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Alberta Pictures of some Alberta places and sights A politically incorrect examination of the province of Alberta by one of her native sons. My name is Ray Wegner and I was born and raised in Alberta, and have lived all of my life here, except for about one year in Ontario, and 3 ˝ years in British Columbia. Over half of those years were lived in rural Alberta on a couple of farms (most of that time in North-Central Alberta), and the rest lived in the cities of Edmonton and Calgary. Have lived in Southern Alberta here in Calgary since 1989 - and live in Calgary in February 2010.
There are a great deal of misconceptions and myths regarding Alberta. Canada is such a vast land, and there is so much regionalism, and different visions of our traditions and people. Many have just plain false perceptions of other regions. To break down these barriers, and to have a more realistic vision of our traditions, the land and the people here - Canadians need to travel across their country more, and get to know each other better. Calgary and Edmonton are the two major cities in Alberta. They are about 180 miles apart (a good three hours drive), and when you count the surrounding bedroom communities of each - they are very similar in population - over the 1 million mark for each in 2010. The entire population of Alberta is over 3 million in 2010, so these two cities (including the nearby surrounding communities like St. Albert close to Edmonton, and Okatoks and Airdrie near Calgary) make up around 2/3 of the population of the province. Calgary is more of an American city (there is an estimated 80,000 or more Americans residing here), and also has a lot of migrants from Saskatchewan. It has more head offices than Edmonton, and a bigger downtown with a lot more taller buildings. It is very spread out - with extensive suburbs. The city seems designed around the automobile. To get to work most folks must commute, since most people do not live close to work, due to to design of the city, and of the industrial areas.
Twin Petro Canada Towers in downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary - looking West with the Rocky Mountains in the background.
Edmonton is a real Canadian city. The downtown has some good size buildings, but it is nothing much compared to those of Calgary. It is the Capital of Alberta though, and has a lot of government buildings and offices. Edmonton has a strong Ukrainian heritage - and in my judgment is therefore a friendly and open place to live.
Looking at Downtown Edmonton from the south side of the North Saskatchewan River. The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald is in the center of the picture.
Jasper Ave. in downtown Edmonton driving West.
Calgary's Light Rail Transit System (LRT) is much longer, and more used than Edmonton's. However, it was not put underground in the downtown, and this causes a lot of congestion and delays. Calgary is way ahead of Edmonton in developing its train transit system. Edmonton's LRT is quite short, and it goes underground in the downtown. It is very clean, and very well taken care of though. Calgary is plagued by transportation woes and traffic congestion. This is because of the ridiculous design of the place - where the workplaces for most people are far, far away from where they live. And also because of this mad love affair with the automobile. Calgary seems to be a very segregated city. There are a lot more immigrants in the North East - especially Sikhs. You can see it when you ride the train. The crowd on the train going to the N.E. is full of visible minorities - a very, very mixed crowd. On the other hand the crowd going to the South, or the North West is much more white. As well there is a large concentration of Chinese along Centre Street - all the way from the downtown up to Beddington. Riding the bus down Centre Street on Sunday mornings often makes one feel like they are living in Shanghai or in some other Chinese city. There is also quite a bit of economic segregation, with more richer people living in the NW and SW, and more poor folks living in some parts of the SE and in the NE. In fact the life expectancy of those who live in the SW is higher then those who live in the NE. A very segregated, divided city. Cleanliness I and my kids happened to go to Edmonton for our holidays in the fall of 2003, and of course we have been there since. The first thing that really caught my eye was how clean Edmonton was compared to Calgary. It just stood out very clearly. So congratulations to the fine people of Edmonton for having such a clean place, and shame on too many Calgarians for tolerating so much filth.
Industry Edmonton has way, way more refineries. Just take a drive out to the eastern edge of Edmonton at night and you can see the glow and sparkle of oil refinery after oil refinery. They call it refinery row. As an Albertan I am really proud of refinery row. And the smell don't bother me a bit. We need them kind of value added jobs. In Calgary's Foothills Industrial they seem to manufacture just about everything under the sun. A hustling, bustling place.
Sports Teams and Rivalry Between South and North Edmonton is indeed the city of champions, and they have a winning attitude. Calgary has won at sports too, but not nearly as often as Edmonton. You can see the different approach towards adversity and defeat. In Edmonton when the home team gets beat they usually always just suck it up, give the visiting and winning team some credit, and say that they were just not good enough that day. There is little whining or making excuses. They take defeat like a man.
In Calgary when the home team gets beat - they and too many of the fans too often start whining and making excuses. And they rarely give their opponents any credit. They will often say that the best team did not win, and that they have more talent that the other guys. Calgarian teams seem adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The killer instinct seems missing. There is a strong rivalry between the two cities pro football and hockey teams, sometimes bordering on hatred. Honest rivalry is good, but hatred is not good. Senseless, wasteful inter-provincial competition is ridiculous. We are all Albertans. My suggestion is for Albertans - particularly those in the Southern parts like Calgary - to travel within the Province more and travel north more. Instead of going to Las Vegas, or overseas take a trip within Alberta. Go to the North. Take a drive out to Edmonton some weekend. And if you can - take your holidays within the Province - Alberta is a huge place with many interesting places, events, and people. Get to know your own home. I remember years back when I lived in Edmonton I happened to come to Calgary for a weekend trip just to look around. Well I was not familiar with the place and must have parked in a no parking zone in the Downtown. Came back and my car was gone. Went to the Police Station and they said it was towed to the City Pound, because apparently it was parked where it should not have been. I was a bit upset, and asked - " is this the way to treat a tourist ? " The cop just scoffed and laughed at me - thinking it very funny I should regard myself as a tourist - being just from Edmonton. But darn anyways I really was a tourist. My money was just as good as any Japanese or USA tourist. So there is really a lack of appreciation for our own people and for internal tourism. Another time - this was after our family had moved to and was living here in Calgary - we went out to Banff and we were going up the Gondola to the top of Sulphur Mountain. The attendant was asking where the riders were from - there were all kinds of tourists from all kinds of different countries. He asked us where we were from and I proudly piped up - from Calgary. The guy looked kind of shocked - and did not know what to say. There is this lack of appreciation for our own people here. Banff and Banff businesses cater to foreigners, and Japanese tourism, but ignore or don't appreciate the domestic market. Then when times are tough and the foreign tourists stay away - these businesses suffer and cry the blues. Well why not appreciate more and welcome more your own people ? Don't like our money or what ?? And while I am on the subject of Banff National Park - why is it that I as a born and raised Albertan should have to pay to get into Banff National Park ? I feel this is just plain ridiculous - this is my home Province, so why on earth should I have to pay to just drive into and have a day trip to Banff. Don't we already pay enough here in Alberta ?
