Okay Alberta. This isn’t just a missed meeting. It’s a warning sign.
What you’re about to read is a letter written this morning by Patricia Forrest, a proud Inuvialuit woman and a longtime Alberta resident. She’s a mother, a grandmother, a business owner, and someone I consider one of the most extraordinary human beings I know.
She doesn’t self-identify as “political.” But she is deeply aware. Deeply involved. Deeply principled. And when she sees something wrong, she speaks up, not for attention, not for drama, but because she cares. For her family. For her community. For this province.
Today, I read her letter and immediately felt clarity. I didn’t actually have this happen but I have been waiting weeks to hear from my MLA on a Health Ministry issue. Patty’s words reminded me of everything Albertans need to pay attention to right now, because what she experienced isn’t a one-off. It’s the status quo under this current UCP government.
Patty booked a meeting with her MLA, Peter Singh, a man who once came to her door and promised to put constituents first. So she had booked an appointment and taken time off work. She showed up. His office was locked. No one came. No one called. No apology. No explanation. No respect.
If this were the exception, I’d write it off. But it’s not.
This is how it works now in Alberta. Elected officials who don’t respond. Constituency offices that go dark. Decisions made behind closed doors. Premiers who silence dissent. MLAs who toe the line or get tossed aside. And all of it wrapped in a cloak of “accountability” that vanishes the second you try to hold someone to it.
And while Danielle Smith’s government courts conspiracies and whispers sweet nothings about separation, we’re not paying attention to what’s happening right here, right now: ERs are overflowing while hospitals quietly downgrade services. Kids are waiting months for assessments while their classrooms burst at the seams. Parents are paying out-of-pocket for speech therapy, mental health care, and basic educational supports. Seniors are living in facilities with staffing levels that would make your heart ache. And yes, we’re still clawing back $200 from some of the most vulnerable Albertans on AISH.
We are not being represented. We are being managed, and barely. And we need to have the courage to say: enough. Patty did. With decency, directness, and a full heart.
This isn’t just a call-out. It’s a call in, to every Albertan who’s felt ignored, condescended to, or outright erased by the very people elected to serve them.
Let Patty’s words remind us what real leadership looks like. Because if we keep excusing this, if we keep telling ourselves “it’s not that bad”, we’re going to wake up in a province we no longer recognize.
This government talks a big game about sovereignty. But sovereignty starts with serving people. And right now, they’re not even answering the damn door.
This is the first thing you see when you walk in my back door.
They whispered to her, “You cannot withstand the storm.” She whispered back, “I am the storm.
I have always felt it applies to me and clearly also to Patty.
We need to be louder. We need to be braver. We need to be the storm.
Her full letter is included below, exactly as written:
Dear Mr. Singh,
I am writing to express my disappointment and concern regarding my recent attempt to meet with you. I had scheduled an appointment through your office for this past Friday at 1:30 PM. I took time off work to attend, yet when I arrived, the office was locked, and no one was present. I waited until 2:00 PM, but no one showed up, and my calls went unanswered. I anticipated that someone from your office would have reached out to explain or reschedule, but I have yet to receive any communication.
When you came to my door during your campaign, I specifically asked where you draw the line between toeing the party line and representing your constituents. You assured me that your constituents come first. As someone who voted for you, I expect you to honor that commitment.
As a lifelong Albertan, a mother, wife, grandmother, and business owner, I am deeply concerned about the direction in which the UCP is leading our province. I, like many others, am vehemently against separation—I am a Canadian before I am an Albertan. Moreover, I strongly oppose Bills 54 and 55, and I am troubled by Premier Smith’s scandals and corruption. From her extravagant \$65-per-square-foot carpet to her clawback of \$200 from AISH recipients, from her underfunding of AHS to her trips to the U.S. to associate with far-right figures, her decisions appear to prioritize personal and partisan interests over the well-being of Albertans.
Peter, you have been entrusted to represent us. I implore you to exercise your role with integrity and stand against the willful destruction of our province. Premier Smith’s chaos and corruption have persisted for far too long. Your constituents need you to demonstrate the strength of character to oppose this harmful trajectory and to advocate for our collective interests.
This is a critical moment in our province’s and country’s history. The decisions made now will shape how future generations remember us. Please make your stand count.
With great concern,
Patricia Forrest
Nancy's Notes 