Does environmental activist Greta Thunberg need to learn a lesson about Alberta? Or is it the other way around? - iPolitics Opinion Piece by Graham Thompson

2019 Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer - The Indian Express article by the Express Web Desk

Somebody's beautiful Thanksgiving centrepiece (from Isobel's Flower Farm), with the writer Stella Shepard and Green Party leader Elizabeth May in the background, Charlottetown Farmers' Market, Saturday, October 12th, 2019.
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Events:
Advance Polls today, 9AM-9PM, indicated on your Elections Canada card, or go here to find it: https://www.elections.ca/home.aspx

Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 15th, is the last day to vote by special ballot, which you can do at any Elections Canada office (just remember your Riding, and the name of the person you wish to vote for, and some I.D. and such).
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David Suzuki has a 45 second message about the importance of voting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFYOgCteGq8&feature=youtu.be
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Tony Reddin passes on this compilation of gorgeous (and some quite moving) images of nature and humanity to a song of Thanks and goodwishes by folk singer David Roth (not rock star David Lee Roth!).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v03gETYOx3g
----------------------------------------
"Do not consider yourself deprived because your dreams were not fulfulled; the truly deprived have never dreamed."
---Marie van Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916)

Retrofitting busy highways to let wildlife travel safely, too - The Washington Post article by Jennifer Oldham

Why Didn't Greta Thunberg Win the Noble Peace Prize? - The Washington Post article by Karla Adam

Minister not considering extension to comment period on Northern Pulp report - CBC News online article by Matthew Gorman

Only rebellion will prevent an ecological apocalypse - The Guardian (UK) column by George Monbiot

Local protest left the right impression - The Guardian main editorial

ENGAGING YOUTH IN THE ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE - From Phil Ferraro and Virginia McGowan

More about the Official Federal Debates, from Global News:

Events:
Charlottetown Farmers' Market, 9AM-2PM
Summerside Farmers' Market, 9AM-1PM
Cardigan Market is OPEN today!
Please note I apparently closed the Cardigan Market two weeks early -- it's open today (10AM-2PM, I think) and Saturday, October 12th.

And presumably there are a lot of candidates' events in the Ridings, including:
Egmont Conservative Candidate Logan McLellan Meet and Greet, 1-3PM, West Prince Tired Iron Antique Club,
Facebook event link

Sunday, October 6th:
Farm Day in the City, 11AM-5PM, Queen Street and Victoria Row down to Water Street. Huge Festival and lots of fun and good food and crafts.
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from the PEI Certified Organic Producers Cooperative newsletter of October 4th, 2019:
Fall Farmers' Markets
The Pop-Up Market at the PEI Farm Centre, the Downtown Charlottetown Farmers' Market, and the Cardigan Farmers' Market are all closed for the year. Business will go on as usual at the Summerside Farmers' Market. The Charlottetown Farmers' Market will also continue to be open every Saturday, but will be closed on Wednesdays after Thanksgiving. If you haven't been there to grab lunch or do some mid-week groceries, next week is your last chance.
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from Peter Rukavina's website blog from Friday, October 4th, 2019:
https://ruk.ca/content/lets-stop-diminishing-women-our-political-debates

Let’s stop diminishing women in our political debates… - Peter Rukavina blog post

Are we risking more with rural internet Hail Mary? - The Eastern Graphic article by Paul MacNeill

Published on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019, in The Graphic newspapers

The dream of fast, reliable, secure rural internet is often promised and sporadically delivered. For too many, the reality is service that is frustratingly slow and woefully inadequate. It is an impediment to economic development, community sustainability and quality of life.

As a province we’ve poured tens of millions into ‘solutions’ that have proven to be nothing more than corporate and government spin.

And the latest effort to bring rural PEI into the modern world has the hallmarks of it happening once again.

In the run up to the spring provincial election the federal and provincial governments announced the latest salvo – a $70 million investment that once again promises to bring high speed internet to all corners of PEI. The feds will invest $33.1 million and the province an almost insignificant $3.5 million. The remaining $35 million for the fibre and fixed wireless solution will be delivered by Bell Canada and Xplornet. It’s unknown how much of the $35 million is actually a cash investment and how much is in kind investment – a paper transaction.

Experts quietly say it’s unlikely to actually deliver a definitive Island-wide solution. But it did put an immediate stop to a promise by the MacLauchlan government to include small Island owned internet providers in finding a rural solution. At the press conference a five-year $10 million fund was hurriedly announced, minus all details. It was a knee-jerk political reaction to offset local criticism of government’s rural internet Hail Mary with its key player Bell - a company held in almost universal disdain by Island customers.

Seven months on and the provincial government is still vague on the program and its requirements.

What is clear is that both of government’s selected providers will utilize technology produced by Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications giant that has used hundreds of millions of dollars and cut-rate products to win influence with consumers, academics and governments.

Some may say ‘well, what’s the big deal?’

The ‘deal’ is Huawei’s international perception as an arm of the Chinese government. It has been accused by governments and corporations of stealing technology. Many experts, including leading Canadian experts, believe its technology can be used as a spying tool by China. The United States, Australia and Japan have banned Huawei’s equipment. The European Union is considering action that would amount to banning the corporation from participating in 5G wireless projects. The company denies all allegations.

Canada is also considering action, although none will be taken until sometime after the federal election. Our national relationship with China is already on tenterhooks, a result of Canada’s compliance with an American request to arrest Huawei’s chief financial officer in Vancouver on fraud allegations.

Predictably, Canadian telecommunication companies argue banning Huawei products in Canada will only delay rollout of 5G and rural internet and lead to higher costs for consumers. (We already have among the highest internet rates in the world). But what will the cost be to consumers and taxpayers if somewhere down the road our system is found to be insecure because of Huawei equipment? Corporations from banks to power grids have stripped Huawei technology based on such a fear - and they are industries not known for wasting money on unnecessary expenditures.

Has the provincial government done a risk analysis of installing equipment provincially that is banned in the United States and potentially banned in Europe, our biggest trading partners? What are the potential impacts on how we do business? If a report exists it should be publicly released. If it doesn’t, it should produced.

The King government will claim the decision of provider, and by extension the equipment installed, rests with the federal government.

Rubbish.

As a province we have the right to say no to Huawei until such time as no potential harm is proven. That should be the only litmus test that matters.

What we risk is losing federal funding. Given the fluidity of international events, it’s a risk that demands examination. Would any federal government penalize a province for standing up to a company repeatedly accused of nefarious business practices?

