‘Your vote for Sonja as Mayor WILL make a difference.’
I am very concerned that Canadians have slipped in ratings of being the world’s happiest people. We used to be in 7th place; we are now in 9th.
The United Nations determines the ‘World Happiness Index’ which is based on:
- economic wealth
- life expectancy
- social support
- freedom to make life choices
- levels of government corruption
What country is ranked #1 during the challenging times of COVID?
Finland, the country with ‘sisu.’
‘Sisu’ is a Finnish word that is about enduring in the face of extreme, or beyond ordinary, challenges. Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world four times in a row.
How do we face the beyond ordinary challenges COVID has created and raise the happiness index in Yellowhead County?
1. Economic Wealth
The COVID government restrictions and lockdowns have been counterproductive on our economic wealth. Not only have people lost jobs and businesses have closed, but on top of that we now have inflation too. The cost of essentials are going through the roof. As challenges rise, I want to support local solutions to get our goods to market and make sure the family fridge is full and homes are filled with heat and light.
We need to promote tourism and recreation. We need to support our farmers and local businesses – especially mom and pop operations. In tough economic times is when innovation thrives. It’s my goal to support innovative products and services, and there are many creative, innovative people in Yellowhead County – including our younger generation. As Mayor, I would not force businesses to do mandatory vaccine passports.
In a just released letter to the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, Dr. Eric Payne of Calgary, –Harvard trained and with experience at the Mayo clinic — explains why there is absolutely no need for vaccine passports. This letter is very well researched with 84 citations. Download More information here
I am a strong believer in financial responsibility and accountability. Yellowhead residents shouldn’t carry the burden of municipal mismanagement and overspending. This includes how the maintenance of our roads are managed.
I believe in leading by example. As Mayor, I would take 20% pay cut in salary (as councillors in other jurisdictions have done) to show my leadership and solidarity for the struggling private sector.
2. Life Expectancy
Our health care system is collapsing … and has been for years. The health care system was crying out for help way before COVID came, but our provincial government failed to do anything about it. There are looming issues with our health care system. These include insufficient number of beds made available by the province, over-worked staff, lack of staff, a large aging population which generally requires more health care resources, and a backlog of surgeries that were cancelled during lockdowns.
A Red Deer doctor gives interesting insight into what is happening in our health care system, and why it is collapsing. Article and video (6 min) More information here
Big government doesn’t always have the answers. India and other countries have found an inexpensive way to stop COVID from killing their people. And if a poor developing country can do that, why can’t we?
As Mayor, I will be initiating freedom of choice and access to information about well-established natural health protocols for COVID. I will advocate for well-being support networks to be established for smaller communities in need.
3. Social Support
Social support disappeared under COVID restrictions.
We need to pull together and be free from discrimination.
As restrictions continue, we cannot sweep mental health issues of family violence, addictions, depression, and suicide under the rug. Nor can we ignore the ill effects lockdowns and restrictions have on our children. More information here
We need to continue to support our seniors. As a community, we need to support them in their homes as long as they wish to live independently, but also have senior homes available when independent living is no longer possible.
We need to make sure recreation facilities are available to all our communities so everyone can enjoy our county to the fullest.
4. Freedom to make Life Choices
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects our freedom to make individual life choices. There are now several court cases challenging the violations of our and rights and freedoms over the last 18 months. Without rights and freedoms we have no democracy. It is as simple as that.
There is a Canadian legal organization which is also a federally registered charity that defends citizens’ fundamental freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms – The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.
Freedom to make life choices also depends on the quality of information we are getting. We need unbiased complete information to make informed decisions. We need sources and data to be verified.
Quite often complete information comes from independent investigative journalism. Unfortunately, we have very few media outlets now that are independent. Find out which media outlets are federally funded and which ones are independent. More information here
5. Levels of Government Corruption
The goal posts keep moving. Both federal and provincial governments are ignoring reputable scientists and professionals, back-tracking on promises, have been caught manipulating data, and breaking their own rules. A recent analysis done on lockdowns by Canadian Professor Douglas W. Allen states, “Lockdowns are not just an inefficient policy, they must rank as one of the greatest peacetime policy disasters of all time.”
Read Analysis — Covid Lockdown Cost/Benefits: A Critical Assessment of the Literature by Professor Douglas W. Allen Download PDF
We need strong, resilient and courageous people to be in municipal government. We need a municipal government that can think critically and understand the cost/benefit of each decision, as well as the long-term ramifications.
Decisions need to be made on facts, not fear.