According to an email circulated to Mount Royal University staff by president David Docherty, and obtained by Fast Forward Weekly, the university was forced to close two centres that evaluated internationally educated nurses in Edmonton and Calgary, despite recent claims by minister of health Fred Horne.

In an interview with the CBC, Horne said the decision to close the program was made by the university. In the email from Docherty, however, he writes: "This statement obscures the true nature and depth of our discussion on this issue with ministry officials dating back as early as July 2012."

Docherty goes on to explain that the provincial government would not commit to long-term funding of the program despite the need … Read More

Market Collective has found a new home for the month of December on International Avenue in Calgary's S.E.

As of December 1st, the local artists' market will be at 1720 Radisson Drive, a former car dealership off 17th Avenue and 33rd Street S.E. It will be open on the weekends of Dec. 1–2, 8–9 and 15–16.

Market co-founder Angel Guerra says she is not sure if this will be a permanent home, but is open to the idea. Market Collective has been in a dispute with the Calgary Parking Authority and Kensington Business Revitalization Zone over the dates it could use for its holiday market at its long-term location in Kensington's Ant Hill building. After failing to agree on alternative dates or venues, market managers decided to look elsewhere in … Read More

Glenbow Museum President and CEO Kirstin Evenden has resigned her position. A museum press release states Evenden is leaving "to pursue new avenues in her career." She had been employed at the Glenbow for 19 years.

The museum has appointed Donna Livingstone to serve as interim president. Livingstone has served on the Glenbow's board of governors in various capacities, most recently as the chair of the Collections and Access Committee. She is also the director of Cultural and Community Programming with Libraries and Cultural Resources at the University of Calgary.

Evenden was appointed President and CEO in 2008. She had been criticized by staff and in the media for overseeing four consecutive years of budget deficits … Read More

Former cabinet minister Ron Liepert has been hired by the lobbyist organization Canadian Strategic Group, in Calgary as a senior advisor. Liepert began working for the provincial government in 1980, eventually becoming the minister of Health, Energy and Education before announcing he would not seek further office in the April 2012 election.

The Alberta Lobbyists Act requires politicians wait one year from the point of leaving office to working as a lobbyist. According to the Calgary Herald, Hal Danchilla, a principal of Canadian Strategic Group and a former staffer for Ralph Klein, says Liepert will not be in contact with the government before that cooling-off period expires in eight months, but will impart his … Read More

Here's one for the you-can't-make-this-shit-up category. The latest appointment to the CBC board, as reported by iPolitics (sorry, no link thanks to a paywall) and the Ottawa Citizen is Marni Larkin, a Conservative strategist from Manitoba. 

It's a great move on the part of this increasingly shrewd and intelligent government. Of course, that insight is based entirely on this moving video about the power of magic in our lives that Marni was apparently willing to share for $1 day (her website no longer exists, which makes me quite sad. I wanted magic in my life damn it!).

Powerful stuff. 

So, there you have it follks. This probably has nothing to do with the Conservative desire to discredit and defund the national broadcaster, right?

The Alberta government has announced plans to file suit against tobacco manufacturers to recoup $10 billion it estimates it spent treating Albertans' tobacco-related illnesses.

Health Minister Fred Horne said in a May 30 press release that diseases associated with tobacco use are responsible for the deaths of 3,000 Albertans every year.

Health spokesperson Bart Johnson was unable to say which tobacco companies are being sued, but did say the lawsuit has been "in the works" since 2010.

"We've had a law firm on board for a year now and... we're in a position where we can file a statement of claim, and we'll do that in the next two weeks," says Johnson.

The province is joining ranks, and is expected to collaborate to some degree, with BC, New … Read More

Dave Taylor, the only person to sit as an Alberta Party MLA after crossing the floor from the Liberals, isn't so sure the Alberta Party should exist anymore and let it be known in a fairly dismissive blog post today (May 25).

The party is throwing a get together on May 26 in Edmonton called The Big Thank You, and Taylor doesn't see why he should care about it. Actually, he sees no reason why he shouldn't just piss on their parade (even if it is essentially a celebration of them not doing very well).

Taylor writes:

"From what I'm hearing through the grapevine, the organizers want this shindig to be sunshine and lollipops, rainbows and puppies. And from the agenda, it appears there will be at least a little time set aside to talk about what worked and … Read More

Never has a situation cried out more for a car bra.

Photo: CBC's John Archer

Alberta EMS Senior Vice President Sue Conroy spoke with Fast Forward for this week’s article about EMS concerns. Though she was not able to speak before the story went to print, a transcript of the interview is available here:

Reporter: I’m looking for some response from the government and AHS the survey and what is going to happen now.

Sue Conroy: Alberta Health Services actually has responsibility for operations for EMS in the province. I just want to be sure you’re aware of that, I’m not speaking on behalf of government. Very good. So you’re aware of the survey, and again just to reiterate, so, the survey was done by HSAA and in, of the staff in the Edmonton Metro area.

So I guess I want to begin by saying that I certainly do take the feedback … Read More