Alberta
A simple question from a daughter. A special connection to a horse. Another chance to defeat the demons.
If you know the racetracks in Saskatchewan and Alberta there’s a very good chance you’ve run into the name Tyler Redwood. Tyler has been racing Standardbreds his entire adult life. Driver of the year in Saskatchewan in 2009, 2011, and 2012, he was on top of his game until addictions knocked him off his horse so to speak. One late fall night in September 2012, Redwood drove an ATV into a tractor, shattering his jaw and threatening his career. He was losing his battle with alcohol and drugs. He was falling into depression. He tried to take his own life.
Fortunately, Tyler Redwood kept coming back to his horses. There was something in the relationship with an animal who needed love and a horse lover who had something to give. Shoeing a horse, brushing a horse, just spending time with an animal, especially the ones others are giving up on. Redwood has always enjoyed sharing a little love with the majestic animals. On his toughest days he admits horses give him something special in return.
One after another the tracks closed in Saskatchewan and Redwood was faced with a life changing decision. Would he move onto a different pursuit? Or would he pursue his passion somewhere else? In the end it was his passion that would save him. Tyler moved his family to Central Alberta and became a bit of a fixture at Century Downs and The Track on 2. But moving his loved ones away from their family members was a struggle, especially considering his demons followed him. As Redwood tried to establish himself in Alberta, depression was sometimes getting the better of him. Suicidal and dependent, spending all his free time isolated from his family in the garage, it was a question from his daughter that sparked the much-needed change in Tyler’s life.
In the clear way only children speak in she asked her father why he was spending all his time in the garage and not with her and her 2 siblings. The question cut Redwood to the bone. The next day he pursued the help he would need to put him on a path to recovery. Other than one setback on August 11, 2018, Tyler has been strong.
One of his great loves now is his relationship with his horse Star Flight. Star Flight was struggling on the track just like Redwood when he got a chance to ride her. He felt something in her and a conversation with the owner turned into an eventual purchase. The two troubled souls bonded and the relationship sparkled on the track. The struggling horse started to win. Six victories later Star Flight was a finalist for Claiming Filly / Mare of the Year at the 2021 Alberta Standardbred Horse Association Awards.
With a new love in his life, his children nearby, and horses to spend time with Tyler Redwood has come to recognize a new strength. Now he feels strong enough to share his story with others who are struggling. In the following video he shares a beautiful message on behalf of The Canada Suicide Prevention Service. Here’s “Redwood Redemption” an inspirational testament to the day to day struggles of an Alberta horseman.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, the Canada Suicide Prevention Service is available 24/7 for voice and 4pm to 12am ET for text.
The Canada Suicide Prevention Service
Need help? Call and connect with our responders now at 1-833-456-4566.
Between 2 pm and 10 pm (Alberta time) you can send a text to 45645
Alberta
Alberta government should create flat 8% personal and business income tax rate in Alberta
From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill
If the Smith government reversed the 2015 personal income tax rate increases and instituted a flat 8 per cent tax rate, it would help restore Alberta’s position as one of the lowest tax jurisdictions in North America
Over the past decade, Alberta has gone from one of the most competitive tax jurisdictions in North America to one of the least competitive. And while the Smith government has promised to create a new 8 per cent tax bracket on personal income below $60,000, it simply isn’t enough to restore Alberta’s tax competitiveness. Instead, the government should institute a flat 8 per cent personal and business income tax rate.
Back in 2014, Alberta had a single 10 per cent personal and business income tax rate. As a result, it had the lowest top combined (federal and provincial/state) personal income tax rate and business income tax rate in North America. This was a powerful advantage that made Alberta an attractive place to start a business, work and invest.
In 2015, however, the provincial NDP government replaced the single personal income tax rate of 10 percent with a five-bracket system including a top rate of 15 per cent, so today Alberta has the 10th-highest personal income tax rate in North America. The government also increased Alberta’s 10 per cent business income tax rate to 12 per cent (although in 2019 the Kenney government began reducing the rate to today’s 8 per cent).
