Page 9 - August 31 2020
P. 9
Includes process colour pages 1,4,5,7,10,11,14,15,18,20,21,24
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR
PAGE 20 MONDAY JULY 13, 2020
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR MONDAY AUGUST 31, 2020 PAGE 9
August 31 is Overdose Awareness Day: Naloxone Kits available to help
Shawna Whipple, Shoppers Drug Mart The ability to recognize the signs and symptoms
pharmacist/owner of an overdose is critical, as is keeping a Naloxone
Kit on hand and knowing how to use it. If you
As a pharmacist, I'm here to educate my suspect someone you know is having anoverdose,
community about opioid overdoses and what to do it is important to always dial 911 immediately,
in case of an emergency. August 31 is Overdose follow their instructions and administer Naloxone.
Awareness Day, a good reminder on the importance Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if a person is
of learning about the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to experiencing an overdose. If you're having a hard time telling the difference,
help with a Naloxone Kit. You may not know that your local pharmacy has it is best to treat the situation like an overdose. Signs of an opioid overdose
free injectable Naloxone Kits available, and they also offer training on how may include loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, or slow and shallow
to use them so you can be prepared in case of an emergency. breathing. The person may also begin vomiting or choking, and their skin
Opioids are pain-relieving drugs that can also induce euphoria (a feeling may turn pale, blue or ashy.
of being “high”) and they are an important therapy for many patients. When checking for signs of an overdose, try to remember the “ABCs”:
However, they can also be highly addictive. According to the Government of · Alert – Are they responding to your voice?
Alberta, on average, around two individuals die every day in the province as · Breathing – Is their breathing erratic or stopped completely?
the result of an apparent accidental opioid poisoning. · Colour– Are their lips or fingertips blue or grey?
Naloxone is a medication used to treat someone who has overdosed on To learn more about the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose or how
opioids. Naloxone reverses the effects of an opioid overdose temporarily, to treat one, stop by your local pharmacy today and speak to the pharmacist.
restoring breathing in a few minutes. It is not a narcotic, is non-addictive, Shawna Whippleis the pharmacist and owner of your local Shoppers Drug
and has no effect if opioids are not present. Naloxone provides additional Mart in Edson. Visit ShoppersDrugMart.ca to find a store near you.
time for medical help to arrive.
RMA sets record straight on rural municipal finances
Nisku, AB, August 25, 2020 – The Rural average approximately 48% of their total expenses municipalities.”
Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) continues to be on managing their transportation networks. The Municipal spending also cannot be analyzed
extremely concerned with the changes to the reason this is much higher is two-fold: Alberta's rural without understanding the support municipalities
assessment model for oil and gas properties that are road network is much larger than those in other receive from other levels of government. RMA's
currently being considered by the Government of provinces because it was built (and continues to analysis shows that overall in 2018, municipalities
Alberta. The proposed changes could reduce total expand) to support industrial development, and the in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario received
rural municipal revenues by as much as $291 provincial government plays a smaller role in between 40% and 43% of their revenues through
million in the first year of implementation, with managing roads than provincial governments property taxes. However, Alberta's rural
some rural municipalities losing over 30% of their elsewhere. municipalities depended on property taxes for over
revenues. RMA is proud of Alberta's energy sector “Rural municipalities have few areas to cut 54% of their revenue. This indicates that rural
and the role our members play in providing access spending, because so much of their budgets go to municipalities have less access to alternative
to natural resources and wants to work with the building and maintaining their massive road and revenue sources such as user fees (due to their low
province and industry on solutions to support bridge networks, which exist mainly to benefit population) and provincial and federal transfers (as
industry without decimating rural municipalities. industry,” explained Kemmere. “Rural municipalities many grant programs are focused on project types
Recently, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation are hugely driven by capital costs to deliver core more suited to urban municipalities, and are often
(CTF) released misleading information arguing that infrastructure. If these costs are slashed, then roads dispersed based on population).
rural municipalities can easily respond to this and bridges will close. Municipalities would be “Rural municipalities don't make up their tax
sudden and massive threat to their budgets by happy to reduce taxation and spending if someone rates out of thin air, and they certainly don't collect
simply spending less. The same stakeholders argue else took responsibility for managing the roads and more than they need to provide core services and
that Alberta municipalities spend more than most in bridges that support jobs and keep the economy infrastructure, and to plan for future capital projects.
