Amber Glenn overcomes a fall to win her first Grand Prix figure skating title

RED DEER, Alta. – Some 6,000 United Conservative Party members are in Red Deer, Alta., for the party’s annual convention to cast their votes today on what they think of Premier Danielle Smith’s leadership so far.

Experts say the party’s overall support of Smith likely isn’t in doubt and on Friday she received a standing ovation from a crowd of at least 4,000 when she took the stage for a question-and-answer period.

Smith’s cabinet, and many party members in attendance, have donned buttons and T-shirts that call for her support in the vote.

Speaking to the crowd Saturday morning, Smith addressed rumours some party members have been campaigning against her, and called for the party to remain united.

“Let us not sink to the level of our opponents by attacking, vilifying one another, and breaking into factions,” Smith said.

“We are a family,” she said. “We are a loud and raucous and opinionated family, but we are a great family nonetheless.”

There’s no party-defined level of success for a leadership vote, although Smith’s predecessor Jason Kenney received 51 per cent support in 2022 and resigned as a result.

Past conservative Alberta premiers Ed Stelmach and Alison Redford received 77 per cent in their leadership votes before being ousted.

Smith told reporters Saturday that she was hoping to get more than about 54 per cent support, which is the level of support she received when she won the party leadership election in 2022.

“You can’t get 100 per cent of support of 100 per cent of members, 100 per cent of the time,” Smith said.

“I just hope that I’ve managed to gain ground on the last time they had a chance to offer their opinion.”

In her speech Saturday morning Smith said she thought conservatism across the country has momentum on it’s side, and committed to keeping the momentum going.

“Our Alberta values of fiscal conservatism, free markets, individual freedom and personal responsibility are working and winning with the public more and more every single day,” she said. “That, dear friends, is why it is more important than ever for our UCP government and our party to double and triple down on acting and governing like conservatives.”

“My commitment to each of you today is to do exactly that.”

Party members in attendance were able to cast their ballots as early as 8 a.m. this morning, and the results are expected to be announced around 6 p.m..

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2024.

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — A local leader of the Mexican folk saint cult “La Santa Muerte” was gunned down at an altar to the skeletal figure late Friday, authorities said.

Two other people were killed and eight injured in the attack in the city of Leon, in Guanajuato state, the authorities added.

The saint — whose name means roughly “Holy Death” — is often worshipped by convicts, drug addicts and criminals, along with other people who feel excluded or are experiencing difficulties in life.

The saint, who is not recognized by the Roman Catholic church, is usually depicted as a female skeleton, and is supposed to protect her followers from death.

But that didn’t work for “La Madrina Chayo,” a woman considered a leader of the cult in the north-central state of Guanajuato.

Prosecutors did not give her real name, in keeping with Mexican law, but the nickname “La Madrina Chayo” was used by a faith healer also known as “Chayito.”

She, another woman and a boy were shot dead Friday as they prepared the annual Santa Muerte celebration.

There was no immediate information on the condition of the eight people, including two children wounded in the shooting attack on the street corner altar.

Like Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday, the Santa Muerte is honored on Nov. 1 and 2.

Roman Catholic leaders in Mexico have condemned the deity’s connection to violence and the illicit drug trade.

Clad in a black nun’s robe and holding a scythe in one hand, Santa Muerte appeals to people seeking all manner of otherworldly help: from fending off wrongdoing and carrying out vengeance to stopping lovers from cheating and landing better jobs. Others seek her protection for their drug shipments and to ward off law enforcement.

While the cult may sound ominous, the annual celebrations honoring the Santa Muerte are friendly affairs, with people warmly greeting fellow worshippers and offering them small gifts.

For years, Guanajuato has had the highest number of homicides of any state in Mexico because of ongoing turf battles between rival drug cartels.

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VANCOUVER – The BC Maritime Employers Association has released the details of its final offer to the union representing more than 700 foremen ahead of a looming lockout on Monday.

The offer, which is dated Wednesday and addressed to International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 President Frank Morena, was released to reporters on Saturday.

It includes a 19.2 per cent increase over the four year agreement — which would be from April 2023 until March 31, 2027 — as well as a 16 per cent increase to the retirement benefit, a 10 per cent increase to employer contributions to the welfare plan and an average $21,000 lump sum for eligible employees that includes backpay since the contract expired.

The employers association says in the email to Morena that it has been bargaining with the union for nearly two years to renew their collective agreement that expired in March 2023, and the offer represents its “sincere commitment to concluding negotiations.”

Morena was not immediately available to comment, but previously said workers are “extremely angry” over the employers’ refusal to bargain major issues, such as staffing requirements as more automation is introduced at the ports, and the lockout is an “attempt to force the federal government to intervene in the dispute.”

The union issued a 72-hour strike notice on Thursday for job action starting Monday at 8 a.m., which then prompted the employers association to issue a formal notice that it will “defensively” lock out members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 starting the same time.

There have already been a number of recent disruptions at the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port, due to labour unrest.

The list includes a days-long picketing effort at several grain terminals in September, a work stoppage involving both major Canadian railways in August, and a port worker strike last year that lasted 13 days and froze billions in trade at the docks.

Expanded job action on Thursday at the Port of Montreal also shut down two container terminals, stopping 40 per cent of the container capacity at Canada’s second largest port.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2024.

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