Cameron Wigmore, Crowfoot Green Party Member Cameron Wigmore, Crowfoot Green Party Member As a Green Party member I am working to spread the message that we are a real viable option for voters with a platform & policies that cover all issues. Articles
Poll: Green Party Support on the Rise at 11%
2007-01-10 08:48:00 I don't put a lot of stock in polls, but there seems to be a trend emerging.Green Party Making Gains "...The other noticeable trend is the continued growth in support for the Green Party (now at 11%, up 4 since Sept-October, and up 7 since June)..."The second chart shows support for the Green Party in Alberta at 14%!Green movement getting a blue chip hue"...At the same time, a remarkable 7 per sent of corporate executives said they'd back the Green Party if an election were held right away..."Decima Poll (Jan 3rd, '07 - Between Dec 27-30 Greens had 8% nationally.The trend is that Green Party support has been rising steadily to levels never before seen outside of election time.I think it's reasonable to expect the Green Party to receive 7 to 10% of the vote in the next election. At 7% that's about one million votes. There are a few ridings where a Green MP might be elected, and even in ridings where the Green Party is the long shot, voters are putting their support behind their ... More About: Port , Support
Video: Elizabeth May on CBC & CTV
2007-01-09 00:04:00 There has been a lot of interest in Elizabeth May lately. As the leader of the Green Party of Canada she has been hard at work, and the media has certainly taken notice of her.CBC did an interview last week on the program 'One On One' with Peter Mansbridge. You can view it at the site here, or click here for the video clip directly. (note: the second link is to the very large - over 100mb - clip, and will take a long time to load or download.)CTV also spoke with Elizabeth on Question Period and the 8 minute interview is available online here as well as here (streaming video for the second link should load automatically in your player. When it does fast forward to about 2:30 and the show starts there.) I am very impressed with her statements. Elizabeth May speaks from the heart and she has done a very good job representing the values of the Green Party. More About: Video , Beth
Economics of Climate Change
2007-01-06 22:36:00 These two subjects alone are big enough to devote entire careers to, and I imagine this won't be the last time they're mentioned here on my blog. I still meet far too many people (one is really too many) that think human activity is not having a significant effect on the climate, or that any environmental protection or consideration for ecological preservation comes at the expense of the economy. I hope this post will help to 'clear the air' on this subject. I know; greenhouse gasses and air pollution are two different subjects, but I couldn't resist the play on words.After mulling over the options, I chose to start off with climate change denial, and save the exciting stuff - economics - for later. A very well put together and easy to understand series called How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic breaks down the different kinds of skeptics and their arguments. Here are a few highlights...- - - - -Objection: Current warming is just part of a natural cycle. Answer: While it is undoub... More About: Economics , Climate Change , Change , Mate
Nuclear is not an option
2007-01-03 03:13:00 Reading The Long Emergency by James H Kunstler I almost feel like there is no alternative to nuclear, but then I snap out of it.Using nuclear to maintain our society as it is won't work.I am most certainly anti-nuclear, and I am fully aware of the reality of this position and the consequences of not building nuclear power plants in the face of an imminent global oil shortage.In the post fossil fuel world (yes, it will happen one day not far from now) there will be consequences to not attempting to replace our 'cheap' abundant fossil fuel with the stop-gap of nuclear energy. Canada should start setting up sustainable decentralized energy systems that are not reliant on the grid right away.Without fossil fuels to build nuclear power plants, large scale wind farms, solar grids, etc, we will find ourselves unable to maintain a society that's anything like what we have now. Based on the information in the book The Long Emergency I'm not even sure that we have a choice. A few decades... More About: Nuclear , Clear , Opti
2007 here I come!!!
