Alberta Day of Action coming to Langdon, Strathmore

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Residents in Langdon are joining Albertans across the province, May 29, to make their voices heard demanding better from Alberta’s government. 

Protests are being organized as a provincial Day of Action under the umbrella of the Alberta Federation of Labour, which represents a collection of interests advocating for unions, workers’ and civil rights. 

“You have Alberta Resistance, various labour unions, Raging Grannies – there are a number of different interest groups who have come together to share plans about how, across the province on that day, each community would represent its own action,” said Kristi Henry, speaking on behalf of Langdon’s Day of Action. “For Langdon, we will certainly be perhaps a smaller action than you will see in Calgary or Edmonton, maybe even Red Deer and Medicine Hat, but we still certainly have a group of people here who are interested in expressing unity and care and concern for our neighbours, and voicing concerns about where the government is taking our province.”

Through the Alberta Federation of Labour website, the interest notation for the Day of Action posts messaging about ending division, as well as noting particular policy concerns which have been brought forward in the legislature. 

These include two-tier health care and underfunding the public sector, increased government funding to private schools, pulling out from the Canada Pension Plan and the RCMP, new coal and strip mining operations in the Rockies, use of the Notwithstanding Clause to force teachers back to work, and continued support of separatism agendas, among several others. 

“There is a lot of noise in the province right now, there is a loud crowd, and then there is everybody else, and somebody has to step forward and bring people together,” said Henry. “I hear that from communities all across the province. When we meet to talk about what each community is doing, the people who are representing their communities are saying the same thing.”

Henry added that many who oppose the decisions of the government have expressed fears to make their voices heard and be identified – not wanting to experience further doxxing or malicious actions taken by those who support the UCP government. 

Several of these concerns stem following the leak of three million Albertans’ personal voter information, including their names and addresses by the Centurion Project earlier this month. 

Instances in communities such as Strathmore have been documented of harassment and filming of private property by those in disagreement about social or political views. 

Former UCP MLAs Leela Aheer and Travis Toews, as well as MLA Brian Jean, each experienced online targeting and death threats in 2022 during their candidacy for party leadership. 

“I have never been so concerned about this province as I am now,” said Henry. “On the balance of probability, you have to land on one side or the other, and I have landed on it is time to step up and say things.” 

Those wanting to participate in the Day of Action in Langdon can do so on May 29 between 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. For those interested in being involved in other ways or learning more about local movements, information and resources are being made available through the Alberta Federation of Labour website.

A rally was also recently added to Strathmore on the same day between 6-8 p.m. at the Kinsmen Park Amphitheatre.