Monthly Archives: January 2023

Cast Your Vote

They’ve started to unveil the ice sculptures on Sparks Street, part of Winterlude, Ottawa’s winter carnival, which starts Friday. It’s a competition, with the public getting to choose the winner. You can vote if you like. So far this has been Ottawa’s third-warmest winter on record, but just because the Rideau canal is still closed […]

I Couldn’t Resist…

…adding some humor to your Monday.

Still Troubling

More reflections from Freedom Convoy 2022, originally published shortly before the police finally moved in. You don’t expect to hear the words “secret court hearing” when it is the Canadian legal system being discussed. For those who believe in the fundamental principles of justice it is a little unnerving. Those behind the class action lawsuit […]

Memories of 2022

More from the Freedom Convoy, first posted last February. I took a detour from my usual route Wednesday and walked through a couple of blocks of the ongoing truckers protest in downtown Ottawa, Freedom Convoy 2022. I figured it might be my last chance to observe first-hand. Police were suggesting that they might actually start […]

Insurrection – Canadian Style

The weekend in 2022 the truck rolled into downtown Ottawa. The Freedom Convoy would occupy the city core for three weeks, causing considerable disruption and a collective official shrug. There are anniversary demonstrations this weekend, but there will be no trucks parked in the Parliamentary precinct – the authorities have learned from last year’s protest. […]

Stuck!

Ottawa’s transit commission has said that this winter they will keep their articulated bus fleet off the road when more than 30 centimetres of snow is forecast. Buses not on the road don’t get in stuck the snow Problem is, 30 centimetres isn’t a magic number. As I headed downtown this morning there was a […]

This Time Last Year…

In 2022 at this time the trucks were on their way across Canada to Ottawa. Over the next little while I’m going to repost some of my thoughts on the Freedom Convoy. It is going to be very interesting to see what happens when the Rouleau Commission inquiry report is released next month. Was the […]

Christmas Comes Early

When I arrived downtown Monday, I noted that there were film crews near Parliament Hill.  I thought it might have something to do with the first anniversary of the arrival of the Freedom Convoy, but I was wrong. Turns out it was a Christmas movie. Yes, in January, when there is actually snow on the […]

Back To Work

With the COVID-19 pandemic easing, federal civil servants working at home have been tod they must return to working in the office, at least a couple of days a week. Some are not enthused at the thought. I’m not convinced working at home is as productive for many people. Witness the problems the civil service […]

A Take of Two Stores

They may be the world’s biggest retailer, but Walmart doesn’t appear to know much about Canada. Or at least about Canadian weather. My snow shovel broke. Not surprising after 20 Canadian winters.  It is still usable, just a chunk missing from the blade, which broke off when I hit ice. Still, with at least two […]