Canada Post Strike

Holding Canada for ransom during this season is disgusting!  I know there are alternatives to Canada Post for package delivery nowadays but there are many small businesses and entities who cannot afford their rates!  And Canada Post goes to many destinations most courier companies fear to tread.  

I'm blaming both sides for this debacle!  It's not like the union demands were a secret!  It could have been settled months ago with both sides committed to meaningful negotiation to arrive at a suitable compromise.  I'm not interested at finger pointing at one side or the other.  They are already blaming each other!

Watching the situation, I can see many users faced with selecting another delivery service not returning to Canada Post after the strike. Canada Post will lose business and have to downsize.  I don't think Canada Post should make money no more than the police forces or fire departments should make money.  They offer a service to all Canadians and a certain amount of our tax dollars should pay for that!  Canada Post costs our federal government millions each year! But there is a limit!

I really believe that if this strike continues at this time of year it will ultimately seriously affect Canada Post's business model and make them even less viable as a business than they are now.  That situation will likely cost many postal employees their jobs and reduce service to outlaying or isolated areas.

A lose-lose situation for all Canadians! 

--

Postscript:  Greetings, all - Welcome back to Write,Ray!  Here you you find my ramblings on practically every issue and topic known to man.  I have an opinion on everything!

My ramblings will be divided into two categories;

Write, Ray; This categories will contain my advice, explanation, and opinion on all subjects.

Propwash;  In here you will find everything aviation and airshow.

The Beiseker Airport

Back in the early 1980s, Beiseker Mayor John Richter, deputy mayor Dan Benoit and myself decided to approach the provincial government and ask them to build a airport near our village as part of the provincial municipal airport project initiated by Premier Peter Lougheed. 

The province asked us to create a association of municipalities in our area, which could support a small airport. An airport association was created involving the villages of Acme, Beiseker, and Irricana plus the Municipal District of Rocky View (now, Rocky View County). After much planning and negotiation, a site was chosen for the new airport and the Association became the Airport Commission.

Under the leadership of the provincial Transportation  Department, the new airport was constructed and an AVPA was created for it. The Airport Vicinity Protection Area was designed to make sure that all buildings and all developments around the airport would not interfere with the airport's operation nor would the airport interfere with that development.  Any development in the AVPA and not following its guidelines had no recourse in the case of a disagreement.

The new airport became home to recreational flyers, who built small hangars for their airplanes and enjoyed the camaraderie of the small airport group. It was decided that the Village of Beiseker would provide the day to day maintenance for the airport, and each of the other members of would contribute a small amount supporting that operation.

Each village and the M.D. gave the airport commission a very small amount of money to accomplish this. Those funds, and the money collected from the leaseholders, contributed to the maintenance and operation of the airport.  The airport was still located with the Municipal District, and therefore all development permits and tax collection was to be done by them.  In those early days, the Village's contribution to maintenance and operation costs at the airport equal to about one half of 1% of Beiseker's yearly budget.

After several years, disagreements and legal challenges between the Association, the Municipal District, and one of the tenants at the airport forced the other three members of the Association to withdraw from the commission. This left Beiseker on its own to maintain and operate the airport.

The airport sputtered along for many years seeing little development and almost no maintenance. The village made little investment into the airport, but volunteers stepped up to keep the airport operational.  Eventually, the difficult tenant left the airport and operations there began to improve.

The provincial government eventually asked the village of Beiseker if they would be interested in taking over ownership of the airport. Village council indicated they would not be willing to take over the airport, until the neglected runway had been resurfaced. The province agreed and did resurface the runway and pave the main taxiways.  Rocky View County also agreed to provide a portion of the property tax collected at the airport back to the village for operations and maintenance. 

The future of this important Beiseker facility was looking quite positive!

An airport is an important facility to any community it serves.  Just like an arena, a swimming pool or a library, an airport adds to the fabric of any municipality lucky enough to have one!  When Beiseker was approved to get an airport, many municipalities were very jealous!  Ours was one of the last constructed under the program.  Beiseker has continued operating and maintaining the airport which does bring in some commerce into the village at very little cost.  In fact the cost to taxpayers to operate the airport has been almost nil for many years. 

