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Robson Fletcher

@robsonfletcher.com
15K followers 3.6K following 1.6K posts

Data & Storytelling Strategist. Views my own and subject to change, especially in light of new evidence. 🌐 robsonfletcher.com

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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 23h
The Calgary Chamber of Commerce & execs of major Alberta companies put out this open letter today in support of remaining in Canada: "Alberta’s success has not been built in isolation. It depends on our connections to the rest of Canada and the world..."
calgarychamber.com
Open letter: Alberta’s future is stronger in Canada - The Calgary Chamber
Open letter to Albertans on the October 19, 2026, referendum question on Alberta separating from Canada
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/09/2026
A recent post in the Banff subreddit caused a stir with an image of a rock that appeared to have people's names scrawled across it on Devil's Thumb above Lake Louise. Based on the names the replies devolved into anti-South-Asian racism. Some replies also suggested the image was AI-generated... 🧵
An image of a rock posted on Reddit with South-Asian-sounding names scrawled in large, block, black lettering.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/09/2026
A+ choice of thumbnail on this story. (Yes, that is a trail of pee the bear left on the pavement when the zombie went off.)
cbc.ca
As bear encounters rise in B.C., man uses motion-activated zombie to scare them away | CBC News
More than 33 bears have been killed by conservation officers in B.C. this year, including two that entered stores through automatic sliding doors in Hope and Squamish. It's led to creative solutions t...
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 25/09/2026
For those confused because of the context-collapse reality we all live in now, this is an AI-generated meme trend that the Poilievres have jumped on. The song is by American rappers Quavo & Takeoff. Takeoff was accused of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit in 2020. He was murdered in 2022.
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chrispyross.bsky.social @chrispyross.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Inspired by Robson's post showing Alberta market incomes are still about 11% below their peak, I looked at how people actually feel using the Canadian Election Study. I
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 24/09/2026
The referendum is just over 3 weeks away and Elections Alberta is still short 35,000 workers.
cbc.ca
Elections Alberta less than halfway to its goal of 60K referendum election workers | CBC News
With just over a month to go before the fall referendum, Elections Alberta has hired 25,000 election officers, roughly 35,000 short of its goal.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 24/09/2026
Whenever I read a headline like this my brain always goes to the performer first. "Why was Weird Al in a photo with Melania Trump?" was my initial thought. "Was she at one of his concerts?"
newrepublic.com
Trump Edits Melania Out of Weird AI Photo—but Leaves in an Aide
Donald Trump heavily edited the photo of himself with Chinese President Xi Jinping, with a couple major choices.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 23/09/2026
Got to spend some time in Northern Manitoba this week and it is a gorgeous time of year up here.
Lakes of northern Manitoba as seen from the air Sunset Park in The Pas, ManitobaA point of land extends into clear, blue-green waters of Clearwater LakeA beach on Clearwater Lake
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 20/09/2026
I recently signed a contract to do a job in Manitoba and just arrived in Winnipeg. So, Connor Hellebuyck, it IS possible.
Welcome polar bear wearing high viz at the (under renovation) Winnipeg International Airport.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 20/09/2026
Canada's new time zones are confusing and hilarious. (Here's data journalist @graemebruce.bsky.social trying to make it make sense: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...)
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 18/09/2026
An hour of me talking about polling data on separation sentiment with CBC Alberta at Noon host Andrew Brown, trimmed down to 3 minutes:
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 18/09/2026
"There is a strong Alberta identity and an equally strong Canadian one. There is deep skepticism about Ottawa but very little appetite to accept the risks of leaving Canada. And perhaps most importantly, there is widespread belief that whatever happens on Oct. 19, the argument is not going away."
davidcoletto.substack.com
Alberta Isn’t Leaving Canada. That Doesn’t Mean the Federation Is Fine.
Five reports and 1,000 interviews reveal a province that is deeply frustrated, still strongly Canadian, and heading toward a referendum result that almost nobody expects will end the argument.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 17/09/2026
When I worked at CBC we used Google: Docs, Sheets, Meet, Drive, etc. As an independent consultant I'm now using Microsoft more often: Sharepoint, Teams, etc. Is it me, or are the MS tools so buggy? Seems like a constant stream of slow loading, incorrect authentication or things just breaking. 😑
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Lisa Young 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @jlisayoung.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
At best, the Elections Alberta is an underfunded, over-employed shambles. At worst, it was responding to government pressure to ensure a desired outcome. If the latter, it’s a 5-alarm fire. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Former Elections Alberta staff raise ‘mismanagement’ concerns about 'Water Not Coal' petition verification | CBC News
Five former Elections Alberta employees are raising “mismanagement” concerns about how Corb Lund's citizen initiative petition was validated, alleging procedures changed and that there was a lack of t...
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Courtney Theriault @ctheriault.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
NEW: Corb Lund has penned a letter to Premier Smith, calling for an immediate coal moratorium, claiming that former Elections Alberta staff have raised serious questions about the validation process of his petition.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 16/09/2026
I recently worked with Abacus Data on a poll of Albertans. Today we are releasing the 3rd of 5 reports. It looks at leader impressions and how people would vote in a provincial election. The topline vote numbers: 🔵 UCP: 52% 🟠 NDP: 39% 🟢 TORY: 6% 🧵...
UCP / NDP / Progressive Tory support:

