#Todd Loewen

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

May 28, 2024

Member Loyola: They pick fights with Ottawa on a whole number of issues, and now they want to turn around and basically tell local authorities what to do instead. Well, where I come from, you know what that’s called? It’s called authoritarian, and it is a characteristic of dictatorships. That’s exactly what it is, and that’s why I’m calling a spade a spade right here today on the record. It is authoritarian.

...

Mr. Loewen: I hear them talking about criteria for emergencies, talking about water transfers, talking about Bill 18 and Bill 20, talking about shovels or spades or something. I’m not even sure what that commentary was about.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Alberta government will permit selective grizzly bear hunts should they meet certain criteria, raising concerns from environmentalists who worry about the impacts on a threatened species. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen made the change as part of a June 17 ministerial order. Under the order, the minister may issue what the province refers to as a "grizzly bear management authorization" for the purpose of hunting a grizzly. "This is an overall management strategy for problem wildlife in particular, to make sure that we can respond to rural Albertans, both their concerns of safety but also loss of crop and loss of livestock," Loewen told CBC News.  The provincial government said there has been a rise in reports of "problematic" and dangerous grizzly-human and grizzly-animal interactions. Some recent conflicts, the province suggests, have been predatory in nature.  In 2020, there were three attacks, while 2021 recorded nine attacks by black and grizzly bears. The province said there were 104 attacks from 2000 to 2021. The ministerial order states that authorizations can be issued if a grizzly has been involved in a human-bear conflict situation, or if the bear is located in an "area of concern." The bear must not be accompanied by a cub.

Continue Reading

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland, @abpoli

[immunobiz]

All of the 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest right now are human-caused, Todd Loewen, minister for forestry and parks, said on Wednesday.

[college-girl199328]

Alberta's United Conservative Party government has moved on a proposal to split wildlife management responsibilities in the province. This proposal would create an additional department of hunting and fishing in the Forestry, Parks and Tourism Ministry.

The upcoming branch, according to an internal memo obtained and confirmed by The Canadian Press, will "increase focus and capacity on supporting hunting and fishing as an activity on Crown lands."

The memo says the department will now govern the allocation of fish and wildlife, including sport fishing regulations, hunting tags, trapping licences and human-wildlife conflicts.

It leaves population counts, habitat and land use policy, species at risk management and wildlife disease management within Alberta Environment and Protected Areas — splitting work that should be interconnected and taking the province back decades, critics say.

Lorne Fitch, an award-winning biologist and retired University of Calgary professor, said the move will make it difficult to track and manage the overall health of Alberta's wilderness.

"How do you handle sheep, how do you handle elk, how do you manage grizzlies without understanding what land uses are occurring and what the effects of those will be?" he asked. "How do you manage if you don't understand disease risk?"

The memo says the different departments will continue to work together.

"This transition will allow each ministry to be even more focused on their distinct roles and dedicate additional resources to those areas," says the memo, signed by deputy ministers of the departments involved.

Katie Morrison of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society said the move is another example of the UCP government breaking up functions of the province's Environment Ministry. Responsibility for parks has already been moved out of Environment and into Tourism.

"It will be increasingly difficult to ensure that the lands and waters and all the wildlife that depends on them are managed holistically," she wrote in an email.

Fitch said the move smacks of wildlife management from the 1950s when the only species that were managed were sport species or species with commercial value.

"Instead of a package deal where biodiversity is managed for all its intrinsic and exploitative reasons, now we're separating out just the ones that are going to be hunted and fished under a separate branch."

The memo confirms reports earlier this month about the breakup of Alberta's fish and wildlife branch. At that time, government staff confirmed control of provincial fish hatcheries was to be devolved to Alberta Irrigation and Agriculture. However, spokespeople said changes for wildlife were in the works.

No one from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas or Alberta Forestry, Parks and Tourism immediately responded to a request for comment on the rationale behind the change.

The newly formed hunting and fishing branch comes under the control of Forestry, Parks and Tourism Minister Todd Loewen. Loewen's political disclosure statement says he receives ongoing income of at least $5,000 a year from an outfitting business.

Loewen has said there's nothing unusual about someone with expertise in an industry being appointed as minister of the department that regulates it.

