The Bulletin

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Leduc Rural Crime Watch Association was the recipient for the 2008 Alberta Solicitor General Crime Prevention Award under the section "Community program or organization" presented May 16, 2008 at the McDougall Centre in Calgary. The Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security, Mr. Fred Lindsay presented the awards.

It was an honor to accept the award on behalf of the members as we will be celebrating our 25 year anniversary in June. Pictures will be posted on the Solicitor General's web-site.

Submitted by: Cor De Wit, President

Message from the President

"Summertime and the livin' is easy…"

Yes, summer is here, in all her glory - and it makes the long days working in the fields or with livestock easier to bear. Roll on equal amounts of sunshine and rain!

Some of you are going to be going on holidays over the summer - let your neighbours know, make sure your homes and property are secure. As rural crime watch members we need to make sure we set examples for our communities.

Those who stay home, whether you spend the whole summer working, or you are able to get in your fair share of playing - enjoy every moment.

Rural crime watch has the potential to grow - we've had defunct organizations put out feelers about starting up again, and other communities are looking into starting up new associations. With this kind of interest, we can only benefit.

I look forward to a quiet summer; time to hunker down and spend some time working on my own place, and processing everything that's happened in this past year. That means that I will be rested and ready to deal with what crops up this fall. Fort Saskatchewan and district associations are gong to host the AGM in February 2009; mark your calendars! Have a safe, healthy, happy summer. See you in September.

Crime Prevention Presentations

Babysitting Safety
Bullying Prevention
Business Theft Prevention
Child Abduction Prevention
Christmas Crime Prevention
Safe Homes Safe Communities
Defensive Walking
Family Violence
Frauds and Cons
Halloween Safety
Identity Theft
Impaired Driving Prevention
Internal Theft Prevention
Internet Child Exploitation
Internet Crimes (common)
Parents, Kids and Drugs
Personal Safety and Security
Protection Against Family Violence Act
Restorative Justice
Robbery Prevention
Safeguards at Home
School Patrol Program
Ski and Snowboard Theft Prevention
Winter Driving

SOLGPS budget highlights

More police: $7 million
One of government's top priorities is to reduce crime so Albertans feel safe in their communities. This year government will provide funding for more than 100 new police officers as part of a three year commitment to increase frontline police in Alberta. 41 officers will go to Calgary, 35 to Edmonton, three to Medicine Hat, one to Taber, and 20 to RCMP municipal contract positions.

Special investigative unit: $2.9 million
The Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods unit will begin operating this fall. A team in southern Alberta and one in northern Alberta will target properties being used for criminal activity such as drugs, gangs and prostitution.

More probation officers: $3.2 million
More than 30 additional probation officers will be hired to address caseload pressures and to significantly enhance the supervision and rehabilitation services provided to high risk offenders.

Salaries and inflation: $26 million
Budget 08 provides $26 million for salary settlements and inflationary pressures.

Victims of crime: $4.3 million
More money is going to support victims of crime. This new funding boosts the total amount government will spend on victims of crime programs and benefits to more than $25.4 million. A new funding formula for victims of crime programs will be announced in May.

Sheriff expansion: $5 million
We will keep cracking down on aggressive drivers and speeders by adding 21 Traffic Sheriffs to the 84 Sheriffs already on the road. Many of these new sheriffs will be on the highway by the May long weekend. In addition, 30 more perimeter and court security sheriffs will be added.

Better radio system: $4.2 million
We continue the work on a new networked radio communication system for first responders in Alberta. Government is proceeding with this new system which will replace the current standalone systems used by first responders.

Provincial police funding: $3.2 million
As part of government's ongoing commitment to the RCMP provincial police service, Budget 08 includes separate funding for more support services and policing positions to help keep pace with Alberta's population growth.

Submitted by Frank Debogorski

May 1, 2008
Dear Stakeholder

There are two components to the donor-driven Community Spirit Program - the enhanced charitable tax credit (valued at approximately $80 million per annum) and the new Donation Grant Program (valued at $20 million per annum).

Effective January 1, 2007, the Alberta government increased the provincial charitable tax credit on eligible annual donations above $200. Including the federal tax credit, Albertans now receive a 50-cent tax credit for every dollar donated over the $200 threshold. This increase gives Alberta one of the highest charitable tax credits in Canada.