2007-01-01 23:30:00 Last night I ended up at a new year's eve party at a local restaurant and had a blast. One of the owners of this newly redone restaurant/bar was interested in what I did with the Green Party and we had a great discussion about community involvement and support, among other things. I'm hoping to play a show there in the next few months as a Green Party fundraiser.So there I was at 11:30, a half hour away from 2007, and someone said, 'it sure has been a quiet holiday season. Not much news.' I asked if maybe they were just far away from the television, spending time with family instead, because there sure has been a lot going on. So for the next ten minutes I tried to yell over the music to share the news stories that stuck in my mind over the last week.James Brown died on Christmas day. Saddam Hussein was killed. The Conservative party screwed up their books and their declared donations were off by hundreds of thousands of dollars. In (what I'm not too sure is) a completely unre... More About: Come , Here
Year End Reflections
2006-12-28 20:02:00 This last year has been one of the best years of my life. When my wife and I decided to contact the Green Party to ask what separates them from the other parties I had no idea what lay in store for me. I find myself reflecting on the significant events in my life relating to my efforts with the Green Party. Follow the links for background on each subject. January-February Having signed up to be the Green Party candidate in the Crowfoot riding in southern Alberta, I found myself participating in the federal election in this capacity. I enjoyed the candidate's forums and debates, the television & newspaper interviews, the dozens of daily emails, the door-to-door & phone canvassing and everything else that comes with candidacy. The previous candidate in this riding worked hard and was very well spoken, but wasn't active between elections, so I wondered how we'd do. The 'strategic voting' frenzy - fear based voting as opposed to hope based voting - of the last election (vo... More About: Reflections , Reflection , Year
Political Jokes & Blog Update
2006-12-28 17:51:00 I've migrated this blog over to the newer blogger version. It took a few hours yesterday to insert all of the code and make various customizations. I'm pleased with the new look and I hope you are too!There have been just over 2000 visitors to my blog over the past year. Most of these were in recent months, and I hope to see at least double this amount in the next year. I'll be making regular updates and posts in order to make it worth coming back.Just for kicks, here are a couple of political jokes. Enjoy!- - -A little girl asked her father, "Daddy? Do all Fairy Tales begin with 'Once Upon A Time'?"He replied, "No, there is a whole series of Fairy Tales that begin with 'If elected I promise'."- - -Prime Minister Harper was awakened one night by an urgent call from General Rick Hillier at the Department of National Defense."Mr. Prime Minister," said the general, barely able to contain himself, "there's good news and bad news.""Oh, no..." muttered the Prime Minister, "Well, l... More About: Jokes , Political , Joke , Politica , Blog
Still Busy...
2006-12-16 21:45:02 So I thought I'd be able to take a break from my work with the Party, but unless I choose to leave some work undone, I must continue to devote at least two hours each day volunteering my efforts. So far I've been able to maintain a balance with my family and other interests, and with the holiday season beginning I'll have to work in some late nights to keep on top of things.As the Alberta Provincial Representative on Federal Council I've been working with the Prairie Organizer to get the Party ready for a possible spring election. Over the next few weeks Mark and I will be continuing to strengthen the Southern Alberta Organizing Task Force and we hope to hold a training session near the end of January for candidates, EDA executives, and more. A change that will occur soon (and that will put more work on my desk) is that Mark MacGillivray will be ending his time as Prairie Organizer. He's done so much here in Alberta that I'm convinced we couldn't have done as well as we did i... More About: Stil , Still , Busy
Oilsands: Burning Energy To Produce It
2006-12-02 15:33:03 This image of the oilsands in northern Alberta links to an interesting video on oilsands development.I wrote the following letter as a submission for the oilsands consultations that are taking place around Alberta. If you wish to make your voice heard, now's the time. Contact oilsandsconsultations@gov.ab.ca or call 1-877-644-4695 or go to http://www.oilsandsconsultations.gov.ab.c a/ for more info.I want to add that in the 2006 Green Party platform it stated that the GPC would create thousands of new "Green collar jobs" by encouraging the development of low-emission industries in areas most affected by the shift away from natural resource sectors. Yes, my friends who work in the patch can vote Green knowing that they won't be out of work under a Green government.- - -To whom it may concern, My name is Cameron Wigmore and I am writing this letter to you as a concerned Canadian. If it's possible, I would like to request for this to be read aloud by someone during the consultation... More About: Energy , Sand , Burning , Oils , Sands
Stop Bias Against Green Party by Tom Axworthy - PLUS: Enviro
2006-12-02 15:33:03 Enjoy this wonderful article, and please explore the links to a number of other articles exploring environmental stewardship & Christianity at the bottom of this post!Environmentalists should be welcomed to political table, says Tom Axworthy Stop Bias Again st Green Party - by Tom AxworthySep. 24, 2006 "Scientists, like the Greens, have been worried about climate change for decades. New to the movement are evangelical religious leaders: In February 2006, 86 of them declared "Love of God, love of neighbour, and the demands of stewardship are more than enough reason for evangelical Christians to respond to the climate change problem with moral passion and concrete action."It is time the Canadian political and media establishments stop discriminating against the Green party and the ethic it represents. If we are serious about preserving the planet and if we care about fair play, Canadians must demand the Greens be welcomed to the political table.The basic premise of the Green movement ...
