ALBERTA HISTORY Return to ALBERTA INDEX
2000
A $600 million expansion of Imperial Oil's wholly owned oil sands operation in Cold Lake, Alberta begins.
Calgary outpaced Edmonton with an estimated population of 1,037,093 vs, 1,1001, 599 however Edmonton is 80 years older than Calgary 1795 vs, 1875.
July 14:
2002
The population of Canada is 31,414,000. There are more than 200 different ethnic origins in Canada:
47% of British Isles
39% of Canadian
16% of French
9% of German
4% of Italian
4% of Chinese
4% of Ukrainian
3% of First Nations
Major religions of Canada are:
43% Roman Catholic
29% Protestant
16% no religion
2% Muslim
10% other
Life expectancy in Canada is 79 years.
23% of working Canadians have a University Education.
3% of Canadians are involved in agriculture
5% of Canadian land is farmed.
March 17: Richard Garneau b-1937, the author of this website, suffered an emergency operation for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm at the Peter Laugheed Centre, Calgary. The aneurysm was nearly burst with only a thin membrane remaining. The City of Calgary ambulance service correctly identified the problem as a possible aneurysm. Upon arriving at the hospital it was about 7 minutes from admission to operating table. Dr Randy D. Moore, chief of vascular surgery for the Calgary Health Region, suggested that a delay of 7-10 minutes more would have resulted in death. He wanted to get in quick and clamp it off in case it ruptured, as this usually results in a 50% death rate. If it ruptures before operating room, your dead. The three hour abdominal surgery usually has a hospital recovery period of 12.1 days but recently implemented procedures has cut the average recovery to 10.9 days. I was out in 8.0 days with no serious secondary damage. Moore classified this as a miracle. The miracle, however, was the coordinated recovery team from critical operation care to the vascular special care unit to the general ward, which freed the patient to focus on recovery. I knew there was a high probability of death but focused on self hypnosis to relax my body and mind to help in the surgery.
July: This is classified by some Alberta farmers as the year "even weeds won't grow." The official position, this is the worst growing season, on the Prairies, in recorded history. Again we forgot the dirty thirties, we would also forget the Great Economic Depression.
July 14:
2003
The divorce rate in Alberta is 51% an increase of 357% from 1961 to 2003. Matrimonial breakdown is linked to declining family values, marriage being replaced by living together (14% now vs. 7% in 1981, Quebec leads the pack at 30%), the rise of the Women's Liberation movement, the rise of the gay movement (157,395 same sex marriages) and rising abortion rates (1970-2003 = 2,691,592 abortions, it now averages 100,000 per year). Postponing marriage is also a contributing factor as females marry age 31.7, males marry age 34.3 vs. 1981 marriages females age 25.9 and males age 28.5. The 'we', 'ours' culture has been replaced with the 'me' and 'mine' culture.
The women shall adopt a craze
To dress like men and trousers wear,
And cut off their locks of hair.
They'll ride astride with brazen brow
As witches do on broomsticks now.
Then love shall die and marriage cease,
And nations wane as babes decrease.
And wives shall fondle cats and dogs
And men live much the same as hogs.For prophecy declares it so. (Mother Shipton) (1488-1561)
Declining marriage rates, increasing cohabitation rates (*) and declining
remarriage rates are consistent with the belief that marriage as the foundation
of our culture and country is weakening. (*) cohabitation unions do not
last as long as marriage unions).
Historically marriage lasted 20 years usually terminated by death, now marriage
or cohabitation (*) ends before 20 years by divorce or separation.
Women in the work force in 1976 was 42% and in 2003 it is 58%.
Men in the work force in 1976 was 73% and in 2003 it is 68%
Women have less to gain from marriage or cohabitation.
The economic position of young men is deteriorating, look at the disparity of
unemployment statistics.
March 7: Monica Hughes, nee Irse born November 3, 1925 Liverpool died March 7, 2003 Edmonton, Alberta. She published over 30 novels since 1971 and has won nearly every major Canadian award for young-adult fiction. Twelve of her works are classified as science fiction. I had the pleasure of knowing Monica in the 1970's.
