Contents
- 1 March 3, 2021
- 1.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 1.2 LETTER: Throne speech soft on climate -The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 2 March 2, 2021
- 2.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 2.2 UK urged to create green apprenticeships to help Covid recovery - The (U.K.) Guardian article by Fiona Harvey
- 2.3 Atlantic Skies for March 1st - March 7th, 2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
- 3 March 1, 2021
- 3.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 3.2 GUEST OPINION: Marking 50 years of wetland conservation and loss - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Dan Kraus
- 4 February 28, 2021
- 4.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 4.2 P.E.I. standing committee to subpoena Brendel report - The Guardian article by Stu Neatby
- 4.3 Hard truth about butter - The Guardian article by Sylvain Charlebois
- 5 February 27, 2021
- 5.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 5.2 LETTER OF THE WEEK: Lack of political will continues to plague land policy in P.E.I. - The Guardian Letter of the Week by Joan Diamond
- 6 February 26, 2021
- 6.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 7 February 25, 2021
- 7.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 8 February 24, 2021
- 8.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 9 February 23, 2021
- 9.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 9.2 Atlantic Skies For February 22nd - February 28th, 2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
- 10 February 22, 2021
- 10.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 10.2 LETTER: Angus MacLean had it right - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 11 February 21, 2021
- 11.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 11.2 Government, media are silent on proportional representation - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Marie Burge
- 11.3 Will new ministers lead or parrot bureaucracy silos? - The Eastern Graphic article by Paul MacNeill
- 11.4 IRAC CEO questioned about Buddhist landholdings on P.E.I. - The Guardian article by Stu Neatby
- 12 February 20, 2021
- 12.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 12.2 Water Act protects drinking water and the environment, supports research - PEI Government
- 12.3 P.E.I. Water Act comes into force June 16, with allowance for high-capacity well research - CBC online article by Sara Fraser
- 13 February 19, 2021
- 13.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 13.2 Blaming the Wind for the Mess in Texas Is Painfully Absurd - The New Yorker article by Bill McKibben
- 14 February 18, 2021
- 14.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 15 February 17, 2021
- 15.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 15.2 Why are Indian farmers protesting against the government? - The Guardian (UK) podcast
- 16 February 16, 2021
- 16.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 17 February 15, 2021
- 17.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 17.2 Atlantic Skies for February 15th-22nd, 2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
- 18 February 14, 2021
- 18.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 18.2 PETER BEVAN-BAKER: Government is playing a high stakes game with Islanders' lives - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Peter Bevan-Baker
- 19 February 13, 2021
- 19.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 19.2 Is Charlottetown a Community OR a Commodity? - by the Future of Charlottetown, on their Facebook Group
- 19.3 I Dissent - by Sally Bernard, Barnyard Organics Farm
- 20 February 12, 2021
- 20.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 20.2 Canada Post has the ability to change the country for the better - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 21 February 11, 2021
- 21.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 21.2 Daryl Guignion remembered for passion for conservation - The Guardian article
- 22 February 10, 2021
- 22.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 22.2 PETER McKENNA: What’s wrong with allowing 16-year-olds to vote? - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Peter McKenna
- 23 February 9, 2021
- 23.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 23.2 JIM VIBERT: Finally, Nova Scotia hits land protection landmark, barely - The Guardian article by Jim Vibert
- 24 February 8, 2021
- 24.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 24.2 Atlantic Skies for February 8th - 14th, 2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
- 25 February 7, 2021
- 25.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 25.2 Iain Rankin will be next premier of Nova Scotia - CBC post by Michael Gorman
- 25.3 "NFL Green" Tackles Coral Restoration Project in Florida Ahead of Super Bowl LV - ECOWatch article by Tiffany Duong
- 26 February 6, 2021
- 26.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 26.2 P.E.I.'s outgoing environment minister places responsibility for long-delayed Water Act on standing committee - TheGuardian article by Stu Neatby
- 27 February 5, 2021
- 27.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 28 February 4, 2021
- 28.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 28.2 GUEST OPINION: Disappointed and bewildered by P.E.I. budget - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Wayne Carver
- 29 February 3, 2021
- 29.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 29.2 LETTER: Potato board shows sense of entitlement - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 30 February 2, 2021
- 30.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 31 February 1, 2021
- 31.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews|
March 3, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
A quote probably familiar to Island naturalist Daryl Guignion:
"The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn."