Parks Edmonton has the North Saskatchewan River Valley, but not very much else. The place is for the most part flat as a pancake, except for the river valley. There are not enough parks within city limits in Edmonton. Sure there is Elk Island Park to the east, but it is not that close to the city. Calgary is miles ahead regarding access to parks and natural areas for its citizens. Calgary has within city limits Fish Creek Provincial Park, Nose Hill Park, Glenmore Park and the Weaselhead, Bowmont Park, Bowness Park and a lot, lot more. As well Calgary is quite close to Kananaskis Country, and the Rocky Mountains. Banff National Park is only 90 miles to the west - a one and a half (1 ˝) hour drive. However, there is a shortage of park space in the eastern part of town at this time in 2010, and this problem needs to be addressed. The Calgary Stampede and Edmonton's Klondike Days (now called Edmonton's Capital EX) The Calgary Stampede is world famous. There is an awesome Stampede Parade each year in July, and it is always great. There are things to do for most everyone at the Stampede grounds, and lots of free things. And there are special days set aside where certain folks on certain days can have free admission to the grounds. There are Indians, Cowboys, Cowgirls, and horses galore.
As well Stampede activities are not restricted to the grounds. The whole city gets into the spirit, and there are pancake breakfasts all over the place. Many companies put on a regular Stampede Lunch for their employees. It is a great time, and there are truly world class events, and entertainment to be found all over the city at that time, and at the Stampede Grounds. However, there is a phoniness to much of it. It is all about fleecing the tourists. Calgary is good at fleecing tourists. Mind you many tourists have a lot of money and kind of expect to be fleeced - in exchange for a good time. You rarely see any folks wearing cowboy hats in Calgary during the year, except during the 10 days of Stampede. Then many of the people dutifully take their western wear out of the mothballs, and become phony cowboys, and cowgirls for 10 days in July. I used to wear this cowboy hat in the summer, when I worked at this landscaping job here in Calgary. Calgary is at a high altitude, and the sun can be very hot and burning for fair skinned folks. So I used to wear my old straw cowboy hat during the hot summer months, while working. Got a lot of strange reactions from some folks at the start, but they got used to it. One old tenant used to liken me to a Hutterite. Seems like many Calgarians prefer one wear a cowboy hat merely for show, or for some phony reason - rather than for something necessary, like protecting your face and neck from the scorching sun. I detected an underlying prejudice just because of that hat. One day at work I actually saw a real cowboy here in Calgary - there really are some around. Anyways he was wearing jeans, and a cowboy hat, a western shirt and driving a pickup truck, and you just tell he was from the country and a ranch. Will wonders never cease ? He probably had some dirt, or even a bit of manure on the soles of his cowboy boots, but I never checked. Klondike Days - now called Edmonton's Capital EX since 2005 (This is the rebranded version of the former Edmonton Klondike Days) This is just an attempt by Edmonton to come up with some kind of a summer festival where they could fleece the tourists, like they do in Calgary. It is basically just a gimmick they dreamed up, and which was motivated by envy of Calgary and the Stampede. However, Edmonton just isn't as good at fleecing rich tourists as Calgary is, and the Klondike theme is and was so phony. Yeah sure - Edmonton is the gateway to the north, and yeah sure a long time ago some of the folks headed for the Gold Rush in the Yukon actually did pass through Edmonton, but the Klondike theme really belongs to the Yukon. The Weather The weather can be wild and wooly, and very changeable. This is especially so in places like in Southern Alberta and Calgary, because of all the Chinooks in winter. As a result of the Chinooks - winters in the south can sometimes be rather mild, but windy. However, it can also get very, very cold in the south at times. Chinook clouds to the west towards the Foothills of Southern Alberta.
Chinooks are very, very rare from Edmonton north, and the winters are longer, colder and with more snow. However, Edmonton and surrounding areas is much better for growing things than around Calgary and surrounding area. Yet Edmonton is 180 miles north of Calgary, and you would think that since it is further north, it would have not be quite as good for growing crops. Yet it is. Why ? It is the altitude. Calgary is around 3,500 feet to maybe around 3,740 feet above sea level - depending where you live in Calgary, since there are a lot of hills here. Edmonton is around 2,192 feet above sea level. So Calgary is about 1,500 feet higher in altitude. That is why the nights in Calgary during summer are cooler than in Edmonton. Summer nights in Edmonton can quite often feel hot and muggy, while this is rarely the situation in Calgary. The average frost free days growing season for Edmonton is about 140 days, while for Calgary it is around 115 days. So you can grow more things better in the Edmonton area. Gardening in Calgary is a real challenge, but you can still grow things successfully, if you know how to handle the climate. When I first moved here perhaps the first thing I noticed was how hot and burning the summer sun was. It just burnt the skin really quickly. This is due to the thinner atmosphere, because of the high altitude. So it would be wise to put on the old cowboy hat when going out for extended periods of time in the blazing summer sun - if you are light skinned. The cowboy hat will protect your face and neck from being burnt.
Lethbridge Lethbridge is a hustling bustling place, with a very vibrant value added industrial base. There are quite a few value added jobs in regards to agricultural products. There is a lot of irrigation of crops in and around the Lethbridge area, and there is a lot of processing of these agricultural products in Lethbridge. Feedlot ally is not too far from the city, where thousands upon thousands of cattle are finished. It also has some of the best post secondary educational facilities within the province.
We were out for a trip to Lethbridge recently, and my daughter (being from Calgary naturally) wondered how come the taxi drivers were not immigrants. In rural Alberta, and in the smaller cities there is a much smaller percentage of the population who are immigrants and visible immigrants. I was really, really impressed with the city. It is a city on the move. Lethbridge Railway Bridge
The Countryside During the early years of Alberta's history most Albertans lived in the country. However, industrialization and mechanization has resulted in fewer and fewer Albertans living on farms. One farmer can now work vast tracts of land, because of the huge modern machinery. Therefore much of the countryside these days lies fairly empty and void of people. Taking a long drive through rural Alberta reveals a vast landscape, where few humans actually live. Farmsteads are scattered and often far, far from each other. Highway South of Stettler
Driving North to Three Hills - a vast Alberta landscape.
Hilly countryside near Buffalo Lake, Alberta (about 30 miles NE of Red Deer)
There is probably more wildlife today in rural Alberta then there was 50 years ago. If you want isolation and open spaces just go down to Cypress Hills and then south on highway # 41 all the way to Wild Horse crossing at the Montana border. If you just wanted to get away from it all, and enjoy the big blue sky and the free and open spaces - just go into the ranching business in them parts.
Looking South from the top of Cypress Hills. The distant hills - the Sweetgrass Hills - are in Montana, USA.
