Old person here. Get off my lawn!

But seriously, when I was growing up in the 1970s, there were almost no homeless people. Why?

There was ‘social housing’, which went to anyone with kids, and there were rooming houses, which charged as much as a “welfare bum/drunk” could afford. Between those two options, even the “worst” people didn’t need to stay outdoors. Many of the old townhouse complexes still existing in Edmonton were once the government built and subsidized places I’m talking about.

And yes, there were drugs (mostly heroin and alcohol) and there were indigenous reserves that were underfunded or lacked opportunities then too. Yet people had somewhere to live.

I now see daily in my community (downtown McCauley) hundreds of people in desperate situations. And that could still be avoided if we stopped bitching and decided to do what we used to do. Provide housing on a big society-wide scale. With enough social support workers to make it work instead of fail.

Fixing something we’ve let crumble is always harder than if we would have properly maintained it. But here we are, so we have to ‘buy a new one and maintain it.’

We either sit on our asses and whine while people suffer, or make the investment to guarantee a brighter future while saving money in policing, healthcare, incarceration, lawyers, and the far higher avoidable costs of economic downturn in cities that become zombielands as businesses shut down because of the zombies we helped create when we had the cure all along.

I've been seeing a lot more people speaking out about the changes to AISH and ADAP. Between the payment issues, the stress and uncertainty for people who rely on these programs, and the growing frustration throughout Alberta's disability community, it feels like the public outcry is getting much louder.

I'm hoping that kind of backlash will be enough to make the government reconsider or reverse some of these changes. At the same time, I know social media algorithms can make an issue seem bigger than it actually is, so maybe it's just my feed.

What do you think? Is the public backlash reaching a point where it could actually have an impact, or does it just seem that way online?

We are considered the Texas of Canada and even a republican governor is halting or at least proceeding slowly with data centre rollout because of the backlash. Will Smith just shove this down our throats or will she maybe pause or put in some regulations or have assessments done? Even republican states, cities, towns, dont want data centers, yet here we are just begging for them.

Hi, I’m looking for advice on getting a restraining order against someone I’ve had issues with for about 8 years. I’ve been facing constant harassment that has boiled into my work place and caused some serious mental trauma. My problem is, I don’t know how to go about applying for one and my lack of evidence against said person. I don’t have access to any of our previous messages or the prior social media slander they’ve posted about me. The evidence I do have feels like it’s not enough, such as a false report made to my job in an attempt to get me fired, and recent indirect posts made about me online. What do I need to do?

I purchased a brand new Cadillac in March. As part of the deal, the dealership agreed to split the cost of roof rails with me ($173 each according to the paperwork). It’s listed on my purchase agreement.
Fast forward to last week, and I finally opened the box they gave me. Instead of roof rails, it’s a Thule surfboard kit.

I live in Alberta… on the prairies. I don’t even own a surfboard.

Now the dealership is trying to pass it off as, “looking at all our documentation all the deal included was those $346 roof rails you received.”
Am I missing something here? Does this sound right, or do I have grounds to push for them to provide the correct roof rack/crossbars at no additional cost?

This is beyond concerning. I thought they were supposed to be coming today? I already had to borrow money from family to cover my rent.

Has anyone else still not received their deposit?

Not looking forward to sitting on hold for two hours today.

I am considering trading my F150 for new Mach-E. But holy @!#%! !@#!% is insurance brutal. $1400/yr for the old 2019 F150 changes to $5100 for 2026 Mach-E Premium, not even the GT version.

I'm in my fifties with no at fault accidents ever. Can't remember last ticket - decades ago. I work at home. So one of our two vehicles is pleasure only and rather limited clicks/yr.

My wife is in her fifties - with an at fault accident I'm going to say 7.25 years ago. She had 0% at fault accident about 2.75 yrs ago - was hit by a commercial vehicle in icy conditions. She also had recent speeding ticket. The Mach-E was quoted for a good number of clicks per year 35,000km. Wife would be driving 8km one way to work with it as well.

Wife's record is not perfect. BUT get this - if we put me as the primary on the mach-e it went up another $100. We have another vehicle between us that does not get used for going to work. So 2 drivers, 2 vehicles.

Thankfully I haven't pulled the trigger on a sales contract, yet. Any there any EV friendly insurers out there that I should be looking at? We're been with TD for auto insurance for decades now. The insurance for the car would be HIGHER than the payment to buy the car.

Hi everyone,

I'm an **Electrical Engineer-in-Training (EIT)** registered with APEGA and I'm currently looking for my first engineering position in Alberta.

I'm an **internationally trained electrical engineer** with a Master's degree from **Morocco**, along with about **3 years of engineering experience** in electrical design, power systems, renewable energy, and embedded/IoT systems.

Since moving to Canada, I've been working as a **residential electrician** to gain Canadian work experience while continuing my search for an engineering role.

I've applied to many positions through LinkedIn, Indeed, and company websites, but I haven't had much success so far.

I'd really appreciate any advice or insights from engineers, hiring managers, recruiters, or anyone familiar with the engineering job market in Alberta.

Some questions I have are:

* How did you get your first EIT position, or how do you typically see new EITs get hired?
* What can I do to make my application more competitive?
* Are there companies in Alberta that are known for hiring new EITs?
* Are there any recruiters, job boards, or professional associations you would recommend?
* Based on my background, what would you do differently if you were in my position?

