Who will drive the trucks?
A mill owner was telling us the other day there is a big shortage of drivers for log trucks. It’s not a surprise; it’s been developing for a decade, but what can be done about it? Spread the hauling out…
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Addressing unpaid oil and gas taxes
Rural municipalities have been lobbying the government for several years on the issue of unpaid oil and gas industry taxes. It’s been a real thorn in the side, and has hit some M.D.s and counties a lot harder than others.…
Things sure are different in High Prairie
Apparently things got a bit rowdy in a Greater Metro Hockey League playoff game in High Prairie a week or so ago. The Edson Eagles and High Prairie Redwings were involved in a best-of-seven final series. The March 10 game…
It’s a start
It probably goes without saying that folks in the provincial government have priorities that don’t have much to do with small-town newspaper deadlines. But when you say something will be announced on a Thursday, and then wait around until the…
Safety first for Highway 88
The coffee shop was abuzz late last month with speculation about new signs on the highway that were hidden behind tarps. It could only mean one thing, the thinking went – an announcement on highway improvements that is being held…
Where there’s hope….
There’s been a flurry of news items on the Jeffrey Dupres case lately – all emanating from one source. It can give the impression that there’s been some breakthrough in the 40-year-old missing person case, but there hasn’t. All that’s…
Not all victims of crime have cars
The Slave Lake library, courthouse, town office, Service Canada, the Slave Lake hospital, and most other government buildings are easily accessible on foot, which is good because not all Slave Lakers have ready access to a vehicle. This seems like…
A little moderation, please
Political candidates like to talk about ‘unity’ and running a ‘positive’ campaign. But ones who really mean that are hard to find. When you start listening to what they have to say you realize pretty quickly their notions of unity…
Ease up on those vax requirements, please
Is there any point in insisting on vaccine requirements for sporting events? The Arctic Winter Games were recently held – successfully and safely as far as we have heard – in Fort McMurray without that impediment. But we’re told the…
Industry should pay to clean up its own mess
You expect opposition politicians to come out against whatever the government does. The system just works that way. So the fact the Alberta NDP doesn’t like the Government of Alberta’s proposed plan to get orphan wells cleaned up isn’t saying…
Who’s leading? Who knows?
One of the UCP candidates for the Lesser Slave Lake nomination asked the other day what our sense was of who had the inside track in the race. Of course we had no idea. For starters, only UCP members get…
Minister makes a good impression
Last week’s coverage (by us) of Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen’s visit to Slave Lake was a bit hasty – slapped together at the last minute and not given the kind of prominence it probably deserved. We combined it with…
It’s pre-election spending season!
Alberta government ministers are getting out into communities lately. A cynic might say it’s merely an election ploy. Of course it is an election ploy, but that doesn’t mean some good won’t come out of it. For example. Devin Dreeshen,…
Planes in the drink?
A story surfaced recently about American fighter planes at the bottom of Lesser Slave Lake. Lyndsey Carmichael, the library archivist in Slave Lake, says she heard from a fellow who calls himself ‘Mr. Nose Art,’ because he’s an expert on…
It’s the same old story….
History repeats itself, as the saying goes. This is perhaps nowhere more true than in the sexual misbehaviour of men in positions of power. It is so common as to be unremarkable – even expected. But it’s still disappointing when…
More on the Smith bridge question
You probably read about the info session the M.D. of Lesser Slave River held on Jan. 12 on the Smith bridge situation. In the audience was a representative of Alberta Transportation. Pointing him out, one of the M.D. people at…