Just because Huawei equipment is 30 per cent cheaper, which means greater profit for telco shareholders, is hardly justification to walk blindly into a situation no member of the King government can guarantee a resolution to.

Indeed, an equal issue to security is the negative impact decisions like this have on small rural providers and public competition, which has been shown time and again as an impediment to fair consumer pricing.

In a rush to create yet another rural internet photo op, both levels of government are rushing forward with no real clue as to whether they will succeed or cause harm to the provincial economy. It’s a risk that demands greater insight than either the King or Trudeau government has yet demanded.
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"Diversity is reality. Inclusivity is a decision."
--- former Senator Hugh Segal, at the Special Committee on Poverty, Thursday, October 3rd, 2019

Sting operation: Charlottetown police, council move to prevent beehives ending up in residential areas - The Guardian article by Dave Stewart

EDITORIAL: Climate threat is a ‘crisis’ - The Guardian lead editorial

Dorian response bruises premier - The Eastern Graphic article by publisher Paul MacNeill

P.E.I. standing committee meeting on Dorian postponed - The Guardian article by Stu Neatby

The Great Green Wall Is the Type of Utopian Project That Could Save the Planet - Global Citizen article by Joe McCarthy, Erica Sanches and Pia Gralki

Daniel Pauly’s Three Big Moves to Save the World’s Threatened Fisheries - The Tyee article by Andrew Nikiforuk

Nova Scotia had secret pact with Northern Pulp to share environmental assessment costs  - The Chronicle-Herald article by Aaron Beswick

Let’s all support the global climate strikes! - David Suzuki Foundtion article by David Suzuki with contributions from senior writer Ian Hanington

Naomi Klein: 'We Are Seeing the Beginnings of the Era of Climate Barbarism' - The Guardian (UK) article by Natalie Hanman

How to Support the Global Climate Strike - Lifehacket article by Josh Ocampo

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IS NOT THE ISSUE - The Guardian Letter to the Editor

September 17, 2019

Chris Ortenburger's CANews

Spin before shovels in the ground - The Eastern Graphic article by publisher Paul MacNeill

Premier Dennis King is slated to be on CBC Radio's Island Morning (not sure of the time), and the Political Panel is also set to discuss events,  at 7:40AM.

Events:

Today and next Friday:
Fridays for Future, 3:30-4:30PM, Cenotaph by Province House.

Please note that on September 27th, the event will be from Noon-2PM.
 

From two caring Mikes, who are doing something (announcements edited slightly for space):
 

Climate Emergency signs for sale:

We are trying to hold politicians to there word that when they declare a climate emergency they need to act on that and not pay lip service.

We have printed lawn and window signs in bright yellow and red that read:

            CLIMATE EMERGENCY

                        ACT NOW!

They are 9''x12''.
The lawn signs are weather-proof and sell for $8 with metal stand,
and the window signs are $2
 

They are available at:
Fridays for the Future, Cenotaph, Province House, Charlottetown
Farmers' Markets in Cardigan and Charlottetown Saturday mornings
Or call Mike at (902) 569-8688.
 

Their effectiveness will be determined by the number of them that appear before, during and after the election. We urge people to pass on the word to anyone who might be interested in buying a sign.   

 

Here they come, three of Canada's most brilliant elders:
David Suzuki, Stephen Lewis and Buffy Ste. Marie on the Climate First Tour.

At this point there is NO stop in P.E.I., and only four on this Tour now (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Halifax).  Also, it does not appear as if Buffy is confirmed for Halifax.  :-/

Halifax is Tuesday, September 24th, at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium at the Dalhousie Arts Centre. Tickets are $14 for students and $26 for adults.  Anyone interested in ride-sharing to Halifax?

More details and tickets:
https://www.climatefirsttour.ca/halifax


Here is article from CBC Radio's "As It Happens" last night:
 

David Suzuki joins Stephen Lewis, Buffy Sainte-Marie for 'Climate First' tour
 

'This is an issue as if we are at war,' the environmental activist says is his message to young voters

from:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.5281084/david-suzuki-joins-stephen-lewis-buffy-sainte-marie-for-climate-first-tour-1.5281085
 

Posted by CBC Radio, on Thursday, September 12th, 2019
 

David Suzuki is embarking on a cross-Canada tour with fellow activist and former diplomat Stephen Lewis, and singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. The trio say their goal is to encourage young people to stop climate change.

They admit that may no longer be achievable in their lifetimes, but they warn the consequences could be dire for the audiences they're hoping to attract — if they don't act.  

Suzuki spoke with As it Happens host Carol Off about why the three are launching the tour at the start of a federal election campaign. Here is part of their conversation.

Between Buffy Sainte-Marie, Stephen Lewis and yourself, it's quite a lineup of stars. But you're all senior citizens, sorry to say. What's your appeal to young people?

I call us the "Silverback Gorillas and the Grizzly Mom." I believe we've earned the right to speak as elders, as seniors. And our commonality with youth is that we no longer have a vested interest in the status quo. We don't have to play games to get a job or a raise or a promotion. We're not interested in money or fame or power. And so we're free now to speak the truth from our hearts.

Young people have everything at stake for the big decisions that have to be made in the coming months. And so we feel as as silverbacks, we want to pass on our life experiences and maybe point out the pitfalls or the strengths of what they're doing.

But if there's any demographic who gets it — who understands the imperatives here, dealing with climate change and the environment — it has to be young people. So aren't you preaching to the converted?

I hope you're right because they certainly have become very active. I think Greta Thunberg from Sweden has had a galvanizing impact on young people. But, you know, their voting record in the past has been very poor. Eighteen- to 22-year-olds coming into the voting age are traditionally not a high participation group.

But our message is: you've got to do more than just get out and vote. That's the most critical thing.

You've got to galvanize your peer group. And you've got to demand of everyone running for office — whatever party they're in — you've got to say, "Is climate change your No. 1 issue?" Because this must not remain a partisan issue. This is an issue as if we are at war.

You know, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and [then-U.S. president  Franklin] Roosevelt declared war then, nobody said, "Aw, this guy is going to break the bank. Our economy is going to go to hell. These damn Democrats don't have the right priorities." Everybody got together.

When the Raptors were playing in the finals, you know, all of Canada — even Montreal, for God's sakes — was rooting for Toronto. We need that kind of spirit.

So how do young people — how do you direct them? And they have very few options in voting.

They are a group that traditionally has not been on the political priority — because quite frankly, when politicians are elected the first concern is re-election. And children don't vote.

And so one call is for young people to galvanize their parents and everybody who cares about them, and where we're going to become eco-warriors to demand before the election that this be put up as a No. 1 issue.

