Calgary mayor condemns gun violence, radical partisanship post-Texas school shooting tragedy
The mayor of Calgary says the increase in local gun violence and hate-based crimes needs to be addressed and it's past time the public demand better of its elected officials.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek made a series of Twitter posts Wednesday morning, in the aftermath of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting that left at least 19 children and two adults dead, in which she condemned the political inaction and radical partisanship that has served as a breeding ground for hate.
"You may believe that these are far away issues that do not affect you," said Gondek within the Twitter thread. "You may believe it is not the business of people like me to intervene in such matters. You may believe such things could never happen here. Stop and check your assumptions.
"Our own issues of safety, gun violence & hate-based crimes need to be addressed by policy makers. This only happens successfully by abandoning partisanship & focusing on the people we collectively serve. We must collaborate broadly for a stronger society.
"Radical partisanship & dangerous ideologies will not lead us to a just society; political extremism will only fail us all. Especially amongst elected officials, clinging to dated tropes & rhetoric is a losing game.
"It is up to all of us to demand better."
Gondek says she has "no quick answers or solutions" but will "continue to lead with humility and compassion" and that "we have to be unified in our quest for a just society."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.