Does Canada Really Matter in the 21st Century

Arthur Kroeger (far left) with four of the founding members of AKCESS (Arthur Kroeger College Educational Students' Society) at our first event 

l-r Crispin Bottomley, Ryan Androsoff, Kevin Reichstein, Johnathon Larose

Back in 2001, the Arthur Kroeger College Educational Students' Society held their firtst Policy Conference. The theme was ""Does Canada Really Matter in the 21st Century?" 

We set up three groups Politics, Economics and Social and each worte a paper which we presented. We were able to hear comments from Chancellor Kroeger. Later, one of the Carleton Professors at NPSIA wrote a book called "While Canada Slept" if he was to write another chapter to his book (I think we gave him the idea but he didn't give us credit) this editorial by John Ibbitson in the Globe and Mail could easily be substituted for his chapter. Our middle power, peace-broker days are a thing of the past and Mr. Harper putting rookie MP's into junior cabinet positions (Mr. Kent) is evidence that he just doesn't understand Canada in a global sense. Before becoming PM you should have to take some international relations courses. An MA in Economics really doesn't help you that much when it comes to foreign affiars.

I have included the first few lines to peak your interest.

As Obama bestrides the world stage, Canada has nothing to say

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090203.wcoibbi04/BNStory/politics

President Barack Obama arrives on the world stage armed with new approaches to global diplomacy, the environment and, it appears, trade. Never has Canada been less equipped to respond to the American challenge.

A succession of minority governments has left our foreign policy in a shambles and our foreign service paralyzed. On trade, on global warming, on peace in the Middle East, on the emerging Third World powers - on anything that matters, Canada has nothing to say. When we do speak, nobody listens.

To read more about Arthur Kroeger you can read Ryan's Blog @

http://saskprairiefire.blogspot.com/2008/05/in-memoriam-arthur-kroeger.html

Burlington man awarded NOTL Citizen of the Year ... Come on now Chamber/Gary

John Peller was awarded the Citizen of the Year award at the Spirit of Niagara awards ceremony Tuesday by the Niagara-on- the-Lake Chamber of Commerce.

staff photo by Bob Tymczyszyn

I am proud of the accomplishments and contributions of Mr. Peller but I think that he should have declined the award on the basis that he lives in Burlington. The Chamber of Commerce and Lord Mayor need to do a little more looking maybe to find someone who lives in N-O-T-L. Well done with the rest of the awards. Congratulations Ian Mole and Edward Mole on being a part of St.David's success.  

Here is the story from the Standard

http://www.scstandard.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1407372

John Peller presented Citizen of Year award at Spirit of Niagara ceremony

Posted By SAMANTHA CRAGGS Special to the Standard

Updated 2 hours ago

John Peller has travelled across Canada visiting businesses and when he looks at the country’s future, he feels hope.

As past chairman of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Peller saw the good and bad among the nation’s small business issues. But the newly-crowned Citizen of the Year for Niagara-on-the-Lake sees a bright future for the Niagara wine industry and Canada in general.

“There is no country that has greater opportunities for the future than Canada does,” Peller said. “We’ve evolved with a sense of humility and warmly embrace cultures from around the world. We have a strength that’s part of our national identity.”

Peller, 51, president of Andrew Peller Ltd., received the Citizen of the Year honour at the Spirit of Niagara Awards Tuesday.

Held annually by the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce, the awards recognize achievements in business, innovation and volunteerism.

As a board member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Peller has watched the country go from an economic boom to an “obvious crisis,” he said in his speech.

“We went from riding the crest of the largest wave to a time to reflect and a change of direction,” he said.

“It’s amazing how the world has changed in a year.”

Peller was praised for his national Chamber of Commerce work, as well as chairing the Niagara Wine Weekend and Auction, an annual fundraiser that benefits SickKids Foundation and the St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation. The former helps a provincially-significant cause, the latter a local one, he said.

He called the auction “a perfect way for the wine industry to give back.”

“You only get back from the community what you give to it,” he said. “We’re a close group and we’ve been through a lot together. It’s a nice opportunity to celebrate the success we’ve had as an industry.”

Peller lives in Burlington with his wife and three sons. He practised law and worked in food packaging in the U.S. before returning to the family business in 1989.

He worked with his grandfather, Andrew Peller, until the elder Peller’s death in 1994. Andrew Peller immigrated to Canada from Hungary with “nothing in his pocket but hope for the future,” Peller said. “He ended up having the greatest life he could have imagined.”

