Opinion
Our problems like high crime, high unemployment, andpoor air quality are not secrets.
I am always surprised when local residents are amazed after being apprised of the following information. They are not secrets, they are widely known in national news stories, human interest articles and polls, and used in marketing tools by other cities and corporations.
One third of Red Deer’s residents live north of the river and they have the G.H.Dawe Community Centre developed in the 70s and built in the 80s.
Two thirds of Red Deer’s residents live south of the river and they have the Downtown Recreation Centre, Michener Aquatic Centre, Downtown Arena, Centrium, Collicutt Recreation Centre, Pidherney Curling Centre, Kinex Arena, Kinsmen Community Arenas, Red Deer Curling Centre, and the under-construction Gary W. Harris Centre. The city is also talking about replacing the downtown recreation centre with an expanded 50m pool.
One third of Red Deer’s residents live north of the river and there are no high schools current or planned.
Two thirds of Red Deer’s residents live south of the river and there are 4 high schools currently with 2 more high schools planned.
Alberta has the poorest air quality in Canada, and Red Deer region has the poorest air quality in Alberta. Given there are pockets like downtown Edmonton and Calgary that may show poorer readings and there are times like during a forest fire when Fort McMurray will show poorer readings but as a whole and chronically for years that Red Deer region has the poorest air quality.
Red Deer has an unemployment rate that is 10% higher than the provincial rate and 43% higher than the national rate.
Red Deer is the second most dangerous city in Canada after Grande Prairie.
Red Deer population shrank between 2015-2016. The population north of the river shrank by 777 or 2.4% and the population south of the river shrank by 0.25% according to the city’s municipal census. While communities all around Red Deer grew with Blackfalds being one of the fastest growing communities in Canada.
Lethbridge is only marginally smaller than Red Deer but they grew by 2% during the same period. Does anyone believe that they would not use that fact when trying to attract families and businesses to relocate to Lethbridge.
Our crime is up, and recently the province announced a new much larger courthouse will be built in Red Deer, but when it comes to our health care our hospital has been forgotten. Money is going to a health care facility in Sylvan Lake, (a growing community), and if you need to see a specialist or need surgery do not be surprised if you are referred to the Olds hospital, for example.
Red Deer has become complacent, often times smug. Our politicians are content to be big fishes in a small but still shrinking pond. Seldom do you see our elected officials on the provincial, national or international stages. We worry about appeasing the few without expanding the base. A community cannot grow without accommodating the diverse groups beyond the basic group. Without growth a city shrinks as seen by the last 2 municipal censuses.
October 16 2017 is the next municipal election and the next opportunity to hold the mayor, the 8 councillors and the school board trustees accountable. I have heard that some incumbents will not run again but there are subtle hints that they may all run again. So ask the incumbents questions like the following questions.
Why is our unemployment so much higher than the provincial average?
What role did you play in keeping all high schools south of the river?
What have you done to mitigate the poor air quality in Red Deer?
Why are all the recreation centres, indoor ice rinks and indoor swimming pools being built south of the river? Will you commit to building the next indoor swimming pool/recreation centre north of the river?
What role did you play in building the school destined for Johnstone Park, north of the river, to be actually built south of the river?
What root causes have you addressed that increased our crime rates to current levels.
We need to ask because the media outlets do not hire investigating journalists who ask hardball questions they have just reporters/stenographers quoting the politicians. News medias need advertising dollars and the city spends big bucks and carry this big stick effectively.
So we should not be surprised if someone in Vancouver mentions our crime rates or someone in Toronto acknowledges our poor air quality. We should start questioning the decisions and actions taken.
Does having all 6 high schools in one area, 5 along 30 Ave. forcing one third of the students to commute across the whole city twice a day during rush hour traffic, really help our air quality ? Probably not?
Does having all but the one recreational complex on one side of town, increase juvenile delinquency and increase crime rates? Probably, does need asking.
The election is only 6 months away. Questions need to be asked. Complacency and the status quo are not options. Issues are abundant, questions need to be asked and new candidates need to come forward, but most importantly residents should not allow these issues to be ignored or shoved into the back corner.
I will keep asking.
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
The Trump administration is creating a first-of-its-kind task force aimed at ushering in a new “Golden Age” of beautiful infrastructure across the U.S.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) will announce the establishment of the Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Council (BTIC) on Thursday, the Daily Caller News Foundation exclusively learned. The BTIC seeks to advise Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on design and policy ideas for key infrastructure projects, including highways, bridges and transit hubs.
