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libSome Grade 5 students have some advice for Prime Minister Stephen Harper: Stop the mean, personal attack ads against Justin Trudeau. Maybe he should hire them as his new Chief of Staff?Fri 8:46 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound- libAnd the Twitterverse responds to the Duffy scandal with a new hashtag....‘If I had $90,000?: Twitter users lambaste Mike Duffy in the tune of a Barenaked Ladies song | Canad
May 16, 2013 5:45 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound - libI can't help feeling that there's a double standard in politics. If Liberals had been guilty of a fraction of the misdeeds of the Harper crew, we'd have been chased out of office. In fact, history suggests we would have kicked OURSELVES out of office. I can't understand why rank-and-file Conservatives haven't come to the defense of their Party. No one ever apologizes in the Harper team; they just cover and spin. Where are the Bob Stanfield Conservatives? Are they all gone?May 16, 2013 5:34 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libGreat day for a drive! Went out to Massie for the United Church flower sale. It's always on Mother's Day weekend. I picked up some red, white and pink geraniums.May 11, 2013 10:46 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libAs a courtesy to me as the Bruce Grey Owen Sound riding captain, Justin Trudeau signed a pair of boxing gloves! We'll be auctioning them off soon. Stay tuned!May 11, 2013 10:01 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- lib"Real men don't fight with attack ads"May 06, 2013 10:02 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
April
- libApr 26, 2013 5:43 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libWhew! Well it's a good thing the anti-terror bill got onto the table when it did, huh? Unbelievable timing. Really, seriously unbelievable. And what a coincidence that it bumped the Liberal Opposition Day motion long enough for Scheer to make a ruling that (sorta) helped Harper save face after he backed himself into a corner on MP rights.... Gosh. For a guy who's supposedly "in over his head", Justin took exactly five days to get Harper on the ropes. Gotta be careful on these diversionary tactics though. Remember what happened when they burned the Reichstag.Apr 24, 2013 6:56 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libOn this day... Remembering when we had a Prime Minister, Lester B Pearson, who won the Nobel Peace Prize - and who in fact created the concept of peacekeepers as a means of defusing the Suez Crisis. Happy birthday, Mike!Apr 23, 2013 6:57 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libAn achievement that all treaty people should celebrate. Congratulations to both our Chiefs: Chief Randy Kahgee and Chief Scott Lee!Apr 23, 2013 6:57 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libTo celebrate Earth Day, Kairos asks for support in their work for ecological justice. Our waters. Our life.Apr 22, 2013 1:50 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libJoin us for a great evening with Laura Robinson: author, athlete and journalist. Only $20 admission for a thoughtful and fun evening at the Stone Tree (south of Owen Sound). Finger foods and cash bar. This event sponsored by the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Women's Liberal Commission, in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts and the Writers' Union of Canada. You can message me for tickets or call Pat at 519-376-1542.Apr 19, 2013 7:05 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libGlen Pearson - one of the people I admire most in the political sphere - explains why some people put down the tools and comforts of their everyday lives to wade into the battle, endure the slurs, challenge the obstacles, and try to keep the faith.Apr 18, 2013 6:20 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libFor those of you who haven't seen this: a teacher's photograph of the little boy, Martin Richard, who died in the Boston Marathon tragedy yesterday. I can't bring myself to follow the gruesome coverage of the attack. But Martin's wonderful message needs to be shared.Apr 16, 2013 2:18 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libAs Justin said on Sunday, let's hope that Liberals - and Canadians - can rediscover their "sunny ways". Put an end to mean-spirited and divisive politics. Or "childish, food-fight" tactics like the current Con attack ads.Apr 16, 2013 12:18 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libTook all day yesterday to get home from Ottawa - and had to drive straight to the sugarbush and pull on my rubber boots to help bottle another 100+ pints of maple syrup. But reflecting today on the weekend's victory: for Justin, for the Party, for Canada. Sweeter than maple syrup.Apr 16, 2013 9:09 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- lib"Economically dumb. And immoral".Apr 08, 2013 10:46 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libSomeone reminded me of this great "Rick rant" this weekend. Share if you're a drinker....Apr 08, 2013 9:22 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libKevin Page is one of our heroes of democracy. I thought this was a great story from a man who kept a steady hand on the truth... through some challenging circumstances. Wouldn't it be great to have him as our next Finance Minister?Kevin Page: Why being Canada’s first parliamentary budget officer ‘may have saved my life’ | Toronto
