It was a lousy past week for the provincial NDP government.
It does not matter one bit the huge and growing provincial deficit is largely not its fault but with last week's news that it jumped mightily the mainstream media does not care. Premier Rachel Notley and her crew got slayed by opinion makers, and unless they shed their stubborn insistence on going full steam ahead with the full carbon tax it will only get worse.
While the basic policy is progressive and noble, its financial implementation time frame on the backs of reeling Albertans only proves the Notley government is hell-bent on ideology first, and common sense last.
Meanwhile, Innisfailians will find out the impact of the carbon tax on their pocketbooks this fall when the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association releases its report, and later when town council agonizes over the 2017 municipal budget. Mayor Brian Spiller has warned us all it won't be good news.
So, for the moment anyways it is an appropriate time to salute good news, especially when it comes from our own backyard.
Town council and its administration have had a good year, bouncing back nicely from earlier mandate stumbles, specifically communication strategies to handle the original proposed dump site beside the Westwood Court Mobile Home Park, and shifting its policy on the delivery of social programming.
However, council and administration have kept the town's finances in great shape while moving forward on critically important infrastructure projects. It helped that many of these projects came in way under budget, thanks to lower costs due to stiff contractor competition. But give council and administration credit for having their eye on the ball. They were elected and hired to make this happen in the best circumstances that were put before them, and they jumped quickly and ably at the opportunity. Full credit must be given.
In this week's paper there is a boatload of good news for the community as well. The long-awaited expansion and modernization project for Town Hall is about to start. The total two-year budget is more than $2 million and it will be done without the town going into debt. The concept plans are in for the new skatepark, a long overdue project that will have immense social benefits. And again, there will be no debt with this. The local Kinsmen and Kinette clubs, who are spearheading fundraising for the $500,000 project, will see to that.
Most impressively, the town and Innisfail Eagles have worked out a deal that will finally see the hockey club get a badly needed professional dressing room and greeting area without breaking the town's bank. The two sides sat down and the town pitched in $195,000 that essentially came from savings, while the Eagles will have to raise another $170,000. There will be no hit to local taxpayers.
What this really shows is that the agreement, along with the town's prudent fiscal management in 2016, has raised the bar on gentlemanly common sense, a fact that has totally escaped leaders with the provincial government.
Are you at all watching and listening Madame Premier?