[abpoli]

Source

[kidsandnature]

Tweeted

RT @markusoff: Huge cheers from UCP crowd when Premier Danielle Smith mentioned new Forestry, Parks and Tourism Minister Todd Loewen. He might be Canada's only cabinet minister to have not just supported but participated in the Ottawa convoy. https://t.co/71bxsFNTwA

— Mr Bingley is really more a cider guy, (@mbingley) Oct 22, 2022

[kayla1993-world]

Tonight, the Conservative Party will announce its new leader and the 19th premier. Four months after the leadership contest began, one of seven contenders will emerge as the victor.

124,000 people bought or renewed UCP memberships by the Aug. 12 deadline to qualify to cast a vote. Party members have been voting by mail since early September.

According to UCP sources familiar with the leadership race, 82,000 members—66 percent of the total membership—had cast ballots as of Monday night. Members can vote in person this morning at polling stations across the province.

The party announced Thursday afternoon that the results of the first ballot had been pushed back to 7:30 p.m. Originally, the first results had been expected at around 6 p.m. at the BMO Centre in Calgary.

The candidates are culture minister Leela Aheer; Party leader and MLA Brian Jean; independent MLA and caucus chair Todd Loewen; MLA and former transportation and services minister Rajan Sawhney; MLA and services minister Rebecca Schulz; MLA and finance minister Travis Toews; and Danielle Smith, Wildrose leader.

The ballots ask members to rank their preferred leaders in order of preference, numbered 1 through 7. If one candidate secures more than 50% of the votes on the first ballot, they will win the leadership.

If no one gets more than half the votes on the first ballot, the candidate with the lowest number of votes will be dropped from the ballot, and their votes will be reassigned to the second choice.

The party will repeat that process until one candidate has a majority of support. The UCP called the leadership race in May following a leadership review that saw Jason Kenney receive support from 51.4 percent of members. Kenney said there was not enough support for him to carry on as leader, and he pledged to resign once members chose a new one.

What leads Young to believe Smith is a favourite to win is that all the candidates are acting as if she's the one to catch. In leadership races, ranked balloting has provided unexpected winners: Ed Stelmach became Alberta's premier after scoring an upset victory in the leadership contest. Alison Redford became PC leader and premier in 2011, also after winning on ranked ballots.

Calgary-based pollster Janet Brown said the races' rules are different and more likely to lead to a grassroots-backed leader than a consensus victor. The cutoff date to buy a membership in time to vote was much earlier, for one.

She said in an interview last week that "it's easier to attract those people who feel emotional about issues. It's easier to sell a membership to them. It's harder to sell a membership to people who are more dispassionate."

The UCP was born in 2017 with the merger of the Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties into a big-tent coalition. A new leader will be tasked with a challenge that some believe led to Kenney's undoing—keeping the party united. Young said a Toews win presents an immediate threat to that unity more than a Smith win.

She said UCP members who bristled at health restrictions and think the Kenney government failed to effectively push back against government policies may feel disenfranchised with a Toews win and believe their concerns about top-down leadership will remain unaddressed.

Young said it may prompt some MLAs who tried to push Kenney out to leave the caucus. Smith has campaigned on introducing a sovereignty act that she says would allow Alberta to refuse to enforce federal laws and court decisions it can't stomach. Young said if she could table moderated legislation MLAs could agree to, she might be able to hold the tent together.

UCP MLAs have said they could not vote in favor of a Sovereignty Act as described, which could create a crisis of confidence, but Smith has yet to release the proposed wording.

Brown said her polling found the issues Albertans care most about now are inflation, health care, and education, and yet, these were not the focus of the leadership campaign.

She said that has led to a disconnect between voters and the UCP, which could leave Rachel Notley and the NDP the winners of the provincial election. "Right now the idea of steady leadership is looking more favorable to Albertans than the circus that is the UCP," Brown said.

[sachkiawaaj]

2 Alberta United Conservatives removed from government caucus

2 Alberta United Conservatives removed from government caucus

Alberta MLAs Todd Loewen and Drew Barnes have been expelled from the United Conservative Party caucus over allegations they divided the party and undermined government leadership.  Barnes, the MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat, has become a prolific critic of Premier Jason Kenney’s decisions during the pandemic. Loewen, the MLA for Central Peace-Notley, went public with his dissatisfaction in a letter…

[canada4news]

GUNTER: Lockdown frustration understandable, but dissenting UCP MLAs represent areas with some high infection rates

GUNTER: Lockdown frustration understandable, but dissenting UCP MLAs represent areas with some high infection rates

