As a Calgarian I know that all Calgarians will benefit from the timely completion of the ring road. I can also say that most Calgarians don’t want to see families relocated from their neighborhood or our natural parks destroyed, and that is why it is so important for these talks to continue in order to achieve the right solution for our city.

I want to thank the Tsuu T’ina First Nation for their cooperation, and I want to thank the many Calgarians who spoke up and voiced their concerns to the provincial government. Like the fight for the airport tunnel, this shows that we can get things done if we work together.

Darshan

The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-McCall.

1:40 Opiate Drug Doda

Mr. Kang: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my constituency of
Calgary-McCall there is growing concern over a harmful and
addictive substance called doda. Doda is created by grinding up
dried poppies into a fine powder, then using that powder, rich in
opiates, to make tea. This addictive concoction is growing in
popularity in the East Asian and South Asian communities in
Calgary, especiallyamong blue-collar workers such as taxi and truck
drivers and factory workers. Members of my community and even
members of the Calgary Police Service have asked me to remind the
members of this Assembly and, indeed, all Albertans of the seriousness
of this issue. I want to thank the ministers of Justice and Health and the
Solicitor General for their written responses to me regarding this
issue. Their letters helped clarify why doda currently exists in a
legal grey area, as the powder must be tested for opiate levels each
time it is seized by police. Sometimes the opiate levels are too low
to lay charges, but what about traffickers offering stronger doda?
Surely such concentrations are out there on the streets.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I urge citizens and the government to
remain vigilant. Any substance derived from the opium poppy
presents health risks not only to the users but to the people around
them, particularlywhen we are talking about people operating motor
vehicles. And, of course, there are the serious consequences, both
personal and cultural, of this addiction.

Drugs destroy lives, communities, and families. I urge my fellow
citizens to shun doda and all other illegal substances, if not for
themselves then for the sake of their loved ones.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, my constituents and I are very concerned about the Calgary Airport Authority’s plan to construct a fourth runway.

We understand that the new runway is needed to serve Calgary’s growing population, but we are opposed to how the Authority’s plan will segregate northeast Calgary from the airport. To construct the new runway, the city must close down Barlow Trail north of McKnight Boulevard. This will sever the northeast from the only link it has to the Calgary International Airport.

Worse yet, there are no plans to build a new link between the northeast and the airport, despite the fact that the northeast is the city’s fastest growing quadrant. Through the airport, the northeast is Calgary’s gateway to the entire world. To maintain this position the city needs adequate transportation infrastructure.

To address this issue, my constituents have proposed that a tunnel be built under the new runway.

The tunnel has been endorsed not only by the communities in my riding, but by the City of Calgary and by communities in the ridings of Calgary Cross, Calgary East, Calgary North Hill and Calgary Montrose, whose members are seated on the government benches.

I am sure that communities in other ridings of members opposite will also agree.

Mr. Speaker this transportation artery is necessary to maintain the economic vitality of the whole city of Calgary. While there is a small price to pay for the construction of such a tunnel, the price of doing nothing is much higher. Without this link to the airport, Calgarians will see more pink slips, more business closures, a worsening quality of life for their families, and continuous transportation delays.

This administration should accept the recommendations of Calgarians and fund the tunnel. It’s the right thing to do for Calgary’s future prosperity.