--- Ralph
Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
---------------
Events:
The P.E.I.
Legislature sits from 1-5PM today.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
-------------------
Local Food:
Orders for Eat Local
PEI due today.
More details at:
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
---------------------------
Tomorrow, Thursday,
March 4th:
Webinar:
Carbon Bombs, Canada and the Climate, with National Observer's Linda Solomon Wood and
author (and 350.org founder) Bill McKibben, 8PM, online, free. Details to register at this link
One of you (thank you) has recommended these recordings, from former Governor
of the Bank of Canada Mark Carney, via podcasts from CBC Radio show Ideas.
He writes to listen to the ..."three part BBC Reith Lectures where Dr.
Mark Carney articulately delivers his perspective on the distinction between
economic value, human values and climate change. They can be found on CBC’s
Ideas' website:
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-23-ideas/clip/15826098-bbc-reith-lectures-mark-carney-part-one
Furthermore, quoting my friend, since "it’s quite possible Dr. Carney may
offer for political office, I think it’s all the more important to understand
his informed and persuasive positions on the critical issues now facing us. His
forthcoming book, Values:
Building a Better World for All will be released March 16,
2021."
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-23-ideas
for the three lectures and their other recordings.
The Guardian (P.E.I.) has a
self-explanatory and sometimes completely irrelevant Monday editorial feature,
"Cheers and
Jeers", and some parts of yesterday afternoon's sitting of the P.E.I.
Legislature made me think of a "Whys, Sighs and Highs" of (my
personal, peripheral and probably equally immaterial) notes from the P.E.I.
Legislature....
Why...
....was the Legislature meeting in person at all, bringing over 20 MLAs and
staff into a building for most of a day when the Province was in a modified
"red zone". (CBC article link) The justifications
regarding "essential work" could be argued, perhaps with less
political grandstanding, and some business was
done; the last half hour was spent discuss a Government Motion (No. 19: Clem Campbell's 'Smile Reminder")
recognizing kindness and thoughtfulness of a very darling little child and his pin initiative.
It was sweet but perhaps not "essential".
Sigh...
...about the questioning of the definition, and presence on the Island, of
"precarious employment" by the new Minister of Social Development and
Housing Brad Trivers (in discussions of an Opposition Motion 18: "In appreciation of Island Youth and
their Contributions to Keeping Our Community Safe" recognizing
the stresses and sacrifices of Island youth during the pandemic). He is a
smart and lickety-split go-getter; he needs to talk and listen to way more
people, and really hear about life from different perspectives, abilities,
backgrounds and advantages. (And he can use his organizing talents and ideas to
help his department run cohesively.)
High...
....at the flickering spirit of collaboration and
all-pulling-in-the-same-direction about the MLAs responsibilities and abilities
to lead through this pandemic and prepare our Island for the future.
Let's encourage them to nurture that flame.
Climate Change perspective: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-throne-speech-soft-on-climate-558105/
LETTER: Throne
speech soft on climate -The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published in print
and on-line on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021
Peter
Bevan-Baker’s response to the recent speech from the throne was spot on –
especially in relation to climate issues.
It’s great to see
specific plans and $60 million committed to promote research and development
and to support businesses in the clean technology sector. But the lack of
specifics on how we are going to more immediately tackle climate change was
disappointing.
At the end of the
throne speech under the heading of “A Cleaner Environment” is a list of
one-line items which members of the legislature will be asked to “consider
policy, program and budgetary proposals related to.” It’s not that all items on
the list aren’t important — it is the lack of specifics that is alarming.
