The Magyar Gala, known previously as the Hungaria Gala Ball, is a showcase of Hungarian culture and traditions that have been nurtured through more than 1,100 years of European history. Similar to a debutante’s ball, the 63rd annual version of the gala, held recently at the Westin, saw local youth proudly embrace their ancestral culture through countless hours of practice and volunteering in preparation for the evening of pomp, pageantry and ceremony.

The event was presented by the Hungarian Veterans’ Association, a not-for-profit entity that supports various local and/or Hungarian charities. Highlights of the glam gala were numerous but surely topping the list were the Palotas dance, a traditional court dance that was presented as an opening number at royal court gatherings and the Debutante dance — a traditionally choreographed waltz where young people, particularly the ladies, are introduced to society.

Guests in attendance are pictured.

With files from Hungarian Veterans Association

Palotas couples back row, from left: Daniel Moynan, Bokurn Parmar, Capt. Vitez Jason Leek, David Kovacs, Daniel Reh and Marco Lovric. Front row from left: Melina Lovric, Beverley Cichon, Jennifer Bertoldi, Natasha Gidluck, Colleen Rab and Mishelle Lakatos.

Debutante dancers at the Hungarian Veterans’ Association’s 63rd Magyar Gala.

From left: Dora Magas, Palotas instructors Gyorgy Biro and Magdi Biro, debutante instructors Laszlo Varvizi, Erika Angyalfi, and Jesse Laszlo Marchall with Jozsef Varvizi.

Debutante couples back row, from left: Edvin Sinko, Matthew Pataki, Tamas Zuban, Noah Sparkes, Anthony Harcsa, Eric Dolphin and Mihaly Sarbu. Front row, from left: Bianca Sarbu, Fanni Nagy, Emoke Jarto-Kocsis, Sarah Jalsoviczky, Kimberley Neufeld, Xyla Demong and Viola Szakony.

Sean Chu believes being loyal to your friends is important.

The Calgary city councillor didn’t hesitate to respond to the calls of political allies when the provincial election was called earlier this month. When he’s not tied up with city business, Chu will spend the next few weeks door-knocking with United Conservative Party candidates.

He says it’s better for councillors to be transparent about where their loyalties lie. “I’m a conservative and so aligned with the UCP. I have always said that, I am who I am,” Chu says.

“Something I’ve learned: if everybody knows that you’re this kind of person, admit it. Some people don’t like it, but at least I can sleep at night.”

For most councillors, a provincial election campaign is a welcome chance to escape the spotlight temporarily focused on the fight for power among organized parties. But council has also never been immune to partisan politics.

Since the campaign kicked off on March 19, several councillors have waded into the fray to defend political allies or to bolster projects and issues.

Some have been vocal about their loyalties, including councillors Chu, Joe Magliocca and Jeromy Farkas who have openly endorsed the UCP’s Jason Kenney.

On the opposite side of the political spectrum, Coun. Druh Farrell says she’s tried to avoid explicitly partisan positions in past elections, but not this time. On Twitter, she has publicly praised the NDP’s platform on flood mitigation for the Bow River and universal childcare, stopping short of explicitly endorsing the party — though she has donated to them in the past.

The inner-city councillor has also been strident in her social media criticism of the UCP, particularly after it was revealed that two high profile UCP candidates, who have since quit, had made racist, homophobic and transphobic comments online.

“There are so many issues that impact the city that it’s impossible to sit this one out,” Farrell says. “I can’t be neutral with this particular election, there’s too much at stake.”

Calgary City Councillor Sean Chu speaks with Jodi Pearson while door knocking along Hawkcliff Way NW for UCP candidate Prasad Panda, one of several conservative candidates he plans on supporting. Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Brendan Miller/Postmedia

A handful of the current crop of council members have past partisan experience or connections at the provincial level. Chu and Diane Colley-Urquhart have both run unsuccessfully for elected office under the former Progressive Conservative party banner.

A card-carrying member of the UCP and the federal Conservative party, Farkas formerly served as president of the Wildrose constituency in Calgary-Elbow. He says he feels strongly about municipal politicians being “up front” about their views.

“Every single politician has these leanings, some people just prefer to be more transparent about it than others,” he said.

Farkas, who is openly bisexual, also made the biggest splash of any councillor in the campaign so far by defending the UCP leader this week on Twitter after Kenney’s record on LGTBQ issues came under fire.

“The issue just kind of touched a nerve for me,” he said. “I hate when conservatives are cast as bigots when we aren’t.”

Farkas, who suffered bullying as a youth, has defended Kenney’s proposal which would roll back privacy protections for kids who join gay-straight alliances (GSAs). He says the UCP policy will ultimately be in line with similar protections in jurisdictions like Ontario and B.C.

“I take this very seriously and I think we should leave that decision in the hands of very highly trained professionals — the teachers who would do nothing besides (what is in) the best interests of the kids involved,” Farkas said. “I think a balance needs to be struck.”

Other councillors have donated money and time to candidates running in the provincial election. As recorded by Elections Alberta, councillors Magliocca, Chu and Peter Demong have donated to the former PC party. Farrell is a past contributor to the NDP and George Chahal was a contributor to the now-defunct Wildrose party.

Most councillors have assiduously avoided making their partisan preference publicly known on the grounds that it complicates things once the election is over.

Councillors like Shane Keating, Jyoti Gondek and Demong have, instead, raised the public profile of specific projects or issues, including funding for the Green Line and the Springbank dry dam, or pushing for modernization of rules on waste and recycling.

Gondek has been advocating for provincial candidates to consult municipalities on where future schools should be built. She says she scrutinizes candidates based on their knowledge of the riding and neighbourhoods they’re hoping to represent.

“I’m spoiled. I had a very good experience with my elected representative pushing for things that we needed,” Gondek said, praising outgoing Calgary-Northern Hills NDP MLA Jamie Kleinsteuber.

“I don’t know what that’s going to look like after April 16. I’m hoping it’s someone that’s from the community, (who) understand it and is passionate — but I don’t know.”

Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra says he tries to be non-partisan but admits there is a “Re-elect Joe Ceci” lawn sign in front of his home in southeast Calgary.

“My wife’s passionate and I’m not going to stand in her way. I can’t stand in her way and I wouldn’t stand in the way (of) her expressing her political opinions,” Carra says.

The three-term councillor says he’s grateful that partisan politics don’t dictate decisions at the municipal level.

“I think that partisanship is killing us,” Carra says, referring to persistent political divisions at the provincial and federal levels of government that interfere with practical decision-making.

When it’s come up in the past, Carra says, city council has resisted calls to increase the number of wards — despite the fact that Calgary currently has the same number of city councillors that it had in the 70s when the population was around 600,000 — largely in order to avoid the influence of slates and party politics on city hall.

“I relish the fact that city council is a non-partisan place. We might get feisty from time to time in our disagreements about specific things. But I relish the fact that our votes are generally all over the place. I think that that’s very healthy governance.”

mpotkins@postmedia.com
Twitter: @mpotkins

Flames engulfed a rural structure near Balzac, north of Calgary, Friday night, just a stone’s throw away from the site of a fire that destroyed the former Balzac Meats facility last June.

Firefighters responded to reports of a blaze just after 9 p.m. and found a barn on fire. The building was fully engulfed and collapsed, according to William Clarke, District Fire Chief for Rocky View County Fire Services.

Clarke said 14 trucks responded to the scene, from multiple stations in Rocky View County and Airdrie. They were able to get the fire under control by 2 a.m., he said.

The fire occurred about two kilometres north of CrossIron Mills Mall.

Flames and smoke barrelling into the sky could be seen for kilometres.

There are no reported injuries and the investigation is ongoing.

The father of Humboldt Broncos bus crash victim Logan Boulet said he would be “honoured” if an arena in Lethbridge was named after his son.

Almost exactly one year after the tragic crash, Lethbridge city council will vote Monday on whether to rechristen an arena in the southern Alberta city in Logan’s name to memorialize the late 21-year-old’s life.

“The city of Lethbridge has given so much to us,” said Toby Boulet.

“We’re honoured that the citizens in Lethbridge would want to name a historic arena after our son.”

City Coun. Blaine Hyggen is putting forward a proposal to rename the Adams Ice Centre, in the city’s north side, to Logan Boulet Arena. It’s where a young Logan started playing hockey and competed in until the age of 16.

Logan played defence for the Humboldt Broncos and was on the way to a playoff game when the team bus crashed, killing him and 15 others.

A month before his death, Boulet registered as an organ donor, impacting the lives of six people.

His decision has sparked a movement that’s been dubbed “The Logan Boulet Effect,” which has seen hundreds of people are following his lead and signing up to be organ donors themselves. In April 2018, the same month as the bus crash, 28,855 Albertans registered to become a donor representing an almost three-fold increase from an average 10,000 who sign up monthly.

Toby said he was proud of his son’s decision.

“Obviously, when it all came out, we wanted Logan back but now it’s not even a question, we feel an immense pride,” he said.

“Logan created the wave and now it’s a tsunami across Canada.”

Hyggen said Boulet has had an indelible impact on people across the world.

“His legacy has made us all think about how important this is and how many lives can be changed or saved because of this,” he said.

“It is probably one of the biggest things I have experienced in my life, as far as an individual that has done so much not just for his community, his province, the country, but (for) the world.”

His impact has reached the hearts of Lethbridge city council, too, where a handful of sitting councillors also made the decision to become organ donors following Boulet’s passing. Hyggen is confident the proposal will move forward in council.

“I’m feeling pretty positive that it will go the right way,” he said.

“It just seems like the right thing to do. I wouldn’t bring it forward if I didn’t think there was support from council.”

The original idea was brought forward by residents just days after the bus crash. While the idea was well-intentioned, Hyggen said they wanted to take time to adequately research and decide on a proper location to honour Boulet.

Adams Ice Centre is located in Lethbridge’s Adams Park, named after Elias (Shorty) Adams who was the city’s mayor in the early 1990s. The park will keep its name if council votes in favour of the proposal. Just the facility’s moniker will change.

Hyggen said the “Logan Boulet Arena” would be an inspiration to many young players and motivate them to become donors, as well, when they become of age.

Members of council will also vote on whether to allow the city’s mayor to proclaim April 7 Green Shirt Day, to promote organ donation awareness while honouring Boulet. Hyggen admits it will be “a little bit tougher” to pass.

Currently the mayor of Lethbridge, by resolution of council, doesn’t issue proclamations to mark events, issues or occasions.

The councillor hopes members vote to allow a “one-time exception” to the resolution.

Seventeen landmarks, including Lethbridge City Hall, the Calgary Tower and Niagara Falls, will be lit green to mark the day.

alsmith@postmedia.com

Alberta Health Services has issued an alert after a patient with measles visited several public facilities over a four-day period, potentially exposing others to the highly contagious virus.

The public health agency said the individual visited several locations between Tuesday and Friday, including the Peter Lougheed hospital, a number of provincial lab services facilities and a restaurant.

Dr. Karla Gustafson, medical officer of health with AHS Calgary Zone, said the agency wants Albertans to check their vaccine records and if they were in the specified locations, they can call Health Link to help confirm their vaccine status, for those born after 1970.

“We always encourage Albertans to be up to date on their vaccines,” she said.

Gustafson said a previous measles alert issued this month for Calgary and Cochrane did not result in any local spread of the virus, and is unrelated to this Calgary case.

Anyone who was potentially exposed on Friday, and doesn’t have a history of receiving two doses of measles-containing vaccine, is being offered immunization on Monday at the Brentwood Village Mall AHS immunization clinic from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Those who may have come into contact with the infected individual before Friday aren’t eligible for the preventative vaccine but are encouraged to review their immunization history and call Health Link at 811 for advice.

As well, anyone born after 1970 who potentially crossed paths with the carrier may be at risk of developing measles if they haven’t previously had the disease or haven’t received two doses of measles vaccine.

Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3 C or higher, coughing, runny nose, red eyes and a red blotchy skin rash that appears three to seven days after the fever starts, spreading from behind the ears and on the face down to the rest of the body.

