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Ritz ๐Ÿ

@ritzmotu

Edmonton, AB โค๏ธ Canada โ€œEverybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.โ€~Einstein

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18.10.2024
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Latest posts by Ritz ๐Ÿ @ritzmotu

Preview
Danielle Smithโ€™s Alberta: A Government Without Guardrails Three and a half years of documented actions โ€” all moving Alberta consistently in the same direction. Boards fired. Courts overridden. Lawsuits blocked. Elections rewritten.

What happens when a government weakens the institutions meant to check its power?

Factsmtr examines the documented record behind Danielle Smithโ€™s Alberta.

Here are the facts:
factsmtr.substack.com/p/danielle-s...

#abpoli #ableg #Canada #Alberta #Factsmtr

14.03.2026 05:12 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 9 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Bill 206 [NAME] [ADDRESS ] [CITY, POSTAL CODE] [DATE] [RECIPIENT, NAME AND TITLE] [ADDRESS LINE 1] [ADDRESS LINE 2] [ADDRESS LINE 3 IF APPLICABLE] [LINE 4 IF APPLICABLE] [LINE 5 IF APPLICABLE] Dear Premier /...

Bill 206: Accessible Alberta Act was recently tabled in AB legislature.

THIS IS A GOOD BILL!

-provides disabled Albertans with much needed legal protections.
-also aspires to make AB accessible by 2040.

I wrote a LETTER TEMPLATE to send to your UCP MLAs.

tinyurl.com/3ykp25mn

#alberta #abpoli

13.03.2026 23:16 ๐Ÿ‘ 12 ๐Ÿ” 9 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Photo showing a harbour with words superimposed saying "In Finland, charging fees for tuition is illegal, which means rich kids have to mix with normal kids. 
That means rich families had to make sure the schools their children attended were good, which in turn prompted the wealthy to invest in public education. 
Finland, take a bow"

Photo showing a harbour with words superimposed saying "In Finland, charging fees for tuition is illegal, which means rich kids have to mix with normal kids. That means rich families had to make sure the schools their children attended were good, which in turn prompted the wealthy to invest in public education. Finland, take a bow"

Saw this on Reddit and this is my dream of how #Alberta schools can be. The goal is to have diversity in school. #abpoli

www.reddit.com/r/PopularCul...

13.03.2026 21:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 3 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Alberta spends about $600M on education for children of temporary residents as immigration referendum looms Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the province is projecting $600 million to support children of temporary residents.

Letโ€™s be honest about whatโ€™s happening. When people push narratives about โ€œforeign kidsโ€ in schools, it feeds racial resentment. Many of those children are Canadian citizens. Especially in the early grades. Misleading the public helps nobody. #abpoli

edmontonjournal.com/news/local-n...

13.03.2026 20:58 ๐Ÿ‘ 14 ๐Ÿ” 7 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I am assuming this is from the "Provincial Christian Prayer Breakfast" held on March 11?

13.03.2026 16:47 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

๐Ÿคข๐Ÿคฎ

13.03.2026 16:46 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Why Alberta and Quebec diverge on judicial appointments Alberta and Quebec both want a role in judicial appointments. But their arguments reveal sharply different visions of federalism.

policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/03/judi...

13.03.2026 10:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 8 ๐Ÿ” 4 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

Tomorrow, come snow or shine! #ableg #abpoli #yyc

13.03.2026 13:29 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 7 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Bill 54 opened the floodgates. $90k from PR firms and lobbyists flowed to the UCP in 2025 aloneโ€”right as policy "favours" like the Beacon AI land deal were handed out. Corporations are buying access while Albertans pay the price. Dark money is here. #AbLeg #ABpoli #Alberta #CdnPoli #UCP

13.03.2026 15:35 ๐Ÿ‘ 13 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
โ€œGet the hell off my landโ€ Landowner blockades MAGA Energyโ€™s access to wellsite after three years of unpaid rent Mark Dorin's message for the Alberta Energy Regulator: โ€œDo your damn job โ€“ or landowners are going to take action and protect themselves.โ€