When people from other parts of Canada think of Alberta they often think of prairies. Yet only about 25 % of Alberta is relatively treeless prairie. Yes Alberta has a lot of grasslands, but it also has a lot of forests and lakes, especially in the North. The Boreal forest region comprises 48 % of Alberta. In the boreal forests - wetlands can cover up to 30 percent of the land base – which includes bogs, muskeg, marshes, and a large number of lakes, streams and great rivers like the Athabasca, Smoky, Peace, Chinchaga and Hay.
Athabasca River
Muskeg - black spruce forest.
Forest and Lake about 20 miles North of High Level, Alberta
Dense forest - North West Alberta
The extreme northeastern corner, which covers less than 3 percent of Alberta’s total area, is part of the Canadian Shield. There are also the mountains and foothills of the south western part of the country, which are quite extensive.
Foothills in Kananaskis Country in Southern Alberta
Foothills meadow with wild flowers.
Foothills Meadow
Looking West to the Foothills and then the Rocky Mountains. South of Pincher Creek, Alberta.
Mountains North East of Jasper, Alberta
Mountain lake in Banff National Park
In Banff National Park
Alberta is 255,285 square miles and covers an area roughly equal in size to the USA state of Texas (268,601 square miles). From north to south it is around 700 miles and in width from 184 miles at the United States border to 406 miles at its widest point.
Too Much Hypocrisy Yes it was too wonderful to last. The land is great. It is a beautiful land. With its big blue sky and wide open spaces. The land that seems to stretch out forever. The rolling hills and all the trees, plants, farms and natural beauty. Yet you can be living in the most beautiful and richest land on earth - in a Garden of Eden, but it doesn't do you any good if the land has too much corruption, hypocrisy and injustice. This is the situation in Alberta. So many Albertans are constantly griping about the dictatorial rule of the Federal Government, yet Alberta is a one party state, which hasn't changed their government since 1971 !
So many Albertans are constantly grumbling about the high level of taxation by Ottawa, and excessive government spending by the Federal Government, yet their own provincial government under the former Premier Ralph Klein and now Ed Stelmach spends more per capita in 2010 than any other government in Canada, including what the Federal Liberals used to spend, and additionally the Alberta bureaucracy is bloated.
It just goes on and on. Patronage in Ottawa is condemned, yet when it happens in Alberta there is silence.
Ontarians keep voting federally for the corrupt Liberals just like dumb sheep is the lament by so many in Alberta. When will they smarten up and change by voting Conservative ? Yet so many Alberta sheep......er voters keep voting for the same old corrupt Tory regime here in Alberta previously headed by King Ralph and now by Ed Stelmach. The same Tory government since 1971. You really can't expect the rest of Canada to take us seriously, if we condemn certain excesses within the federal realm, yet condone the same practices within our own province and within the provincial government. So many Albertans complain about excessive federal red tape and loss of freedom, like with the gun registry for example. Yet the Alberta of today in 2010 (and especially Calgary) is the home to big government and big business, which govern and regulate us to death.
Conservative Government of Alberta Treats Ordinary Albertans Poorly Welcome to Ralph's World King Ralph The Ralph Klein Legacy Can We Please Have Some Service ? 1. Severely normal Alberta tax payers continue to contribute more than their fair share to confederation through equalization payments. Alberta does not receive equalization payments. The Alberta government has done almost nothing to address these inequalities and injustices. Last year in 2009 - Alberta contributed 21 billion ( $21,000,000,000) more dollars to Confederation than we received. 2. Albertans lived under the Ralph Klein dictatorship for the past 14 years, and there is little reason to believe this dictatorship won't continue under the new Progressive Conservative Party leader Ed Stelmach. 3. Wages have gone up, but so have costs. For ordinary Albertans there is no Alberta advantage. The Alberta advantage only applies to a relatively small percentage of wealthy Albertans. 4. Government waste and mismanagement in Alberta continues. The Alberta provincial government spends more per capita then any other provincial government, and even more than the federal government. To illustrate - the Calgary Health Region (the CHR has since been disbanded and replaced by one super board centralized in Edmonton - so this information is now outdated here in 2010, but I will leave it up here to show you how the CHR was run a few years back, before it was phased out) is the largest employer in Southern Alberta with roughly 24,000 employees and 2,150 physicians (in 2007). This is a frightening bureaucratic monstrosity, which keeps demanding more and more money. And the Tory Government just keeps feeding the insatiable monster. Jack Davis is the head of the Calgary Health Region (the CEO) and a former confidante of Premier Klein and a former Executive Counsel deputy minister in the Alberta Tory government. He receives an annual salary of $1-million ($1,000,000), and additional benefits and perks. Davis's 2006 salary was $593,000 - a 10.6 per cent increase in his total compensation. But Auditor General Fred Dunn said a true reflection of Davis's 2006 salary must include $413,000 in deferred payment that's allocated to a supplemental executive retirement plan. Money that is paid out upon retirement on top of Davis's pension plan, Dunn said. 5. Our freedoms continue to be eroded here in Alberta, and Alberta remains a one party state and an elected dictatorship. Civil servants are muzzled and there exists a climate of fear and intimidation. Most Albertans (particular immigrants) are afraid to publicly speak up and criticize the Alberta provincial government. 6. We have an overheated economy which doesn't serve the interests of normal Albertans, but which instead serves the interests of and caters to international capitalism. Foreign workers are being brought in, and unprocessed crude oil is being exported. Huge, powerful oil companies (many of them multinationals) are not paying their fair share of royalties, and in fact many of them have been given royalty holidays by the provincial Tories. Alberta Energy data show the government received only a 19 per cent share of oil and gas revenues in 2004 (the most recent numbers available), when its own target range is 20 to 25 per cent. The province's share has fallen from 23 per cent in 2001. 7. We here in Alberta lived under the Ralph Klein personality cult for 14 years, and this personality cult issue can only be described as a collective mental disorder. Any leader of a personality cult has in my opinion serious psychological and mental health problems. I have never gone along with or supported the sick - Ralph personality cult, and never once voted for Klein. 8. The Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta is no longer fiscally conservative, and have never been social conservatives. Much of the public has been duped into believing these people are real conservatives, when in reality they are more Liberal. Alberta has been governed by a conservative party in name only. If it walks like a duck (Liberal), quacks like a duck (Liberal), and looks like a duck (Liberal) - it is a duck (Liberal). 9. The Progressive Conservatives eliminated the Alberta debt and deficit that they themselves created, because when the Alberta PCs came into office back in 1971 - there was no provincial debt or deficit. 10. The City of Calgary is treated like just a milk cow - a cash cow by the government. The amount of money taken out of Calgary by governments through taxation is way out of proportion as to the amount of money Calgary receives from government for infrastructure and services, but the voters keep electing Conservatives. Why ? 11. Mismanagement of the nonrenewable resource revenue continues and nothing is being set aside for future generations. The heritage trust fund was pillaged the PC government, and the fund remains basically stagnant at $12 billion dollars. 12. The bullying and abuse of ordinary Albertans by the Alberta government and the government bureaucracy continues. " SERVICE " seems to be a foreign word, or alien concept, for the Alberta government and the Alberta government bureaucracy. I wonder if they even know how to spell the word - well maybe I can help them out: S-E-R-V-I-C-E there you go - even a grade one student can get this right, but then again those running the government in Alberta are not in grade one. S E R V I C E P L E A S E
