All I want for Christmas is Ryan Tanner’s phone number
By Lethbridge Herald on December 19, 2025.
Scott Sakatch
Herald Editor
This past Wednesday marked three weeks since the recall petition for Lethbridge East MLA Nathan Neudorf was approved by Elections Alberta, and nine days since I wrote a column specifically calling out petition “organizer” Ryan Tanner to come forward and own up to the fact that he’d been actively ignoring dozens of people who want to get involved in the effort.
And as of today, it’s been a week since the Herald published a story about two would-be organizers who met with “Westside Mike” at a local Tim Horton’s and heard him say that he’d gotten his recall paperwork from Neudorf’s office. The story was a response to questions and allegations that have been swirling all over local social media for almost a month. Many of those allegations suggest that the recall is a sham, specifically designed to undermine any legitimate effort to recall Neudorf. As a result, the petition will reach its Feb. 23 deadline without a single signature from a Lethbridge East resident. If that happens, Neudorf will be safe from recall until after the next election.
Neudorf has publicly denied any connection with the recall. But despite the Herald’s best efforts, we’ve not been able to reach Tanner or the person we believe to be “Westside Mike,” whom I won’t name here. The reason we can’t identify him is because we can’t reach him to either confirm or deny the swirling questions, rumours and allegations.
That sound you hear is crickets, all but drowned out by the clock ticking down toward the recall petition deadline.
Now, obviously I’m not going to suggest that every single person in southern Alberta reads the Herald on a regular basis, which means I should give Tanner and “Mike” the benefit of the doubt that they may not know the Herald (and I’m sure the rest of the media in Alberta) are looking for them.
But I am going to suggest, quite strongly, that it’s virtually impossible to believe that not one single person associated with either gentleman has seen anything in the news media, or on Facebook, or Twitter, or Reddit about the recall and said “Hey, maybe you should come forward and explain what the hell is going on.”
In addition to being physically absent, Tanner is a virtual ghost online, while “Mike” has an extremely limited online presence. That’s their right if they’re simply private citizens going about their lives. But it’s unethical in the extreme to undertake something as public as a recall petition and then disappear, especially given the fact that this is a one-shot opportunity.
In my last column, I said I wouldn’t suggest that anything dubious was going in with the recall. That was then; this is now, and I’m absolutely suggesting exactly that. This whole situation stinks like week-old fish. Conveniently for Ryan Tanner, Elections Alberta is unable, by law, to speak about the recall because it’s currently being reviewed thanks to the sheer number of people who’ve complained about it.
But speaking for myself and literally dozens of others whom I’ve spoken with over the past three weeks, I’m done trying to give the benefit of the doubt anymore. My last column was a suggestion that Tanner come forward to explain what was going on; this time I’m flat-out challenging anyone who knows him to call him out on this nonsense and demand that he answer the many questions that have been festering since Nov. 25.
He doesn’t necessarily have to speak to me, or anyone else at the Herald, but he does need to publicly answer for what’s happening (or not happening, as the case may be). Whatever form that takes doesn’t matter – what matters is that he stops playing the voters of Lethbridge East for fools.
This is also a challenge to both of Lethbridge’s MLAs to come forward, on the record, and publicly discuss this unacceptable situation. As I’ve said before, this is democracy denied, and that’s something we, the citizens of Lethbridge and Alberta, can’t ignore.
13-12
Good journalism, Editor Sakatch.
I have been wondering if the failed MLA candidate for Lethbridge West, Torry Tanner, is related to Ryan Tanner? Maybe he will talk?
We are lucky to have you at the helm doing this kind of local journalism! Keep up the pressure!
It is a rare thing and so appreciated. The UCP has got to be removed from power. They are so bad.
I agree that the alleged participants silence in this fake recall petition suggests guilt. Neudorf’s carefully worded denial does not preclude his indirect involvement and does not exclude his office staff involvement.
It appears the Lethbridge Herald now is trying to lead the charge for the NDP in this insurrection against a democratically, legally elected official who didn’t do anything wrong. All MLA’s should be recalled for the reasons they already are accused of. All NDP and all UCP! Trust the NDP to make a mockery of democracy and our election system!
Far from ethical journalism and the Herald will soon find out that they will lose a large part of consumers since they fail to understand they are in a long time Conservative region! Sad to see it run into the ground due its politically biased actions!
More evidence the Herald is the NDP propaganda machine, just like Hamas used the Associated Press in Gaza to spread its disinformation.
The poor little insurrections who abused legislature so that the law abiding citizens could recall a true slaggard MLA now screams fowl because someone else is not respecting the process.
That is hilarious! The cultural Markist NDP socialists abuse legislation, but demand someone that for one reason or another isn’t performing the recall the way they want it, want to once again circumvent laws!
This just keeps on getting better and better! The Cancel Culture is all about me and me and me and who cares about you!
I am not sure whether your comment is satire? I am assuming it must be, otherwise it could be construed as facile and hypocritical.