All decided voters: 52/39/6

Calgary: 49/41/8

Edmonton: 38/52/7

Small cities/bedroom communities: 58/33/<6

Rural: 67/24/<6

Men: 58/32/8

Women: 44/46/<6

18-to-29: 44/44/9

60 and older: 54/39/<6

Remain voters: 33/55/8

Commence separation process voters: 88/<6/<6
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 15/09/2026
I recently worked with Abacus Data on a poll of Albertans, probing deeper into the separation debate. Today we are releasing the 2nd of 5 reports. This one looks at vote intentions: 🟢 64% Remain ⚫ 24% Commence separation process 🤷 9% Undecided 💨 3% Would skip question This varies by region. 🧵...
Chart showing remain/commence vote Alberta-wide at 64/24
Calgary: 71/19
Edmonton 78/16
Small cities & bedroom communities: 59/32
Rural areas: 46/31
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Eamon Javers @eamonjavers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is a subhed for the ages in the WSJ this morning: “Talk of heading off artificial intelligence’s potential role in destroying humanity hurt some stocks and helped others”
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 14/09/2026
You can listen to the whole call-in show on demand here: 🔊: www.cbc.ca/listen/live-... Lots of discussion from Albertans with various points of view on separation, democracy, and the province's place in Canada.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 14/09/2026
About to go live on CBC Radio One across Alberta. Tune in & call in if you want to participate! 📞 1-866-468-4422
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 14/09/2026
About 1 in 4 Albertans say the separation debate has created tension in a relationship, according to new polling I worked on with Abacus Data. Today I'll be on Alberta At Noon, CBC Radio One's provincewide call-in show, to talk about that. Call in & share your perspective! Show runs 12 pm - 1 pm.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 14/09/2026
I recently worked with Abacus Data on a poll of Albertans, probing deeper into the sentiments underlying the separation debate. Today we are releasing the first of five reports. It explores an apparent contradiction: how Albertans feel both deeply attached to Canada & also deeply aggrieved by it.
abacusdata.ca
Alberta at a Crossroads: Albertans Hold the Grievance and the Flag at the Same Time - Abacus Data
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 11/09/2026
"Alberta is so determined to usher in a wave of AI data centres & increase oil and gas production that it is considering rewriting legislation and creating government-owned corporations that would force private companies to invest in natural gas pipeline expansions..." By @drewanderson.bsky.social:
thenarwhal.ca
Leaked doc suggests Alberta has sprawling plans to pave the way for AI data centres, more oil production
Rewriting laws, creating Crown corporations that could rival TC Energy, building new natural gas pipelines and increasing prices for consumers: what a leaked document says about Alberta’s AI data centre and oil push
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 09/09/2026
As the U.S. and Canada spar with targeted trade measures, the Americans might be exposing a key vulnerability with what they just decided to *stop* tariffing. Wouldn't want to get caught with their pants down... 👀
Tariffs dropped on some Canadian products

As Trump announced sweeping bans and tariffs on scores of Canadian items, the U.S. dropped tariffs on some products.

Some items no longer tariffed include:

    Bed sheets
    Fishing rods
    Portland cement
    Salt and pure sodium chloride
    Sugar
    Toilet paper, towels and napkinsMore than half of U.S. toilet-paper imports in 2025 came from Canada

How much toilet paper, exactly? Over 166 million kilograms. That's more than 730 million rolls.