September 24:
The Edmonton City police of Alberta are using 'Citizen Profiling' to target potential law breakers by:
Recent claims in Calgary suggest some Political, Judicial Judges and Police maybe included in the list. This brings to mind a case were Edmonton police used criminal charges against another police officer to inhibit his promotion to improve their own promotion possibility.
November 15: The Alberta Government is in the process of assembling its 'Firewall' panel to consider the Firewall Proposals:
- A Provincial Police Force
- A Provincial Pension Plan
- Income Tax collection
- Control of Immigration
Issues Include:
- Kyoto
- Gun Registry
- Gay Marriages
- Canadian Wheat Board
- Senate Reform
- Federal Health Funding
The Alberta Resident Association is presently conducting town meetings to discuss these issues.
2004
This year the Garneau life expectancy is 86 years vs. 74 years for the general public.
Edmonton has the world's biggest mall from 1981 to 2004 called the West Edmonton Mall at 492,000 mē and 800 stores. It lost this title this year with the opening of the Golden Resources Mall, Beijing, China at 560,000 mē and 1,000 stores.
July 11:
July 15: Mark Garneau, b-1968 moved to Trochu, Alberta, acquired a house built in the 1920's and started to restore the building. It is noteworthy that Trochu, Alberta was an excellent breeding ground for the bull snake aka gopher snake. This snake that grows to 5 feet is often confused with the rattlesnake. It however is not venomous and has rapidly declined in recent years.
September 29: Imperial Oil Limited announced today they will be relocating their corporate head office and Products & Chemicals management from Toronto to Calgary, Alberta.
November: We sometimes forget that the top proven crude oil reserves by
country are:
WORLD RESERVES
U.S. SUPPLIERS OF CRUDE.
- Saudi Arabia 1. Saudi Arabia
- Canada, mostly Alberta 2. Mexico
- Iran 3. Canada
- Iraq 4. Venezuela
- United Arab Emirates 5. Nigeria
- Kuwait 6. Iraq
- Venezuela 7. Angola
- Russia 8. United Kingdom
- Libya 9. Kuwait
- Nigeria 10. Norway
- United States 11. Columbia
- China 12. Russia
- Mexico 13. Ecuador
The Oil Sands deposits of Northern Alberta are the largest deposits of recoverable fossil energy in the world, some 300 billion barrels. The question is the cost of recovery. This compares with Saudi Arabia oil reserves of some 260 billion barrels. Others suggest the total middle East oil reserves are overstated and only represent 360 billion barrels.
2005
April 27: The Edmonton Police conducted an illegal clandestine sting operation against Edmonton Sun columnist Kerry Diotte and the head of the Police Commission. It was determined today these rogue officers used the Police Computer system illegal against innocent citizens. None of these rogue officers have seen jail time.
October 24: A class action has begun against the Alberta's Child Welfare Department saying Social Workers were aware that their clients were being physically and sexually abused and failed to remove them from those abusive environments. This brings back memories of the Residential School scandals.
2006
Alberta Oil Sands currently produces 1.1 million barrels of crude oil a day and is expected to more than double to 2.5 million barrels a day, by 2015. Alberta has estimated reserves of 175 billion barrels of recoverable bitumen. About $130 billion dollars are planned or underway to expand recovery. Alberta is one of the few private free enterprises ventures, others are state owned such as Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Norway and Russia, to name a few.
January 1: The population of Alberta is estimated as 3.3 million people. The equivalent of six buses of people arrive Alberta everyday. Alberta's growth was five times the national average and the highest ever recorded in a fourth quarter. Two thirds arrived from other Provinces of Canada:
British Columbia 6,553
Saskatchewan 3,593
Manitoba
1,999
Yukon
101
N.W.T.
460
Nunvuit
56
Ontario
6,625
Quebec
1,420
New Brunswick 781
Nova Scotia
1,505
P.E.I.
