Opinions
Opinion: City needs to be attractive to young people
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on February 6th, 2020
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant Among no shortage of discouraging news about the future economic outlook of Alberta arrives a report that those in their early 20s are increasingly leaving Calgary. This comes after several years of unusually high unemployment in the town that was the very picture of a rapidly growing, bustling young city, full of money, activity ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Opinion: Education, UCP style
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on February 4th, 2020
jappel@medicinehatnews.com@MHNJeremyAppel It should go without saying that education is more than a mere commodity, but not in in the UCP’s Alberta. The K-12 curriculum review panel convened by Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, in which any teachers are conspicuously absent, released its recommendations for the future of education in this province. On the one hand, most ... Read More »
3 responsesLaying it Out: Where do we turn for justice now?
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on February 1st, 2020
After a difficult week for my family and a truck-in-the-chest reminder that our time with loved ones is cruelly short – and sometimes just cruel – I admit to not having put much thought toward Laying it Out. I even had Jeremy Appel on standby to run something in my space, but if you’re reading ... Read More »
4 responsesOpinion: Mental health is a team effort
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on February 1st, 2020
Our digital world has people connected like never before. Technology enables us to stay in touch 24/7 if we choose to be. But are we really connecting? Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day, an annual event aimed at encouraging open discussion about mental-health issues and removing the stigma that keeps people from reaching out for ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Opinion: Governments should lead by example
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on January 31st, 2020
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade Change is seldom pleasant but perhaps people are getting ticked off because of the implementation by government. Taking something away from people is never a good place to start. The UCP government decided to make changes to the seniors Blue Cross coverage by removing coverage for dependants of seniors. The change would save $36.5 ... Read More »
1 responseOpinion: Everyone has a part to play
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on January 30th, 2020
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant It was a side note in this week’s State of the City Address, but an endeavour to rebuild and potentially operate a railway engine and passenger car between sites in the Historic Clay District may be just the sort of hidden gem the Hat needs. Not, necessarily that endeavour – the volunteer project by ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Guest Column: Feds’ Buy Canadian food campaign could be a disaster
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on January 27th, 2020
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is going into marketing. It wants you to buy Canadian. The federal government intends to spend $25 million over five years starting this summer to promote Canadian food products and instill pride in what our country can bring to our tables. This is a great idea. But promoting Canadian products may ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Guest Column: Government propaganda machine targets vulnerable populations
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on January 27th, 2020
There is no doubt that the UCP government has taken issue with supervised consumption services, and more broadly, harm reduction. As far back as March of 2018, Jason Kenney has been quoted claiming that supervised consumption services ‘help addicts inject poison’ seemingly unwilling to learn from over-a-decade of evidence, and the recommendations of public health ... Read More »
1 responseLaying it Out: Can’t change minds? Then change the system
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on January 25th, 2020
The conversation was about a minute-and-a-half old when he uttered the words. Neither of us had met this man before, though Jeremy and I both knew his wife a little – she had stopped at the Medicine Hat News trade show booth for a quick hello and had just introduced us to her husband. We ... Read More »
8 responsesMLA Report: New decade, fresh perspective
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on January 24th, 2020
With the beginning of a new decade comes a fresh opportunity for new ideas and a renewed sense of optimism. As the MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat, I am going into the new year with a laser focus on fulfilling the promises that I made to you, my constituents, and ensuring that our government implements the ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Opinion: Prying eyes, data collectors and the potential dangers
By Medicine Hat News Opinion on January 24th, 2020
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade This week it was announced certain liquor stores in Edmonton will require customers to scan their personal ID before being allowed to enter the store. If that doesn’t shock you, it should. We are told ID scanning is all about addressing the number of thefts. Officials interviewed by the media said daily theft is ... Read More »
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