'Renew your domain name before it expires': Alta. cabinet minister locked out of own website
Alberta’s education minister is locked out of her own website after her domain expired earlier this week.
On Friday the website shifted from displaying content curated by LaGrange and her team to showing messages about how “out of touch” the draft K-6 United Conservative Party curriculum is.
“When referring to the use of technology in Alberta’s new curriculum, Ms. Adriana LaGrange has said that students can code with ‘paper and pen’, but it is obvious that Adriana LaGrange does not understand how technology works,” the homepage read.
“Otherwise, she would not have let her domain name expire. This includes failing to renew the domain during the 41-day grace period.”
The site encouraged Albertans to view the draft curriculum for themselves and participate in a government-run feedback survey about the curriculum.
Shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, LaGrange’s Twitter account no longer featured a link to her previous website domain.
At the bottom of the site, a link asked the “previous owner” of the domain to donate $2,500 to the Science Alberta Foundation Mindfuel charity that helps equip K-12 classrooms with science, technology, engineering, and math learning tools.
The site asked “the previous owner of this domain” to email receipt of the donation after which the new owner of the site would work “to transition the domain back” to LaGrange.
CTV News Edmonton reached out to LaGrange for comment.
Concerned Albertan Todd Willsie, a cyber security consultant and president of Calgary’s Extra Life Guild videogamer group, bought the domain and created the new messages on the site.
“I saw Adriana LaGrange’s profile on Twitter, clicked the website link and saw the domain was available to buy. So I bought it,” he said.
“At that point I just took all the comments I was hearing from friends, family, and coworkers about this curriculum and I saw one specific tweet about how there doesn’t need to be any technology in the classroom.
“I thought that was really ironic and decided to make the site and express all of what my friends and peers have been saying,” he added. “Our curriculum needs to be a bit better.”
The domain costs $70 for a one-year renewal. Willsie said LaGrange has not contacted him about the website.
As someone who works with technology everyday, Willsie said technology “needs” to be in the classroom. He selected the Mindfuel charity because it helps provide technology to educators and students alike.
Willsie said he has only been receiving positive feedback about his website hijack.
“Some people have been saying I am a hero,” Willsie laughed. “I am not, I am just an Albertan.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Former B.C. premier John Horgan dies at 65
Former B.C. premier John Horgan, who helped the provincial NDP return to power after 16 years on the sidelines, has died.
What consumers need to know if Canada Post workers strike ahead of a busy holiday season
Canada's postal workers could walk off the job or the company could lock them out as soon as 12:01 a.m. ET Friday if the union and the company don't reach an agreement. Here are tips for shoppers and businesses.
FAA prohibits U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days after a Florida Spirit flight was shot by gangs
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday that it will prohibit U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days after gangs shot a Spirit Airlines flight.
BREAKING Feds move to end work stoppages at ports, order binding arbitration
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal.
LIVE B.C. teen with first human case of avian influenza in critical condition, Dr. Bonnie Henry says
The teenager who contracted Canada’s first-ever human case of avian influenza is in hospital in critical condition, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said Tuesday.
Ottawa high school principal apologizes for song played during Remembrance Day assembly
The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service. The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board is conducting a "thorough investigation" to ensure it "is addressed appropriately and meaningfully."
Body found in Montreal park identified as cryptocurrency influencer
The body of a man that was found in a park in the Ahunstic-Cartierville borough last month has been identified as cryptocurrency influencer Kevin Mirshahi.
23 arrested after at least 100 shots fired in exchange of gunfire outside Toronto recording studio: police
Police say 23 people are in custody after at least 100 shots were fired in an exchange of gunfire outside a West Queen West recording studio on Monday night.
Black market butter: What's behind the recent string of dairy thefts?
The case of the missing butter remains a mystery, but some have ideas on what's behind the unusual crimes.