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Calgary

Why Many Military Veterans Aren’t Scared, Instead They Are Prepared

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7 minute read

If you were to see Bigfoot strolling down your back alley, but were too stunned by the spectacle to get it on camera with your phone, you’d likely convince yourself that it never actually happened.  If however, you did get it on camera, as did several of your neighbours, …you’d still likely dismiss the event as a hoax. Only if the Bigfoot tripped, broke it’s leg, was captured, and the captors were fully transparent with their findings, would most people be able to accept that they actually did see a Sasquatch.  When we have a new experience which contradicts our perception of reality, it’s human nature to dismiss this experience. When the information is simply too much to process, …we just don’t. Instead of processing the data, our mind tends to simply dismiss the information.

The mind will often dismiss uncomfortable information in one of four ways. Either it will:

  1. Trivialize
  2. Rationalize
  3. Replace with comfortable information
  4. Dismiss it entirely.  (block/forget)

No matter how strong you believe your mind is, or how open minded you feel you are, we all have limitations on what we can, and can not accept as true. The first step for increasing your capacity for uncomfortable information, is the self awareness that you do in fact have limits.  Once you acknowledge this fact, you will be more aware of where your limits are, and when your mind is holding you back from seeing a situation clearly and fully.

The COVID19 situation is changing rapidly.  Every day we have information which is either changing, expanding, or brand new.  The constant movement of the goalposts further agitates our minds because of the increasing lack of certainty.  The Government has always resisted full transparency, but now is the time for them to throw off the shackles of their visceral instinct to make EVERY issue political, and instead just do what’s right, and be 100% honest with us.  The more honest the Government is with us right now, the less uncertainty we will feel. The more certainty we have, the more we will be able to prepare ourselves both mentally, and physically for what’s coming.

False hope is just as bad, perhaps even worse than unnecessary fear.  Either position can lead the mind to react with panic. Panic is the worst case scenario and each of us as individuals must take personal responsibility to not panic, or worse, spread panic. If you’re asking yourself, “but how?”, I’ll now explain the title of this article.

When a Soldier arrives in a war zone for the first time, fear is a guarantee.  No matter how extreme the situation however, after a few weeks the Soldier usually gets acclimatized, and becomes comfortable in a situation that most people would find completely overwhelming. This “acclimatization” process creates a permanent change in the Soldier.  For the rest of that Soldiers life, they will be relatively un-flapped by future extreme circumstances.

Over the last 25 years I’ve experienced a ridiculous amount of emergency situations where I was “the guy” who responded, and took charge.  From fatal car accidents, to homicide, destiny has repeatedly put me in situations where I responded with action, instead of freezing with fear. I have this ability because of the training and experiences from an entire generation ago.  The mental ability to accept extreme situations just never leaves you.

Fast forward to today.  The entire globe is now wrestling with a new, and scary reality.  As a response, some people who are gripped by fear are panic buying toilet paper instead of food.

When emotion is high…rationale is low.

Military Veterans (especially if they have been deployed to a war zone) have been conditioned to respond to new situations by being able to improvise, adapt, and overcome.  This is the mantra which all of us must adapt now during this pandemic. We are in a fluid situation which is changing rapidly. If you respond to a fluid situation with a static mindset, then you’re going to struggle greatly.

Secondly, Military Veterans KNOW they are prepared, because they have followed an extensive “Kit List”.  The kit list is a checklist of items which have been issued. When you know you have all the required items, you know you are prepared and ready.  For the rest of us, creating this list will also give you a sense of calm, and confidence that you are ready to handle whatever is ahead. Just make sure that toilet paper isn’t the only item on your list, or you’ll be in for a rude awakening.

Your list can include a personal economic plan. If you’re out of work right now, what else could you be doing to earn an income?  Now is the time to consider new options. Have a look at your pantry, and ensure you have an ample supply of the basic staples. Shop smarter, and with a fresh perspective on what is important, and what is not.  Now is not the time for frivolities.

Lastly, remember to make time for fun family activities which have nothing to do with the current crisis.  Connect, laugh, and enjoy each other for at least 30 minutes a day. Play a funny board game, or play some cards.  Pull out the ball gloves, and play catch, or throw some horseshoes. Get off your screens, and stay connected with those you care about by safely interacting with them.  Remember your self care, and take the time to recharge.