At present we have a skydiving/parachute facility, a pilot training school, numerous recreational aviation hangars and a café at our airport.  Much of the normal maintenance is still done by volunteers, saving the village more money.

Presently, the Village and the hangar owners are in discussion now to officially subdivide the airport lot into separate hangar lots then explore the possibility of selling some of the lots to hangar owners.  The runways, taxiways and other areas will  still be owned and operated by the Village of Beiseker.  I support this move, and I hope an agreement will be reached in the near future. Stay tuned!

Dissoution of Beiseker as a Municipality?

There has been some chatter around that our village should dissolve and become another part of Rocky View County. I personally think this would be a very bad idea!

Here are my reasons for keeping our village as an independent municipality.

• As part of the County, we would be represented in municipal government on the County Council. We would have one councilor to voice our support or concerns on matters associated with the village. Instead of five councilors representing the 800 of us, we would have just one representing this whole corner of the County. That one councilor could easily be outvoted by councilors for the West side of the County. In other words, the future of our village would be dictated by councilors from Springbank and the Cochrane area!
• Both municipalities would have to agree to the amalgamation. I am not sure that the County would want another urban area in their jurisdiction.
• If such an amalgamation should occur, the County was most certainly not want to carry any debt load created by the village. I would imagine that this debt load would be simply assigned back to the former municipality. I suspect property taxes would go up considerably.
• I'm not sure that the folks living in urban areas within the county right now are really truly happy with their situation. Areas like Langdon, Bearspaw, Redwood Meadows, and others are in my opinion underrepresented in municipal government. I have no problems with a rural county overseeing industrial and commercial subdivisions, however I do believe that urban residential areas are better served by a local municipal government.

Unlike many provincial  politicians, I believe that the small municipalities are a very important part of Alberta's structure. It was small communities that built this province long before megacities were even considered!

I know that many of these small communities have disappeared. Those that still exist have an important part in the fabric of Alberta. Congestion at all levels in the cities is getting unbearable! Smaller centers have an eager and talented workforce, land available for development, and far less traffic congestion. If the cities are the heart of this province then the small municipalities are indeed the other organs that keep this province alive!

If such a movement to dissolve our village as a municipality ever shows its ugly head, I will use every legal means at my disposal to fight that very shortsighted idea! 

Beiseker's Finances & the AUMA

I am most concerned about our villages financial problems. 

The property tax hike this year was, in my opinion, too high. Now we are being told that our village has operated at a deficit for many years! 

During my term as mayor of Beiseker this village never ran a deficit! It is true that we chose not to fully address our Tangible Capital Assets and their depreciation. Which means that if the new airport runway surface suddenly crumbled, every piece of village equipment suddenly broke down, and every water pipe and sewer pipe in the ground sprung a leak all on the same day, the village would be in strife! 

The chances of that happening are slim and nil! Several years ago, the provincial government decided that it would be good idea for municipalities to create a slush fund to pay for replacements of our equipment and infrastructure, and account for the depreciation of its assets.  It might've been a good idea for larger municipalities - but for small ones like ours, it was totally ridiculous. If you take into account the depreciation and replacement of our tangible capital assets, the village would be in a deficit!  However, in my term as mayor the village always paid its bills and we actually ran a very small surplus!  

I think Village Council is getting some bad advice. I think they need to reread the entire Municipal Government Act and the auditor's reports from the last 10 years. Although I was one of five councilors, I was still hurt when I read that the former council was insinuated as being irresponsible in Beiseker's finances.  We did no such thing!

The AUMA Convention:

Every fall the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association holds a convention. They been held in Calgary, Edmonton, and recently again in Red Deer. Our village council has decided not to go to the convention this fall.  I think this is a very shortsighted decision, and needs to be readdressed! 

The convention gives municipalities the chance to address government officials in person directly. There is even a session which permits municipal leaders to directly address the many newly elected cabinet ministers involved in their operation! 

With the recent change of government, Beiseker needs to be seen and heard at this convention! Maybe just one councilor and the CAO should go, but someone needs to represent our village there!

Hong Kong Protests

Many years ago my wife and I visited Hong Kong. We found it to be a exciting and vibrant city. It was under British rule that back then. 