Breadcrumb Trail Links Columnists Author of the article: Lorne Gunter Publishing date: Mar 05, 2021  •  14 minutes ago  •  3 minute read  •  Join the conversation UCP Candidate Todd Loewen speaks to Central Peace-Notley constituents at an election forum in Valleyview’s Memorial Hall in Valleyview, Alta. on Monday, April 8, 2019. Photo by Peter Shokeir / Daily Herald-Tribune SunMedia Article…

[the-quotable-alberta-hansard]

March 11, 2024

Mr. Loewen: Climate change has been used in the past year to create an all-encompassing explanation for the number of fires experienced in Alberta. Closer analysis shows the wildfires we experienced last year and the dry season we anticipate for 2024 are part of a weather cycle that historically occurs. To singularly blame Alberta’s wildfires on climate change and point a finger at the oil and gas industry as a primary cause is irresponsible, to say the least.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.

As of Wednesday afternoon, 176 wildfires were burning in the forest protection area of the province, which doesn't account for the two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park, which is federal land.

"Alberta is facing significant wildfire activity across the province," Mike Ellis, minister for public safety and emergency services wrote in a social media post.

"I spoke with my federal counterparts today about how this complex situation continues to impact the health and safety of Albertans. My colleague, Minister Todd Loewen, and I have requested assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces to ensure all resources are brought to bear on this situation." [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland, @abpoli

Note from the poster @el-shab-hussein: Sorry man they're too busy helping the zionist occupation slaughter my folks in the thousands every week. And lying about the destruction of our hospitals.

[gardenpeony71-blog]

The Bear’s Den, December 29, 2018

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

Joniak: Keys To Bears-Vikings - 670 The Score - Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. Sunday from U.S. Bank Stadium.

Emma: 3 Key Bears Doubtful Against Vikings - 670 The Score - Allen Robinson, Eddie Jackson and Aaron Lynch are likely to sit Sunday.

Mayer: Fans urged to buy playoff tickets, parking passes from verified sources - ChicagoBears.com - With the Bears set to host a playoff game at Soldier Field, the team is encouraging fans to purchase tickets and parking passes only from verified sources such as Ticketmaster and the NFL Ticket Exchange.

Pick is in: Bears at Vikings - ChicagoBears.com - Local and national NFL analysts make their pick for the Week 17 game between the Vikings and Bears Sunday in Minneapolis. Keep track of their weekly record here on Chicagobears.com.

Medina: What Are the Bears’ Options at Wide Receiver if Allen Robinson is Out? - Bleacher Nation - Kevin White? Javon Wims? Ben Braunecker? Taquan Mizzell Sr.? Daniel Brown? Who’s got next if Allen Robinson can’t play.

Medina: Kyle Long *Could* Be Activated from the IR Tomorrow! - Bleacher Nation - A Kyle Long-Bryan Witzmann platoon could be in the works once Long re-joins the active roster.

Jahns: How great is the Bears' defense? - Sun Times - Adam L. Jahns' "Inside the Huddle" column appears in game-day editions of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Finley: 4 Bears questions - Vic Fangio's anonymity, rematch odds and Matt Nagy's dog - Sun Times - Four questions as the NFC North champion Bears prepare to travel to face the Vikings, who are fighting for their playoff lives:

Campbell: How the Bears' faith in GM Ryan Pace led them back to the playoffs - Chicago Tribune - Ryan Pace, still the NFL’s youngest GM at 41, has a lot more salt where he had only pepper four years ago. That’s the effect of tearing down the Bears to the studs — and mashing his own thumb with his hammer at times along the way.

Bears vs. Vikings: Tribune writers make their picks - Chicago Tribune - Can the Bears top the Vikings on the road? Tribune writers make their picks

Kane: Eddie Jackson and Allen Robinson are doubtful against the Vikings, but Kyle Long’s return is a strong possibility - Chicago Tribune - Bears safety Eddie Jackson (ankle), wide receiver Allen Robinson (ribs) and outside linebacker Aaron Lynch (elbow) were listed Friday as doubtful to play Sunday against the Vikings. However, Kyle Long’s return from injured reserve is a possibility.

Wiederer: 3 keys for the Bears in Week 17 - Keep Mitch Trubisky safe against an aggressive Vikings defense - Chicago Tribune - As the Bears aim to collect their 12th win this weekend against the Vikings, they must find ways to keep Mitch Trubisky out of harm's way while also using an opportunistic defense to fluster Kirk Cousins.

