ECA Review 2019-07-18

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6 J uly 18'19 HANNA/CORONATION/STETTl ER, AB. ECA REVIEW EDITORIAL Two sides to every story B. Schimke ECA Review A Canadian charity exists to pursue eligible charitable purposes governed by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) under stringent obligations, regulations and reporting. There is an exception that allows a charity to carry on its activities with other charities, including non-Canadian charities. These joint or cooperative ventures must adhere to the Canadian organization’s charitable purposes, be under the direction of the Canadian charity and follow Canadian law. Political action by any charity is limited and tightly controlled. On July 4, 2019 Premier Jason Kenney launched a $2.5 million inquiry to uncover foreign groups and billionaires who fund Canadian charities to spread misleading information against pipelines and Alberta’s energy sector. “ In a free society, both sides have legitimate claims along with rhetorical exaggerations, but both sides need to be heard respectfully. In May 2012 the federal Conservative Harper government, of which Kenney was a senior cabinet minister, ordered the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) to audit all environmental charities arguing they were ‘foreign-funded radicals’. In 2012, no wrong doings were found, no charges were laid and no environmental charities lost their registered status. At the time, even the conservative-friendly National Post, through an independent review of charitable tax returns, found most foreign money received by Canadian charities did not go to environmental groups. The top five recipients of foreign funds or gifts-in-kind were Care Canada, World Vision, Hamilton’s McMaster University, the Canadian UNICEF Committee and Ducks Unlimited Canada. Other than Ducks Unlimited finishing as one of the top five recipients of foreign donations, the next environmental charity on the list, Tides Canada, was in the sixteenth spot. Great Bear Rainforest, a 6.4 hectare “ OPINION area along BC’s north and central coast, is the largest remaining tract of unspoiled rainforest in the world. Tides Canada and other environmental charities were instrumental in planning for and saving much of this old growth forest. Canadian environmental charities have received over $400 million (M) from US foundations for this specific project. In a twist of irony, the Harper government in 2007 also partnered with Tides Canada to save the Great Bear Rainforest. The Harper government kicked in 30 per cent, $30M, and through Tides Canada, The Gordon & Betty Morris Foundation donated $27M. The partnership was a success. A compromise agreement was reached with conservationists, loggers, hunters and First Nations to protect 85 per cent of the rainforest from logging. All competing interests left the table with something. The American directors of the Gordon & Betty Morris Foundation had absolutely nothing to gain financially from their donation to the Great Bear Rainforest. It was completely altruistic—saving a precious corner of the world. The same cannot be said for Vivian Krause, Mr. Kenney’s current ‘expert’ on foreign-funded propaganda campaigns that defame Alberta’s oil industry, or The National Post which is giving her a ‘legitimate’ platform to spread a conspiracy theory. Ms. Krause admits that 90 per cent of her income is derived from the oil and gas industry. Krause also admits that American donations represent a small fraction of Canadian environmental charities’ overall budgets. But most important, she has never linked any environmental campaigns in Canada to specific US companies or billionaires who might financially benefit from such work. The relevant facts are simply environmental charities governed by stringent laws, reporting requirements and CRA audits, whereas Krause can use cherry-picked numbers to support the one industry that pays her way in life. In a free society, both sides have legitimate claims along with rhetorical exaggerations, but both sides need to be heard respectfully. There are always two sides to every story and honourable government leaders, at a minimum, need to mediate those competing and conflicting priorities, not become a cheerleader of one. The opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of this newspaper. FINANCIAL TIPS Avoiding a travel nightmare We’ve all heard about Canadians travelling abroad who find themselves stranded in a hospital and running up huge medical bills. Hospital bills can run from $5,000 to over $1,000,000 depending on the health issue. How can you be sure that you have sufficient coverage and that a claim won’t be denied? It’s important to understand that travel insurance is not a health plan, but is designed to cover expenses if you suffered a medical emergency Peter Boys while travelling outside your province of residence. Be aware of what a pre-existing medical condition is. Even simple illnesses that you don’t think are a problem can come back to haunt you when you try to make a claim. Do not believe that if your medical condition is being managed and causing little disruption to your daily living, that it’s of little importance to the insurer. In reality, travel insurance policies exclude coverage for some medical conditions, and failure to disclose these could invalidate the policy and leave you without any coverage. If you have a medical claim, the insurance company WILL look through your medical history. If you did not disclose a pre-existing condition, your policy can be considered void even if your medical emergency has nothing to do with your preexisting condition. If you are travelling while pregnant, make sure that you yourself are covered. With pregnancy, your unborn baby is not covered for insurance as you cannot insure an unborn child. If you go into labour while on vacation, the medical bills for your newborn can become monstrous. Read your policy carefully before you travel. Ask for help to fully understand the eligibility requirements, terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions. Coverage may be limited or denied for things such as participating in sporting events, certain