Jennifer and Alberta Greens shocked by great local support

Below is a recent letter to the editor that Jen & I wrote. It has been carried widely throughout our constituency.

Jennifer did very well at the recent forum in Stettler. I have uploaded her speeches onto YouTube. You can view them by searching her name in YouTube or by going to my account at http://www.youtube.com/greencameron

In the Q&A in Stettler Jen owned the subject of landowner surface rights, came across very credibly and informed on CBM issues, and set the pace with the subjects of trade, integration, and the Security & Prosperity Partnership (SPP) agreement. She also covered water transfer issues with Balzac and the Special Areas very well, and of course she brought up a number of policies from our platform. Jennifer didn't miss a beat, while the other candidates did, and Jennifer has gained the support of many local farmers, ranchers and landowners. It could have something to do with her knowledge of landowner rights, her ability to communicate the solutions that are within the Alberta Greens policies, and her ability to gain media attention on how our regulatory bodies are failing us.

After the forum, I went to the Legion parking lot where we were parked and noticed a couple of tables full of happy people. I said surprised, "this legion has an outdoor patio in the shade?!? That's awesome!"

They all smiled and laughed, and asked if I was from out of town. I told them I was just on the other side of the Legion at the political forum and a couple of people remarked that they wanted to be there (but not as much as they wanted to enjoy the evening outside on the patio - I can't blame them ;-).

I handed them a pamphlet and said "it's a little light reading, if you want to check it out and pass it along." One lady remarked, "Oh! The Green Party! That's the one I want to see. I've told my friends I'm voting Green!"

I replied, "Excellent! I'm hearing that a LOT."

See her bio here.


Jen is participating in a forum in Hanna right now. I had to work late and watch our son so I was unable to attend. On June 6th, 7pm, there's another forum at the Drumheller Inn at 100 South Railway Ave.

Door knocking and phone canvassing is going well, and we've received a number of donations from people around the constituency. Jen has more support than I did in the last federal election. I'm very proud of her.

Here is the letter to the editor we've sent out.

Letter to the editor regarding water and landowners rights

Submitted by Jennifer Wigmore
Drumheller-Stettler Candidate for the Green Party of Alberta

A water transfer proposal for the Special Areas in Drumheller-Stettler sits on the shelf, while the Province fast tracks a plan to get water to a mega mall in Balzac. Their priorities do not lay with the people, the farmers or the small business persons; their priorities lay with the foreign and big business interests. Big business is being put ahead of our agricultural industry, and while this government tries to keep agriculture afloat with subsidies, they are avoiding any real solutions to our problems.

Rather than pursuing made in Alberta plan that will strengthen our economy an make it flourish in a sustainable fashion, they are looking to the United States through the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) Agreement for ways to complete the sale of our national independence.

In April of this year CanWest News reported that a series of closed-door conferences for the North American Future 2025 Project will include the discussion of “water transfers” and diversions, according to the outline for the project, a trilateral effort to draft a “blueprint” on economic integration for the governments of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

The project was launched to help guide the ongoing Security and Prosperity Partnership, a wide-ranging effort to further integrate the countries’ practices on everything from environmental rules to security protocols and border controls.

“It’s no secret that the U.S. is going to need water. It’s no secret that Canada is going to have an overabundance of water.” said Armand Peschard-Sverdrup, director of the project, which is spearheaded by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a powerful Washington think-tank.

An 'overabundance of water'? Is this what they think we have here in Alberta? Why is our government allowing the US to discuss our water and resources as if they are something they own?

This is bigger that the proposed Balzac water transfer, which, in my informed opinion, will probably be coming from the WID (Western Irrigation District). This is about fast-tracking without public consultations.

A proposed 1,607-kilometre cross-country oil pipeline will run from Hardisty, southeast of Edmonton to Superior, Wisconsin. The pipeline is aimed at transporting Alberta tarsands crude to U.S. markets, and it will run right through our agricultural land.

David Core, President of the Canadian Alliance of Pipeline Landowners Associations, who is active with the Green Party, is saying, “pipeline landowners can no longer pretend that pipelines crossing their farms are out of sight and out of mind, and can no longer make excuses when dealing with pipeline companies and the boards that regulate them.”

Landowners must spread the word and stand up for their rights. Joining together with other landowners to form associations is a must, as Joe Anglin of the Lavesta Area Landowners Group, and declared Green Party of Alberta candidate in Lacombe-Ponoka, knows all too well.

The Lavesta Area Landowners Group represents more than 800 landowners in the area that are battling Alta Link, a controversial $495 million power line that would cut through Central Alberta to help provide power to the City of Calgary.

A high powered transmission line was considered and pursued by Alberta's provincial government, before any real consultation with or approval from the landowners and farmers it will directly affect.

The public has been misled into believing this transmission line was only needed for Calgary’s growth. The EUB has utilized fear tactics of possible rolling blackouts in Calgary in 2009 if this line isn’t built but they have never addressed why there wouldn’t be rolling blackout when this line is used 100% for export in 2010.

To quote Mr. Anglin, “No one is allowed to say no to any type of oil and gas development and that is fundamentally wrong. The real question for the province is how do we get from where we are today, of an environment of unsustainable oil and gas development, to a sustainable development of energy resources? Our future will not lie in oil and gas development. Our future will rely on our ability to develop new technologies. Who best to help protect the environment than people who own the land and who work the land? People should have the right to say no to development on their land. You should have the right to protect your water and soil and that will protect the environment in your community."

The Green Party has hit on something that is directly related to us in this riding, to Alberta, and the entire country. It's the security of our energy and our resources. The Green Party recognizes that it is extremely important that we act now on this information.

On January 23rd 2006 the Harper minority government was elected to parliament. Shortly after, Harper made it very clear that he would not participate in the traditional media scrum in Parliament, but would instead enter and exit Parliament through a back door and then directed his entire Party to issue only prepared statements through his office.

Eight months later, some of North America's most powerful political, business and military leaders gathered in Banff for three days in order to decide on how to create a North American super-state. No media was notified, invited or even allowed, except for one reporter from the Wall Street Journal.

The guest list included then US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Canadian chief of Defense staff General Rick Hillier, Canada's public safety minister Stockwell Day, and Lockheed Martin executive Ron Covais.

In the last federal election Canadians voted out a government that had forgotten that it was there to represent it's citizens. We recognized their self-serving pattern, and got rid of them.

Here we are today in this great province, with the same patterns from our provincial government. Their lack of real consultation or follow through on what Albertans have said shows that they are no longer representing us.


Jennifer Wigmore
Candidate, Drumheller-Stettler
Green Party of Alberta
403-770-2962

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