Week One Recap

What a whirlwind of a first week!

It was been busy, exciting and has made me proud to be Canadian.

Here’s are three things made me proud to be on this team this week:

-        Tuesday, Mark Carney and the Liberal Team made an announcement in the Irving Shipyard in Halifax.

o   First, the location is significant, if you have ever crossed the bridge into Halifax, you drive down Barrington Street and you see this impressive and very long building. Our shipbuilding industry has been supported by multiple governments and has developed world class facilities in Nova Scotia, Quebec and British Columbia.

o   Second, as the daughter of an RCAF Pilot and an RCAF Medical Logistics Expert, rebuilding, rearming and reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces is very important to me. I was able to note to the Team, the significance of this announcement.

o   More information can be found here: https://liberal.ca/liberals-release-plan-to-rebuild-reinvest-and-rearm-the-canadian-armed-forces/

-        Friday, we made an announcement that has been a crucial aspect of my career for past 15 years – Corridors, Trade, Infrastructure and Supply Chain

o   At the Van Horne Institute, one of our clients always emphasized the importance of collaborating to compete. The new Trade Diversification Corridor Fund will help markets, like Calgary, to strengthen our Inland Port and continue to improve networks to get our goods to market around the world and within Canada.

o   More information can be found here: https://liberal.ca/mark-carneys-liberals-announce-plan-to-diversify-canadian-trade-by-improving-canadas-trade-enabling-infrastructure/

-        On Saturday and Sunday, despite the snow and the cold weather, we collected signatures, dropped of lawn signs and door knocked around Spruce Cliff, Glamorgan, Glendale, Strathcona and Springborough.

Looking forward to week two!

Canada Strong!

Bryndis Whitson

Calgary Signal Hill Boundaries

The Boundaries of Calgary Signal Hill, includes the communities of Aspen Woods, Christie Park, Coach Hill, Cougar Ridge, Crestmont, Discovery Ridge, Glamorgan, Glenbrook, Glendale, Lincoln Park, Patterson, Rosscarrock, Rutland Park, Shaganappi, Signal Hill, Springbank Hill, Spruce Cliff, Strathcona Park, The Slopes, Valley Ridge, Wentworth, Westgate, West Springs and Wildwood.

We Grieve with Jasper

Originally Published on July 31, 2024

This week, we woke up or went to bed with news that our friends in Jasper are being evacuated; not knowing what will happen next. 

It was scary. It is scary. We have been through this before; and, we hope it doesn't happen again. But, we know it will happen again; we just don’t know where or when.

When moments like this happen - in Jasper last week or in Waterton, Fort McMurray and Slave Lake, previously - they make us think. We think of what we can do and how we can help. The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta are helping by matching the donations made to the Red Cross.

You can go the Red Cross website or click here.

Then, we think of what we can do next. This is when we look for solutions. We need to have a conversation on a local and national scale so as to create an Emergency Response Strategy. A strategy that acknowledges the roles of various levels of governments and their expertise; a strategy that works to hold each other up, one that works to support each other. A strategy that works not only when the emergency occurs; but one that incentivizes households, businesses, municipalities and provinces to invest in infrastructure which can help to avert the effects of natural disasters.

We know that there is a lot to do to recover and to rebuild. These discussions will be the focus of an upcoming policy chat that my team and I have been setting up for the past few months. 

We grieve for Jasper, we are anxious for our friends in BC and we will get through this together.

Living in Alberta, Connecting and Protecting Canada

Originally Published on July 8, 2024

I came to Alberta when I was 3 years old. I have lived here, played here and even fell in love with my partner, Scott, here. I have lived in Calgary Signal-Hill  for nearly four decades; and I will likely live here for another four decades. This is why I want to be the next Member of Parliament for Calgary-Signal Hill.

As a working professional, I have supported clean water initiatives, increased awareness of Alberta's supply chain and logistics concerns, and helped out of work individuals in restarting their careers. However, I want to do more.

I want to represent this community because I am passionate about my community and, in good times or bad, I want to stand by my neighbours. So this summer, I am going to be holding events, so I can get to know my neighbours better. I will be knocking on doors and canvassing, so that I can listen and understand.

But most importantly, I will be asking the residents of Calgary Signal Hill, if it is important for their Government to do three things: protect Canada, connect Canada and to know what it is to be a long time resident of Calgary. 

If you agree with me, join me in my ambition to be the next Member of Parliament for Calgary-Signal Hill.

Happy Canada Day!

Originally Published on July 1, 2024

Happy Canada Day!

In Canada, there is more that unites us than divides. Canada Day reminds us of this. 

Today, Canadians from Coast to Coast to Coast will join together for pancake breakfasts, picnics in the park, backyard BBQs, and gather to watch fireworks. 

