2009 Alberta Year in Review
Yet another year of activism / advocacy comes to a end and what a year it was too!
Each year Alberta 420 and Calgary 420 have grown with 2009 being a a new all time high in so many ways.
Not only did we gain more Alberta 420 Cannabis Community chapters all so much more happened in 2009!
January Calgary 420 Activist Center opened it's doors. A location for the 420 center had been donated rent free. A number of volunteers arrived to clean and repair the location and take a huge load to the city dump. Next was hanging of posters from years gone by. Furniture, coffee maker, computers, Internet access, TV and DVD player and much more were donated to the 420 center. The 420 center was open 7 days a week until the end of July when the length of the rent free donation time expired. Almost everyday there was between 4 to 24 people socializing, planning, making signs, helping others and networking.
Promotion of Calgary's 5th annual Worldwide Marijuana March started in early January as per usual.
February 12 Cheech and Chong Light Up Canada Tour Edmonton. Keith and Debbie Fagin attended with Todd and April of Edmonton 420. More event details here.
February 13 Cheech and Chong Light Up Canada Tour Keith and Debbie Fagin, Lisa Kirkman, Kelly Christie attended the show. Thanks to Lisa Kirkman for getting our gift bags to Cheech and Chong before the show. Tommy wore the Michelle Rainey Medicinal T-Shirt we included in the gift bags. Again thanks to Lisa, Keith, Debbie and Lisa got a free back stage pass to meet Cheech for the first time. Debbie and I met Tommy many times in the past. (picture gallery here)
February 24 Marc-Boris St-Maurice Norml Canada - Resolving Marijuana Prohibition at the Edmonton Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre (picture gallery here).
Speakers Lisa Kirkman, Keith Fagin and Bob Cyr.
February 27 Marc-Boris St-Maurice Norml Canada - Resolving Marijuana Prohibition at the Calgary Central Public Library (picture gallery here).
Speakers included Dennis Young - former police officer, speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), leader Libertarian Party of Canada (LPC).
Shirley Heafey (NO SHOW) - Calgary Police Commission Public Complaint Director and acting Executive Director
Jim Hilsenteger - Legalization advocate, argues from an economic standpoint, taking the view that drug policies, as they currently stand, are quite costly for our social system.
Lisa Kirkman - editor, writer, activist, Grant Cluff - Retired teacher, founder CMMC, activist, Keith Fagin - Calgary 420 / Alberta 420 founder, writer, activist.
March 14 420 Events Fund Raiser Social was so successful it became obvious 2009 was already shaping up to be a awesome year. (picture gallery here). Sponsors were Bongs and Such, Hemp Roots, Hemporium, KDK Distributors, The Next Level, Skunk Magazine and Treating Yourself Magazine.
March 17 Former US President George W. Bush Protest at TELUS Convention Center (picture gallery here).
April 20 first annual 420 Film Festival caught on around the world. So much so there is many planned in other cities worldwide. Glass art was given away to the winners with first prize being shipped to Edmonton (picture gallery here). Sponsors were Bongs and Such, Hemp Roots, Hemporium, KDK Distributors.
May 2 Calgary 5th annual Worldwide Marijuana March was preceded by a courier delivered letter to the Calgary 420 Activist Center on April 21 from the City of Calgary stating a new bylaw had been enacted and the Worldwide Marijuana March would not be allowed to go ahead at City Hall. This being the third time The City of Calgary made attempts to stop the pro cannabis event and the third time they failed miserably. This third failure on the City of Calgary's part was to use extreme police presence in yet another failed attempt to crush freedom of speech and to stop the true facts from being spoken. Sure they scared off hundreds of people from attending the event but over 1000 people ignored the large police presence and join us all to enjoy a day of speeches, music and lots of free products being given away. There were all walks of life there that sunny afternoon from ganja fairies to Skunk Magazine editor, Health Canada MMAR license holders, form young to old. (picture gallery here). Sponsors were Bongs and Such, Hemp Roots, Hemporium, KDK Distributors, The Next Level, Skunk Magazine and Treating Yourself Magazine.
May 16 - 17 Sly's Pig Roast 20th annual (picture gallery here).
May 23 Rick Simpson Cancer Tour. The tour was CANCELLED by Rick Simpson!
May 27 420 Drug Awareness Rally. Lots of media attention for the protest outside the Forest Lawn High School. Detailed article here, (picture gallery here).
June 4 Stop Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre Protest at the Hyatt Regency (picture gallery here).
June 12 to 13 6th Annual Toronto Cannabis Cup. 14 Calgary 420 members attended the event in Toronto (picture gallery here). Sponsors were Bongs and Such, KDK Distributors, The Next Level, Skunk Magazine and Treating Yourself Magazine.
June 20 420 Member BBQ turned out a small crowd that enjoyed the sunny afternoon and the BBQ food and drinks.
