ROASTED & TOASTED

ROAST: Shame on you, Calgary mayor “do as I say” Naheed Nenshi for protecting your scofflaw employees from experiencing any consequences of their reckless actions, to the detriment of the people you were elected to protect. In sharp contrast to your lame excuses for their ignorant, entitled behaviour, your current silence (in the wake of federally-imposed travel bans) is deafening. You have completely lost focus. Time for you to step down and take all of your mindless minions with you. Calgary needs a leader who leads by example.

ROAST: To the car full of teenagers in a black Toyota Camry at Pavan Park last Saturday. My daughter pulled up beside them in her vehicle to walk her dogs with a friend. These kids started making fun of her and her friend, who is of another race. They got back from walking the dogs, and her whole car had been keyed! Seriously, racism is not OK, and it begins at home! She is devastasted, and worked hard for her first vehicle. This makes us sick inside.

ROAST: To the City of Lethbridge employees who set the maximum speed on the west side hill. Sure it may be snowing at 6 a.m. but often the roads are bare and clear by midafternoon. Why then is the maximum speed still at 60 kph? Speed traps? Laziness? I think us drivers would like to know especially since this is the only road in the city where the speed limit changes don’t make sense.

ROAST: To Justin and his new restrictions regarding international travel. How timely — he and his staff and fellow Liberals were able to take holiday vacations to warmer climates without these ridiculous new laws. I would like to know where in Southern Alberta it would cost $2,000 for a 3-day stay to isolate. The majority of Canadians returning to Canada can be trusted to selfisolate/quarantine but will now be punished because some people have no social conscience. Thank you Justin for another mindless inane decision...time to go back to your previous occupation as you have no business leading our fine country.

ROAST: A big roast to Snowbirds who decided to travel south. In March you were told to not travel. Dr. Tam said stay home. Stop crying the blues now that the new restrictions are in place. You took your chances so now pay the price. We really feel for you. Suck it up.

ROAST: To the people in the local paper’s picture bringing sandwiches to the homeless in our city. This is doing more harm than good to our community. Your “Goodie Fruitie” deed is nothing more than a “show and tell” situation. Comparing the homeless to a spoiled child, you don’t keep giving into the demands of a spoiled child, the result being that the spoiled child ends up doing nothing for the wants of the child’s growing demands. You are creating a monstrous situation in our community. If you truly feel that you have to help, take the homeless person to your home and feed them there. If the mayor or certain councillors feel the need to help the homeless then they should have them set up camps in their own backyards for the homeless, hence the statement “not in my backyard.” Apparently there is a councillor with the rental property, why haven’t you opened up your rental property for the homeless as you keep stating comments to help the homeless? All of you are nothing more than a farce, creating situations to destroy our city.

ROAST: How easily we forget. Quite a ways back we were told not to expect vaccines for COVID for a long time — maybe spring or summer and now so many complain that they have been slowed down for several reasons. A panel member on Rosemary Barton’s Sunday morning show reminded us of this. Let’s toast all who are helping and supporting so all can stay healthy. Complaining does not help mental health.

ROAST: Roast to the City.

They fail to clean up the recycling location on the north side. Broken glass has been left scattered in the parking lot for the last month.

ROAST: So!Benga started buying land in the Pass in 2013. They claim they started their “positive” consultations in 2015 (so quiet as to be inaudible). And in 2019, Australian investors were told the UCP would be rescinding the 1976 Coal Policy to get ready for open pit mining. If the UCP were private sector, they would be going to jail for fraud. We knew all along they were lying — now we have the proof.

ROAST: There were some comments in a recent roast and toast that possibly our mayor is a “bully.” Noticing a certain council person not attending some meetings lately again, would it be possible that the reason for this is because the mayor is a bully. Maybe the council person could make a comment on this matter to give us some clarity or would the council person feel threatened by the bully?

ROAST: To the westside NDP person. I am retired and with the COVID situation I feel quite restricted and confined to my residence. I used to love to take my quad to the mountains and ride the lower safe trails, but with your decision to close the mountains west of us to quad trail riding, I can’t even do this to help me get through the COVID crisis. Thanks a lot for affecting my lifestyle and possibly others! We will remember you in the next election.

ROAST: A big roast to gym and restaurant owners who have convinced themselves its somehow their divine right to exist. If 80 per cent of you close, 80 per cent of us wouldn’t even notice. Stop the incessant complaining!

