Lies Danielle Smith told, no shelter for the wicked, and drug deaths spiral
The Colossally Irrational Report - Special Family Day Cheerful Vibes Edition
My Scottish/Irish ancestors arrived on the east coast of so-called “Canada” in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s and were part of several waves of genocidal colonization of the Indigenous people who were already here. I like to start every new post by explaining my family’s history and keeping this foremost in my mind (and my writing) at all times. I know I have benefited as a result of colonization, and I find the history deeply troubling. It is what motivates me to understand the true history and advocate for real reconciliation. As a child in the 1970’s, I moved west with my family and am grateful to be writing this newsletter in Moh’kinsstis, and the traditional Treaty 7 territory of the Blackfoot confederacy: Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, as well as the Îyâxe Nakoda and Tsuut’ina nations. This territory is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3 within the historical Northwest Métis homeland. I recognize that the land I now work and live on was stolen from these nations (truth) and I support giving the land back as an act of reconciliation.
It has been 19 days since Danielle Smith introduced her cruel and cynical policy targeting transgender kids and their parents. Some families in Alberta are feeling heartbroken and betrayed on this Family Day.
“She lied to all of us. To our faces,” said Dr. Kristopher Wells, referring to Smith in a conversation with Nate Pike on The Breakdown recently.
Wells is the Canada Research Chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual & Gender Minority Youth at MacEwan University. He says he (and others) were invited to the premier’s office to meet with her chief of staff and 2SLGBTQIA+ coordinator where they were told they would NOT be pursuing any anti-transender policy changes.
It’s fair to say that Smith can’t be trusted.
While the community is fuming (and organizing for a massive fight) over the transgender issue, Smith’s UCP government has been radically altering Alberta in ways that remind me of the early days of the Jason Kenney government.
That was back in 2019 when I launched the Missive’s Irrational Report, which is now the Colossally Irrational Report. A weekly report at the time was not enough to keep up with the chaos. We’re now at a similar place with Smith and I feel like I need to write posts with more frequency to keep up.
Getting worse by the day
As we head into spring, things are about to get a lot worse in Alberta. With a vote by UCP members on Smith’s leadership coming up in November, David Parker and the congregation of Take Back Alberta (TBA) adherents are clearly running the show.
Author’s note: As you may recall, when Jason Kenney did not follow orders, the party voted and then a leadership race was triggered. Smith initially served as an unelected, party-appointed premier until the general election was called, which the UCP won with only 53 per cent of the popular vote in Alberta.
Our stupid first-past-the-post electoral system awarded Smith a majority government. Gotta love this gerrymandered system which gives rural Alberta an outsized influence in seat numbers.
Case in point, the way this government criminalizes people who are just trying to survive. In early February, the UCP issued a news release with the headline, “Encampment removal yields significant improvements.” The release reads like a marketing brochure rather than a factual communication. It’s all too common now in all levels of government.
There is no basis for the claim of a significant improvement. The release focused on a new service the government announced on January 17 after the Edmonton Police had begun removing shelters and destroying the personal belongings of hundreds of people who are without proper housing. The police action was undertaken just as temperatures in the city had dipped dangerously low, and shelters were at their busiest.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi and city council then declared a housing and homelessness emergency, calling for action, much to Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon’s extreme annoyance. I still can’t believe this guy was appointed to this ministry, of all portfolios. This is a hothead who had to agree to a peace bond after threatening a woman who confronted him on a rural property where he was hunting.
Counting traffic instead of actual results
Nixon almost immediately criticized the mayor, saying everything was fine - no crisis here at all, and then responded with what they are calling a temporary “navigation centre.” (sounds like an information booth at the mall)
The measures of “success” mentioned in the news release demonstrate nothing - certainly not a “significant improvement” of any sort. The numbers released are about as useful as counting traffic, and tell us little about whether anyone is better off as a result.
The release reports that 145 people visited the centre, while about 3,100 people in the city are estimated to be unhoused. That means less than 5% have even set foot in the centre. It also claims that 500 referrals were made to available services. There’s no word on whether those referrals resulted in anyone being helped.
