Journal

Canada Day

The City of Victoria has decided not to celebrate Canada Day. Considering the recent Kamloops Residential School discovery of possible burial sites, they have cancelled their planned one-hour virtual broadcast, opting for an event on Sept. 6th honouring the wishes of the Lekwungen Nations.

Mayor Lisa Helps encouraged other communities to do the same. The effect has been electric. #Cancel Canada Day trended on Twitter. Other communities are considering cancelling celebrations, and media outlets are discussing the legitimacy of Canada Day. This induces some important questions for Canadians.

Why is this happening? A political agenda is being pursued by those who seek to revise Canadian history, cancel our customs, and alter our institutions. This is another perfect opportunity for progressive activists to deconstruct Canadian history. The expression “Never let a good crisis go to waste” applies here as various politically motivated groups try to reconstruct Canada. All Canadians mourn the lost children and condemn the excesses of the residential schools.  This is not new information.   An acknowledgement or prayer may be in order, yes, but it is not reasonable to cancel Canada Day.

Canada is a great Nation. Canadians have the right to celebrate their history in the light of balanced consideration and proper historical context.  They should not be shamed into renaming institutions, taking down statues, or chastened into thinking of themselves as components of a pariah nation. It is not historically accurate or fair. Every community in Canada should celebrate Canada Day with pride because, in the end, Canada is a country worth celebrating.

Rudyard Griffiths: Instead of reconciliation, we are busy with pointless acts of retribution | The Hub

 

The Connotative Word

The word “Fascist” has become the Left’s new label for “Heretic”.  It is a negative branding, a type of secular excommunication reserved for those who prefer Free Market Capitalism, and do not fall in line with extreme Leftist views.  As Jonah Goldberg suggests, the other ‘isms’ the Left uses in their efforts to grind down their opponents, are for the same purpose, “… but have less elastic meaning.  Fascism however is the gift that keeps on giving” (1)    This is because of the word’s association to historical genocide.  It is a label packed full of evil connotation.

The strange thing is that those leaning to the Left, shouting this word to people with whom they disagree, seem to have mysteriously forgotten the evolution of Fascism, and themselves fit the very definition of Fascist, that nuance they venomously spit as a slur to others.   For example, Emilie Gintile explains;  Fascism is “….a mass movement, that combines different classes but is prevalently of the middle classes, which sees itself as having a mission of national regeneration, is in a state of war with its adversaries, and seeks a monopoly of power by using terror, parliamentary tactics and compromise to create a new regime, destroying democracy.”  (2)

Canadians have felt the slow and quiet reverberations of Leftism over the last few decades, but the crescendo has now become loud and clear.  It appears Canada is currently in a state of a ‘Leftist-siege’ and the definition of the word ‘Fascist’ may have also become a casualty, as well as a Leftist weapon.

(1)  Jonah Goldberg, “Liberal Fascism”, 2009, p4

(2)  Stanley G. Payne, “A History of Fascism 1914-1945”, Madison University of Wisconsin Press, 1995, p5

History Repeating

The Left-wing ideologues will tie in with any organization that appears to be against “The Man”.  They infiltrate for the purposes of forwarding their agenda, and what happened to the BLM movement is a perfect example of this.  If they cannot overtake, they will create chaos and confusion, disintegrating and transforming any original peaceful rally to their own purpose.   Antifa does this spectacularly.

They have effectively adapted themselves into the environmental movement, spanning the energy sector, resource extraction, manufacturing, and agriculture.  They have infiltrated the ‘super-structure’; the schools and universities, policing, hospitals, prisons, and government.  They are now in the process of trying to control speech and thought.

The tactics are outlined in the Communist Manifesto, and it is a well laid-out plan for world domination.  Initially, everything in the grand transformation is packaged as benevolence, as it malevolently seeks full control of the most intricate details of everyday life.  Self-sufficiency and self-reliance are not necessary because ‘the state’ will be in control.

The question they fail to address however is;  just who exactly will be in charge?   Even Vladimir Lenin discovered this to be an issue and is why he instituted “The Vanguard Party”; the grand committee of overlords.  As Lenin decided, “it will be a government FOR the people, not BY the people.”  Stalin took that idea to a whole unthinkable level, followed by Mussolini, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot.

As history folds back onto itself, it is the duty of Elders who have knowledge and experience of such things to explain the dangers to the younger generations.

A Call to Service

Spare a thought for the next group of candidates for Local, Provincial, and Federal political office. They will face the greatest challenges ever facing this country during peacetime.  And they will be replacing incumbents who have used the cover of Covid-19 to build a new society in their personal image.   In the process, Canada’s economy has been trashed in the cause of contrived emergencies; social values upended to create imaginary persecuted groups; and fresh versions of revisionist history been embedded daily in school curricula.

