A new century for Parks Canada

Underneath a dark blue, perfect September sky, beside the calm waters of the Bow River, behind the great Whyte Museum, the gigantic Brewster tent was held aloft with the emotion of 600 plus people.

Holy Stetsons, wrinkles and wranglers, what a reunion! What a wonderful cocktail shaker full of Park Wardens (active and retired), Park employees, friends and families. We were all celebrating the Centennial of the Warden Service. There was singing, reminiscing, story telling and chewing the fat. But this reunion was a double-edged sword of huge importance and meaning, since it was not only a Centennial celebration but, sadly, also the end of the Warden Service as we once knew it.

The best part for me was being in the tent alongside the pioneers, legends and old-timers. Their accomplishments formed the backbone of human spirit in the Mountain Parks.

What is it about the Rocky Mountains? They turn men and women into visionaries, innovators and drive them to perform incredible feats. We all know the stories. We never tire of them. The stories capture our hearts, souls and imagination. The stories take us into the wind, swooping and diving up over mountain peaks, racing with icy speed over the glaciers, swirling and teasing the turquoise blue lakes and finally to sift and softly settle into a reflection. A view within a view.

These pioneers had their own share of frustrations and challenges but those days are gone and their time is done. Yes, things are uncertain and confusing but what will not change is the loyalty, commitment, courage and dogged persistence of the men and women dedicated to keeping our Parks magnificent, safe and always be the most amazing places in the world.

The campfires are smouldering and it’s up to all of you now to make those fires burn brighter and stronger. It’s your time to make history – this is your century.

 Loni Klettl,
Jasper, AB

Cry Wolf - Now Action Stations

Finally, signs of protection from impacts of climate change are appearing. For decades, scientists and others have sounded the climate change alarm to the world. While few disputed the science, very few were converted. Scientists’ findings and danger warnings are gaining more acceptance. 

The global humanitarian forum initiated in 2007 by Kofi Annan  and consisting of top scientists, climatologists and ENGOS like Oxfam reached vital conclusions, amongst others:

• The need for emissions to climax as soon as possible, decline thereafter and call for a peak of global emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2015

• The United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen in December must agree to halve greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050 to stop temperatures from increasing by more than 2C (3.6F)

• At least a 50 per cent world emission reduction by 2050 on a 1990 baseline. 

• Urgent demands to politicians to set faster and deeper cuts to greenhouse emissions.

The Chair of the International Panel for Climate Change Rajendra Pachauri told reporters it was a “big step” for G8 leaders of over one dozen developed nations attending the Major Economies Forum to recognize that the global average temperature must not increase by more than 2C  (3.6F) 

The Forum leaders have agreed to set a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent for industrial countries by the year 2050. That would both prepare and help in reducing total global emissions by 50 percent from 1990 levels. They also agreed to limit the rise in global temperatures by two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial level.

The world’s poorest are carrying the heaviest burden for a problem they have done the least to create.

Some 80 per cent of the world’s population live in developing countries and contribute, on a per capita basis, significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than advanced economies.

“Each individual has an emissions quota beyond which they make a per capita contribution towards dangerous climate change. Everyone, each country, has responsibility. We’re all in this together, failure to recognize that could be one of the costliest mistakes we ever make.”

Rising emissions remain in the atmosphere for over a century. All the world’s scientists can’t change the climate— here’s what Jasper and the rest of the developed world can contribute:

We have to shift rapidly to low carbon lifestyle, by switching to small EE cars/ trucks, EE kitchen equipment and solar; cut exotic flights, gas/electric bills; boost house insulation, eat meat on celebrations only and push for politicians’ public support during the year 2010.

In Britain the Guardian is supporting the “10-10 Campaign” to influence the UN Copenhagen meeting in December. Members pledge to make efforts to reduce their carbon footprints by 10 per cent in 2010. It offers a real opportunity to initiate a virtuous low carbon cycle.    We can all do that.

How about Jasper as a 10:10 town?

