‘Can’t Stop Alberta’ tour visits Lethbridge ahead of provincial election

On Monday night, a passionate group of nearly 40 people gathered in Lethbridge, Alta., for the final stop of the ‘Can’t Stop Alberta’ tour.

“We need to try and make legitimate changes that are permanent, and reflect Alberta’s true role in a confederation which is as a nation builder, not as a doormat,” said panelist Josh Andrus, executive director of Project Confederation.

The tour, hosted by Alberta Proud, was billed as a way for voters to voice their main concerns ahead of the upcoming provincial election.

Alberta Proud president, Lindsay Wilson, said that even though the group is rooted in conservative values, it works to welcome all political backgrounds and lessen the political divide. “This isn’t about conservative or liberal to me, this is about Albertans and moving forward together.”

“We spent the last 30 years working and not paying attention to what was actually going on in our society and in our governments,” said Jason McNiven, an oil field worker who attended the tour to get more involved in the issues he feels Alberta is facing.

“We have a mental health crisis, we have a drug crisis, a homeless problem, and the three levels of government really have together to start solving these problems because at a societal level, the weakest part of the society is who we are and we have to help them,” said McNiven.

Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen sat on the municipal affairs panel fielding several questions on public safety, a topic that is expected to be a focal point of next month’s election.

According to the Alberta director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Kris Sims, inflation and affordability are also high on that list.

“We are seeing record numbers of working people relying on food banks, that’s a bad place to be,” said Sims.

Alberta Proud says their main message is to get engaged in the process and cast a ballot on May 29th.

“The theme of this tour is you can’t stop Alberta but you can’t sit on the couch,” said Wilson.