Since the Chinese government took over the British protectorate things have become tense and have recently boiled over in the form of demonstrations. I fear for the safety of those people living in Hong Kong!  The Chinese have demonstrated in Tienanmen Square that they are ruthless in suppressing any opposition to the official government. I fear thousands could be killed or seriously hurt if the Chinese army invades Hong Kong!

Calgary's Olympic Legacy

It appears quite clear to me that Calgarians are not willing to support the facilities left from the 1988 Olympics.  

They turned down a bid to bring the 2026 Games to Calgary which would have rejuvenated those facilities.  They're refusing to help the bobsled track and the ski jump towers are already slated to be demolished.   I think the writing is on the wall!  Calgary has changed dramatically and Calgarians will no longer support these kind of facilities.  I think the bobsled track, the ski jump towers, and the other former Olympic facilities should be demolished.  The Olympic Oval may be the exception as long as the university is maintaining it.  

Let Calgarians move on to whatever they're moving on to!  The "NO" campaigners in the Olympic Plebiscite will have suggestions on where Calgary should go from here! 

Canada vs. China!

First they arrest a couple of Canadians on business in China, then they re-sentence another from a jail term to death!  Then the outlaw imports of some Canadian crops.  Now they claim our pork and beef is bad and not allowed into their markets. 

All of this because we arrested some Chinese national on the request of American authorities because we had no choice under extradition laws signed by Canada and the USA!  Am I fairly accurate so far?  

China will not back down!  I suggest that the Canadian Government financially help all those affected by this ridiculous squabble then help them go out and find other markets!  Maybe the Americans should help us here since it was their idea to arrest this Chinese national in the first place.

What's the Deal with Single-Use Plastics?

I'm having trouble understanding this single use plastic fruhaha. 

If there is an oil spill, the oil companies are held responsible. If there is a sewer backup the municipality is held responsible. So why aren't the manufacturers of all these plastic bags, straws, eating utensils, and other single-use plastics held responsible for all this plastic clogging our oceans?  

Also, around the world there has got to be thousands of petro chemists working hard changing oil into all these useful items. Why can't some of them be employed by the manufacturers to change the single-use plastic products back to oil? Seems only logical that if you can change oil into something else you should be able to change that something else back into oil!  

Time Out!

I was very pleased to read that our education Minister, David Eggen, is about to ban school seclusion rooms or timeout rooms! In my more than 30 years in the classroom I found these timeout areas to be a necessary evil.

Unruly students or students with behavioral difficulties had to be placed in some kind of a isolated area to avoid their injuring themselves or others. In most cases isolation could be accomplished by erecting a cardboard screen around the student's desk on three sides. The teacher could see the student but the student could not see others in the classroom. I found this worked extremely well for elementary students, especially those who were distracted easily by the usual goings-on in the classroom. However some students required more aggressive means of isolation.

Isolation rooms were created for these few students. They were enclosed areas often locked from the outside and usually containing very little visual stimulation. Unruly students were placed in their for a brief time until they cooled down. Because of staff shortages in the classrooms supervision of these isolation rooms was often lacking, however these isolation areas must be supervised constantly while in use! 

I am pleased that the Minister of Education is banning these rooms because that means he is increasing the number of support staff in the schools to deal with these unruly children. There used to be some provincial money available to hire support staff to deal with specific children with behavioral issues however most children did not qualify for this funding. A teacher with 30 or more students in his or her classroom must have the tools to manage an unruly student!  One unruly student should not be able to affect the learning of the rest of his or her classmates!

What will be done with these students if supervisors are unavailable and isolation rooms are gone?  Teachers can't send them out to the hallway.  I know these students, without supervision might destroy any displays or art work on bulletin boards.  Many older schools still have coats on coat racks in hallways which could be vandalized.  Sending them to the office isn't always a good thing.  Most schools with a staff of around 18 teachers is only given one full teacher equivalent for administration split between the administrators.  There might be an administrator in the office but what if both administrators are teaching or in a meeting?  Unruly students do not misbehave on a schedule!  Do we expect the school secretary to manage these students' behavior?