Canada Day celebrates what we are proud of as Canadians. To list just a few things: the Creation of Insulin, the Telephone and other innovations of technology; our love of hockey, soccer, lacrosse, football and curling; the pride in our athletes - Olympian and ParaOlympian; participant in the Commonwealth or Pan-American Games. No one can deny our passion for nature, such as the Boreal Forest, the Rocky Mountains, and our many beaches; or perhaps our rich culture from music like Great Big Sea and Jann Arden and TV shows like The Littlest Hobo, This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Schitt’s Creek. Not to mention our love of food, from Butter Tarts to Nanaimo Bars to Poutine. We have so much to contribute as Canadians. 

Canada is also a country that in its 157 years, has a history that we must acknowledge and collectively make amends for. In Calgary Signal Hill, we live in the land known as Moh’kinsstis and is the traditional Treaty 7 territory and oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the îethka Nakoda Nations (Chiniki, Bearspaw, Goodstoney), and the Tsuut’ina Nation. We acknowledge that this territory is home to the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of the Métis Nation within Alberta Districts 5 and 6. On this day and everyday, may we strive to work in a spirit of truth and reconciliation. 

We must take the time to acknowledge the contributions of all Canadians that built our country: the original nation builders and connectors.

To me, Canada Day emphasizes one thing: although Canadians occupy the second largest country, by land, in the world; we have the ability and the pursuit to share a common story. We are truly greater together. I am honoured to have friends and family in every province and territory. My husband Scott and I have been lucky to be able to drive across and travel to every province (except Newfoundland); and ,we are proud to say that there is so much to see and explore across our amazing country. I truly hope that you have the opportunity to do so. You will not regret it. 

Whether it is going to the Burwood Distillery Market, laughing at the playground at Edworthy Park, enjoying a pint at one Calgary Signal Hill’s local pubs or being entertained with loved ones, while watching the fireworks from one of our many viewing spots; I wish you Happy Canada Day!

Taking action against Intimate Partner Violence

Police tape wraps around Strathcona Park and John Costello School, marking where a woman lost her life.

It happened here in my neighbourhood, just blocks from my parents’ home.

It could happen on any street in Canada.

Intimate partner violence.

It needs to stop.

In Canada, a woman is killed by her partner every six days, according to Statistics Canada in 2019.

Every six days.

Only one in five victims of intimate partner violence report their experiences to police. Many victims are too afraid to come forward, too afraid to leave.

● Do I have access to safe housing?

● Do I have the mental health supports I need to face this?

● Can I be financially independent without my partner?

● How can I protect myself?

● Will it ever stop?

As Canadians, we have to take action. We must do more.

We need to bring together victims and their family and friends to better understand the challenges they face. By listening to the most impacted, we can identify ways to streamline access to resources, remove bureaucratic hurdles and identify supports that must be developed.

We need to push past the constitutional barriers that keep provinces and the federal government from working in partnership. If we can move past them, we can create a truly national, a “pan-Canadian” framework that can include the federal Government, provincial governments, municipalities and Indigenous leadership.

If we can do this, we can find that the Federal Government can help by making strategic investments that address the root causes of victims being trapped by intimate partner violence. If we can do this together that means that we can find solutions and provide short term and long-term accessible housing, mental health supports and child-care options. Solutions that can also cross provincial boundaries; solutions that allow victims to relocate for their own safety.

Here in Calgary, police responded to more than 1,600 domestic violence calls each month in 2022.

I’m committing to hosting a roundtable discussion later this year on intimate partner violence, to bring together experts and to brainstorm new ways we can come together to protect our most vulnerable. Too many people are being hurt, their lives transformed or cut tragically short.

What we are doing now isn’t enough. It’s never enough.

We all need to act now…before more police tape goes up in our neighbourhoods, marking the loss of yet another life.

Bryndis

Canada starts at the kitchen table

Family means everything to me.

For most of my adult life, I spent every single weekend with my parents for Sunday dinner. When I married Scott, he pulled up a chair and joined us at the table as we talked about politics, faith, service together.

Family is the heart of our nation.

The family that gathers around your kitchen table may be different than mine. Some families are single parents navigating the complexity of co-parenting after a divorce. Other families have multiple generations living under one roof juggling support for aging parents and growing children.

There are same-sex couples battling outdated legislation questioning whether they are a family at all.

Some families hold Shabbat dinners on Friday night, or come together before sunrise for Suhoor.

Whoever is gathered around your table, whatever issues you are sharing as you break bread together, I’m here to support your family.
BeBold

Bryndis

Remembrance Day - a family affair

Barb Clifford and Grant Whitson dedicated their lives to the service of others as members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

For as long as I remember, Remembrance Day has always been a family affair.

Both of my parents proudly served in the Canadian Armed Forces.

I grew up on their stories.

The time my parents flew to Edmonton, Alberta in a helicopter for their first night date.

