Opinion

Colleen McNeil – Crowsnest Pass

Residents of Crowsnest Pass, how much more are you willing to pay in taxes to help a developer build on a section of land in Bellevue simply because it is easier for them to develop in Bellevue than the land they purchased in Coleman?

This is the question before municipal council as they vote at the April 1 council meeting on whether to rezone the parcels of land in Bellevue to high-density R3.

Recently, a developer bought large pieces of municipal land in Bellevue and Coleman. The following are significant issues with the Bellevue parcels, which, if approved, will also require council to approve millions of dollars to upgrade the infrastructure to accommodate this type of development in that area.

The parcels of land under consideration present a range of significant challenges that will compel council to invest millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades that were not part of the priority capital plan for 2025 or 2026.

—Affordable housing? At the public hearing on March 11, council noted that the mines to the west had expressed an urgent need for housing for their workers. This comment makes me think these apartments could be marketed toward mine workers, not residents needing affordable housing.

If so, bedrooms could be sublet, potentially accommodating multiple shift workers per unit. This scenario could bring at least 324 additional people and vehicles into the residential area.

—Aging infrastructure: Sewer lines in Bellevue are aging and require significant upgrades, as do the sewer lagoons in Hillcrest. These systems are already strained and would struggle to accommodate additional high-density development.

Administration explained that the infrastructure in the area has recently become a priority, which they believe could cost in the millions, which does not include the sewage lagoons as council stated that is an additional $10 million and that the next council will have to deal with that.

Are you, as residents, willing to pay extra taxes on loans to cover two, five, or even 10 million dollars when this development could be done in a better location in Coleman?

—Historical resources designation: The land in question has been labelled DjPo-25, an area believed to have a high concentration of Indigenous artifacts dating back thousands of years, such as stone arrowheads, knives and scrapers found via past research.

Any development on this land would require historical resource approval. Based on what I heard, the backhoe digs at the Dairy Road site cost roughly $130,000.

The area in question is much larger than Dairy Road, meaning the cost could be hundreds of thousands of dollars. At what point will the developer give up financially and want the municipality to repurchase the land?

As residents, are you willing to pay extra taxes to repurchase land from the developer?

—Methane gas concerns: Methane gas from the old Mohawk mine remains an issue in the area. A council member who grew up in that area confirmed that methane gas had previously infiltrated a neighbour’s basement.

If the development goes ahead and the building process pushes pockets of methane gas into residents’ basements, resulting in legal action, the residents of Crowsnest Pass would likely end up paying for the legal costs.

As residents, are you willing to pay extra taxes to fight legal battles for a development that should not have been approved in the first place?

—Traffic impact: The intersection leading to the proposed development, which meets at the entrance to the MDM Community Centre, cannot support increased traffic volume, especially if there is an increase of up to 324 people, meaning 324 vehicles. The construction of an alternate road into the area.

As residents, are you willing to pay extra taxes on loans to cover two, five, or even 10 million dollars when this development could be done in a better location in Coleman?

To council members: Residents who have lived in Crowsnest Pass for years or decades should not be forced to finance improvements that primarily benefit a private developer. Infrastructure costs should be a core consideration when developers purchase land, not an afterthought that local taxpayers are later forced to absorb. Please vote against this Bylaw 1221, 2025 or amend the bylaw only to sell and rezone the area in Coleman.

To the developer: The community wants and needs your company to build in Crowsnest Pass via responsible development, such as what you are proposing in Bellevue, but instead on the Coleman land you conditionally purchased. Residents should not have to bear the financial burden of upgrading infrastructure in an area that will not need upgrades any time soon if high-density developments are not approved.

Residents: How can you stop council from approving more debt? The answer is simple: Reach out to all council members (their contact information is on the municipal website) and tell them to vote against the rezoning of the land in Bellevue. By doing this, the land sale conditions will not be met, and the developer can then focus on the larger area in Coleman that has better road access. 

This will be a win-win situation for both sides, as the developer will have a larger section of land to build on, and the residents of Crowsnest Pass will not have to take on extra debt and increased taxes.