The Donation Grant Program is available to non-profit organizations and Canada Revenue Agency-registered charities that provide direct services to Albertans and Alberta communities for philanthropic purposes. The grant from government is calculated on a proportional basis by dividing the $20 million annual budget by the amount of eligible cash donations received by these organizations. The maximum grant per organization is $25,000 per year, with grants not to exceed $50,000 over three years. Grants can be used to support an organization's operations, programs and/or capital projects.

The Donation Grant program guidelines and application package are available in print form at MLA offices or by calling (780) 644-8604 (toll-free by first dialing 310-0000) or online at www.communityspiritprogram.ca. The website also contains answers to frequently asked questions. The annual application deadline is October 1; however, organizations are encouraged to submit their completed applications prior to that date. Funding calculations will occur following the application deadline, and donation grant cheques will be sent in January 2009.

Your assistance in sharing this information with other non-profit and charitable organizations in your area would be very much appreciated.

Program Director
Community Spirit Program

Submitted by Frank Debogorski

Can we go green?

Hunting for Tomorrow
Wolves in Sheep's Clothing?

Let's begin with; what does Dona Ana County, New Mexico have to do with Alberta?

And, how is Dona Ana County connected to The Wildlands Project and the Canmore based group Y2Y?

Or, better yet, just who the hell is the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance?

Before we can answer those questions we have to take a look at a movement across North America to protect public and private lands from, well, people.

Last month we talked about the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, or Y2Y as their acronym suggests. Y2Y, in conjunction with many other environmental groups who have the same vision, born by the infamous eco-terrorist Dave Foreman, hope to create "connected" wildlife corridors and protected areas all the way from the Yucatan in southeastern Mexico through Alberta and to the Arctic. These areas, in eventuality, would be off-limits to human activity.

We see it all the time right here in Alberta with the creation and expansion of provincial and wildland parks, most born under the pressures of these same groups who have a grand vision of human population control. The premise is that we are moving further and further into those last remaining wild areas, creating less room for those creatures that depend on this same land. And there is some truth to that.

In Alberta gas and oil exploration is seen by many as the plague of the province. But for an equal amount, if not more, oil and gas have given us the prosperity we have come to depend on. It's a slippery slope we tread and much needs to be done to protect what is still wild, of that there is no doubt.

But there are many different ways to protect lands without going to the extremes of a man such as Foreman who came up with the idea of tree spiking, hammering spikes into trees to stop the timber industry while endangering the lives of loggers and sawmill workers. And who publicly stated, "destroy civilization and technology, and eliminate the need for the word 'wilderness' because everything will be wilderness."

And a man connected to Y2Y in Canmore through The Wildlands Project.

Enter Calgarian Harvey Locke.

Locke is an Honourary Board Member of The Wildlands Project-who openly promote Dave Foreman-a Board Trustee for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and founder and "strategic advisor" for Y2Y.

Locke, a retired lawyer, suggests that Canada should set aside 50 per cent of its land mass as a protected area.

Protected from? Well, people.

Which sits well with Foreman's grand plan of Pleistocene rewilding and a "drastic reduction of the human population."

The word "wilderness" is a word used to describe an area left in its natural state. For most of us the word invokes images of wild animals in a wild and beautiful setting. Places where we can spend some time inhaling the earth's beauty.

But the reality is many environmental groups would rather see these areas set aside completely void of human activity. These environmental groups have successfully lobbied governments, both in Canada and the US, to set aside vast tracts of highly regulated public land that, in time, will again be lobbied by these same groups for even further regulation against human activity.

And this brings us back to Dona Ana County, New Mexico.

Dona Ana County is farm and ranch land and has been for many generations, its people left alone in a beautiful and unique part of the world to do what they do best. That was until the environmental extremists got involved and decided the lands in Dona Ana County had to be protected from the very people who live and work there.

Enter the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance (NMWA), founded at the hands of the everreaching Dave Foreman after his exodus from The Wildlands Project.

Foreman alone is intriguing and volumes could be written about the man many believe spawned the terrorist group Earth Liberation Front (ELF). His exploits with EarthFirst! Are well documented and his name shows up often in eco-terrorism discussions, including those of a past Subcommittee on Crime of the US Congress.

In an e-mail discussion with James Scarantino, an attorney and accomplished writer and a former Executive Director of the NMWA, I was told he resigned from his position because "I was not fully aware of Dave Foreman's philosophy until a bit later when I bothered to read his work."

According to Scarantino, "Underlying the problems with the Dona Ana County wilderness campaign is the fact that the persons ultimately calling the shots, behind the screen of a legitimate-seeming coalition and local organizers, hail from the most radical wing of the environmental movement.