You're absolutely right. Right now, climate is a partisan issue.

If it remains a partisan issue, when we go into another government — doesn't matter which government it is — if climate isn't the No. 1 issue, then it seems to me we're just sacrificing the future of youngsters for political concern.

You mentioned how you have no other interests in this, you've lived well. You're not alone in that, we've all lived well, [those] of our generation. What is it for young people to say, "Well, it's easy for you to say that. I've got student debt, and now you want me this to save the planet." What do you say to them?

You've just sent a spear through my chest. I met three of the girls — well, they were young women — who organized the last big march in Montreal when there were 150,000 people on the streets a few months ago. And when I had the chance to meet them, quite frankly, I broke down and cried.

I cried not out of gratitude, but I cried that these young people who should be developing their life goals and their skills and so on have to be the ones that are driving the demand for action on climate that my generation and the boomers that followed — we have partied like there was no tomorrow. And we didn't think about the repercussions.

So yes, and there's a lot of sense of guilt and sadness on my part. But look, we've just got to get on with it. My carbon footprint has been enormous. To make films, I've done a lot of flying and I regret that. But we've got to get on with the challenge now.

One other area I want to ask you about, because we've been covering it these weeks — the way that environmentalists who are active on this file are being attacked online. These are vulnerable young people who are reading this stuff online. How intimidating— because it's designed to intimidate, right? So how intimidating do you think some of this stuff might be?

I've been run off the road when I was jogging in Haida Gwaii by a trucker who was hauling logs. I've been told not to come to towns, logging towns in British Columbia. And we actually had a bullet fired through our window in Vancouver.

I mean, I'm just thinking on Sunday, I was filming in Montreal. And the crew and I were sitting in a restaurant a guy came up — sidled right up, he wasn't invited. He just sat right down next to me and he said, "I have to tell you, you are nothing but a fraud. Everything you say about climate change is bulls--t."

Now I think he would have done more, but I was sitting with the crew around me. And I finally, and in the finest intellectual terms, I told him to F off.

But had I been alone, it might have been a different kind of confrontation.

So my heart goes out again to the warriors — and as you say, the women become particularly vulnerable and are the major targets for it. It's the kind of time that we have.

The premier of Alberta, one of the first things he did was to set up a war room. And I think we need a war room because I think the battle against climate change is a war.

Interview produced by Kevin Roberston. Q&A edited for length and clarity.
-30-

Election recap -- What'd I Miss?

Election 2019 cheat sheet: the last four years in Canadian politics
 

by Carl Meyer and Fatima Syed
published on Thursday, September 12th, 2019, in The National Observer
 

The Canadian political landscape looks vastly different from the promises of sunny ways that brought Trudeau to power. Here is a cheat sheet for the last four years:

Trudeau vs. Trump: every twitch and grunt

Canada’s relationship with the United States was famously described by Justin Trudeau’s father in 1969 as “sleeping with an elephant” — no matter how friendly the beast, one is nevertheless “affected by every twitch and grunt.” Donald Trump has proven to be the twitchiest and the gruntiest.

Trump stunned the world when he swept into office in 2016. From the beginning, Canadians wanted to know if Trudeau could assert himself with this brash real estate developer, a man who had called Mexicans rapists, bragged about grabbing women by the genitals and called for a travel ban on Muslims before getting elected.

Trudeau visited Trump at the White House in early 2017 and the two "affirmed their longstanding commitment to close co-operation" in a statement. But then Trump, who had already called NAFTA “the worst trade deal in history” on the campaign trail, ordered his administration to move forward with renegotiations. The U.S. issued big demands later in 2017, setting up Trudeau to declare he was “pushing back” a few months later, a move that was followed by the U.S. slapping tariffs on metals exports.

By the time Trudeau hosted Trump and other G7 leaders in Quebec in June 2018, the trade dispute was starting to turn nasty. Trump blew up the summit in a tweet after jetting off early, insulting the prime minister from Air Force One as a “dishonest” and “weak” man for the crime of standing up against the tariffs.

Canada made concessions in the new deal, USMCA, on auto imports, signing a provision restricting the country to 2.6 million passenger vehicle exports to the U.S. tariff-free, well above current levels. Canada also opened up a slice of its protected dairy market.

The fate of the deal is still uncertain. Canada's ratification of the deal wasn't passed by Parliament before it was dissolved Wednesday in preparation for the election, meaning the next Canadian government will have to pick up the project.

A wave of Tory blue across Canada

When Trudeau was first elected, an NDP government was in power in the country’s largest oil-producing region in Alberta, while a Liberal government was in charge in Canada’s most populous province, Ontario. Since then, a wave of Tory blue has swept across the country frustrating the prime minister’s attempts to align with the provinces and achieve his political goals.

In 2016, Brian Pallister’s Progressive Conservatives in Manitoba ended almost two decades of NDP government there. In June 2018, Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives were elected in Ontario, setting up the first right-of-centre government in the province since the early 2000s. That was followed by Quebec Premier François Legault’s right-leaning Coalition Avenir Québec winning in October 2018. Also that year, in New Brunswick, Blaine Higgs’ Progressive Conservatives were sworn in after defeating the Liberal government in a non-confidence vote.

This spring, Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party swept to power in Alberta, while Dennis King’s Progressive Conservatives have come to power in Prince Edward Island. Meanwhile, Pallister has just successfully held on to his Tory government in Manitoba.

Many of the true-blue premiers are fighting Trudeau over a law requiring them his attempt to put a price on pollution, and have created a very different political landscape for the federal election.

The major premier bucking the trend? Premier John Horgan's BC New Democratic Party, which won power from the right-leaning B.C. Liberals in British Columbia in 2017, with the support of the Green Party there. But shared progressive orientation hasn’t prevented rancour: Trudeau and Horgan have clashed over Horgan’s opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

The Trans Mountain pipeline saga

When Justin Trudeau signed off on the Trans Mountain and Line 3 pipelines in 2016, he called it a "major win for Canadian workers, for Canadian families and the Canadian economy, now and into the future." He probably didn't realize how much of a headache it would be for his government and the Liberal Party in the years to come.

Through National Observer’s reporting, the Canadian public now knows that, at least a month before the pipeline was approved, a high-ranking public servant was thinking about how to give cabinet "a legally sound basis to say ‘yes’” to Trans Mountain. This was occurring even as the government said it was consulting with First Nations and hadn't come to a decision. Other public servants told National Observer how stunned they were to be given such direction.

