Pawns on a political chessboard.

Paula Simons really hit it out of the park today with her article on the Alberta Hospital shutdown. Invisible fist bump for Paula.

"On average, according to Alberta Health Services's own figures, two mentally ill patients arrive at an Edmonton emergency department every hour. That number will surely grow without Alberta Hospital's beds and services in the mix. Every metro ER will feel the consequences, and so will every shelter. For a provincial government that claims to be committed to ending homelessness and keeping communities safe, the shutdown of most of Alberta Hospital seems a grotesque step backward. Nor could the timing be worse, given that the province is just about to implement long-awaited legislation to make it easier to commit chronic psychiatric patients for care."

Not to sound too 14-year-old here, but "duh."