Premier Danielle Smith and Justice Minister Mickey Amery talk about information related to the fall referendum on April 23. Photo by Greg Southam /Postmedia

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I have seen the ballot for the Oct. 19 referendum. I have read the 10 questions several times. I have found each one of them to be misleading or highly biased.

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There are a few rules that all pollsters know about how to ask unbiased questions. These referendum questions break every single one of these rules: leading, loaded, double- or triple-barrelled (asking more than one thing with one question), unbalanced (more favourable wording on one side of the scale) and ambiguous wording.

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I believe this could be a valid reason to cancel this referendum as it now stands. I understand that Elections Alberta cannot take this step on its own; the Alberta government must take responsibility for the validity and fairness of the referendum questions it puts out to the public. Will they do this?

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G.A. Teske, Sherwood Park

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Epcor has recently stated that the flooding of major roadways in the city were due to overloads in the storm system. While remedial upgrades have occurred with wet and dry ponds, flooding still occurs.

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Could infill be guilty over some of the overload? A typical infill property is 10 x 30 metres (300 square metres). With Edmonton’s 500-mm rainfall in June and July, this makes 150 square metres of rainfall on a typical infill lot. With all trees and green space removed, all this water must go to the storm system.  Multiply that by the number of infill lots, and it doesn’t take a genius to see the problem with surcharged storm lines.

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Worse yet is the inner core that still has a combined sewer system. All that water then goes to the Gold Bar treatment plant, causing overloads there that result in partially treated water going into the river. Politicians have to wake up and see the problems that they alone are creating.

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Bob Acker, Edmonton

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Letters welcome

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