On March 9 and 11, 2022, the United Conservative Party (UCP) approved massive tuition hikes proposed by the University of Alberta (UofA) and the University of Calgary (UofC) administrations. These “exceptional tuition hikes” are over and above the annual seven per cent increase and will lead to upwards of $10,000 more in tuition paid for […]

On March 7, members of Fightback at the University of Alberta, the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA), and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA) organized a public event to discuss the need for student-worker solidarity, in a potential upcoming strike. There were about 40 people in attendance. This event is a […]

Part Four: The North-West revolution An inevitable clash While thousands of Métis fled west, there was no escaping capitalism. As Marx explained in the Communist Manifesto, “The need of a constantly expanding market for its products chases the bourgeoisie over the entire surface of the globe.” Indigenous peoples, including the Métis who played a role […]

Part Three: Why the Red River revolution was defeated But how did this inspiring mass movement, which ejected the governor, stopped the transfer of land, defeated the attempts of the counter revolution and united the Métis, go down in defeat with Riel fleeing to the United States?  The question of class divisions in the Métis […]

Part Two: The Red River revolution While the rebellions of 1837-38 went down in defeat, the situation forced the British government to make concessions and reform from above. A process began which eventually led to the establishment of “responsible government” and Confederation in 1867. At first there were just four provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, […]

Official histories often portray Canada as a peaceful country where the path of compromise is preferred to the path of conflict. But this could not be further from the truth. In fact, revolutionary and counter-revolutionary events are at the heart of the foundation of Canada. And the struggle of the Métis, led by Louis Riel, […]

On Saturday, Feb. 19, Calgary police killed Latjor Tuel in downtown Calgary in broad daylight. Tuel’s death is the latest example of state-perpetrated violence against racialized people and the police’s inability to deal with those suffering a mental health crisis.  At around 3:40 p.m., police responded to a call of a man brandishing a weapon. […]

A CBC investigation found that Alberta Justice Minister Kaycee Madu was issued a $300 fine for distracted driving in a school zone on March 10, 2021. Within hours of receiving the ticket, the justice minister responded by calling Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee directly to discuss the infraction. This comes as Madu’s justice ministry plans […]

Every week in Calgary up to 2,000 anti-vaccination and anti-mask protesters assemble across the street from a health centre before marching through the Beltline community. The protesters have harassed health-care workers, residents, and even children for wearing masks. A vice-president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), a union which contains many health-care workers, […]

Many Alberta health-care workers are breathing a sigh of relief now that their unions have ratified new collective agreements in the previous two months. In December 22,000 Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) members, mainly health-care workers, ratified a new contract. The 30,000 United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) members were not far behind, voting in […]