Apr 05, 2013 8:25 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound - lib"Shutting down vital world-renowned research done in the arctic at PEARL and with our water at the ELA (which cost peanuts). Muzzling scientists and cutting over 200 people from Environment Canada. Removing protections from our rivers, lakes, streams and oceans. Becoming the first nation to formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on the environment. Becoming the first nation to withdraw from the Convention on Drought. 193 nations and the European Union believe this program has value in trying to prevent drought and its fallout, which includes malnourishment, child malnutrition and problems with cross-border refugees. This is not about austerity! (Millions upon millions are being spent on propaganda advertising like the Action Plan ads). Is this who we are? Is this what you want?"Apr 05, 2013 4:55 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
March
- libFostering fear. Wonder what happens if you speak out against this government? Look up a few names: Linda Keen (Nuclear Safety Commission) Richard Colvin (Foreign Affairs; Afghan detainee issue) Peter Tinsley (Military police complaints commission) Paul Kennedy (RCMP complaints) Remy Beauregard (Rights and Democracy) Munir Sheikh (Statistics Canada; long-form census) Pat Stogran (Veterans ombud) Adrian Measner (Canadian Wheat Board)Stephen Maher: Stephen Harper’s PR obsession is fostering paranoia and paralysis in public service |
Mar 29, 2013 4:23 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound - libIn John Duffy's recent defense of the Liberal Party, he noted that generational transition is often difficult: "... critics who point to Trudeau's thin resumé sound to me like folkies in 1962 noting that the Rolling Stones don't really know how to play the blues. The Tories who dismiss him sound like Sinatra fans scratching their heads about Elvis. "So what happens when you put together the broad appeal of the Liberal brand and the generational momentousness of Justin Trudeau? It's too early to tell. But it's something with a future. A future for the Liberal Party of Canada." Be part of the change.Mar 23, 2013 8:39 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- lib"This federal government doesn’t give a flying fornication about indigenous issues, and the way the stars are lining up, there will be a price to pay for their disdain."Mar 22, 2013 6:24 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libMar 15, 2013 1:39 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libFrom my friend Blythe, who works with United Nations Development in Bratislava... where people keep asking her "what happened to Canada?"Mar 15, 2013 7:10 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libChilling. At one time, while teaching Communications at the university, I pitched a course in "Politics and Propaganda: from Triumph of the Will to George W. Bush". Today, if I was pitching that course, I would have to bookend the propaganda study with a look at the Harper government's tactics: suppression of democracy, muzzling of scientists, firing and character assassinations of those who challenge them, and the gutting of Stats Canada... so we can't measure or quantify their many failures. Is it propaganda? Here's a few quick Wikipedia notes on the Soviet propaganda machine: sound familiar? "Communist propaganda in the Soviet Union was extensively based on the Marxism-Leninism ideology to promote the Communist Party line. In societies with pervasive censorship, the propaganda was omnipresent and very efficient. It penetrated even social and natural sciences giving rise to various pseudo-scientific theories….With "truths repressed, falsehoods in every field were incessantly rubbed in print, at endless meetings, in school, in mass demonstrations, on the radio". The main Soviet censorship body, Glavlit, employed 70,000 full-time staff not only to eliminate any undesirable printed materials, but also "to ensure that the correct ideological spin was put on every published item". Telling anything against the "Party line" was punished by imprisonment or through punitive psychiatry. … According to Robert Conquest, "All in all, unprecedented terror must seem necessary to ideologically motivated attempts to transform society massively and speedily, against its natural possibilities. The accompanying falsifications took place, and on a barely credible scale, in every sphere. Real facts, real statistics, disappeared into the realm of fantasy."http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/03/15/muzzling_of_canadian_government_scientists_sent_before_