Chart: Robson Fletcher / robsonfletcher.com

Source: United States International Trade Commission DataWeb
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 08/09/2026
"The RCMP has quietly changed its uniform policy to no longer require officers to wear name tags while on duty, a move that has drawn criticism from advocates and experts who say it will limit police transparency, complicate the complaints process and fuel distrust in Indigenous communities."
theglobeandmail.com
Mounties no longer required to wear name tags while on duty
Previous RCMP policy allowed name tag removal only while working at protests
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 08/09/2026
Your periodic reminder that you can search nearly a half-century's worth of Alberta baby names (yes, names of every baby born in the province!) analyze trends, etc., with this interactive web app I made a while ago:
albertababynames.com
Alberta Baby Names Explorer
Explore 46 years of Alberta baby name data (1980–2025). Search any name, browse trends, and see what was popular each year.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 03/09/2026
If any material scientists out there need to invent a new type of super glue that dries ultra hard, might I suggest a combination of Rice Krispies, oatmeal, 2% milk, and maple syrup, combined steadily on a kitchen countertop by the fingers of a 2½-year-old.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 03/09/2026
Everyone's talking about how the Alberta referendum will be all about *turnout*. But how, exactly, would different turnout rates among separation supporters vs. stay-in-Canada supporters affect the outcome? I built a tool where you can play with the numbers and see for yourself:
turnoutsimulator.ca
The smaller side can win a referendum — or at least make it close
A side that's behind in the polls can still win if the other side stays home. Try it with the Alberta separation vote.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 03/09/2026
Wild investigation by Riddance (an AI-tracking group) into an explosion of online political videos created by AI but voiced by minimally paid actors to avoid AI-spam-filters. The video creators had an insecure, vibe-coded metrics dashboard that was exposed & notes a Canada-specific effort.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 01/09/2026
Oof, I won't post a screenshot but I just saw the Pete Hegseth tweet of the young Canadian cadet receiving a medal & the body-shaming and gender-mocking comments it invited. Even a year ago it would have been hard to imagine a U.S. Defence Secretary online bullying a teenager. New lows every day.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 01/09/2026
I don't know if anyone outside of Canada has been following the saga of the island that appeared then disappeared but there has been a big development. It has re-appeared. And that's the top story on CBC News right now: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Screenshot  of main cbcnews.ca page: Lost island in northern B.C. lake — that appeared then disappeared — located, B.C. Hydro says
Newly formed island found along shore of Williston Reservoir after drifting for 30 kilometres
41 minutes ago
An island mysteriously appeared — then disappeared — on B.C.'s largest reservoir
Used bookstores navigate 'suspicious' bulk orders amid AI book-shredding fears
Canadian booksellers worry buyers are scanning, destroying books to train AI
3 hours ago
To shelve or not to shelve: How the American alcohol response varies widely by province
'That choice to not shelve product, that's been a very powerful symbolic message,' says tariffs expert
5 hours ago
Élections Québec to mail voter information in French only for 1st time in a provincial election
Élections Québec will send voters information documents in French only for the first time in a general election to comply with changes to Quebec's language laws, the agency said in a news release on Tuesday.
Canada -Montreal |
1 hour ago
Schools in Edmonton and across Canada cancel international field trips
Boards are calling off trips due to trade war, unrest, 'evolving global context'
Canada |
1 hour ago
Liberals sweep 3 federal byelections in Ontario, Quebec and B.C.
Carney government secures majority in crucial test amid U.S. trade war
Politics |
7 hours ago
2 tankers carrying Saudi oil hit in Strait of Hormuz as war shows no signs of stopping
World |
3 hours ago
'It is Lake Ontario and it won’t change,' business owners in Niagara region respond to Trump renaming lake
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 31/08/2026
Top-notch follow for Canadians. Or anyone with an interest in Canada. Paula is an excellent former newspaper columnist who is now a *Canadian Senator*. She doesn't post like a typical politician though. Follow her if you like honest perspectives, independent views, deep context & plain language.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 31/08/2026
Eesh. I got back from a weekend out in the mountains to learn there has been a FIFTH death now: www.rmoutlook.com/kananaskis-c...
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 28/08/2026
"Canada's economy rebounded sharply in the second quarter, thanks to a jump in exports and stronger domestic investment, according to Statistics Canada data."
cbc.ca
Canada's economy grew a strong 3.3% annualized in second quarter, as first quarter revised higher | CBC News
Canada's economy posted strong growth in the second quarter, driven by high exports and domestic investments. After a slight decline in GDP growth in the first quarter led to fears of a technical rece...
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
Dug out some old pics. 🥲
The glacier above Berg Lake in the 1990s, when a large vertical face directly above the lake would frequently calve off into the water and create floating icebergs.Me and and an exchange student who was staying with our family at the time swimming out to one of the icebergs in Berg Lake.Me and and an exchange student who was staying with our family at the time celebrating the iceberg in Berg Lake.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
"Households across the country will be able to join the millions across mainland Europe who generate their own renewable electricity using 'balcony solar panels', which will be stocked by some of the UK’s biggest retailers."
theguardian.com
Plug-in balcony solar panels to go on sale in UK for first time
DIY system will be stocked by big retailers, starting with Argos, enabling more homes to lower bills by generating own electricity