Gustafson said symptoms can develop 10 days after exposure.

“For people who develop those symptoms and who may have been exposed, we recommend calling Health Link before seeking medical attention,” she said.

Pregnant women, children under one year and those with weakened immune systems due to disease or medication who were potentially exposed are advised to stay home and call Health Link before visiting a health care facility.

There is no treatment for measles but it can be prevented through immunization.

Gustafson said anyone travelling outside of North America should be aware that there are high case numbers of measles in various locations around the world, and to ensure that their vaccines are up to date prior to international travel.

Below are the facilities visited by the infected individual over the four-day period in Calgary:

March 26

Peter Lougheed Centre emergency department, 7 a.m to 6:40 p.m.

March 27

Peter Lougheed Centre outpatient waiting room, 10:50 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Peter Lougheed Centre outpatient laboratory, 3 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

Alberta Provincial Laboratories (formerly Calgary Lab Services), McKnight Village Clinic, 5426 Falsbridge Drive, N.E., 6:30 a.m. to 8:35 a.m.

McDonald’s Restaurant, 2680 52nd Street N.E. Calgary, Alberta, 7 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.

March 28

Alberta Provincial Laboratories (formerly Calgary Lab Services), Beddington Clinic, 209 8120 Beddington Blvd N.W., 7:15 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.

Alberta Provincial Laboratories (formerly Calgary Lab Services), Sunridge Clinic, 3, 2681 36 Street N.E., 3:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

March 29

Peter Lougheed Centre emergency department, 6:20 p.m. to 8:40 p.m.

Peter Lougheed Centre outpatient waiting room, 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.

United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney refused to comment Saturday on a reported court injunction seeking to shut down an investigation into the funding of the so-called “kamikaze” leadership campaign until after the Alberta election.

At a press conference, Kenney said he wouldn’t speak on a matter before the courts and said he only learned about it after a CBC story was published Friday afternoon.

“All I can tell you is that we’ve been clear from day one that, on any of these questions, we are happy to assist either the office of the election commissioner, the RCMP, or anyone else,” he said.

The apparent emergency court order, which aims to delay an investigation into irregular campaign contributions during the leadership race between Jeff Callaway, Kenney and former Wildrose Leader Brian Jean in 2017, was reportedly filed at the Calgary courthouse on Friday.

If successful, the injunction would suspend the probe until after the April 16 election.

The injunction reportedly named Callaway, wife Nicole Callaway, Jennifer Thompson, Darren Thompson, Bonnie Thompson and Robyn Lore as applicants. None could reached by Postmedia on Saturday.

According to the filing obtained by CBC, each of the six applicants has been contacted by the Office of the Election Commissioner regarding the leadership race.

On Monday, injunction arguments will be heard by a judge in Calgary’s Court of Queen’s Bench, in which lawyers will argue the commissioner’s investigation should be suspended immediately.

In response to the reported request for an injunction, Alberta Health Minister Sarah Hoffman said in a release it is a “completely unacceptable attempt to interfere in the work of the election commissioner in order to hush up facts (Kenney) doesn’t want the people of Alberta to know.”

Hoffman said the investigation has raised “serious unanswered questions” about potential voting fraud and campaign financing. She called on Kenney to instruct Callaway and others to withdraw the court injunction. 

In 2018, allegations of campaign misconduct arose after a recording was made public in which UCP insiders discussed Callaway running a “kamikaze” campaign to boost Kenney by attacking Jean and decreasing his chances at winning.

Callaway withdrew from the race and endorsed Kenney just before the vote, however Kenney has denied allegations that he made the deal.

Leaked e-mails and allegations of irregular donations further inflamed the issue.

In February, the election commissioner issued two penalties totaling $15,000 to former Callaway campaign manager Cameron Davies for obstructing an investigation into the irregular funding of the 2017 leadership race.

UCP member Karen Brown was also fined for donating money that came from other people to Callaway’s campaign.

Then, on March 6, the United Conservative dropped Randy Kerr as a UCP candidate for failing to inform the party about a $4,000 contribution to Callaway’s campaign.

The election commissioner handed an investigation into alleged funding irregularities to the RCMP in March.

At the time, an RCMP spokesperson told Postmedia they were aware of the allegations, but no further information would be provided unless criminal charges are laid.

Kenney said he has not been contacted by the RCMP and denies all allegations.

When asked about the “kamikaze” controversy, Kenney said, “This is not about our campaign. This is about someone else’s leadership campaign from 18 months ago. Albertans want to focus on jobs and the economy” in mid-March.

A cross-country tour aimed at gathering support for the permanent deletion of simple cannabis convictions made a stop in Calgary Saturday.

David Duarte, experiential event manager with B.C. cannabis producer Doja, said a lot of Calgarians came by the Pardon truck to sign the campaign’s petition.

“This tour’s really about driving awareness,” Duarte said. “With cannabis legalization coming and going, people think the conversation about those who have a record has ended, and we’re saying it hasn’t ended, and we’re still here fighting for them.”

Doja and the Cannabis Amnesty campaign are calling for expungement for people with a simple possession of marijuana conviction.

Duarte noted federal Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has introduced a bill to grant expedited, no-charge pardons to Canadians with simple cannabis convictions.

“People think that’s kind of the end of the story, but that’s just really hiding it on the record as an apology,” Duarte said. “It can still be brought back up later, it can still be leaked, and expungement is actually deleting it off the record.”

Duarte said on Saturday, he heard from someone who continues to be affected by a cannabis conviction from the 1980s.

“He can’t even apply for a student loan because of this charge he has back in the ’80s,” Duarte said.

Those behind the campaign are hoping to gather at least 10,000 signatures by the time the cross-country tour wraps up in Toronto. The campaign started in Vancouver last weekend and will also include stops in Edmonton on April 5 and 6, and in Winnipeg on April 12 and 13. The final stop, which will feature a rally, is from April 18 to 21.

The city has received more than 200 complaints related to election signs since the provincial campaign launched.