Canada on a per capita basis, and that this high per moving.” The bottom line is that the types of infrastructure
capita spending is driven primarily by rural Not only are rural municipalities unique in terms of managed by rural municipalities do not receive a
municipalities. infrastructure responsibilities, they are also unique in large amount of funding support from other levels of
What is missing from the CTF's critique is any terms of the large, sparsely populated areas that they government, and other revenue tools are not a viable
consideration as to why this may be the case. Rather manage. In most provinces, infrastructure and service option in most rural areas. If municipalities could
than assuming rural municipalities are fiscally responsibilities in remote and northern areas are tax less, they would. It's simple: Alberta
irresponsible, RMA encourages the CTF and others delivered directly by the province. Not so in Alberta, municipalities are maintaining over 8,000 bridges
to sit down with rural municipal leaders to where municipalities have jurisdiction across the and culverts, as well as a 135,000-kilometre road
understand why their financial realities differ from entire province. In fact, RMA members alone network, which is enough to stretch across the world
other municipalities in Alberta and across Canada. provide governance to 85% of the province's land three-and-a-half times, with few revenue tools aside
“Alberta's rural municipalities have service and base. This presents unique challenges not considered from property taxes,” stated Kemmere.
infrastructure responsibilities matched nowhere in in over-simplified per capita spending comparisons. Rural municipalities are facing an unprecedented
Canada. RMA members provide services to huge The chart below shows overall and municipal threat to their ability to deliver the services that The Smith family was enjoying a nice sunny day recently at the Spray Park in Edson. Sun tents are great
areas of the province and most have a very small population density for several provinces. As can be Alberta's industries rely on. RMA is concerned that way to enjoy the weather and stay protected from the sun's harmful rays. photo by Deanna Mitchener
residential tax base. Rural municipalities are the seen, RMA members manage lands with significantly attacks on municipal spending are detracting from
unseen supporters of Alberta's economy by fewer people than municipalities in any other the much more important reality that rural
managing the roads and bridges that provide access jurisdiction. municipalities will simply have little or no ability to
to Alberta's natural resources. Accusing Alberta's respond to the proposed assessment model changes
rural municipalities of poor financial management Jurisdiction Density (residents per square kilometre)* given the tools available. Intermunicipal
6.4
Alberta - overall
using per capita measures is not only inaccurate, it Alberta – all municipally-managed land 7.1 collaboration, the quality of Alberta's infrastructure
1.2
RMA members
reflects a complete lack of recognition for their role Saskatchewan – overall 1.9 network, and tax fairness among ratepayers is at
in the province's past success and future growth.” – Saskatchewan – all municipally-managed 3.4 stake based on the changes being considered.
land
Al Kemmere, RMA President Ontario – overall 14.8 RMA recommends that the CTF consider how a
Municipalities exist to deliver services and Ontario – all municipally-managed land 85.8 drastic reduction in non-residential assessment
5.0
BC – overall
infrastructure to residents and businesses. The BC – all municipally-managed land 42.6 values and associated tax revenues will impact all
services that they are required to deliver is taxpayers in the municipality, including other
determined at the provincial level and varies across While Alberta's overall population density is business owners and rural residents, rather than
jurisdictions. Alberta's municipalities have a higher similar to other provinces, no one comes close to focus on unrelated per capita comparisons. These
level of responsibility for managing roads and encountering the challenges that Alberta's rural property owners will face tax increases, service
bridges than municipalities in other provinces, and municipalities face in delivering a huge level reductions, or a combination of both. Contrary
nearly all of that responsibility falls on rural infrastructure network through an extremely limited to assumptions that municipalities can easily cut
municipalities. In fact, RMA members manage over residential tax base. spending on core infrastructure, in many cases there
70% of the province's road network, despite making Kemmere stated, “There is a simple reason that will simply be no other choice.
up less than 20% of the population. Another way to Alberta's rural municipalities spend at a high per The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) is an
consider the major role that roads play in driving capita rate. They deliver significant services to a independent association comprising Alberta's 69
rural municipal expenses is to consider the portion small population over a large area. Before labelling counties and municipal districts. Since 1909, the
of total expenses municipalities spend on roads. In rural municipal spending as unreasonable, RMA has helped rural municipalities achieve strong,
2018, municipalities in Ontario and British organizations that are supposedly committed to effective local government. The RMA provides
Columbia spent roughly 10% of total expenses on protecting Albertans from taxes may want to Advocacy and Business Services (including RMA
roads, and all Alberta municipalities spent about consider the role that the services paid for by those Trade, RMA Fuel, and RMA Insurance).
