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Year in review: Taxpayers release Naughty and Nice List

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

Canadian Taxpayers FederationCBC President and CEO Catherine Tait tops the Taxpayer Naughty List for announcing hundreds of layoffs weeks before Christmas without cancelling bonuses for executives.“It takes a special type of Scrooge to lay off hundreds of employees weeks before the holidays and not be willing to give up your own bonus, but that’s exactly what taxpayers heard from CBC big shots,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “Meanwhile, Senator Pierre Dalphond delayed and watered-down carbon tax relief for farmers and now Santa’s furious because the bills for his candy cane farm and reindeer barn are through the chimney.”Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the Taxpayer Naughty List for removing the carbon tax from furnace oil for three years while leaving 97 per cent of Canadian families out in the cold. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also found himself in Santa’s bad books for taking more money from taxpayers through the sneaky income tax hike known as bracket creep...

Canada’s Premiers have failed the basic needs test

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

In days of old, kings and queens were often judged by some pretty basic criteria: Did the people have enough to eat? Did they have a safe, warm place to lay their heads at night?Looking around Canada today, it’s pretty clear that our elected leaders wouldn’t pass these simple tests. Food bank use is at record levels. Practically every city has a tent city, populated by people who can’t find – or can’t afford – a bed indoors.Your local radio station may be playing Andy Williams singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” but for too many people, it’s not: winter is the hardest time. And with very few exceptions, Canada’s premiers, snug in their beds, don’t seem to see it. Or if they do, they don’t seem to care.In recent years, Canadians have seen the federal government take concrete steps to reduce poverty. For example, Ottawa introduced the Canada Child Benefit in 2016 and passed the Canada Disability Benefit Act in 2023. The former has cut poverty for children and families ...

FCSS Cancer Support Group providing assistance to area residents

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

By Heather CameronSouthern Alberta NewspapersLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterStarting January 10, Family and Community Support Services in Coaldale will be facilitating a drop-in support group for cancer patients and family of cancer patients from 7pm-8pm on every second and fourth Wednesday of each month.“The Cancer Support Group is designed to encourage mutual support between participants, develop greater openness and emotional expressiveness about the challenges resulting from receiving a cancer diagnosis, treatment and living well with cancer,” said Michael Fedunec, Counselling Services Supervisor at FCSS. “This group is supported by FCSS but is being facilitated by a volunteer resident of Coaldale who has a heart and passion to see that those who are struggling with cancer and their families are not forgotten and that help is just a call away.”The group participants, Fedunec says, will have an opportunity to share their challenges and their successes in a non-structured fac...

Coaldale’s Gem of the West Museum strives to preserve local history

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

By Heather CameronSouthern Alberta NewspapersLocal Journalism Initiative ReporterCoaldale’s Gem of the West Museum is truly a gem of Coaldale.Craig Day, the Museum Manager and member of the Gem of the West Museum Society, says that the Museum is located at 1306 – 20 Street in Coaldale, the old Mennonite Brethren Church, and operates on regular summer hours from the beginning of May to the end of September. In the off-season months, Day says, the museum works on fundraising events and exhibit redesigns but also advertises that visitors can contact them and schedule a visit during these months.  The Gem of the West Museum Society, Day says, was formed in 1995 by the first president, local Erna Goertzen, who worked with the Town of Coaldale to have them purchase the building, allowing the society to operate the museum within it and it took six years of building restorations and artifact accessioning before the museum could officially open the doors to the public in 2001. Day says...

MP reflects on 2023

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

By Al BeeberSouthern Alberta NewspapersWhen Rachael Thomas looks at the year that 2023 was, the Conservative MP for Lethbridge sees both accomplishments and concerns.Thomas, in a year-end interview with Southern Alberta Newspapers recently, discussed the highs and lows of 2023.“This was the first full year with a new Conservative party leader at the helm,” said Thomas, noting “I’m certainly very impressed with Pierre Poilevre as our leader. It’s been a pleasure to serve under him. I appreciate his vision for Canada. I appreciate that he’s a hard worker and I appreciate that he has a plan to bring Canadians back into a place of prosperity.”Thomas said “under his leadership, we’ve enjoyed tremendous unity and it’s been really energizing to have him as leader. I would say that his leadership has been one of the big highlights of 2023.”She said recent poll numbers are positive for the Conservatives but the party wants to continue working hard to maintain and gain the trust of Canadians....

