SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, CANMORE DEMONSTRATION CANCELLED — I just got word from OutragedCanadian:
I highly recommend that you don’t try driving to Canmore tomorrow morning. Roads were not good this evening, and it’s still snowing like crazy on the highway. Very slick and not good vision.
IRSCompliantForever said Any possibility of a few “no to FATCA” signs outside the Oct 31- Nov 2 Conservative Convention in Calgary?
Also, does anyone know of any delegate who might be willing to ask an anti-FATCA question or try to obtain support at the convention for an anti-FATCA policy? There will be sessions on taxation, constitution, and policies. Going to Calgary for the Tory Convention — Know Anyone Who Is?
The Conservative Convention takes place at the BMO Centre on the Stampede Grounds, private property, so we cannot get up close and personal with delegates.
(I will have FATCA Facts and Q-121 hand-outs — and more will be in my car which will be parked as close to where we’ll be. And now, in fact, I have tons left — I had printed too many!)
FRIDAY EVENING UPDATE:
Friday, November 1: 10:00 a.m. See summary of the day below, Comment re Friday Two-Women FATCA Protest, Calgary, AB. A worthwhile day for two, at the end, frozen-through gals with a message.
Saturday, November 2: As there is no one who able to help out tomorrow, I am not going out — there is a heavy snowfall warning for Calgary. If road conditions are reasonable on Sunday morning, I’ll drive to Canmore to stand with Outraged — the Conservatives visiting Canmore will say — “There they are again — those two FATCA ladies. We’re being stalked.”
calgary411 says
October 23, 2013 at 4:34 pm
I’m game if I am not alone. Who is in or near Calgary?
Proviso: I am a 70-year old Canadian “grandma” who objects. I have a physical constraint so need company of others from Calgary who will stand up to the US. If there are those who will join me, I will look into permit required, details: how far away we need to be from BMO Centre on Calgary Stampede grounds, print hand-outs.
October 23, 2013 at 8:24 pm
WhiteKat says:
@Calgary,
Another protest, this time in Calgary, is a great idea. We need to show the government that we are everywhere, not just in Ottawa, and that we are not going to stop putting the pressure on. Perhaps you could create a separate post inviting people to join, otherwise your suggestion will get lost in the comments.
I agree, two is enough to make a difference!
Oh brave Calgary411! Thank you.
Calgary is a world away for me, an I cannot afford to travel, but would be with you in spirit FWIW.
Hi, badger.
Thanks as always. I don’t know how brave I am. I just think that this needs to be one more part of the “voice” I’m trying to have for my family and for other US Person families in Canada.
I think my sign will have few words in BIG letters: USA — FATCA — NO IGA, Canada. I will also have a small Canadian flag attached to my sign.
I’ll really appreciate the added support for our stand from BornInCanada and perhaps (I hope) YogaGirl on Friday.
BornInCanada,
Did you receive my email — yesterday?
I am posting schubert’s URGENT comment here as well:
schubert1975
Submitted on 2013/10/26 at 10:04 pm
cross-posted from the thread about Hsu’s question on the order paper:
URGENT
Some of us are trying to figure a way of getting some FATCA coverage amongst the Conservative delegates to the convention in Calgary next weekend. Musing about circulating the FATCA flyer and maybe also a copy of Hsu’s Q-121 question to delegates as they arrive, but we’ve learned that (surprise surprise) the convention centre is private property and leafletting isn’t allowed on private property, there’s only one area of public ground near the convention where the police will allow this, and not many delegates are likely to wander by that spot. Sort of sounds like G-20 in Toronto, doesn’t it?
If by some fluke of luck, any of you who are following this thread are delegates to that convention or have personal connections to people who are and who might be sympathetic – our information from Calgary is that there is a policy workshop starting at 8:30am and going until 2:30 (probably with lunch break) on Friday November 1 in Palomino Rooms E-H at the BMO Centre. The subject is “Role of Government, Taxation, and Crime” (sorry but that’s the only thing I can make out on the agenda that seems related to taxation). From 12:30-1:30 there is a “ministerial information session” in that same venue and for the same topic. I’m not sure where Flaherty will be (there’s also a parallel Economic Development session where he might go, in other rooms, but I don’t think FATCA can remotely be stretched to economic development except for tax lawyers and accountants). So who knows which minister(s) will be at Rooms E-H at that time.