18%. However, Alberta's municipal districts and taxes play in economic development, and the limited * - Based on 2016 census information from
counties (and the Special Areas Board) spent on alternative sources of funding available to Statistics Canada
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR
PAGE 20 MONDAY JULY 13, 2020
THE WEEKLY ANCHOR MONDAY AUGUST 31, 2020 PAGE 9
August 31 is Overdose Awareness Day: Naloxone Kits available to help
Shawna Whipple, Shoppers Drug Mart The ability to recognize the signs and symptoms
pharmacist/owner of an overdose is critical, as is keeping a Naloxone
Kit on hand and knowing how to use it. If you
As a pharmacist, I'm here to educate my suspect someone you know is having anoverdose,
community about opioid overdoses and what to do it is important to always dial 911 immediately,
in case of an emergency. August 31 is Overdose follow their instructions and administer Naloxone.
Awareness Day, a good reminder on the importance Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if a person is
of learning about the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and how to experiencing an overdose. If you're having a hard time telling the difference,
help with a Naloxone Kit. You may not know that your local pharmacy has it is best to treat the situation like an overdose. Signs of an opioid overdose
free injectable Naloxone Kits available, and they also offer training on how may include loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, or slow and shallow
to use them so you can be prepared in case of an emergency. breathing. The person may also begin vomiting or choking, and their skin
Opioids are pain-relieving drugs that can also induce euphoria (a feeling may turn pale, blue or ashy.
of being “high”) and they are an important therapy for many patients. When checking for signs of an overdose, try to remember the “ABCs”:
However, they can also be highly addictive. According to the Government of · Alert – Are they responding to your voice?
Alberta, on average, around two individuals die every day in the province as · Breathing – Is their breathing erratic or stopped completely?
the result of an apparent accidental opioid poisoning. · Colour– Are their lips or fingertips blue or grey?
Naloxone is a medication used to treat someone who has overdosed on To learn more about the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose or how
opioids. Naloxone reverses the effects of an opioid overdose temporarily, to treat one, stop by your local pharmacy today and speak to the pharmacist.
restoring breathing in a few minutes. It is not a narcotic, is non-addictive, Shawna Whippleis the pharmacist and owner of your local Shoppers Drug
and has no effect if opioids are not present. Naloxone provides additional Mart in Edson. Visit ShoppersDrugMart.ca to find a store near you.
time for medical help to arrive.
RMA sets record straight on rural municipal finances
Nisku, AB, August 25, 2020 – The Rural average approximately 48% of their total expenses municipalities.”
Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) continues to be on managing their transportation networks. The Municipal spending also cannot be analyzed
extremely concerned with the changes to the reason this is much higher is two-fold: Alberta's rural without understanding the support municipalities
assessment model for oil and gas properties that are road network is much larger than those in other receive from other levels of government. RMA's
currently being considered by the Government of provinces because it was built (and continues to analysis shows that overall in 2018, municipalities
Alberta. The proposed changes could reduce total expand) to support industrial development, and the in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario received
rural municipal revenues by as much as $291 provincial government plays a smaller role in between 40% and 43% of their revenues through
million in the first year of implementation, with managing roads than provincial governments property taxes. However, Alberta's rural
some rural municipalities losing over 30% of their elsewhere. municipalities depended on property taxes for over
revenues. RMA is proud of Alberta's energy sector “Rural municipalities have few areas to cut 54% of their revenue. This indicates that rural
and the role our members play in providing access spending, because so much of their budgets go to municipalities have less access to alternative
to natural resources and wants to work with the building and maintaining their massive road and revenue sources such as user fees (due to their low
province and industry on solutions to support bridge networks, which exist mainly to benefit population) and provincial and federal transfers (as
industry without decimating rural municipalities. industry,” explained Kemmere. “Rural municipalities many grant programs are focused on project types
Recently, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation are hugely driven by capital costs to deliver core more suited to urban municipalities, and are often
(CTF) released misleading information arguing that infrastructure. If these costs are slashed, then roads dispersed based on population).
rural municipalities can easily respond to this and bridges will close. Municipalities would be “Rural municipalities don't make up their tax
sudden and massive threat to their budgets by happy to reduce taxation and spending if someone rates out of thin air, and they certainly don't collect
simply spending less. The same stakeholders argue else took responsibility for managing the roads and more than they need to provide core services and
that Alberta municipalities spend more than most in bridges that support jobs and keep the economy infrastructure, and to plan for future capital projects.