For more stories, visit Todayville Calgary

Father, Professional Development Trainer, Author

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Alberta

Calgary Ring Road opens 10 months early

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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.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

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.”

Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

“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.”

Mike Ellis, MLA for Calgary-West

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.”

Jyoti Gondek, mayor, City of Calgary

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.”

Brad Parry, president & CEO, Calgary Economic Development and CEO, Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund

“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.”

Greg Clark, chair, Calgary Metropolitan Region Board

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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Alberta

Canadian pizzeria owner planning civil suit against gov’t officials over tyrannical COVID mandates

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From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

They shut a man’s business down of 20 years, two families that depended on that, 30 people that were employed by the millions of dollars in taxes that I collected every year,’ Jesse Johnson said.

The owner of a popular Canadian pizzeria says he is planning a civil suit against government officials for a “travesty of justice” after enduring a prolonged legal battle on charges — that were just dropped — for defying COVID rules banning the vaccine free from eating at his restaurant.

On Wednesday, a City of Calgary court dropped all COVID-related charges against Jesse Johnson, who owned Without Papers Pizza, and in 2021-2022 refused to ask his customers for their vaccine passports so that he could serve “everyone.”

Johnson said when speaking with independent media reporter Mocha Bezirgan outside Calgary’s main courthouse Wednesday that he will be “pursuing a civil suit” against government officials and institutions that forced his restaurant to close.

“I plan on pursuing a civil suit, yes. It is a bittersweet irony what happened here today. My restaurant was shut unadjudicated,” Johnson said.

“They shut a man’s business down of 20 years, two families that depended on that, 30 people that were employed by the millions of dollars in taxes that I collected every year.”

Johnson said that the reason he got shut down was that he went against a system that discriminated against the vaccine-free, which was something he did not like.

“Because I did what? Because I chose to accept all and to extend my love to all the fine people of Calgary,” he said.

“A travesty of justice is what occurred? Really, truly a shame.”

Johnson said that he “hopes” and “prays” that his “brothers and sisters in the restaurant industry will stand up in the future and refuse to discriminate any of their customers for any reason whatsoever.”

“It’s the most difficult experience of my life. These bastards, they literally tried to break me. They tried to break me financially.”

Johnson praised “millions” of Canadians from coast to coast who came together to fight COVID dictates through various protests.

“Never give up hope. Never give up hope and believe in yourself. One thing I’ve learned across this journey is that the power of the human spirit is indomitable. And if there’s a mountain in front of me, that mountain shall move,” he said.

The Democracy Fund (TDF), which funded lawyers Martin Rejman and Chad Williamson in defense of Johnson, noted in a press release that the once-popular pizzeria was charged in October 2021 with “breaching multiple bylaws after its business license was suspended for not complying with public health orders and after undercover inspectors were permitted to purchase pizza and remain in the restaurant without providing proof of vaccination.”

“Among other things, the allegations against the pizzeria were that it permitted persons to enter and remain on the premises without proof of vaccination and that it did not display prescribed signage, all of which was contrary to bylaws passed by the City of Calgary,” the TDF noted.

Johnson’s charges being dropped came in the wake of a recent court ruling that declared certain public health orders effectively null.

At the end of July, Justice Barbara Romaine from Alberta’s Court of Kings Bench ruled that politicians violated the province’s health act by making decisions regarding COVID mandates without authorization.

The decision put into doubt all cases involving those facing non-criminal COVID-related charges in the province.

As a result of July’s court ruling, Alberta Crown Prosecutions Service (ACPS) said Albertans currently facing COVID-related charges will likely not face conviction but will instead have their charges stayed.

Danielle Smith took over from Jason Kenney as leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) on October 11, 2022, after winning the leadership of the party. Kenney was ousted due to low approval ratings and for reneging on promises not to lock Alberta down, as well as enacting a vaccine passport.

Under Kenney, thousands of nurses, doctors, and other healthcare and government workers lost their jobs for choosing to not get the jabs, leading Smith to say – only minutes after being sworn in – that over the past year the “unvaccinated” were the “most discriminated against” group of people in her lifetime.

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