National Observer also uncovered documents showing how the government had caught Kinder Morgan, the pipeline proponent, breaking environmental rules but ignored the penalties as it began construction. A movement in British Columbia started to oppose construction of the pipeline expansion. Behind-the-scenes negotiations began to drive the government towards taking over the project by buying it with billions of dollars in public money.

Soon after, Trudeau faced new headaches as the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the approval of Trans Mountain, even as Kinder Morgan executives were cashing out with millions in stock options and bonuses. The court ruling said Trudeau’s cabinet made its decision without considering all evidence and failing in its legal duty to consult First Nations. It sent the government back to the drawing board.

What followed was a fresh attempt by the Trudeau Liberals to conduct meaningful consultations with First Nations, which led to a second approval by Cabinet this June. But that second attempt is still being questioned, and the pipeline’s fate remains uncertain.

An attempt at reconciliation

It started with a great big promise: “a total renewal of the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples.”

Over the last four years, Trudeau has repeated that no relationship is more important to him than that with Inuit, Métis and First Nations. His government has worked toward restoring self-governance practices and implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations. It passed Indigenous languages legislation and worked to fix child welfare jurisdictional issues. The national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) also found that centuries of policy and failures amount to "colonial genocide.”

But the Crown’s fundamental relationship with Indigenous peoples continued to bedevil the government. Despite efforts to create a rights and recognition framework, the Liberals failed to deliver on this crucial new pathway toward self-determination.

Some Treaty Nations said they rejected the Indigenous framework because it did not follow Free Prior and Informed Consent, a right recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Still, Trudeau travelled to the North more than any of his predecessors to announce investments in housing, health, infrastructure and conservation. The prime minister also apologized for Canada's removal of sick Inuit from their homes in the 20th century, and exonerated historical figures who were betrayed long ago by the Canadian state, like Cree Chief Poundmaker and six Tsilhqot'in warriors who were invited to peace talks but then arrested and hanged in 1864.

There have also been controversies, the pipeline-consultation failure among them. NDP MP Romeo Saganash in September 2018 asked Trudeau in Question Period why he wouldn’t just “say the truth and tell Indigenous peoples that he does not give a fuck about their rights?” (Trudeau was not in the House at the time.) And a group of First Nations is fighting the Trans Mountain expansion in court. Trudeau and his government are the first to acknowledge that more work needs to be done.

As of Sept. 3, 2019, the government says 87 long- term drinking water advisories have been lifted since the Liberals took office in November 2015; 56 remain. The government promises to lift all of them by March 2021. Other statistics are significant: the MMIWG inquiry showed Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered than other women in Canada.

Around 47 per cent of children with First Nations status live in poverty, which is more than two and a half times the national average. And the annual rate of tuberculosis among Inuit is a stunning 290 times higher than the rate among non-Indigenous Canadians, according to a 2018 study by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

The Liberal environmental plan

The bold foundation of Trudeau’s plan to reduce Canada’s contribution to the climate crisis — a progressive price on carbon pollution — was implemented on April 1, 2019.

The levy punctuated four years of widespread action items aimed at meeting Canada’s Paris agreement: phasing out coal power, cleaner fuel rules, funding for new green infrastructure like light rail and electric-vehicle charging stations, and other oil and gas sector restrictions. They calculated that this will result in pollution dropping to 592 million tonnes, compared to increasing to 815 million tonnes under Canada’s 2015 projections.

Bill C-69, a major overhaul of the federal environmental-assessment regime, triggered fierce backlash from conservative politicians and the oil and gas sector. Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux delivered a report suggesting Canada would need to impose additional taxes on carbon on top of its current plan to reach its 2030 target, if the carbon tax were the single, solitary tool used to reduce pollution.

This spring, Canadian government scientists published a major report showing how climate change was affecting the country nationwide, from intensifying urban flooding and heat waves to rising sea level on the coasts, threatening freshwater and marine ecosystems and other consequences. The report said Canada is heating up at double the average rate of the planet.

In June the government passed a motion proclaiming climate change a national emergency. But Trudeau could not be in the House for the vote — he was attending the Raptors’ championship parade in Toronto. The next day, the Trans Mountain Pipeline was greenlit.

Jagmeet Singh becomes NDP leader

Jagmeet Singh’s meteoric rise to the top of the New Democrats was described at the time as an unstoppable “juggernaut.” Canada’s first racialized federal political leader and candidate for prime minister, won the NDP leadership race on Oct. 1, 2017, beating out more experienced contenders and igniting a groundswell of excitement.

But Singh soon faced a very Canadian problem: he had no seat in the House of Commons and so could not engage in the daily, TV-worthy cut and thrust that goes on inside that political theatre.

It would take until 2019 before Singh could win a byelection and take his seat in the House. Throughout, he has struggled to shine on the national stage. A recent poll had the NDP falling to fourth place behind the Greens despite the party still controlling the third-most seats. Singh has his work cut out for him.

Trudeau’s private island vacation

"Let me just try to reorder the thoughts," a flustered Trudeau told reporters on Parliament Hill on Dec. 20, 2017.

He was attempting to respond to the findings of the ethics commissioner, who had said Trudeau contravened the Conflict of Interest Act when he vacationed on the Aga Khan's private island while also having “ongoing official dealings” with the spiritual leader.

Trudeau said he had always considered the Aga Khan a family friend, but he promised to clear family vacations in future. The plot thickened when, after the lobbying commissioner found there wasn’t any basis for a complaint, a federal judge ordered that office to take another look. The opposition Conservatives have since called on the RCMP to look into the whole thing.

A trip to India creates controversy

The picture of Justin Trudeau and his family in traditional Indian clothes during a February 2018 trip to the subcontinent is now a key image related to his government’s colourful four-year history — but not in the way the prime minister may have hoped.

First, Trudeau’s family was criticized — and then mocked — for leaning too heavily on “Bollywood-style” clothing during the trip. But the headlines really started coming when it was revealed that Jaspal Atwal, who was convicted of the attempted murder of an Indian cabinet minister in 1986, posed with Trudeau’s wife, Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, at an event in Mumbai.

Atwal was also invited to dine with the prime minister at a second event before that was shut down. Trudeau’s then-national security adviser Daniel Jean took much of the heat that spring for the incident, after suggesting “rogue elements” were behind the shellacking of the PM and warning of “information warfare.” Jean retired soon after, although that was planned before the controversy hit.

Canada's new federal People’s Party

Former federal Conservative cabinet minister Maxime Bernier wanted to be the leader of his party, after his boss, former prime minister Stephen Harper, quit the scene following their defeat in 2015 at the hands of the Liberals.