City staff say there were 302 calls made to 311 between March 19 and March 28 about signs on roadways. Out of those, 230, or 76 per cent, were related to election signs.

Thomas Diment with Calgary Community Standards said some of the rules about election signs, as outlined in the Temporary Signs on Highways Bylaw, are that signs can’t be within two metres of a fire hydrant, 15 metres of an intersection, two metres from a curb, on any traffic island or median, or within a playground zone.

The bylaw also states that an election sign is not legal on municipal property if it is closer than 20 metres from an election sign promoting the same candidate, obstructs any traffic control device or creates a traffic or pedestrian hazard, among a list of other regulations.

“If we get complaints in terms of the signs, the first thing we do is we send an officer to actually establish whether there is something that’s offending against the bylaw,” Diment said.

“The biggest issue really is one of public safety and danger, and if a sign’s in a dangerous position or it’s going to cause a danger, or it’s excessive in size or anything like that, we can remove them.”

If a bylaw officer does remove a sign, they would then get in touch with the relevant campaign office. Diment said if the situation is severe enough, officers can also issue specified penalties. Fines for violations of the regulations range between $75 and $1,000.

But Diment said campaign staff tend to be “very reasonable” and understanding when contacted by the city.

“Once we’ve given an explanation, then we tend to get very good co-operation,” he said. “But we will remove signs if they are a danger.”

On private land, the home owner’s permission is required before a sign can be placed on their property. The bylaw requires campaign signs to be removed 72 hours after an election.

This week, Calgary photographer and videographer Mike Drew took a trip through the fog-covered Porcupine Hills.

Watch his journey in the above video.

Frustrated their fears about the possible closure of Rosscarrock School are going unheard, advocates have launched a letter-writing campaign to convince the Calgary Board of Education to keep the doors open.

Families who depend on the inner-city school for its small class sizes, engaged teachers and vital after-school care program are also planning on speaking at the April 9 CBE board meeting where trustees will make a final decision on whether the school closes.

“We are trying to bring vitality back to this school,” said Christine Reynolds, who runs Creative Discoveries, a preschool program which also provides before and after school care through leased space within the school.

“It’s a really important place for a lot of people in this community, especially new Canadians,” Reynolds added, explaining that immigrant families appreciate they can live in a community that is walking distance to a school, a public library, a daycare, a shopping centre and an LRT station.

“It would be really difficult for them to have to send their kids somewhere else.”

Reynolds said she is rallying dozens of parents and families to write letters to the CBE about how important the school is to their children and the community.

Last month, CBE trustees voted in favour of considering the closure of Rosscarrock School after more than a decade of declining enrolment.

Administrators are recommending Rosscarrock families divert their kids to one of two regular programs — Wildwood School, a 1.7-kilometre, 25-minute walk which has young children crossing Bow Trail S.W., or Glendale School, a 1.5-kilometre, 20-minute walk which would have kids cross 17th Avenue S.W.

At a recent community meeting about the school’s closure, well-attended on a very frigid night, Reynolds said trustees were asked whether they would be willing to walk 20 to 25 minutes in very cold temperatures and crossing busy streets.

“We just got the sense from them that they just do not care about our children,” she said.

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Carrie Edwards, director of planning and transportation for CBE, said both Wildwood and Glendale would meet the provincial guidelines for walking distance at fewer than 2.4 kilometres for Rosscarrock residents and that even while students may have to cross busy streets, there are controlled intersections.

“Safety is always a concern when we’re talking about our students,” Edwards said. “But we remind parents that travel to and from school bus stops, or to and from school, is a parental responsibility.”

Trustee Richard Hehr, who represents the area, refused to provide comment.

According to the CBE, Rosscarrock School has capacity for 416 students. But the population hovered at around 150 students over the past decade. Enrolment bumped significantly in 2015 when the school began taking in students from a wider area through alternative programs like French immersion and Spanish bilingual.

But those programs have since migrated to other schools, leaving only about 106 students as of January 2019.

Community leaders like Reynolds ask whether the CBE would consider offering another alternative program, like a science school since STEM programming has grown so much in popularity among parents wanting their kids to prepare for a high-tech workforce.

Trustee Lisa Davis, the only board member to vote against considering closure of the school, said she encourages members of the public to offer their comments about the recommended closure and whether they would be interested in alternative programs.

“I do continue to hear about interest in a science program for the area. It has been a clear theme for the past few years and there is always a lot of interest in more STEM programming in the surrounding communities,” Davis said, explaining that the public has until noon on April 8 to send in their comments to CBE at dialogue@cbe.ab.ca.

All comments received from the public will be provided to trustees for review before they vote April 9.

Edwards added that if the board does decide to close the regular program at Rosscarrock, there is still a possibility the board could consider exploring the possibility of alternative programming at the same site.

eferguson@postmedia.com

Seniors are at the heart of the Alberta Liberal Party’s health care platform.

Leader David Khan announced Sunday a collection of initiatives to address the “grey wave” that is coming to Alberta, which he said is the biggest long-term fiscal threat to the province.

What Khan is referring to is Alberta’s seniors population, which is soon to grow exponentially. The number of residents aged 65 or older is expected to more than double from almost 530,000 to over 1.1 million by 2040, according to the Government of Alberta.

“If you look at the demographic wave, it’s like a tsunami is approaching us,” said Khan.

“Not only will there be far more seniors requiring health care services than there have been in the past as a percentage of the population, but obviously the cost to provide health care to seniors is higher per capita because of their more complex health care needs.”

If elected, the Liberals have promised to invest $150 million into home care and assisted living and $100 million towards expanding preventative care, in addition to building 2,200 new long-term beds over the next four years.

The Liberal party plans to commission a preventative health care task force to evaluate strategies that would reduce long-term costs without jeopardizing outcomes or access.

Khan said focusing on long-term care and home care would save Albertans money due to the high costs of acute care, which he said is about four times more expensive than home care and more than twice as expensive as long-term care. In doing so, acute care spaces would be freed up for priority patients.

There would also be emphasis on boosting community care.

