DAY SEVEN … this was the week ending February 15th

What a week this has been!!  It was one which was mainly centered around hard-working British Columbians – and Canadians – being forced to watch as our economy ground slowly to a halt … where people couldn’t get home to their families due to transportation disruptions … where individuals were given free rein to mount illegal protests … and where the Canadian flag was disrespected …

It was disgusting to watch – and to listen to – as BC and federal governments failed to act in the best interests of the Canadians. It was one that I hope not to see again, but that I have little hope will in fact be reality.

This is the week that was February 9^th to 15^th, and here are the stories and commentaries that caught your attention the most …

#10)  PEATS: Liberals are stuck, and would rather sacrifice the economy and the common citizen, while they "virtue signal" the rest of the population stating how "important" it is to talk (February 15^th)

... and everyone knows the game ... leaving those not in government, or protesting, rightly upset that a handful of people have been able to hold the rest of the country hostage because of Liberal ideation. And the lesson learned for the protesters?  They can do want they want, and there will be little to no consequences …

#9)  KING: You made a choice to break the law and, as such, you are eligible for all the consequences that breaking the law entails (February 13^th)

… let’s use an exaggeration to make my point. Were I to hit a gentleman over the head with a ball peen hammer, and claim it is a protected form of protest, the police and the courts would make short work of my claims; I would go to prison …

#8)  ALBAS -- A cement factory in Quebec that will emit between 1.8 and 2.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year was given an exemption from an environmental review (February 12^th)

… supporters of the project believe serious harm will occur, with the relationship between Alberta and the Federal Government, that could threaten national unity … it should also be recognized that major GHG emitting projects have not been treated equally by this Liberal Government across Canada …

#7)  FORSETH: Given all that, it scares me then when I hear Premier John Horgan say, ‘We’re going to continue the work we started two and a half years ago’ (February 12^th)

… are the people of BC more prepared to face the challenges of today and tomorrow, because they have a government that is a partner in their future? Given the floundering state of the BC forest industry ... a lack of new mine start-ups in over two years ... declining exports from our manufacturers ... ballooning infrastructure costs ... ever increasing debts ... and increases in part-time, rather than full-time jobs ... I for one would say ‘no’ ...

#6)  FORSETH: On National Flag of Canada Day, all I see is our rich history and a promise of a bright future -- created by the blood and sweat of those who came before us -- being torn down and destroyed (February 15^th)

… seeing our national flag being disrespected, scrawled on, and hanging upside down however isn’t the symbol Canadians, for the most part, have any wish to see ...

#5)  REDIES:  Stunningly, we have both the provincial NDP and the Federal government missing in action and seemingly unwilling to ensure the rule of law is enforced (February 14^th)

… yes, we are hard working but it has always been our world class, environmentally leading natural resource industries that have led the way to us having a standard of living second to none by most measurements. We can’t forget that ...

#4)  STEWART: It now appears that two branches of the BC government are being impelled toward some type of collision … benefiting only those seeking to thwart the pipeline project (February 10^th)

… the Unist'ot'en site in a remote location near Smithers is the eye of the storm in a heavily publicized dispute involving contested claims about which members of the Wet’suwet'en Nation have the right to negotiate with governments and industry … 20 First Nations are supportive of the Coastal Gas Link pipeline, a number of individuals do not support it, claiming their hereditary authority supersedes that of ordinary Wet’suwet'en members …

#3)  FELDSTED: The protesters are the essence of spoiled brats … demanding, despotic, discontent, ill mannered, unsatisfied and useless (February 13^th)

… we are not entitled to a public platform to express our views. If many of us want to get together and hold a parade to express our common views, we apply for permit and obey regulations to hold our parade. Holding an impromptu ‘protest’ on busy streets during rush hour is not ‘peaceful protest’ …

#2) FORSETH: Protesters are blockading the road, and yet someone trying to remove the blockade gets arrested for ‘obstruction?  How does that make any sense? (February 11^th)

… what of the disruptions?  What of the inconvenience being caused?  What of the possible, or potential illegality?  For how long can, or should, they be tolerated? What more can governments at all levels do with regards to consultations with First Nations peoples? …

And now we come to the number one commentary of the week, and surprisingly, it doesn’t have anything to do with blockades and protests.  Instead, it concerns jobs and employment for the people of BC …

#1)  BOLIN: The lowest un-employment?  Only if Mungall qualifies her comments by acknowledging, as StatsCan noted, people simply gave up looking for work  (February 10^th)

… BC should be a global leader in exports of our natural resources … unfortunately, what the BC NDP fails to understand is that for every industry job created and filled, there is a matching retail job equivalent, meaning jobs for all British Columbians …

We’ll be back once again tomorrow to share the thoughts and ideas of our writers, and guest writers – I’ll hope you’ll join us then.  In the meantime, p[lease take a moment to let others know about this blog-site so we can share these commentaries to an even wider audience.
Take care … and enjoy the rest of your day … Alan