Tag Archives: Canada
And They’re Off…
I know some people don’t like it when I compare politics to sports, because they think I am trivializing the political process. But there are similarities. You have winners and losers – and a lot of heartbreak. The stakes are higher though. When it comes right down to it, it doesn’t matter who wins the […]
The Transformation
I’d never been in the place before, despite it being across the street from our apartment. Respectable people didn’t frequent Pembroke Ontario’s Windsor Tavern. My biggest memory of the place came from my days as a newspaper reporter on the court beat for The Pembroke Observer. The place was the focus of a domestic assault […]
Bus Woes
It’s amazing how much you can forget in a year. But it is coming back to me now: Ottawa’s transit system is designed to give riders ulcers. That many route numbers and routes have been changed is no surprise. Those in charge of OC Transpo don’t want people getting comfortable. They’ve added a new layer […]
Ethics? What Ethics?
I’m confused. Again. And puzzling over the misuse of the English language by a well-known Canadian politician. Canada’s Prime Minister has (again) been found by the Ethics Commissioner to have broken the law. I’m sure that’s not something he wanted to have happen a couple of weeks before the official start of the 2019 federal […]
Sticker Shock
Back in Canada after a ten month absence and feeling a little disoriented. The jet lag isn’t as bad coming from Europe as going there, so it isn’t to blame. There are new buildings, including a huge Amazon warehouse on the outskirts of town that wasn’t there last year. The new light-rail project is […]
If It Looks Like Hypocrisy…
Definition of hypocrisy 1: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not : behavior that contradicts what one claims to believe or feel The Canadian Prime Minister is defending the right of one of his party’s candidates in the upcoming federal election to oppose the construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Yet […]
Happy Canada Day
It is July 1 already. Half the year is gone. Do you need any other reason for a party? Canadians celebrate their country today, which has me thinking about patriotism. We think we have the best country in the world, but citizens of other countries might disagree. I won’t list all the good things that […]
Parade Day
I don’t want to rain on their parade. Or maybe I do. I just can’t get caught up in the hysteria over the Toronto Raptors. For non-basketball fans, the Raptors won the NBA championship last week, for the first time, and the victory parade is today. I’m assuming there is television coverage, but I won’t […]
All Boxed Up
With winters in this part of Germany relatively mild, it seems that everyone has and uses a bicycle – which means there are parking issues. Many people ride their bike from home to the train station, where they lock it up for the day as they commute into Freiburg. Some people take their bike with them […]
The Balancing Act
It is an unthinkable move for a conservative. And a brilliant piece of political strategy. Canadian Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer has announced that if his party wins this year’s federal election, they will not balance the budget. Fiscal responsibility is one of the cornerstones of conservative policy. Putting the nation in debt, with future […]
random thoughts from lorne 
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