I taught in classrooms for more than thirty years and I never met a bad kid!  I did meet a few students over the years who, for one reason or another needed help with modifying their behavior in school.  I look forward to reading the Minister's report on how he expects schools and classroom teachers to deal with these few unruly students now that isolation rooms are banned.

Why?

Why are Eastern Canadians content on using oil products shipped to them across our fragile oceans from unstable countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, when Canadian oil is readily available and relatively easy to get to them?

Why are British Columbians dead set against moving Alberta oil through their province yet at the same time demanding that Alberta send them more oil to heat their homes during this current cold snap?

Why are the oil sands companies being fined huge amounts because a couple of dozen ducks died in their settling ponds, while the thousands of song birds and bats killed by the blades of those huge wind turbines are ignored?

Why do Canadians expect those wonderful men and women in our armed forces to carry on dangerous operations around the world, using obsolete or worn out equipment?

Why are Albertans, who have been making huge equalization payments to the "have not provinces" are now expected to go it on their own when they need help?

Why is the international community wrestling over this refugee crisis while nobody is trying to figure out why these people are risking their lives trying to get out of their homelands?  Wouldn't it be better to make sure their homelands are safe than setting up tent city refugee camps and arguing over who takes them?

Just asking!

Grocery Woes

I understand that operating a grocery store is a lot of work and hardship, with a fairly low return on the investment, but the store in our village appears to be in more desperate strife!   Since their takeover a few years ago, prices rose significantly and the selection started to drop.  Prices have now lowered somewhat, but are still higher than what I think they should be.  Selection is still continually dropping!  The meat counter is almost empty, the chicken rotisserie machine is gone, and fresh bread is in limited supply and selection. 

More and more shelves are empty or single stacked every time I go in there.  Like most seniors, I would prefer shopping for groceries here than having to drive to a neighboring community, but I can't!  Either it is too expensive here, or it's not available. 

Shopping in Airdrie or at Costco is another option, but not a good one for us.  First we have to drive there - and then we usually we overspend!  And then there's the problem of storing 300 rolls of toilet tissue, or six gallons of ketchup!

I don't have a solution!  Some small food stores in other communities in the area appear to be doing much better than ours.  Why is that?  I hope the folks who own our store will figure it out soon!  I will continue to support them where and when I can, but that is becoming increasingly difficult! 

Year-End 2018! Happy New Year!

I'm back!  I've not contributed anything to my blog in a very long time, but I'm going to try to change that today.

Here goes!

STOP!  I don't know in who in Beiseker decided it was a good idea to install stop signs on the First Avenue extension where it crosses the CN tracks, or why.  Visibility is great there.  You can easily see a train coming!

It certain situations (such as fog) it might be harder to see a train already on the crossing, especially if the cars are dirty and the reflectors aren't showing up in your headlights.

Perhaps it's an insurance liability thing; if you hit a train there, it's your own fault because you ran a stop sign.  In my opinion, a more sensible solution to the issue would be the installation of warning signs 50 metres from the crossing warning motorists that they're approaching an uncontrolled railway crossing.

Christmas Cheer!  I don't know if it's my imagination, but the village appears to be decorated far more for Christmas than in past years!  I'm glad I wasn't chosen to judge the annual Christmas Light Display contest!  It must have been a very difficult job picking the best of so many beautiful displays.  In my mind you're all winners!

Here's a special shout-out to the Village of Beiseker!  Their display is extra-beautiful this year!  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Ho Ho Ho! Here's a big thank you to the volunteer firefighters of the Beiseker Fire Department who spent much of their Christmas Eve driving Santa up and down every street in Beiseker!  Their noisy little procession makes Christmas in the village just that much more special!

I will take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year!

Forest Fire Catastrophe a Sign of Neglect!

As I sit here looking out over my smoke filled village, I have come to the conclusion that the forest fire catastrophe in the West could have been far less traumatic if the people of Canada had been more proactive.  First, let it be said that I have very limited experience with forest fires.  I spent a very, very brief time at a fire lookout station back in the sixties.  Also back then I was commandeered to fight a forest fire.  That lasted less than two days!  

I did learn that forest fires destroy valuable resources.  They kill both men and critters. Man made structures are at their mercy. They are very hard and exhausting to fight.  And they can be better controlled if they are caught early!