Mark Dorin's message for the Alberta Energy Regulator: โ€œDo your damn job โ€“ or landowners are going to take action and protect themselves.โ€
drillanddash.substack.com/p/get-the-he... @cuym-alberta.bsky.social @markdorin.bsky.social #ABLeg #ABPoli #CDNPoli

12.03.2026 20:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 25 ๐Ÿ” 15 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
PR Firms and Lobbyists Gave Thousands to the UCP in 2025 | The Tyee Changes to election laws to allow larger donations called โ€˜incredibly dangerous and unwise.โ€™

The reintroduction of corporate political contributions in Alberta has created a new avenue of influence for lobbyists, an @theijf.org data analysis suggests. @brettmckay.bsky.social reports. #abpoli

12.03.2026 20:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 52 ๐Ÿ” 42 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4 ๐Ÿ“Œ 9
SPEAKER SERIES
Monday March 16th at 7 pm   
Claire Kraatz  from For Our Kids

Claire is an educator, environmental advocate motivated by an unwavering commitment to the well-being of people and our planet. She Co-Founded FOR OUR KIDS Alberta, a parent-led group driving climate action in a province where oil and gas are central to the economy and deeply rooted in the psyche of its citizens. With a focus on clean air to support children's health and learning, Claire brings together parents and caregivers united in the pursuit of a sustainable future. 
She is building a resilient network advocating for an oil and gas pollution cap, a renewable energy revolution, and meaningful change to protect our children, communities and our earth.

RSVP to: 403-688-0812
ZOOM MTG: 277 275 5886 for those with a
 Zoom account to join directly.
HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

SPEAKER SERIES Monday March 16th at 7 pm Claire Kraatz from For Our Kids Claire is an educator, environmental advocate motivated by an unwavering commitment to the well-being of people and our planet. She Co-Founded FOR OUR KIDS Alberta, a parent-led group driving climate action in a province where oil and gas are central to the economy and deeply rooted in the psyche of its citizens. With a focus on clean air to support children's health and learning, Claire brings together parents and caregivers united in the pursuit of a sustainable future. She is building a resilient network advocating for an oil and gas pollution cap, a renewable energy revolution, and meaningful change to protect our children, communities and our earth. RSVP to: 403-688-0812 ZOOM MTG: 277 275 5886 for those with a Zoom account to join directly. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

12.03.2026 17:05 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Summary
The risk of a failure in the Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) portion of the BPSFM was first identified two decades earlier, following a similar rupture on the same type of pipe at the McKnight Feedermain in 2004. Subsequent studies and assessments repeatedly confirmed the risk to the BPSFM. Despite repeated identification of this risk, the City prioritized other critical needs and initiatives, repeatedly deferring BPSFM inspection, monitoring, and risk mitigation.  This deferral was a function of underestimated likelihood of failure, not appreciating the significant impact of a failure, emphasis on other priorities and occasional periods of operating budget constraints. This pattern, which persisted over two decades, across multiple leadership teams and organizational structures, reflects systemic gaps in the Water Utilityโ€™s approach to managing critical infrastructure. The Panel has traced these gaps to external pressures, risk and asset integrity processes, ineffective management, and a lack of effective governance oversight. 
1. External Pressures: The BPSFM failure occurred in the context of nationwide underinvestment in aging utility infrastructure and rapid population growth. Across Canada, capital investment in utilities has stagnated, leaving roughly 27% of Canadian water transmission mains in need of repair. This underinvestment, combined with population growth, required utilities to manage competing priorities for asset renewal and system expansion. In Calgary, these pressures were particularly acute due to rapid population growth (a 70% increase since 20006) and higher asset capital and maintenance costs (due to low population density, resulting in a large relative asset base). These external pressures exacerbated the risk and integrity challenges that ultimately affected the BPSFM.  
2. Risk & Asset Integrity Processes: The Cityโ€™s Water Utility processes were not sufficiently robust to manage a complex system of this nature, especially โ€ฆ

