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Regional: Spoiled kid on the block
Commentary by Jeff Burgar
for South Peace News
Last year, this newspaper reflected on why highways into the city of Calgary are expanding from six lanes to eight and ten lanes.
Meanwhile, communities supplying resource wealth to build those lanes comes from towns and cities in Northern Alberta also in need of upgrades. In some cases, our upgrades are just glorified goat trails upgraded at least to a sort of all weather gravel standard.
In other cases, pavement is needed. In extreme cases, Ft. McMurray continues to try to get their "death highway" twinned.
Yes, the people who produce nothing can’t be inconvenienced by adding four minutes to their daily commute.
The people who produce everything put up with all-weather extremes including blizzards, hours on extra hours of needless hauling time, and life-threatening incidents with fellow travellers and wildlife. Justice, indeed.
This is nothing new. Over the years, Northern politicians have argued long and hard for gravel and pavement. They often spent most of their waking hours on lobbying fellow politicians and government bureaucrats for better roads.
These days, it’s more or less the same manure, just a different pile. Calgary, as far as Calgary is concerned, is the centre of the universe. Money, as far as money is concerned, is a 12 inch pipeline flowing south, and a garden hose flowing north.
There are events afoot. Former premier Ralph Klein left a legacy that, while Edmonton is the capital, real decisions are made in Calgary. Calgary movers and shakers are very unhappy with today’s premier. Instead of a slick moneyman from Calgary, they got a shaky farmer from Northern Alberta.
In truth, Calgary needs to be understood. It’s a city on the verge of greatness and of great influence. It can be argued Calgary is second only to Toronto as a centre of power in Canada. Calgary is easily considered as beyond Vancouver and Montreal. It is home to more corporate headquarters than any city except Toronto. Of the 20 biggest in Canada, ten are in Toronto but six are in Calgary.
Energy is the driver, and energy is destined to become an even greater part of the Canadian economy, not less. Calgary mayor Dave Bronconnier says his city doesn’t compete at all with Toronto. Instead, it goes up against Houston, Dallas and Dubai. Even so, he is trying to entice one of the Big Five eastern banks to relocate.
On the one hand, Calgary’s rise is wonderful news for Alberta.
It should hint of good things in the future for all Alberta. It doesn’t. There is the reality of that garden hose. Short of forming our own Northern Alberta province, perhaps with a capital in Falher, our next best alternative is still making our Northern case over and over again in the existing capital, Edmonton.
Uphill all the way.
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