Alberta Politics & Government Thread 4.0

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by DJones

Equal education is simply each student gets the same curriculum, funding, and classrooms. It's a core tenant of how we run public schooling.

The alternative is generally called specialization or streamed education. In Europe they'd identify the kids and put them in an appropriate school. That being a Renfrew type school within the public system. Same for high schools. Trade stream goes to this school. University stream goes here. It's all public meaning government funded, all the schools just aren't identical.

So yes, its entirely possible for public schools to become specialized. It's a choice we made decades ago to not do that.

Please read the link, that's not how it works.


Streamed education is an idea I support, if done well.


You say we made a choice decades ago, but no one says we have to keep failing in the same ways just because a decision was made in the past.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DJones

Equal education is simply each student gets the same curriculum, funding, and classrooms. It's a core tenant of how we run public schooling.

The alternative is generally called specialization or streamed education. In Europe they'd identify the kids and put them in an appropriate school. That being a Renfrew type school within the public system. Same for high schools. Trade stream goes to this school. University stream goes here. It's all public meaning government funded, all the schools just aren't identical.

So yes, its entirely possible for public schools to become specialized. It's a choice we made decades ago to not do that.

*tenet

There are specialized schools in Alberta. My kid student teaches at one. Years ago, in my former life I subbed at another.

[DJones]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Please read the link, that's not how it works.


Streamed education is an idea I support, if done well.


You say we made a choice decades ago, but no one says we have to keep failing in the same ways just because a decision was made in the past.

I wasn't referring to inclusive classrooms. That's a somewhat related bad policy but not what I was talking about. More an extension to the extreme of a bad idea.

And ya, if they completely changed course and drastically changed the foundation of our education system. That would allow schools like Renfrew to exist in the public system. But that's not happening at all, it's not even a discussion. If anything the trend is to go even further, I wouldn't be surprised if charter schools get killed off in the near future. Other people's kids having a different learning experience seems to drive people crazy.

Which is why the idea of copying Renfrew philosophy into the public system is a dead idea

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DJones

The alternative is generally called specialization or streamed education. In Europe they'd identify the kids and put them in an appropriate school. That being a Renfrew type school within the public system. Same for high schools. Trade stream goes to this school. University stream goes here. It's all public meaning government funded, all the schools just aren't identical.

You don't have to go across the pond to find examples of this. Manitoba's public school system is like that, particularly in high schools. I went to the University-entry high school in my area, while about 10 minutes away there was a trades-focused high school a few of my friends went to (of whom I was a bit jealous of because they had an auto shop for the Power Mech. course I wanted to take). Hell, there is a literally a school in Winnipeg named 'Technical Vocational High School' (or colloquially, Tec-Voc).

[DJones]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

You don't have to go across the pond to find examples of this. Manitoba's public school system is like that, particularly in high schools. I went to the University-entry high school in my area, while about 10 minutes away there was a trades-focused high school a few of my friends went to (of whom I was a bit jealous of because they had an auto shop for the Power Mech. course I wanted to take). Hell, there is a literally a school in Winnipeg named 'Technical Vocational High School' (or colloquially, Tec-Voc).

Quick google didn't tell me much. How does it work? They get a curriculum exemption? Additional funding?

Just found schools get property taxes directly instead of it going to the province first. That would likely explain it, definitely gives more flexibility to larger schools in Winnipeg

[troutman]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

You don't have to go across the pond to find examples of this. Manitoba's public school system is like that, particularly in high schools. I went to the University-entry high school in my area, while about 10 minutes away there was a trades-focused high school a few of my friends went to (of whom I was a bit jealous of because they had an auto shop for the Power Mech. course I wanted to take). Hell, there is a literally a school in Winnipeg named 'Technical Vocational High School' (or colloquially, Tec-Voc).

I think Central Memorial in Calgary has something like this:

https://centralmemorial.cbe.ab.ca/re...ceship-program

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Ped

Not Alberta, but Doug Ford in Ontario is trying to pass a law that exempts FOI requests from the premier, cabinet members, and parliamentary assistants, and is also retroactive, so any requests currently waiting will be nixed.


The government's laughable argument:



https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2...ffices-secret/


I'm sure Danielle is paying very close attention.

FOI is going to #### across the country unfortunately and it is under governments of all different stripes.

BC has just introduced changes:

Jason Woywada, executive director of the B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, called the legislation “self-serving” because it makes the process simpler for the government, but not for the public. And he said it will allow officials to disregard requests more frequently.

“That leads to a further erosion in public trust,” he said.