200
Newfoundland 1,704
-------
24,997
Alberta has the youngest aged population of all provinces in Canada. About 58% of Albertans are under age 40. The Prairies has the highest fertility rate in Canada.
July 26: Jeanette Louise Schuh Garneau born March 26, 1939 Medicine Hat, Alberta, took her last breath 10:45 A.M. at Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, wife of the author R.D. (Dick) Garneau. She suffered over 42 years with Multiple Sclerosis and never once complained about her lot in life. She would only say; "it could be worse like AIDS or Cancer". She was a people person, was always cheerful, and was generous to a fault. What can I say, she was as near to a perfect wife as a person could be. See also on Death & Dying
August 12: Syed Soharwardy, an Islamic extremist, head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, of Calgary represents 50,000 to 65,000 Muslims in Canada, says, "U.S. President Bush is the biggest racists, terrorists and extremists." Tony Blair and Bush represent "Mafia-like organizations" and should be brought to justice.
2007
When the American crude oil production reached it's peak in 1970, the price of crude was about $20.00 per barrel. By 2004 the price of crude reached $38.00 per barrel. 2005 = $59.00/bbl; 2006= $66.00/bbl; 2007=$72.00/bbl. Some predict world oil production will peak by 2010, others say 2015.
September 8: Calgary, Alberta marriage (author of this web site) R.D. (Dick) Garneau b-1937 son Robert Garneau (1909-1997) and Marion Salzl (1910-2009); married Mary Dik Ping Shu, b-1950 daughter Shu Shing Liang (1918-1990) and Shu Chin Fong b-1924. See Late Life Love
October 11: Sultan Malimood, president of Calgary's northwest Ahmadiyya plans to build a Muslim subdivision of 2000 members in N.W. Calgary around a mosque. Vilna Dawson of the Calgary committee on race relations says "they would be ghettoizing themselves". It is unlikely that non-Muslims would live in this community and will only add to the mistrust that already exists.
October 15: Naseer Ahmad, national director of Muslim projects says there is no plans to build a Muslim District in Calgary, The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada Syed Sohabwardy is to meet with Calgary's mayor to argue not to allow development of a Muslim District.
December 10: The evils of Dubai slave labor policy are creeping into Alberta. Alberta has over 22,393 workers on temporary work permits. We are using them to build Alberta, then send them home. These workers are open to excessive recruiting fees or a percentage of their wages. Some are subjected to sub-standard housing. Others lower wages than expected. Minister Iris Evans says we want these workers to be " treated fairly. We want them to be treated like every Albertan". For shame if he believed this, he should give them landed emigrant status.
We are sometimes blinded by the economic progress of Dubai without casting an eye as to how this is being achieved. Dubai practices economic slavery and is building their empire on one million expatriates, mostly from Asia. These expatriates are forced to live in sub human conditions, are subjected to excessive recruiting fees, delayed or forfeited payment of wages, substitution of employment contracts, premature termination of services and excessive working hours. Unlike the Black slave trade into the U.S.A. that built that economy, the expatriates are not allowed to become citizens. How soon we forget the slavery traffic of the early Chinese into Canada. Canada and the United States is beginning to practice a form of Dubai expatriate economic slavery philosophy, is this what we want for our future?
2008
An estimated recoverable reserves, using current technology, is 175 billion barrels from Alberta tar sands. This will create what promises to be the biggest industrial project on earth of $90 billion just including current plans to the year 2020. Some believe the reserve estimate and cost of capital is low. The price of crude is forecast to average $115.00/bbl and has already peaked at $147.00/bbl. America is consuming 20 bbls/person/year, whereas China/India consumes 1 bbl/person/year. It is estimated to convert 30% of Americas automobiles to electricity will take 20-30 years. Wind power can only provide about 3% of demand. Some predict world oil production will peak by 2010, others say 2015. Peak world oil production is inevitable. Global warming will pale in comparison to 'Peak World Oil Production'. Some suggest we are running out of time, and natural gas and nuclear energy is the only viable options.