Mar 15, 2013 6:05 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound - libCome out to the Owen Sound Farmers Market this Saturday... and stay a while to have a chat with Wayne Easter: our Liberal critic for International Trade... and passionate defender of Canadian food and farmers!Mar 14, 2013 11:40 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libIt's crunch time. Whether you are a Liberal member or one of our new Supporters... you need to register to vote for the upcoming leadership contest (voting in April). If we have your email, you will have received a notice to register from our (wonderful) Membership Chair, Matt Certosimo. You may have several emails. Matt isn't harassing you (he's too nice a guy), but he's trying to make sure you register. Once you're registered, you won't get the email reminders. Our job is to make sure that EVERY SINGLE ELIGIBLE VOTER - those are our regular members AND our supporters - get registered on our voter list. You must be registered for our voter list by March 14: only two days away. Check your email for a message from Matt - or possibly from your own local campaign - reminding you to register. Click the link, and it's EASY. I did it last week: you're just validating your information (so we know you're not Fluffy the Cat). Remember... MEMBERS must register to vote too. I'm personally committed to making sure that I get all my Justin supporters on to the membership list. If you have any questions or you're not sure if you're registered yet, message me, and I'll check for you!Mar 12, 2013 5:59 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libPolicy should be built by the Party and the people... not by one guy in a corner office with a few of his buddies. We already have one of those. And look how that's working.Mar 06, 2013 2:45 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libNot sure if your Liberal membership is up to date? Not very political but think we could use some kind of a change in Ottawa? Sign in today as a (free) supporter, and you'll be sure to have a vote for our Liberal leadership in April. Be part of the change! Go to www.justin.ca/supportMar 03, 2013 11:25 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libOne of the reasons I agreed to support Justin's bid for leadership was because of an early statistic about his campaign. Young Canadians have been inspired by Justin Trudeau's bid for leadership. Of the first 1700 volunteers to his campaign, more than 1000 had never been involved in politics before... and most were young people. This isn't just about the Liberal Party. What is at stake is the future of Canada. We are only stewards for the next generation of Canadians - and after a long period in which Canadian young people were (understandably) either indifferent or repulsed by what they saw in politics - at last we see our own "Canadian Spring". Far from being the "establishment", this is a surge from new and unexpected quarters. Best of all, they are responding to a message of optimism, cooperation, hope, unity, and faith in ourselves as Canadians. Policy should be built by the people - not cooked up in a corner office with a few of your buddies. Justin's ability to engage Canadians - and especially young Canadians - offers the expectation of a different kind of politics. IN the end, we're not looking for a 'boss'; we're looking for a leader. There are just a few days left before the cut-off at midnight on March 3. Show your support for Justin in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound by going to www.justin.ca - click on SUPPORT. That tells Justin you plan to support him in the April vote, and ensures you are on the list of eligible voters. Vote from home - online or by telephone. Every vote counts. Canadians as young as 14 are eligible as (free) members of the Liberal Party to help select the Party leader. If you know any young people, let them know this is their chance to vote for Justin Trudeau.Mar 01, 2013 12:04 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
February
- libBecause Michael Harris' commentary here absolutely must be shared.Feb 28, 2013 7:20 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libJust 5. This is how change happens. Before the deadline at midnight on Sunday, see if you can sign up Just 5. Send 5 friends to www.justin.ca Click SUPPORT. That tells Justin that he's got your support. It's free. It's super-easy. Every person who is signed as a Supporter gets to vote for Justin for Liberal leader. That includes students as young as 14, who are eligible to be members of the Liberal Party, and can therefore help choose our next Leader. Follow the instructions when you sign up. Email a few friends. Post on your Facebook. Spread the word. Find Just 5. Be part of the change.Feb 28, 2013 8:01 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libHandouts and tax cuts to our biggest corporations... or investing in our young people? When it comes to how we can grow prosperity in Canada, I'll put my money on education every time. Join the conversation on Soapbox at www.justin.ca. And help to support Justin in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound: go to www.justin.ca and click on SUPPORT to be counted as a Justin supporter. It's free; no membership required. Sign up before March 3 and you're eligible to vote for Justin in our Liberal leadership race. Be part of the change!Feb 20, 2013 8:37 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libI had the opportunity to spend a little time with Eugene Whelan many years ago. It was my very first Liberal policy conference. At the time, I didn't have even the smallest inkling that one day I would find myself a Liberal candidate. But I am a bit of a policy wonk and I was attending every session