These changes expand the government’s ability to reject FOI requests in several ways. For example, they allow the head of the public body being asked to produce records to refuse a request based on their “opinion” that an experienced worker for the organization would not be able to identify the requested documents “with a reasonable effort and in a reasonable amount of time.”

The legislation also says a request can be disregarded because it is determined to “unreasonably interfere” with government operations, or solely because it is “repetitious or systematic,” or “excessively broad.”

https://langleyadvancetimes.com/2026...nment-secrecy/

And the feds are also looking to make it more difficult to get FOI access.

The mandated review of the Access to Information Act, includes proposals from the government that are 'super regressive,' says veteran journalist Dean Beeby. 'It’s just bureaucrats running the show, and we’re all going to lose, because they’re not eager at all to open the system up and be transparent.'

The federal government is considering possible changes to its access-to-information regime that would potentially see longer wait times and fewer documents released to the public.

https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/03/12...ries.%E2%80%9D

[DJones]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

FOI is going to #### across the country unfortunately and it is under governments of all different stripes.

BC has just introduced changes:

https://langleyadvancetimes.com/2026...nment-secrecy/

And the feds are also looking to make it more difficult to get FOI access.

https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/03/12...ries.%E2%80%9D

Knew a guy who wanted more information on the costs of a municipal capital project. More of a "how much money is it actually going to cost" scenario.

Was quoted 100k to get the numbers in a year.

FOI has been dead forever.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by DJones

Most other jurisdictions don't follow strict one size fits all philosophies on education and funding.

Like sure, there's no reason the government couldn't replicate Renfrew and fund it appropriately and put someone in charge that knew what they were doing. Aside from it going directly against the core idea of equal education. Only reason Charter schools get a pass is because they get equal funding.

There's nothing stopping the government from having 4 or 5 different education streams with different goals, funding, and curriculums. That's a completely self imposed limitation that will inevitably fail the kids who that will never work for. Same with school fees. You can have people pay school fees that are related to your children. That's normal in most countries.

There are factors and roadblocks that are stopping these types of initiatives and it stems from advocacy for inclusive education. The government would need to scrap or very significantly overhaul the idea of inclusive education but that would anger many special interest groups.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by DJones

I wasn't referring to inclusive classrooms. That's a somewhat related bad policy but not what I was talking about. More an extension to the extreme of a bad idea.

And ya, if they completely changed course and drastically changed the foundation of our education system. That would allow schools like Renfrew to exist in the public system. But that's not happening at all, it's not even a discussion. If anything the trend is to go even further, I wouldn't be surprised if charter schools get killed off in the near future. Other people's kids having a different learning experience seems to drive people crazy.

Which is why the idea of copying Renfrew philosophy into the public system is a dead idea

How do you explain things like PUF funding and SLS grants?

[DJones]

Originally Posted by GGG

How do you explain things like PUF funding and SLS grants?

What about them? PUF funding is generally just them paying for private services.

SLS is them trying to keep the child in the normal classroom with help. I think it was actually called inclusive learning grant or something originally.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by DJones

What about them? PUF funding is generally just them paying for private services.

SLS is them trying to keep the child in the normal classroom with help. I think it was actually called inclusive learning grant or something originally.

You know how I know you still didn't read my link?

[DJones]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

You know how I know you still didn't read my link?

You sound like someone without kids haha

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DJones

You sound like someone without kids haha

Last time someone told me that, I said I didn't know "well-rested with leisure time and disposable income" had a sound.

[Fuzz]

Alberta’s government is allocating $7.5 million to create about 100 secure beds in hospitals throughout the province to accommodate people detained under the province’s controversial involuntary treatment program.

The province has identified five existing facilities where it plans to establish the 100 secure beds: Alberta Hospital Edmonton, the Centennial Centre in Ponoka, the Claresholm Mental Health Centre, the Peter Lougheed Centre in Calgary and the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital. The Northern Alberta Youth Recovery Centre in Edmonton will also be approved for involuntary treatment protocols when it opens in 2027.

Dr. Kate Colizza, a general internal medicine and addiction medicine physician who practices in Alberta, said that at a time when hospitals in the province are regularly sitting at over 100 per cent capacity, introducing any new service into an already strained health-care environment is a cause for concern.
“I think the idea of taking hospital beds away from hospital patients and using them to launch this program is going to have some potential negative implications for patients who are just waiting for a regular hospital space,” Colizza said.

