Bill Atwood

Steve Rai, the interim chief of Vancouver’s police department, called it the “darkest day in the city’s history.” One could also make a case that it was one of the darkest days in Canadian history. It certainly was for the Filipino Canadian community.

“Bill, you’re a waste of my time.” Nearly two decades later, I can still clearly remember those words being said to me twice. I may be wrong, but I firmly believe this football practice was where my poor self-esteem and severe social anxiety started. Although I didn’t suffer any symptoms until adulthood, the roots of my mental-health challenges – I have also previously experienced some generalized anxiety – were planted in childhood.

Alberta Health Services is failing Albertans, but not in the way one might think. Sure there are honest questions that need to be asked about the way the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled, however those need to be answered by Jason Kenney and former health minister Tyler Shandro. They of course are to be blamed for the “best summer ever campaign,” which directly led to an explosion in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. While all that is concerning another crisis is happening in our healthcare systmem

How did it come to this? It is absolutely mindblowing that there are people in Alberta who would rather take something that is used as a dewormer for livestock than the Covid-19 vaccines. Even those these vaccines were made for humans (and not animals), underwent rigorous testing in clinical trials, and have proven to be both safe and effective.

Democracy. It’s one of the greatest things about our country, if not the greatest. And Albertans will have two chances to exercise this freedom in the span of a month. First with the federal election on Sept. 20, and the municipal election on Oct. 18.

Last week Livingstone-Macleod MLA Roger Reid asked residents to fill out a survey on his website which included two questions on the UCP’s K-6 draft curriculum. The first question asked residents if they themselves have reviewed the curriculum, viewed third party opinions of it or neither. The second question asked what method those that have formed their opinion the draft plan have used to provide feedback. However these are not the questions that Reid or any other member of the UCP should be

Every Canadian who watched the Rio Olympics five years ago remembers how a previously unknown swimmer became a household name. Over those 17 days then 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak won 4 medals (two bronze, a silver and a gold) and set an Olympic record (tying American Simone Manuel in the 100 M freestyle) all while becoming Canada’s best summer Olympian ever. It is moments like Oleksiak’s triumphs that will last forever in Canadian sporting lore. It was just one in a long line of Canadian success at the Summer Olympics.

I received my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine last week. And I sincerely hope that all residents of Pincher Creek (and indeed the entire province) age 12 and older do the same, now vaccines are becoming more widely available. While there may be some understandable hesitancy it is important to remember all the good that vaccines have done ever since the first one was developed in the late 1700s

It is time to stop changing our clocks twice a year. Beyond the inconvenience that comes with the ridiculous notion of “saving daylight” there are more negatives than positives. A position statement by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine released last month agrees with this call for an end to the change. “An abundance of accumulated evidence indicates that the transition from standard time to daylight saving time incurs significant public health and safety risks,” the statement said. “Dayl