News
New Lacombe Police Station Officially Opens
By Sheldon Spackman
Dignitaries gathered at the new Police Station in Lacombe on Thursday, December 8th to cut the ribbon at the facility’s official Grand Opening.
The $8.7 million dollar building has actually been taking emergency calls since November 15th, with all 9-1-1 calls being transferred directly to LPS and it’s members who will then be dispatched locally, resulting in quicker response times.
In a release, Kathleen Ganley, Alberta Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, says āOur government is proud to support the Lacombe Police Service in building safer, more resilient communities with ongoing funding for local policing.ā
Danielle Larivee is Minister of Municipal Affairs and says āWe are proud to invest in projects like the new Lacombe Police Station, which will provide critical services to the community and ensure a modern, efficient work space for local police and emergency management officials.ā
Lacombe Mayor Steve Christie adds, āCouncil has wanted to do this important project for some time, but we wanted to do it right so that we could have a facility that meets the needs of our municipal police service now and into the future.ā
Officials point out that LPS has also moved over to a new radio system in the new facility, making it the first municipal police service in the province to be working off the Alberta First Responders Radio System (AFRRCS).Ā It’s said the new system will provide improved communication and coverage for members.Ā The system will also provide the ability to enhance communications with partner emergency and disaster management agencies throughout the region and province-wide should the need arise.
Acting Chief of Police Lorne Blumhagen says āThis new 16,000 square foot facility gives our sworn members and staff the much needed space and modern technology to deliver quality, effective services to residents,ā adding, āIt has also allowed for the transition of police dispatching back to Lacombe, which means that we can be more responsive. We are very appreciative of this and other advancements to the facility, which will assist us in improving public safety and meeting the diverse needs and expectations of our citizens.ā
The new police station also features a cast bronze sculpture of a police officer at the main entrance. The sculpture was created by renowned Canadian artist Nathan Scott and is the newest addition to the Cityās public art collection. Scott says āIt was a real pleasure creating this sculpture and I hope that the people of Lacombe will enjoy it for generations to come.ā
(Photo courtesy of the City of Lacombe)
Fraser Institute
Democracy waning in Canada due to federal policies

From the Fraser Institute
By Lydia Miljan
InĀ How Democracies Die, Harvard political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that while some democracies collapse due to external threats, many more self-destruct from within. Democratic backsliding often occurs not through dramatic coups but through the gradual erosion of institutions by elected leadersāpresidents or prime ministersāwho subvert the very system that brought them to power. Sometimes this process is swift, as in Germany in 1933, but more often it unfolds slowly and almost imperceptibly.
The book was written during Donald Trumpās first presidential term, when the authors expressed concern about his disregard for democratic norms. Drawing on Juan Linzās 1978 workĀ The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes, Levitsky and Ziblatt identified several warning signs of democratic decline in Trumpās leadership: rejection of democratic rules, denial of the legitimacy of political opponents, tolerance or encouragement of violence, and a willingness to restrict dissent including criticism from the media.
While Trump is an easy target for such critiques, Levitsky and Ziblattās broader thesis is that no democracy is immune to these threats. Could Canada be at risk of democratic decline? In light of developments over the past decade, perhaps.
Consider, for example, the state of free speech and government criticism. The previous Liberal government under Justin Trudeau was notably effective at cultivating a favourable media environment. Following the 2015 election, the media enjoyed a prolonged honeymoon period, often focusing on the prime ministerās image and āsunny ways.ā After the 2019 election, which resulted in a minority government, the strategy shifted toward direct financial support. Citing pandemic-related revenue losses, the government introduced ātemporaryā subsidies for media organizations. These programs have since become permanent and costly, with $325 million allocated for 2024/25. During the 2025 election campaign, Mark Carney pledged to increase this by an additional $150 million.
Beyond the sheer scale of these subsidies, thereās growing concern that legacy media outletsānow financially dependent on government supportāmay struggle to maintain objectivity, particularly during national elections. This dependency risks undermining the mediaās role as a watchdog of democracy.
Second, on April 27, 2023, the Trudeau government passed Bill C-11, an update to the Broadcasting Act that extends CRTC regulation to digital content. While individual social media users and podcasters are technically exempt, the law allows the CRTC to regulate platforms that host content from traditional broadcasters and streaming servicesāraising concerns about indirect censorship. This move further restricted freedom of speech in Canada.
Third, the governmentās invocation of the Emergencies Act to end the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa was ruled unconstitutional by Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley who found that the government had not met the legal threshold for such extraordinary powers. The same day of the ruling the government announced it would appeal the 200-page decision, doubling down on its justification for invoking the Act.