You do realize that the recall legislation was passed by the UCP, lol? Enshrined in law by the current government. How do you know Dorf didn’t do anything wrong? Evidence points to people in his office, and he has refused to make a meaningful comment. All he has to say is, “I didn’t know anyone was going to start a fake recall, and my Constituency Manager is in no way involved.”
Blaming the NDP is puerile and ridiculous. I am a conservative centrist, and find the MLA’s lack of transparency gross.
Comparing the Herald and local residents who want to sign a recall with Hamas is a false equivalency, and disgusting. For shame.
If you want to call people Marxists, you might want to spell it correctly (not: The cultural Markist NDP socialists). It will add to your credibility, and people won’t laughingly dismiss what you have to say.
The comparison to Hamas using the AP is completely appropriate because it shows how a once reputatable organization can quickly be sunk into the abyss by scrutiny, assessment. It has become apparent the editor has not left his political experiences from the past in the rearview, as he consistly attacks the UCP and even his bias reflects in the poll questions.
It shows that he is fixated on attacking one political party!
You state the recall was brought forward by the UCP, and it was Kenney, but it was meant for reasonable, respectful and law abiding citizens to have a way to recall truly delinquent MLA’s who are not performing their duties.
Shannon Phillips rightly fell into that category the last year of her duties in Lethbridge as the MLA West member.
There is clearly an abuse of this legislature, one that has put a dark cloud over the taxpayer for next year, as we will be forced into another election because the NDP, the ATA and a specific special interest group, have collaborated together over the last year to bring down the UCP government, with zero respect for the taxpayer, which is now on the hool for over $24 million just for the recalls, and an early election which will cost another $35 million!
All so the NDP can take over government! A truly socialist method of gaining control: text book.
it is an insurrection and the Herald is in partner by it’s bias reporting and letters of opinion and it is time we exercised our own democratic right and filed a complaint with the National NewsMedia Council.
I don’t care if I get a bunch of – hits on my comment. I don’t live for likes or dislikes, only for what is right so we do not become another socialist, communist country.
The academics and media have helped fuel this attack on our freedoms and they fail to recognize the foreign influences to divide and destroy our nation.
Age old psy-ops methods include using unrest on campuses, media, disinformation to create confusion and many other tactics, all of which are deployed and active in our province. The intent is to divide and weaken a country without using military actions.
I have never witnessed a political party in the 60 years of my life ever act to openly and aggressively, in fact desparately, to bring down a democratically elected government! NEVER!
No respect of the taxpayer as long as you bring down the government at any cost! No wonder the world is facing another world war!
Not much point even carrying this conversation any further!
It’s a problem when any Party tries to legislate ideology (social engineering) or political advantage (gerrymandering, pretence of democracy, etc ).
yes, this has issue kind of does have the gaza situation lies written all over it…just like getting the trump and netanyahoo lying spin on war crimes and crimes against humanity over which each needs to be tried.
trump himself has all but publicly admitted his guilt, simply by demanding carte blanche immunity for himself and his pathetic nasty administration, or else he will sanction icc folk. how on earth do americans continue to accept these clowns?
Rather than publicly embarrassing and shaming yourself, you might want to consider educating yourself about democracy, the dangers history reveals regarding extreme partisanship, and the factual events continually arising in the Israel/Palestine conflict. More importantly, as someone has already pointed out, do educate yourself vis a vis the origination of recall legislation in this province.
https://www.972mag.com/
I am very aware of extreme partisanship. I have a front row seat to watching UCP sycophants & boot-lickers allow this corrupt government to frolic in the pork-barrel, while they do nothing because they have the word ‘conservative’ in their name. This is the most autocratic and unaccountable government we have had in this province.
And anyone who seriously thinks the Palestine conflict is in anyway equivalent to anything happening in our province needs to give their head a shake.
I did not take issue with you. Please note that my comment was in response to Say What.
Your reference to Hamas is , even by your troll-like standards , bordering on shameful . Crawl back under your rickety bridge and pass the cold weather sleeping, oblivious to the real world. Actually, maintain that stasis permanently!
this is a breath of fresh air when it comes to journalism. a real person investigating a real issue, trying to determine if there is even a real person named ryan tanner in town.
next up, maybe neudorf will actually point blank deny he knows what is going on, and does not know not just the name ryan tanner, but does not know who actually holds the reigns on this petition…rather than default to cliched, evasive phrasing, which actually presents him as being more a liar than not.
finally, may we get an answer from elections alberta as to where is this petition, and whom it is that holds it? surely, they have that information – they must have vetted the most basic things such as confirming the person exists and lives at a particular address in our riding. or, is elections each of merely a ucp puppet, and a dufus body that has no understanding of what it is to be independent of govt and a rigorous body.
Some investigor. lol. Took less than 30 seconds to learn everything I needed to know about Ryan Tanner. Another hit piece by the so called editor pretending neutrality.
well please share the details.
Do the research yourself.