Opinion
Council’s Strategic Plan Misses The Mark

Opinion Editorial submitted by Chad Krahn
It took a full year, but we finally have a glimpse into where Mayor and Council want to take Red Deer. This week they released their Strategic Plan … and it’s underwhelming. The plan is heavy on buzzwords and light on a concrete vision of where Council wants the city to be in four years.
Let’s start with the “vision” statement Innovative Thinking, Strategic Results, Vibrant Community. These six words do not tell us anything about where Council wants to take the city or anything specific Council would like to achieve in four years. Where is the inspiring vision with big goals to propel our city toward
greatness and make us proud to be Red Deerians?
There is also a complete lack of anything specific to Red Deer; this document could easily be the strategic plan for Medicine Hat or Lacombe. Every community should want to thrive and be healthy and connected, but what will Council’s focus be to ensure Red Deer grows into the great city we know it can be?
The focus areas of A Thriving City, Community Health and Well-being and An Engaged and Connected City are all wonderful, but they are tough to measure.
Many of the goals that Council hopes to achieve are minimalist and are not stretching the capabilities or the imagination of Red Deerians. Council wants to have a “vibrant downtown” and a “strong, respectful, and collaborative relationships” with citizens. That’s nice, but the indicators are so weak that one more event downtown and the goal was achieved. If the population grows by one person, another goal is achieved. Many of the indicators focus on the feelings of Red Deerians, which are virtually impossible to measure. Data-driven results are a great goal, but how does Council expect to get data on our collective feelings? Without numbers and benchmarks, this becomes a plan that is impossible to fail but also exceedingly difficult to make progress toward any difficult goal.
One of the top issues for Red Deer is crime. This does get mentioned in a roundabout way under Community Health and Wellbeing as a Safe and Secure City. It also comes with some indicators:
feeling of safety
number of calls for service (urban encampments)
Reported crime statistics are within guidelines specified in the Annual Policing Plan
This seems passive for a huge issue. Feelings of safety are essential, but they are, by nature, hard to measure. My feelings of safety have a lot to do with how recently my garage was broken into. They also want to measure the number of calls for service, particularly around rough sleeper camps. Why not just measure the number of rough sleeper camps? Rather than specifying that crime statistics are within guidelines, where is the commitment to make sure our crime rate drops so Red Deer doesn’t appear on Canada’s most dangerous cities? What about committing to innovative ideas for our police officers to help get the crime rate down? Or even efforts to increase the number of RCMP members in the city. The Mayor has spoken several times about how community safety is a top priority, so one would have expected it to feature more prominently in the Strategic Plan.
The economy is another top issue in Red Deer, which is mentioned under Local Economy is Strong and Diverse. And there are some indicators:
Net gain of businesses in Red Deer
Business developer and local contractor satisfaction
Neither of these indicators speaks to the diversity of the economy. While a net gain is better than a net loss, it hardly represents an aspirational goal. Would council be satisfied if there was only a single more business in the city after four years? Where is a percent growth benchmark that the plan is striving to achieve? Where is the commitment to being a regional economic driver? What happened to Mayor Johnston’s push for hydrogen service hub development in Red Deer? Would that not be something that belongs in a Strategic Plan?
Red Deer’s biggest challenge is that it is a city that thinks like a small town. We are on the cusp of having the best of both worlds – a great community with a small-town feel. But I fear we won’t get there without a clear and distinct vision that will propel our city toward greatness. We can be so much more.
Chad Krahn is a former candidate for Red Deer City Council.
Daily Caller
Blackouts Coming If America Continues With Biden-Era Green Frenzy, Trump Admin Warns

