About this episode
Mayor Shannon Dean joins Stephen Jeffrey for a wide-ranging September 2 conversation about construction, traffic safety and the responsibility residents have—both on Chestermere’s roads and behind their keyboards.
The mayor provides an update on utility work near the Rainbow Road south bridge, addresses misinformation about the closure and discusses the broader need for safer transportation routes as Chestermere and the surrounding region continue to grow.
The conversation then turns to the anonymous racist comments posted online following Muslim Fest. Mayor Dean draws a firm distinction between raising legitimate concerns about possible criminal activity, bylaw violations or community events and using those concerns as an excuse for racism.
He explains that anonymous accounts are still operated by real people—and their words affect real residents. He also discusses council’s efforts to encourage greater accountability online and reflects on society’s growing tendency to treat disagreement as a reason to dislike or dehumanize someone.
It is a direct and deeply personal conversation about racism, anonymous “keyboard warriors,” freedom of expression and the kind of community Chestermere chooses to become.