My father’s not-so secret flight beneath the world’s longest covered bridge to help a film crew to get footage of the Saint John River in New Brunswick.

My mother running the CFB Calgary Medical Supply Depot and getting materials ready to send to assist after the Mexico City Earthquake.

Or ejecting from a T-33 plane mid-flight as it came hurtling groundward in Gimili, Manitoba.

Their cherished memories always included adventure, excitement, and often a hint of danger.

When I asked why both my parents joined the military, they always responded with a single word – service.

Service led my mother to become the base pharmacist, to assist others in times of crisis and to make sure the medics were adquently supplied; just like my grandfather had done as an airplane mechanic in World War II.

Service led my father to become a navigator, a fighter pilot and a helicopter pilot. As well as, setting up future generations for a life of service as a recruiting officer and volunteering at Air Museums in his retirement and setting up the Air Force Museum and Cold War Exhibit with his friends.

Their entire lives have been led in service to others.

Trying on my dad’s jumpsuit while hearing some of his military stories.

I may not wear the uniform, but I am my parent’s daughter. I am a Whitson. I am a Clifford.

I’m ready to dedicate my life in service to my community as a future member of parliament.

To stand up for democracy, for Calgary, for you.

This November 11 is the first Remembrance Day without both my parents.

As we honour all of those who have given their lives for this great country, I will think of their service.

And prepare for a life of service of my own.

Be Bold.

Bryndis

I’ve learned so much from my parents, most importantly, how important it is to help others, to protect our community and dedication to serve.

The politics of “persons”

I’ve always known my place is on Parliament hill.

But one hundred years ago, my running for office would have been impossible.  In 1923, Canadian women were barred from holding national office. We weren’t even considered “persons” under the law.

It all changed in 1929 thanks to five Alberta women. Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby and Henrietta Muir Edwards fought for equality in Canada’s Supreme Court, and then later to London, England. The famous five fought to ensure women weren’t just subject to the laws of the land, that they could make them too.

As we celebrate Persons Day this October 18, I thank the women who came before me. Women like Edna Kenney, Sharon Howe, Judy LaMarsh and so many more. Women who knew what was right and who fought to change the system from within.

You inspire me to take up the cause and keep fighting – for supports for seniors, for affordable housing and for Calgarians who’ve lost their voice in Ottawa.  You inspire me to use our political system to bring equality to all.

The famous five taught us that a woman’s place is in the House of Commons.

Thanks to them, my dreams are possible.

Be Bold.

Bryndis

Standing Together for Signal Hill

Nearly 40 years ago, a long haired strawberry blonde military brat came to Alberta.

She came with her Air Force family. Her mother Barb, an RCAF-trained pharmacist logistics expert from Manitoba. Her father Grant, an Air Force pilot from Alberta. And herself, a wide-eyed six-year-old born in New Brunswick.

They and their huskies settled in Strathcona, making Calgary their home.

The long-haired strawberry blonde grew up. She joined the first Brownie unit in Strathcona Community Centre, learning to sell cookies door-to-door. She savoured cheese buns from Glamorgan bakery one after another. And she watched as cow-dotted fields gave way to Olympic ski jumps, malls and neat rows of houses.

Deep inside, this little girl pushed for a different world, one filled with positivity, joy and fairness for all.

She joined summer camps for political geeks, spending her teen years attending Alberta Girls Parliament and Forum for Young Canadians. She volunteered to support political campaigns, learned from the best urban planners and then took a job for Senator Dan Hays in Ottawa – all to make the world a better place for her community.

As you may have guessed, this little strawberry blonde was me.

I grew up yearning to lead through action.

I learned at the feet of my parents, heroes in their own right.

And I learned through service to others at the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, leading Canada’s only Girl Guide Troop at a youth correctional institution and mentoring the jobless as they relaunch their careers.

There is so much work to be done.

Our community has long been forgotten in Ottawa. Forgotten by politicians motivated more by party politics than the people they were elected to represent.

In a world that has seen so much hardship, so much change, we need our government to serve us.

Calgary Signal Hill needs a voice in Ottawa that stands for our concerns and acts.

In a crowded room at the Strathcona Community Centre – one floor above where I gathered for Brownies as a girl – I recently announced my intention to seek the Liberal nomination for Calgary Signal Hill. I commit myself to this community, to hearing its needs and advocating at the highest levels to ensure change comes to Calgary.

Whether it’s helping seniors remain in their homes, fighting for more support for Canada’s military or finding new ways to get Alberta products and energy to more markets – I’m ready to fight for you.

It’s time to stop settling for what passes for politics and put your support behind someone who has spent their whole life standing up for others.

It’s time to stop focusing on what’s wrong with our country and start listening to the hopes and dreams of our neighbours and working together to make them happen.

Dream big Calgary Signal Hill and vote for me as your next Member of Parliament.

Be Bold.

Bryndis