News

Champions of Mediocrity

In 1979 Edmonton welcomed its first professional hockey team, and the city’s sporting culture was forever changed. Hockey is widely regarded as an immense contribution to the sense of Canadian pride and culture. In Edmonton, Canada’s northernmost major city, the NHL season provides many dedicated fans with a diversion during its harsh and frigid winters. From October to April the city streets are decked with copper and blue paraphernalia as fans prove intense passion for their Edmonton Oilers. Games at Rexall Place sell out on a nightly basis and season tickets are almost impossible to purchase. Considering this strong level of devotion on behalf of the fans, would one not expect the same on behalf of the organization?

Dare to Deliver: A Depression

It is no secret that the world is in the midst of an economic downturn. World markets have fallen near 30 percent in the last year and the brunt of these losses has occurred within the past six months. This market spiral has had significant impact on the financial standing of the University of Alberta, due to the fact that the university endowments are heavily invested in equities and bonds. Current projections indicate that University of Alberta endowments will have fallen in more than $100 million in value, while interest earnings will be less than half the original projected earnings. This financial hurdle is due to hit the university financial board and faculty deans in the upcoming fiscal year, with the current fiscal year ending on March 31^st, 2009. The impact of the endowment deficit will be felt by staff and students as early as fall of 2009.

The Watchman

The administration was sterile. Its pool of ideas had run shallow, and the office of the President was besought by bitter scandals. A recession plagued the economy, ruining a period of uninterrupted growth. All legislation of note came from Congress rather than the White House. The President had exhausted his political influence. While his party base backed his natural successor for the nomination, the rest of America was worried. They did not want another term of the same dry ideas. They wanted change.

Councillor Ed Gibbons comments on the Sale of the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant

Ed Gibbons is the City Councillor for Ward 3, representing Edmonton’s N.E. side. His first term as City Councillor was in 2001 and he has been re-elected in 2004 and again in 2007. He is currently appointed to the Edmonton Salutes Board and the Executive Committee of Edmonton Northlands. As a councilor he not only represents the interests of people in his constituency, but also focuses on major issues concerning the well being of the city as a whole.

Omar Khadr's Uncertain Future: An Interview with Michelle Shepard

In January, President Barack Obama gave an order to close Guantanamo Bay. What this means is that the actual American naval base will continue to exist, but by the end of the year, Camp Justice, an expensive legal complex that is portable and could be moved elsewhere, will be dismantled. It also means the closing of the prison camps which hold 245 men, one of whom is Canadian Omar Khadr. Now a 6 foot tall twenty-two year old man with a beard, Khadr was shot and captured by American forces as a fifteen year old on July 27, 2002. What is to become of this young man who has literally grown up in Guantanamo Bay, and how is it that he ended up there in the first place?

Whither Capitalism?

As money flows from government coffers to corporate bank accounts, regular individuals still face the economic crisis’ ever-tightening grip. Layoffs, reduced wages, and personal bankruptcies have become common. Corporate welfare has reached its pinnacle as governments around the world ignore public concerns, and instead focus on subsidizing financial institutions and large car companies. Deranged economists, with their misunderstanding of Keynes, support the propping up of inefficient businesses. And no one appears to be infuriated about the fact that taxpayers are bearing the burden; we regular guys are effectively letting Wall Street fat cats have their cake and eat it too. Has this columnist gone mad, or have we stepped back towards oligarchy?