves. Biased opinions have often been purported to be “facts”, and actual facts have been presented as conspiracy theories. “Journalists” will deflect their obvious malfeasance with feigned contrition saying, “Sure, sometimes we get it wrong, but when we make a mistake, we correct it.” If that were true, I’d be happy to forgive the mistakes, but it’s not. The truth is, every major news outlet is in whole, or in part…nothing more than a propaganda machine.
So, who are we supposed to trust?
Don’t fully trust anyone…ever. None of us actually know what is going on for sure, but the concept of us not knowing is far too uncomfortable for most people to tolerate. A sense of knowing seems to foster a sense of control. So, instead of doing the hard work of critical thinking, most people pick a team, and allow that team to create their reality for them. If your team is CNN, you’ll hate FOX. If your team is FOX, you’ll hate all the other teams equally. Not only will you hate the opposing team, but you’ll hate anyone who roots for that team…and not in a “friendly rivalry” kind of way..it will be actual visceral disdain.
What’s the solution?
Find a Unicorn, and ride it down a rainbow. The Unicorn you are looking for is someone who doesn’t pick teams. The rare beast who can compliment an enemy, and admonish a friend is the only type of political commentator that I’m willing to listen too. There will still be bias, as there will be with any human being, but when someone is a true critical thinker, the bias is mitigated as best as it can be.
I’ve found a few Unicorns over the last few years, but none are as interesting to me as Jimmy Dore. Jimmy self identifies as a progressive liberal. Although I’m a devout centrist with conservative leanings, I enjoy listening to Jimmy because he’s honest. I strongly disagree with him on some major points, but my disagreement doesn’t translate to disdain. Mr. Dore’s viewpoints are not only authentic and heartfelt, but they are based on considerable research and critical thought. As such, I find it very easy to respect his opinions regardless of my personal feelings towards the topics at hand.
It is possible to respect someones’ opinion without agreeing with it, however rare the skill may be.
In today’s world, disagreement equals disdain. We seem to have lost the ability to have a thoughtful, and civil conversation with opposing viewpoints. Instead we are labeling each other according to our perceived teams, and closing our minds to any information which is provided by the “other side”. The more we identify with our teams, the greater the divide between the teams. The greater the divide, the lower the levels of civility and mutual respect. The lower the mutual respect, the higher the likelihood for violent conflict.
There has never been a time in my life where mutual respect and civil conversation has been more important. Without the free exchange of opposing ideas civil unrest will only increase. We must listen to each other with open minds, and open hearts before we start fighting each other with closed fists. We must do our best to consider the other teams point of view, and learn to empathise with it instead of condemning it. If we don’t, the fabric of our civil society will continue to unravel into chaos.
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Alberta
Calgary Ring Road opens 10 months early
Christmas comes early for Calgary drivers
The Calgary Ring Road is now ready to be opened to public traffic, several months ahead of schedule.
Calgary’s ring road is one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in Calgary’s history and includes 197 new bridges and 48 interchanges. The 101-kilometre free-flowing Calgary Ring Road will open to traffic Dec. 19, completing a project decades in the making.
“Calgary’s ring road is a project that has been decades in the making and its completion is a real cause for celebration. This has been an important project and our government got it done. With this final section completed, travelling just got a little easier for families and for workers. This will not only benefit Calgarians and residents in the metro region, it will provide a boost to our economy, as goods can be transported more easily across our province.”
Although construction of the entire ring road project began in 1999 under former premier Ralph Klein, discussions on a ring road around the City of Calgary began as early as the 1950s. In the late 1970s, under former premier Peter Lougheed, high-level planning and land acquisition started and a transportation utility corridor was established to make the Calgary Ring Road a reality.
“The final section of the Calgary Ring Road is now complete, and I’d like to acknowledge the work done by former premiers and transportation ministers and their vision to build Alberta. I’m proud to announce that the final section was completed on budget and months ahead of schedule.”
“I’m thrilled to see the Calgary Ring Road project completed. It was something I have helped shepherd through the process since 2014. Finally, all the hard work put in by everyone has become a reality. The Calgary Ring Road will provide travellers with over 100 kilometres of free-flow travel, create new travel options for the City of Calgary and surrounding area and provide improved market access across the region.”
Opening the ring road means new travel options for Calgarians, which will draw traffic away from heavily travelled and congested roads such as the Deerfoot Trail, 16th Avenue, Glenmore Trail and Sarcee Trail. For commercial carriers, the ring road provides an efficient bypass route, saving time and money for the delivery and shipment of goods and services.
“The ring road investment generated thousands of local jobs and will now play an integral role in keeping Calgarians and the economy moving. This important transportation link will ease congestion on city routes and greatly improve connectivity and access for businesses transporting goods.”
The ring road is a critical component to growing economic corridors in Alberta and Western Canada, as it connects the Trans-Canada Highway to the east and west, and the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and Highway 2 to the north and south. It is also part of the CANAMEX corridor, which connects Alberta to the highway network in the United States and Mexico.
The completion of the ring road is a major boost for Calgary, opening new business opportunities and supporting key components of the Calgary economy. It sends a signal to businesses and investors that Calgary has a strong highway infrastructure, providing economic corridor connections through the entire region.
“With one of the smoothest commutes in Canada and the capacity to reach 16 million customers by road within a single day, Calgary offers unmatched quality of life and economic opportunities. The triumphant completion of the Calgary Ring Road further improves our capacity to attract even more companies, capital and talent to our city.”
“This is an exciting step forward for the Calgary Metropolitan Region. This key artery will not only improve the quality of life for the residents of the region, it is also a key economic enabler and we are thrilled to see its completion.”
Quick facts
- Stretched into a single lane, the highway is 1,304 kilometres long, the distance from Calgary to Winnipeg.
- Other sections opened in 2009, 2013, 2020 and 2023.
- The West Calgary Ring Road is the final piece of the ring road project.
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