Dear Editor,
Pride!
Here is where I live.
I have chosen Rimbey as my home for my family for a number of special reasons. Some of which I will talk to. It is our wish that every man, women and child should be able to leave home and return to their loved ones. This is true in relation to law, WCB and occupational health and safety, let alone human rights. A man or woman going to work today by occupational standards is to be educated and trained into the risks of their work place.
Failing to do this as an employer might possibly involve your entire work program or sites being shut down until this has been audited and proven. Further, as a family, one can have their family life scrutinized for what might be seen as the wrong disciplinary action up to and including legal action.
I am very proud of our military, RCMP, our health care facilities, nurses, doctors, technicians, our EMT, firefighters, dentists and physiotherapists who go to work every day to improve our way of life. So I ask the question what do we need to do as members of our community both in town and the municipality to ensure that we have a safe community with all the privileges of a major city?
I would think that we need to:
• Support our essential services with the respect they deserve.
• Stand behind our town council when decisions are hard and just not expect that they will satisfy all.
• Support the RCMP if you are aware of or have questions about the potential of illegal activities drunk drivers, drugs, prostitution or family abuse
• Help identify what might need to change in our community to promote further economic development with a safe and healthy environment for all in and around our community
• Contact our elected members provincially when travesty is left open without closure make our voices heard either directly or through social media
This year we have lost loved ones, RCMP and soldiers all to the actions of those that we were aware of and had the ability to stop.
• A pipefitter with 60 plus charges with outstanding warrants still walking on the streets that takes his own life after he has shot two RCMP
• A sex offender that just walks away and becomes again on the loose
• Loved ones that have died because of a drunk or drugged drivers
• Families destroyed because of abuse or lack of action by those that could have made a difference
How does our legal system allow some of these known perpetrators get through the legal system to live amongst us?
What is stopping the trades from policing their own population to ensure they are not contributors to alcohol, drugs, prostitution and spousal abuse. After all employers have to run them through a DNA testing program to work in many locations throughout Canada. Should this not be the responsibility of their trade to provide employees that are not wanted criminals or are alcohol and drug abusers?
Why do we have over two hundred potential terrorists being watched by or security forces on our land in Canada? What is wrong with our immigration system that does not place a strong time line before they are allowed to stay in Canada (say five years without criminal charge or relationship to a terrorist group)?
Why have we not tried to recover all the funds taken from us as taxpayers by our politicians that we elected in trust (money given to members of the committee that never met or any other elected official who abuses their expense accounts or power)?
In Rimbey, we have the ability to have the safest community in central Alberta, if not Canada, however we must all do our part in some small way. This is as simple as talking to those that will listen - report it. We are the hub of an ever-growing center for recreation and travel with the opportunity to live and work wherever we wish. Our location allows access to major highways and airports. Workforces today often travel from small communities or growing communities. This could potentially be Rimbey, after all, we have all the resources in our beautiful Blindman River valley.
Times are going to get tougher in Canada. We need to do our part in our own community so that we are able to share, develop and grow through the tough times and the good times.
Leslie Robert Steveneson