When the Tsuu T’ina nation surprised Calgarians (and Premier Ed Stelmach) by voting against the proposal that would have saw the SW portion of the ring road cut through their reserve, the Municipal and Provincial Governments immediately began working on alternative plans.
As you may have heard in the news, well actually I’m quite certain you’ve read about this because on the evening news there are no less than 8-10 different stories related to H1N1. If you haven’t I’ll provide a brief coles notes version.
Last Friday the Calgary Flames organization were provided with their own private H1N1 immunization clinic. The clinic was open to all staff, players and their families including those from the farm team in Abbotsford, BC. A senior Alberta Health Services (AHS) staffer that approved the clinic was later fired for the serious ‘misjudgement’.
While the news first broke out on Tuesday that a private clinic was setup for the Calgary Flames, the actual clinic was put on before the weekend on Friday. This is important to note as the public outrage seems a bit overboard in my opinion. AHS announced on the weekend that the province would be changing the H1N1 immunization plans due to stronger than anticipated demand. Prior to this, all H1N1 clinics were open to the general public. Now the new plan is to only allow those that are deemed high-risk to receive the shots.
The planning for the private clinic no doubt took place well before the vaccine shortage was announced. So while I agree that the private clinic for the Calgary Flames should not have been put on, I believe the situation is being blown out of proportion by the media. An AHS staffer is fired over this private clinic in which 50-60 shots were given out (I’m assuming here that not everyone that was eligible to get the shots at the private clinic actually took advantage)? How many of you reading this know of people that are not in the high-risk group that went out and got shots? Are you chastising these people for jumping in front of those that need the shots?
“Hockey players are not at high risk for swine flu,” NDP Leader Brian Mason said in question period. “Some pregnant women and young children now face a greater risk of very serious disease or even death because millionaire hockey players got a vaccine they did not urgently need.”
What about Dr. Andre Corriveau? He is Alberta chief medical officer of health who urged all Albertans to get vaccinated. His decision to open clinics to all Albertans instead of just high-risk Albertans was a critical mistake but he still gets to keep his job. Wait, theres more. Dr. Corriveau himself who does not work face to face with patients and thus is not considered high-risk received the H1N1 vaccine.
Perhaps his boss, Ron Liepert the Health Minister should be fired too? The whole H1N1 vaccination debacle falls on him. Ultimately, some big mistakes were made from the get go and now we’re facing a vaccine shortage here in Alberta. Who gets fired? Some middle manager that approved a private clinic for the Calgary Flames? If there was no uproar would he still have his job?
To argue a different point, was it really a bad idea to vaccinate the Calgary Flames? We have a semi-large organization travelling to dozens of cities in a short period of time competing face to face with other players who are also travelling all over Canada and the United States. One cannot deny that this is an excellent transmission opportunity for the H1N1 virus. Immunizing those that are travelling frequently can only reduce the chance of the virus being brought in from another city. Is that not the whole point of this mass vaccination?
I hear there are people that are unloading their season tickets because of this incident. To that I say great!, more tickets for the rest of us.
The province of British Columbia has not yet mandated that true winter tread tires be used during the winter months on all highways. However, one can only legally operate in the ice and snow using all season or summer tires if they are not traveling on posted highways or are carrying tire chains that are the appropriate size and type for the vehicle. This does restrict the use of all season tires in most areas of the province.
A posted highway is one that is marked with a sign advising motorists that they must use winter tread tires or carry chains once they have passed the sign.
For the purposes of the sign, a winter tire is one that is advertised or represented by its manufacturer or a person in the business of selling tires to be a tire intended principally for winter use. An all season tire is designed to be a compromise and operate in both summer and winter. It is not designed principally for winter use. Only those tires displaying the mountain and snowflake symbol on the sidewall are winter tires that fit this definition.
Should you choose not to follow the advice on the sign, police may prevent you from traveling further until you are in compliance. They may also choose to issue a traffic ticket that carries a penalty of $121 and 2 points, or about the price of a good winter tire or set of chains.