It would be wonderful if somehow we could get a delegate or two willing to raise some FATCA questions and maybe have a supply of the FATCA handout and Hsu’s questions to pass around at that session.
I know this is a “Hail Mary pass,” but I thought why not give it a stab.
If you think this might work, and are a delegate or are well-connected with someone who is and might be sympathetic, just try it. No need to reply on this thread, no real need to contact us about it.
Hail Mary, full of grace, ….
I’d like to try to take part. I’m not available on Saturday the 2nd, but could try to take the day off from work on Thursday or Friday (31st or 1st)
Yay Outraged!
@Calgary411, Maybe you should sticky this post so it appears at the top (like Pacifica did with the Ottawa protest).
@ Outraged.
YOUR TAKING PART WOULD BE WONDERFUL!!!!
I had sent an email to “BornInCanada” but haven’t heard back — may or may not be there alone or with others. YogaGirl had also said that she MIGHT be able to join on Friday only.
I just got back from getting markers and post board to make my sign and am going to take “FATCA Facts” and “Question 121” pages to get printed this afternoon for hand-outs wherever it makes sense.
My plan at this moment is:
Thursday, October 31: by 11:30 a.m. at spot suggested by Calgary Police Service, across the street from Victoria Park / Stampede LRT Station (west side of northbound Macleod Trail). Convention registration starts at noon.
Friday, November 1: arrive early enough to get a parking spot nearby and be on above spot sometime before 8:00 a.m. / tentatively going to one or more hotels to try to catch delegates to hand out information.
Saturday, November 2: arrive early enough to get a parking spot (should be easier than on Friday)and be on the above spot sometime before 8:00 a.m. — then play it by ear for Saturday afternoon.
I also made a trip past the recommended place for demonstrations for the Conservative Convention. This is a link for the LRT Station, Victoria Park/Stampede. http://www.lrtincalgary.ca/VictoriaPark.html. You can actually see the “grassy spot” recommended as the best place by Calgary Police Service. I will try to nab the southeast corner of the grassy spot as close as possible to the overpass over Macleod Trail (northbound), which is public property. The Stampede Grounds where BMO Centre is = private property — so we’re not allowed there.
Either day; Friday at more than one place – so if you’re up for that. I know that you cannot be there as early as I will be because of your long drive into Calgary, but that’s OK. I would LOVE to have your company and to visit with you again – especially doing something that might make a difference!
@Calgary, I’ll ask for Friday off, and let you know if I’m successful. Now I just need to think about whether I’m going to be honest enough to ask for the day off in order to protest!
If I can, I’ll try to get there as early as I can, mostly it will depend upon highway conditions and that infernal city traffic (that my small town self is no longer used to).
outraged,
One option is for you to park at the north end of the LRT — Crowfoot (Crowchild Trail) on map at this link: http://lrt.daxack.ca/Cities/Calgary/. You get off Highway 1 at Cochrane exit, travelling then on Highway 1A, through Cochrane, which in Calgary will be Crowchild Trail, to Crowfoot Station parking lot (I wonder how fast he parking lot fills up?) — that LRT leg is the one that goes past the Stampede Grounds. Then, you wouldn’t have to navigate through the city and into downtown.
excellent idea, thank you. I’m SO glad you know your city so well!
Thanks a lot, WhiteKat,
I’ll ask Pacific and Peter for assistance. I don’t think I have access to be able to do that.
Thanks, Pacifica. What an efficient, helpful Brocker you are!
Calgary you two might find others who will join you who do not post here, we had more than one person who has been following this issue show up in Ottawa. None of them post here but, they have been reading for a long time and read about the Ottawa protest.
The same could happen with Calgary once you have an idea of where you will be others may show up. OR you will likely get people asking you what this issue is about just passing by. So even if there are only two in your original group it can grow on the spot.
@Calgary,
Did you notice that itacaf says he may be able to help? See: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/10/27/going-to-calgary-for-the-tory-convention-know-anyone-who-is/#more-22918
Thanks, WhiteKat.
I have corrected and emphasized the correct location, which is not the Calgary Convention Centre but the BMO Centre on the Stampede Grounds, private property. We cannot be on private property! We will not be too close. I’ve updated my plan for Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week.