The Liberals have promised 200 more long-term care beds than the New Democratic Party. Khan said the beds are critical health infrastructure needed to drive down long-term costs and meet people’s needs. Khan said his party would take advantage of non-profit, faith-based and private companies that build these beds for “half the cost.”

He said voters should be concerned about the NDP’s and United Conservative Party’s health care platforms.

Khan said UCP Leader Jason Kenney is being “dismissive of health care spending” and that his plan to maintain spending will still result in health care cuts due to inflation and population growth. In terms of Rachel Notley’s government, he said the NDP “hasn’t done a whole lot to improve the health care system” when speaking about wait times.

The Liberal party will announce the other half of its health care platform this week, speaking about the larger health system and where it can save on administrative costs, improve wait times and more efficiently run hospital and emergency rooms.

Khan said the party’s focus will be on education during the election campaign. If elected, the Liberals would reduce class sizes, advocate for inclusive education by ending seclusion or isolation in classrooms and provide additional funding for teachers aides to support special needs students.

Financially, the Liberals have also promised to reduce income taxes, cut the corporate tax by two per cent and introduce an eight-per-cent HST. The party will also grant new revenue-generating powers to Calgary and Edmonton and allow urban municipalities to veto or approve oil and gas drilling within their own boundaries.

The Liberals have also released a variety of platform policies in relation to gender equality, Indigenous rights, social issues, energy and the economy.

Khan is running in the hotly contested riding of Calgary-Mountain View against United Conservative Party candidate Jeremy Wong (who took Caylan Ford’s place after she stepped down following a report showing white nationalist rhetoric she posted online), current NDP Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley and Alberta Party candidate and former broadcaster Angela Kokott.

This will be the second time Khan has gone head-to-head with Ganley after losing to her in the Calgary Buffalo riding during the last provincial election. Ganley switched ridings with Joe Ceci, and Khan is looking to succeed longtime Liberal MLA and former party leader David Swann, who served in the riding for 15 years.

“People are really happy with (Swann’s) representation of them and strong liberal leadership in the legislature,” said Khan. “They are really happy to see that I’m passionate about the same issues he is and will continue his good work in this legislature and continue advocating for the things that residents of Calgary-Mountain View really care about.”

It has been dubbed the only “four-party race” in the province.

alsmith@postmedia.com

Calgarians might be looking at a “new normal” on their property tax bills, as council looks to fill a tax revenue hole left by downtown office vacancies and thus shift the burden to homeowners through rate hikes.

Council is set Monday to debate how to make up a $250-million funding gap from declining property tax revenue in the core and to finalize plans for 2019 property tax rates.

But years of low downtown property values and a struggling economy mean keeping city coffers full will likely mean hiking residential property taxes, which could result in increases of as much as $500 to the average tax bill by 2022.

Coun. Jyoti Gondek said the potentially unpopular decision of raising rates on homeowners could fix a taxation “imbalance” between Calgary’s “14,000 (properties) on the non-residential side” and “half-a-million properties on the residential side.”

“I’m hoping we move towards a 50-50 split and rip the Band-Aid off, because we have spent so many years doing so many patchwork solutions,” Gondek said.

“The priorities and finance committee should have been talking about this for the last year at least. And, because we didn’t, we’re in a situation where (Monday) is our drop-dead deadline date.”

Ward 3 Councillor Jyoti Gondek says she’s in favour of ‘a 50-50 split’ between Calgary residential and non-residential property owners to shift the city’s tax burden off businesses.

A city report last month showed Calgary has lost approximately $250 million in non-residential property taxes due to the values of downtown real estate declining to the tune of $14 billion.

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In addition to splitting the burden, council will consider using any 2019 tax room — property tax dollars occasionally left on the table after the province takes its share — to soften the blow to residential ratepayers.

City administration will recommend council continue supporting the use of reserve funding for one-time payments to “mitigate the impact” on affected property owners — payments which have cost city reserves $90 million over the last two years.

Included in Monday’s agenda is a revised notice of motion from Coun. Evan Woolley calling to shift the burden; but it includes hard cuts to city spending and a raid on funds from reserves set aside for four major new capital projects, including a new arena in Victoria Park.

Woolley’s plan would see the average tax bill increase by $256 over three years, while a more dramatic hike proposed by Gondek could result in the aforementioned $500 increase to the average tax bill by 2022.

A city report last month showed Calgary has lost approximately $250 million in non-residential property taxes due to the values of downtown real estate to the tune of $14 billion. A lease-opportunity sign hangs on a building in downtown Calgary in this file photo.

Coun. Sean Chu said he acknowledges the non-residential property tax rates need to come down but said he can’t support a “crazy increase for the residents,” saying both plans would put too much burden on homeowners.

“I think we have a spending issue, not a revenue issue,” Chu said. “Overall, we have to cut spending. We have to tighten our belt and we can’t continue providing gold-level service; maybe silver.”

Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra believes a property tax bill should “never be a determinant” for a business to leave Calgary and said higher rates on homeowners could be part of the “new normal.” However, he said, there should be rebates to ensure low-income or at-risk Calgarians can afford any hikes.

Carra, who said the increases are needed to fix the tax problem at an institutional level, likened such temporary measures as using reserve funds to alleviate the burden to “shoving (money) into a hole that’s a year-over-year problem.”

“Those (reserve funds) are the savings, and you can only find year-over-year savings to a point before you start hitting bone,” he said. “It’s time to start paying what things cost.”

Chu disagreed, saying a crisis like this is what the city’s “rainy-day fund” was made for.

“Now, it’s not just raining, it’s pouring,” Chu said. “Let’s use those funds.”

Residential property tax increases in Calgary over the past decade:

• 2018: 3.1 per cent
• 2017: 0 per cent
• 2016: 6.1 per cent
• 2015: 4.5 per cent
• 2014: 4.8 per cent
• 2013: 13 per cent
• 2012: 5.1 per cent
• 2011: 10.4 per cent
• 2010: 4.8 per cent
• 2009: 5.3 per cent

RRumbolt@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @RCRumbolt

The city hopes to give more than 100 would-be Calgary cannabis retailers an extension on opening their doors after the province’s marijuana supply issues ground licence approvals to a halt last fall.

Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis put a moratorium on cannabis store applications in November due to nationwide supply shortages of cannabis a little over a month after recreational pot became legal in October.

Applicants need a city-approved change of land use development permit before applying for a provincial licence, but those development permits also require a retailer to open for business within a year of approval.

Some stores, with no stock to sell, have not opened and despite the province green lighting 10 additional stores in January, shortages expected to last 18 months have led the city to consider extending the one-year development window to three years so businesses don’t default on their permits.

A city committee will consider the extension on Tuesday or risk 132 approved storefronts running out their permits.

Coun. Ward Sutherland said those extensions would come at zero cost to the applicant.

“Having the renewals at no charge is a no-brainer,” Sutherland said, adding the city has in the past granted extensions to building developers hit hard by the economic downturn.

But the province’s pause on pot permissions has Coun. Jyoti Gondek concerned about what granting free extensions will cost the city.

“What has been the implication on our resources to go through this? Because every time we expend energy and resources on this particular item, it is taking a toll on our budget and I don’t know that we’re being compensated properly,” Gondek said.

Cannabis plants grow at Boaz Crafting Cannabis in Calgary on Wednesday September 26, 2018. Gavin Young/Postmedia

Numbers from the city show there were 409 development permit applications for cannabis stores as of Jan. 29. Of those permits 156 were approved, 91 were refused, 64 were under review and another 98 were cancelled.

The city has awarded business licences to 35 stores and another 78 are pending. Of those, only 24 have opened in Calgary.

Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra said granting the extensions is “just housekeeping” on a file that’s become a “much more fraught and difficult regulatory project than (council) thought it would be.”

He said legalizing cannabis has proved to be “less of societal shift” than expected, adding the permit issue is only a speed bump on the road to getting Calgary’s cannabis marketplace up and running.

But Gondek said granting the extensions means the city is “spending more money trying to fix a problem that’s not even ours, and we’re not getting our fair share of the revenue in the first place.”

“Through no fault of business and through no fault of the municipality, we’re now at a time, again, where we have to change the way we operate to make sure we’re providing equitable service to our clients,” Gondek said.

Data released by Statistics Canada in January showed Alberta accounted for more than a third of the country’s legal pot shops.

RRumbolt@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @RCRumbolt

RCMP are searching for a Calgary hunter missing in the Williams Creek area since Saturday.

Police say at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Timothy Benedict Campbell went hunting with his son and a friend west of Sundre. Campbell went off on his own to follow an animal track and did not return to the group. His son and friend called the police when they could not find him.

The RCMP has deployed officers, air services and search dogs to look for the man, and are being assisted by the Sundre and Rocky Mountain House Search and Rescue and the Clearwater Fire Rescue.

Campbell is described as a 33-year-old Indigenous male. He is about six feet tall, weighing 161 pounds and was last seen wearing blue jeans and a Carhardt jacket.

One man is dead after the vehicle he was driving crashed last night in the city’s northwest.

Calgary police say at about 7 p.m. Sunday, a single vehicle rolled over on Symons Valley Road. The only person in the vehicle, a male driver, died in the collision.

Police continue to investigate and are looking into whether speed was a factor in the crash.

An arena in Lethbridge will be getting a name change as the city honours the memory of local hockey player Logan Boulet, one of 16 people killed in the Humboldt Broncos crash last year.

On Monday, city council unanimously voted in favour of re-christening Adams Park Ice Centre as the Logan Boulet Arena. The Lethbridge native was killed twhen he Humboldt Broncos team bus collided with a semi-truck on April 6, 2018.

“Logan is someone who will be remembered and should be remembered as a remarkable young man,” Coun. Blaine Hyggen, who put the resolution forward, said in a statement.

“His compassion and dedication to both hockey and to wanting to make the world a better place is contagious. It is my absolute pleasure to bring this resolution forward.”

Logan Boulet’s parents Toby and Bernadine visit their son’s grave in Lethbridge on Wednesday March 13, 2019. The couple are honouring Logan’s life by helping organizations to promote organ donor registrations. Logan’s organ donations created a huge rise in organ donation registration across Canada which has become known as the Logan Boulet effect. Green shirt day on April 7, the day Logan died and helped six others, will raise awareness for organ donations. Gavin Young/Postmedia

A month before his death, Boulet registered as an organ donor, impacting the lives of six people.

His decision has sparked a movement that’s been dubbed “The Logan Boulet Effect,” which has seen thousands of people follow his lead and sign up to be organ donors themselves. In April 2018, the same month as the bus crash, 28,855 Albertans registered to become a donor representing an almost three-fold increase from an average 10,000 who sign up monthly.

RRumbolt@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @RCRumbolt

Calgarians should get on the right political track and support the NDP, which promises to support its beleaguered energy industry by moving oil by rail, the party’s leader Rachel Notley said Monday.

Standing in front of trains in the city’s CP Rail Alyth yards and behind a new sign reading “Fighting for Calgary,” Notley reiterated the NDP’s plan to lease 4,400 rail cars to move 120,000 barrels of oil a day starting in July.

“I want to speak directly to Calgarians today about the choice and also about my plan to defend and grow Calgary’s economy. . . I love this city,” she said.

“Not only does moving oil by rail clear the backlog, it sends the right signal to international investors; it says we will not strand our oil.”

She said the $3.7 billion cost of the lease deal will yield a $2.2 billion return in royalties and other revenues.

She noted UCP Leader Jason Kenney has made clear his government would terminate that deal, insisting the private sector would move that oil without government investment.

“In pledging to scuttle our plan, Mr. Kenney puts all this in jeopardy; that’s not how a premier should act,” said Notley.

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley with Joe Ceci and Calgary Southeast candidate, Heather Eddy, spoke to Calgarians about why UCP Leader Jason Kenney’s plan to cancel Alberta’s oil-by-rail deal is bad for the city, province and Calgarians on Monday, April 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia

As the election campaign reaches its midpoint, some in the NDP camp say they’re noticing a public opinion shift in their favour in Calgary on doorsteps and elsewhere.

