Thoughts on BC Politics and More

Why incels are a 'real and present threat' for Canadians The Fifth Estate / CBC News ~~ Jan 27, 2019 (On Jan 19 th , 2019) a Colorado man named Christopher Cleary took to social media and laid out the plan for an attack that was coming together in his mind ... police tracked him down – en route to a women's march in Utah — before he was able to carry out his plan. But it doesn't always work out that way when men who identify themselves as incels ... incels are an online brotherhood of men who say they are unsuccessful in their romantic attempts with women. A recent count by The Fifth Estate shows at least 60,000 people are active in the three main public incel forums online. CLICK HERE to read the full story   The Fifth Estate has nosedived into tabloid sensationalism. The principle architects of our brave new world, primarily college and university professors, are distraught at the results of their experi...

JANUARY 31, 2019:   The recording and music video “ Kill That Bill ”, by the Alberta Prairie Band, on the Suits and Boots record label, is climbing country music radio charts all across Canada, and is now being heard in every coffee shop, donut shop, repair shop – everywhere.   Soon, with that kind of airplay, those foreign funded, full-rime protesters, will be crying out for peace! The Alberta Prairie Band performing "Kill That Bill" Well that’s likely the hope of Suits and Boots founder Rick Peterson, who is looking for the music video to become a huge hot. “ Obviously, we expect the video will instantly go viral coast-to-coast, and we’re beefing up our website in preparation for the several million hits that it will take ”, stated Peterson. He continued, “ This Grammy-certain new song, ‘Kill That Bill’, will be on every Canadian’s lips by later this afternoon .” While spoken tongue in cheek, there appears to be nothing but serious...

If you follow virtually any Canadian news source, you have likely heard about the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei.  Recently I was asked why there was so much media reporting about Huawei.  The answer is not a simple one. Huawei is a world leading technology company that, among other activities, produces hardware such as servers and other technologies that enable 5G wireless networks. 5G networks enable autonomous vehicles and other automated machinery to operate and is widely considered to be essential for the emerging new digital economy. Although Huawei is not the only company that manufactures 5G devices, it is the most controversial. Currently many of Canada’s allies including the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have all banned Huawei citing security concerns.  Currently other countries, including Canada, are reviewing the status of Huawei. One of the concerns is that a new law in China requires any domestic firm to assist the ...

Today is #BellLetsTalk day across Canada ... For many years I have been impacted by depressions, anxiety and stress – at times the pain has felt unbearable, other times I hardly know it is there.   One way or the other ... it will likely always be there. You, a family member, a friend, a co-worker – someone you know closely – is impacted, and you may be the only one who can make a difference And while you may not experience mental illness first-hand, it is likely that you know someone who has or will have a mental illness. Depression, anxiety, & stress can all be debilitating, & at times deadly for those impacted. These three things are not weakness, they are health issues needing treatment.   They impact real people who don’t need pity --- instead what you can offer is care, compassion, and a place the sufferer feels safe. Today it happens to be voting day at the by-election in Nanaimo – I used that as an opportunity to ...

Suits and Boots is calling on the federal government to shelve controversial Bill C-69 and launch a Royal Commission on Resource Development in Canada.   The call for a Royal Commission comes as the Senate Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources prepares to start its study of Bill C-69 on February 6.   " (It's) the single most important 90-days in Canada's resource sector " - Suits and Boots founder Rick Peterson “ It’s clear from our work and conversations with thousands of Canadians from coast-to-coast that Bill C-69 is simply a non-starter for Canadians from all walks of life ,” said Rick Peterson, an Edmonton-based investment industry executive and Suits and Boots founder. “ This is a wandering, overly ambitious, poorly written piece of legislation that will stall pipeline and other resource projects in the courts and destroy any future investment appetite for Canada’s resource sector ,” he said.   This isn't...

The brave new world of plant-based eating Rita DeMontis ~~ Toronto Sun ~~ January 27, 2019 After years in the making, the new Canada’s Food Guide has exploded on the food scene, much like popcorn in a popper ... there’s a spanking new plate brimming with fruits, veggies … and very little else. Whole grains get to sit in the corner. Traditional protein is an afterthought (I like the visual of 1/4 of an egg – where’s the rest?) ... how is this brave new food guide going to impact on such institutions as soup kitchens and food banks? Oh, no canned meats or fish, please. I haven’t eaten in days yet what do you have back there in the way of a bag of plant-based fill-in-the-blanks. ... if a cow eats only grass, does the beef become a plant-based protein? Interesting concept. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY Another adventure in social engineering, by our federal government, is underway. This time they want to turn us all into low carbon, docile...