This will also free up land in Bellevue so that the next council can either protect it or find a use that does not disrupt the ground and infrastructure.

Shootin’ the Breeze welcomes submissions about local issues and activities. Personal views expressed in Mailbox items are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Shootin’ the Breeze ownership and staff. Mailbox articles include letters to the editor, op-eds, news releases and notes from our readers.

The post Opposing high-density housing in Bellevue appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

Bacon, eggs, sausage and french toast with toppings were all in the lineup for the annual Safety Breakfast at the Great Plains College. 

The annual event provides a free breakfast for the various individuals working with the college partners who get their safety training through its programs. 

Angela Kazakoff, the skills and safety training coordinator for Great Plains College and the southern region, was happy to have her clients come into the College for a chance to give back to them.

"We provide a little bit of information about what we offer, but really just an appreciation for our clients and their support over the year," said Kazakoff. 

These men and women work in various industries, ranging from the oil field to the City of Swift Current. All walks of life need and benefit from safety training, which helps to ensure they can complete their tasks in a manner that ensures they get to go home to their families. 

The fact they choose to get their training at the Great Plains College is a big reason for the breakfast. 

"(The breakfast) is to show our appreciation because we understand that people can go elsewhere for their training," said Kazakoff. "This community really provides us with so much support and we just really appreciate that."

In total, there were roughly 150 diners at the College. 

The overzealous actions of a member of Coun. Craig Cassar’s staff resulted in the leaking of a budget proposal by Councillor Jeff Beattie to climate change insiders with the suggestion to stimulate some public pushback.  That was the upshot of a report by Hamilton’s Integrity Commission following a complaint by Beattie. During the budget debates in February, Beattie proposed a motion to cut $560,000 that had been added on to the existing biodiversity action plan to hire four employees in public works to develop the program.

Beattie’s motion was submitted to the clerk and fellow councillors the day before the matter was to be considered by council. His complaint reads, “I had submitted to Clerks for review, and other members of Council for their comments. These motions were circulated to some select members of the public, before the Motions had been properly vetted, checked for accuracy, procedural correctness and placed on the Public Agenda for the viewing by the General Public, with intent that this group might lobby or otherwise influence the decision-making process of Council.”

In the course of his investigation, the Integrity Commissioner learned that a member of Cassar’s staff, upon seeing the proposal to pause the biodiversity funding, forwarded the motion to the Hamilton Naturalist’s Club, Conservation Hamilton and Environment Hamilton and about one dozen others. The staffer’s email read, “ I think we can and should send emails to ALL councillors all day today and tomorrow. And get on the phone to Beattie and Clark and leave messages. Emails won’t make it on tomorrow’s agenda at this point, but they will land in the inboxes of decision makers. Other thoughts for an intervention are welcome. If we are loud enough, we can hopefully convince the majority to vote this down. Can (Hamilton Naturalist’s Club) send out an eblast to e-newsletter subscribers today with directions of who to write to? I can help draft it. Short and sweet.”

When council met the following day, the agenda did contain correspondence from several individuals as well as HCA, Hamilton Naturalists and Environment Hamilton, all opposing the Beattie motion, which ultimately failed.

Both Cassar, who apologized to Beattie and his staffer said that Cassar had not directed staff to leak the information. For that reason, the Integrity Commissioner ruled that he did not have jurisdiction over staff. However, he is referring the matter to the city Human Resources Department, writing, “I am not responsible for dealing with staff violations of their code of ethics and am not making any findings in this regard. I am, however, initiating a formal complaint with the City’s HR Department to have (employee ’s) conduct reviewed for possible breach of the City’s Employee Code of Conduct.”

Liberal Leader Mark Carney has said a Liberal government would overhaul Canada’s military, pledging an “unprecedented acceleration of investment” in the Canadian Armed Forces.

On March 25, Carney unveiled the party’s defence strategy in a campaign speech in Halifax. In a press release shared shortly following the speech, Carney promised to hit the NATO spending target by 2030, better equip Arctic forces and create a new Canadian drone capability — all while prioritizing domestic procurement.

“Now more than ever, we need to secure Canadian sovereignty by strengthening our military,” Carney told reporters in Halifax. 