Outraged has posted at her own site: http://outragedcanadian.ca/blog/?p=623 and Blaze at http://maplesandbox.ca/2013/fatca-protest-at-the-conservative-party-convention-in-calgary/. Thanks also to Just Me for the Twitter help.
and I commented on further information re Calgary LRT stations:
“Thanks, Outraged, for highlighting this here!
Hope others will join us.
If anyone is coming from the south of Calgary, the end of that same LRT line that stops and goes past the Victoria Park Stampede station is Sommerset/Bridlewood https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111835723862160515444.00044ff5626c2afff371e&s=AARTsJrchBKFAf4BlVSiUzMmLjD1YvkHpQ&ll=50.902573,-114.06877&spn=0.012991,0.027466&z=15&iwloc=00044ff5631b5bc5c47bb&output=embed.
This link shows all stations (west leg and NE leg can transfer downtown to the south leg of the Calgary LRT): http://www.calgarytransit.com/html/ctrain_stations.html
@Calgary411 – I have confirmation I have the day off – so I’ll be stopping by after work to pick up poster boards and brightly coloured pens.
Did you want to send me some of those FATCA Fact Sheets via email? I can print some, as well..
@Calgary411 I got your email thank you! I’ve been working a lot so I haven’t been able to check back very often – thank you everyone for your work! I will reply to your email. Thanks! I hope the convention isn’t overshadowed by this Senate thing…we need to get our message heard!
@all
Who are going to the protest. Good luck, and spread the word. Perhaps you may want to emphasize that the Liberals, NDP and Green Parties are on to this issue I thank you all for your efforts.
I received this information from my daughter on a billboard that will be in place ‘near the Convention Centre’ in Calgary in conjunction with the Conservative Convention.
If this is indeed going to be placed near the ‘Convention Centre’ and not close to the actual location of the convention, the BMO Centre at the Stampede Grounds, perhaps we should indeed spend some time ‘hanging out’ near the billboard protest area, which would, I believe, be on Stephen Avenue Mall (Stephen Avenue = 8th Avenue SW), right outside the entrance to the Telus Convention Centre between Centre Street and 1st Street North East (but we should meet at designated location for first part of Friday).
They ( https://leadnow.netdonor.net/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1694&ea.campaign.id=23547&forwarded=true ) say:
http://metronews.ca/news/canada/839860/tories-take-new-tack-on-senate-suspensions/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/30/senate-expense-scandal-tory-conventions_n_4178400.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-politics
@Calgary411, I’m getting a bit lost and I’m afraid I’m not going to find you on Friday. Is the meeting spot for Friday morning on the grassy knoll.. I mean grassy spot? And I can’t actually see that on the LRT map, but I’m probably just being blind. I think I will drive all the way in, since I’m going to be carrying posters and bags, etc. I can mapquest to the lrt station, but once I’m there I don’t want to wander around lost.
I’m going to send you a picture via email, perhaps you could confirm if what I’ve circled is what you’re talking about.
A little musical inspiration for Protest West #1, led by calgary411 …
Perfect!! Thanks so much, Em.
Outraged and anyone else who will be looking for us,
In the picture in the link for the LRT Station, Victoria Park/Stampede, http://www.lrtincalgary.ca/VictoriaPark.html, the “grassy spot” is on the left side of the picture (west side of Macleod Trail, northbound), right across from the train shown parked at that station. Get off at Victoria Park / Stampede, which is the station after the City Hall station.http://www.calgarytransit.com/pdf/CT-Line-Map-Sep-18-2013-web.pdf Go across Macleod Trail on the overpass shown (which goes over the tracks and then over Macleod Trail). The grassy spot that is public property is just north of that overpass. On the map it looks like a vacant lot right next to it (which might not presently be vacant). (When you get on the train at Crowfoot, you will go south; after you cross the Bow River, the train will turn left (east) into the downtown area and then south again, through a tunnel and the next stop is where you get off. (The Erlton station is one beyond that and a stop too far.)
See: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2013/10/24/are-there-any-who-will-be-a-part-of-a-calgary-protest-to-fatca-outside-the-october-31-november-2-conservative-convention/comment-page-2/#comment-613417. It may make sense to move downtown at some point if there will be a large billboard demonstration on Stephen Avenue, likely outside the Convention Centre, where the Conservative Convention will NOT be taking place – unless someone has changed the location from their agenda:
We should look for cowboys and cowgirls (cow people?).