Basil Seton,
Jasper, AB

Bylaw should give warnings

In regards to the letter “Visitor upset over idling ticket” I have never heard of a “No Idling Bylaw” before and I do a lot of travelling by car. I have heard rumours that there may be one in Los Angeles but there are a few more people living there than Jasper.

If a town has a special bylaw that most people visiting would not know about, it should be posted on large signs at both entrances to town.

Your bylaw officers should give warnings to visitors if they are first time offenders instead of tickets. Tickets will give Jasper a bad reputation.

R.J. Stewart,
Celista B.C.

Make Tough Deficit Decisions Now

It seems like only yesterday Canada was running surpluses and was led by a fiscally conservative government. Now both seem distant memories, as recently confirmed by the latest news that the Harper government will run deficits even larger than planned and for even longer than planned.  Over at least seven years Mr. Harper plans to add no less than $170.3 billion more to the federal debt. It is time for Canada to talk about the costs of this spending problem.

Good governments make tough choices. The Harper government has chosen to over-react to Canada’s recession choosing spending over restraint. They keep saying it is the worst recession since the dirty thirties. Despite this being untrue for Canada, they use this claim to bolster their interest in big spending. Unemployment was a lot higher during the recession of the 80’s and 90’s than it is today, and was similar during the 70s. When one factors in another relevant economic indicator – inflation – Canada’s is much better off during this recession than during any of the last three.

Despite this fact, the Harper government has chosen to go on a giant spending spree. Last fall the Prime Minister promised a balanced budget, as did all federal party leaders.  Much has changed since then. The January budget projected a deficit of $34 billion. In May it was increased to $50 billion. Now the deficit figure has been upped to almost $56 billion. Since revenue has only fallen by $17 billion, this giant deficit figure reveals how massive over-spending is the key deficit culprit. In fact, from fiscal year 2005-06 through 2009-10 the Harper government will have increased program spending by $66.7 billion – a 38% increase in only four years.

Much of the so-called ‘stimulus spending’ allegedly was ‘temporary’. It’s turning out to be as temporary as income taxes, when they were ‘temporarily’ introduced in 1917.

Finance Minister Flaherty keeps suggesting that there is $29 billion in stimulus spending in 2009-10 and another $17 billion in 2010-11. If this is the case and it is temporary then spending should decline substantially in 2011-12. Instead, the fall economic update reveals a planned one-time meager spending reduction of $3.9 billion – 1.6% of program spending in 2010-11. Simply put, the spending is not temporary.

The government argues that the strength of Canada’s economic position means it can afford to shoulder this added economic burden.  While this may be true it is bad fiscal policy. Canada’s debt peaked at just under $563 billion in 1996-97. In the subsequent 10 years, it had been whittled down to just under $458 billion. The Harper spending spree will have wiped out in only three years all that was paid back over the last ten. A look at the debt clock hosted by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation at www.debtclock.ca shows Canada’s debt at almost $490 billion, climbing at a rate of $1,772.57 per second!

Interest charges to service the debt drain over $30 billion from government revenue every year. In the mid-90s roughly 35 cents of every federal tax dollar went towards paying interest on the federal debt. Thankfully, due to growing tax revenues and modest debt repayment, this number has dropped to around 14 per cent.

Weaker revenue, higher spending and rising interest rates will see the impact of debt interest charges worsen and quickly.

When the Liberals balanced the budget in the 1990s they did it through a combination of business income tax hikes, payroll tax hikes, sin tax hikes, major cuts to provincial transfers and clawbacks to Old Age Security, just to name a few.

The Harper government has decided it will make almost no effort to balance the books choosing, instead, to try to ‘grow’ the economy back to surpluses. The Liberals under Mr. Ignatieff promise to balance the books but won’t say when or how. The NDP have been silent on this issue as have the Bloc.

The path to prosperity in Canada can only come from federal austerity. That path needs to be paved now with tough decisions driven by a national conversation about fiscal priorities. If the US can debate health care, can’t we debate balanced budgets?

Kevin Gaudet,
Director, Canadian Taxpayers Association