Bernier lost the leadership vote to Andrew Scheer by a minuscule 1.9 per cent margin. In the ensuing months, he grew disillusioned and finally announced on Aug. 23, 2018, that he was quitting to launch a new party of his own. The Conservatives, he said, had grown “too intellectually and morally corrupt to be reformed.”

The next month he unveiled his new baby: The People’s Party of Canada, described by Bernier as “a coalition of people who are disenchanted with traditional politicians who say one thing one day and the other the next.” The party, he said, was to be an advocate for “smart populism.”

Bernier launched the People’s Party soon after gaining attention on social media for his long denunciation of “ever more diversity” in Canada. He has consistently attacked Canada’s mainstream approach to immigration. He has also rejected mainstream atmospheric science proving global heating and a recent report shows his candidates spreading false information.

Scheer struggles to denounce racism

Scheer has faced blowback on several occasions over the past year for his failure to adequately denounce racism and white supremacy. In February, he appeared at a “convoy” in Ottawa that was officially billed as raising awareness for the oil and gas industry, and opposing Trudeau government environmental policies. But anti-immigrant voices were undeniably part of the scene. Facing criticism for failing to denounce these voices in the crowd, Scheer defended himself by saying he was there to speak to the oil workers.

In March, he was called out again after his initial statement in response to the deadly Christchurch mosque shootings failed to mention Muslims. Then, in June, he faced controversy for his failure to remove Conservative MP Michael Cooper from caucus after Cooper read out the Christchurch shooter’s manifesto in a justice committee hearing, prompting Trudeau to comment that “there is an awful lot of room for intolerance" in Scheer’s Conservative party.

The SNC-Lavalin affair explodes

An ethical grey cloud has been hanging over Parliament Hill since February when The Globe and Mail published a stunning report alleging the Prime Minister’s Office had urged then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to help the Quebec engineering and construction giant avoid criminal prosecution.

In the months that followed, Trudeau denied many of the claims, even as his principal secretary and close friend Gerald Butts resigned (only to reappear inside Liberal headquarters in time for the campaign). Meanwhile, Wilson-Raybould quit cabinet soon after the story broke, before giving explosive testimony to committee about the whole affair. She was eventually kicked out of the party and is now defending her Vancouver—Granville seat as an independent.

Trusted cabinet minister Jane Philpott also resigned over the matter and is also running as an independent in Markham—Stouffville.

Trudeau continues to admit to no wrongdoing other than a misread of the situation, saying he did it to save Canadian jobs, despite the fact that the federal ethics commissioner found Trudeau’s actions amounted to his second violation of the Conflict of Interest Act.

And right before the election campaign officially kicked off on Sept. 11, The Globe and Mail published another bombshell: that the government's refusal to release further cabinet secrets may have “stymied” the RCMP from fully examining the SNC-Lavalin case for possible obstruction of justice.

Trudeau and the Liberal Party are entering the election period with some wins and a lot of baggage, but the road isn’t easy for the remaining parties, either. Canadians politics has shifted on its axis these four years and some Canadian voters have become more distrustful of their governments and their actions.

All four major parties have an uphill battle in winning votes — perhaps none more so than the Trudeau Liberals who are set to redefine themselves from their once sunny ways.

"Live the life of the full mind, exhilarated by the new ideas, intoxicated by the Romance of the unusual,"  
      --- Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)

Events:

Until Saturday, September 14th:
Stories in Stitches IV, 10AM-5PM (until 7PM on Friday), St. Paul's Church and Hall, Church Street and Prince Street, $5 admission.
"Eastern Canada’s most dramatic exhibition of quilts, hooked rug and needlecraft creations — hundreds of them, plus artisan demonstrations.... At beautiful St. Paul’s church and hall, corner of Grafton and Prince Streets, Charlottetown … Look for the car parked on the lawn — covered in a tailor-made quilt!"
Facebook event link

Thursday Afternoon Farm Centre Pop-up Market, 3-6PM, front lawn of Farm Centre, 420 University Avenue. Farmers, artisans, and food producers have quite an assortment of foods and related products for sale.

Darcie Lanthier MP Charlottetown Launch, 6-8PM, Farm Centre, free and all welcome.  Speeches by GPPEI Leader Peter Bevan Baker and Darcie Lanthier will top off an evening of music, munchies, refreshments and commitment auction....Music will be provided by Rowan Gallant and Jesse Périard, vegetarian delights provided by My Plum, My Duck, and there will be a variety of 'saved from the hurricane' tomato products for sale by our good friends at Heart Beet Organics."
And Darcie's last name is pronounced "LAUNCH-chay", not just tonight at her Launch....
Facebook event link

Later, many are planning on watching the first Federal Party Leaders' Debate at Bar1911 about 9PM.

P.E.I.'s Groove Company at Baba's lounge, 8-10:30PM.
Facebook event details


Some upcoming events:
Saturday, September 14th:
Charlottetown NDP federal Candidate Nomination Meeting, 6:30-8PM, Murphy's Community Centre.  All welcome.
Facebook event link

Sunday, September 15th: More than something for everyone:   Open Farm Day, 1-5PM, various locations.  Visit Island Farms with a wide range of types of operations.
Open Farm Day website

Fourth Annual Festival of Forests, 1-4PM, Macphail Wods Ecological Centre, Orwell. "Our Fourth Annual Festival of Forests will be a family-friendly event, with children’s activities, guided walks, food and micro-workshops. This will be a great opportunity to explore the wonders of the Acadian Forest."
Facebook event link

Screening of PUSH -- The Film, 2-4PM, City Cinema.  "PUSH-- The Film is a documentary exploring why it has become so expensive to live in our cities, from award-winning documentary filmmaker Fredrik Gertten."
Facebook event link

Friday, September 20th:
Climate Strike Activities this week, to be announced later


Sunday, September 22nd:
Dr. John Todd, 7PM, Duffy Hall, UPEI, hosted by The Institute for Bioregional Studies Ltd. and UPEI Environmental Studies. A..."... stimulating book launch that is sure to arouse discussion and a vision of hope on how PEI can become a sustainable region.
John Todd is a biologist working in the field of ecological design. He addresses problems of food production and wastewater processing by using ecosystems technologies that incorporate plants, animals and bacteria. He combines alternative technologies for renewable energy, organic farming, aquaculture, hydroponics and architecture to create 'living machines' or 'eco-machines'; designed for sustainable living." <snip>
More info:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFXMH5ZbNK8

Opinion piece:

RUSSELL WANGERSKY: Now you see it, now you don’t

published on Friday, September 6th, 2019 in The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/russell-wangersky-now-you-see-it-now-you-dont-348837/

This isn’t a column about the simple foolishness of United States President Donald Trump apparently doctoring a forecast map to bolster his claim that Alabama was among the U.S. states threatened by hurricane Dorian. (Trump had said the state was threatened — the U.S. weather service hurriedly said that had never been the case. Trump then produced a strangely altered map of the hurricane’s projected path to defend his own comments, with a circle drawn to include Alabama that looked as though it had been added with a Sharpie.)