Commentary Welcome To Ralph's World by Ray Wegner After the polls closed in Alberta during the 2001 Provincial election it was clear very early on that Ralph Klein had won a smashing majority. Mr. Klein prepared to address the people. It was very evident he had started celebrating before his victory speech, since his words were slurred. What were the first words out of his mouth ? Was it to thank his party workers ? Was it to say that the people have spoken ? Was it to thank all those who voted for him and the Ralph Party ? Were his first words to thank all those who took the time and effort to run in the election, and to exult in democracy. No ! The first words out of his mouth were " Welcome To Ralph's World ! " Doesn't that say it all ? The little tin pot Alberta dictator, who doesn't even have the common courtesy to stay away from the bottle before giving his victory speech. The media spin doctors went to work immediately and neatly justified his inebriated speech, by claiming he had a right to celebrate, after such a huge win. Anyways this is Ralph - one of the boys, and a man of the people went the twist. King Ralph can do no wrong. It is important we study a little history. Peter Lougheed and the Tories won the Provincial Election in 1971, over a Social Credit government that had ruled Alberta for 36 years straight (from 1935 -1971). When Lougheed took over oil prices were quite low, as they had been for years and years. Then the Yom Kippur War started on Oct.6,1973, between Israel and her Arab foes. Israel crushed their enemies. The Arabs countered by an oil embargo against Western countries, which supported Israel. With reduced supply and a strong demand the price of oil literally skyrocketed. The Tories in Alberta suddenly, and totally unexpectedly found themselves sitting on black gold. Energy revenue from royalties poured into Provincial coffers at an astonishing pace. Very quickly Lougheed found himself sitting on an enormous fiscal surplus. The government had money to burn. Spending went way up. The Heritage Trust Fund was created, because there was such an embarrassment of riches. It was to be a rainy day fund. The Trudeau Liberals eventually stepped in and imposed the hated National Energy Program (NEP), which basically was a blatant raid on the resources of Albertans. The NEP was put in place in 1980, and was phased out in 1984 by the Federal PC Party. Peter Lougheed was a very popular Premier (from 1971-1985), but he retired, and Don Getty won the Provincial Tory leadership, and became Premier on Nov.1,1985. Tory spending in Alberta was already a problem under Lougheed, but he was shielded by high energy prices. Getty however, stepped up the pace of spending, but energy prices were soft and never recovered to the dizzy heights they were up to in the mid 70's. Consequently huge deficits were racked up. The province was driven massively into debt. The Provincial Liberals had chosen as leader the popular and fiscally conservative former Mayor of Edmonton, Lawrence Decore. The Tories found themselves on the ropes, facing a very formidable foe in Decore. The Liberals under Decore were gaining more and more support, and were certainly a very viable and capable government in waiting. The PCs were fading in the polls. Don Getty was becoming more and more unpopular and in fact failed to win his seat in White Mud in the 1989 election, and was forced to go outside Edmonton to get a seat. The writing was on the wall for the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta. The Provincial Liberals (who under Decore were really a small C conservative party) were licking their chops just waiting for the opportunity to deliver the knock out punch. The PCs were in a fix. Getty was clearly a liability. They had to do something to save their hide. The provincial debt was out of control. The province continued to rack up huge deficits. The natives were restless. The pressure was on Getty to step down, which he did. In the subsequent leadership convention Ralph Klein won, and became Premier on Dec.14, 1992. There was a provincial election in 1993. There was very little difference between the Klein Tories and the Decore Liberals. In fact they both had pretty well the same plan, which was to get deficit spending under control. Ray Martin the leader of the New Democratic Party of Alberta called them the " slash and burn twins. " He would mockingly call them " Ralph Decore and Lawrence Klein - the slash and burn twins. " And he was basically correct, but it will be a cold day in hell, before Albertans will ever elect the socialists. Martin's strong campaign performance, and correct assessment of the situation didn't help him at the polls. Well Klein squeaked out a narrow 51 - 32 win over the Liberals. Ralph had saved the Tory bacon. He had managed through skillful public relations to put a new Ralph face on a tired out and corrupt Progressive Conservative Party. It was an amazing coup. The Tories retained power, by riding the coattails of Ralph Klein. He was now their meal ticket. Klein keeps his word (Gasp! A politician that kept a promise !!) and slays the deficit dragon. Now he becomes more popular than ever. What then happened in my judgment was that the Ralph Party was born, as was King Ralph. Officially the party governing Alberta is the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, but in reality it's the Ralph Party. Ralph is their meal ticket. They owe a huge debt to him. So basically it can be compared to a dictatorship. King Ralph is calling all of the important shots. These people practically worship the ground Ralph walks on. Klein also effectively removed any kind of threats to his leadership in the party by skillfully knifing Ken Kowalski in the back, and neutralizing him. In fact during the 1997 election campaign here in Alberta the words Progressive Conservative Party were hardly even mentioned in the campaign by the governing party. Campaign lawn signs displayed the big and bold words " Ralph's Team." And way down in the corner, looking like Magpie droppings, were the tiny letters " PCs ! " You had to strain you eyes to make them out. As a commuter I had to endure giant billboards with King Ralph's mug on them, which said " He listens. He cares. " Not a single word about the PC Party. The Ralph Party is (or at least used to be) fiscally conservative. It is not socially conservative, although there were and still are some genuine social conservatives among their ranks. The PC Party of Alberta was effectively taken over by Ralph, because of the fact he is their meal ticket, and the one on whose coattails many of the MLAs have ridden to power. It is a very, very, unhealthy and undemocratic situation. Basically what we have today in April of 2002 in Alberta is a dictatorship. King Ralph rules, practically unopposed and unchallenged. The opposition is weak and ineffective. Spending has been creeping up, and up. The teachers are up in arms. Voters feel betrayed after Ralph promised " the only way taxes are going is down, " and then raises Health Care premiums, and taxes on liquor and smokes. The shine on King Ralph's armor is losing its luster, and beginning to rust. But there is no real alternative for Albertans, at this time. However, given Alberta's history, we are definitely due for a change - and in Alberta it can come very fast. We are ripe for change. In the meanwhile, in the words of the King of Alberta, " Welcome to Ralph's World. "
This article was written just before the 2004 provincial election here in Alberta. Ralph Klein Is Not A Real Conservative Ralph Klein used to be long ago a card-carrying member of the Liberal Party. He then conveniently became a Conservative, and he now leads his own Ralph Party (which officially goes by the name of Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta), but it belongs to King Ralph. Klein used to be fiscally conservative during the budget cut backs in the early to mid 1990's, when Jim Dinning was the Provincial Treasurer from 1992-1997. However, King Ralph is now showing his real liberal fiscal colours. The Klein Tories now spend more per capita than any other provincial government in Canada, and they also spend more than the Federal Liberals ! And then we keep being fed the boloney that Klein is the great fiscal conservative, when in reality he is a spendthrift. Klein never was a real social conservative. Socially he is much closer to the Liberals, and even the NDP ! King Ralph has continued to fund abortion-on-demand in Alberta, and medical personnel are paid through the Alberta Health Care Plan to abort unborn babies. He has always supported abortion-on-demand as Premier. He says it is a matter between a woman, her Doctor and God. Klein has threatened to not go along with the federal plan to legalize same sex marriages. However, Klein has a tendency to easily cave in to pressure from the Federal government in these matters. For instance he caved in to the Feds regarding the gun registration program, and never did put up any real resistance to this senseless government intrusion into the freedoms of Albertans. Klein has never (to the writers knowledge) exercised the right of the provincial governments to enact the notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Constitution in regards to various social engineering policies of the federal government, and other liberal social policies by the Feds. He could have easily done so, if he were a real social conservative - but he isn't socially conservative. He could have easily challenged some of these intrusive social policies, and even gone to court if need be, but he isn't a real conservative.