In addition to these concerns, federal government program spending has grown significantlyāfrom 12.8 per cent of GDP in 2014/15 to a projected 16.2 per cent in 2023/24āindicating that the government is consuming an increasing share of the countryās resources.
Finally, Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which became law on June 26, grants the federal cabinetāand effectively the prime ministerāthe power to override existing laws and regulations for projects deemed in the ānational interest.ā The billās vague language leaves the definition of ānational interestā open to broad interpretation, giving the executive branch unprecedented authority to micromanage major projects.
Individually, these developments may appear justifiable or benign. Taken together, they suggest a troubling patternāa gradual erosion of democratic norms and institutions in Canada.
Media
CBC journalist quits, accuses outlet of anti-Conservative bias and censorship

From LifeSiteNews
Travis Dhanraj accused CBC of pushing a āradical political agenda,ā and his lawyer said that the network opposed him hosting āConservative voicesā on his show.
CBC journalist Travis Dhanraj has resigned from his position, while accusing the outlet of anti-Conservative bias and āperformative diversity.ā
In a July 7 letter sent to colleagues andĀ obtained by various media outlets, Travis Dhanraj announced his departure from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) due to concerns over censorship.
āI am stepping down not by choice, but because the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has made it impossible for me to continue my work with integrity,ā he wrote.
āAfter years of service ā most recently as the host of Canada Tonight: With Travis Dhanraj ā I have been systematically sidelined, retaliated against, and denied the editorial access and institutional support necessary to fulfill my public service role,ā he declared.
Dhanraj, who worked as a CBC host and reporter for nearly a decade, revealed that the outlet perpetuated a toxic work environment, where speaking out against the approved narrative led to severe consequences.
Dhanraj accused CBC of having a āradical political agendaā that stifled fair reporting. Additionally, his lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, revealed that CBC disapproved of him booking āConservative voicesā on his show.
While CBC hails itself as a leader in ādiversityā and supporting minority groups, according to Dhanraj, itās all a facade.
āWhat happens behind the scenes at CBC too often contradicts whatās shown to the public,ā he revealed.
In April 2024, Dhanraj, then host of CBCās Canada Tonight,Ā postedĀ on X that his show had requested an interview with then-CBC President Catherine Tait to discuss new federal budget funding for the public broadcaster, but she declined.
At a time when the public broadcaster is under increasing scrutiny and when transparency is needed, #CanadaTonight requested an intvu w/ @PresidentCBCRC Catherine Tait. We wanted to discuss new budget funding, what it means for jobs & the corporationās strategic priorities ahead.ā¦
— Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) April 19, 2024
āInternal booking and editorial protocols were weaponized to create structural barriers for some while empowering othersāparticularly a small circle of senior Ottawa-based journalists,ā he explained.
According to Marshall, CBC launched an investigation into the X post, viewing it as critical of Taitās decision to defend executive bonuses while the broadcaster was cutting frontline jobs. Dhanraj was also taken off air for a time.
Dhanraj revealed that in July 2024 he was āpresented with (a non-disclosure agreement) tied to an investigation about a tweet about then CBC President Catherine Tait. It was designed not to protect privacy, but to sign away my voice. When I refused, I was further marginalized.ā
Following the release of his letter, DhanrajĀ publishedĀ a link on X to a Google form to gather support from Canadians.
āWhen the time is right, Iāll pull the curtain back,ā he wrote on the form. āIāll share everythingā¦. Iāll tell you what is really happening inside the walls of your CBC.ā
Click here to read a note directly from me:https://t.co/FYncgnOZ1E pic.twitter.com/OFaLi2OGkn
— Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) July 7, 2025
CBC has issued a statement denying Dhanrajās claims, with CBC spokesperson Kerry KellyĀ statingĀ that the Crown corporation ācategorically rejectsā his statement.
This is hardly the first time that CBC has been accused of editorial bias. Notably, the outletĀ receivesĀ the vast majority of its funding from the Liberal government.
This January, the watchdog for the CBCĀ ruled that the state-funded outlet expressed a āblatant lack of balanceā in its covering of a Catholic school trustee who opposed the LGBT agenda being foisted on children.
There have also been multiple instances of the outlet pushing what appears to be ideological content, including the creation ofĀ pro-LGBT material for kids, tacitly endorsing theĀ gender mutilation of children, promotingĀ euthanasia, and even seeming to justify theĀ burningĀ of mostly Catholic churches throughout the country.
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