Calgary Sun Letters, Oct. 5: ‘People pushing back on data centres’

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Beware data centres

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There are two weeks left until the Oct. 19 referendum. However, a recent poll by Janet Brown Opinion Research has shown probable separation of Alberta is not the only people’s concern. Construction of multi-billion-dollar artificial intelligence data centres promoted by Premier Danielle Smith sparks significant public pushback and political debate across the province. Despite the fact these initiatives may result in heavy resource consumption and increasing utility charges, the concentration of massive computing power in Alberta poses a risk for Canada’s national security. Smith, believing she has struck oil, obviously forgets that most of planned Alberta data centre projects are under foreign control. And as AI data centres are integrated directly into local utility grids and natural gas networks they become part of the state’s critical infrastructure, foreign access to which makes Canada vulnerable to geopolitical pressure and cyber sabotage. It turns out Premier Smith striving for benefits and AI development is digging a pit not only for the province but also for the whole country. But is this game worth the candle if Canada finds itself under the microscope?

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AIDEN WHITFORD, Edmonton

(Alberta should be entering this new era with our eyes open to the risks, as well as the benefits)

Not just ‘war talk’

So far, on at least seven occasions, President Donald Trump has threatened the Iranian nation with total annihilation. Something Canada’s Prime Minister Carney has shrugged off as mere ‘war talk.’ This in the midst of a very grave concern Iran may acquire a nuclear arsenal and dramatically raise the stakes in its war with the U.S. and Israel. Unlike Carney, many are rightly concerned such brutal rhetoric may exert an incentivizing effect on Iran’s leaders, a resolve to avoid Libya’s fate as a failed state, to adopt North Korea’s nuclear fortress posture instead. In fact, it would be foolishly irresponsible for Iran not to, against the backdrop of such primitive speech.

OREST SLEPOKURA

(Tension in the area is particularly high, and that’s saying something)

Straightforward premier

Premier Danielle Smith has declared, from the start, she wants to see a more autonomous Alberta within a united Canada. She has never been a proponent of our province seceding from Confederation. She has always been totally clear on this topic, and she never hid or disguised her true feelings. The separatists have tried to convince us she is now being traitorous somehow, by not supporting their rhetoric on leaving. And the voting public must be buying into this waffling by her, because the most recent polls show Albertans racing to support Nenshi and his NDP party over Danielle and her UCP party. This is a sickening development. How on Earth can our memory be so short? Do we have no recollection of how poorly Nenshi performed as mayor of Calgary, and how he sucked up to Trudeau? The only Albertans that liked the NDP were those in the big unions, because the NDP always gave in to whatever their demands were in contract talks. The NDP didn’t look after the rest of Albertans nearly as well. Danielle Smith has always been consistent in her belief that people should be heard, and that is precisely why she put forth the referendum on Oct. 19. We will have our voices heard. She will not criticize or condemn, for whatever the results may be. Critics within and without the UCP party should recognize and appreciate her for her honesty and for being consistent. Nenshi not so much.

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KEN PELLAND

(She’s getting hit from both sides these days)

Look both ways

A long time ago, I remember while growing up that my parents always reminded me to look both ways when crossing a road. This was very good advice. Nowadays, not only do people have to look both ways when crossing a street, they have to look both ways when crossing or using a city sidewalk. Citizens are getting hit and run over on public sidewalks by kids and adults using fast-moving, quiet electric bikes, scooters and skateboards.

R. MOSKAL, Winnipeg

(As they say in hockey, keep your head on a swivel)

Progressive problem

(Re: ‘Big lie,’ Letters, Oct. 1) Letter-writer Dwight Neuert blames Alberta’s current financial woes on Conservative governments. He carefully omits the adjective ‘Progressive’ in his assault that “… several decades of gross mismanagement by Conservative governments.” It was the Red Tories who spent recklessly, raided the Heritage Trust Fund, accumulated record debt, and then there is the four years of the highest gross mismanagement of Alberta’s finances by the NDP.
It is very disingenuous and a low-down cheap shot to omit ‘Progressive’ from the official name of the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta that grossly mismanaged Alberta’s books and it was not Conservative governments. As the late U.S. Senator Daniel ‘Pat’ Moynihan once said: “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

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JEFFREY ANDERSON

(Ultimately time will tell, but recent UCP government budgets have been pretty liberal with the purse-strings as well)

Bad-mouthing bad idea

(Re: ‘Bell – Talk is cheap,’ Oct. 1) At what point does Mr. Poilievre realize bad-mouthing a person (Mr. Carney), as noted in Rick Bell’s recent interview, more than offering solutions, is not what Canadians seek at this point. Ms. Smith and Mr. Carney have done all they can to make this pipeline work. Industry works best bottom up, not top down. Things may topple. Now to see how the public and private industry embrace it or not. Try as you may, sometimes a horse just doesn’t go where you want.

KEITH CUMMINGS, Telkwa, B.C.

(Poilievre essentially said he’d believe it when he sees it, and he’s probably not alone in that sentiment)

Unhealthy situation

Anyone been to EFW Radiology or Canada Diagnostic Centre? Anyone had cataract surgery or one of many other common procedures? These are all privately owned businesses. Without them where would we be? More money is not the solution to fix health care, but as soon as someone tries something outside of that, the scare tactics come out instead of offering a solution. Unions are looking to keep members, not improve wait times, and politicians just want easy face time.

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ROBERT MCDOWELL

(There are better-performing universal health care systems out there. We ought to be harnessing some of that knowledge)

Sidearm shenanigans

When did it become en vogue for infielders to throw the ball sidearm all the time? We were taught as youngsters not to do that for a variety of reasons. My suspicion is also my pet peeve. Sport isn’t sport anymore, it’s entertainment and that’s really too bad. Half the time the Blue Jays infielders can’t get the ball to first base on the fly and yet my daughters easily could when they played baseball with the boys at 12 years of age. I mean they ain’t no Butch’s but something doesn’t add up.

WILLIAM EDWORTHY

(So long as the ball gets to the base, can’t imagine most folks give it a second thought)

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