Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

CATHY MCLEOD -- Canada thirsty for more than a snapshot

How and where do
we proceed from here
There is no question that extra spending was necessary ... by the federal government with the COVID-19 pandemic ... but the lack of a plan for what's next is deeply concerning.


The Finance Minister provided a "fiscal snapshot" to the country last week and the $343-billion deficit forecast is 10 times what was projected before the pandemic.


But more troubling than the out-of-control spending is there is no transition plan in place to help individuals and businesses move forward.


It's essential to redesign some of these programs for economic recovery; the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), for instance, gives people little incentive to try to work if they are going to be cut off by earning over $1,000.


We need a plan, not just a snapshot, from government that helps outline how and where we proceed from here.


WORKING TOGETHER ... “Sweet Stuff”

Spotted at the Kamloops Farmers' Market downtown on Wednesday, long-time vendor Emma Molina shows shoppers her fresh produce, baking and preserves. She and her husband Antonio own Berry Sweet Garden in Kamloops.


Farmers' markets thrive
A great way to support the local economy and glean some fresh produce, baking, art and handmade goods is by visiting one of the farmers' markets in our riding.


Kamloops has two: Wednesdays from 8am to 2pm, and Saturdays from 8:30am to 12:30. Shoppers are asked to "shop, don't stop" to reduce crowding, and urged not to attend if unwell.


New this year to help with social distancing at the Saturday market is online shopping with curbside pickup: www.localline.ca/kamloopsfarmersmarket


Barriere has a market on Thursdays from 10-3 beside Sam's Pizza, Clearwater's is Saturday from 9-noon at Dutch Lake Community Centre, and Sun Peaks' is Sunday from 9:30-1:30.


The South Cariboo Farmers' Market in 100 Mile is on Fridays from 10-1 at Birch and Third, Clinton's is at Hunnies on Sundays from 10-2, and there's one Saturdays from 10-2 at Interlakes Corner on Highway 24.


It's more important than ever to support local, so I encourage people to visit their farmers' market!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nurses Take Job Action After Years of NDP Neglect

Image Credit:  BC Nurses Union BC nurses have reached a breaking point after years of unsafe conditions, rising violence in the workplace and a government that wouldn’t listen. Now they are on the picket line fighting to be heard. Last week, nurses began job action with a 72-hour strike notice, refusing non-essential overtime and stepping back from non-nursing duties. As of Tuesday, they have escalated to picket lines for the first time in decades. This moment was avoidable. It is the result of years of unanswered concerns from the frontline workers who keep our hospitals running. Nurses have been raising the same concerns for years: unsafe staffing levels, rising violence on the job, and a workload no single person should have to carry. None of it is new, and none of it should have taken a strike vote to get the government's attention. "Nurses are exercising their legal right to job action, but it shouldn’t have had to come to this," said Kiel Giddens, MLA for...
Post a Comment
Read more

British Columbians Still Don’t Know Who’s Paying for NDP’s BC Hydro Deal

The NDP is making billion-dollar promises with BC Hydro, but British Columbians still don’t know who will pay the bill. Last week’s memorandum of understanding isn’t what the federal government and the NDP are making it out to be. It’s an admission that the NDP failed to make the long-term investments needed to keep B.C. powered. Now British Columbians have serious questions about the cost and whether BC Hydro ratepayers will end up paying the price. David L. Williams, MLA for Salmon Arm-Shuswap and Shadow Minister for BC Hydro and Electrical Energy Development , said British Columbians deserve clear answers about the full implications of the Canada–British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. “British Columbians deserve the full truth,” said Mr. Williams. “This multi-billion-dollar announcement does not answer who pays for cost overruns, who pays for new generation, who carries the risk if industrial customers do not materialize, or whether ratepayers will be forced ...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more