When the Tsuu T’ina nation surprised Calgarians (and Premier Ed Stelmach) by voting against the proposal that would have saw the SW portion of the ring road cut through their reserve, the Municipal and Provincial Governments immediately began working on alternative plans. Action on the alternative plans was so swift that even the Tsuu T’ina nation seemed to be caught off-guard as Chief Sandford Big Plume held onto his hope that talks would resume. Unfortunately for Big Plume, the Province of Alberta and the City of Calgary were done talking. 40 Years of talking is too much, even for politicians.
The City took the first step to alleviate traffic pressures in the SW by constructing a roundabout on 37th street. Instead of allowing eastbound Glenmore Trail traffic to turn left across westbound Glenmore Trail traffic the new configuration has drivers making a right turn at 37th street. They then enter the roundabout to make a u-turn to continue travelling on north on 37th street. The location of the roundabout irked the Tsuu T’ina tribe–it is located right at the entrance of the Grey Eagle Casino. The City received a letter from the tribe on October 16th, dated October 2nd which warns that the Tsuu T’ina nation:
“does not consent to any road construction on or near Tsuu T’ina Nation lands not accounting for the Tsuu T’ina Nation’s rights to enter and leave lands at any point along our borders.” It goes on to say that “any interference by the city of Calgary of Tsuu T’ina Nation’s rights to enter and leave its lands at any point along Tsuu T’ina Nation boundaries constitutes a breach of our rights under Treaty No. 7.
The next part is the kicker:
“Any construction of roads by the city of Calgary or the permitting of any other buildings or development along the road is a breach of Tsuu T’ina Nation’s rights under Treaty No. 7.”
Mayor Dave Bronconnier was not deterred by the threat of legal action. “We’re not going to stop because the First Nation writes a letter asking us to stop.” He went on to reiterate that the City of Calgary will continue to provide the tribe legal access to the reserve through the Anderson Road and 37th street intersection. The mayor said the city would consult with the Tsuu T’ina nation as a courtesy. “We would seek their input, not their approval.”
Brilliant. I say if you’re going to play hardball, you better be ready to deal with the outcome. The Tsuu T’ina gambled for a better deal from the Province and City but their bluff was called. They now face the prospects of getting nothing and may even lose a key entrance to their Grey Eagle Casino. Perhaps the gambling should best be kept inside the casino.
Today we reached 500 fans for our facebook page! If you haven’t already become a fan, you can check out our page at www.facebook.com/beyondca. We love having more fans of our FB page so if you’re on FB (seriously now, who isn’t on facebook?) become a fan right now.
Speaking of social media, we recently passed 100 followers (110 actually) for our twitter page as well. You can reach us on twitter at www.twitter.com/beyondca. I know, just 110 followers, that is pretty bad.
Why become a fan or follower?
I know our constant begging will not get more people to join or follow us, but I do know that free stuff usually works as a bri… err, incentive. As a thank you to all of you who took a few minutes to join us on FB and Twitter we will be giving out a pair of 200 level tickets to a Calgary Flames game each month to one random twitter follower or facebook fan. For an extra chance to win, join us on facebook AND twitter.
The first draw will be for tickets to the Calgary Flames vs. Detroit Red Wings game on Saturday October 31, 2009. The lucky winner will be announced on October 30th so make sure you are entered in to win by becoming a fan or follower. Check our blog page for the announcement of the winner Friday morning, the winner must claim the prize in person by Friday at 2pm or another name will be drawn. If you don’t win, don’t worry as we will give away more tickets!
NETCANDI.com is back at it again for a fourth year in a row for sell out Halloween Parties. Only this year, it’s the biggest ever. 4,000 people will be down at the Big Four building for Naughty Nights 4 and to celebrate Netcandi.com’s fourth birthday. If that’s not enough of a reason to get off your ass to come party, try $20,000 worth of prizes in our annual balloon drop!
The EH! TEAM DJs will be spinning with DJ Roofeo, DJ Dex One, and don’t forget mic masters/hype men BEDROC OXTAIL and DIZZY D. Naughty Nights 4 WILL NOT disappoint (not like any of the other years have), as the event is already 75% sold out as this blog post is going out.
