A couple of weeks ago Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Scott Tannas would be the latest senator to be installed.
Tannas is the founder of Western Financial Group and has had a successful career up to this point. One of his priorities for the new job is to get involved in senate reform. Canadians are all over the map when it comes to what they feel the senate should become. Trouble is any changes will take years of debate and votes before we see changes or cost reductions. I am one who feels we could get by without the senate, period. Yes, other parliamentary changes would need to be addressed but there is lots of time as it will not happen overnight.
A friend came up with the perfect solution the other day. Have all federal parties sign an agreement they will never put another senator in place. Eventually the senate will empty out and the last one out can shut out the light. No year after year debates just sit back relax and eventually the senate will have outlived its usefulness.
In the meantime, I am sure there is plenty for the senate to do but with this plan in place it will force the government of the day to be ready for this major change. Crazy?
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Alberta lost one great politician last weekend with the passing of Ralph Klein.
Ralph was such a people person and thousands of us have a story about an encounter with him. Mine was several years ago shortly after Ralph became Mayor of Calgary. At the time I lived in Claresholm and ran the Claresholm Local Press newspaper. Each year a group of news hounds put on a Newsman’s Bonspiel. There were radio, TV and newspaper guys there from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Well it was quite a weekend let me tell you. Back in those days it was a men only event. Of course that has changed now. Several participants called it the “Boozeman’s Nonspiel”. Okay, this one year shortly after Ralph had become mayor the event was slated for Calgary. We approached Ralph’s office for a donation from the City and he agreed to buy lunch on Saturday at the curling rink. We were thrilled as donations were not always easy. Not only did Ralph buy lunch he came himself and sat down and enjoyed the meal with us. He talked about his cub reporter days and how he loved being a newshound. He fit right in and looked like he enjoyed the time as much as we did.
I can’t recall any other bonspiel where the mayor showed up. He was one of a kind. Rest in peace.
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Good news for those families who cannot get by with one 120 litre garbage bin and don’t want to pay for two. A new 180 litre bin is now available from the Town. A victory for those who have fought the small bins from day one.
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Well Okotoks, we kinda blew Earth Hour this year! The event was held a couple weekends ago and the plan is that for one hour we get by using as little power as possible. Last year per capita we finished eighth in Alberta. This year we jumped all the way up to 34th place out of 42 communities. The percentage of energy saved during earth hour in Okotoks this year was just 1.4 per cent compared to 11.2 per cent last year.
According to Fortis here are some good energy saving tips:
• Wash clothes in cold or warm water, never hot.
• Avoid using heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse functions on your dishwasher.
• Don’t keep your old, inefficient refrigerator running in your basement, you only use it for the occasional beverage anyway.
• Use a microwave or a toaster oven to cook or warm leftovers. You’ll save up to 30 per cent energy required for a conventional oven.
• Use a cooling fan in summer instead of air conditioning.
• To save on heating, break out the caulking. Air leakage represents 24 to 40 per cent of heat loss.
• Use a power bar for your electronics and turn it off when you’re not using it.
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The Okotoks Bisons hockey team will begin Junior B provincials on Thursday in Wainwright. Best of luck to them.
The Okotoks Junior A Oilers are in their South Division championship against Brooks. At press time the Oilers are up two games to one in the series with game four in Okotoks on Wednesday, April 3. The Oilers took Game 3 in the Okotoks home opener on Monday with a sold out crowd at the Pason Centennial Arena. All games so far have been a one goal difference. Great to see over 2,000 fans cheering on their favourites.
Go Oilers go.
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