Interim budgets set for Coalhurst

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

By Nikki JamiesonSunny South NewsInterim budgets and plans for the Town of Coalhurst have been approved for 2024.The Interim Capital and Operating budgets were presented at Coalhurst council’s regular Dec. 19 meeting. Mayor Lyndsay Montina noted that as they have already gone through multiple budget meetings and processes, nothing in there was a “surprise” at this point.For the 2024 budget, there is a net taxation increase of 6.72 per cent. This is due to the following changes:• Municipal Operations   – Inflationary and Contractual ($16,375, or 0.69 per cent)   – Personnel ($76,425, or 3.23 per cent)   – Historical and Trend Adjustments (-$20,176, or -0.85 per cent)   – Projects (-$13,500, or -0.57 per cent)• Increase in RCMP costs ($100,000, or 4.22 per cent)Director of corporate services Mike Passey said there was just one carried-over project from 2023 in the capital budget: a wildfire truck with a budget of $18,900, which has been delayed due to supply ch...

Road closed in Bolton for emergency culvert replacement

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

BOLTON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Warren County Department of Public Works is beginning work on an emergency culvert replacement in the Town of Bolton. Riverbank Road, also known as County Route 11, is closed effective Thursday, January 4. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! The work is expected to last six weeks. Residents can utilize the detour route, including East Schroon River Road, Lamb Hill Road/Trout Lake Road, and State Route 9N. Repairs are expected to last six weeks. (image credit: Don Lehman)There will be message boards on the Northway warning motorists of the construction.

Missouri U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer to retire at end of 2024

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

MISSOURI - Missouri U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who represents Jefferson City and some parts of the St. Louis metro, will retire from office at the end of the 2024 session. Luetkemeyer has represented the 3rd Congressional District of Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2009. Luetkemeyer's office says he will finish out his final term, which ends in December 2024. Missouri expecting two rounds of winter weather Rep. Luetkemeyer shared this statement to FOX 2 on the decision Thursday afternoon:“It has been as honor to serve the great people of the Third Congressional District and State of Missouri these past several years. However, after a lot of thoughtful discussion with my family, I have decided to not file for re-election and retire at the end of my term in December. Over the coming months, as I finish up my last term, I look forward to continuing to work with all my constituents on their myriad of issues as well as work on the many difficult and serious...

Billy Joel to play Coors Field in summer 2024. Here’s how to get tickets.

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

Billy Joel is headed back to Coors Field for his first Denver concert since 2019.The 74-year-old Grammy-winning pop rocker, who is wrapping up his residencies at Madison Square Garden in New York City, will play the home of the Colorado Rockies on July 12, 2024. Joel’s most recent Denver concert also took place at the 50,398-seat baseball stadium, on Aug. 8, 2019.Tickets for the summer 2024 show go on sale at 10 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 5, via livenation.com, promoter Live Nation said in a press statement. Prior to that, Citi card members and other partner members (including Verizon subscribers) will have access to presale tickets.Prices were not immediately available. See livenation.com to buy tickets and for updated details on the show.In his second Coors Field appearance, Joel “will perform his most beloved songs from throughout his illustrious career,” Live Nation officials wrote.Joel’s most recent show at Coors Field was part of a limited run of U.S. ...

Avalanche Journal: How Colorado’s power play finally regained its mojo

Published Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:02:23 GMT

The Colorado Avalanche had a pretty successful run on the power play earlier this season — nine straight games with at least one goal, 11 in total.But there was still something, or some things, missing.Sure, being able to count on the power play to get one most nights is a luxury for some teams. For a team like the Avalanche that can start PP1 with three of the best players in the world, the standard is a little higher.One personnel change helped. A shift in the mindset helped. Those world-class players shooting better helped. The result has been a scorching-hot power play — 16 goals in 11 games after collecting a pair Tuesday night against the New York Islanders, and a return to being a group that should be feared by opposing clubs.“I think the work-based part of it has improved, checking (to get) pucks back, getting numbers around the puck, winning battles and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “That’s been better. And then t...