ROAST: Roast to the discontinuation of the Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Volunteer Awards program by Volunteer Lethbridge. There are already award programs for businesses and around inclusion in the community so it’s especially disappointing that youth won’t have the chance to celebrate and be inspired by each other any longer.

TOAST: To the person complaining about the city taxes increasing because of a higher assessment placed on their property. I went through this last year and tried to deal with the city tax assessor and got the answer that there are too many items that cause higher assessments and wouldn’t really be specific about what caused the higher assessment as there were no improvements done to our property. Yet, the mayor states that city taxes are not going up. He is again not fully telling the truth because if your assessment goes up the taxes are increased retrospectively.

TOAST: To dairy farmers.

They work hard 365 days a year.

ROAST: To the Westside MLA receiving front page news about her situation with the two police officers. This story doesn’t deserve front page news. There are far more important stories going on that deserve front page news. Time for the local paper to quit accommodating her.

Her constant whining is beginning to bother me.

TOAST: To Ron Tait, the snow angel in Parkbridge Estates. Thank you.

ROAST: Roast to every taxpayer-supported entity in Canada whether it be federal, provincial or municipal. If you have a collective agreement that is expiring, you better be negotiating a zero wage increase at a minimum or better yet, a rollback on wages, benefits, vacation, etc. It’s about time those at the trough feel the same pain as the private sector during these tough times.

ROAST: Roast to Shannon Phillips. You never liked the idea that you may have been surveilled even though you were discussing government affairs in a very public place with many people around you within hearing distance. However, you and the NDP seemed to relish the release of Dr. Deena Hinshaw’s comments in an incamera brainstorming session where all participants were sworn to secrecy. Of course the NDP waited until November after the daily COVID-19 cases started to escalate to put the comments out to the public. What exactly was your NDP trying to do?

ROAST: A roast to all the drivers in Lethbridge who have expired registrations. Whenever I am walking or driving around the city, I see many vehicles that have expired stickers on their licence plates. You have to be colour blind not to notice the year on the plates. Currently it should be green (2021) or blue (2022) and if not, it is expired. This makes it very easy for LPS to spot. I am also afraid that many of these vehicles have no insurance and if you get in an accident with them good luck collecting. When LPS officers are driving around one would hope they would check for these vehicles.

ROAST: To the City of Lethbridge saying they want citizens input on some projects. All the media blitz is just pretend steps, as the decision has already been made. Wasted dollars spent. Have looked for our City Manager’s e-mail address, not found on the City’s web page. All of our other City Managers had their e-mail address in City Manager and senior management page. Is your e-mail address a secret?

ROAST: Thanks for raising my stepson’s welfare payment from $1,000 a month to $3,000 per month. He can now afford new Ray-Bans and wireless headphones. He has a new leather couch and a big screen TV. He has lots of money for meth and fentanyl. COVID has been a huge boon to his ability to live comfortably. Maybe he will give me a loan.

ROAST: Referring to a roast: maximum speed on the hill Friday, Jan 29. How long have you lived in Lethbridge? Whoop-Up speed signs are just graffiti. Want to lower municipal taxes? Enforce traffic violations in Lethbridge; there is money to be made.

ROAST: With a capital “R” to those people with access to snow shovels and snow blowers who think they’re robotic and clean sidewalks on command. Sorry that’s not how it works, so get out after it snows and clean your sidewalk. A good way to get COVID-19 exercise.

ROAST: To Shannon Philips for doing anything and everything to get on the front page of the newspaper.

TOAST: To Brenda for making our recent essential trip to the US so much less stressful. Planning a trip? Talk to Brenda!

TOAST: Toast to Shannon Phillips for standing up for Albertans! If Mr. Kenney would stop trying to sell our parks, change coal mining policies without consultation, give away farmers’ irrigation water to same coal companies, take away teacher’s pensions without permission, try to take away our Canada Pension, invest our taxpayer money in Keystone XL after private business walked away from it, bad-mouth the Governor of Michigan and tell us city folks we don’t understand coal miners (is that all?) then perhaps Ms. Phillips could say some nice things about him, too.

ROAST: Roast to charities that send out their donation appeals in plastic bags. We don’t want more plastic waste than what we already have — a paper envelope is more than sufficient.