Biggs: Scouting report on Vikings running back Dalvin Cook - 'He can really scoot and get to top speed quickly' - Chicago Tribune - Vikings running back Dalvin Cook had a season-high 19 carries for a career-high 136 yards two weeks ago against the Dolphins and ran 16 times for 73 yards last week against the Lions.

Stankevitz:: Are the Vikings or Eagles the better playoff matchup for the Bears? - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears will most likely play the Vikings or Eagles in the first round of the playoffs next week. So that begs the question: Who should they want to face?

Wesseling: Patrick Mahomes leads MVP candidates field, Mack in top 5 - NFL.com - Chris Wesseling ranks his top 10 candidate for the NFL MVP award -- and zeroes in on the yawning chasm between Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the rest of his peers.

Mayer: Robinson, Jackson, Lynch listed as doubtful - ChicagoBears.com - Receiver Allen Robinson, safety Eddie Jackson and outside linebacker Aaron Lynch were all held out of practice again Friday and listed as doubtful for Sunday’s regular-season finale in Minnesota.

Finley: Seeding and strategy will make for strange Sunday - Sun Times - A week spent wondering how seriously the Bears will try to win Sunday’s game at the Vikings hit home for Kyle Long.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Rams rule Todd Gurley out of regular season finale – ProFootballTalk - The Rams are going to err on the side of caution. Having a backup go wild the week before made it an easier decision. The Rams officially ruled running back Todd Gurley out of Sunday’s regular season finale against the 49ers, giving him time to rest his ailing left knee.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Matt Patricia responds to tardiness claims: ‘We have a very tight schedule’ - Pride Of Detroit - Patricia addressed rumors that he has been consistently late to team meetings.

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia wants Matthew Stafford back in 2019 - Pride Of Detroit - Matt Patricia remains unrelenting in his praise of the Lions’ franchise quarterback.

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings: Final injury reports for both teams - Daily Norseman - Some big names missing on both sides

Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears Week 17 Preview: Binary - Daily Norseman - The Vikings will look back on their 2018 regular season finale in one of two ways: "won" or "zero."

Norse Code Podcast Episode 266: Feats of Strength (with guest Lorin Cox) - Daily Norseman - James and Arif are back from Christmas break and return with the help of Lorin Cox to preview the Bears game! We also review the victory over the Lions, the sputtering offense, and the best movies we saw this year! Also check out our end of the year clip show which also came out this week

Talking about Bears/Vikings with Shawn & Maya in the Morning - Daily Norseman - Yes, more discussion about Sunday’s game

Daily Norseman on Minnesota Sports Weekly talking Bears at Vikings - Daily Norseman - You like the talk? We got the talk!

Packers-Lions Preview: Film shows Green Bay can succeed in the passing game - Acme Packing Company - In their second meeting of the season, we see what Green Bay can do to beat Detroit and split the season series.

Detroit Lions podcast: What went wrong with the Packers? A schadenfreude investigation - Pride Of Detroit - When the Packers lose, we all win.

A’Shawn Robinson placed on injured reserve, Lions add Mitchell Loewen - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions defensive tackle sees his season end as he is replaced by a former Saint.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Gabriel: Who Do Bears Match Up With Best In Playoffs? - 670 The Score - The Bears are likely to face the Vikings or Eagles in the wild-card round.

Whiskey Ranger: WCG Fantasy Tournament - A Champion is Crowned! - Windy City Gridiron - Let’s give a hardy congrats to Usmcbears, while silently cursing his name. As is the Fantasy Football way.

Zeglinski: Bears-Vikings Injury Report - Eddie Jackson and Allen Robinson are doubtful - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears will be without their star safety and No. 1 receiver for Sunday’s regular season finale in Minnesota.

Wiltfong: Trubisky in San Francisco, 3 keys to Bears vs. Vikings, and more - Windy City Gridiron - In Lester’s latest T Formation Conversation podcast he discusses Trubisky’s last game, previews the Bears and Vikings, and answers a few questions from Twitter.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:

WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/12/29/18159704/chicago-bears-2018-season-news-updates-analysis-game-sixteen-minnesota-vikings-mack-trubisky-hicks

[conjuringjustice]

Thankfulness & Appreciation Series -- Part 1

Thankfulness & Appreciation Series — Part 1

It’s November 16th, and a bit late to start giving thanks but better late than never.