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Shannon Proudfoot @sproudfoot.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I mean this very, very seriously: It is absolutely an option for us to ignore his idiotic Lake America stunt. We can do that. We can just tune it out like you would block out a child howling at you in the cereal aisle, recognizing that to do anything else would be to give the whiner what they want.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
Alberta had been staring down a major budget deficit. Then Trump attacked Iran. Oil prices surged. Now it's in surplus: "The change is due to a more than $9.7-billion increase to non-renewable resource revenue driven by the increase in West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil prices."
alberta.ca
Q1 update: Alberta on track for sixth straight surplus
Expecting to end 2025 with a fifth surplus, the 2026 Q1 update puts Alberta on track for a sixth consecutive surplus year.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
"Trump has a net negative 23 percent-point approval rating: 37% approve of his performance in office, while 60% disapprove. The poll, released Wednesday, showed that only 17% strongly approve of his job as president, compared with 49% who strongly disapprove..."
yahoo.com
Big blow for Trump in new poll: ‘Every issue is underwater’
The president's worst performance is on prices and inflation, according to the survey.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
Thanks to @thetyee.ca for picking up this analysis!
thetyee.ca
One Chart Might Explain Why Albertans Don't Feel So Rich | The Tyee
Residents still make more than other Canadians, but data shows stagnating prosperity like nowhere else in the country.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
Ugh this sucks so much. When I hiked to Berg Lake as a teenager in the 1990s, you could watch the glacier calve off into the lake every hour or so. I swam out to an iceberg and climbed on it. Took a chunk to shore and made iced tea with it. My kids will never get to do this. 😔
cbc.ca
'Visual symbol of climate change': Mount Robson's Berg Glacier no longer reaches lake | CBC News
One of the most picturesque sights in British Columbia is changing — as Mount Robson's Berg Glacier has retreated so far back that it no longer touches the water of Berg Lake.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
Sharp analysis here from Hannah Thibedeau on shaping U.S. coverage: "Because if the dominant storyline becomes, 'Trump is imposing enormous tariffs on an ally and Americans are going to pay more,' Trump has a political problem. If it becomes 'Canada is refusing to make concessions,' Canada loses."
nationalnewswatch.com
Canada’s Next Fight is for the American Audience
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 27/08/2026
"LeBlanc made the announcement on social media, saying Canada looks forward to 'further constructive U.S. clarifications on their other positions which would create the possibility of a mutually beneficial trade agreement that respects Canadian sovereignty.'"
thecanadianpressnews.ca
U.S. confirms language, culture protections won't be subject to trade actions:LeBlanc
OTTAWA - Canada-U.S Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the United States has confirmed that Canada's protections of language and culture won’t be the subject of future trade actions.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 26/08/2026
Four deaths in Alberta's Rockies in the past three months. It got me thinking about how differently these types of accidents are treated in the summer compared to the winter. Avalanche safety culture has come a long way; hiking & scrambling culture — and information systems — could take some cues:
robsonfletcher.com
Why we can learn more from an avalanche disaster in 1782 than four hiking deaths this summer · Robson Fletcher
Avalanche culture shifted from blame to open learning. Hiking and scrambling deaths deserve the same treatment.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 26/08/2026
There is a remote and tiny body of water in northern Ontario called Trump Lake and Canadians have been giving it one-star reviews on Google Maps. Comments include "Please rename" and "Lake of Mexico might be a better name." 🔗: maps.app.goo.gl/aAHuCjHdbu7s...
Screenshot of Trump Lake, Ontario, on Google Maps
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 26/08/2026
"In a dramatic capitulation, the owner of Facebook and Instagram agreed to the financial penalties for violating federal child privacy and states’ consumer protection laws ... and to bans on features that stoke mental health issues, striking at the heart of the company’s business..."
nytimes.com
Meta to Pay Up to $17.1 Billion in Landmark Settlement Over Social Media Addiction Claims
The social media giant settled with 47 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, and agreed to make major changes to its products over claims its platforms endangered children.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 25/08/2026
Great contextual chart from @trevortombe.bsky.social on Canada's effective tariff rate on U.S. imports dating back to Confederation. 🔗: thehub.ca/2026/08/24/w...
Chart showing average effective tariff on U.S. imports ranging from about 7% in 1867 up to around 15% from 1880 through 1910, spiking at around 18% in the 1930s then falling back down to about 10% by the early 1960s, then 5% by the late 1970s and finally down to near 0% in the late 1990s through to 2025. Then, an estimate of about 5% once retaliatory tariffs kick in in September 2026.
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 25/08/2026
Young Calgary driver on Reddit, talking about the MONTHLY auto insurance quotes he's getting on a Honda Civic: "...the lowest I’m being quoted is $600. The median is like $1,200. One company quoted me $2,000 a month, and had the gall to call me to talk about it, safe to say I hung up on them."
reddit.com
From the alberta community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the alberta community
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Kathleen O'Grady 🇨🇦 @kathleenogradyca.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I did not know either. Just downloaded it and it is great
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Robson Fletcher @robsonfletcher.com · 25/08/2026
Oof this is horrible. The state health authorities appear to be NOT releasing the ages of those who died. And some people in the comments are already blaming the victims, saying it's a choice to not get vaccinated. Most measles deaths are among young children, who don't have that choice.
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