Naughty Nights 4: Heroes Ball
Saturday October 31, 2009
Stampede Big 4 Building
1801 Big Four Trail SE. Calgary AB
Summer is over, unfortunately, and with the departure of warm nights and bright sunny days comes dark evenings and the freezing cold. Even though we are in October, it is rarely much better than the weather found over the December and January periods. It is important that your vehicle is up to scratch in the winter months as breaking down could have much more serious consequences than you think; in this article we will be looking at some useful and helpful tips to make sure your car is in tip top condition for whatever mother nature throws at us.
Your antifreeze and engine coolant are vitally important during the winter. Antifreeze will help to protect and shield your engine against those bitterly cold winter mornings and will prevent any freezing up of your engine; it is important that this is checked and topped up regularly. Be sure to top it up with antifreeze and not distilled water as some mechanics may recommend during the summer months.
Make sure that your battery is up to standard. A weak battery is the most common reason a vehicle does not start or has trouble starting on a cold winter morning so check it first to make sure all connections are secure and that there is no obvious corrosion or damage. If you are in an area that is regularly experiences temperatures below -25C you should consider installing a battery warmer to keep your battery from freezing over.
Check both your tire pressure and oil level. An under inflated tire will not have a firm grip with the road surface and could potentially be lethal in icy conditions, so make sure you check frequently for any damage. The oil helps to keep the engine lubricated and removes any dirt that can interfere with the running of your vehicle. Ensure you are running the proper oil weight by consulting your owners manual as running oil that is too thick for your vehicle will result in trouble starting in colder temperatures and may result in damage to your engine.
While these tips make seem commonsensical, it is surprising how many road users do not regularly maintain and check their vehicles, especially in winter; in some cases it can make all the difference.
Earlier this week some Calgary Transit customers were fuming as they returned to their vehicles in the Park and Ride lots to find parking violations on their windshields. As regular users of the pay lots at the LRT stations, they were sure the tickets were issued in error but upon closer inspection they realized the tickets were issued under bylaw 28(1) which is simply “Unauthorized Parking”. The unauthorized parking in this case was backing into the parking spot.
Ever since the switch to the new Park Plus system, the Calgary Parking Authority uses specialized camera vehicles that automatically record the license plates of vehicles parked on the street and in parking lots. On the streets, the camera system works very well capturing the plates and issuing tickets to those that have not paid for parking in their designated zones. In the LRT lots however, the system doesn’t work so well as the camera system was only designed for spots where drivers parallel park. In a parking lot situation where vehicles are sometimes backed into their spots, the cameras cannot see the license plates.
Instead of getting out of their vehicles to check the plates for valid parking credentials, the CPA has opted to issue tickets to those that park their vehicles backwards. The fine? $50. $40 if you pay early. On Wednesday, hundreds of tickets were issued to Calgary Transit customers. When asked about the parking notices, CPA simply shifted the attention to City Council. They explain they are only acting on orders from City Hall but at least one Alderman has come forward to say that this situation needs to be fixed and that the rule needs to be withdrawn as it is unfair.
The CPA has no plans to void the parking tickets it has issued but instead plans to improve the signage at some stations. At one station, there was no signage indicating the rules of the parking lot for drivers entering the parking lot, only on the way out of the lot. Enforcing a rule that goes against a very common parking lot practice without a public awareness campaign reeks of revenue hunting by Calgary Transit officials. With lots filled with less cars than they expected, they must be turning to parking violation revenue to make up for it.
While the city encourages commuters to use Calgary Transit instead of driving, they sure are doing everything they can to drive customers AWAY from the service. A few customers that received tickets this week have stated they plan on driving to work instead of putting up with the hassles of parking at the LRT lots.
*update*
The Calgary Parking Authority announced on Friday that they will be revoking all tickets issued for vehicles not parked nose-in between October 5th and October 8th. Those that have already paid for the tickets will automatically receive a refund. The CPA apologizes for any inconvenience caused and will be installing signs letting drivers know that the practice is not allowed.