Summary The risk of a failure in the Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) portion of the BPSFM was first identified two decades earlier, following a similar rupture on the same type of pipe at the McKnight Feedermain in 2004. Subsequent studies and assessments repeatedly confirmed the risk to the BPSFM. Despite repeated identification of this risk, the City prioritized other critical needs and initiatives, repeatedly deferring BPSFM inspection, monitoring, and risk mitigation. This deferral was a function of underestimated likelihood of failure, not appreciating the significant impact of a failure, emphasis on other priorities and occasional periods of operating budget constraints. This pattern, which persisted over two decades, across multiple leadership teams and organizational structures, reflects systemic gaps in the Water Utilityโ€™s approach to managing critical infrastructure. The Panel has traced these gaps to external pressures, risk and asset integrity processes, ineffective management, and a lack of effective governance oversight. 1. External Pressures: The BPSFM failure occurred in the context of nationwide underinvestment in aging utility infrastructure and rapid population growth. Across Canada, capital investment in utilities has stagnated, leaving roughly 27% of Canadian water transmission mains in need of repair. This underinvestment, combined with population growth, required utilities to manage competing priorities for asset renewal and system expansion. In Calgary, these pressures were particularly acute due to rapid population growth (a 70% increase since 20006) and higher asset capital and maintenance costs (due to low population density, resulting in a large relative asset base). These external pressures exacerbated the risk and integrity challenges that ultimately affected the BPSFM. 2. Risk & Asset Integrity Processes: The Cityโ€™s Water Utility processes were not sufficiently robust to manage a complex system of this nature, especially โ€ฆ

resources to be directed to other priorities.7 Inspection recommendations made in 2017, 2020, and 2022 were deferred or redirected, with unclear escalation accountability and timelines.8 In addition, the Water Utility lacked traditional planning safeguards required for critical infrastructure: the last Asset Management Plan (AMP) was issued in 20179 (with limited follow-up) and no Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) exists, leaving the system without coordinated, long-term renewal and redundancy planning. 
3. Management: These process gaps persisted over two decades within an environment of unclear accountability and a culture of risk tolerance and decision deferral. These gaps exist within todayโ€™s organization structure, wherein the Water Utility is split across multiple City departments leaving no single leader accountable for end-to-end outcomes. The first person with full visibility across the Water Utility is the CAO, who also oversees more than 60 other portfolios.10 In the absence of a single accountable executive, decisions were often delayed or deprioritized, compounded by a consensusdriven culture that normalized deferral of action on critical issues. Limited financial transparency was another contributor to these gaps in accountability. Despite its large scale (2026 capital budget $1.1 billion and operating budget of $380 million)11 and Councilโ€™s mandate to be self-funded entirely through user rates and levies, the Water Utility operates without segmented financial statements. This results in limited line of sight to the Water Utilityโ€™s  true financial performance and restricts the ability to directly link revenues and expenditures to service outcomes, ultimately contributing to a lack of accountability. 
4. Governance: These gaps persisted across multiple management teams, successive Councils, and organization structures, in part because Council lacked the visibility and expert support to provide effective oversight. Reporting to Council was periodic and highโ€ฆ

resources to be directed to other priorities.7 Inspection recommendations made in 2017, 2020, and 2022 were deferred or redirected, with unclear escalation accountability and timelines.8 In addition, the Water Utility lacked traditional planning safeguards required for critical infrastructure: the last Asset Management Plan (AMP) was issued in 20179 (with limited follow-up) and no Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) exists, leaving the system without coordinated, long-term renewal and redundancy planning. 3. Management: These process gaps persisted over two decades within an environment of unclear accountability and a culture of risk tolerance and decision deferral. These gaps exist within todayโ€™s organization structure, wherein the Water Utility is split across multiple City departments leaving no single leader accountable for end-to-end outcomes. The first person with full visibility across the Water Utility is the CAO, who also oversees more than 60 other portfolios.10 In the absence of a single accountable executive, decisions were often delayed or deprioritized, compounded by a consensusdriven culture that normalized deferral of action on critical issues. Limited financial transparency was another contributor to these gaps in accountability. Despite its large scale (2026 capital budget $1.1 billion and operating budget of $380 million)11 and Councilโ€™s mandate to be self-funded entirely through user rates and levies, the Water Utility operates without segmented financial statements. This results in limited line of sight to the Water Utilityโ€™s true financial performance and restricts the ability to directly link revenues and expenditures to service outcomes, ultimately contributing to a lack of accountability. 4. Governance: These gaps persisted across multiple management teams, successive Councils, and organization structures, in part because Council lacked the visibility and expert support to provide effective oversight. Reporting to Council was periodic and highโ€ฆ