Green Party reacts to Minister Ambrose - No Plan After All
2006-12-02 15:33:03 You may have noticed that yesterday, despite months of build-up and promises of a plan, the environment minister Rona Ambrose announced that there is no 'Green Plan Two'. Instead of a plan the Conservatives will be making a series of environmental announcements. Instead of action now, they will be going back to consult groups on how to move forward - the same groups that were already consulted and decided to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. What Ambrose has been offering lacks detail, and opposition parties and environmentalists are accusing the government of wanting to stall environmental initiatives by pretending to start from scratch. Just moments after this development, Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Part y of Canada, who was at the house of commons when all of this was taking place, was pulled outside for an intense media scrum and widely interviewed.One great four minute video clip is here (you'll need real media player to watch):http://www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-lo/may. .. More About: Mini , Rose
GPC Video Links & Update Of My Efforts
2006-12-02 15:33:03 Elizabeth May recently signing a copy of her book. Click on image to find out more.There has been so much media attention in the last few weeks that I can hardly keep up with our leader! Interviews on national television, radio interviews, an 11 minute profile on CBC's the National, and other coverage, all linked to from here so you can try to keep up with our tireless leader.This has been a busy season for me. Tomorrow is the Crowfoot Federal Green Party Association's inaugural AGM, and as CEO of this riding I'm hard at work preparing. Three weeks ago I was in Calgary attending the joint AGM of the Alberta Greens & the Provincial Division of the Federal Green Party at which I reported on my work as an executive member of the Provincial Division. In one week I'm headed back to Ottawa for Federal Council's first inperson meeting. We meet mostly by teleconference because that's the Green way to do things (less travel = less consumption of fossil fuels) but face-to-face meetings ... More About: Video , Links , Link , Forts , Update
Our AGM & Afterparty Was Fantastic!!!
2006-12-02 15:33:03 It couldn't have gone better! Thanks to Mark MacGillivray & George Read for attending and making sure everything went smootly. Your help in adopting a riding constitution was invaluable! (George R at left and Mark M at right, just after the meeting) We had 10 members in attendance and three observers, including one 'green curious' friend. People came to the meeting, held in Rosebud, from Camrose, Kelsey, Three Hills, Drumheller, Strathmore & Calgary.(Gerry Piro & Midge Lambert, newly elected to the Crowfoot EDA Executive)The highlight of our inaugural general meeting was electing two new executives.Gerry Piro is our new Financial Agent. He is a resident of Camrose, AB where he has an accounting business. His experience as an accountant and a longtime supporter of the Greens will be extemely helpful in our efforts moving forward!Midge Lambert is our new Membership Chair. She's a caterer and brought a very tasty platter of yummy snacks to the meeting. Her outgoing and friendly a... More About: Party , Part , After , Afterparty
Reality Check: Sustainable Development
2006-12-02 15:33:03 I recently had a great conversation with someone who was turned right off of the term 'sustainable development'. Their definition was the same as the old line parties using this catch phrase to sound good; increasing consumption, or 'development', while giving a lot of lip service with regard to the environment, saying the word 'sustainable' repeatedly. I agreed with my friend that it's frustratingly silly and that the two words appeared to contradict each other. Fortunately there is one political party that is reality based and does a good job of bringing politics 'down to Earth' (pun intended). The Green Party has a firm grasp of what sustainable development really is. There are different definitions of the words sustainable and development. These words combined have been thrown around haphazardly by politicians so a clarification seems appropriate. I agree with the current Green Party definition of sustainability from their policies. It states that, ?Activities are sus... More About: Reality , Development , Men , Check , Real
Green Party Supports Safe Injection Site
2006-12-02 15:33:03 The poster to the left is a mockup I did for the Badlands Drug Coalition, a local addiction awareness group on which I sit as a member. I had fun making this poster. We didn't go with it though because the photo is not free for public use.There is a media release regarding the insite program that I helped write just before the convention. I'm bringing it up now because there have been a bunch of new stories on this program in the news lately. Click on the title of this post for the media release and see links below for recent news stories.Here are a few links:Mom of drug addict calls on Prime Minister to keep safe-injection site openhttp://www.cbc.ca/cp/health/060830/x0 83035.htmlOttawa ethically obligated to treat addicts at safe-injection site: ethicist http://www.cbc.ca/cp/health/060828/x08281 6.htmlRCMP responds to media reports concerning safe-injection site reviews http://tinyurl.com/ruyhxRCMP oppose expanded injection sites http://tinyurl.com/ql3cd If you feel so inclined, ... More About: Party , Green , Site , Port , Support
A Busy Month!