Peller said he was inspired by his grandfather’s “passion for family and community and business.”

Peller is known for his “amazing business acumen...but he still makes other people, their needs and their goals, a priority,” Lord Mayor Gary Burroughs said. “This man has energy and vision enough for us all.”

Awards:

Chamber of Commerce President’s Award - Friends of Niagara District Secondary School

Peter Ling Award for Entrepreneurial Spirit - Catherine O’Donnell (Willow Cakes and Pastries)

Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Award - Niagara-on-the-Lake Family Health Team

Christopher Newton Award for Extraordinary Vision in Business - John Marynissen

Chamber of Commerce Company of the Year Award - St. Davids Hydroponics Ltd.

Lord Mayor’s Award of Excellence to the Citizen of the Year - John Peller

Here is an interesting look at past budgets...

Look at what happened to this coach...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090127.wvtx_coach_fired0127/VideoStory/VideoLineup/Pick

http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/basketball/coach-sacked-after-texas-massacre/2009/01/28/1232818508453.html

Coach sacked after Texas massacre

Coaching is a thankless task at the best of times. Coaching in Texas is the ultimate hiding to nothing. In most parts of the world, masterminding a 100-0 victory on the basketball court would be a feat that brings praise and adulation, instead he gets fired... He did point out that three years earlier his team lost 86-8.

Parliament is back in session. Let the fun begin.

http://www.gg.ca/media/pho/index_e.asp?GalleryID=385&Sequence=6

You will recall from a previous blog that Parliament was prorogued. We'll they are back in Ottawa, the Speech from the Throne happens at 2EST 12MTN.

Here is a great link if you have the time to watch the recap and inteviews with Chuck Strahl MP, Bob Rae MP and Dominic Leblanc MP on CBC.

http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2009/01/012509_1.html

"Parliament had a six-week "time out", but now our own Canadian political drama is roaring back to life. Will the Conservatives' new budget keep Prime Minister Stephen Harper in power?"

Day 6 --> Peace River, AB to Hay River, NT

Day 6 --> Peace River, AB to Hay River, NT 607 kms

New total = 4,710 kms

The drive from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Vancouver driving through Sault Ste. Marie and Winnipeg would be 4,572 kms. Here is a picture of the fire station in Peace River. I spoke with one of the Fire-EMS officers at the Tim Horton's and he told me that there are 6 full-time ems-firefighters for the town and about 30 volunteers. They run the ambulance service for the town and there is another service for the county.

I left Peace River at about 10AM for the long cold drive north. It was about minus 15 Celsius but was sunny. I dove across the bridge, grabbed a coffee and then just drove. It is only one lane each direction and there were not too many cars and trucks travelling north. I didn't know if I should have taken this as a good or bad sign.

By 2:00 PM I had made it to High Level, AB where I had lunch, bought some more windshield washer fluid and got a spare gas can (not filled yet.) There were even fewer cars travelling north from there in fact the whole trip up to Hay River from that point only had three transport trucks and four private vehicles pass me.

As I came up to Meander Creek which is about 180 kilometers from High Level there was a pickup truck on the side of the road with the front jacked up. I slowly drove past and came to a stop before asking what the situation was. The truck had a flat tire and the spare had "frozen" underneath the truck. (What a great design Detroit.) The gentleman told me that his neighbour has the same truck about 10 kms from our spot. I moved some things in the front seat and did my good duty for the day driving him to Meander Creek.

I carried on towards the NWT border in the dark. When I reached 60 I got out of the car into the cold and took some pictures. The previous time I came to Hay River I was travelling in the Buffalo Airways truck and I think I was asleep as we passed into the Territory. As I came towards Enterprise, I came back into cell phone range and learned that Ian would be up in Yellowknife but I could go to the staff house and visit with some of the pilots there. I made the final turn up to Hay River stopping to take a picture at the welcome sign and then checked into the Ptarmigan Inn so that I could watch the address to the people from Mr. Harper and finally once Mr. Dion got his message to the media his statement. I went to the sports bar at the hotel and then over to the Staff house. While there Gord gave me the news that the ferry had been pulled out at Fort Providence, 4,710 kilometres behind me and now no where to go. I was later called by Ian to tell me that he would be in town tomorrow and we will figure it out from there. I returned to the sports bar to digest the news and to watch the end of the Edmonton hockey game.

Day 5 --> Edmonton to Peace River Alberta

Day 5 --> Edmonton to Peace River Alberta 487 kms.

