Editorials - June 12, 2026
Saying thank you
At a time when most of the headlines are blaring updates about wars in the Middle East, the threat of the breakup of Canada and Alberta, the rising cost of living and more, a little tidbit almost escaped our notice.
CTV Vancouver reported on a flock of our avian friends reminding us what it’s like to be human. A young woman had rescued a crow from an eavestrough and driven him to a wildlife rescue centre where he was rehabilitated and released into the wild. While she was on a walk, a crow flew to her and dropped a feathered bundle at her feet, seemingly a gift.
Since then crows have left more than half a dozen items for the young woman from sticks to balls of moss to a nest. The murder of crows, including her rescued friend, continue to visit and display their gratitude, which demonstrates that the bird community must have some kind of sentient awareness of the plight of one of its members and an understanding of the human’s role in saving him.
The story, while “feel good” by all of the standard definitions, is also a stark reminder of how interconnected we are with everything on this planet. What we do, good and bad, has definite consequences for other living things, and some of them likely understand that connection perhaps more than humankind does. – DS
I’ma let you finish...
Calls for a mayor’s resignation amid accusations of censorship are intensifying in Cambridge after Mayor Jan Liggett physically took the microphone away from 17-year-old Sophie Mills at the city’s Pride event as she detailed the problematic behaviour of a city councillor.
Mills, who is non-binary, detailed feelings of exclusion, transphobia and bullying in a speech at the flag-raising ceremony and then set their sights on Councillor Adam Cooper who, last year, was investigated and ordered into sensitivity training after a questionable social media post. This, supposedly, was not part of the city-approved speech, so Liggett physically shut it down, citing “disrespect” and insisting that Cooper had “already gone through what he needs to go through.” Video of the interaction has spread internationally and Liggett has responded with a 10-minute video of her own, while a growing number of councillors are raising their concerns with the mayor’s decision and residents have marched to Cambridge City Hall, calling for Liggett to resign.
Regardless of where you stand on Pride, the real issue at hand here is one of top-down, generational censorship. What Mills had to say was fine until a councillor was the subject. Mills was factual in their assessment (Cambridge’s Integrity Commissioner recommended an official reprimand and sensitivity training), but Liggett went the way of that old ruling-class saying of rules for thee, but not for me.
Backlash has accompanied the idea of being “cancelled” and yet, as those found guilty (or very credibly accused) of some of our society’s highest crimes continue to flourish - selling out world tours, earning millions on the sports field or occupying high political office - being truly held accountable for your actions feels like a rarity. Why can’t Cooper’s action be flagged at an event meant to do just that?
At Pride, Liggett and Cooper should have taken their medicine and listened to a differing viewpoint. It may have done them good. – SL
Lacking in every way
In northern Alberta, plans linked to Kevin O’Leary for a large AI data centre are meeting serious resistance. The proposal calls for building massive facilities that would consume large amounts of electricity and water in a region where both are already under pressure.
Indigenous concerns have become another major source of opposition. The proposed Wonder Valley project is located on land tied to the traditional territory of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, whose leaders have repeatedly argued that consultation has been inadequate. The nation has raised concerns not only about environmental impacts, but also about the broader issue of major development decisions being advanced before meaningful Indigenous participation has occurred.
Locals and municipal leaders have been unusually direct in their opposition. Public meetings have centred on practical worries about water use, environmental impacts and the long-term consequences of such a large industrial development. The tone is not abstract environmentalism. It is concern about real limits in a real place.
O’Leary’s involvement has not helped the case at all. His confidence-heavy style comes across as careless and dismissive in Alberta communities that are being asked to carry the environmental costs of his ambitions. His reputation for blunt certainty and self-promotion may pass in entertainment, but it does not translate well to community-level decision-making about land, water and long-term environmental sustainability. In Alberta, that mismatch is central to the backlash.
The result is a widening gap between proposal and what Albertans can accept. The environmental costs are clear, Indigenous concerns remain unresolved and the trust needed to move forward is missing. – SBS