From the Daily Caller News Foundation
By Audrey Streb
The Department of Energy (DOE) released a new report Monday warning of impending blackouts if the United States continues to shutter power plants without adequately replacing retiring capacity.
DOE warned in its Monday report that blackouts could increase by 100% by 2030 if the U.S. continues to retire power plants without sufficient replacements, and that the electricity grid is not prepared to meet the demand of power-hungry data centers in the years to come without more reliable generation coming online quickly. The report specifically highlighted wind and solar, two resources pushed by Biden, as responsible for eroding grid stability and advised that dispatchable generation from sources like coal, oil, gas and nuclear are necessary to meet the anticipated U.S. power demand.
“This report affirms what we already know: The United States cannot afford to continue down the unstable and dangerous path of energy subtraction previous leaders pursued, forcing the closure of baseload power sources like coal and natural gas,” DOE Secretary Chris Wright said. “In the coming years, America’s reindustrialization and the AI race will require a significantly larger supply of around-the-clock, reliable, and uninterrupted power. President Trump’s administration is committed to advancing a strategy of energy addition, and supporting all forms of energy that are affordable, reliable, and secure. If we are going to keep the lights on, win the AI race, and keep electricity prices from skyrocketing, the United States must unleash American energy.”
Dear Readers:
As a nonprofit, we are dependent on the generosity of our readers.
Please consider making a small donation of any amount here.
Thank you!
All regional grid systems across the U.S. are expected to lose reliability in the coming years without the addition of more reliable power, according to the DOE’s report. The U.S. will need an additional 100 gigawatts of new peak hour supply by 2030, with data centers projected to require as much as half of this electricity, the report estimates; for reference, one gigawatt is enough to power up to one million homes.
President Donald Trump declared a national energy emergency on his first day back in the Oval Office and signed an executive order on April 8 ordering DOE to review and identify at-risk regions of the electrical grid, which the report released Monday does. In contrast, former President Joe Biden cracked down on conventional power sources like coal with stringent regulations while unleashing a gusher of subsidies for green energy developments.
Electricity demand is projected to hit a record high in the next several years, surging 25% by 2030, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data and a recent ICF International report. Demand was essentially static for the last several years, and skyrocketing U.S. power demand presents an “urgent need” for electricity resources, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), a major grid watchdog.
Wright has also issued several emergency orders to major grid operators since April. New Orleans experienced blackouts just two days after Wright issued an emergency order on May 23 to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), the regional grid operator covering the New Orleans area.
International
Chicago suburb purchases childhood home of Pope Leo XIV

Quick Hit:
Village officials in Dolton, Illinois, have purchased the boyhood home of Pope Leo XIV, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to bring pride, attention, and tourism to the community. The historic acquisition comes just weeks after Robert Prevost was elected pope.
Key Details:
- The three-bedroom, 1,050-square-foot home was purchased by the Pope’s parents in 1949 and remained in the family for nearly 50 years.
- Initially listed for $245,957, the home was removed from the market after Prevost’s election and later sold directly to the Dolton Village Board at a “significantly lower” price.
- Dolton Mayor Jason House called the deal a major win for the community, with board members and residents already seeing increased interest and tour bus traffic.
Diving Deeper:
The childhood home of Pope Leo XIV has officially been purchased by the village of Dolton, Illinois, after a unanimous vote by the Village Board on Monday night. Local officials are celebrating the move as a historic acquisition that could serve as a source of civic pride and new economic opportunity.
As reported by the New York Post, the modest 1,050-square-foot home—located just south of Chicago—was originally purchased by the Pope’s parents in 1949 for a $49 monthly mortgage. It stayed in the Prevost family for nearly half a century.
After Robert Prevost was elected pope, the home—initially listed on May 5 for $245,957—was pulled from the market and briefly entered into an auction process. That plan was ultimately scrapped in favor of a direct sale to the village. While the final purchase price hasn’t been disclosed, attorney Burt Odelson, who handled the deal, said it was “significantly lower than what they thought they would get.”
Mayor Jason House praised the acquisition as a unique chance to put Dolton on the map. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” House said. “We can either seize this moment and move it forward, or we can let that moment go to an investor. I would like our community to get the benefits of this opportunity.”
Tourism has already begun. Within hours of Pope Leo XIV’s election, visitors started arriving at the home. Officials say that momentum has only grown. Trustee Edward Steave said the traffic in the area speaks for itself: “If you ever see the traffic over there, the constant busloads in and out of our town, this is a great opportunity for us. This is a historical thing.”
-
Alberta2 days ago
Alberta Provincial Police – New chief of Independent Agency Police Service
-
International2 days ago
CBS settles with Trump over doctored 60 Minutes Harris interview
-
Business2 days ago
Why it’s time to repeal the oil tanker ban on B.C.’s north coast
-
Energy2 days ago
If Canada Wants to be the World’s Energy Partner, We Need to Act Like It
-
Alberta2 days ago
Pierre Poilievre – Per Capita, Hardisty, Alberta Is the Most Important Little Town In Canada
-
Aristotle Foundation2 days ago
How Vimy Ridge Shaped Canada
-
Alberta1 day ago
Alberta uncorks new rules for liquor and cannabis
-
Canadian Energy Centre1 day ago
Alberta oil sands legacy tailings down 40 per cent since 2015