January 17: Worldwide Workforce out of Woodride, Ontario owned by Rupinder Pal (Bob) Singh has been charging men $18,000 to find jobs in Alberta. He has been banned in operating in Alberta and if he fails to comply will be fined $100,000.00 and one year in jail. He is now required to pay 3 times the dollars received. On top of this the jobs promised did not exist. The Dubai economic slave trade practices are in Canada. We are likely only seeing the tip of the ice berg.
February 13: Native students are not allowed to attend Fort Vermillion Schools because the Band is in arrears of payment.
February 13: It is alleged that the Al-Madinah Mosque sent two people, a burka clad woman and an East Indian man about 45 years old, about five feet nine inches tall, to intimidate Robina Butt not to go forward with her, and two others, who filed a Human Rights Complaint against the Al-Madinah mosque. It is noteworthy that Imam Syed Soharwardy, the founder of the Islamic Superior Council of Canada who also claims the responsibility for the mosque. The police are investigating.
February 25: The Papaschase Indian Band who had a Reservation south of Strathcona (Edmonton) and were forced from the reserve in 1888 under threat of violence and without compensation. The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear their land claim.
March 9: 51,000 professional engineers, geologists and geophysicists in Alberta were surveyed and 1,077 replied. Only 26% attributed global warming to human activities. 68% disagreed with the statement "the debate on the scientific causes of recent climate change is settled". 99% agree the climate is changing. The survey is accurate within 3% of the total group.
April 1: Albertan's were warned about the evils associated with the temporary foreign workers practices on December 10, 2007 by the Dubai experience. Alberta has been hit with 800 complaints from foreign workers. The complaints center around unfair wage deductions, fees charged for recruitment agencies and accommodation. They often don't know their rights or are fearful of losing their job if they complain so many cases go unreported. Recruiting should be conducted using foreign Canadian embassy staff and recruitment fees standardized. The temporary foreign workers are helping to build our Alberta and therefore should be offered landed emigrant status.
2009
January 1: Alberta has 5.9 million cows and caves down .05% from 2008.
June 13: Michigan with an unemployment rate of 14% is the hardest hit of American States. Flint, Michigan has been in dcline since 1973 and now they propose bulldozing down entire neighborhoods.
October 15: Arrest warrants were issued to two Alberta men, Milowe Brost b-1954 and Gary Sorenson b-1943 being accused of running a ponzi scheme for two years, involving some 4000 investors and $100 to $400 million. Sorenson is in Honduras. He returned to Calgary October 19, 2009 and was arrested. In July 2007 Brost was fined $650 thousand and banned from marketing.
December 8; Edmonton 3:15 A.M. death of Marion Elizabeth Garneau (nee Salzl)
at Capital Care Dickinsfield, Edmonton, Alberta, Sister Marion and Richard
were in attendance.
Marion E. Garneau (nee Salzl) was born December 23, 1910 Edmonton, Alberta, died
December 8, 2009 Edmonton, Alberta. She was predeceased by her husband
Robert E. (Alf) Garneau (1909-1997) whom she married 1933 Edmonton,
Alberta. She is survived by her children. Robert of Victoria, Gerald
and Donna of Kelowna, Richard and Mary of Calgary and Sister Marion of Edmonton;
(18) grandchildren, great grand children and one great great granddaughter.
The Salzl family homesteaded south of Morinville, arriving from North Dakota
around 1896. Her parents, Mathew and Jerusha Salzl (McDougall),
homesteaded in Sandhills, southeast of Spruce Grove in 1915.
The Garneau family homesteaded the Garneau District of Strathcona (Edmonton) in
1874, arriving from Red River before moving to St. Paul des Metis in 1895 to
help establish that town.
Marion and Robert represented the true pioneering families of Edmonton and
Alberta. Both were active in church and community affairs throughout their
lives. Among their commitments were Catholic Action Groups, Civil Action
Groups, Home and School, CWL, Food Banks, Marriage Preparation Courses, Marion
Centre and their beloved Peace Prayer Group.
Funeral was held December 14, 2009 at St. Alphonsus Church and interment at Holy
Cross Cemetery.
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