For instance, the
first item is “Encouraging a greater use of electric vehicles”. Given that over
a year ago the Climate Change Secretariat sounded the alarm about the need for
bold action to reduce our emissions in the transportation sector and given that
the Sustainable Transportation Action Plan of November, 2019 identified several
actions to reduce transportation emissions, I expected more specific program
announcements in this throne speech.
An EV and home
charger incentive program was one of those actions. If we are serious about
encouraging electric vehicle use we will need such a program as well as
electric vehicle mandate legislation. “Implementing an Island wide transit
system” was another line item in the throne speech. While it’s great to see
this need acknowledged, improving urban and rural transit was part of the
Sustainable Transportation Action Plan and here we are over a year later with
no implementation plan identified. Given that half our province’s carbon
emissions come from transportation, we need to get more bums in buses and more
electric vehicles on our roads very soon in order to meet our climate targets.
The premier has
made some bold commitments on climate but the lack of urgency and specificity reflected
in the Throne Speech makes me wonder if we will get there.
As Greta Thunberg
has said, “Our house is on fire”. We need to act now.
Marilyn McKay,
Charlottetown
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming - -no matter how much time you have this week:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s Falstaff, today until 6:30PM
Starring Mirella Freni, Barbara Bonney, Marilyn Horne, Susan Graham, Paul
Plishka, Frank Lopardo, and Bruno Pola. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From October 10, 1992. Just over 2 hours
Wagner’s Die Walküre, tonight 7:30PM until 6:30PM
Thursday
Starring Hildegard Behrens, Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Gary Lakes, James
Morris, and Kurt Moll. Production by Otto Schenk. From April 8, 1989.
Just under 4 hours.
March 2, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Dr. Heather
Morrison's weekly update, 11:30AM, radio at Q93, online at PEI Government YouTube channel
or Facebook page.
Food ordering
deadline, noon, Charlottetown Farmers' Market 2GO, for pickup Thursday between
3-6PM at the Charlottetown Farmers' Market. The Stratford
location is closed this week.
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/Overview
The P.E.I.
Legislature was supposed to sit in person from 1-5PM at the
Coles Building, and I am not sure what's planned for today.
The Legislative Assembly website or Twitter account will
probably have the news.
Here is a nice summary of what the MLAs were working on last week, from that
Twitter account:
"After
the Speech from the Throne is presented to the House, every member has a chance
to respond to the Speech from the Throne if they wish, rising when they are
recognized by the Speaker and presenting their views on Government’s plan for
the session.
....This response is called the “Address in Reply to
the Speech from the Throne” and it's the first piece of business every sitting
day. When members finish debating the Speech from the Throne the Address is
formally presented to the Lieutenant Governor as the response of the
House."
P.E.I. Legislature Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/peileg
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
------------------
If you have power and
enough internet to watch some video, GoPEI!
encourages you to get active with free exercise programming each day online
through Facebook:
Their notice:
Stay safe. Stay
active.
We are here for you
this week, #PEI. Find ways to feel good by moving your body — from the comfort
of your own home! We've got a great lineup of classes to help keep you active.
Join the #goLiveathome
group today:
www.facebook.com/groups/goLiveathome
Ideas from across the
pond, from today's U.K.
Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/02/uk-urged-to-create-green-apprenticeships-to-help-covid-recovery
UK urged to create green apprenticeships
to help Covid recovery - The (U.K.) Guardian article by Fiona Harvey
Danger of young people’s futures being blighted by climate
and Covid crises, say campaigners
Published on
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2021
Green
apprenticeships would prepare young people for jobs in renewable energy and the
restoration of the UK’s natural landscape, and stop young people having their
careers blighted for life by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, a report
says.
The report found that 250,000 green
apprenticeships and a network of skills centres at further education colleges
could be created with about £10.6bn of government money. Local authorities
could create more than 44,000 apprenticeships in London with the right
investment, along with about 20,000 in the West Midlands and 14,000 in Greater
Manchester.
Other regions
also have high potential, as the report found scope for nearly 12,000
apprenticeships in West Yorkshire and 6,400 in the Sheffield area.