2006-12-02 15:33:03 This will likely be the sole post here this month since it's already Nov 27th. Apologies for leaving the blog dormant for the last few weeks. Here's a bit of what's happening right now.At the time of this writing Elizabeth May has second place with over 20% of the vote in the London North Center by-election!The Crowfoot EDA held it's nomination contest and I am now the official federal Green Party candidate in Crowfoot!I have a couple of motions on the agenda for our federal council teleconference meeting on Dec 3rd.So with other events on the horizon I have to say that I am very excited about how the GPC is moving forward. I'm so busy I can hardly post here. By the way, don't forget to check out my archives - lots of great posts and content over the previous months for you to view. More About: Busy , Month , Mont
More info on council & leadership candidates
2006-12-02 15:33:03 I've provided for you some links to the many sites I am aware of that have further information about the Green Party leadership and council candidates. During the last federal election we urged Canadians to make an informed vote, and I believe this applies to Green Party members voting for candidates during internal elections as well. I strongly recommend visiting all of the sites listed below. I will not offer any suggestions on who to vote for as we all should be able to come to a descision through our own research.Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.For information on the leadership race and candidates go to:http://web.greenparty.ca/leadershiprac eFor information on council contestants go to:http://web.greenparty.ca/contestantsAs Green Party members we can sign up for an account on the members site where there is currently a wealth of information on what's happening in the Green Party right now. Call the national office at: 1-866-868-3447 or emai... More About: Dates , Leadership , Info , Candidates , Dida
Provincial Leader's Endorsement for Cameron Wigmore
2006-12-02 15:33:03 I'm proud to say that I have the support of Alberta's Provincia l Leader!Below is his letter of endorsement.Cameron Wigmore for Alberta provincial RepI do not know how many of you are taking an active look at the Green Party of Canada federal council race but I beleive that Cameron Wigmore would be a really great Federal Council Rep for Alberta.In the short while that Cameron has been with the Green Party he has run as a federal candidate. He has organized in his local community. In my recent tour through the province the second largest showing of people after Edmonton was organized by Cameron in Drumheller. I believe that if a person can build support outside an election they have the makings of a great organizer.I have heard from people as far away as Victoria that Cameron has been one of the voices of reason on the federal list serves and that he has worked diligently to improve the party. We need people who can handle e-mail and list serves well if they are going t... More About: Men , More , Endorsement
Council Elections: Running For AB Prov Rep
2006-12-02 15:33:03 Running in the 2006 federal election as the Green Party candidate in the Crowfoot riding was very spiritually rewarding for me. Our support in this riding is building. As president of the Crowfoot Electoral District Association my objectives include active involvement with Green endeavors in my community, working to build support in this riding, sharing my passion for the Green Party with others and signing up new members. I've been following many subjects including agriculture, fossil fuels and renewable energy technologies very closely with the hope that I'll be able to assist us in moving towards a sustainable path.Here in Drumheller I'm volunteering with the Badlands Drug Coalition, a group including AADAC (Alberta Alcohol & Drug Abuse Commission) and other community members working to improve addiction awareness. In addition to this and other volunteer work, I'm also busy in the community, on the phone and on the internet with fellow Greens in an effort to improve our party... More About: Elections , Running , Election , Council
We've Been Elected!