Streets are filled with the victims of a drug abuse epidemic, financial reserves eradicated and replaced with a federal debt level which, per capita, is the highest in the nation’s history. Canadians have been walked back from decades of improvement in living standards, diminishing social problems, and internationally competitive technological achievements.

Despite being in the forefront of world medical science Canada’s Federal and Provincial leaders have managed to surpass each other’s incompetence by building on successive missteps in what should have been an achievable vaccination program. The list of governance disasters in every area, which, in more capable hands would have been foreseeable, grows daily.

If you know people with enough management skill to rein in public sector workers, who see nothing wrong in ever growing deficits and to whom cost control is a filthy phrase, encourage them to step forward – we need them. Their task is simple enough to describe – Reclaim! Recover! Rebuild!

Achieving this task will take not only determination on their part but much cooperation on ours – it is always true that we only get the government we deserve.

Who is Steven Guilbeault?

Steven Guilbeault is a French-Canadian, schooled in political science.  He is interested in preserving French culture and language.  In 1992 in his early 20’s he attended Rio de Janeiro’s Earth Summit, along with Laure Waridel, Sidney Ribaux, Patrick Henn, Francois Meloche, and Beth Hunter.  In 1993 on the heels of the Earth Summit, Guilbeault, along with these five individuals founded the organization “A SEED”; “Action for Solidarity, Equity, Environment, and Development”.  It was incorporated as a non-profit in 1995 and officially changed it’s name to “Equiterre” in 1998.  Guilbeault sat on the board non-consecutively for many years.

(Earth Summit was formerly called “UNCED”; United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.  They are the group that outlined Agenda 21)

In 1997 Guilbeault joined Greenpeace Canada, in charge of their climate-change division.  He was a campaign director and in 2000 was a bureau chief.  In 2001 he was arrested for mischief for climbing the CN Tower in Toronto ahead of a conference on climate change.

In 2005 he coordinated the climate campaign for Greenpeace International.  He resigned from Greenpeace in 2007.  In 2008 he returned to Equiterre, where he stayed until 2018, before running for office in 2019.

Equiterre has been employed by the Quebec and Canadian federal governments as a certified body to conduct “energy audits”.   (ironically, the Trudeau administration is currently looking at doing energy audits for private residences)

Equiterre also managed a community-supported agriculture system (CSA – also called communal Crop Sharing) of farms and consumers, including households and institutions.  It is noted that CSA’s principles have many similarities to Communist ideology.

The research shows that, amongst other concerns, CSAs are not fair to farmers.  They are based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, encouraging new forms of property ownership where land is held in-common by a community, which leases the land to farmers (very much like a tenement farm system).  Steiner encouraged the idea that a network of human relationships should replace the traditional system of employers and employees.  That the economy should not be based on profit.    Actual profits are then to be called “rents” and trade is to be in “shares” – similar to a barter system.  “Shares” of a CSA originally and predominantly consist of produce and farm products.  The consumer pre-pays to the farmer and receives food in return annually.  “Shares” may also be traded by “free labour” to the farm.  Where have we heard all this before?

Since Guilbeault only left Equiterre in 2018, it is reasonable to assume he endorses this type of Marxist economy.   From Earth Summit and Agenda 21, to Equiterre, Greenpeace, and communal CSAs, Canada’s Heritage Minister has an interesting history.

Protestors Unreasonable

Loggers at Fairy Creek on Vancouver Island say, “We have had enough!” referring to the antics of recent protestors.  Carl Sweet of ‘The BC Forest Alliance’ has come out in defense of the loggers saying that activists were deliberately and strategically provoking forestry workers at their place of employment.

The video recently circulated on social platforms is what the activists wanted, and the media took the bait.  Carl Sweet stated; “I think the media is enabling the misinformation of what is happening in the BC forest industry.  These are hard-working people who go home to their family every day, and the environmentalists are taking it to the next level.”

The BC Forest industry is one of the most technically advanced and environmentally conscious tree-harvesting industries in the world.  But that is the opposite of what radical groups convey.

With silviculture mandated and strictly controlled, the forests are a sustainable resource.  Overall, it is a very well-managed system.  The AAC is strictly controlled by government, and cut blocks are not random.  They are specifically defined by accredited individuals, taking into consideration, among other things, terrain, hydrology, and habitat sensitivity, leaving designated wildlife corridors intact.

Logging roads are designed by qualified Professional Engineers and decommissioned when no longer in use.  This too is controlled and monitored.

There are riparian rules, cultural protection rules, work-safe rules, and union adherence to attune to, along with weather constraints and fire seasons to consider.

From stump to dump, all participants are trained licensed, insured, and united under a common purpose that allows many people to feed their families and contribute to the social net; in some cases, the very social net that environmental activists are eager to draw from.