I remember years ago (decades actually) when CBC TV ha a news (and that word is being used very loosely) program entitled, This Hour Has Seven Days (THHSD) … a program, the first if its kind in Canada, to pioneer a mix of news, satire and entertainment in the guise of a weekly public affairs program. The show, as I recall, mercilessly skewered everyone --including hapless Canadian politicians -- and was often quoted and referred to during Question Period.  Proving too much for the faint souls of the CBC, they cancelled the popular show after just 2 seasons. While this Sunday features is not the like of, nor unfortunately will it ever be, the ilk of This Hour Has Seven Days … its only similarity is that it will cover the politics of the past week, and at times the stories remembered over the past week, will indeed skewer those politicians who purposely try to bamboozle us. NEVERTHELESS … if YOU have some humour you can share, to be used on Day Seven, please forwar...

Justin Trudeau is warning voters to be wary of fear-mongering about immigration, suggesting the issue will be a hot-button topic during the federal election campaign this fall ... made the prediction Thursday during a town hall meeting in northern New Brunswick ... Trudeau's upbeat tone changed when he suggested the world has become increasingly fearful, insular and anxious about immigration ...   ... people trying to create fear, intolerance and misinformation about immigration across Canada, he said, though he did not name any individuals or groups. CLICK HERE for the full story: Canadians are not, and never have been, fearful of immigrants or immigration.  We are, however, less tolerant of ineptitude and stupidity. Trudeau’s off-the-cuff decision to rush in 40,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, based on seeing a photo of a drowned boy in the newspaper, was a stupid, grandstanding play for a photo opportunity when the ink hadn’t ev...

Artist rendering of the Nanaimo ICU. (Island Health) In November / December of last year I sent a number of emails to media contacts for Vancouver Island Health, as well as another who is well placed in Ministry of Health Communications.   I was looking for information on the November 22 announcement of a new ICU to be built at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.   In particular: I understand the formal request for the new ICU was made to the government in October 2017 -- are you able to elaborate on the process for how this is / was done, and who formally makes the request on behalf of the hospital (or is it Island Health which makes the request)? new government facilities usually have a three to five-year capitol plan created to prepare and develope the project, as well as the time needed for creating the business plan.  Based on this, preparation for the new ICU must have begun several years ago.   If not, are you able to advise when the business and c...

Protocol?   Know Your Place So I was in this movie.    Yes, while Mayor I signed up as an extra in a movie to learn about the economic impact of the movie industry.   I spent a day of waiting for a scene and didn’t learn anything that I didn’t already know, but I satisfied my ego’s need to be able to say for the rest of my life ‘so I was in this movie.’ My scene was a parade to celebrate the dog becoming a duke.   Yes, the dog becomes a duke.   I’ve had a great deal of experience working my way to the front of parades, so that’s how the first take went.   The director was quite upset with me as no one was to be in front of the star – the dog – so for the second and final take I was back in the crowd applauding adoringly for ‘The Duke.’   I needed to know my role; know my place. It is ironic that politicians note the discipline within paramilitary bureaucracies when overseeing police and fire departments but don’t se...

USED WITH PERMISSION : This week, the newly updated Canada Food Guide was released.   The previous guide had been unchanged for 12 years, and so the new food guide takes a very different approach than the previous versions did. Foods are no longer categorized into groups such as ‘dairy’ or ‘meat’ and terms such as ‘beef’ have been replaced by the term ‘protein’. Suggested serving sizes have also been eliminated and instead the guide advises “ notice when you are hungry and when you are full .”   The new guide also recommends more plant based food consumption including an effort to avoid saturated fat, sugars and sodium where possible. Although some disagree with the approach, overall I believe this promotes healthier eating habits. What is new is that guide also makes recommendations on how you should eat and provides some other interesting suggestions. “ Grow, harvest, fish, hunt and prepare food in traditional ways ”, is one such recommendation that may b...

Have you ever heard of the Local Government Leadership Academy, otherwise known as the LGLA?   I hadn’t either until a couple of weeks ago, and so I checked around to find out who, and what, the LGLA was ... better yet, is it important?  It certainly seems so, which is disappointing as I feel confident saying I believe most (nearly all) British Columbians have any idea what it is. One good source of information, on the LGLA, turned out to be right in my own back yard.  Kamloops City Councillor Arjun Singh, actually chairs the Board of the LGLA .  While unsure of when it began (I discovered it was 2005), he told me: “ For many of local government elected officials, when first elected, these sessions have been incredibly helpful to learn about our new roles, and to draw on a province-wide resource of knowledge and expertise .” And indeed, the website for t he   (LGLA) indicates that it is ... a leadership initiative for B...

Growing fears of the economic repercussions of the U.S. government shutdown have led smug Canadians to scoff that it couldn't happen here. But Britain's descent into even greater economic chaos and uncertainty over whether or how to leave Europe offers a timely reminder that the parliamentary system Canada shares with the U.K. is no protection against the poisonous effects of manufactured political anger. It's a warning to Canadian politicians and single-issue advocates that bitterness and division can provide short-term political gain but lead to long-term economic damage. Don Pittis ~~ CBC News ~~ Jan 17, 2019 CLICK HERE for the full CBC News story The ‘sides’ in this story are: (1) central London, home of the financial district ... and young people seeking a career in European nations ... and ... (2) the rest of the United Kingdom where negative impact decrees of the faceless and unaccountable European ...