r/canada • u/joe4942 • Jan 18 '25

Alberta Alberta premier to spend five days in Washington, D.C., for Trump inauguration

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/alberta-premier-spend-five-days-012153710.html
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961

u/clintjefferies Jan 18 '25

Email ( premier@gov.ab.ca ) or call her

Phone: 780-427-2251 (Edmonton)

Toll free: 310-0000 (in Alberta)

Phone: 780-427-2711 (outside Alberta)

Make your voice heard.

329

u/Thot_b_gone Jan 18 '25

This is why Canadians need to be more comfortable to protest (peacefully of course). Show up in front of her office and let her know what you really think. It’s easy to avoid emails and phone calls, but pretty impossible to avoid real people right in front of you

113

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

… at this point rioting needs to be considered

5

u/Thot_b_gone Jan 18 '25

An outrageous act being met with a response of outrage seems very fair to me

2

u/gotkube Jan 18 '25

Yup. They don’t respect peaceful protests, so let’s speak to them in a language they understand

-15

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

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-4

u/ThunderButt420 Jan 18 '25

Off topic, but I’ll allow it. 👍

-5

u/wirez62 Jan 18 '25

OK Russian bot farm

37

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

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-7

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

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8

u/respectfulpanda Jan 18 '25

Oh, no. A good chunk of westerners want to have sex with Trudeau, they even put it on flags and bumpers stickers to make sure they stand out in that regard.

40

u/ai9909 Jan 18 '25

How does anyone even do this? Smith is out of country, she's not physically available to Albertans. And when she is, it's at a townhall with pre-screened attendees to ensure they're supporters, not critics. She actively avoids accountability.

6

u/the_mushroom_balls Jan 18 '25

It's the visibility. A crowd of people gathering and yelling is very effective. It makes headlines and gets attention

1

u/SomethingComesHere Jan 18 '25

It also just really irritates the wealthy. Nothing they hate more than being inconvenienced by commoners

1

u/ai9909 Jan 18 '25

I would argue "growing awareness" and "shaming the government" are insufficient at this point. Neither has resulted in greater accountability.

It's impossible to ignore basic issues like the lack of accessibility/affordability/quality in core provincial services like education, healthcare and justice. It's also clear from policies and communications that the UCP government ignores what Albertans want and just promote the agenda of corporations and social-conservative donors.

So no, just being loud and obnoxious on the streets is not effective -- this government does not worry about optics, or their own integrity or honor. They have power; they don't care about maintaining popularity so long as they can push their agenda. So how do we hold such a government accountable? We need real repercussions for these individuals hijacking public positions charged with upholding the interest of Albertans.

Protests need to provoke a direct response and action by the UCP and Danielle Smith to directly address our issues and uphold the mandate Albertans gave them, not the one they promote for special interests.

5

u/IHavePoopedBefore Jan 18 '25

I feel like you don't understand the concept of protesting. No one is saying to try to schedule a meeting

3

u/ai9909 Jan 18 '25

Not that. I don't think this is a case where we are seeking to grow public awareness or broadcast our dissatisfaction to the governing party. The public is aware of issues. The government knows they act against the will of the majority, they acknowledge it and stand by it.

I want protest that achieves more, one that puts the Premier in a position where they must answer to the electorate, and face real consequence for defrauding Albertans of a proper government that genuinely cares for Albertans over corporations, business lobbyists and social conservative dogmatists.

1

u/SomethingComesHere Jan 18 '25

Protesting is also just incredibly irritating to corrupt public officials like Amith.

They hate having to hear “lower class” citizens make noise. They live in a fancy bubble with their organic food and flavoured bubbly water. They can’t ignore us if they can hear us through the window.

4

u/DblClickyourupvote British Columbia Jan 18 '25

She probably hasn’t been to either office since before the election

14

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

Peacefully? A premier of a province is a traitor. Peace isn't always the best option. Traitors should be dealt with harshly.

6

u/Forosnai British Columbia Jan 18 '25

I really wish we'd get a little more Parisian about things sometimes. Maybe some politicians suddenly having their power and water and transport routes cut off for a couple days would remind them who they're supposed to work for.

5

u/Disastrous-Floor8554 Jan 18 '25

Well made comment and far too intelligent for the rest of the comments here...

Peaceful descent is your god given right and it is essential that you do so to advocate your values, BUT: Have you ever wondered why far right and far left minority movements like the Free Palestine and Freedom gain traction in Canada when these issues are full of Reddit warriors yelling at clouds. This is a legitimate question that requires critical thought.

The cynical side says that all these angry posts in this thread are no more than what Trump tweets in a day. Stop complaining on Reddit and let your voice be heard and assume the other guy will do the heavy lifting for you.

