Western Context

We look at 2022’s news stories, including changing BC and Alberta leadership, rising inflation, and gun control and online policies. We also go over our favourite pictures, quotes, words and episodes of the year.

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Duration: 59:52
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Alberta Story of the Year
• BC Story of the Year
• Worst Covered Story by the MSM
• Most Important Story
• Firing Line of the Year
• Local Story of the Year
• Story We Didn’t Get to Cover
• Fake News Story of the Year
• Worst Government Expense of the Year
• Funniest Story
• Newsmaker of the Year
• Word of the Year
• Favourite Western Context Episode
• Favourite Western Context Show Title
• Quote of the Year
• Picture of the Year

We uncover more about foreign influence in Canada, Edmonton city council votes to increase property taxes, and yet another Trudeau cabinet minister breaks ethics rules. Also, Canada is banning single use plastics, but will it really help the environment?

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“There is simply no excuse for contracting with a friend’s company. Ministers are expected to uphold the highest standards of accountability, including those set out in the Conflict of Interest Act. Complying with the act is a condition of appointment and employment for all public office holders.” – Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion on International Trade Minister Mary Ng’s ethics violation.

Duration: 58:24
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• Ottawa hears of ‘active foreign interference network’ in secret Privy Council Office memo
• Support us on Patreon
• Edmonton passes 5% tax increases; Cartmell calls it ‘very dangerous’ for affordability
• Trade Minister Mary Ng broke ethics rules over contract to friend, commissioner rules
• Phase 1 of Canada’s single-use plastics ban comes into effect this month. These are the products on the list
• Word of the Week: Waste

A new report uncovers a Chinese ‘police station’ in Vancouver, Alberta secures children’s pain medication, and Veteran Affairs offers medical assistance in dying to veterans. Also, First Nations and northern MPs speak out against Trudeau’s gun ban bill.

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“Our young hunters that are growing up, they just don’t send them up to the bush with a gun. There’s a whole process that has to do with our customs, our values, our traditions… No government has a right to take that away from us and regulate that. That is our job as mothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and hunters.“ – Chief Tammy Cook of Lac La Ronge Band in Saskatchewan on Bill C-21 amendments.

Duration: 50:01
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• ‘Dangerous’: Concerns raised about possible Chinese ‘secret police station’ in Vancouver
• Support us on Patreon
• Alberta secures 5 million bottles of children’s pain and fever meds to distribute across province, then country
• Former paralympian tells MPs veterans department offered her assisted death
• ‘Potential culture clash’: Some northerners critical of federal firearms bill
• Word of the Week: Hubris

Alberta’s Sovereignty Act gets a bit more clarity, BC’s economic case for LNG has never been stronger, and Global News lobbies for more government money. Also, Elizabeth May says she takes her marching orders from Palestine leadership.

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“I take my marching orders from the permanent representative of Palestine to Canada” – Green Party Leader MP Elizabeth May in a bizarre speech at the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Duration: 57:39
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• Nothing off the table when it comes to Alberta sovereignty act
• Support us on Patreon
• Is B.C.’s $6 billion commitment to Coastal GasLink and LNG Canada still economically viable?
• Global News lobbies Canadian government for taxpayer grants
• Canadian MPs attend ‘solidarity’ event with publisher of Holocaust denialism
• Word of the Week: Marching Orders

Federal ministers joked about martial law during convoy protests, new BC Premier David Eby bombards us with announcements, and the Alberta NDP get their news on healthcare from social media. Also, Trudeau denies knowledge of Chinese campaign influence.

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“He is either hiding the truth and knows that China is trying to destabilize our democracy or he’s revealing that he’s diplomatically irresponsible to the point of being dangerous. Either it’s not honest or it’s not very bright. Which one is it?” – Bloc Québécois House Leader Alain Therrien on Trudeau’s limited response to questions of Chinese influence in the 2019 election.

Duration: 1:00:57
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• Attorney-General suggested Emergencies Act in first week of Ottawa protest, texts reveal
• Support us on Patreon
• David Eby’s announcements total $1.2 billion in first week as premier
• Premier Smith attempts to reframe herself as flawed but also real and reasonable
• Justin Trudeau slammed for response after allegations of Chinese interference in 2019 election
• Word of the Week: Announcement

The Freedom Convoy wasn’t a CSIS threat, Alberta makes changes to AHS, and the BC Liberals vote to change their name to BC United. Also, a confrontation between Xi Jinping and Trudeau overshadows China’s growing influence.