Here's what I think Canada should do to stop what is happening in B.C. now.

• Build more look-out stations or towers in forested areas. These would act as early warning sites so fires could be spotted and attacked early.
• Create more "forest fire first responders" who can be brought into a fire early. 
• Build, equip and staff more forest fire halls, much like urban fire halls across the forested areas.
• Build more forest fire fighting aircraft like the Canadair CT415 which could be placed at more fire stations like the one in Rocky Mountain House.
• Hire more full time forest firefighters.
• Encourage more controlled burns to reduce the amount of undergrowth which can fuel a fire for months.
• Attack all forest fires.  We can no longer afford to "let nature take its course"!
• Create a national forest fire response system which could coordinate the moving of personnel and equipment to fight fires across Canada.

Would this be expensive?  You bet your bippy!   But when you consider the cost of fighting those fires and the destruction they create, it might just turn out to be a good investment!   I think it is the responsibility of the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to work together with the forest industry to build this strategy.  Remember Slave Lake, Fort Mac, and that huge grass fire in Saskatchewan among others.  I think it's time we do the math!

Poor Old Sir John A.

I was appalled over the removal of the bronze statue of our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald from in front of Victoria's City Hall.   I was not upset with the reasoning behind the removal but in the way it was done.  It was announced that the statue would be removed just days before the event.  A crew showed up before the dawn and proceeded to haul it away to storage.  A handful of protesters were on hand but it was so early in the morning, most folks were still in bed when the deed was done! 

There was and still is no plans announced as to where the statue is to be relocated.  Maybe those in charge of the move are hoping people will forget about Sir John A. and the statue can be melted down.

Sir John A. MacDonald is a hero of mine!  I know he drank too much and he discussed political theory with lampposts among other things, but he stitched together the fabric of what was to become the greatest nation in the world; Canada!   Yes I know he screwed up some things but most of what he did led to the creation of this country.

When it came to the natives of Canada, our indigenous people, Sir John A. and his cohorts screwed up bad!  They thought the best thing for our indigenous children was to send them to boarding schools and make little English kids out of them.  Boarding schools were a way of life in Britain back then so it seemed a good idea at the time.  I am sure that had they known of the abuse and cruelty that would take place in those residential schools that they would not have pushed the idea!  As it turned out the residential schools have become a very sad chapter in this nation's history.

If moving the statue acknowledges that the way the indigenous people of Canada were treated back was terrible, then its move was long overdue!  But where's it going?  I think it should it should be rededicated in front of Victoria's federal building, wherever that is.  After all Sir John A. was a federal leader.

Removing his statue cannot rewrite history.  It is what it is!  Removing his statue cannot punish Sir John A. for his screw-up with the residential schools.  I hope that removing his statue might acknowledge that screw-up and declare that all Canadians are now moving on!

Canada strong!

Beware Beacon Heights!

I ask all residents and visitors to Beacon Heights to be extra cautious while driving through our neighborhood.   There are a number of children living in our area who have no concept of traffic rules and safety!  They will dart out in front moving vehicles without even looking.  They will ride their bikes and scooters down the center of the street while vehicles are attempting to drive by!  They leave their bikes, scooters, and other toys on the street and will run out to retrieve them at any time!  Our 30 km/hr speed limit is far too fast!   I have decided to come to a complete stop and wait for them to pass.  I have voiced my concern to them on a few occasions with no effect.  Please be aware of these kids and adjust your driving accordingly.  We do not want a child injured in a traffic accident in our subdivision!

More This and That

The Fire Truck Saga;  I heard that the Village of Beiseker has sold our old-new fire truck that was languishing down at the Public Works Yard!  I didn't hear what they got for it but I hope it was around the $25 000.00 mark.  That was what I figure it was worth.

I was very pleased that the young fellow who lives down in the Okotoks area was cleared of all charges related to a shooting at his rural home.  The young man found some folks trespassing on his property and allegedly trying to steal some of his belongings!  A shot was fired and the trespassers left.  They have since been arrested and face numerous charges.  The property owner was also charged for discharging his gun and other things.  I understand all those charges have now been dropped.  The charges against the trespassers and possible thieves remain!