The city is widely considered a make-or-break arena in the campaign.

An Ekos Research poll of 1,015 people conducted March 15 to 26 — and commissioned by union group Unifor — suggests the NDP is closing the gap in Calgary, with 42 per cent support compared to 46 per cent for the UCP.

On Monday, Notley was non-committal about how her party is doing in Calgary public opinion.

“What the result is I can’t speak to; all I can speak to is what our record is, what our plan is and the fact we promise to deliver both with as much integrity and commitment as possible,” she said.

The NDP has the most promising energy policies, said the party’s Calgary-South East candidate Heather Eddy, whose career has been in the city’s oilpatch.

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley with Joe Ceci and Calgary Southeast candidate, Heather Eddy on Monday, April 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia

But she said the campaign in the city remains a tough challenge.

“People say they like Rachel Notley but it’s hard for Calgarians to say that out loud. . . But, it’s getting better,” she said.

The late 2014 plunge in oil prices, which was beyond politicians’ control, said Eddy, is by far the biggest factor behind Calgary’s economic woes.

Campaigning in Edmonton Monday, Kenney roasted Notley for spending taxpayer dollars on the oil-by-rail plan.

United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney respond to the federal carbon tax, which takes effect Monday during a news conference at the Lymburn Esso in west Edmonton, April 1, 2019. Ed Kaiser/Postmedia

“This is one of the most irresponsible deals ever taken by a provincial government, to do something the private sector is already doing,” he said.n “Experts say the NDP got taken in this deal, that they paid about twice what the real price should be.”

On Monday, Notley insisted small- and medium-sized producers were being squeezed by the price differential, leaving the government little choice but to act.

“He’s wrong in saying just leaving it entirely to the private sector will fix the problem,” she said.

But Kenney insisted Notley’s dealings with the federal Liberal government on pipelines have failed to deliver and have left the province in the lurch and Calgarians with the highest urban unemployment rate in Canada.

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He said Calgary’s plight isn’t fully appreciated in some parts of the province or by some candidates running for office.

“A lot of people living in a political bubble don’t have a clue of what’s happening,” said Kenney.

He said estimates of nearly one-third of the city’s downtown office space lying vacant are “probably significantly lower than reality” because some of it is listed as leased, but sits empty.

He said his party’s platform offers the best solution for Calgary’s economic revival, while the UCP also includes a municipal report card in its platform to keep tax-and-spend civic politicians on notice, said Kenney.

“We want to empower voters to know how their city and town is doing compared to others,” said Kenney.

Calgary’s importance in deciding the April 16 outcome isn’t in doubt, but how well the NDP fares in the city remains a question, said University of Lethbridge political scientist Geoffrey Hale.

“I’ve driven back and forth to Calgary and I would be surprised, with the possible exception of Lesser Slave Lake, if a single rural riding goes ND this time around,” said Hale.

“It comes down to Calgary and the more centre city ridings leaning more ND, (with) the more outlying ridings depend on socio-economic profile.”

With files from Sammy Hudes

BKaufmann@postmedia.com

on Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn

NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s campaign took a notable strategic turn on Monday.

She offered an all-out declaration of love for Calgary — literally — and an emotional vow to back the city at every turn.

“I love this city and I love what it stands for,” she told reporters. “A strong Calgary means a strong Alberta. Everyone knows it.

“Here, hard work is currency, independence runs deep, and nothing will ever change that.”

Notley wasn’t wearing a Flames jersey — yet. There are still two weeks to go.

She has already spent a lot of time in Calgary and certainly expressed support. Even before the campaign started, she promised more than $1 billion in projects.

The NDP knows that without a cluster of Calgary seats — 10 or more — victory will be almost impossible on April 16.

Polls suggest NDP gains in Calgary support, but Notley hasn’t broken through, despite the relentless attack ads against UCP Leader Jason Kenney.

Strategists apparently feel they were getting the Calgary tone wrong. In my view, they are correct.

Notley hasn’t been speaking directly and emotionally to the deep anger many Calgarians feel. Her habitual tone of steady competence seemed a bit distant. She didn’t appear to be taking Calgary’s troubles personally.

That changed Monday when she talked about the city and the Trans Mountain pipeline.

“The oil price collapse hurt this city and it shook our confidence,” she said.

“You’re worried about your jobs, you’re worried about how much your house is worth, you’re worried about your kids’ education, your retirement savings, and also about the future of your city.

“I’ve thrown everything I have into building a new pipeline and upgrading our resources. It has been the fight of my life. I want to thank Calgarians for their support in this fight. We’ve stood together in this fight whatever our political affiliation …

“If the people of Calgary elect me to be premier, I will focus every day on defending this city and our energy industry. I will fight until the pipeline is built — and it will be built.”

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley with Joe Ceci and Calgary Southeast candidate, Heather Eddy, spoke to Calgarians about why UCP Leader Jason Kenney’s plan to cancel Alberta’s oil-by-rail deal is bad for the city, province and Calgarians on Monday, April 1, 2019. Darren Makowichuk/Postmedia

Up in Edmonton, Kenney was blasting the “Trudeau-Notley alliance” he says has virtually ruined Calgary and Alberta.

Kenney vowed to fight just as hard for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s defeat as he does for Notley’s.

Kenney also promises revenge against the forces lined up against Alberta — with court challenges to federal law, a “war room” to defend the energy industry, funding for First Nations that want pipelines, lawsuits against energy industry opponents.

Say what you will about the plans, they resonate with many Calgarians on an almost primal level. After four years of hard times, there’s an appetite for the big change, the grand gesture, a powerful change of direction.

And Calgary is the crucial battleground.

The NDP won 15 Calgary seats last time. But it happened because of vote splits. In nearly every riding captured by a New Democrat, the combined PC and Wildrose vote outstripped the NDP percentage.

Only Joe Ceci, in Calgary-Fort, won more votes than the combined PC and Wildrose totals.

That NDP advantage is now history. In this campaign, Notley faces just one strong conservative party.

For NDP candidates to compete in city ridings, support will have to climb 10 per cent from 2015 levels. That’s no easy feat for a hard-times government.

