Talk to the Chair

Preston Manning, founder of the federal Reform Party and the Manning Centre (now rebranded the Canada Strong & Free Network) isn’t taking calls about his latest gig. The Government of Alberta, flush with petrodollars, is paying Preston over a quarter-million bucks to chair Premier Danielle Smith’s COVID-19 panel.  Donna sat with Preston on another government-appointed … More Talk to the Chair

Danielle, we need to talk.

Danielle, we need to talk. Donna was on the Fair Deal Panel. And that’s history. What’s happening now isn’t… … More Danielle, we need to talk.

Conflict, controversy, provocations sell…

Pissing people off has its rewards. Greenpeace-style modus operandi in Canada, alongside railway blockades by activists for weeks on end, are examples for how ‘direct action’ works (especially if you’re on the right side of public opinion). But is that the way to run a country? … More Conflict, controversy, provocations sell…

This movie features a bad actor…

THE PRIME MINISTER INSISTS he must save Canada. He cannot allow, he says, the new Conservative leader to ever run this country. Is Justin channelling the Donald? … More This movie features a bad actor…

Feeling energy secure?

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS if you’re in Alberta. Imagine what it’s like living in Europe and elsewhere, worrying about where you can secure a reliable and readily available source of energy in the near future, in a marketplace upended by Russia’s war with Ukraine … More Feeling energy secure?

One Down, Trudeau to Go?

Who’s next? British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s blunt one-liner as he stepped down from power—“When the herd moves, it moves”—will live on in infamy. We heard something similar from Premier Jason Kenney this spring after leadership review results starkly depicted the extent to which he had been abandoned by the conservative herd. And I well … More One Down, Trudeau to Go?

Lest we forget.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping and Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt share something in common: their intent to remake the world in a way that suits them… … More Lest we forget.

House on Fire

This won’t be funny. Cynical. Or anything with a twist. I live in Varsity, a Calgary neighbourhood. This morning, I woke up just before five—the wee hours—to the faint smell of smoke. Instinct kicked in. I raced to my bedroom window. Across the street, there were flames leaping from the roof of a home. Called … More House on Fire

RACHEL NOTLEY, a lady in waiting…

DID YOU SEE Rachel Notley the other day giving it her all in the Legislature?

She was pretty pissed with Jason Kenney because he didn’t proclaim what she wanted to hear about Roe v. Wade. It’s as if she set her hair on fire … More RACHEL NOTLEY, a lady in waiting…

MAY DAY! MAY DAY!!

In the Jason Kenney playbook on how to get stuff done, the old maxim rings true: it ain’t over until it’s over. But what if the premier fails to survive his leadership review later this month and sinks to rise no more? Are you going to need a life preserver? … More MAY DAY! MAY DAY!!

HURRY! HURRY! CRYPTO is the next big thing!

Crypto! Pierre Poilievre promises to “unleash” the potential of cryptocurrency once he becomes Canada’s prime minister. First he needs to be the leader of the federal Conservative Party, but let’s not quibble over the fine print. … More HURRY! HURRY! CRYPTO is the next big thing!

While democracies slept…

Should China decide to dump the oodles of US dollar assets it owns, well… that would be interesting. … More While democracies slept…

Take this job & ??

Jason Kenney says, “I don’t need this job.” These most telling words uttered by Alberta’s premier are an admission of defeat. I know, because it’s what I told myself just before deciding to exit the PC leadership race against him in 2017.  … More Take this job & ??

Teaching the Dinosaur to Dance

TEACHING THE DINOSAUR TO DANCE: MOVING BEYOND BUSINESS AS USUAL—Donna’s new book—launches TODAY!  Of course, this new book looks at the challenge of moving beyond polarity, and a whole lot more. Written over the course of the pandemic, the book has been informed and inspired by Donna’s nearly 40-year career in leadership roles in the … More Teaching the Dinosaur to Dance

Sit up & pay attention…

Bye bye Canada’s Arctic? Vladimir Putin’s handshake with Xi Jinping of China during the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics was the first clue… … More Sit up & pay attention…

Weekend rallying point?

Ottawa has spoken. You disagree. And you think they’re coming for you next, your bank account, and your children. Tick-tick-tick … More Weekend rallying point?

It will happen here…

THE TRUCKER’S CONVOY powering its way across Canada has been hijacked by radicals and aims to land on the doorstep of the federal government this weekend. The Freedom Convoy was launched as a protest against the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all truckers entering Canada. Extremists and fringe groups have used social media to … More It will happen here…

This shouldn’t be so complicated…

PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION isn’t a new idea. It just got scaled up, accelerated and more creative during the plague. So why aren’t we doing more of this? Because it’s hard… … More This shouldn’t be so complicated…

2021 in review: BEYOND THE BUBBLE

While it’s smart to hang out with people you know & trust during the plague, there’s peril in the familiar — a risk of becoming inward-facing… … More 2021 in review: BEYOND THE BUBBLE

Teaching the Dinosaur to Dance

EVERYTHING is different now. There isn’t a business, government, non-profit or social institution of consequence that has not been rocked in some fundamental way by the events of the past two years. From the coronavirus plague to the climate crisis to social justice movements like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter, disruption rules the day. And status quo … More Teaching the Dinosaur to Dance

An Unwanted Voice

THANKS TO Alberta Views Magazine for providing a platform to share this story: Why was I forced off the board of the Banff Centre? It’s not a nice story. And ultimately, this is not about me so much as it about all of us who call Alberta home.  Here’s the link: 

The Joy of Seeing More

People bemoan the tendency of photography to “capture” a photo rather than to participate in a place. Can you do both? … More The Joy of Seeing More

a national day for Truth & Reconciliation…

September 30th is Canada’s first National Day for Truth & Reconciliation. To honour the occasion, we repost TREATY PARTNERS for your consideration as a way to move forward together… … More a national day for Truth & Reconciliation…

Treaty Partners

We believe it is possible to reimagine and restore the relationship originally envisioned for the treaty partners who signed off the ceded land where the authors live in the territory now called Alberta located in western Canada (Treaties 6, 7 & 8). … More Treaty Partners

Wild weather, wild politics…

We have a choice: to change the way we go about governing ourselves; or let the anarchy of whatever goes and how much we can tolerate rule the day… … More Wild weather, wild politics…