Serene Yew

Serene Yew

@serene.pixeltree.ca

Founder of http://pixeltree.ca | yyc dev & yyc.js organizer | co-founder of http://localshops.com (she/her)

705 followers113 following62 posts

Creative Currency Inc. was awarded the contract to build the Alberta government’s referendum website. Creative Currency is a subsidiary of Enterprise Canada, a public affairs and lobbying firm. What else is there to know about this company? 1/x #ableg

Edmonton Journal@edmontonjournal.com

Expense reports indicate executive council paid $309,300 to an advertising agency after budgeting near the same amount to build the government's referendum website edmontonjournal.com/news/politic...

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Creative Currency Inc. was awarded the contract to build the Alberta government’s referendum website. Creative Currency is a subsidiary of Enterprise Canada, a public affairs and lobbying firm. What else is there to know about this company? 1/x #ableg

Edmonton Journal@edmontonjournal.com

Expense reports indicate executive council paid $309,300 to an advertising agency after budgeting near the same amount to build the government's referendum website edmontonjournal.com/news/politic...

Dennis Matthews is simultaneously a Partner at Enterprise Canada and President of Creative Currency. He was advertising advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 2/x

Colin Aitchison is Managing Director, Western Canada for Creative Currency. He was Acting Director of Government Communications to the Premier; Senior Press Secretary, Mental Health & Addiction; Press Secretary, Education.

The is tabling its quarterly report on rezoning today at IPC. Here's a look at what citywide rezoning did for housing in Calgary. And then, a moment of silence for what we've lost. #yyc #yyccc

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Land use amendments take up the majority of council time (aka taxpayer dollars). City council is the most expensive decision making body. Do we really want every single land use change going through this body?

The is tabling its quarterly report on rezoning today at IPC. Here's a look at what citywide rezoning did for housing in Calgary. And then, a moment of silence for what we've lost. #yyc #yyccc

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Why does this matter? What rezoning actually removed was a whole approval step. the rezoning itself took a median ~5.3 months at council. the building permit (~2 months) didn't change at all. So the time it saved was the council step. This saves money for the taxpayer as well as for the homebuyer.

The is tabling its quarterly report on rezoning today at IPC. Here's a look at what citywide rezoning did for housing in Calgary. And then, a moment of silence for what we've lost. #yyc #yyccc

Once R-CG became a base district, you could build a rowhouse without rezoning first. R-CG permits went 180 (2023) to 2,746 (2025) while total permits citywide barely moved.

In spite of @jeromyyyc.bsky.social's claim that local area plans are the way to go (instead of citywide R-CG rezoning), he still voted against 4 planning applications that the City's own planners recommended approving as consistent with the community's local area/area redevelopment plan. #yyccc

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In spite of @jeromyyyc.bsky.social's claim that local area plans are the way to go (instead of citywide R-CG rezoning), he still voted against 4 planning applications that the City's own planners recommended approving as consistent with the community's local area/area redevelopment plan. #yyccc

Here's what the most expensive decision making body in Calgary is doing with our taxpayer dollars. All because some councillors can't bring their own water bottles - something we expect from every kindergarten child. #yyc #yyccc

Cllr Chabot, says he wants data consolidated "into one portal… as opposed to trying to navigate a whole bunch of different reports." While sitting in front of a gigantic binder of papers. Why are people who aren't going to be here for the climate wars making decisions for us who are? #yyc #yyccc

Cllr Jamieson: "It's time we focus City Hall on delivering reliable infrastructure, safe for communities, and value for the taxpayer." And that's why we spent over $6000/hr talking about spending $25k to deliver water bottles to your office. #yyx #yyccc

Cllr Rob Ward: "Every dollar raised privately is a dollar that the city doesn't need to spend." However, I guess that doesn't apply to the $25k it's going to cost taxpayers to deliver him water bottles. #yyc #yyccc

I don't think Councillor Wyness is the only one in this city working long days. And yet, somehow, others are able to fill up their water bottles. Maybe because the majority of those people can't just change policies to have bottled water hand delivered to them. #yyc #yyccc

At least the government in Idiocracy knew that they had to seek out the most intelligent of the population. And here we are, debating water bottles. #yyc #yyccc

You don't need to "believe" in climate change for it to be real. It's not a unicorn. Here are the days of smoke observed in Calgary since 1990. #yyc #yyccc

Has anyone on Calgary's City Council ever done the work to build anything or is their legacy just going to be about tearing apart everyone else's work because they were too lazy to understand it? #yyc #yyccc

As a non-citizen who has been paying taxes in Calgary longer than Cllr Johnston has, I would like my tax dollars going towards making the city a better and more welcoming place for all.

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Alberta's political pay ladder, 2026: Premier — $227K Cabinet Minister — $222K Non-Cabinet MLA — $158K Average Alberta worker — $71K

Naheed Nenshi@naheednenshi.bsky.social

Danielle Smith just gave more UCP MLAs yet another raise — another $6,000.

The Smith cabinet at its May 2025 reshuffle has the highest share of caucus on a supplement (55%): 27 cabinet members out of 49 UCP MLAs, costing about $5.0M/yr in cabinet salaries alone. By contrast, Notley's 12-minister cabinet was the smallest and cheapest in the modern era.

Yesterday's debate on the free fare zone cost Calgary taxpayers $33,543.69 in time over 5h 28m. How much more are we going to waste when it moves forward to council? #yyc #yyccc #handsoffourfreefarezone

Calgary's Downtown Commercial Core is on track to generate $344M in property tax. This is 7.3% of the citywide total, from a single neighbourhood. The Free Fare Zone costs ~$0 to keep. Why are suburb councillors making decisions for downtown communities? #yyc #yyccc #handsoffourfreefarezone

In spite of 100% of public speakers being against removal of the free fare zone, the committee has voted to bring it to council anyway. So what's the point of the public engagement? #yyc #yyccc

Today in Executive Committee, taxpayers will be spending $6,084.17/hr to entertain Councillor Johnston's Notice of Motion to reintroduce single use water bottles back to council chambers. #yyc #yyccc

Tuesday at Calgary's Executive Committee: two motions to rescind the 2021 climate emergency declaration. It costs $2.20/Calgarian/year, has helped secure $580M+ in federal & provincial grants, and joins 2,300+ governments worldwide. Sources + context: calgarylens.ca/climate #yyc #yyccc

calgarylens.caWhat Calgary's climate emergency declaration directed | calgarylensEvery directive Council attached to its November 2021 climate emergency declaration (EC2021-1525) and the December 2021 accountability addendum (EC2021-1698), in plain language, with links back to the...

Serene Yew reposted

Bill 54 is before the Alberta Legislature, and with it a number of changes proposed by the government towards elections in the province. Election act changes include elimination of vouching, expanding the use of special ballots, and putting a time limit on counts.

Serene Yew reposted

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