Klein Perpetuates the Myth He is One of the Boys - A Common Man This is just spin doctoring and image control. King Ralph's buddies in the media here in Alberta have helped immeasurably in spinning the phony image as Ralph - one of the boys. You know how he used to drink beer with the boys in the St. Louis Hotel (drinking too excess has never harmed Klein politically - in fact it was an advantage, because it helped perpetuate the phony image of him being one of the boys and a man of the people - he confessed to having a drinking problem, but said the word " alcoholic " was a subjective term). Klein has since professed to have cut back on booze, but I am an old cynic, and not easily fooled. Ralph's love of the bottle has been well known – but it was rarely mentioned or has been simply downplayed by most of Alberta's press, probably because much of the media is afraid of being shut out by Klein’s handlers. That was the case at the start in 1993, but there seems to be a bit of a shift, and some people in the press are not prepared to be so generous and forgiving of Klein. I feel some of them are simply tired of being used and manipulated by Klein.
For all his phony populism Ralph is no buddy of the weak and downtrodden. Under his business-friendly regime incomes for all Albertans, aside from the richest 10 per cent, have basically stagnated. There is no Alberta advantage for ordinary working persons like me. He is not a member of what he calls " the severely normal Albertans. " It is all media manipulation, and projecting this phony image. The dutiful, lap dog media help him spin this web of deception. One of his biggest supporters in the established media here in Alberta has been QR77's Dave Rutherford. If you call into the Rutherford show sometime why not ask Dave if King Ralph snores. He is sure to know.
Klein is Not A Real Leader - But Just An Opportunist and Manipulator What does Ralph Klein have to say regarding leadership, and what does it mean in his eyes to be a leader ? Basically his interpretation of leadership can be summed up in a few words, but this may not be an exact quote; " You just see where the people are going and walk in front of them. " " When I know what the people want, I get in front of the parade. "
This is not a true leader, since he doesn't lead, but merely puts out his little antennae, sniffs the political wind and senses the direction the people are going, and then he walks in front of them and turns around and says to the masses ' follow me'. Therefore he doesn't really stand for much of anything (besides the worship of the almighty dollar, and an ideological devotion to capitalism and privatization), because he is just a manipulator, and opportunist. Today he is a strong slash and burn fiscal conservative - slaying the deficit dragon, and tomorrow he is handing out gas rebate cheques, and spending like a drunken sailor. To illustrate this character trait of Klein let us take the example of his opposition to same sex marriage. He said during the leaders debate that he and his party were opposed to same sex marriage. However, later on in the campaign Klein seemed to indicate that his stand against same sex marriage isn't rooted in any kind of strong religious belief or strong moral stand, but is a position he has taken that is simply popular with the public at the time. In Red Deer the premier (who has promised to fight gay marriage in Alberta) confused the issue by suggesting a decision may now be up to voters. Klein, meeting with constituents in central Alberta, repeated that his caucus ruled against gay marriages but added it doesn't necessarily have the last word - "If Albertans tell me - I've not asked them to tell me - but if they do, spontaneously, tell me they want to do something differently, I'll listen," he said. In the leaders debate, Klein said his PC government would use the legal means needed to insure marriage in Alberta "remains between a man and a woman." Yet less than 24 hours later, he tells reporters he wants to hear what Albertans think, but mused that he doubted they want the definition of marriage extended beyond the traditional definition. So in effect Klein said he is prepared to stop his opposition to same sex marriage, if the parade of Albertans say they are no longer opposed to it. So Klein will just go with the flow. He will sniff the political wind, and if the parade is marching in favour of same sex marriage then he is prepared to listen - and no doubt change. So his position here is simply one of convenience, and not conviction. This is not a leader, but just a manipulator, and opportunist. What exactly does this man believe in ? What is King Ralph's religion ? Why doesn't he come clean with the public and show us what he stands for ? Is it because he basically doesn't stand for any principles - other than the worship of the almighty dollar, and his ideological devotion to capitalism and the private sector ?
