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

SHANNON AINSLIE: I have opinions, like everyone else, but hesitate to throw my hat in the ring with those savvy folks who have been politically engaged for decades

IMAGE CREDIT:  Scholars Portal

I didn't grow up with politics. Unlike so many Canadian families, my family didn't debate political issues around the supper table, it was more about the Canuck's latest loss and which child was hiding peas in their napkin. 

Consequently when I left high school, political jargon was foreign, social studies was my toughest subject, and I'd taken zero part in municipal, provincial or federal political movements. 

I went into forestry. First college and then years spent in the bush learning more about communal living, teamwork, and after drawing the short straw, how to build shitters. 

Eventually I had to come back to society to raise a daughter which I wasn't very good at and try to figure out how to be a 'school mom.' Instead of doing homework every night we were doing crazy eights in the snow in the backyard on a Baha Minibike.

I kept up the  writing I'd done my whole life, had a blog, did a column for Castanet and wrote some articles for my current company.

I'm still daft when it comes to all levels of politics, and worse, afraid to ask questions a person my age should know the answers to. I have opinions, like everyone else, but hesitate to throw my hat in the ring with those savvy folks who have been politically engaged for decades. 

Sitting here now, I wonder how many others feel this way? 

How important it is to learn, engage and take part in the future of our communities, provinces and country despite our age and where we're starting from?

Living in a democratic society, we voters have the collective privilege and power to influence the direction our communities go. 

We have an opportunity to advocate for our beliefs and keep our leaders transparent and accountable. 

Maybe putting self doubt aside, and taking the time to understand politics, is less of a choice and more of responsibility.

So I'll conclude by saying, "Starting now is better than not participating at all."



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC’s Forestry Decline Is a Policy Failure, Not a Market Reality -- Forestry Critic Calls for Accountability and Urgent Policy Reset

Conservative Party of BC Forestry Critic, and Kamloops - North Thompson MLA,  Ward Stamer As the Truck Loggers Association convention begins today, BC Conservative Forestry Critic Ward Stamer says British Columbia’s forestry crisis is the result of government mismanagement, not market forces, and that an urgent policy reset is needed to restore certainty, sustainability, and accountability. “For generations, forestry supported families and communities across BC,” said Stamer.  “Today, mills are closing, contractors are parking equipment, and families are being forced to leave home, not because the resource is gone, but because policy has failed.” Government data shows timber shipment values dropped by more than half a billion dollars in the past year, with harvest levels falling by roughly 50 per cent in just four years. At the same time, prolonged permitting timelines, unreliable fibre access, outdated forest inventories, and rising costs have made long-term planning impossib...
Post a Comment
Read more

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stamer: Hope for Forestry Completely Shattered After Another Provincial Review Driven by DRIPA

IMAGE CREDIT:  Provincial Forestry Advisory Council Conservative Critic for Forests Ward Stamer says the final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council confirms the worst fears of forestry workers and communities; instead of addressing the real issues driving mill closures and job losses, the NDP has produced a report that ignores industry realities and doubles down on governance restructuring. Despite years of warnings from forestry workers, contractors, and industry organizations about permitting delays, regulatory costs, fibre access, and the failure of BC Timber Sales, the PFAC report offers no urgency, no timelines, and no concrete action to stop the ongoing decline of the sector. “ This report completely shatters any remaining hope that the government is serious about saving forestry ,” said Stamer.  “ We didn’t need another study to tell us what industry has been saying for years. While mills close and workers lose their livelihoods, the NDP is focused on re...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more