2006-12-02 15:33:03 No, not elected to parliament ...not yet anyway... ;-)This picture of Elizabeth & myself was taken at the afterparty at her beautiful and funky heritage house. She had a Celtic band performing, organic nachos to munch on and many, many friends and suporters there to celebrate her being elected as the new leader of the Green Party.I have been elected to federal council as the Alberta Provincial Representative. The full council is as follows: Melanie Ransom, Party Chair; Andrea Caufield, Administration Chair; Kathryn Holloway, Chief Agent; Christopher Ian Bennet, Communications Chair; Amélie Gingras, Francophone Secretary; Angela Reid, Fundraising Chair; Silvaine Zimmerman, International Secretary; Steve Kisby, Membership Chair; Doug Anderson, Organizing Chair; Becky Smit, Party Secretary; Jean Francois Pinel, Treasurer.Provincial /Territorial Reps: Cameron Wigmore, Alberta; Ben West, British Columbia; Kate Storey, Manitoba; Erik Millett, New Brunswick; Fiona Roe, Newfoundland and La... More About: Been
GPC Convention 2006
2006-12-02 15:33:03 The Green Party of Canada 2006 National Convention will be taking place August 24 to 27, 2006 at the Ottawa Congress Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. This is the event for Party members, combining a policy convention and biennial general meeting. At the convention we will: Debate and vote on policy resolutions for ratification by the membership Elect the Leader of the Party Elect the governing Council of the Party Hold a general meeting of the membership (selection of shadow advocates, Ombuds committee, various resolutions, etc.) I'll be working with the financial agent of the Crowfoot Federal Green Party Association to raise funds so that I will be able to attend the convention. An EDA (Electoral District Association) can pay part or all of a member?s costs of attending the convention. This can include part or all of registration, travel, and accommodation. EDAs can fundraise and take donations to be used to sponsor members to attend. I am running for the position of ... More About: Vent
Council Meeting Very Productive
2006-10-31 03:15:03 "It was a very positive, collaborative meeting... with amazing progress on tough issues." - E May I am very proud to be a part of this amazing team.I arrived at the Ottawa airport and was surprised to hear my name announced. I was called to the info desk where I met up with two other council members in order to share a cab. We went straight to the new national office for the open house and were greeted by our staff and about 100 local members.Near the door was a pumpkin with our logo impressively carved into it. I was going to do this at home but after examining all of the different lines to cut I decided not to put myself through the torture.The crowd was huge and most of us had a chance to get to know eachother. I hope to spend time with our staff in a quieter setting in the future. I had some great conversations and then joined some councillors & staff at a nearby pub for more conversation and preparation for our two day meeting. (Ben West, BC Rep; Cameron Wigmore, AB Rep & Ambe... More About: Product , Council , Prod , Meeting
Elizabeth May Runs In London Byelection!
2006-10-26 21:48:02 The race is on to elect our first Green MP. It?s definite. Elizabeth May is running in London Centre North. We need your help in electing Elizabeth. We need volunteers. We need donations. We need people to make calls. We need to let every Green voter in Canada know. For details go to http://www.greenparty.ca/page301.html ...and... http://blog.greenparty.ca/en/node/133 See news coverage through the links below. (canada.com) (cbc.ca) http://greencameron.blogspot.com More About: Election , Ondo
Greens Around The World
2006-04-29 00:31:00 When I first found out that there are Green Parties worldwide I was surprised, and a little concerned. Someone once mentioned to me that they thought any kind of worldwide organization needs to be watched carefully. I agreed, although I wondered; was it reasonable to think that being part of a worldwide movement, the Green Party - working for environmental concerns and social justice ? could actually be a dangerous force? I wondered if there was a sound reason for this concern, so I decided to look into it further. What I found was that the Greens are actually standing up to the truly concerning international organizations such as the WTO (World Trade Organization), the IMF (International Monetary Fund), and the World Bank. More than that, the Green Party is increasing it's impact through international cooperation, while at the same time focusing on specific issues locally at the grassroots level. Read on to learn about our history and our efforts worldwide. Cameron Wigmore G... More About: Around the world , The World
Health Care - The Real Third Choice