The Ralph Klein Personality Cult In Alberta we have this Ralph Personality Cult. It is very disturbing. Anyone involved in personality cults - especially the leader of the cult - have in this writers opinion serious psychological problems, or the followers have simply been duped by the leader. After Klein slew the deficit dragon the provincial Tories practically worshipped the ground Klein walked on. King Ralph could do no wrong. He was labeled as a fiscal hero. He was their meal ticket. Most of the Tory MP's simply rode on Ralph's coattails to electoral victory. In fact during the 1997 provincial election campaign here in Alberta the words Progressive Conservative Party were hardly even mentioned in the campaign by the governing party. Campaign lawn signs displayed the big and bold words " Ralph's Team." And way down in the corner, looking like Magpie droppings, were the tiny letters " PCs ! " You had to strain you eyes to make them out. As a commuter I had to endure giant billboards with King Ralph's mug on them, which said " He listens - He cares. " Not a single word about the PC Party. It was all about Ralph Klein and his team. He listens. He cares. We have a dictatorship, with King Ralph as the central figure of the government. Not ideas, or a vision as the central focus (other than perhaps the worship of the almighty dollar), but rather just King Ralph and his personality cult. The man of the people. One of the boys. Ralph and his drinking problem. Ralph and his personality. It is nothing much but Ralph, Ralph and more Ralph - on and on it goes. The strange musings of King Ralph regarding Pinochet and Allende in the Legislature, and the cruel attach on AISH recipients in the election campaign. Maybe King Ralph just craves attention. Ralph controls the patronage strings, and even manipulates much of the media (although this is starting to change - particularly with the Calgary Sun, which has taken the honourable and courageous stand of criticizing Klein and his excesses). Klein's manipulation of the media is well known. The Klein Cult approach over the years has involved a carrot and stick approach with the lap dog media. If you are in the media in-crowd (one of the favoured ones by the King and his court) you get stories that better your career, if not, you’re like a doormat on a muddy Alberta spring day in cattle country. Sun Myung Moon and the Moonies would understand. The late Kim Il Sung - the " Great " Leader of North Korea would be pleased for sure.
The 2004 Provincial Election - Purely For King Ralph's Pleasure What are the burning issues in this campaign ? Why has King Ralph called an election when his current mandate runs to March 12,2006 ? The last provincial election was on March 12,2001. So in effect King Ralph has a five year mandate until March 12,2006. However, traditionally we have elections about every four years. So why are we having an election when Klein is only 3 years and 8 months into his mandate ? There are no burning issues. Klein was supposed to fix up the Health Care mess, but nothing has been done. There is really nothing new they are bringing forward regarding health care. So why the election call so early ? The answer is simple. It is for the pleasure of King Ralph. Next year in 2005 is Alberta's Centennial, since Alberta became a Province of Canada in 1905, and specifically on September 1, 1905. King Ralph has compared Alberta to a home that was undergoing renovations - that was in the early days of his Premiership - when all the cost cuts were being made. Klein said that once the renovations were done, he would like to relax a bit and put his feet up. Well 2005 is coming soon and The King wants to relax and put his feet up. It is time to celebrate for him. Also the Royal Visit to Alberta will take place sometime between May 17 and May 25, 2005. And Klein doesn't want any elections to get in his way when he is dining and hosting the Queen.
Myths and Spin Doctoring Regarding the Alberta Debt Klein and the provincial Tories (but especially Klein) have been portrayed as the great slayers of the deficit dragon. Ralph the great fiscal conservative, who should get a medal for all he has done for Alberta. Let me clue you in to the truth. We don't get enough of the truth in Alberta, since too many of the mainstream media here in Alberta have their noses up the ........er are very intimately attached to King Ralph. According to the Social Credit Party of Alberta official web site : " Social Credit lost the election to Conservatives (in 1971) who claimed that Social Credit had lied about how much money was in the bank and that in fact there was an enormous debt. One year later after a thorough and independent audit was completed, it was discovered in fact that Social Credit had not lied, but the deed was done. " There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the Social Credit Party's position regarding the history of the debt. Social Credit ran a tight fiscal ship throughout the years, and it was not one of their policies to run deficits. The real creator of the Alberta deficit and debt was the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta - and this specifically began with Peter Lougheed, but especially continued by Don Getty, who was Premier from 1985 - 1992. Ralph Klein was part and parcel of this wasteful and corrupt Tory regime, that massively ran the Province into a cumulated $ 23 billion dollar debt. Klein was first elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly on March 20,1989 (during the Getty years). He was the Minister of the Environment in 1989. Ralph Klein was elected Leader of the Alberta Conservative Party on December 14,1992. So for three years and roughly nine months (3 years and 9 months) Klein worked under Getty, and the spending was completely out of control. So in effect the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta was responsible for Alberta going massively into debt, and Ralph Klein was part and parcel of the wasteful, vote buying government for 3 years and 9 months under Don Getty. Ralph Klein was part of the problem. Klein did manage to eliminate the deficit a few years after he was elected as Premier, and this is to his credit - although some might argue over the way it was done. Klein was lucky fossil fuel prices took a sharp rise, thus bringing in more royalty income for the government. As well there was a turnabout in the economy in the mid-90's. It is fraudulent and dishonest for Klein and the Tories and for their spin doctoring pals in the media to claim that Ralph and the Tories are great fiscal heroes, who slew the horrible deficit and provincial debt monster - that somehow sinisterly rose up and attacked them (no doubt a monster created by the evil genius Pierre Trudeau - goes the propaganda twist). They are the ones who created the deficit beast and the humungous $ 23 billion debt monster in the first place !! They are the ones whose corrupt, and luxurious spending policies drove the province into debt. It was their own mismanagement that created the problem in the first place. I never demanded all the new hospitals, and other expenditures and election goodies. Then these people have the gall to take credit for solving a problem that they created themselves. So why do many Albertans think these people are great heroes ? These are no heroes. They made the mess in the first place. Sure they fixed up the problem, after they made it. If the Alberta government finances had been managed properly by the Conservatives we would have by now a tremendous surplus, and be way better off than we are now. We as a result are not as strong as we could have been, due to Tory corruption and fiscal irresponsibility. Yes the hated National Energy Program had a part to play here, as well as the cyclical downturn in the economy in the early 80's and early 1990's, but it really boils down to poor management by the Tories. Ralph the Bully Bullies rarely attack those who are strong, or who can defend themselves. Bullies are basically cowards, who intimidate and prey on the weak and vulnerable. If you are strong enough and stand up to them, they invariably back down. Many people in Alberta are afraid to speak up against Ralph Klein, because they fear the political repercussions of doing so. That is how dictators operate. They operate through fear and intimidation. Civil servants here in Alberta are muzzled. When Klein was first elected as Premier in 1993 he had as his platform the slashing of spending to get costs under control. Right from the beginning he targeted one of the weakest and most vulnerable sector of society - those on social assistance. Those most unable to defend themselves. That is how bullies operate. However, poor bashing in Alberta is a popular sport among many, and King Ralph has not been shy about participating. King Ralph's nocturnal and drunken spontaneous stop at an Edmonton homeless shelter a ways back illustrates the