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Alison Redford: Stunning Ascent to Alberta’s Top Position
 Posted
10/3/2011 1:43:00 PM
It Was a Dark and Rainy Night
It was the eve of Alison Redford’s sudden and ‘shocking’ ascension to the post of Alberta Premier. People were running, splashing through puddles, hurrying into the warm building. I ran through the cold rain with my bare feet in sandals.
The count was rolling in at Northland’s Expo Centre. Thousands- not just PC members- were knotted before the big screens. The room was dark, numbers jumped out. Faces were lit up with excitement. Many we’ve seen throughout this PC leadership race: Cabinet ministers. MLAs Campaign volunteers. Media commentators.
Young, old, new faces in the political scene. Murmuring. Milling. Mulling. Drinking beer, wine and water. Chomping on free hot dogs and nachos. To widespread gasps, the gap between front runner Gary Mar and Alison Redford started to close with just 35% of 83 riding counts in. Doug Horner lagged behind in third place.
Redford ...
Dr. Raj Sherman Wins Alberta Liberal Party Leadership
Posted
9/11/2011 12:00:00 AM
By T. Lightfoot
Sept 10, 2011
Saturday Dr. Raj Sherman won the Alberta Liberal Party leadership on the first ballot, with 54.47% of the vote. 9000 Liberal supporters cast ballots, some from afar.
Sherman, an Emergency Physician and MLA still in his first term, represents Edmonton-Meadowlark. He stayed Saturday at the University of Alberta main gym well into the evening talking with reporters. When asked if he plans to unite the left and centre parties in Alberta, Sherman added emphatically, "Left, centre…and right!"
Perhaps that's Sherman's strategy for the next provincial election.
Premier Ed Stelmach said the call will likely come next spring. But a snap fall election would surprise no one.
Sherman will now lead the charge, keeping the 8-member Liberal team on the attack, the customary role for a leader of the Official Opposition. He's expected to prove his metal against the governing 71 PC MLAs, holding ...
A lonely man in a Potter world
Posted
7/14/2011 3:08:00 PM
It seems these days I can't have a conversation with anyone. It's not that I don't want to. It's just that everyone is talking about something I know very little about. Harry Potter.
I've never read a book. I think I've seen a few of the movies, but I can't tell them apart. So now, with the final flick hitting theatres, it seems it's all anyone is talking about. Except me.
I need a shortcut. Will someone fill me in so I don't look like such a stupid muggle?
Kate and Will make their mark on Alberta hearts
Posted
7/8/2011 4:29:00 PM
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made a quiet entrance to the Calgary Stampede grounds Thursday evening on a horse-driven carriage.
The Duchess gave a royal wave, delightful in this rural setting smack dab in the middle of cosmopolitan Calgary in oil-rich Alberta.
The couple dressed in cowboy casual, wearing hats given earlier by city Mayor Naheed Nenshi, were introduced first to Stampede officials.
They next learned the finer points of tossing a barrel into a chuck-wagon from veteran Albertan chuck-wagonner, Kelly Sutherland.
The Duke of Cambridge, or Will, as he's familiarly called, looking nicely at home in c'boy hat and duds, had no trouble tossing the barrel into the wagon on first try.
He and Kate were next given a close-up show of bull busting. Their expressions as the rider fought to cling to the bull for eight seconds are priceless.
The Royals looked like a young couple just ...
Flying a Chipmunk
Posted
6/29/2011 6:55:00 PM
by iNews880's Thomas Dias
You've got to start somewhere.
Flying, there's no place better then the "Chipmunk." A true pilot's airplane I'm told.
I arrived at the Wetaskiwin Airport to find its former manager, Brett Binnie, ready to hand me an experience steeped in World War II history.
We set off down the tarmac approaching a hanger where two vintage yellow RCAF planes belonging to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum sat soaking up the sun. One was a Harvard trainer named Magoo. The other, a 1950's de Havilland Chipmunk trainer that I would soon climb into the back seat of. As I did, I noticed a small axe. "I'll explain what's for in a minute," remarked Bret. As soon as I was strapped in, my seat a modest cushion resting on top of a plank of wood, Bret set out explaining the various gauges and emergency procedures. The axe, I would ...
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