May 24th, 2024

Opinions

Guest Column: Why is the thought of homeless people walking down the street and finding connection such a concern?

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on May 11th, 2021

his was the first time in 10 years that I did not recognize my community. It would be unfair to say it wasn’t always there, but rather, I haven’t encountered it to this degree. Perhaps it was the stressors of the pandemic, the threat of livelihoods or businesses being lost. Perhaps it was the fact ... Read More »

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Laying It Out: Living with COVID was a bad idea then, and it’s a terrible idea now

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on May 8th, 2021

For more than a year we’ve heard leaders talk about “flattening” or “bending” the curve of COVID-19. And before a year of living in a global pandemic, plus talking to epidemiologists, ER doctors, developmental biologists and more, it even made sense. “We have to live with the virus.” At that point, when everyone from the ... Read More »

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City Notebook: CCDA breathing new life as vote to kill it looms

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on May 8th, 2021

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant The fate of the CCDA goes to the ballot box next week, with voting by the members of the downtown business association on whether to dissolve the near-40-year-old group that seems to have some momentous internal struggle at least twice a year. But even a ‘no’ vote this week likely won’t mean the book ... Read More »

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Alberta in Confederation

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on May 6th, 2021

It is quite evident that Canada’s Confederation is not working harmoniously. Ottawa is failing the regions outside 1867 Canada [Ontario and Quebec]. Such assessment warrants examination. A 2020 publication, Moment of Truth, includes numerous articles which have been compiled by Jack M. Mintz, Ted Morton and Tom Flanagan, the School of Public Policy, University of ... Read More »

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City Notebook: And so it continues

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on May 1st, 2021

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant Today is May 1, which most of the world celebrates as Labour Day, and though the North American labour day is still on the other side of summer, it might be wise to use this as a sort of target as we move into an unwanted new phase of the pandemic. Sure we all ... Read More »

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McCuaig: Conservative politics at a crossroads in Canada

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on April 27th, 2021

he conservative political movement in Canada is at a particularly difficult crossroads as it tries to find its footing in the shifting ground caused by supporting policies with wide national appeal that won’t alienate its base. The fault line of this situation runs along what many Canadians interpret as the flag-bearer of conservatism – the ... Read More »

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City Notebook: Budgets and donations have election talk front and centre

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on April 24th, 2021

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant This week’s federal budget is widely described by its critics as an election budget. That means politicos figure Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau could seize upon poll numbers and a free-spending effort to improve his minority government’s seat count. That may be in the fall when the pandemic is a far-sight more in hand (hopefully). ... Read More »

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Laying It Out: A million reasons for childcare, but one is enough

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on April 24th, 2021

The average Albertan owes more than $28,000, not including mortgage. Total household debt in Canada combines for 112% of the country’s GDP. And businesses nationwide are in jeopardy of shuttering doors unless they hit the ground sprinting once we actually leave this elongated health crisis behind. No matter what you think of the economy, or ... Read More »

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Saying goodbye: Publisher leaving with memories and a message

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on April 19th, 2021

Twenty-one years ago, I began a new adventure as a journalist ready to take on the world around me. My first day I entered through the front doors of the Medicine Hat News and today I will walk out the back doors one last time, bringing to a close an amazing career. I have spent ... Read More »

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MLA Report: Rural marginalization is real

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on April 16th, 2021

I don’t think anyone disputes that there is rural-urban divide in our society, and over time it has grown more polarized. Both economically and politically, often it seems like rural and urban folks live in two completely different worlds. This divide is not new, but over the past several years I think it has become ... Read More »

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For What It’s Worth: Democracy doesn’t end in a pandemic

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on April 15th, 2021

Seventeen UCP MLAs, including two from the Gas City, made headlines and controversy last week by signing a letter criticizing the government’s decision to downgrade our COVID status from Step 2 to Step 1. Members of the opposition, media and general population have called on Jason Kenney to boot these members out of caucus. Rachel ... Read More »

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