If the Smith government reversed the 2015 personal income tax rate increases and instituted a flat 8 per cent tax rate, it would help restore Alberta’s position as one of the lowest tax jurisdictions in North America, all while saving Alberta taxpayers $1,573 (on average) annually.
And a truly integrated flat tax system would not only apply a uniform tax 8 per cent rate to all sources of income (including personal and business), it would eliminate tax credits, deductions and exemptions, which reduce the cost of investments in certain areas, increasing the relative cost of investment in others. As a result, resources may go to areas where they are not most productive, leading to a less efficient allocation of resources than if these tax incentives did not exist.
Put differently, tax incentives can artificially change the relative attractiveness of goods and services leading to sub-optimal allocation. A flat tax system would not only improve tax efficiency by reducing these tax-based economic distortions, it would also reduce administration costs (expenses incurred by governments due to tax collection and enforcement regulations) and compliance costs (expenses incurred by individuals and businesses to comply with tax regulations).
Finally, a flat tax system would also help avoid negative incentives that come with a progressive marginal tax system. Currently, Albertans are taxed at higher rates as their income increases, which can discourage additional work, savings and investment. A flat tax system would maintain “progressivity” as the proportion of taxes paid would still increase with income, but minimize the disincentive to work more and earn more (increasing savings and investment) because Albertans would face the same tax rate regardless of how their income increases. In sum, flat tax systems encourage stronger economic growth, higher tax revenues and a more robust economy.
To stimulate strong economic growth and leave more money in the pockets of Albertans, the Smith government should go beyond its current commitment to create a new tax bracket on income under $60,000 and institute a flat 8 per cent personal and business income tax rate.
Author:
Alberta
Province to stop municipalities overcharging on utility bills
Making utility bills more affordableAlberta’s government is taking action to protect Alberta’s ratepayers by introducing legislation to lower and stabilize local access fees. Affordability is a top priority for Alberta’s government, with the cost of utilities being a large focus. By introducing legislation to help reduce the cost of utility bills, the government is continuing to follow through on its commitment to make life more affordable for Albertans. This is in addition to the new short-term measures to prevent spikes in electricity prices and will help ensure long-term affordability for Albertans’ basic household expenses.
Local access fees are functioning as a regressive municipal tax that consumers pay on their utility bills. It is unacceptable for municipalities to be raking in hundreds of millions in surplus revenue off the backs of Alberta’s ratepayers and cause their utility bills to be unpredictable costs by tying their fees to a variable rate. Calgarians paid $240 in local access fees on average in 2023, compared to the $75 on average in Edmonton, thanks to Calgary’s formula relying on a variable rate. This led to $186 million more in fees being collected by the City of Calgary than expected.
To protect Alberta’s ratepayers, the Government of Alberta is introducing the Utilities Affordability Statutes Amendment Act, 2024. If passed, this legislation would promote long-term affordability and predictability for utility bills by prohibiting the use of variable rates when calculating municipalities’ local access fees. Variable rates are highly volatile, which results in wildly fluctuating electricity bills. When municipalities use this rate to calculate their local access fees, it results in higher bills for Albertans and less certainty in families’ budgets. These proposed changes would standardize how municipal fees are calculated across the province, and align with most municipalities’ current formulas.
If passed, the Utilities Affordability Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 would prevent municipalities from attempting to take advantage of Alberta’s ratepayers in the future. It would amend sections of the Electric Utilities Act and Gas Utilities Act to ensure that the Alberta Utilities Commission has stronger regulatory oversight on how these municipal fees are calculated and applied, ensuring Alberta ratepayer’s best interests are protected.
If passed, this legislation would also amend sections of the Alberta Utilities Commission Act, the Electric Utilities Act, Government Organizations Act and the Regulated Rate Option Stability Act to replace the terms “Regulated Rate Option”, “RRO”, and “Regulated Rate Provider” with “Rate of Last Resort” and “Rate of Last Resort Provider” as applicable. Quick facts
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