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A concerned Albertan
By Cam Tait
November 6, 2006
I wish there was some way I could wrap my thoughts up in a page of the newspaper - classified section, of course - and take it down the hall to the garbage and be rid of it. I wish there was some way I could sugarcoat it, finding big words that sound really good but don't mean a hill of beans. I wish it would go away and never bother me again. But, here it is: Thursday night - column-writing night - and the clock is ticking (even though we set it back last week) so I guess it's time to come clean.
I am a little concerned about being an Albertan right now.
I've lived here all my life: born in Grande Prairie and then living in Edmonton for forty-some years. They say there was a big boom in the 1970s and 1980s, but I didn't pay attention to it. I had other things on my mind, like having one Bev Dick be my date for grad night. But now, almost 30 years later, Alberta is once again riding the waves of a tremendous economic boom. And when things are booming people want to be part of it. CBC News ran an item late last week reporting that as many as 9,000 - NINE THOUSAND! - people showed up at a job fare in St. John's promoting work in Alberta. We're seeing people coming to our province in record numbers.
We hope new people to our province start new lives and new dreams. But we also must hope that our new neighbours embrace their new communities. It might be hard, though, with the somewhat mixed messages the provincial government could be sending. A friend of mine told me he was in Fort McMurray, the northern metropolis where the oil is pumped out of the ground, attending a charity auction where thousands and thousands of dollars were raised to buy a new MRI machine for a hospital...the same hospital that can hear the grinding gears of trucks heading south, hauling oil. I could take a wild stab at how much a truckload would be worth, but I have a feeling I would be way off. I will venture to say, though, that several MRI machines could be in the back of the trucks, with some change left over.
I also think of the Stollery Children's Hospital, a state-of-the-art centre. It undertakes tremendous fundraising activities, attracting people with generous hearts, and we salute them. But I have to ask myself why the provincial government hasn't stepped up to the plate more. MRIs are crucial; so are medical services for kids with disabilities and illnesses. I wonder, then, why such things are not on the provincial government's shopping list, especially when there's more than plenty in the bank account. These are just two examples and I am sure there are countless others.
I also don't want to bite the hand that feeds me. We have great schools, great roads and a great healthcare system. My disappointment is with our provincial government's apparent lack of resources for essential services. With the provincial population increasing, I am concerned on several levels - perhaps the biggest concern being the message some newcomers might think this province is sending. It might seem there's a free lunch here in Alberta. But we have to remember free lunches can foster unhealthy attitudes.
Cam Tait is a sports reporter for the Edmonton Journal. He covered charitable issues for almost 20 years. Thoughts, comments, ideas or a simple hello are welcomed at cam@charityvillage.com.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
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