Alberta, according to Emelia Kazakawich, is making a splash. The opioid crisis, he said, is killing thousands of citizens. People die in the cold. The health system is overburdened and reactive. But Ms Kazakawich, who is 23 and works with disabled people, has hope for the future. She outlined her vision in a short essay competition held by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. She didn’t expect to win — her essay is progressive, though not partisan — but she didn’t think she’d lose to a party that equated immigration with “cultural suicide” or that promoted giving medals to families with many children, a policy that reflects Hitler’s strategy in Germany. The Alberta government has been under fire for the Her Vision Inspires contest since Monday night, when an NDP MLA called attention to the third-place winner, who warned against using immigration “to replace ourselves,” echoing a white nationalist conspiracy known as the “great replacement.” Ms. Kazakawich posted her lost entry on Twitter on Thursday, revealing her ambitions for the province. “Whether someone is a drug user or prime minister, they deserve access to the same quality of life, health care, food and housing,” he wrote. Ms. Kazakawich provided The Globe and Mail with the confirmation slip she received after entering the pageant on February 10. “To care for those in need, Alberta must take the lead in taxing the wealthy and funding social programs such as women’s shelters, hospitals, pharmacies and supervised consumption sites. A province thrives when its people thrive and Alberta must stop neglecting its people,” Ms. Kazakawich’s essay said. The competition was spearheaded and judged by Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, now Associate Minister for the Status of Women. Parliamentary Secretary for the Status of Women, Jackie Lovely, was also a judge. Both have apologized but, despite daily questions, neither they nor the government have offered any explanation as to how or why third place was chosen. The opposition New Democrats called for the two women to resign. The third-place winner was in line for $200 worth of merchandise from the lawmaker’s gift shop. Ms Kazakawich is using the attention she received to encourage people to donate to Wood’s Homes, a center that provides services and shelter for youth experiencing mental illness. Ms Kazakawich defended the third-placed author, noting that a person has the right to have different opinions. At the same time, she believes it is “scary” to promote ideas like women and men are not equal. “A woman is valuable not only for the ability to be a mother,” Ms. Kazakawich said in an interview. “There are many people whose calling in life is to be a mother. And they are great mothers. But there are other women who don’t want to be mothers.” Ms. Armstrong-Homeniuk launched the competition in February, in her capacity as Alberta’s representative for the Canadian division of Commonwealth Women MPs (CWP). The contest invited women between the ages of 17 and 25 to describe what they would do if they were legislators. Ms Armstrong-Homeniuk was promoted to the cabinet as deputy minister in June. It issued a statement earlier this week explaining that the “judgment process failed” without elaborating. Ms Lovely later confirmed that she was the only other MLA on the jury and also apologised. Their offices have not responded to NDP calls for resignations, nor has Premier Jason Kenney’s office. The government removed the essays from its website on Monday night. Although the competition did not recognize Ms Kazakawich’s work, she received an outpouring of support after her entry was posted online. “I too believe in the Alberta you describe,” Paul Simons, an Alberta senator, said on Twitter. “Even if I can’t present you with an official award, I’d be happy to buy you a coffee and have a chat.” Madame Premier, which sells clothing and merchandise promoting women in politics, offered Ms Kazakawich a $200 gift card. Janis Irwin, the NDP MLA who first drew attention to the winning essays, added: “Hi Emelia, your essay is great and so are you. I’m sorry you lost to this misogynistic, racist bullshit, but you have to know you gave us a lot of hope.” The CWP lists Alberta’s seat on the Canadian steering committee as vacant, a change that took place after the essay controversy erupted. It is unclear whether Ms Armstrong-Homeniuk resigned or was forced out. Savannah Johannsen, her spokeswoman, said Thursday that the minister was already in the process of “transitioning” from the role. We have a weekly Western Canada newsletter written by our BC and Alberta bureau chiefs, providing a comprehensive package of the news you need to know about the region and its position on the issues facing Canada. Sign up today.
