The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario stands a pretty good chance of winning the next provincial election in the fall of 2011. It’s relatively new leader, Tim Hudak, will therefore be Premier. Continue reading
Government
Parliament Passes First Reading of a Bill to Amend the Firearms Act
If you know the woods, you likely also know deer hunting season is a good time to stay out of them. I was tempted to put on my bright red toque and cut some firewood anyway last week, the weather being ideal and all, but thought better of it. No matter what, I certainly wouldn’t have taken the dogs with me, especially after what I saw Thursday of that week. Continue reading
It’s business as usual on Conservative AM radio in the United States
The FM function on my car radio hasn’t been working lately, so to while away the hours as I drive to and from visits to family in the deep south of Ontario, I am reduced to searching the AM dial. In the dark of night, when the stars are out and the radio airwaves are bouncing madly off the upper atmosphere, this can be a scary thing.
Pressing the “seek” button leads to the breathlessly frantic intonations of a preacher from the Bible belt warning anyone listening the day of judgement will soon be upon us, so “get ready.” I fear he may be right, though not in the way he means it. The signal fades, a sports talk and phone-in show takes over and I’m listening to someone’s opinion about A-Rod’s recently admitted steroid use, and the latest off-boards exploits of Kobe Bryant. Apparently he’s a surprisingly good dancer for a big man. Continue reading
What’s it all about Stephen?
The good news is Stephen Harper did not win a majority. The bad news is we may never know what scary things were lurking behind the carefully wrapped and controlled Conservative campaign, from Harper’s new, warm and fuzzy blue-sweater image, to the national-stage muzzling of just about everyone else in the one-man show masquerading as a political party. Continue reading
I Will Eat No More Politicians for Breakfast
I think I’m supposed to be writing about municipal politics and the upcoming municipal election, less than a month away now. But you know what, I feel as much like doing that as eating a mayor for breakfast. Continue reading
Freedom of the Press, or where do I go to salute?
As my millions of faithful readers will know by now, Meaford has a special place in my heart: I’ve talked to the Bighead River in the intimacy of night, enjoyed great fish and chips, and sung Karaoke there for the first time in my life. Continue reading
Aboriginal Commercial Fishers
There’s nothing like the annual Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular, in its present format at least, to highlight the polarized tribal nature of race relations in Owen Sound-Grey-Bruce. The Caledonia situation, with its at times irresponsible behaviour on both sides has no doubt done great harm to relations between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in that area and the country generally. No such angry, violent and otherwise unpleasant confrontations happened in Owen Sound during the recent Salmon Spectacular, attended, as this newspaper reported, by “thousands” of sports fishers and their families from here and far away. Continue reading
Municipal Conflict of Interest An Important Matter
I was going to write about municipal conflict of interest this week, you know, with what’s happening in the Town of South Bruce Peninsula and all, because of Mayor Carl Noble’s financial interest in wind energy through a small energy company with a test wind turbine on his farm property near Mar. And then there’s his strong support for wind energy in general and specifically for another company’s controversial plan to develop a wind energy farm near Kincardine. Continue reading
Too Many Questions about the Wiarton District High School Property
Where do you get most of your information about events in your world in a way that helps make it understandable? These days a growing number of people would likely include the Internet in the answer. Yes, indeed you can find a wealth of information on the Internet about just about anything. But I find myself wondering again if people realize what an important role the news media plays in their lives and the life of a democratic society, especially where the actions of government are involved. You have a right to know what’s going on, and the reasons why. Continue reading
Sale of the Wiarton District High School Properties
I have a confession. I ran into some sort of a wall this week after a quest for information about the sale of the Wiarton District High School properties from the Bluewater District School Board to the Town of South Bruce Peninsula, and town council’s acceptance in principle of a bid from one of its members to purchase the same properties for considerably less than the town is paying. Continue reading
Finding Hope Ness 