But that is where this column started, in a way.

One of the things that has been abundantly clear in western politics in recent years is that the truth doesn’t matter anymore. In the past, getting caught in an outright lie could be a career-changer — now, at least as far as your supporters go, even an obvious lie is instantly forgiven.

But if politicians discover they can lie with impunity, what’s to stop them from stealing?

I don’t mean stealing money — I mean stealing information.

I used to have a massive library of government documents — budgets, reports by commissions of inquiry, annual reports from Crown agencies, and the list goes on. They were, by and large, stored in my unique gravitational filing system: the most-used documents, like the provincial estimates for the current and past year, usually worked their way to the top.

But, through successive office moves and the easy online availability of most documents, my piles of paper got winnowed down. Why waste time stirring up clouds of paper dust when the internet can do it for you? Why carry books around, when your iPad has it all right there, and is so much lighter?

But there’s a downside to that — and that’s keeping all the data eggs in the same basket, often conveniently under government control on government servers.

Think of it this way: all the books may still be in the big library, but without the catalogue, good luck finding them in the stacks. You don’t need to burn the books if you burn the catalogue.

And it wouldn’t even have to be obviously deliberate; just change the weblink and move it out of sight, especially on a website that’s packed with information.  That way, if someone comes looking, you can always just say “Oops, we made a mistake” and pop it back up again.

There are already documents that are effectively kept from the public, simply by putting them on the equivalent of the internet’s back shelf.

I regularly find reports on everything from car insurance to regulation of the electric grid to damning financial details about megaprojects hidden in plain sight; significant reports are completed, but there’s no announcement of their release. It’s easy to miss the new ones, unless you devote significant daily time to churning through the lists.

I’ve also experienced occasions where government documents I remember reading suddenly vanished when I needed to find them again: I’ve heard the excuse “Oh, we moved that — here it is…” when I’ve asked for them.

There have already been examples south of the border of information being stripped from government websites. In April 2017, on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website, webpages that linked climate change to human activity vanished for an “update.” Years later, those pages are still gone, as is the temporary page announcing the update.

And yes, there are sites that capture and keep copies of information posted on the web. But they are an imperfect solution — they don’t capture everything.

Right now, the concept may seem incredible.

But if a politician can do something as bold and stupid as taking a Sharpie to a weather map, you can only imagine what they might get away with on the web.

Beware the boldness of revisionists.

-30-
 

Hiding in plain sight, the weekly record of Cabinet decisions, called "Orders in Council".  The most recent edition was listed on the third page of listings, after having to search for the listing,  and not publishing the newest first or anything logical or clear.....

from:

https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/publications/20190903truwww.pdf

UNIVERSITY ACT UNIVERSITY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND APPROVAL TO INCUR A LIABILITY Pursuant to clause 17(1)(b) of the University Act R.S.P.E.I. 1988, Cap. U-4, Council authorized the Board of Governors of the University of Prince Edward Island to incur a liability and to make expenditures by borrowing an amount not to exceed sixty million ($60,000,000.00) dollars for the construction of a new student residence.
<snip>

(tomorrow -- publisher Paul MacNeill's take on al this)

 

"All our dreams can come true -- if we have the courage to pursue them."   --- Walter Elias (Walt) Disney (1901-1966)

Events:
This morning:

Public Accounts Standing Committee, 9AM-12noon,

CHANGE OF VENUE: Due to technical difficulties following the recent power outage, this meeting will take place in the Committee Room on the first floor of the J Angus MacLean Building. Live streaming will not be available but audio and transcript will be posted to our website following the meeting. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The committee will meet to review The Report of the Auditor General to the Legislative Assembly dated March 8, 2019; when that review is complete, the committee will review the Report of the Auditor General: Petroleum Product Pricing: Prince Edward Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission dated December 21, 2018.
Auditor General B. Jane MacAdam will be in attendance."
This committee meets weekly.

Charlottetown Farmers' Market, 9AM-2PM, Belvedere Avenue.  Fresh produce, crafts, prepared foods, hot tea and coffee.
An item of note from Marion White:  Market baskets from Bolgatanga, Ghana for sale at Charlottetown Farmer's Market starting at $40. 
These are beautiful and functional.

11AM:  Announcement of Writ being dropped to start the Federal Election Campaign.  Election Day is legislated to be Monday, October 21st.

Corn Boil hosted by Charlottetown MP Sean Casey, 5-7PM, Hillsborough Community Centre, 199 Patterson Drive.

"Join MP Sean Casey for a free corn boil!
There will be lots of delicious corn, entertainment, and ADL ice cream. This is a family-friendly event! All are welcome."

Stand Against Hate (counter-demonstration to the rally organized by the "National Citizens Alliance of Canada"), 7PM, Kings Square.

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 12th:

Campaign Launch with Darcie Lanthier, Green Party of Canada Charlottetown Candidate, 6-8PM, Farm Centre and Legacy Garden, 420 University Avenue, Charlottetown.

"Join Darcie Lanthier, Green Party Candidate for Charlottetown, and her supporters in celebration of the official launch of her campaign... for an evening of music, munchies, refreshments and commitment auction....This event is free and for all ages."
 

Article: 

Greta Thunberg on Climate: “If We Can Save the Banks, We Can Save the World”

by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams
published on Tuesday, September 11th, 2019 at:

https://truthout.org/articles/greta-thunberg-on-climate-if-we-can-save-the-banks-we-can-save-the-world/

During an event in New York City Monday night with author and environmentalist Naomi Klein, 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg had a simple message for those who claim it is “too expensive” to boldly confront the climate crisis with sweeping policies like a Green New Deal.

“If we can save the banks,” said Thunberg, “we can save the world.” “If there is something we are not lacking in this world, it’s money,” she added. “Of course, many people do lack money, but governments and these people in power, they do not lack money. And also we need to have the polluters… actually pay for the damage they have caused. So, to that argument, I would not even respond to that argument, because it has been said so many times, the money is there. What we lack now is political will and social will to do it.”

Thunberg arrived in New York late last month after nearly two weeks of sailing across the Atlantic. The young environmentalist made the journey ahead of the Sept. 20 global climate strikes, which she helped inspire through persistent activism that has included directly confronting world leaders and elites over their role in the planetary emergency.