point. He bursts in under the influence and throws some money at some of the homeless, and mutters about them getting a job. Afterwards (after this episode becomes public) King Ralph makes a teary eyed public confession about having a problem with the bottle. When he is found out kicking around the poor and the vulnerable, he quickly backs off - and we get an apology, or clarification. In my opinion this is just political damage control, and I really do not consider such apologies to be very sincere. Just a political maneuver in my judgment. Here in the 2004 election campaign King Ralph is still up to his old form and is intimidating and bulling perhaps the weakest part of our society here in Alberta - the severely handicapped. It is totally disgusting to me. It is sickening. Many AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped) recipients, caregivers and AISH program workers were deeply offended and hurt by Klein's insensitive comments. I am also offended and embarrassed by these foolish and insensitive comments. There are around 32,000 Albertans who receive up to $850 a month from AISH (only about half of AISH recipients receive the full amount, which is $ 850 per month). Klein told a campaign rally in Calgary that he suspects some people are abusing the program and he intends to cut off the undeserving. In the same speech he stressed the need to help the vulnerable. Klein said he was at a sod-turning where two women were "yipping about AISH payments." " They didn't look severely handicapped to me, I tell you that for sure," the premier said to a smattering of laughter from the partisan crowd. "They both had cigarettes dangling from their mouth and cowboy hats." If there are too many who abuse the program then it is Ralph Klein and his government who are to blame for not operating the program effectively and efficiently. These people need and deserve support. If the program is too generous in some ways then it should be altered to provide the basic coverage these handicapped people need. It is " Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped " so let us not pull the rug out from under some of the weakest and most vulnerable of our citizens. They need assurance that there will be support for them. They do not need to be bullied, because many have mental disorders, like schizophrenia and such comments from the Premier will only make things worse for their mental health. "What I'm appalled at is his suggestion that he can determine who has a disability on the basis of appearance," said Bruce Uditsky, executive director of the Alberta Association for Community Living. Klein attempted damage control to smooth over the mess by issuing a press release. He said the Alberta government is reviewing the AISH program to see if it is working as well as it could. "I know that virtually all AlSH clients are people who, through no fault of their own, require assistance so that they can live their lives with dignity and comfort," Klein said in the press release. "I also am very aware that for many, disabilities are not always outwardly visible. In my earlier comments, I in no way intended to suggest that there is rampant abuse of the AlSH program." Later that same day, while attending a $200-a-plate fundraiser up in Grande Prairie, Klein was not so conciliatory. King Ralph was irritated when pressed by reporters about his comments. He said he was frustrated by media attempts to bully a reaction from him, and said "I'm not going to get into the game of reacting to the CBC." He also chastised reporters for asking him about his AISH comments instead of doing a story on a sod-turning for a water line. King Ralph has also taken aim at the Calgary Sun, and some other media outlets - saying that there was a " problem with them." Of course the only problem being that they were being critical of Klein and his government's policies, and exercising their freedom of the press and free speech. And don't we already know that dictatorial bullies do not like a free press, and will try to intimidate the media into compliance and silence. This appears exactly what King Ralph is trying to do with some of the press. Sickening ! Will this mean loss of advertising revenue for those media outlets that are not the cheer leaders of Ralph and the Ralph Party during the election campaign ? I hope not. If it happens then this should be brought to light. Many people are shocked that the premier of Canada's wealthiest province took aim at the weakest in society as he campaigned for an election he's not likely to lose. I am not shocked, because I know already the kind of dictator and bully King Ralph really is. I am more sickened than anything. Sickened and ashamed and embarrassed. Can't we do better than this here in Alberta ? Advocates for the handicapped demanded an apology. However, an apology in my view would be a political maneuver, and completely insincere. Enough with these phony spin doctoring apologies. Someone in a high public position like Premier should have enough brains and enough human decency to not say such insulting and ignorant things in the first place. Klein's Recent Musings in the Legislature - Are There Mental Problems ? The recent musings in the Provincial Legislature by Ralph Klein regarding privatization versus state run enterprises was very instructive. This was brought on by the opposition criticism of Klein's ideological bent regarding private versus public auto insurance. Klein brought up the example of the nation of Chile, under the rule of Salvador Allende. Ralph claimed that Augusto Pinochet was forced to stage a coup to remove Allende from power so as to save free enterprise in Chile, and save freedom. Yet Allende was democratically elected, while Piniochet stages a bloody coup (where many of his opponents were killed) with the help of the CIA, and ran a military dictatorship. We always knew that the King of Alberta wasn't much of a fan of democracy. Didn't we ? Pinochet had been indicted by Chilean Judge Juan Guzman on Dec. 1, 2000, for the kidnapping and disappearances of 73 people, and ordered held under house arrest. These kidnappings and murders happened during a 10-day period in 1973, during the CIA supported coup by Pinochet. Is this man Pinochet a free market hero ??? As well there is strong evidence that from 1973 to 1978, at least 3,000 people were killed or "disappeared" at the hands of government forces - at the hands of the Chilean military government, which was headed by Pinochet. In fact I know personally a woman who immigrated to Alberta from Chile. Her father had a position in the Allende government. She said that during the coup led by Pinochet, the soldiers came and had her Father killed. This murder of her Father has severely damaged this woman's life. Is this man Pinochet one of the world's free market heroes ? These are despicable crimes, and King Ralph here in Alberta is trying to tell us that Pinochet was forced in staging a coup against the democratically elected Allende (and in the process killing many of his opponents), because Allende was a socialist - had left wing leanings. This shows us how dangerous of a man we are dealing with here in Ralph Klein, a Premier who basically doesn't believe in democracy. And it shows us how far his regime here in Alberta has gotten away from respecting democratic principles. A Premier who appears to believe democratically elected socialism is so dangerous that men like Pinochet are literally forced in killing their socialist opponents (even when the socialists have the democratic support of the voters in a fair and honest election - as was the case with Allende), so that unfettered capitalism and privatization can be promoted by the likes of murderers like Pinochet. According to the transcript of Hansard's
(official Government record), the exchange between Taft and Klein went as
follows: Such bizarre words coming from a Premier. Has ideology driven King Ralph mad ? Premier Klein stopped short of apologizing for suggesting that socialism forced Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to mount a coup, but he understood he upset Chilean Canadians with his comments. "I know that many people of Chilean origin living in Alberta still bear the scars and painful memories from that dark period in Chilean history," Klein told the provincial legislature here in Alberta. The Premier said "My comments last week were not meant in any way to express personal support or admiration for the Pinochet regime - quite the contrary. . . . My only purpose for making those remarks was to point out that socialism can often lead to unintended repercussions to society. Unfortunately, that's what happened in Chile." To my knowledge Klein has yet to issue a full apology. It doesn't really matter if he does or not, because we know where he stands on this matter already. A public apology would be just a political maneuver, and most of us wouldn't regard it as being sincere.