They include persons who founded and participated in EarthFirst!, the nation's first eco-terrorist group."

And the deeper you dig, the more you find out just how connected these groups are to each other, including Canmore's Y2Y. It becomes quite clear that these same groups have a much broader agenda, which is to remove the general public from federal and provincial lands.

While the residents of Dona Ana County continue their battle in New Mexico, here in Alberta, those who live and work in the Willmore Wilderness continue their fight to retain the existing legislation of this pristine part of Alberta. Their battles are not so separate; in fact, they are very similar.

According to Robin Campbell, MLA for West Yellowhead, there is definitely a connection.

"Y2Y is a concern," said Campbell, who spent many years as a fishing guide in Jasper National Park. "They are a group of people who want to put their ideals on the rest of us. They are well-organized and well-funded and they pull at people's heart strings."

Campbell, who is listening to his constituents regarding the expansion of the Rock Lake Provincial Park boundary, is concerned with the direction his area is headed. Vast tracts of land previously used for hunting, fishing and trapping are suddenly being gobbled up by expansion without public consultation, something that doesn't sit well with the feisty MLA.

"These people are preservationists. But you just can't preserve something and expect it to stay the same. Like it or not, man has to manage the land in a responsible manner. Shutting people out isn't the answer."

Bazil Leonard has been guiding and outfitting in the Willmore for nearly 40 years. His reputation is synonymous with outfitting and his knowledge of the region is second to none. He also has a deep desire to keep the Willmore with its current legislation.

"We've been aware of Y2Y for quite some time now," said Leonard in disgust. "They have no concern for the people who make their living here. They want people control, and they use the grizzly bear as a carrot on a stick to convince others they are right."

The Willmore is currently being considered for World Heritage status in a UNESCO plan to expand the existing World Heritage Rocky Mountain Parks. A plan that worries Leonard.

"We got a management plan for the BC Kakwa and started to investigate UNESCO and their World Heritage Site Program and saw nothing but red flags," said Leonard, who is the president of the Willmore Wilderness Foundation.

"In time, every site that has been given World Heritage status has seen tighter and tighter restrictions. Pretty soon it's just a pane of glass you look through and can't use. "Since Day 1 man has left a footprint. Man is here to manage the land, not abandon it," said Leonard, clearly disturbed by the actions of the environmental activists in his backyard.

We've been watching from the sidelines for years as massive tracts of land are set aside and placed under heavy restrictions against human activity. These land masses are given names like, "wilderness and conservation areas", "wildland parks", "wildlife corridors", "wildlife sanctuaries", "heritage sites", "natural areas", "national parks" and other names.

Many have merit, but just as many are the result of environmental activists who believe that human activity is the undoing of creation. That population control and the rewilding of North America are the only way to stop the scourge of the human race.

Ironically, this same vision will result in the loss of future generations to fully appreciate and admire the wonders of wild areas and wild places, to enjoy the fruits of the earth and all she has to offer.

Preserving wilderness is a grand idea, provided that preservation includes the responsible management of that same wilderness. Removing man from the scene is clearly, in the words of Bazil Leonard, "A Grand Illusion."

*************
BCWF ALERT
John B Holdstock
BC Wildlife Federation
Kelowna, BC

By: Rob Miskosky
Outdoor Pursuits
Alberta Outdoorsman
May, 2008

News Blotter, Stony Plain RCMP

On May 20, 2008 at 5:13 AM Spruce Grove / Stony Plain RCMP attended a single Motorcycle collision at Highway 44 1 KM south of Highway 16. The motorcycle was traveling northbound when it missed the curve and hit the guard rail. The driver was thrown into the south ditch. The driver a 31 year old male from Spruce Grove, Alberta in not survive. RCMP are looking for witnesses that may have been in the area at the time of the crash. Please call the Stony Plain office at 968-7200.

Stony Plain and District Crime Prevention Association message sent May 26, 2008 Members are being asked if there is any one that would volunteer to do security for the Rodeo. 2 volunteers are needed for Friday night from 11pm to 7am Saturday morning 2 volunteers are needed for Saturday night 11pm to 7am Sunday morning If you can fill a spot please call Yvonne Zuk @ 962-5780 to volunteer. The association will have a $1000.00 donation for this volunteer venture.

A resident has reported that his mail box on TWP 510 and RR 12 has been pried or cut off and all the mail removed. It is noted that a number of locks on the mail box have also been removed.