The 2012 and 2015 Alberta elections — not to mention the 2017 Calgary civic vote — taught me not to put much faith in the predictive power of polls. They’re snapshots of opinion that can change very quickly, especially at the end of a campaign.

It’s hard to say if Notley’s passionate Calgary pitch will get any traction.

But every successful leader has to acknowledge strong emotion and reflect it responsibly. Never too late to start.

dbraid@postmedia.com

Twitter: @DonBraid

Facebook: Don Braid Politics

United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney vowed to launch a formal court challenge of the federal carbon tax by the end of the month if he wins the April 16 provincial election.

Kenney, who has already pledged to scrap Alberta’s carbon tax, said Monday that he would instruct his attorney general to file the challenge in Alberta’s appeal court no later than April 30.

He said there are constitutional questions surrounding whether Ottawa can even impose the tax, which took effect Monday in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick, the four provinces that opted not to impose their own pricing schemes on carbon emissions.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau framed the move as a win for the environment, tweeting “it’s no longer free to pollute anywhere in Canada.” The federal tax is $20 a tonne for this year and is set to increase by $10 annually until it reaches $50 a tonne in April 2022.

NDP Leader Rachel Notley introduced a $20 per tonne carbon levy under her government’s climate strategy in January 2017. The levy increased to $30 per tonne last year and would rise to $50 a tonne by 2022, in line with the federal plan.

In Edmonton, Kenney said the NDP carbon tax plan would add 11 cents to the price of a litre of gasoline in Alberta once fully implemented.

“The average family could save up to $1,150 a year under the UCP plan to scrap the Notley-Trudeau carbon tax,” he said.

“The NDP promised us that the carbon tax would be progressive. In fact, as they raise it, it becomes increasingly regressive, increasingly attacks on the poor.”

Kenney said a constitutional challenge could take years so he’ll also do whatever he can to see Trudeau defeated in the October federal election.

“It is in Alberta’s vital economic interests, for the future of jobs and prosperity in this province, that we not only defeat this tax-hiking NDP government, but that we also defeat their close ally in Ottawa — Justin Trudeau,” he said.

“I, as leader of the United Conservative party, will do everything within our power to ensure that he is not returned as prime minister to work with an NDP government to raise our taxes.”

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Ontario drivers began paying about 4.4 cents a litre more for gas on Monday, leading Premier Doug Ford to hammer his anti-carbon tax message.

“Nobody trusts the federal government when they cross their fingers and they say they will eventually — eventually, that’s the magical word — eventually give money back to us,” said Ford, whose Progressive Conservatives cancelled a cap-and-trade program introduced by the former Liberal government after taking power last year.

Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna dismissed Ford’s contention the carbon price could lead to a recession as “irresponsible political rhetoric.”

Saskatchewan, which is also challenging the tax in court, says it has amended regulations so the PST won’t be charged on the carbon tax on SaskPower bills.

“Even as our government is fighting this harmful tax in court, the federal government is imposing their carbon tax on Saskatchewan families, communities and businesses,” said Premier Scott Moe.

New Brunswick is an intervener in Saskatchewan and Ontario’s court challenges.

— With files from Emma Graney, Postmedia

First-time dog owner Johnny Tran is asking the community for help locating his missing four-legged friend Holly, an adult jindo-mix rescued from a meat farm in South Korea, who is now on the run in Calgary.

Holly was rescued by Go Rescue Korea, a not-for-profit that saves the animals from their fate as food. She was then taken to Canada by volunteers at the Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue where the dog was adopted by Tran.

But the dog’s new lease on life took an ironic twist when Holly broke free of her leash on March 18, and has been loose in the northeast community of Monterey Park ever since.

Tran said Holly has “every possible behavioural issue” a rescue dog can have, but was starting to warm up to her new owner. Holly has anxiety when she’s around loud vehicles or children, Tran said, and was startled by a vehicle when out for a walk last month.

Calgary dog owner Johnny Tran is asking Calgarians in the northeast to keep an eye out for his adopted dog Holly who was rescued from a South Korean meat farm earlier this year. Anyone who spots Holly is asked to contact Tran at 403-615-0118. Provided / Johnny Tran

“She started having a panic attack,” Tran said. “She kind of bolts in all directions, including running into traffic. I guess from all that pulling (the leash) came off or malfunctioned.”

Holly has an imbedded microchip, so Tran will be notified if she’s picked up by the city.

But Tran has started a Facebook page called Help Bring Holly Home in hopes of spreading the word of his runaway pooch. He said there have been a few sightings posted to the page but she was last seen in the early morning hours of March 22.

“One of the biggest things keeping me going is the whole dog community,” Tran said. “(Finding Holly) would mean the world, because, even for the short amount of time I’ve had her, we’ve made so much progress together.”

This is the second time Holly has run away from her adopted home. Her first escape came in February, just days after Tran brought her home. Tran said Holly snuck out of the house on Feb. 8 but was caught in a humane trap three days later in good health.

Calgary dog owner Johnny Tran is asking Calgarians in the northeast to keep an eye out for his adopted dog Holly who was rescued from a South Korean meat farm earlier this year. Anyone who spots Holly is asked to contact Tran at 403-615-0118. Provided / Johnny Tran

Rory O’Neill, director of the Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue and canine behaviouralist, said dogs kept at South Korean meat farms live in an “environment with nothing but terror around them” and are often fed the meat of other dogs.

“They are bred in despicable, dilapidated cages in a very cold environment where they’re never cleaned out,” O’Neill said. “Dogs are very traumatized when they come out because they watch their fellow cage mates get beaten to death.”

She said the rescued dogs need a lot of rehabilitation “to learn how to trust.”

“We’re trying to find people, like Johnny, who care,” O’Neill said.

Anyone who spots Holly is asked to visit Tran’s Facebook page or call the owner directly at 403-615-0118.

To learn more about Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue visit www.rockymountainanimalrescue.com. To learn more about Go Rescue Korea visit www.gorescuekorea.com.

RRumbolt@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @RCRumbolt