The 2004 Leaders Debate This writer watched the entire 90 minute debate between the Ralph Klein the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, and Brian Mason the leader of the New Democratic Party of Alberta, and Kevin Taft the leader of the Liberal Party of Alberta. Randy Thorsteinson the leader of the Alberta Alliance Party should have been in the debate as well, but was not invited by Global. Ralph Klein came across as incredibly arrogant, smug, self-satisfied, and boorish. The arrogance just oozed out of him. He never even had the proper manners to quit mumbling and ranting, when the lady host told him that time was up. He kept calling the other two leaders by their first name - Kevin and Brian. If I had been one of the participants and this goon Klein had called me by my first name like that I would have put him into his place very quickly. I would have said something like, " I am not you pal Mr. Klein, and I expect you to use my sir name, like I have the good manners to use your sir name. I am not your friend, and I don't want to be your friend, so stop calling me by my first name only. " If he would persist I would let him have it some more. Mason and Taft should have confronted Klein about this - don't let King Ralph dominate you. Mason and Taft showed a lot of class and good manners in the debate, which I respect. They both handled themselves very well, with a lot of dignity. Mason and Taft should have coordinated their efforts. They should have gotten together before the debate and mapped out a strategy on how to most effectively score blows on King Ralph. Taft and Mason kept letting Klein off the hook, and were too easy on him. They did score points, but not enough of them. They should have been way, way tougher on him. Klein scored well on the question regarding same sex marriages, which he and his party oppose (however subsequent comments by him during the following days in the campaign showed us that his opposition to gay marriage isn't really based on principles or a deep personal conviction - go to Klein's position on same sex marriage for the details). Taft and Mason and their parties both support same sex marriages, and they lost points there. Same sex marriage has little support among Albertans. If I had been in the debate I would have had King Ralph steaming, and reeling. I would have gone after the man himself. I would have attacked his arrogance, his smugness, his disdain for democracy, his personality cult, his horrible attitude towards the poor, his excess spending, and on and on it goes. Man alive this Klein is an easy target - you just have to go after him. Why did Global run commercials during the debate ? I feel this is inappropriate. Why couldn't the debate have been on the CBC - and commercial free ? A One Party State Many Albertans don't seem to like having too strong of an opposition in the Provincial Legislature. This comment made by my barber in Edmonton a few years back perhaps illustrates the point - He said basically that, " We should elect a few people into opposition just to keep the government on their toes - something like maybe five or six opposition members ! If we have too many in opposition then this would just hold up the business of the government ! " There you have it. This is how these people in general seem to think. Many Albertans have lived under provincial dictatorships and one party rule for so long that they do not know anything else. The Social Credit Party ruled Alberta for 36 years straight (from 1935 -1971). Peter Lougheed and the Tories won the Provincial Election in 1971, and the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta has been in power now for 33 years straight ! We have had only one change of the provincial government since 1935 - only one change in 69 years !! In fact since the birth of Alberta in 1905 - we have had only three changes in the provincial government - we started out with a Liberal government from 1905-1921, then a United Farmers of Alberta government from 1921-1935 - then a Social Credit government from 1935-1971 and now a Progressive Conservative government since 1971. Ralph Klein took over the leadership of the provincial Tories in 1992. You can read my article that explains what happened and the immergence of the Ralph Party and the crowning of King Ralph by going to Ralph's World.
I Am Not A Ralph Klein Fan You probably noticed that already. And the really shocking thing is that I was born and raised in Alberta, and have lived most of my life here. And I have even been accused of being a red neck to boot. And I have a rural background. Yet I don't support King Ralph. Shocking isn't it ? And I have never voted for him or his party - ever. Alberta is a one party state, but don't blame me folks. I am not politically correct. In Alberta for too long it has been politically incorrect to be critical of King Ralph. I have been critical of him and his policies right from the start. It is good to see some of the media and others standing up and telling things like they really are in regards to Ralph Klein and his little Alberta fiefdom. I am especially pleased and comforted by the Calgary Sun columnist Rick Bell's courageous stand in this regard. Also by John Carpay the Alberta Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and his insightful criticisms of the wasteful spending practices of Klein's government. There are other courageous souls out there as well. We need more people like that. There will be a vote on Nov.22, 2004, and Albertan voters will have their say. Please vote on Nov. 22/04 for the party and candidate of your choice.
The Ralph Klein Legacy King Ralph stepped down from his throne a little earlier then the King anticipated. Seems like the knives were out, and The King only got a measly 55 % approval rating from party delegates at a Tory leadership review. At first Klein was going to push ahead and stick to his original plan on quitting in 2007. However, that date was moved up to the winter of 2006. There has been much talk among the Alberta King Ralph lap dog press about the Ralph Klein legacy. Many are heaping praises upon Klein. In my judgment it is all just political correctness, phoniness and the parting nostalgia of the true believers of the Personality Cult of Ralph Klein. Here is my assessment of the Ralph Klein Legacy:
And on and on we could go. I see very little as far as a positive legacy of the Kingship of His Highness King Ralph.
Pictures of Alberta Places and Sights
Picture of the town of Canmore from the mountain looking East.
Downtown Edmonton
Winter scene Downtown Edmonton - East Side
Alberta Legislature Building
Ray standing at entrance to Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - CARDSTON ALBERTA TEMPLE
Elbow River Downtown Calgary
Calgary during Stampede Week in July 2009
A February winter day in Calgary
Town of Banff with massive Mt. Rundle on the upper left hand side of the photo
Entering the Town of Westlock from the East, North Central Alberta
Stores and Grain Elevators in Westlock, Alberta
Pulp and Paper Mill at Hinton, Alberta Hinton is not too far from Jasper.
Prairie Dust Motel in Jenner, South East Alberta
Rally in Downtown Red Deer Alberta
Rodeo at Strathmore - which is about 25 miles East of Calgary
Roger's Sugar Processing Plant, Taber, Southern Alberta
McLennan, Alberta
Border between Alberta and BC at the Continental Divide - between BC's Kootenay National Park and Alberta's Banff National.
Leaving Northern Alberta and entering into the North West Territories on Highway # 35
At the Innisfail Rodeo June 2009 - the bulls won most of the battles that day.
Village of Empress - located in the S.E. along the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, about 75 miles North of Medicine Hat. Has a rich history, and natural beauty. An ideal place to visit to get a feel of a different pace, and a stark contrast to the big city, if that is where you live. Real rural Southern Alberta.
Farm Equipment for sale at Lethbridge, Alberta
One of the numerous food processing plants in Lethbridge
Telephone (403) 274-5253 E-mail Updated 02/01/2010 Mailing Address: Ray Wegner P.O. Box 475 Stn. Main Calgary, Alberta T2P-2J1 Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms and Fundamental Freedoms (from the Canadian Constitution) " The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association. " This web site built, designed, and owned by Ray Wegner
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