My father lives in Ontario, and in my younger years I used to fly out two or three times a year to visit. As I grew up I never forgot the excitement that came with going to visit my dad- the flight to and from was almost as fun as the reason for the visit itself!
So, unfortunately, it’s with a cold, cruel tone that I write this. The irony is not at all lost on me, either, but that doesn’t make it any less unfortunate.
Paranoia Induces Overregulation
I believe that modern-day air travel is absolutely ridiculous, and this was made crystal-clear to me when a child that was sitting behind me asked to see the cockpit - something that I used to do regularly when I flew as a kid - and was denied by the flight attendant. I can’t even completely explain the wonder and amazaement that I used to feel when I entered the cockpit, with it’s big windows displaying the horizon so triumphantly.
Looking around, I used to wonder what every button, switch, and dial did. It was a fantasy of mine to one day fly an airplane and find out. In fact, one of my prevailing memories as a kid was a pilot explaining to me how their radar worked: “this is our radar, it tells us where other planes are. Sometimes a plane will ‘ping’ us, and to show that we’re nice guys, we’ll ‘ping’ them right back. It’s kind of like playing tag, except 40,000 feet in the air”.
Now, you can’t even stand within three feet of the cockpit door during a commercial flight. How… overzealous.
I Believe in Safety… To a Point
I never had a problem with flying, ever. Now, there’s some irrational fear that exists within me that causes me to be anxious and leery before each flight that I make. Given that I fly, on average, at least a dozen times per year this is obviously a feeling I really don’t want to experience.
Now, I can’t even take a bottle of water on an airplane thanks to a terrorist plot involving liquid explosives. Of course, it’s no problem at all if I want to spend $3 mid-flight and purchase one. I’m all for safety, but this seems to be a little over the top. Realistically speaking, in nearly 100 years of flying we are now locked down to the point where something that was once a leisurly activity is now a chore- something that post people just shrug off and ignore until they get to their destination.
I want my freedoms back, as a consumer and as a Canadian. I want to be able to enjoy flying in the same capacity that I used to. Most importantly, I want flying to step down from its pedestal and come back down to earth. There is no reason that we can’t be safe and secure without involving being padded down, stripped down, and humiliated before each and every flight.
The average person won’t have a problem finding reasons why the indsutry is in peril. Why can’t the industry?
Tonight CBC Calgary News continued their special series on auto theft, Hot Wheels. The first part covered the Calgary Police Service’s HEATT (High Enforcement Auto Theft Team) and the second part focused on the police helicopter, HAWCS. The third part was about the role of the internet and the role it plays in today’s increasingly connected world. Making another appearance was “The Claw”, an epic happy ending story where forum members helped track down a stolen Skyline.
The CBC News clip can be viewed below. Our famous President and Co-founder, rage2 makes an appearance as does Moderator Jaymez and forum member Envision.
The sign says “Trucks, Stop Here, Check Brakes, Steep Hill Ahead.” Ask almost anyone and they would likely tell you that this sign only applies to heavy commercial trucks equipped with air brakes. This is not the case however, the sign applies to all trucks with a licensed Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of more than 5,500 kg. regardless of brake system type. It could include everything from a truck tractor to a pickup pulling an RV.
Advisory signs posted at the brake check site tell drivers of vehicles equipped with hydraulic brake systems that they must check pedal pressure, brake assist, that there are no fluid leaks and that the brake drums are not overheated. Pedal pressure is tested by applying the brakes and holding them applied. The pedal must not be spongy or slowly depress. Turn the engine off, pump the brake pedal to deplete the assist, hold the pedal down and start the engine again. If assist is working properly you will feel the pedal rise slightly.
Are you towing a trailer equipped with brakes? Disconnect the vacuum lines, pull the pin on the electric switch or the lever on the surge brake to activate the breakaway brake. Try to drive ahead and the trailer wheels should lock.
In addition to checking for hydraulic fluid leaks, it would be wise to check fluid levels in the master cylinder as well. Some master cylinder leaks are hidden when the brake fluid leaks into the vacuum assist chamber and is pulled into the engine and burned rather than appearing as a visible leak.
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