Readers of the Calgary Herald have expressed significant frustration with a recent change to Canada's national weather warning system, describing the new format as confusing and less effective than its predecessor. The criticism emerged in letters published on December 13, 2025, which also tackled provincial issues including education funding and healthcare.
New Weather Warning System Draws Ire
One prominent complaint focused on Environment and Climate Change Canada's updated alert map. Calgary resident Peter Chernik observed that during a widespread weather event, large portions of the country's map were shaded a uniform yellow. This single colour made it impossible for viewers to distinguish between different types of warnings, such as high wind, freezing rain, dangerous cold, or heavy snowfall.
Chernik questioned the logic behind replacing a system that clearly differentiated between hazards with one that consolidates them into a single, ambiguous colour. The letter implies that the change, intended perhaps for simplicity, has instead reduced the immediate utility of the warnings for the public seeking specific threat information.
Calls to Scrap the Education Property Tax
Another letter shifted focus to municipal and provincial finance. Gord Majeran of Rocky Mountain House addressed a resolution passed at the recent Alberta Urban Municipalities Association convention. The resolution, sponsored by his town, called for the provincial government to take over collection of the education requisition tax from municipal property tax bills.
Majeran argued against this, stating that creating a new provincial bureaucracy for a task already handled efficiently by municipal staff offers no direct benefit to Albertans. Instead, he proposed eliminating the tax altogether. Acknowledging the budgetary impact, he suggested starting by exempting all principal residences.
He further advocated for a consolidation of Alberta's public school boards into a single provincial model, estimating annual administrative savings of at least $270 million. Under his proposal, faith-based or language schools could continue but be administered within the public board structure, while private schools would remain privately funded.
Broader Concerns: University Funding and Healthcare
The letters also touched on post-secondary education and public health. D.J. Anderson of Calgary responded to University of Alberta president Bill Flanagan's comments on the importance of international students. Anderson highlighted the irony of praising foreign students while the provincial government's actions, which stripped teachers of bargaining rights, have created frustration in classrooms for Alberta's own students and educators.
Finally, Robert Ferguson, also of Calgary, lamented the state of healthcare in the province. He shared his experience of having to pay for a COVID-19 vaccination at an AHS clinic, noting that Alberta is the only province where residents face this charge. He criticized the UCP government's public health policy, stating it puts all residents at risk and marked the decline of universal healthcare in Alberta.
The collection of letters presents a snapshot of Albertan concerns in late 2025, ranging from practical daily issues like weather alerts to deep-seated debates over taxation, education, and the core principles of public healthcare.