July 5 Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre 2009 Stampede Breakfast Protest (picture gallery here)
July 5 Marc Emery's Farewell Tour Calgary, (picture gallery here). Sponsored by The Next Level.
July 6 Marc Emery's Farewell Tour Banff, (picture gallery here). Sponsored by Hempire Canada Banff
July 7 Marc Emery's Farewell Tour Lethbridge, (picture gallery here). Sponsored by SACC & Bob HQ
July 9 Marc Emery's Farewell Tour Edmonton, (picture gallery here). Sponsored by Edmonton 420
September 12 ExtravaGANJA Medical Cannabis Comedy Tour 2nd annual (picture gallery here).
Sponsors were Bongs and Such, Hemp Roots, Hemporium, KDK Distributors, The Next Level, Skunk Magazine and Treating Yourself Magazine and Broken City Comedy Club.
September 15 CCIC Accredited Cannabinoid Education (ACE) National Lecture Series.
Debbie and Keith Fagin, Rev. Kevin Moore and Grant Cluff received certificates of participation.
September 19 420 Rally For Marc Emery, Saturday prior to the day of sentencing (picture gallery here).
September 30 Community and Protective Services Committee (CPSC) public meeting.
October 4 Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure (picture gallery here).
October 31 420 Halloween Party (picture gallery here).
Sponsors were Bongs and Such, Hemp Roots, Hemporium, KDK Distributors, Skunk Magazine and Treating Yourself Magazine.
November 7 Free Marc Emery Rallies at ALL MP Offices Across Canada (picture gallery here).
December 2 CSSDP No to Bill C-15 Rally U of C (picture gallery here).
December 4 The Calgary Shades ReunionWhite Hat Ceremony at The Ranchman's 4:20 PM.
Calgary was pounded with a heavy snow storm. Keith and Debbie Fagin were stuck in traffic and arrived 40 minutes late. The Ranchman's held back the White Hat Ceremony until we arrived. Tommy Chong, Stand Chong, Floyd Sneed (unable to make it due to snow storm), Dick Bryd (picture gallery here).
December 5 The Calgary Shades Reunion Jam Session (50's diner). Debbie and Keith Fagin and Kelly Chrisite were invited to spend some time with the band one on one. So much history there including Calgary's own Floyd Sneed Three Dog Night drummer for the first 15 years of the bands touring history. I grew up rocking to the likes of Three Dog Night. Due to the large amount of snow The Ranchman's limo could not take the band to the jam session a group of vehicles had to drive them there. Tommy pointed at Keith and said I am going with Keith and Debbie. Floyd Sneed also announced I am going with them too. The Calgary 420 sign was in the back of Debbie's truck and when I opened the back to load the equipment in Tommy said "alright the weed truck". The evening was a huge highlight for me having good times with such amazing people.
December 6 The Calgary Shades Reunion at The Ranchman's.Debbie and Keith Fagin and Kelly Christie arrived early and were directed to a table in the VIP section right close to the stage. When Bongs and Suchand KDK Distributors ariived they joined us close to the stage. An interesting piece of history was Kelly's (KDK Distributors) mother worked with some of tha band members (Tommy Chong etc.) at a Calgary cookie factory when she was 17 years old. Both of Kelly's (KDK Distributors) parents joined us all to enjoy the show. It was real nice to see Calgary 420 included in the Special Thanks on The Calgary Shades web site too. (picture gallery here)
Dec. 17 University of Lethbridge Drug War Repercussions. Keith Fagin was invited to join Dennis Young to speak to University of Lethbridge students. Debbie Fagin, Lisa Kirkman, Rev. Kevin Moore and Tamara made the trip to Lethbridge for the event. Kathy Galbraith form Lethbridge also joined us (picture gallery here).
The above does not include all the other many efforts done for the right fight in 2009. From the new University of Calgary Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapterto the massive stop BIll C-15 campaign letter writing and phone calling by all so many. Many experts appearing before the Senate to testify against Bill C-15 some from the Canadian Cannabis Coalition and all so many more other efforts way to much to list here.
December 30 Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper progued the Canadian Parliament until March 3 / 2010. The belief is this was done to avoid the controversy surrounding Afghan detainees, stack the Canadian Senate with conservatives to gain a majority in the Senate to ram through controversial laws like bIll C-15 and Bill C-6 among others undemocratic and proven to fail laws that will only increase harms directed at Canadian citizens and increase the already huge tax burden all Canadians endure already in these tough economic times.
January 1 / 2010 The good news is Bill C-15 and Bill C-6 are now dead. The bad news is they will be brought back in 2010 by Stephen Harper and with a majority conservative Senate these harmful bills will become law with out being looked at properly by the Senate.
We all must now stand up and speak up louder and in larger numbers to encourage the Liberals, NDP and The Bloc to vote against the newly introduced bills in Parliament before they ever reach the Senate.
See Why Prohibition for updates and actions we all must take to stop Stephen Harper minority conservative government from enacting laws that are not biased on science and facts!
Free Marc Emery