I could find on rural policy: sitting by myself, taking copious notes, knowing almost no one. There was a small disturbance as a little entourage entered: a man about my father's age, and 3 or 4 people following him. He sat next to me. He was wearing a green Stetson. I was a farm girl 'back in the day', and I knew immediately who it was. I stopped taking notes. We chatted in snippets on and off for almost an hour about policy and politics - with Mr. Whelan grunting his approval for this motion or that, and once or twice offering tidbits of fascinating 'back story' to a piece of policy under consideration. He eventually moved on, with his group, and I called my husband to tell him who I'd just met. Eugene Whelan was the Liberal hero who "went to the wall" - over and over again - for Canadian farmers. He was the good guy in the green Stetson. I'm honoured to have had the chance to spend a snippet of time with him. Tonight, after we've savoured our evening meal, we should remember for a moment the life and work of a man who fiercely defended the livelihood of the farmers who bring that food to our tables. Canada is a better country because he was here. Our condolences to Mr. Whelan's family and friends.Feb 20, 2013 7:28 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libIn case you were wondering... What does $25million get you? A 5% nudge in approval polls: "The analysis, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, notes that among those who had not seen the ads, 42% approved of the overall performance of the government. But the number rises to 47% among those who had seen the TV spots, a five-percentage-point boost in popularity attributed to the advertising campaign."Feb 19, 2013 3:31 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libAs a member of the Shadow Caucus, I've tried to stay abreast of issues that impact our riding. One of my Liberal "heroes" is Hon. Wayne Easter, who is a thoughtful, informed, and fierce defender of Canadian farmers. It was when Wayne threw his support behind Justin Trudeau that I felt I could put my trust in Justin to represent well the interests of the people who are my friends, neighbours and family in Grey-Bruce. Thanks to my friend Deborah for posting this. Let's stay focused on the quality of our food... and the people who produce it. Be part of the change. Let's see how many people from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound we can sign up as Justin supporters. It's free. Go to justin.ca and click on SUPPORT.Feb 17, 2013 11:00 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libI have not spoken much about the federal Liberal leadership race. I'm in a comparatively unique position: I've met all the nine candidates personally, and some of them I actually know very well. I can say that - as Canadians - we should feel cheered that so many excellent, capable, compassionate individuals have presented themselves in service of their country. We would be a better, stronger, more optimistic, more admired Canada... with any one of these candidates as our prime minister. Today, you'll see some changes in my facebook as I throw my endorsement and my efforts behind the campaign of Justin Trudeau. Why? I believe that Justin has what it takes to change the face of politics in Canada. I've been watching him carefully. I've seen him inspire crowds of hundreds of students - waving and chanting. I watched him carry on a patient and intimate conversation with an elderly veteran... while the crowd surged around them. Of the first 1700 Canadians to volunteer for his campaign, more than 1000 had never been involved in politics before. I want to be part of that kind of change. If you're a student in Grey-Bruce, get in touch about how you can join the Justin youth campaign - and access some tools to sign up friends by the March 3 deadline. If you're a Justin supporter of any age, message me for how you can help... wherever you are. And today - go to justin.ca and click on SUPPORT - to be counted as one of Justin's supporters. It's free; no Liberal membership required. Already a Liberal member and want to support Justin? Tell us that Justin's got your vote - by clicking on SUPPORT on his web site. Spread the message in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. Be part of the change.Feb 15, 2013 5:17 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libSome great analysis here of a complicated political issue. So maybe Mr. Brazeau was a risky, but convenient pawn used for partisan advantage? How do these nakedly partisan appointments contribute to nation-building? To forging respectful dialogue and relations with our First Nations peoples? Where have these games brought us, and how on earth is this supposed to improve our respect for our government, our First Nations neighbours, or our view of politics in general? The Kelowna Accord - a hard-negotiated agreement that Canada could/should have been proud of - lasted all of 72 hours. Really. How sad is that?Feb 14, 2013 6:58 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libIt's extraordinary. Two women battled it out on the last ballot of the provincial Liberal leadership contest. The men weren't even close, really. The lineup of female Premiers in Canada is unprecedented. Four of the 9 contenders for the federal Liberal