The release goes heavy on the terminology of “connecting” (the word is used 10 times) but in no way does it seem to be doing the important follow-up of finding out whether anything has come of this activity. The one exception is the mention of 10 people who have started opioid agonist therapy.
About 60 people were issued identification cards, which is both good and bad. It helps them access services, but is also a boon for police surveillance purposes.
A savior for born sinners - what could go wrong?
Notably, the navigation centre is located in the basement (which it admits is an accessibility issue) of the Hope Mission. This is an organization whose vision statement is, “Hope Mission has a vision that men, women, youth and children who we serve would come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.”
I couldn’t help but notice that the organization’s statement of faith is prominent on the Hope Mission website. It says all employees must agree to the statement in writing. It starts off by asserting the inerrancy of the biblical scriptures of both the old and new testaments. This means the words within must be taken literally as absolute truth.
The website goes through a list of seven statements, mostly about Jesus Christ, including the assertion that all human beings are born “with a sinful nature.” Not exactly mainstream. Most people don’t believe in the absolute infallibility of the scriptures. This is a smaller, more radical subset of the Christian faith.
We know that many people who are unhoused are of Indigenous background, which brings with it the horrific experience of Christian-run residential schools (including the intergenerational trauma it caused). Did anyone stop to consider they may not feel comfortable with support coming from a religious organization whose primary goal is to convert them to Christianity?
We also know the 2SLGBTQIA+ community is disproportionately found living on the streets, often rejected by families espousing a similar rigid religious faith represented here. This is not at all a separation of church and state. It’s the exact opposite.
Forced evictions are not the solution
As if this UCP government mismanagement of the crisis wasn’t already so wretched and disturbing, the response to the federal housing advocate report released on February 13 was the last straw for me. It led me to write this post.
The 40-page final report (following up on an interim report issued in October of 2023) calls for “a national response to the human rights crisis facing people living in homeless encampments.”
Marie-Josée Houle also said we need to end the forced encampment evictions.
“We’re gonna ignore her because, quite frankly, she’s wrong,” Smith said at a news conference.
Never mind that the advocate has been studying the issue and engaging with affected Canadians for the past two years. I’m sure Smith’s anecdotal conversations with a few people in her TBA bubble gives her all the information she needs.
Of course, the Alberta government claims things are significantly improved but makes no mention of addressing any of the concerns about the dangers inherent in the shelter system. People have reported some of the same issues running rampant in shelters that the police used to justify dismantling encampments - drugs, violence/sexual assault, and hygiene/health concerns. This is why some folks are afraid to stay there.
More drug deaths than ever recorded
Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail reported this week that “Alberta drug deaths soar to highest level ever recorded” with nearly 1,700 deaths in the first 10 months of 2023 (this story is behind a paywall so I won’t link it here).
The so-called “Alberta Model” is a dangerous sham and the death rate is about to get even worse as Red Deer City Council voted this past week to ask the provincial government to shut down its only overdose prevention site.
The decision came despite the fact that most people who showed up and spoke at a public hearing on the matter were in favour of keeping it open. Councillor Vesna Higham who introduced the motion, said she was interested in setting up a medical clinic on the site instead, but it’s a dereliction of duty to remove services that are already saving lives with no timelines for a replacement.
"[Users] could get all of the same first-step connection services and assistance that the OPS currently provides without the illicit drug use.” (there’s that connection word again).
People are dying and politicians think they can snap together people and services like Lego blocks and call it an improvement? Alberta politicians need to do less “connecting” and more caring.
It’s probably no surprise to anyone at this point that Higham said during the last municipal election that she supports a strong family focus. She’s a retired lawyer and high school basketball referee who says “family and faith are my greatest joy, devotion, and ambition.”
According to her profile, she is focused on cutting spending, creating a business-friendly environment and mentions her philosophy of shelter services based on “basic expectations for community service,” a concept of forced labour in return for a basic human right - shelter.
What a nightmare and how bad are things about to get?
I’ll pick this theme up again in a couple of weeks. Until then. Tracy Chapman. You’re welcome.
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