Tag Archives: Canada
Too Close for Comfort
One of the biggest differences between Germany and Canada hit home again last week. Everything here is so congested. It isn’t that the cities have a denser population (though they probably do). Or that houses have much smaller yards (which also appears to be true). Or that a greater percentage of the population rents apartments […]
Birth of a Nation
July 1 is a holiday in Canada, the birthday of our nation. For me, a Canadian living in Germany, it is just another work day. But I’ve been thinking about my homeland, and what it means to be Canadian. That probably happens to a lot of people when they live in another country for extended […]
Highly Debatable
The four contenders for the leadership of Canada’s Conservative party square off in an English-language debate tonight, as they did in French last night. Why should you care? If you are a Canadian you should be interested; one of these four will be the next leader of the Official Opposition, and possibly Prime Minister […]
Open Border For Refugees?
Amnesty International is calling for Canada to re-open its border with the US – for refugees only. Do you see a problem with that? Your first thought might be that they are calling for Canada to take in Americans fleeing their country at the thought of four more years of Donald Trump. But that isn’t […]
Democracy In Action – Your Turn
Today is an important day for Canadian democracy, though my guess is most people in Canada are unaware of it. Not surprising given the usual level of political awareness and engagement. In a presidential system the leader of the country is elected directly by the people. In the Westminster parliamentary tradition the Prime Minister is […]
Virtually Marching For Life
Canada’s federal politicians are ecstatic Parliament is not meeting in Ottawa today. The second Thursday of May is the day they most dread. In ordinary times the annual March For Life would wind through Ottawa’s streets to Parliament Hill this afternoon. There would be at least 20,000 people calling politicians to account on Canada’s lack […]
Dreaming of Summer
How are your vacation plans coming along? Everything up in the air thanks to COVID-19? Mine are. I wrote a rant for today, making light of some serious issues. My vacation probably won’t happen as planned this summer. The State of Maine is discouraging visitors by requiring them to quarantine for two weeks (and I […]
Silly Season
The tulips are in bloom in Ottawa – and the government wants people to view them online, not in person. Understandable I guess. Everyone knows you can catch COVID-19 from flowers. You can’t of course, at least as far as anyone knows. Officials with the National Capital Commission (NCC) are more concerned with large crowds […]
A Dwindling Generation
There are 30,000 of them left. Ten years from now there may be 5,000. In twenty years time, none. Canada’s Second Word War veterans are dwindling as age catches up with them. The European portion of the war ended 75 years ago today. It is a milestone anniversary, but there aren’t the big public celebrations […]
Guns, Guns, Guns!
When the Prime Minister of Canada announced the immediate banning of 1,500 different types of assault weapons I was shocked. Did you know there were so many different types of guns? I didn’t. I’ve never owned a gun, pistol, rifle or assault weapon. Don’t expect to ever need one. I’m a city dweller (when I […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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