At a Glance
Ottawa Rejects Alberta’s Pepper Spray Proposal
Following Alberta Justice and Solicitor General Minister Kaycee Madu’s call for pepper spray to be legalized, the federal government has put out a statement rejecting the idea. In federal Justice Minister David Lametti and Public Safety Minister Bill Blair’s joint statement, they noted that ‘weapons that are prohibited have been prohibited for a reason.’
Their statement also denied Madu’s request for mandatory minimum penalties for hate crimes. Their reasoning was that marginalized Canadians are disproportionately incarcerated by mandatory minimums. Madu responded to the rejection, accusing Ottawa of ‘siding with criminals instead of victims.’
Affordable Indigenous Housing Announcement in Edmonton
In an official ceremony, Tribal Chiefs Ventures announced they will offer a total of 32 units of affordable housing in northern Edmonton. The initiative is jointly funded by the provincial and federal governments in order to provide Indigenous families, elders, and individuals with low incomes safe and affordable housing.
The 32 units within the four fourplexes are conveniently located nearby transit, school and shopping amenities. The $6 million project will serve the members of the Six Nations and Indigenous peoples within and surrounding Edmonton to prevent homelessness. Eight of the units are completed with tenants already moving in, with rent set at 30% of gross household income.
Provincial Government Extends Public Health Measures & Announces Back to School Plan
Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, has announced changes to the province’s public health measures. Isolation, testing, and public transit masking rules that were supposed to lift on August 16th will remain in place until at least September 27th. While hospitalizations are higher than expected, hospital capacity remains a non-issue. No new measures were announced, and the province’s data will be publicly released in the near future.
Alberta’s back to school plan follows along the same lines as other provincial health measures. All precautions will be proportionate to the overall risk level. School authorities will have the ability to implement further health measures for their own unique situation. Additionally, school authorities are expected to respect and accommodate students and parents’ personal choices. As roughly only half of children ages 12-18 years old are immunized, vaccines will be offered in temporary school clinics to students and staff starting September 7th.
Alberta Senator Doug Black Resigns
Alberta Senator Doug Black has announced that he will resign October 31, 2021. Prior to being appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2013, Black practiced law in Calgary. He is one of few elected Senators, as he was elected as a senator-in-waiting in 2012 by Albertans.
After nearly a decade of service, Senator Black expressed that it was time to make room for a new voice for Alberta and his support for term limits, as he called the past decade the highlight of his career. Alberta will be holding a non-binding Senator election this fall alongside the municipal elections, now with two seats up for grabs.
Ottawa Ups COVID-19 Rules
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce recently called for vaccination passports, and the federal government has promised to require them for international travel. As the US-Canada border opened up for fully vaccinated travelers from the United States, the federal government plans to create proof-of-vaccination documentation for international travel by early fall.
Ottawa has also made vaccinations mandatory for all Government of Canada public servants. This move also will be implemented by Crown corporations and other federally regulated businesses. Vaccinations will also be mandatory for all air, interprovincial rail, and large marine vessel passengers. The date for when these measures will come into effect is still to be determined.