An actual review was done by, god forbid, actual experts. Reading the first 2 pages shows that the problem is a deeper issue in #Calgaryโ€™s organization that needs to be resolved & cannot be laid at the feet of one person. 2/7

12.03.2026 16:11 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Alberta's chambers of commerce say separation talk not helping attract business Albertaโ€™s chambers of commerce say talk of the province potentially quitting Confederation is bad for business, with one saying itโ€™s time Premier Danielle Smithโ€™s government move on from blaming forme...

Oh, ya think? Ask Montreal how separatist talk chased head offices & investment to Toronto.

#UCP-MAGA are playing roulette with our future exactly when #cndpoli solidarity is morally & economically demanded.

#UCP #ableg #abpoli #ChooseCanada #ElbowsUp #yeg #yyc

www.cp24.com/news/canada/...

12.03.2026 15:44 ๐Ÿ‘ 11 ๐Ÿ” 6 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

The UCP isn't seeking "direct democracy"โ€”theyโ€™re manufacturing it. Jared Wesley warns that Smithโ€™s referendum blitz is a populist shortcut to bypass checks and balances. Itโ€™s a "rubber stamp" for a rigged agenda that divides Albertans. We need pluralism, not a power grab. #ABleg #AbPoli

12.03.2026 15:24 ๐Ÿ‘ 28 ๐Ÿ” 18 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
Police warn of steady number of sextortion cases targeting youth in Edmonton Podcast Episode ยท The Courtney Theriault Show ยท March 11 ยท 10m

Canada saw a 347% jump in online child exploitation from 2014 and 2024.

In Edmonton, there were nearly 200 cases of child sexploitation last year.

Chatted with Amanda Todd's mom Carol about how to have the tough talk with kids, and red flags to look out for.

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/p...

12.03.2026 15:42 ๐Ÿ‘ 6 ๐Ÿ” 7 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Preview
King Charles expressed concern over Alberta separatism in meeting with Indigenous leaders: grand chief | CBC News The grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations says King Charles "expressed his concern" after hearing about a separatist push in Alberta during a face-to-face meeting with Indigenous le...

The grand chief of the Confederacy of Treaty 6 First Nations says King Charles "expressed his concern" on Wednesday after hearing about a separatist push in Alberta during a face-to-face meeting with Indigenous leaders.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

#Alberta #abpoli

12.03.2026 05:51 ๐Ÿ‘ 40 ๐Ÿ” 16 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
11.03.2026 22:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 17 ๐Ÿ” 17 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

This response from the ethics commissioner is an indictment of AB's public office ethics legislation & no exoneration of Mr Yager.
The fact that Ms Smith has just reappointed Mr Yager confirms that real ethics, as opposed to narrow legislated ethics, don't mean a thing to her.
#abpoli #cdnpoli

12.03.2026 05:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 41 ๐Ÿ” 24 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
Preview
Translating, restraining kids, teaching multiple grades at once: teachers describe complex classrooms | CBC News Data rarely tells the full story. So when CBC News emailed a questionnaire to tens of thousands of Alberta teachers this January, we invited them to share stories to illustrate what classroom complexi...

Translating, restraining kids, teaching multiple grades at once: Teachers describe Alberta's dysfunctional classrooms #yeg #yyc #yql #abpoli #abed
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

12.03.2026 14:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Join me and @friendsofmedicare.bsky.social tonight for this important webinar!