Total distance travelled so far is now 4,103 kms. To drive from Niagara-on-the-Lake to San Diego would be 4,162 kms. 

After a day of record high temperatures for Alberta (Drumheller was 17c ...) the morning cooled off to just below zero. I headed to the downtown to see the legislature and alog the way I came across a Mountain Equipment Co-op where I bought a couple of things. I also realized that I forgot to pack my snowpants so I will have to get them mailed up to me. I left the store to a light snow which got heavier as the morning went on.

I drove up to the Legislature which is blocked at all entrances by sheriffs and there is no parking nearby. I illegally parked my car, told the security guard I was from Ontario and I have been taking pictures of buildings all across Canada and I would only be a minute. He let me park and then I was on my way. I stopped for lunch at the Telus HQ and gt my phone plan changed (same number I just lowered my data plan as there is no 3G north of Alberta.)

I never realized the depth of the valley that the river in Edmonton is. Driving down a steep grade and then through the valley when it is snowing and there hasn't been any salt or plowing was slow. Message to the Dept. of Highways in Alberta: "Get away from sand and gravel" You people are pathetic put some salt down it would make your province look a lot nicer. Everyone s in a big truck anyways so salt don't sand. The filth of the roads is ridiculous. Another thing is that the ministry should make sure that 18-wheelers have mud/sand flaps.

As I left the city, the snow stopped and there was a divided highway to Valleyview. I drove past Mayerthorpe and got some fuel in Whitecourt. From Valleyview to Peace River is a 2 lane highway I was lucky it was dry but the speed of the logging trucks and others going in the opposite direction nearly blows you off the road. My mom would be proud that I listened to the CBC radio (the only reason is to keep up to date with what is going on in Ottawa)

I made it into Peace River at about 8PM my earliest stop yet as this was only a half day drive to make a half day drive on Wednesday too. I did some e-mailing and telephone calls from the hotel and then went to Boston Pizza for dinner. While I was there I got talking to the owner who blames British Columbia for this mess not Quebec. He said that if they hadn't voted in the number of NDPers then Harper might have got his majority. He and the bartender spoke to the western view that anything west of Ontario doesn't matter to the Liberals and they brought op the old quote "Let the .... freeze in the east." I wonder how Justin Trudeau is felling with all his fathers work to keep the country together. I then took the rest of the night watching news about the "Harpocolypse"

Listening to constitutional experts got me thinking about what it would take to get a few liberals to move over to the other side. There have to be some in that party who are ABD - Anyone But Dion. Please someone tell Mr. Harper to check his facts about the flag. That is going to come back to bite him during question period. I think that the Fiberal-NDPers are going to pull the hansard to see when the Conservatives and Bloc voted together. I don't think that Mr. Layton got that message out over the drama-queen Dion (who really needs to learn to speak in French instead of English) I have also been trying to get the Quebec election angle on this. (from the CBC)

"Marois favours the Liberal-NDP coalition because she said it would help the Bloc get a more favourable equalization deal for Quebec. The Bloc has promised to support the coalition, should it gain power, for at least 18 months. Dumont called the federal crisis "unbelievable, frankly," saying the Bloc could have gained as much for Quebec by pressing Prime Minister Stephen Harper instead of lending a hand to efforts to overthrow him. Dumont also blasted Marois for backing the Bloc deal."

'We can see clearly that this country doesn't work.'

—PQ Leader Pauline Marois

http://www.cbc.ca/news/quebecvotes2008/story/2008/12/02/qv-ottawacrisisfromquebec1202.html

On another chord, what takes the Governor General so long to get back to Canada. We have a fleet of A-320's on standby and she can use one of the Bombarier Global challengers. She must use the same travel agent Jean Chretien used when the King of Jordan died bak in 1999 hen he was skiing with me at Whistler and said that he couldn't make it there in time. (in fact I looked it up and he could have made it there flying on commercial flights) The Governor General's interview in Prague has her looking scared. At this time, I hope that she prorogues Parliament.


Here is a flight I found for her in first class : 9:55 am Depart Prague (PRG)Arrive Ottawa (YOW) 6:24 PM Duration: 14hr 31min connecting through Frankfurt and Washington on United

I heard that Parizeu would comment on the Coalition of the three parties (oops I mean the 18 month agreement of support for the two parties who have less seats than the Conservatives.) Anyone who doesn't believe that the bloc is the ones in the drivers seat are as oblivious as Mr. Dion. The BLOC are not to be trusted.

http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.canoe.com/journaldemontreal/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Djournal%2Bde%2Bmontreal%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rlz%3D1C1GGLS_enCA302CA303

Here is what he said: L'ancien premier ministre Jacques Parizeau a salué sans aucune réserve «la victoire impressionnante» que viennent d'obtenir Gilles Duceppe et le Bloc québécois pour la formation d'un gouvernement de coalition à Ottawa.