Colizza said the types of medical patients that will be created through the forced detox system would also require considerable time and attention of staff in these facilities.
A person who is detained under the Compassionate Intervention Act can be held for up to 72 hours while a three-person commission — made up of a lawyer, a physician and a member of the public — determines whether they should be sent to a compassionate intervention treatment facility, a community-based recovery or addiction centre, or if they should be released.
Within those 72 hours, the person apprehended under the act will develop withdrawal symptoms, Colizza said. And depending on the substances they are using, that withdrawal can be “extremely dangerous and uncomfortable and traumatizing.” How these complex patients will be managed within the health-care system is still unclear, but it is likely a number of them will require hospital level or emergency department level care.

https://theijf.org/article/alberta-s...s-in-hospitals


I'm not convinced this is all that well thought through.


Given we now have healthcare silos, and the govenrment has declared war on AHS, I'm curious how budgeting and staffing work when hospitals are in one silo and forced mental health treatment in another, while a patient may move through both in their hospital stay, requiring services from each. Is this a paperwork and "not my job" disaster brewing?

[DJones]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Last time someone told me that, I said I didn't know "well-rested with leisure time and disposal income" had a sound.

The fact you have a standardized response to that question is great.

I'm guessing you said something wildly incorrect and then just brushed it off by saying you know but you won't tell them how haha.

[para transit fellow]

Originally Posted by DJones

I wasn't referring to inclusive classrooms. That's a somewhat related bad policy but not what I was talking about. More an extension to the extreme of a bad idea.

And ya, if they completely changed course and drastically changed the foundation of our education system. That would allow schools like Renfrew to exist in the public system. But that's not happening at all, it's not even a discussion. If anything the trend is to go even further, I wouldn't be surprised if charter schools get killed off in the near future. Other people's kids having a different learning experience seems to drive people crazy.

Which is why the idea of copying Renfrew philosophy into the public system is a dead idea

FYI: schools like Renfrew have existed in the CBE for decades:

https://emilyfollensbee.cbe.ab.ca/

https://christinemeikle.cbe.ab.ca/

[Fuzz]

Alberta's government — along with the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, and the province’s energy regulator — say they want to crack down on oil and gas companies that don’t pay their property taxes.

However, while new recommendations are aimed at curbing future instances of unpaid taxes by oil and gas companies, the province said $250 million of unpaid taxes incurred over the years is likely unrecoverable.

A report, released Monday, outlines 17 recommendations from RMA, the government and the Property Tax Accountability Strategy Working Group.

They range from making property tax payment a condition of holding or maintaining an Alberta Energy Regulator licence to making property tax payment a key measure of industry and regulatory performance.

“What happens at the end of a life cycle of some of these oil fields or gas fields that are not producing the wealth that they used to produce, is that the leaders of those companies often strip off the value and find ways to pay what they prioritize to pay,” [Brian] Jean said.

“And what we need to do is make sure the communication is there well in advance, so that as that starts to happen, we're able to torque up enforcement and take away their ability to continue to operate and take over that situation.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...ment-9.7131039

The fact that the Energy Minister admits this is a thing that has been happening, and they have just let it happen,is disgraceful. This stuff isn't new, and clearly regular enough to be recognized. The Robber Barons make off like bandits, and Albertans are left holding the bag. Do something already. The Useless Conservative Party. So busy tilting at windmills they fail to recognize actual liabilities.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DJones

I'm guessing you said something wildly incorrect and then just brushed it off by saying you know but you won't tell them how haha.

Hardly.

I don't need to be a pilot to know that someone f'cked up if I see a helicopter stuck in a tree.

[Fuzz]

In an interview Tuesday, Dr. Paulose Paul, an orthopedic surgeon who has worked in the Edmonton Zone since 2002, said the documents were shared with members as doctors attempt to prepare for a significant strain on resources.

Without the support of hospitalists, Paul said surgical procedures will have to be cancelled or diverted to ensure patient safety.

“It's hard to imagine that we'd be able to deliver the same amount of care with fewer bodies. So as much as [health officials] want to hang this on the contract, that's only part of the equation."

Paul said the compensation issues are part of a much larger resourcing crisis which has been escalating for years in Alberta hospitals as orthopedic patient loads grow larger and more complex.

“There's been no accommodation for growth of the service as the population has expanded, as the service demands have expanded,” he said.

“And it's something that we have been warning the government and administration about for over 15 years. And so to think that we're going to find a 15-day solution is unrealistic.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmon...nton-9.7132424

I've got an idea. Let's elect the same ####ty governments doing the same ####ty things for decades and see if that solves the problem.