12.03.2026 13:58 ๐Ÿ‘ 14 ๐Ÿ” 9 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

๐Ÿคฌ these senators are not very "senatorial"... #gohabsgo
#habs

12.03.2026 00:53 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Biill C-12: An Alberta senator, on dangers of two-tier citizenship in a time of rising xenophobia.
Biill C-12: An Alberta senator, on dangers of two-tier citizenship in a time of rising xenophobia. YouTube video by Senator Paula Simons

I usually prepare and practice my Senate speeches with care, in advance. THIS time, I spoke without notes, unprepared and impromptu, driven by a mix of passion and patriotism. The subject of debate was an amendment to Bill C-12. But I put it in a troubling Alberta context. #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli

11.03.2026 18:10 ๐Ÿ‘ 225 ๐Ÿ” 84 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 23 ๐Ÿ“Œ 13
Biill C-12: An Alberta senator, on dangers of two-tier citizenship in a time of rising xenophobia.
Biill C-12: An Alberta senator, on dangers of two-tier citizenship in a time of rising xenophobia. YouTube video by Senator Paula Simons

Please donโ€™t scroll past. Senator @senatorpaulasimons.bsky.social points out the dangers of Danielle Smithโ€™s nine racist referendum questions.

#Canada #Alberta #cdnpoli #abpoli #ableg #yyc #yeg

youtu.be/7U4evGu-jks

11.03.2026 20:07 ๐Ÿ‘ 40 ๐Ÿ” 29 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 3
Preview
Canada's Hudak, Arendz each claim bronze in cross-country skiing at Milano-Cortina Paralympics | CBC Sports Canada's Mark Arendz collected his 14th career Paralympic medal while teammate Brittany Hudak earned her fourth in Wednesday's standing cross-country skiing races at Milano Cortina.

Canada's Hudak, Arendz each claim bronze in cross-country skiing at Milano-Cortina Paralympics

Nordic skiers bring Canada's medal total to 10 on Day 5 in Italy

www.cbc.ca/sports/paral...

11.03.2026 12:03 ๐Ÿ‘ 235 ๐Ÿ” 32 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1
Preview
Centre of Recovery Excellence using health information of people who use drugs to undermine their safety The Alberta government's Crown corporation has published its first study using personal health numbers of people accessing supervised consumption sites. While its findings fail to hold up, it offers ...

SCOOP
A national campaign is underway to shore up the Alberta government's 'finding' that โ€“ surprise โ€“ย its closure of supervised consumption sites didn't kill anyone.

Unfortunately, the study's corruption is showing.

W/ comments from Dr. L. Hardcastle:
drugdatadecoded.ca/centre-of-re...

11.03.2026 16:56 ๐Ÿ‘ 10 ๐Ÿ” 14 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

You can have the best armed forces in the history of the world, but if you are an incompetent criminal without a plan, you can still lose a war, and rather quickly.

11.03.2026 15:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 6120 ๐Ÿ” 1452 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 167 ๐Ÿ“Œ 46

While our Premier continues to declare we have enough healthcare workers, she continues to put them out of work and simultaneously declare we need private healthcare to save the public system.

She is intentionally breaking the public system in order to bring in fully private healthcare.

#abPoli

11.03.2026 13:57 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

$2.3B for the cancellation of the oil by rail contracts in 2020/2021 by the Kenney regime.

11.03.2026 04:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 39 ๐Ÿ” 30 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 3 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2
Preview
Red Deer County rejects oil, gas company's bid for tax penalty forgiveness Outpost Energy Ltd.'s pitch could be viewed as precedent-setting if approved, administration told council

Love seeing this (and we need more municipalities taking action as well). According to data obtained by @brettmckay.bsky.social with @theijf.org, Red Deer County is owed more than $4.6 MILLION in unpaid municipal taxes from delinquent O&G companies. www.thealbertan.com/innisfail-ne... #ABLeg #ABPoli

11.03.2026 02:04 ๐Ÿ‘ 54 ๐Ÿ” 28 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2