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“In Canada, we believe in free and open and frank dialogue and that is what we will continue to have… We will continue to look to work constructively together, but there will be things we disagree on.” – Justin Trudeau on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reaction to their conversations being leaked.

Duration: 55:56
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• CSIS told government Freedom Convoy didn’t pose national security threat day before Emergencies Act invoked
• Support us on Patreon
• Alberta announces health-care reform: AHS board fired, administrator appointed
• B.C. Liberal Party set to become B.C. United after members vote to change party name
• Chinese president confronts Trudeau at the G-20
• Word of the Week: Definition

Reports show Chinese government infiltration into Canada, the BC NDP is hiding information on doctor shortages, and the UCP plans to give money to Albertans to tackle inflation. Also, Chrystia Freeland cancels her family’s Disney+ subscription.

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“The prime minister is not a potted plant. He can defend his position if he wishes. But there needs to be a meeting…and the federal government has not been willing to do the work to come to the table and sit down, prime ministers and premiers, and talk about one of the central issues facing the country.” – BC Health Minister Adrian Dix on Trudeau’s unwillingness to move on meeting about provincial health transfers.

Duration: 56:51
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• Canadian intelligence warned PM Trudeau that China covertly funded 2019 election candidates
• Support us on Patreon
• B.C. government now masking data on doctor shortages at primary care clinics
• UCP planning flood of Danielle Dollars to Albertans, with election to follow
• Chrystia Freeland backs away from ‘out of touch’ comment about Disney+
• Word of the Week: Infiltrate

Trudeau inserts himself into the Ontario strike, Alberta councillors debate municipal parties, and BC announces a new family doctor payment model. Also, Steven Guilbeault’s hostility towards energy could reduce investment.

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“Family doctors are not only health care providers. We’re human beings, and so in order to provide the type of care that British Columbians need and deserve, we need the same human supports and working conditions that others do … This new payment model and the physician master agreement that were announced today are a first step towards creating those tools and supports.” – Dr. Renee Fernandez, the executive director of B.C. Family Doctors on BC’s new family doctor payment plan.

Duration: 58:09
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Help us out by taking our Fall 2022 Survey!
• Canadian bill would fine workers $4,000 for each day they strike
• Support us on Patreon
• Edmonton, Calgary councillors weigh in on allowing political parties at municipal level
• B.C. launching new payment model for family doctors in 2023
• Guilbeault slams oilpatch for raking in cash and sitting idle on climate action
• Word of the Week: Buy-in

More Canadians are turning to food banks, the Alberta NDP and UCP conventions get covered differently, and the BC NDP decide to quash the indigenous-led 2030 Olympic bid. Also, the RCMP is investigating Chinese-run police stations in Canada.

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“It would’ve been nice to sit down with all parties involved … before they make their conclusion. We’ll have to wait and see where this goes from here. But for me, this squashes it. When the minister mentioned it was not a priority … I mentioned it’s bigger than 2030. It’s reconciliation, and it’s working with the nations, government to government, to move forward.” – Musqueam First Nation Chief Wayne Sparrow on the BC government’s decision to not hold dialogue on a possible Indigenous-led 2030 Winter Olympics bid.

Duration: 1:04:10
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• More Canadians are turning to food banks than ever before, new report says
• Alberta UCP and NDP hold simultaneous political conventions to ramp up unofficial election campaigns
• Support us on Patreon
• B.C. government says it won’t support 2030 Winter Olympics bid
• RCMP investigating Chinese ‘police’ stations in Canada
• Word of the Week: Disservice

A new economic doctrine emerges from Chrystia Freeland, new changes abound in the BC municipal elections, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith names her new cabinet. Also, Trudeau asserts that demand for Canadian oil will decrease reliance on it.

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“Right now in the coming couple of years, we’re going to need to continue with the mechanisms we have, but the move off of fossil fuels … is going to happen much faster because of Russia.” – Prime Minister Trudeau, on the failure to understand supply and demand.

Duration: 59:19
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Freeland Doctrine’ could set the world on a path to a new trade cold war
• Support us on Patreon
• BC Municipal Election results – Major Changes in Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria, Saanich
• Alberta premier’s new cabinet includes familiar faces in prominent roles
• Trudeau says Russian invasion of Ukraine ‘accelerated’ Canada’s move away from oil and gas
• Word of the Week: Turnover