“We’re going to prioritize investments here in Canada, and every dollar we spend is going to be spent wisely and effectively — and help us build our capabilities to get to our two per cent NATO target by 2030 at the latest.

“But our first priority will be on value for money to protect Canadians.”

Christian Leuprecht, a professor at Queen’s University and the Royal Military College of Canada, says the dual commitments to boosting military capacity and revisiting procurement plans are not compatible. 

“ The prime minister has basically made two completely contradictory announcements within a matter of days,” said Leuprecht, who is also a senior fellow in security and defence at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute think tank.

“ I find it kind of curious that a prime minister campaigning on the one hand is announcing, ‘Here’s all the things I’m gonna do for defence,’ and on the other hand, this is days after he says, ‘We’re going to review the F-35 purchase.’ Which is it? Are we actually committed or are we not?”

Northern pivot

Speaking to reporters, Carney pledged to expand Canada’s Arctic capabilities by acquiring new submarines and heavy icebreakers, but did not specify the quantity or type. 

Carney also said the CAF would establish a greater year-round presence in the North, and would partner with Australia to develop Over-the-Horizon Radar capabilities to bolster its Arctic early-warning systems.

The press release did not offer details on timelines or costs associated with its proposed investments.

To support Canadian industry, Carney proposed tying defence procurement to domestic manufacturing, requiring defence contractors to use Canadian steel and aluminum. He also promised to modernize procurement rules to allow the military to acquire urgently needed equipment faster.

Leuprecht says Canada is currently involved in producing some of the most advanced weapons systems in the world. But it lacks the industrial capacity to effectively arm itself without the support of allies.

“We already build the best drone cameras in the world: L3Harris Wescam,” says Leuprecht, referencing the imaging systems firm based in Hamilton, Ont. “Nobody can compete, not even close.”

Still, Leuprecht notes that producing complete weapons systems entirely within Canada can be prohibitively expensive. “ You have to work with allies to generate them,” he said.

Recruitment

Carney’s announcement acknowledges the CAF’s significant personnel shortage. He pledged to address a shortfall of 14,500 service members by modernizing the recruitment process and offering new incentives to join the military. These include better base housing, increased pay, improved child care and expanded access to medical and mental health services.

The Canadian Armed Forces already announced changes to its recruitment and retention strategy in February. The CAF expects these changes to grow the regular, non-reserve force to 71,500 personnel by 2032, up from about 65,000 today.

Carney’s plan further promises a new mandate for the Canadian Coast Guard. Carney says this organization needs to align its surveillance role with NATO defence objectives to better protect Canada’s maritime borders and combat drug trafficking.

On the air front, the Liberals pledged to boost Canada’s drone capabilities and to partner with allies to procure the “next generation of aircraft.” 

Canada’s procurement of the American-made F-35, a fifth-generation fighter, has been a long-debated issue. In 2023, Ottawa committed to buy 88 jets from Lockheed Martin for $19 billion to replace its aging, fourth-generation CF-18 fleet. 

Upon his swearing in as prime minister, Carney signaled a willingness to re-evaluate this contract. He directed Defence Minister Bill Blair to assess whether the deal aligns with Canada’s current needs, citing a shifting geopolitical landscape. 

Tories push back

The Conservatives say Carney’s announcement lacks credibility, coming after years of the party having neglected defence.

“This is not a change,” said James Bezan, the Conservative’s defence critic, in a press release released shortly after Carney’s speech. “This is more of the same promises with no plan and no action.”

The federal government previously announced in July 2024 that it had begun a process to acquire up to 12 conventionally powered submarines, Bezan said in the press release.

“[B]ut today Carney wouldn’t commit to a number,” said Bezan. “They’ve announced more heavy icebreakers, but cannot announce a number, a cost, or who will build them. They say they will give the Canadian Armed Forces a raise, but they’ve been in charge for the lost Liberal decade as military morale and recruitment plummeted.”

Leuprecht, likewise, says it is difficult to reconcile the prime minister’s statements with the party’s record on defence.