“What happened to our country’s proud tradition of building great, big, beautiful things?” Duffy said in a statement shared with the DCNF. “It’s time the design for America’s latest infrastructure projects reflects our nation’s strength, pride, and promise.”
“We’re engaging the best and brightest minds in architectural design and engineering to make beautiful structures that move you and bring about a new Golden Age of Transportation,” Duffy continued.
Mini scoop – here is the DOT’s rollout of its Beautifying Transportation Infrastructure Council, which will be tasked with making our buildings beautiful again. pic.twitter.com/9iV2xSxdJM
— Jason Hopkins (@jasonhopkinsdc) October 23, 2025
The DOT is encouraging nominations of the country’s best architects, urban planners, artists and others to serve on the council, according to the department. While ensuring that efficiency and safety remain a top priority, the BTIC will provide guidance on projects that “enhance” public areas and develop aesthetic performance metrics.
The new council aligns with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in August 2025 regarding infrastructure. The “Making Federal Architecture Beautiful Again” order calls for federal public buildings in the country to “respect regional architectural heritage” and aims to prevent federal construction projects from using modernist and brutalist architecture styles, instead returning to a classical style.
“The Founders, in line with great societies before them, attached great importance to Federal civic architecture,” Trump’s order stated. “They wanted America’s public buildings to inspire the American people and encourage civic virtue.”
“President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson consciously modeled the most important buildings in Washington, D.C., on the classical architecture of ancient Athens and Rome,” the order continued. “Because of their proven ability to meet these requirements, classical and traditional architecture are preferred modes of architectural design.”
The DOT invested millions in major infrastructure projects since Trump’s return to the White House. Duffy announced in August a $43 million transformation initiative of the New York Penn Station in New York City and in September unveiledmajor progress in the rehabilitation and modernization of Washington Union Station in Washington, D.C.
The BTIC will comprise up to 11 members who will serve two-year terms, with the chance to be reappointed, according to the DOT. The task force will meet biannually. The deadline for nominations will end Nov. 21.
Business
‘TERMINATED’: Trump Ends Trade Talks With Canada Over Premier Ford’s Ronald Reagan Ad Against Tariffs
From the Daily Caller News Foundation
President Donald Trump announced late Thursday that trade negotiations with Canada “ARE HEREBY TERMINATED” after what he called “egregious behavior” tied to an Ontario TV ad that used former President Ronald Reagan’s voice to criticize tariffs.
The ad at the center of the feud was funded by Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government as part of a multimillion-dollar campaign running on major U.S. networks. The spot features Reagan warning that tariffs may appear patriotic but ultimately “hurt every American worker and consumer.”
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“They only did this to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts. TARIFFS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ECONOMY, OF THE U.S.A,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform late Thursday. “Based on their egregious behavior, ALL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA ARE HEREBY TERMINATED.”
Ford first posted the ad online on Oct. 16, writing in a caption, “Using every tool we have, we’ll never stop making the case against American tariffs on Canada. The way to prosperity is by working together.”
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute criticized the ad Thursday evening, saying it “misrepresents” Reagan’s 1987 radio address on free and fair trade. The foundation said Ontario did not request permission to use or alter the recording and that it is reviewing its legal options.
The president posted early Friday that Canada “cheated and got caught,” adding that Reagan actually “loved tariffs for our country.”
The ad splices audio from Reagan’s original remarks but includes his authentic statement: “When someone says, ‘let’s impose tariffs on foreign imports’, it looks like they’re doing the patriotic thing by protecting American products and jobs. And sometimes, for a short while it works, but only for a short time.”
Reagan also noted at the end of his remarks that, in “certain select cases,” he had taken steps to stop unfair trade practices against American products and added that the president’s “options” in trade matters should not be restricted, which the ad did not include.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has imposed tariffs on Canadian aluminum, steel, automobiles and lumber, arguing they are vital to protecting U.S. manufacturing and national security.
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in November over whether the administration overstepped its authority by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose reciprocal tariffs on dozens of nations, including Canada. Tariffs on commodities such as steel, aluminum and copper were implemented under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act and are not currently being challenged, as they align with longstanding precedent established by prior administrations.
Thursday’s move marks the second time this year Trump has canceled trade talks with Ottawa. In June, he briefly halted discussions after Canada imposed a digital services tax on American tech firms, though the Canadian government repealed the measure two days later.
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