The national leader's tour brought us to Calgary
this morning. I must say I was surprised to hear that I was the first
party leader to visit Calgary in this election campaign. Doubly
surprising when you consider news reports that I am not doing a national
campaign at all.
I was so pleased to meet with Calgary's new mayor. I
had gotten to know his predecessor, David Thomas Bronconnier mostly at Stampede
events. In 2009, we spent a fair bit of time together flipping pancakes.
He did a much better job than Miss Calgary, but, then again, she was
unfamiliar with the basics of pancake flipping (wait for the bubbles).
I am excited about Mayor Nenshi's election victory. It
sent a positive message to Canada. It said a lot about who we are as a country.
And it should have awakened Canadians to the false
stereotypes we are fed about Alberta. According to media hype, Albertans
shouldn't like the Green Party -- but we do very well in Alberta.
According to the stereotypes, Albertans are supposed to revel in
environmental disaster, but I have never seen that. Not even close.
When I think of Albertans, I think of a strong land ethic. I
think of people committed to community. I often hear older farmers
express concern about the future of water in a province where the glaciers are
in retreat. I know a healthy majority Albertans, in poll after poll, want
climate action.
The stereotypes for Alberta are as bad as the stereotypes
for Quebec. Outside Quebec, you never hear about Quebec's leading science or
community transit innovations. Outside Alberta, how many Canadians know the
Calgary light rail is powered by wind? Or that Okotoks is the greenest community
in Canada? Or that alongside steak houses, excellent vegetarian restaurants are
springing up in Calgary?
Despite the hype, I always have a great time and a huge
Green welcome in Calgary. Let's continue the purple tide that brought in
Mayor Nenshi with a big green wave!