Professional Registered Foresters
The AAC
COFI

 

A Modest Proposal

It would be to the taxpayers’ enduring advantage if the North Cowichan council put their time to use reconsidering their recent unconscionable decision to raise municipal taxes. That they have done this during a period when their Federal and Provincial counterparts, under cover of Covid, have burdened us with the largest financial liability in our history, is inexcusable.

The taxpayer – there is only one – must now take responsibility for the repayment of federal debt estimated at more than one trillion dollars. BC’s debt is still an open question because the NDP have yet to show some believable figures.

North Cowichan has an opportunity to show national and international leadership by undertaking two significant initiatives. First would be a cost cutting program that will be sufficient to allow for an immediate ten percent reduction in municipal taxes. The second would be to approve some of the development of market properties which have been sitting before them for some time. This simple action would add value to the properties concerned, increase the municipal tax base, and make up the shortfall in revenue.

As a further example to their profligate colleagues at higher levels, now wallowing in pro-forma pay raises, the councilors should opt to reduce their stipends from all sources to a nominal one dollar for the period to the end of their term. This would be a refreshing example that they recognize their primary objective is the welfare of the community and that, in these Covid afflicted days, they recognize that they and our municipal employees are truly “in this together.”

Canadians Easily Foiled

It appears that Canadians are being foiled yet again.  Governmental policy around inflation is creating financial stress for hard-working citizens.  It is no wonder that taxpayers are hostile to the threat of even more tax increases, especially those attempted at being cleverly disguised.  High costs combined with high taxes are driving the average citizen into the ground.

The current inflation number is recorded as low, but it appears the actual inflation rate is high, and climbing.  The culprit for this confusion is the Consumer Price Index itself;  that mysterious measurement tool – the cost of a fixed basket of goods.  It has been modified, and the measurement markers changed.  “This modified CPI is used to justify a whole gamut of policies, including keeping wage increases low and giving government bragging rights about how low annual inflation is”   (1)

Modifying the CPI criteria on paper does not change the reality felt by Canadians.  However, it does allow government free reign to indulge in “tax-bracket-creep”.  This is why, even after a cost of living adjustment, if one is so lucky to get such an extravagant thing, peoples’ after-tax-dollars are still stretched to the breaking point.

It is likely that the current inflation rate is sitting somewhere around 5% or 6%, according to the old models.  (In 1980, it was around 12%).  Tragically, Canada could be sinking into 1980’s inflation territory.  Will Canadians continue to look the other way, or will they become engaged and start paying attention to their political landscape?

(1)   Phil Venoit, President of BC Building Trades, 2019

The Time for Unity

It is time for all conservative-minded Canadians to come together in a “Grand Coalition”. Their opponents: those left-wing and liberal progressives, know how the Right thinks. The Leftists know that conservative-minded individuals are of strong mind and often do not conform; thus, frequently avoiding “Big Tent” movements.   In a way that is good, but there is a downside. Because of this tendency, any movement undertaken often ends up being fractionalized, something that ultimately weakens it. Getting any strong-willed people to see the strategic “big picture” can be difficult. Leftists seem more willing to follow the party line laid out for them, submitting their will to a larger organization and its aims, and this has its advantages in terms of numbers and momentum, if nothing else.

Those on the Right do not need to be like the Left and should not be, but conservatism ought to come together as a movement.  If it is going to gain and keep power, it needs to think as one, and think strategically. That means forgiving the odd difference of opinion or policy to gain victory. It can be difficult to agree with something that contradicts one’s beliefs, but it may be necessary to do so in the interest of a greater good.  With the left using “woke culture” to radically alter society’s values, now might be the time to consider forming a coalition of all those who hold traditional common-sense beliefs and principles, even if all do not agree on everything.

The Stink of “WE”

The “WE” scandal, like a heap of odoriferous cow dung, continues to linger as an acrid smell in Canada.  Whatever feat of deception the Trudeau government employs, the stink wafts up and circles back, engulfing them in the smog once again.

There is a reason the Prime Minister flatly refuses to testify, when ordered by the majority to do so, and it is the same reason he demands that the appropriate Ministers also do not comply with the House order.  The Prime Minister’s Office does not want to accept guilt and is not operating in good faith.  They can claim innocence until proven guilty, thus as long as the office does not engage in the inquiry process of discovery, they can magically claim to have clean hands.  It is obvious the Prime Minister does not want to incriminate himself and his family to Canadians – all those pesky hard-working taxpayers who pay his salary.

Like a child hiding behind the couch devouring contraband cookies before supper, thinking no one will see him as long as he keeps his eyes tightly shut, he continues the infantile charade.  The blatant obfuscation of the PM borders on the cartoonish, and through their disgust and incredulousness at his behavior, Canadians are also laughing at his buffoonery, strategic though his jiggery-pokery may be.

Ah, but maybe a shiny new budget full of pixie dust, sugar, and sunny ways will finally provide a much-needed distraction for the citizenry to look away from this gross egregiousness.