The strikes, which are expected to bring millions to the streets in over 150 countries, will coincide with the United Nations Summit on Climate Change on Sept. 23rd in New York.

“I want September 20 to be a tipping point,” Thunberg said Monday night. “I want world leaders to feel like they have too many people watching them.”

-30-

"If you wish to heal your sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of others."  
      ---Ana Castillo (b. 1953), Chicana poet and essayist

Thanks to crews from Maritime Electric, my part of Bonshaw has its power back now, but I do sympathize for those still affected, especially those who don't have power or internet or cell service and yet are supposed to look up services on social media or at a government website....

Events today:

From Tony Reddin of Bonshaw, community organizer and environmental activist:

"Hope everybody's ok after the storm here in the Maritimes! Today's my birthday so I'm going to celebrate by going for a hike after lunch here in the beautiful Bonshaw Hills- who'd like to join me?"

Happy Birthday, Tony!
 

Education and Economic Growth Standing Committee Meeting,1:30-3:30PM, J. Angus MacLean Building, corner of Great George and Richmond Streets.

from the notice for the meeting:

CHANGE OF VENUE: Due to technical difficulties following the recent power outage, this meeting will take place in the Committee Room on the first floor of the J Angus MacLean Building. Live streaming will not be available but audio and transcript will be posted to our website following the meeting. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The committee will meet to receive a briefing on the impact of the low housing vacancy rate and short-term rentals on post-secondary students, by Emma Drake, President, and Sweta Daboo, VP Academic and External, UPEI Student Union. Other witnesses to be confirmed.

District 17 MLA (Peter Bevan-Baker) Corn Boil, 5-7PM, Riverdale Cider, 582 Riverdale Road (right turn from TCH across from entrance to Strathgartney Provincial Park, Riverdale

"Join your MLA for District 17 for a free family corn boil. There will be apple themed snacks, corn, music and fun!"

 

Notice: 
Youth Circle (ages 18-30) to discuss housing and climate change, being formed

CPAC (Canadian Public Affairs Channel/Parliamentary Channel) will be producing a report on PEI once the federal election is called sometime in the next 2 weeks. As part of the report, they would like to include a Youth Circle of 3-4 youths age 18-30 discussing the issues of affordable housing and climate change. If you are interested in participating, please contact Bill Kendrick (billkendrick@island-images.ca) or 902-439-2711 for more information.

-30-

"There is no shame in not knowing. The shame lies in not finding out." 
        ---Assyrian proverb

If you don't get a Citizens' Alliance News in the next few days, it may be due to power outages in ruburban Bonshaw; we hope everyone stays safe and looks out for each other.

Events:
Farmers' Markets, all but Cardigan, which being in King's County, is being more affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Charlottetown -- 9AM-2PM
Summerside -- 9AM-1PM
Murray Harbour Farmers Market, 9AM-noon
George's in Bedeque -- 10AM-2PM

-----------------
Other events will be updated as to what's going ahead or being postponed when organizers make decisions. 
 

Citizens' Alliance of P.E.I. Facebook page (group)

"Tension is who you think you should be.  Relaxation is who you are." 
   --- Chinese proverb

Events today:
Standing Committee meeting:
Standing Committee on Rules, Regulations, Private Bills and Privileges, 10AM, Coles Building.This Committee is "charged with the rules and standing orders of the Legislative Assembly, scrutiny of regulations, private bills, and the privileges of individual members and the Legislative Assembly as a whole."  Chair is Official Opposition MLA Hannah Bell, and members are Official Opposition Lynne Lund, Third Party members Sonny Gallant and Gordie McNeilly, and Government members Matt MacKay and Sidney MacEwen.  The topic for today's meeting is "to consider its priorities and communications plan." People can attend in person or watch on-line here.

Dogs and Democracy, 11AM-12:30PM, UPEI Campus, W.A. Murphy Centre, free and all welcome. Sponsored by the UPEI Student Union (UPEISU). "Dogs and democracy are our 2 favourite things here at the UPEISU and we're combining them for a fun event...Come pet some therapy dogs...and vote for your favourite dog breed in a vote simulation...The ballot box will be very similar to that used by Elections Canada for Federal Elections, so come get acquainted with it before the election in October."

Regarding events this weekend, some have already been rescheduled and others will likely be, so please check before starting out.
 e.g., District 17 MLA and Official Opposition Leader Peter Bevan-Baker's Corn Boil is now on Tuesday, September 10th, 5-7PM.  Malpeque Green Candidate Anna Keenan is moving her Piatta fundraiser to later in the week.

Sunday, September 8th:
PUSH! -  the Film, 2PM, City Cinema. "PUSH - The Film is a documentary exploring why it has become so expensive to live in our cities, from award-winning documentary filmmaker Fredrik Gertten.

Notes:

"I get my food from the Farmers' Market Coop, I bank at the Credit Union, I am insured by the Cooperators.
Check out this message from the Co-operators:"

Be prepared for the effects of Hurricane Dorian
(adapted)

National Citizens Alliance to hold rally in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

by Dave Stewart
published on Thursday, September 5th, 2019, in The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/national-citizens-alliance-to-hold-rally-in-charlottetown-pei-348854/

Police will be keeping an eye on Kings Square Sept. 11

"You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from."  
    --- Cormac McCarthy (b. 1933)

Shadow Government?  - The Graphic publications Opinion Piece by Vision PEI

ATLANTIC SKIES: Finding the North Star - The Guardian column by Glenn K. Roberts

The line has been drawn - Island Farmer article by Andy Walker

• Wednesday, September 4th, 9AM
• Standing Committee on Public Accounts
  9:00 AM, Meeting # 2, Orientation session
     Coles Building   -   Legislative Assembly Chamber

Topic: The committee will meet to undertake an orientation session with the Auditor General and the Canadian Audit and Accountability Foundation. Please note: this will be an in camera meeting.

• (Meaning, no public members can attend in the Gallery and presumably it won't be live-streamed on the Legislative Assembly's website.)

• Thursday, September 5th, 1:30PM:
• Special Committee on Poverty in PEI
  1:30 PM, Meeting # 1, Election of chair and work plan
     Coles Building   -   Legislative Chamber

Topic: The committee will meet to elect a chair and to consider its work plan.