Canada on a per capita basis, and that this high per moving.” The bottom line is that the types of infrastructure
capita spending is driven primarily by rural Not only are rural municipalities unique in terms of managed by rural municipalities do not receive a
municipalities. infrastructure responsibilities, they are also unique in large amount of funding support from other levels of
What is missing from the CTF's critique is any terms of the large, sparsely populated areas that they government, and other revenue tools are not a viable
consideration as to why this may be the case. Rather manage. In most provinces, infrastructure and service option in most rural areas. If municipalities could
than assuming rural municipalities are fiscally responsibilities in remote and northern areas are tax less, they would. It's simple: Alberta
irresponsible, RMA encourages the CTF and others delivered directly by the province. Not so in Alberta, municipalities are maintaining over 8,000 bridges
to sit down with rural municipal leaders to where municipalities have jurisdiction across the and culverts, as well as a 135,000-kilometre road
understand why their financial realities differ from entire province. In fact, RMA members alone network, which is enough to stretch across the world
other municipalities in Alberta and across Canada. provide governance to 85% of the province's land three-and-a-half times, with few revenue tools aside
“Alberta's rural municipalities have service and base. This presents unique challenges not considered from property taxes,” stated Kemmere.
infrastructure responsibilities matched nowhere in in over-simplified per capita spending comparisons. Rural municipalities are facing an unprecedented
Canada. RMA members provide services to huge The chart below shows overall and municipal threat to their ability to deliver the services that The Smith family was enjoying a nice sunny day recently at the Spray Park in Edson. Sun tents are great
areas of the province and most have a very small population density for several provinces. As can be Alberta's industries rely on. RMA is concerned that way to enjoy the weather and stay protected from the sun's harmful rays. photo by Deanna Mitchener
residential tax base. Rural municipalities are the seen, RMA members manage lands with significantly attacks on municipal spending are detracting from
unseen supporters of Alberta's economy by fewer people than municipalities in any other the much more important reality that rural
managing the roads and bridges that provide access jurisdiction. municipalities will simply have little or no ability to
to Alberta's natural resources. Accusing Alberta's respond to the proposed assessment model changes
rural municipalities of poor financial management Jurisdiction Density (residents per square kilometre)* given the tools available. Intermunicipal
6.4
Alberta - overall
using per capita measures is not only inaccurate, it Alberta – all municipally-managed land 7.1 collaboration, the quality of Alberta's infrastructure
1.2
RMA members
reflects a complete lack of recognition for their role Saskatchewan – overall 1.9 network, and tax fairness among ratepayers is at
in the province's past success and future growth.” – Saskatchewan – all municipally-managed 3.4 stake based on the changes being considered.
land
Al Kemmere, RMA President Ontario – overall 14.8 RMA recommends that the CTF consider how a
Municipalities exist to deliver services and Ontario – all municipally-managed land 85.8 drastic reduction in non-residential assessment
5.0
BC – overall
infrastructure to residents and businesses. The BC – all municipally-managed land 42.6 values and associated tax revenues will impact all
services that they are required to deliver is taxpayers in the municipality, including other
determined at the provincial level and varies across While Alberta's overall population density is business owners and rural residents, rather than
jurisdictions. Alberta's municipalities have a higher similar to other provinces, no one comes close to focus on unrelated per capita comparisons. These
level of responsibility for managing roads and encountering the challenges that Alberta's rural property owners will face tax increases, service
bridges than municipalities in other provinces, and municipalities face in delivering a huge level reductions, or a combination of both. Contrary
nearly all of that responsibility falls on rural infrastructure network through an extremely limited to assumptions that municipalities can easily cut
municipalities. In fact, RMA members manage over residential tax base. spending on core infrastructure, in many cases there
70% of the province's road network, despite making Kemmere stated, “There is a simple reason that will simply be no other choice.
up less than 20% of the population. Another way to Alberta's rural municipalities spend at a high per The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) is an
consider the major role that roads play in driving capita rate. They deliver significant services to a independent association comprising Alberta's 69
rural municipal expenses is to consider the portion small population over a large area. Before labelling counties and municipal districts. Since 1909, the
of total expenses municipalities spend on roads. In rural municipal spending as unreasonable, RMA has helped rural municipalities achieve strong,
2018, municipalities in Ontario and British organizations that are supposedly committed to effective local government. The RMA provides
Columbia spent roughly 10% of total expenses on protecting Albertans from taxes may want to Advocacy and Business Services (including RMA
roads, and all Alberta municipalities spent about consider the role that the services paid for by those Trade, RMA Fuel, and RMA Insurance).
18%. However, Alberta's municipal districts and taxes play in economic development, and the limited * - Based on 2016 census information from
counties (and the Special Areas Board) spent on alternative sources of funding available to Statistics Canada