On May 17, 2008 at the location of Cameron Lake Estates, 540 Hwy 779, a home was entered through a boarded bathroom window. A number of valuable items and electronics have been taken. On May 18 at the location of Prestige Heights, TWP 541 RR 275 a residential b&e found to have a vehicle parked in the garage with the belongings of the Cameron Lake Estates Break and Enter.

It is uncertain why the suspects left the vehicle at the second location.

On May 9, 2008 Evansburg RCMP received a report of a theft of large amount of equipment from the Ernest Poole Scout Camp located in Wabamun.

It was discovered by camp staff that several buildings had been broken and a variety of power equipment had been removed from the property.

The items taken include two John Deere tractors, a John Deere Gator, two power trimmers, a Honda outboard motor, and a white Palamino 12 foot tent trailer with the Alberta licence plate R24468. This incident is still under investigation. No charges have been laid at this time. Further information will be released once it becomes available.

" The Spruce Grove / Stony Plain RCMP would like to thank all of the people who called in to provide information about the investment scheme operating in this area under the name "Women's Gifting Club" and other variations. Although the scheme operates under different names the basic structure is the same. In this scheme a person is invited to "give" $5,000.00 to a person who is positioned up a line of contacts from themselves. The promise is that this $5,000.00 "gift" will allow the giver to rise within the line of contacts eventually becoming the recipient of a $5,000.00 "gift" from eight separate new participants positioned down the line of contacts from the recipient, and thus a $40,000.00 payout. The initial giver will not receive any "gifts" in return unless the line of contacts is continually fed from the bottom.

Section 206(1)(e) of the Criminal Code of Canada provides the explanation for how this type of scheme is illegal and how participants may face criminal prosecution. In our investigation of this scheme callers have told the RCMP how this scheme has been endorsed by both police officers and lawyers, yet when pressed as to the identity of these professional no names are available. The Spruce Grove / Stony Plain RCMP will continue to investigate the original complaint where a local citizen has lost $14,000.00 to participants in this scheme. We urge people not to participate and to seek separation from this scheme if you are already involved."

On May 27, 2008 2 ladies rings (one a set, the other a single ring) were found in Spruce Grove and turned in to the RCMP office on King Street in Spruce Grove. Anyone missing these items is asked to call the Spruce Grove office at 962-2289. Quote file number 2008-591519 and be prepared to describe the rings.

Contact Investigator Cst. Travis Lindemann 962-2289

If you have any information on these crimes please contact the Spruce Grove / Stony Plain RCMP at 968-7267 or Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

Cst. Barbara Roy
CP / VSU Liaison Officer
968-7210 (w)
886-8558 (c)

RCMP

Recent Government News Releases

Province increases ranks of Alberta Sheriff Highway Patrol
Alberta will soon have 105 Traffic Sheriffs helping to make roads safer
Edmonton... Aggressive drivers and speeders on Alberta roadways will find it more difficult to avoid detection with the addition of 15 new Sheriffs to the Sheriff Highway Patrol this May long weekend. These positions are part of the $1.7 million in funding announced in Alberta's Budget 2008 to add 21 Traffic Sheriffs. When the remaining Sheriff Highway Patrol members are on the road later this year, the total provincial complement will be 105.

Province recognizes community crime fighters
12 award recipients make a difference in their communities
Calgary... Individual Albertans, community organizations, and media from across Alberta were recognized for their achievements at the 17th annual Solicitor General and Public Security Crime Prevention Awards. The awards ceremony was co-hosted by Fred Lindsay, Solicitor General and Minster of Public Security and the Calgary Police Service. The wide array of recipients has worked to make neighbourhoods safer, help at-risk youth, and raise awareness about crime prevention.

June 4, 2008
Alberta expands financial benefits for victims of crime
New monthly benefit available for severely injured victims
Edmonton... Victims of crime whose injuries result in fully dependent quadriplegia or severe brain injury may now be eligible for an additional financial benefit of $1,000 per month from the Alberta government.

Submitted by Frank Debogorski

For contact information please contact the APRCWA office at 310-0000 (780) 422-0922.

Deadlines for Submission to the Bulletin: March 15, June 15, September 15 and November 15 Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association Contact Information

Phone: (780) 422-0922
Fax: (780) 644-7474
Email: aprcwa@interbaun.com
Website:www.ruralcrimewatch.ab.ca

Thank you to UFA Co-operative Limited, our sponsor for providing the printing and envelopes for this publication.

Disclaimer: Editorial opinions, reports and articles published herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Alberta Provincial Rural Crime Watch Association.