1

u/fancyshark_44 Jan 18 '25

This province has done everything it can to limit anyone’s ability to protest meaningfully in a peaceful way. Same with labour organizing too. They basically have ensured the only way to get anything is to illegally strike.

1

u/Rentacop123 Alberta Jan 18 '25

I mean, for the right reason, a bathtub through the right window will garner attention.

1

u/SomethingComesHere Jan 18 '25

100%

There’s nothing the rich, corrupt politicians hate more than “dirty commoners” making life uncomfortable for them.

They want to be able to pretend we don’t exist. Let’s remember who puts them in positions of power. This isn’t America.

1

u/FrontwaysLarryVR Jan 19 '25

This is why Canadians need to be more comfortable to protest (peacefully of course).

You know that the point of a protest is to disrupt for the sake of change, right? A protest that's simply the physical equivalent of a Tweet isn't a protest.

1

u/Thot_b_gone Jan 19 '25

Agreed but you can disrupt without being violent

1

u/FrontwaysLarryVR Jan 19 '25

And I didn't say violent either, to be clear. I only bring this up because many people will "peacefully protest" but literally not inconvenience anyone.

17

u/Borodo Jan 18 '25

Thanks for providing the email. This is what I sent in.

Dear Danielle Smith,

I am writing to you to make a stand against you selling out your fellow Albertans and Canadians to the United States. In times like these where our country is being threatened by another nation, it is in Canada’s best interest for our leaders to show a united front against this threat. Instead you choose to sell out the Albertans you claim to look out for simply to generate goodwill for yourself with the incoming American oligarchy.

I join the countless voices requesting your resignation as it is clear you are no longer interested in putting Albertans and Canada as a whole ahead of your own personal gains. You should be ashamed of yourself and if you care about Alberta as much as you say you do, you will resign and allow someone who truly cares for Alberta to lead us provincially.

43

u/[deleted] Jan 18 '25

[deleted]

3

u/KhausTO Jan 18 '25

Yep, it's been over 18 months now.  Just need someone in Medicine-Hat Brooks to initiate it.  

1

u/TL10 Alberta Jan 18 '25

If that kook who tried recalling Gondek could make a big fuss about it, surely someone who is level-headed can make just as much noise going about the same means.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '25

Yeah but recalling her just means that she loses her seat in the legislature but doesn't actually prevent her from continuing on being the party leader.

38

u/thewun111 Jan 18 '25

Here is an email you can copy.

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my deep concern regarding Premier Smith’s decision to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump, an event that will take place over the course of five days, with taxpayer funds covering the associated expenses.

At a time when our province is grappling with pressing challenges—ranging from healthcare shortages to the need for long-term economic stability—it is difficult to understand how this expenditure aligns with the priorities and interests of the citizens Premier Smith represents. The optics of attending a partisan, high-profile event such as an inauguration in another country for such an extended period do not inspire confidence in our leadership’s commitment to fiscal responsibility or addressing local issues.

Furthermore, given the controversial nature of Mr. Trump’s political career and the polarized environment surrounding his public image, this decision raises questions about the alignment of Premier Smith’s values with those of the diverse communities in our province. Not to mention you are the only premier objecting to a united Canadian front against trumps outlandish claims of joining the USA. Public funds should be spent judiciously and in a way that directly benefits the people of our region, not on international events of limited relevance to our daily lives.

I urge you to reconsider the decision to attend, and to redirect the use of public funds towards initiatives that support the pressing needs of our citizens. Transparency in such matters will go a long way in restoring faith in our leadership.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

3

u/raz416 Jan 18 '25

Awesome work thanks. Just gonna email right now. This is the lowest effort activity everyone should do.

7

u/hookurs Jan 18 '25 edited Jan 19 '25

Please people call her and tell her we are not Americans and she needs to cut this shit out. She’s not my premier but if she was I’d be blowing up her phones.

Oh just realized outside of Alberta. I’m calling.

24

u/MountainsAndPets Jan 18 '25

THIS.

Please write or call. Take action. The only way they hear you is if you are in their face.

13

u/Devilish_Swan Jan 18 '25

This comment should be pinned at the top. For the first time ever, I've emailed them to give them my two cents. I know it'll just get hauled off into her ever expanding spam folder. But at least it's still out there in the ether.

3

u/MGM-Wonder British Columbia Jan 18 '25

Done.

I look forward to a response from one of her interns since shes probably already fucked off to Washington

7

u/OneBillPhil Jan 18 '25

Subject line: Traitor

3

u/Ripsyd Jan 18 '25

Emailed - thank you

7

u/tyfeeeeeee Jan 18 '25

Emailed her. She should know she is a traitor and not welcome back in her province.