leadership are women. Chief Theresa Spence - and a group of First Nations women - helped ignite a national flame for justice that engulfed Canadians of all backgrounds. In our own community, we have an amazing woman as mayor of Owen Sound - who succeeded another extraordinary, capable and visionary woman in that role. Our riding here in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound was the birthplace of two political pioneers: Agnes Macphail and Nellie McClung. Can women change politics? You bet.Feb 13, 2013 3:51 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libThanks for bringing this to our attention, Ralph!Feb 09, 2013 5:15 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libGee willikers! Put your hand up if you're surprised....! Right. Thought not.Conservatives admit they were behind last week’s Saskatchewan robocalls after voice-analysis links t
Feb 06, 2013 7:48 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound - libWe were all waiting to see what would happen with riding boundaries in Saskatchewan: which has an entirely rural caucus. It's quite a trick: they have pie-shaped ridings where they get a wee bit of urban vote, which is overwhelmed by a big chunk of rural vote. Cool, huh? If they played that trick with rural voters, we'd be raising heck. Now that it's finally being sorted out, the Conservatives are getting nervous. The spirit of Governor Gerry is still lurking somewhere....Feb 01, 2013 6:43 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libNot a bad time to remind ourselves of another First Nations woman activist. The Harper government has spent millions trying to dig up dirt to discredit the woman: part of their modus operandi, it seems. A culture of bullying and intimidation... emanating from Ottawa and trickling down...Tim Harper: Tribunal will rule whether Ottawa retaliated against native rights’ advocate Cindy Black
Feb 01, 2013 8:54 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
January
- libRural Canada closed for the winter. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/services-frozen-at-national-parks-188327311.htmlJan 25, 2013 7:10 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
December
- libI'm still having difficulty sharing the news that a very dear friend of mine - and one of the most remarkable women I have ever met - has passed from this world. Maureen took her own life on December 11, at home in Toronto. Maureen was like a big sister to me: courageous, intelligent, optimistic, supportive. In the past year - as we have battled a truly terrible project in the village of Dundalk - Maureen was an almost constant companion and source of strength. We spoke several times a week - sometimes several times a day, depending what new environmental threat had emerged. In the seven years that I have known Maureen, she has lived under almost constant threat from those in the waste industry whose profits were threatened by the facts that Maureen turned up and exposed. Maureen diligently tracked incidents of people sickened by biosolids spreading, and of livestock weakened or killed by forages grown on sludged land. In the absence of any formal tracking, Maureen was the person people turned to with their stories and their notes of health challenges and legal battles. Her "Sludge Watch" compendium for the Ontario Environmental Network was the most comprehensive documentation of sludge-related information in the world. Maureen, as many people marvelled who knew her, was Canada's "Erin Brockovich". The last that Maureen and I spoke - not long before her death - she spoke of feeling "hunted". When I expressed concern, she brushed it off - as she always did - and pointed out that she'd been dealing with legal threats and personal intimidation throughout her life as an environmental crusader. Maureen - with the beautiful, gentle voice and quiet determined demeanor - was one of the great heroes of the environmental movement in Canada. Maureen was a powerful and courageous ally in our local fight to prevent our village from becoming a multi-tenant waste disposal site. Our fight in Dundalk was Maureen's last battle. Our greatest tribute to Maureen will be to ensure that her work continues - with renewed vigor - in her absence. Maureen, you are dearly, sorely missed. https://www.facebook.com/InLovingMemoryOfMaureenReillyDec 20, 2012 3:33 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libThis is not my CanadaDec 19, 2012 6:42 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libI am not First Nations. But I am a Treaty Canadian.Dec 19, 2012 6:40 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
November
- libWe stand on guard for thee. In the wake of Remembrance Day, let's consider that standing on guard isn't just soldiers in uniform. It's everyday, average Canadians being watchful - lest our democracy is corroded from beneath us.Nov 15, 2012 8:18 am | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
- libToo good to miss: Rick Mercer's Remembrance Day rant. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/11/11/rick-mercer-veterans-rant-remembrance-day_n_2114136.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=falseNov 13, 2012 6:01 pm | Ontario, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound
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