I am thankful that I have the ability to do what I do. My family doesn’t always understand but nevertheless, I have the leeway to jump out on a limb for things I care about without condemnation.  Appreciation is taken for granted but I am beholden to my husband and family for letting me be me. Not they had much…

[college-girl199328]

Alberta fights Canada government over its crowded parks: Like a tailgate party

On a chilly autumn morning not long ago, Annalise Klingbeil and eight others packed into three cars, departing Calgary in the dark as they drove westward towards the Rockies. They take in the region’s larch season, when the needles of the spiny trees transform a brilliant shade of yellow.

But when they arrived at Moraine Lake, with the sun still hanging behind Banff’s jagged peaks, their adventure was cut short. With the number of visitors growing each year, Parks Canada recently announced it will ban private vehicles along the road to Moraine Lake in 2023 in a bid to ease congestion at Banff’s most popular tourist attraction.

The tension between showcasing the region’s natural wonders and preserving them for future generations is not a new issue for the country’s federal parks agency. Years ago, Parks Canada closed hiking trails and weighed the possibility of visitor caps in more sensitive areas. But the challenges of administering the park have grown more complicated amid a growing political row between the western province of Alberta and the federal government.

This week, minister of forests, parks, and tourism, Todd Loewen, called on Parks Canada to reverse its decision, suggesting the ban would harm tourism, give residents less access to the backcountry, and mark the end of sunrise and sunset hikes or night photography.

In response, Parks Canada said the Moraine Lake parking lot is at capacity 24 hours a day and that while 900 vehicles successfully gain access to the lake each day during the summer, nearly 5,000 are turned away, with drivers often directing their frustration at park staff. The agency said the sheer demand for parking spaces far exceeds capacity and will rely on a shuttle option for visitors. Speaking to a local radio station, Loewen pushed back, suggesting instead that the federal agency build a parking lot.

The idea prompted scorn from Klingbeil, who pointed out that such a move would be banned by law. "With this suggestion he comes across like, he knows absolutely nothing about this issue," she said. She argued that an urgent need to ban private vehicles creates a cultural shift in public spaces.

The row over parks has come amid broader political tensions between the federal government and Alberta, which recently passed a controversial "sovereignty act" that could allow the province to ignore federal laws--setting the stage for potential conflict with Ottawa and Indigenous nations. In November, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she wanted tourism money generated in the five national parks within Alberta to remain in the province rather than being used to maintain other parks across the country.

But Smith’s governing United Conservatives have a checkered record on parks in the province. In 2020, as austerity measures took hold in the oil-rich province under former premier Jason Kenney, the provincial government announced plans to shutter several parks. Alberta also proposed allowing private businesses to operate other parks to save money, arguing that the parks fail to generate significant revenues. The idea prompted an outcry and was later dropped.

But the future of Canada’s parks--and who uses them and sets the rules--is set to become an increasingly tense issue as the cost of popularity takes its toll on vulnerable ecosystems.

[abpoli]

Text of the letter:

Dear Minister Shandro:

I am writing to you with serious concerns about the availability of physicians in the rural north. In recent months, the emergency departments of Sacred Heart Community Health Centre in McLennan and the Fairview Health Complex were forced to be closed on multiple days due to a chronic shortage of physicians needed to cover the on-call hospital shifts, as well as overstretched locum coverage.

In Fairview, the town has seen its number of physicians fall from five in 2019 to three today. With an impending retirement, only two are working hospital hours. The problems of long wait lists to book appointments.

Complicating matters is the fact that Fairview is the closest hospital for those living northwest of the town in Clear Hills County. The local health system serves an area far larger and more populous than the town itself. The family doctor and closed emergency departments will only get worse at this rate.

Alongside the local leaders of these communities, we have brought these lingering issues to the attention of your office. However, as these issues persist, I believe it is important that the Ministry commit to a firm plan for physician recruitment and retention in these under-served communities. In particular, these communities deserve concrete answers to two main questions:

•How many full-time physicians does the Ministry of Health believe are ideal for the Fairview and McLennan areas?

•By what date will the ideal number of physicians for these regions be achieved?

In the past, we have spoken about various recruitment plans and I understand that AHS staff have been in contact with local officials as well. These plans need attainable and measurable targets.

As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how we can bring the appropriate level of health care services to our rural and remote communities.

Sincerely

Todd Loewen

____

Source