TOAST: A huge toast to Rachael Harder’s “From the Hill.” Wake up Canadians! We can’t let the policies of the federal government rob us of our freedoms and our independence; our desire to provide for ourselves and our families; of industry and commerce. We don’t want the Liberals to turn Canada into a Cuba or Venezuela!

ROAST: Roast to this community. You complain about people who are homeless or need supports but every time a new group tries to help you push them away. Roast to the people who protested the Mustard Seed because they are religious — well people have choices and don’t have to use them, and religions have been in the business of helping the homeless for centuries.

ROAST: to those who complain because a group who has been providing services for 3 months wants an office space. They have been providing services but when no one knew no one cared that they were here. Obviously whatever they have been doing has not been affecting the rest of us. Toast to the provincial government for being willing to pay for these services and the much needed help they will provide.

ROAST: To the members of a church who are raising a ruckus on Facebook because they are unable to bypass Government regulations to bring their missionary children home from outside Canada. Wasting their MLA’s time having them write to the Prime Minister to change restrictions to benefit them. It’s time you got off your high horse, remove your blinders and take a good look around. The world is in the midst of a very ugly pandemic that will only become worse if rules were relaxed for your benefit. The video of the crying woman only portrays her side of the story. Going into quarantine in a hotel is only temporary and not the end of the world! Stop being selfish and let the rules apply in order for all people to return to a better world.

TOAST: To London Road Market for standing behind their employee, their store policies and their integrity. We applaud you!

ROAST: Roast to the 23 per cent — the 90+ respondents — who oppose stiffer penalties for distracted driving. You are in denial of how dangerous and selfish it is to engage in such behaviour. By any definition of sanity, that poll should have been unanimously in favour!

TOAST: A toast to the merchants and services that advertise in the Herald and support our newspaper and a roast to city council for not practicing what they preach.

ROAST: A huge roast to the clerk at London Road for not selling to the maskless woman and a huge toast to the maskless woman. We need more heroes like you!

ROAST: To London road Market. Seriously? Won’t allow a calm collected woman shop in your store without a mask, even if she gives a medical reason, and a 18 year old being praised for her stupid actions. What a backwards world, masks don’t do any good.

TOAST: To the staff of London Road Market for enforcing mask requirements.

ROAST: to the Karen (funny that is her name, too) who tried to intimidate staff into her maskless stupidity at London Road. She actually works for a business that claims to have Health and Safety workplace knowledge. Time to boycott her business as they obviously have no clue about reality.

TOAST: To the young lady who cares about her fellow staff members and the public enough to speak up and stand up to stupidity. I will make a point toshop at London Road now as I know it’s a safe environment for me and my family.

ROAST: To the big box store security guard who, when advised there were people in store without masks, replied “they had one on when they came in so there’s nothing I can do.” I left my cart in your store and walked out and now encourage others to do the same if the issue is not addressed. 99% of us going elsewhere or the 1% leaving in a temper tantrum, your choice. Smaller local stores have more control and respect for their customers and staff. I’ll support them.

ROAST: To the anti-masker at London Road Market. Go work in the hospital with no mask and see how well you make out.

TOAST: Huge cudos to the cashier at London Road Market who professionally stood up to a bullying non-masker. Have yet to see this happen in a Big box store. London Road Market staff are very friendly and very accommodating to their customers. Goes to show Shop Local is great.

ROAST: Roast to all the individual people driving around alone in their cars with a mask on. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to just get an air freshener?

TOAST: To Jacob Faithful and the Frog Lake First Nation for their plan to manufacture medical grade masks and sell them at an affordable price. That’s a Made in Alberta solution worthy of major congratulations. Good luck as you go forward with the process and thank you.

TOAST: A huge toast to the the management and staff at London Road Market and Costco for enforcing the mask requirements, ensuring the safety of their customers and staff. A huge roast to retailers and government leaders who allow non-maskers to put us all at risk.

ROAST: On a recent television broadcast the tenant that was misled and deceived by the apartment rental company for believing she was moving into a smoke-free building should seek help with Consumer and Corporate Affairs, Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Minister or Housing. That company is only interested in gouging unsuspecting tenants for as much money as possible.

TOAST: To The Herald for bringing back the local COVID information on the front page.

ROAST: Folks, are you enjoying this cold weather? Just think what it would be like without oil and gas; this is what NDP/socialists and liberals are trying to foist on us!