The former premier Jacques Parizeau welcomed unreservedly "impressive victory" just to get Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc Quebecois to form a coalition government in Ottawa. In a telephone interview yesterday afternoon, Jacques Parizeau said that "this victory sweeping all the hesitation that Quebeckers can have on the usefulness of the Bloc in Ottawa."

Quebec has obtained, he said, of "tremendous gains" in favor of interest "for its artists, its workers and all those who might be in difficulty facing the economic crisis that threat.

P.S. Gerrard Kennedy just told Mike Duffy he wouldn't put it past Stephen Harper to enact the War Measures Act (unfortunately, Mr. Kennedy it is now called the Emergency Act) and Why is Bill Richardson speaking in Spanish to accept the nomination as Secretary of Commerce.

Day 3 --> Grand Forks, ND to Regina, SK

Day 3 --> Grand Forks, ND to Regina, SK

New total = 2,835 km




Today started with continental breakfast and jumping on to the interstate headed for the Canadian border. Once outside of Grand Forks the speed limit jumps up to 75 mph I thought Michigan was quick. In the hour and a half drive to Manitoba the only license plates were from "Friendly Manitoba." The police must weekends off in the Midwest because I didn’t see any between the middle of Minnesota and Regina, or they are really well disguised as one of the black pickup trucks with Manitoba plates which haven’t been to a car wash in a month that drive always about 15 km over the speed limit.

Just before crossing the border Homeland Security has their exit check stop set up. They wanted to see inside the trunk, I guess they are doing a survey for the auto industry trying to see different packing methods, what makes you qualified to look I into a trunk I don’t quite know. Your/our tax dollars at work, the students at Rigaud must learn this by checking cars going into Ontario at the Quebec border. Crossing the border into Emerson was no problem; the 18 year old at the crossing was most concerned about if I had any repairs or modifications done to the car while I was away.

I got out of the car at the welcome centre to be met with minus 15 weather with the wind chill. It was cold and because I didn't put on my gloves my hands were cold as I took the usual amount of pictures. They put the welcome sign (the one of the "province") on what seemed to be the highest point in the province. It is really as flat as everyone says.

The drive into Winnipeg was busy and wet. I went past the University of Manitoba on my way to the Legislature to see the "Golden Boy." After that I had some lunch before heading towards Brandon. While having lunch I got to read the Winnipeg Sun and the cover is one which Conservatives wouldn’t be happy. In big headlines with a picture of Stephen Harper “FLIP FLOP”

How does the Conservative party let someone like Jim Flarety run the party into the ground? Has Mr. Harper not studied what Jim did to the Harris/Eves reign. Somehow King Stephen let down his guard and the PMO’s office didn’t plan on what the other parties might do. Then the PMO’s office leaks a tape of a conversation that they were not intended to hear possible even though they somehow got included in the conference call. Obviously the Fiberals and (new) democratic party don’t mind getting into a coalition with the BLOC. Gilles Duceppe in cabinet? How can you have the government supported by a party whose raison d’etre is to dissolve the government? As an Ontario implant outside of the province I will have to investigate what western sentiment is to Quebec holding power and getting more and more. With the election happening in Quebec this is going to play into the hands of the PQ? Madness… It wasn’t that Dion and Layton aren’t happy with way the conservatives were handling the economy, it is about two parties that are having financing problems and lower donations than the leading party, the real reason is as Rex Murphy put it, “It is all Politics and no Government” (December 01, 2008 CBC National POV) This is the stuff that political science majors dream of, but we will see if Harper can dissolve parliament for Christmas before the coalition can go to the Governor General. The man who might have become only the second liberal leader not to become Prime Minister might get a chance to occupy 24 Sussex.

By Brandon the gas tank was just above half and it was dark again. The Trans Canada highway has been twinned from Brandon to Regina and is in pretty good condition. A bit of blowing snow when trucks went past I proceeded into Regina and went to the RCMP visitor’s centre and Division HQ. I then drove across town to see the Legislature before heading to a hotel for a night’s rest. This was posted on Monday because I wanted to learn a bit more about the flip flop.