The above mentioned story reminds us that rural policing in Alberta has its challenges.  We've all heard stories of folks having to wait more than half an hour for the police to arrive at the scene of an incident.  There are solutions;

• Increase the number of personnel at every detachment in rural Alberta.   This would be expensive but well worth it! 
• Remove the RCMP from highway traffic duty.  This would free up officers to do other duties.  Re-create the Alberta Provincial Police to do highway traffic duties.
• Have the provincial government strongly support local crime watch groups.

I worry that the large patch of prairie grass which extends right through Beiseker may become a fire hazard as the grass dries out later this summer.  The land belongs to Alberta Trail Net.  It was lent to the railway museum which appears to have disappeared like a feather in the wind.  The Village can't afford to mow it down.  What's going to happen?

Little Bugs

Early summer is bug season in this part of the world.  The mosquitoes were ferocious earlier on and now those black & yellow wasps are back!  Here are some other little bugs that annoy me:

• It bugs me to have to bump over all those "speed bumps" in parking lots!  There are some lots in Airdrie which are particularly bad.  I have to almost stop the car then ease over these lumps!  It discourages me and other motorists from visiting those shops and eateries!  I guess they're discouraging vehicle traffic there.
• It bugs me to have folks step out into a crosswalk without even checking for traffic.  They're too busy talking or texting on their cellphones!
• It bugs me when dog owners do not pick up after their pets.  There are some pooches which regularly leave dog-logs on my front lawn for me to pick up!
• It bugs me when I see an individual operating what appears to be a commercial auto repair business on a lot zoned residential without so much as a local business license!  That is against village zoning bylaws yet the village is powerless to stop it!
• It bugs me when, while waiting for a passing train, I notice that every rail car that passes is covered in graffiti!
• It bugs when the price of gasoline jumps up by more than ten cents a liter just before a long weekend! 
• It bugs me when I see drivers taking unnecessary chances trying to pass someone moving farm machinery then flicking the bird to the tractor driver on the way past.  Especially in the spring and fall, farmers need to move equipment from one field to the next quickly.  Other drivers should show patience!  

So there are a few of my little bugs.  Do you have some?

The Ridiculous Pipe Dream

This whole debate about the twinning of the Kinder Morgan Pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to the west coast has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous!

There is overwhelming evidence to show that the project will have minimum impact on the environment of either province.  A pipeline is much, much safer that shipping the oil by rail!  In my opinion, the economic benefits to Canada will be widespread and significant in a positive way! 

Yet the protesters and the support groups demonstrate against each other.  Folks are blocking access to the pipeline building sites.  The squabble has become a farce on democracy.   I suspect that most protesters don't even understand what they are really protesting and why!

Yet the fight goes on!   I think now the fight is being waged, just because!  The reasons for the initial debate have been lost in the rhetoric over the past few months.  Let's just quit all this silliness and build the pipeline!  And maybe we should build a huge oil refinery in Fort Mac. as well! 

The Great Fire Truck Challenge

A few years ago, the good people of Beiseker donated to buy a newer fire engine.  The money was raised, and a truck was found in the States.  It was purchased and trucked to Beiseker. 

It was from the southern U.S., so there were a few things that needed to be changed so it could live in our not-so-tropical climate.  A block heater was installed, along with a cab heater and a heater to keep the water pump warm. A few other modifications were made.

A few short years later the pump needed to be rebuilt.  The truck was sent in to "experts" in Calgary to estimate how much it would cost to fix it.  Those experts said the truck was a complete disaster and it would cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair!

I disagree!

I think that much of the repairs could have been done locally and the cost of putting the truck back in service would be considerably less than the estimate given to us.  Instead, now that truck now languishes in the public works yard, out of service!

I believe that truck can still be repaired and sold to recoup some of the money this community worked so hard to gather!  It is NOT scrap!  It is a major capital expense for this village!  What is council going to do?

New Aero-Kard!

I am very excited to report that Aero-Kards has produced, printed and delivered its first new card in almost two years!

The new Aero-Kard belongs to air show performer Kevin Maher of British Columbia flying the Stearman Kaydet!  The new card will be included in Aero-Kard packs beginning in July, and will be available at air shows across Western Canada. Aero-Kards are back in production!