2006-04-29 00:29:00 The Real Third Choice By Cameron Wigmore Public or private health care, or... what else? While Ralph Klein is promoting his 'Third Way' health care plan, many of us are asking if the government can't do better. The Alberta provincial government recently released details on the "third way" for our health care system. The ten policy directions described at the provincial government's website are heavy on the political rhetoric, but a few caught my eye. One of the ten policy directions is, "establishing parameters for publicly funded health services". This would allow us to open up the discussion of reassessing what health services are covered by the public system, and that means it will then be possible to remove current health services from coverage. Another is, "creating long-term sustainability and flexible funding options". I have to ask myself if the government that's proposing a more privatized health care system is just trying to avoid paying the bill. This policy propo... More About: Health , Health Care , Care
Faith & Politics
2006-04-29 00:27:00 I am a Christian. That said, I have no need for others to adopt my personal beliefs or values. I say this because it should be clear that I am working to serve my constituency and my party. I'm not here to tell people how they should or shouldn't live their lives. There is a clear line between my political duties and my spiritual duties. However, I choose to live by example using principles such as tolerance, patience & compassion, and therefore my spirituality is always a part of my political life. I've chosen to be a part of the Green Party which best represents my beliefs, and I'm open about where I stand on all issues. Since there can never be a political party that represents all of any one person's beliefs or values, I see it as wise for us to vote based on political issues, and live our daily lives according to our own personal values and beliefs.I made the decision to become a Christian in 2005. I had been married for almost two years, and over that time I came to know ... More About: Politics , Faith , Poli , Politic
Camerons speech - candidate's forum, '06 election
2006-04-28 23:33:00 This was my speech from an all candidate's forum during 05-06 federal election. I wrote this with my wife. We had fun putting this together. Hi. My name is Cameron Wigmore. I'm an ordinary guy with extraordinary goals. I want to tell you about why I'm running for the Green Party, and about our platform. My wife and I have resided in Drumheller for over five years, and have a two year old son. Even with family support, a small business of our own, and two jobs, we still struggle to make ends meet. As a professional saxophonist I play in a local rhythm & blues band with farmers, teachers, and business professionals. I know first hand the difficulties we all face, and I'm confident that working together we can solve the problems that have been ignored and uncorrected by the old line parties. I'm tenacious, aggressive but patient, dedicated, and I'm not afraid to stand up for what we believe in; what my voters, family and friends believe in. In my life I live by principles... More About: Forum , Election , Dida , Speech
Welcome!
2006-02-01 08:32:00 This blog is new and I look forward to posting here regularly. Please have a look at my links at the right.Feedback is needed so that I'll know what direction to take this site. Please let me know your thoughts on what you see here.Cameron More About: Welcome , Come
Thanks For The Green Support
2006-02-01 08:08:00 Thanks For The Green Support I'd like to thank everyone who participated in this election by voting. You've helped make democracy happen. A special thank you goes out to my supporters, volunteers and those who voted for me; your efforts and votes have shown that people in the Crowfoot riding believe in me. It's good to know that you want to see green values represented in parliament. I received 2347 votes, up from 1795 last election. This is an increase from 3.9% of the vote to 4.5%, which is the new national average for the Green Party. The Canadian government has realized that green principles matter to Canadians. I believe that by winning votes we make the government take notice of us, and we will continue to see other parties adopt green values and policies in their platforms. I found this experience to be very spiritually rewarding, and will definitely run again next election. I'm excited about doing service work in our communities over the next few years. My involveme... More About: Port , Thanks , Hank
Introduction and Bio
More articles from this author:2006-02-01 04:46:00 Cameron Wigmore was raised in Victoria, British Columbia. His earliest memories include listening to his father's jazz records and falling asleep on the pillow in his father's bass drum. The green lifestyle of the west coast had great influence on Cameron, inspiring him to commute as a cyclist, which is a lifestyle choice that has continued to this day. Cameron fell in love with the saxophone at the age of twelve, and his tenacity and determination led him to advanced placement in the music performance and composition program at Humber College in Toronto at the age of seventeen. After three years of studying, performing and recording in Toronto, Cameron pursued a professional career in music performance and teaching. After moving to Drumheller in 2000, Cameron began taking an active role in the community. It was then that he grew a great deal spiritually, making a commitment to live with compassion, tolerance and open-mindedness. A married man, he and his wife Jennifer are... More About: Introduction , Intro 1, 2, 3 |
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