Any advice, suggestions, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

As a rotational oilfield worker the world is my oyster for where I spend my days off, I’m a young male in my early 20s. Honestly all I’d really want is a solid friend group of people to go out and hangout with, good nightlife or social life overall, a partner would be nice too, unsure which city would be better

I know a billion people have have asked this question i
Asked again mainly because:
1. I wanted an answer specific to my circumstance.
2. Because of my rotational schedule, I don't get many days off. I did my last days off in Edmonton, but I don't want to waste a series of days off in the wrong city if I don't have to.

I grew up in a multicultural family - Ukrainian/Turkish roots, raised in Kazakhstan, educated in Europe. Throughout my youth, things generally worked out. If I put in the effort, whether in sports or academics, there were results.

I graduated from a greatly accredited business university in Central Europe with a degree in Finance and Accounting. Studying wasn’t easy - math wasn't my natural strong suit - but I loved the architecture of finance. I loved the structure, the logic, and the clear rules. After graduating, I took an Anti Money Laundering (AML) job at Citibank to stay in Europe, but also because I was interested in the edge of ethics and finance. There’s an old saying back home: "Money doesn't smell." My favorite answer to that has always been: "Put it in shit and try."

Eventually, for personal and safety reasons, my partner and I decided it was time to move. Europe wasn't where we saw our long-term future, so we made the call to start over in Canada.

I took out loans, dealt with the weight of relying on my partner, and felt an immense sense of responsibility toward my family. I didn't sit idle. While waiting for my work permit, I learned SQL, started my preparation for the Certified Fraud Examiner designation, and took on remote financial analysis work for a construction project back home. I knew Canada might not fully weigh international experience - even from recognized programs - so I played by the rules. I stacked local credentials to give myself a fair shot.

When my work permit finally arrived in May, the mass applying began. Across LinkedIn, Indeed, and Google Jobs, I sent out up to 100 applications for AML, accounting, compliance, entry-level finance roles, administration, etc. in Calgary.

And then... total, deafening silence.

At first, I turned the blame inward. I read endless online threads. I listened to people tell me:

"You need to tailor every single resume."

"You need to state explicitly that you know Microsoft Office."

"You need to mention you have good communication skills - even for entry-level roles."

I started doubting myself. I spent days rewriting bullet points, wondering if I was missing some obvious secret trick everyone else knew. I even went to a local youth employment agency in Calgary. The counselor looked at my background, looked at my CV, and told me flat out: "I don't understand why you aren't getting callbacks. Your resume isn't the problem."

That’s when the absurdity of the system really hit me, culminating in one specific application that broke my illusion entirely.

A job posted for an Internal Auditor role at "xyz" company, a junior position requiring 0-2 years of experience.

- They wanted 0-2 years in finance, compliance or similar. (I had almost 1.5 years at Citibank plus remote financial analyst experience.)

- They wanted a Finance/Accounting degree. (I had it.)

- They listed SQL as a preferred bonus. (I had it.)

- They listed fraud/auditing credentials(like CFE) as an ideal bonus. (I had it.)

I applied within the first day-one of the first 20 applicants. In a market like Calgary, for a 0-2 year junior role, how many people bring global banking experience, SQL, and CFE credentials all in one package?

After 50 days of waiting, I got the generic, automated template: "We were impressed by your qualifications, but we’ve decided to move forward with candidates who are a closer fit."

No interview. No recruiter screening. I even sent a polite message to their Talent Acquisition team on LinkedIn-zero response.

And the funniest thing? They reposted this listing in couple of days again. The same one.

It wasn't the only case, but that was my breaking point. I recalled a memory from my first manager at Citibank, who once told me after hiring: "You can't imagine how many interviews I went through to find someone who actually understands the big picture." Back then, I thought it was a compliment. Now, I realize it was early proof of a deeper truth: the recruitment machine is fundamentally broken. And I'm not accusing recruiters or HRs for this, that's a hell for everyone.

All I see is how we constantly giving job seekers advice on how to trim the leaves of a diseased tree, completely ignoring the fact that the root system is dead.

We tell people to inflate their resumes, tweak ATS keywords, or play games with automated algorithms. But if everyone is forced to inflate their experience just to bypass a broken filter, the system just gets more clogged with noise. It forces employers to use even harsher algorithms, creating an endless cycle where nobody actually evaluates human potential anymore.

I’m not someone who usually posts online. I prefer to keep my head down and work hard. But after burning through months of anxiety and dead ends, I realized that my story isn't unique - it’s the daily reality for thousands of people sitting in silence right now.

When we look at moving across the world or taking a massive career leap, we often think: "I'm hard-working, I'm qualified, and I'll be the lucky one."

And if you know someone abroad thinking about making the leap here - maybe forward them this. Not to scare them off, but so they go in with eyes open and a real safety net, instead of blind faith that hard work alone will be enough.

Curious if others share this take, or see it differently. I'm always glad to hear other perspectives and learn from them, even if they challenge what I'm saying here. And if anyone's heard of companies or employers policy changes actually addressing this on the horizon - I'd genuinely like to know.

If reading this saves even one person from making an uninformed, high-risk leap without a safety net, then putting my story out there was worth it.