recreational activities or if you are intoxicated at the time of your injury or sickness. If your health changes in any way, including a change in medication since the time you purchased your policy and the time you leave on your trip, you must inform your insurer or the policy may be invalid. Applying for travel insurance online is easy, but you need to be aware that the responsibility is completely on you to declare all the medical facts which can be both confusing and contentious. When shopping for travel insurance, cheaper and convenient is not necessarily better. If you do have a pre-existing condition, you may not qualify for regular travel insurance, but you can still apply for travel insurance with medical conditions included. Your premium will be higher but you will have the peace of mind that a medical emergency will be covered. You need to ensure that you have the right insurance for you. The last thing you need during a holiday medical crisis is finding out that you’re not covered. Peter Boys, Boys Financial Services REast Central Alberta EVIEW Published by Coronation Review Limited LETTERS POLICY • Letters to the Editor are welcomed • Must be signed and a phone number included so the writer’s identity can be verified. • ECA Review reserves the right to edit letters for legal considerations, taste and brevity. Letters and columns submitted are not necessarily the opinion of this newspaper. MEMBER OF: JOYCE WEBSTER Publisher/Editor publisher@ECAreview.com BRENDA SCHIMKE Editorial Writer YVONNE THULIEN Manager office@ECAreview.com LISA MYERS-SORTLAND Graphic Artist Office Hours Mon. - Fri. 9 am - 5 pm Subscriptions: $42.00 in Canada; $74.20 in US; $135.15 Overseas. (All prices include GST) 4921 - Victoria Avenue Tel. (403) 578-4111 Mail: Box 70, Coronation, AB Canada, T0C 1C0 Website ECAreview.com BONNY WILLIAMS Circulation Manager TERRI HUXLEY Reporter 587-321-0030 news1@ECAreview.com GAYLE JARAWAY Marketing 403-578-4111 advertise@ECAreview.com JUDY WALGENBACH Marketing 403-740-2492 marketing@ECAreview.com
ECA REVIEW HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLER, AB JuL y 18'19 7 Inside & Out Five kitchen renovation blunders Thinking about renovating your kitchen? If so, keep in mind that this is a major home project. And, since your kitchen is probably the room in your house that gets the most use, you want to make sure that the end result is Disposal of light bulbs When a light bulb burns out, you may wonder whether to toss it in the trash or take it to your local recycling centre. However, the best action to take depends entirely on the type of light bulb you’re throwing out. Incandescent bulbs When a standard light bulb burns out, you can put it in the garbage with the rest of your household waste. The thin glass and metal wires are almost impossible to separate for recycling. Compact fluorescent lights (CFL) CFL bulbs contain small amounts of mercury that can damage the environment if the bulb breaks. Many municipalities have drop-off points for hazardous waste items and you should dispose of CFL light bulbs at these locations. Light-emitting diode (LED) lights LED lights don’t technically burn out like other bulbs, but they do dim over time. When this happens, you can safely discard them in the trash as they don’t contain mercury like CFL bulbs do. You can also check with your local recycling centre to see if they accept this type of bulb. Regardless of the type of light bulb, take care to wrap it in paper before you throw it away. This way you’ll avoid the possibility of someone getting injured by the broken glass. both beautiful and functional. Here are five mistakes to avoid when upgrading your kitchen. 1. Ignoring the layout. Keep your kitchen functional by considering the work triangle (the distance between the sink, refrigerator and cooktop) when designing your kitchen. 2. Focusing on trends. Instead of choosing the most fashionable design featu res, create a kitchen that truly fits your needs. Forgo anything that doesn’t work with your lifestyle. 3. Forgetting about organization. A pullout pan try or extra rack in the cabinet can help you keep your kitchen tidy and sorted. Invest in practical storage options that make your life easier 4. Making last minute changes. Before the Auto, Farm, Home & Commercial renovation starts, be sure about the choi ces you’ve made. Changing your mind once the work has begun can be expensive. 5. Neglecting the details. Nothing should be overlooked when you’re upgrading a kitchen. Details like the cabinet handles, backsplash and trim are what make your kitchen unique. By avoiding these kitchen renovation blunders, not only will your remodel go smoothly, but the final result is sure to be one that you love. Kent Hoopfer, Insurance Broker/Owner kent@hoopferinsurance.com | www.hoopferinsurance.com Stettler AB, T0C 2L0 | (office) 403.742.4332 | (cell) 403.742.7861 HUGE Estate Sale Everything Must go! Saturday & Sunday July 20 & 21 9 am - 5 pm @ 5108 - 50 Ave., Alix Ab., On Hwy 12 Concrete Sand & Gravel — ready mix concrete Filipenko Brothers ConstruCtion ltd. Bus. 882-3311 - Fax 882-3312 Castor, AB Dark Knight Electric Residential & Commercial Electrical Solutions Box 996 DANE JACKSON Castor, AB Master Electrician T0C 0X0 403-740-4812 www.darkknightelectric.com Matt Stahl ONSTRUCTION For All Your Carpentry Needs, You Name It We Do it! Hanna, AB 403-857-9885 • mattstahl1987@icloud.com Galen Wiebe PH 403.742.4101 / 800.949.9052 FX 866.305.5686 galen@railsidedesign.com Bay 2, 4905-44 Ave, Stettler, AB T0C 2L0 www.railsidedesign.com Renew Your Dreams Let US keep you Healthy & Happy CASTOR Box 179 Castor, AB T0C 0X0 403-882-3055 fax 403-882-2349 Largest Selection of • Carpet • Area Rugs • Linoleum • Tile • Laminate • Hardwood (780) 753-2960 Provost, AB Customer Satisfaction is our business Castor Sheet Metal Plumbing Heating Air Conditioning Ask for a FREE Quote! Fully Licensed Forced Air Furnaces Repairs of all Furnace Makes Hydronic Heating Efficient Hot Water Tanks Submersible Pumps Sewer Pumps Cattle Waterers 4901-50th ST Castor AB 403-882-3388
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ECA Review 2019-07-18

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