“This is the problem with the Liberals,” said Leuprecht. “Depending on what time of day it is and whether the sun’s shining or not, they’ll tell you one thing or they’ll tell you the other. And that’s precisely what costs us … This has massive reputational costs and damage with our allies.”

Editor’s Note: Canadian Affairs will be publishing a comprehensive piece on the parties’ defence platforms as further information becomes available. 

The post Carney vows to ‘rearm’ Canada’s military, hit NATO target appeared first on CANADIAN AFFAIRS.

A Nova Scotia youth court judge is being asked to impose a 27-month sentence on one of four teens charged in the killing of Ahmad Al Marrach last April.

The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump will announce tariffs on auto imports on Wednesday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump would speak from the Oval Office at 4 p.m.

The move would escalate Trump’s dispute with global trading partnets ahead of a broader tariff push next week.

More to come

The post Trump to announce tariffs on auto imports on Wednesday, White House says appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg.

After two years of work, Matt Gallagher's newest film — Shamed — will screen at Toronto's upcoming Hot Docs 2025 Festival. The documentary explores the "collateral damage" of Creeper Hunter TV: The controversial online predator-catching project of Jason Nassr of Windsor, Ont.

Winnipeg police and Manitoba’s Premier will identify Ashlee Shingoose of St. Theresa Point First Nation on Wednesday afternoon as Buffalo Woman, the unnamed victim of a serial killer convicted for her murder last year, says the head of the Assembly of First Nations.

National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in a statement to The Globe and Mail that she has spoken and offered condolences to the parents of Ms. Shingoose. The family of the 31-year-old mother of three has been looking for her since she went missing in Winnipeg in 2022, the same year that the killer murdered four Indigenous women in the city.

Two of the most serious sexual violence cases in the province were called in neighboring St. John’s courtrooms this morning.

The cases may be unrelated but the allegations are disturbingly similar, involving the violent sexual exploitation of dozens of vulnerable youth on the Northeast Avalon Peninsula.

Thirty-four-year-old Markus Hicks and 64-year-old Tony Humby were both arrested and charged in 2023. Humby and his co-accused, 84-year-old Bruce Escott, were arrested in April of that year.

Hicks was a Paradise teacher and volleyball coach when he was picked up and jailed in September. He faces more than 200 charges, accused of using dozens of fake names on social media, both male and female, to lure mostly youth to his home for sex over the past decade.

Police allege he went by names like Maria Winchester, Brittany Campbell, Isabella Ricci and Corinne Smith, concealing his identify during the sex acts at his home.

Hicks has been in custody at Bishop’s Falls since his arrest, appearing by video as lawyers continue to finalize what’s expected to be a plea deal by mid-April.

Bruce Escott is shown on video last month at the Bishop’s Falls Correctional Centre. (VOCM News)

Humby, meanwhile, was on track for a similar resolution earlier this month, until new information thrust the case into closed hearings to determine its admissibility.

Those arguments, which can’t be reported, are expected to continue for the rest of this week.

Humby faces more than 70 sexual violence charges. Escott has already been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Meanwhile, the specter of so-called Jordan timelines hangs over both provincial court cases which, by law, are supposed to be concluded within 18 months of charges being laid.

The defence has said delays won’t be an issue in the Hicks matter, but it remains to be seen in the Humby case.

The court can also exercise some flexibility with those timelines in more complex cases.

The RNC has arrested a female in connection with a report of an assault in St. John’s.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, shortly after 3 a.m., the RNC received a report of an assault that had occurred on George Street. Investigating officers determined that a female had sustained minor physical injuries following an interaction with another female.

Following an investigation, a 22-year-old female from St. John’s was arrested and charged with assault. The accused was released from custody on conditions and is scheduled to appear in provincial court on May 8.

When governments are re-elected, the second terms are historically tougher than the first. There are some key factors that will shape the next four years for the Tory supermajority.

The Saskatchewan government is removing a provincial sales tax exemption on vapour products sold in the province.

A vehicle struck a sign pole on northbound Crowchild Trail Wednesday morning, leaving one person dead, first responders confirm to CBC News.

Raids conducted on Prince Edward Island connected to a national operation to fight child pornography have led to charges against three people.