• Friday, September 6th, 10AM:
• Standing Committee on Rules, Regulations, Private Bills and Privileges
  10:00 AM, Meeting # 3, Consideration of priorities and communications plan
     Coles Building   -   Legislative Assembly Chamber

Topic: The committee will meet to consider its priorities and communications plan.
---------------------------------------
Article: Some longer pieces for a long weekend reading, from the National Observer: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/08/27/news/east-toronto-land-dispute-tests-trudeaus-commitment-sustainability

East of Toronto, a land dispute tests Trudeau's commitment to sustainability - The National Observer article by Alistair Sharp

Published on Tuesday, August 27th, 2019

Pressure is building on the federal government to decide the fate of a parcel of land east of Toronto long earmarked for an airport that critics say is unnecessary.

The plan for an airport on rural land north of Pickering was first hatched more than four decades ago, when Pierre Trudeau’s government expropriated 18,600 acres of farmland, including two villages, to create a site to supplement Pearson on the city’s western flank.

It hit various snags over the years, and almost half of the land has since been given over to the Rouge National Urban Park, but some 9,600 acres of mostly prime farmland remain in the possession of Transport Canada.

In the intervening years, scientific consensus has developed around the need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions (such as those emitted by aviation) to avoid the effects of a warming planet, including crop failures, droughts and floods. Food security has become an important consideration, since produce grown elsewhere could, as a result, fluctuate wildly in price or even become unavailable.

That's why Land Over Landings, a volunteer group that opposes an airport, says the site should instead be used as an urban farming and agri-tourism destination.

“There’s so much fear about what is happening environmentally,” said Sandra Campbell, a longtime supporter and adviser to Land Over Landings and a founder of Abundance GTA, which celebrates urban farming. “The people that flock to farmers markets are there because of a sense that it is one thing they can do.”

But others, including a new crop of local representatives elected late last year, would prefer to see the prime farmland near Canada's biggest city turned to more typical economic development, testing the commitment of Pierre's son, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to balance the environment and the economy.

Trudeau and his transport minister, Marc Garneau, could technically scrap the airport plan and endorse the urban-farming alternative before an election due in October, but it would be an aggressive bet that choosing food over flying is an electoral-vote winner.

“No government has had the intestinal fortitude, courage, vision and wisdom to create something truly wonderful that would be the envy of the world,” Land Over Landings chairwoman Mary Delaney said.

In any case, the result of the federal election might further shift the political landscape, following municipal votes last October which brought in several representatives supportive of an airport or other development, including Dave Ryan as Pickering mayor, Shaun Collier as Ajax mayor and John Henry as Oshawa regional chairman.

The Progressive Conservative provincial government of Doug Ford has also broadly supported urban development over environmental concerns.

“My fear is that if (federal Conservative Leader Andrew) Scheer is elected, he and Doug Ford will go in cahoots on a deal to free up the land for development,” Campbell said.

One such potential development is Durham Live, a massive new entertainment complex planned by the Apostolopoulos family of developers.

Ford’s government is already pushing in that direction.

In May, Peter Bethlenfalvy, the Progressive Conservative MPP for nearby Pickering-Uxbridge, wrote to Garneau to ask him to either release a long-awaited report on the viability of an airport prepared by consulting firm KPMG or return the lands to the people of the region.

He said the letter was sent with the full support of all PC MPPs in the Durham region as well as the City of Pickering and the Town of Uxbridge.

Meanwhile, the federal member elected in 2015 for the same riding, Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell, has long opposed the project and recently said she thinks the government has not been convinced of the business case for the airport.

In response to questions from National Observer, Bethlenfalvy's office said the fact that land has sat idle since the 1970s, without a clear federal policy, has stalled economic development and created an "injustice" to the people of the region that "needs to be corrected as a matter of priority."

"While these lands are key to unlocking more economic potential for Durham Region, no development has taken place since expropriation," spokesman Hayden Kenez said. "Without a decision from the federal government concerning the fate of the land, agriculture cannot benefit from long-term planning, residences are not being considered and business cannot flourish."

Still studying

The current Trudeau government says it’s studying the KPMG report it commissioned in 2016 and whose third and final report it received earlier this year.

Asked whether Garneau would make a decision before the October election, his spokeswoman said the file merited wide consultation and that the department expected to complete its policy analysis and provide its advice by fall 2019.

The three-part KPMG report considered whether southern Ontario risks a shortfall in aviation capacity in the next 20 years, how various airport options might fit into the broader regional aviation system, and the revenue-generating potential and economic effects of these options.

“Any future decision on the development of the Pickering Lands will be made based on a sound business case and updated data on aviation demand and capacity,” Garneau’s spokeswoman, Delphine Denis, said in an email.

Denis said the KPMG report is key to the department’s advice, but wouldn’t say what’s in it.

“As the report contains commercially sensitive information on the Canadian aviation industry, we are unable to share the findings publicly at this time,” she said.

Opposition grows

Liberal-turned-Independent MP for nearby Markham-Stouffville Jane Philpott added to the expressed opposition to an airport when she wrote in mid-July that it would be better to develop other transport options and protect valuable farmland.

“As we await this report, I am prepared to confirm that I do not support moving ahead with an airport because of the need to protect our environment and some of the finest agricultural land in the country,” Philpott wrote in a blog post.

She pointed out that there is no good evidence of a sound business case for the airport, with the 2017-2037 Master Plan for Pearson Airport indicating it will have enough capacity to meet the growing demand for air travel over the next two decades.

“Building another large airport is inconsistent with the crucial transition of our nation to a low-carbon economy,” she wrote. “Investing in more environmentally friendly infrastructure like high-frequency passenger rail makes more sense than spending billions of public dollars on an airport.”

---------------------

Catherine McKenna says she has done everything she could to fight climate change - The National Observer article by Fatima Syed an Alistair Sharp

Published on Friday, August 30th, 2019
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2019/08/30/features/catherine-mckenna-believes-she-has-done-everything-she-could-fight-climate

Two days into her job as a rookie environment minister, Catherine McKenna was sent to Paris for the United Nations climate summit, not knowing what “COP21” — the official phrasing for the 2015 meeting — stood for.

She remembers the momentum: the gathering of countries, the urgency, the ambition, the instruction to work closely with Barack Obama’s U.S. administration, the stunned applause when she stood at the podium and said that “Canada is here to help.”

That fateful day in December 2015, Canada joined 195 other countries in committing for the first time to restricting planetary warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels — an improvement on the two-degree commitment that had become par for the course.

But the momentum didn’t last.

Almost as soon as Canada got serious about the climate change emergency, McKenna and her government began fighting provinces over its plan to uphold its Paris commitments by putting a price on pollution.

After taking this person off to University

Frank, Spring 2012, along the "Plan B highway" surveyor's cut