The Calgary Herald reported today that ridership on Calgary Transit has slipped, with administration musing that it could be part of a “recessionary trend”.  I beg to differ.

I’ve been critical of Calgary’s public transportation system in the past.  Granted, during my time in Saint John, I came to appreciate Calgary Transit’s quality of service, but am now reminded that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.  This is mainly because despite some changes, Calgary Transit really hasn’t changed much at all since I left in 2008.

The fares are still going up year after year (with adults getting dangerously close to paying $100 for a monthly pass), the service levels haven’t changed (with the exception of expanded Bus Rapid Transit service), plus that rumored west leg of the LRT still hasn’t been started yet.

Is it really any wonder why ridership is slipping when we’re paying more and more for a lot of the same?

I would like to personally call on city council to hold a full, open and public review of Calgary Transit as it presently stands, and encourage you to join me.

I have started an online petition to be sent to city council on November 30.  I would encourage as many of you as possible to sign and show your support for a review of our broken transit system.

So the major networks got their wish and the CRTC introduced fee-for-carriage, making the Cable and Satellite providers pay for the signals from CBC, Global, CTV and A Channel.  The general consensus about the fallout was that people’s Cable and Satellite bills would go up.  They did.

Did the networks stop there?  No.

Now they’ve got their propaganda train going againwith a program called Local TV Matters.  This basically tries to give the networks the image of being defenders of the public, fighting for the little guy.  That, my friends, is the magic of television once again.

Truth be told, the networks already got their wish.  What could possibly be posessing them to soldier on and smear the cable and satellite providers more than they already have?

If they want people on side, they need to start actually caring about local television.  Closing stations in Ottawa, Hamilton and Red Deer is not doing that.  Basing most Maritime television out of Halifax is not doing that.  CBC actually does some decent local work for each province, while Global Maritimes quietly closed their office in Saint John, NB.  There’s no word on CTV’s activity in that market, but I’m convinced they aren’t much better than Global.

The fact of the matter is that while Local TV does matter, it needs to be done in a way that actually reflects the local reality.  Having a few provinces based out of one city, with weather done on the other side of the country does not do that.  Closing stations does not do that.  Continued smear campaigns against the companies carrying their signals does not do that.

My message to CTV, Global and A Channel is: Get a clue.  Your concept of “local TV” is disgusting.  To CBC: it’s unfortunate that you had to make those programming cuts, it’s just as unfortunate that you’ve sunk to the level of the others in this fight.  I would have expected better of the one network that was doing a decent job of making local TV in some of these markets (not to mention the outstanding local radio service).

Well, it’s the end of the summer, Parliament is headed back soon and sure as the leaves are starting to turn, the sabre rattling has begun.

It’s election threat season.

This time seems different though…  Maybe it’s that the Liberal party has a new leader that actually seems competent.  Maybe it’s that there isn’t any talk of a coalition, it’s hard to say.  There’s just something about this kick at the can that makes it seem less like the school nerd turn around and give the bully a wedgie.

The rhetoric is genuinely stepping up, each announcement or attack more intense than the last.  Michael Ignatieff and Stephen Harper are going into it with verbal knives drawn, each trying to explain to the average voter why their vision is best for Canada.  In this regard, it reminds me why for some strange reason, our dear, sweater vest wearing Prime Minister scares the living hell out of me.

Now granted, I don’t know what to think of Ignatieff, but the attack ads from the Conservative party do absolutely nothing to sway me.  I honestly thought that we were above that kind of garbage up here.  Guess I was wrong.

Certainly going to be interesting times ahead, election or not.