About 500,000
young people aged 16 to 24 are out of work, and that number could double when
the furlough scheme is withdrawn, according to the report, commissioned by Friends of the
Earth from Transition Economics. The authors say the consequences
of this past year’s setbacks for young people thrown into unemployment could
last for years. If wages remain lower for young people through their working
lives, from the “scarring” effect of early unemployment, the cumulative loss to
their earnings could reach £39bn over the next 20 years.
<SNIP>
-- rest of story here:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/02/uk-urged-to-create-green-apprenticeships-to-help-covid-recovery
Atlantic Skies for March 1st - March 7th,
2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
The Search for "life" on Mars
NASA's Mars 2020
Perseverance rover successfully landed on the Red Planet on Thursday, Feb.18, a
technical and logistical feat of which NASA can rightfully be very proud. Edgar
Rice Burroughs' famous 'Barsoom' stories about a race of beings living on the
Red Planet aside, Perseverance, or "Percy" as it is now
affectionately nicknamed, will not be searching for any archeological traces of
alien civilizations. In addition to the other scientific and technology-testing
tasks it has, the rover's primary task is an extremely interesting one, one
that has the potential to profoundly alter our view of the universe, and our
place, as humans, in it - the active search for biosignatures of past or
present "life" on Mars.
Enough evidence now
exists to confirm that Mars, when it first formed 4.5 billion years ago, had an
atmosphere much like Earth's early atmosphere, and that it also had vast
amounts of water on its surface, in the form of lakes, oceans, and flowing
rivers, for at least about the first billion years. Early Mars had a
magnetosphere (a magnetic field surrounding the planet generated by the dynamo
effect of its spinning, hot, molten core) that maintained its atmosphere by
protecting it from the extreme radiation of the Sun's solar wind (as does Earth's
magnetosphere). However, as the planet's core cooled, its magnetosphere
diminished in strength to the point where it wasn't strong enough to prevent
the solar wind from stripping away the upper levels of the Martian atmosphere.
As the planet's upper atmosphere thinned, more and stronger solar radiation
struck the lower portions of the atmosphere, until it, too, eventually
dissipated into space. With no atmosphere to protect and maintain it, the
surface water on Mars evaporated into space, leaving behind the physical
evidence of its former presence carved into the Martian landscape in the form
of vast river deltas, alluvial fans, basins, and other geophysical formations.
It is on one of the river deltas in Jezero Crater that Perseverance landed.
On Earth,
biologists credit the presence of water on our planet with the creation and
establishment of the earliest and most basic microbial life forms - bacteria,
from which all life on Earth ultimately evolved. It is quite possible that
ancient Mars was able to hold onto its water for a sufficiently long enough
period for similar microbial life forms to have developed in its water bodies.
Using a vast array of instrumentation, in particular the Scanning Habitable
Environments with Ramen and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals, or
'SHERLOC' (l love the acronym), Percy will image and analyze the Martian
surface mineralogy, chemical composition, and organic compounds in a search for
biosignatures of any ancient microbial life that may have once been present, or
any microbial life forms which might be present today. It is hoped that Percy
might find some stromatolites - wavy, rocky mounds similar to those formed long
ago on Earth by microbial life along ancient shorelines and in other
environments where metabolic energy and water were present. Just as traces of
ancient microbial life forms have been found in ocean bed sediments on Earth,
it is hoped that traces of ancient microbial life forms, if they formed in the
Martian water bodies, might also be discovered. Should the initial tests
conducted by Percy indicate the presence of either past or existing microbial
life forms, samples will be collected by the rover, and cached in collection
tubes for retrieval by a future Mars mission which will return the samples to Earth
for more detailed and specialized testing. Such a discovery, even if only proof
of extinct life forms, will, without a doubt, revolutionize our knowledge and
perceptions on how, when and where life first appeared in our solar
system. Although, on its own, such a discovery does not prove the
existence of higher life forms on Mars or elsewhere in our solar system or the
Milky Way Galaxy, it does open, at the very least, the possibility; and
perhaps, for the time being, that is enough.
With a clear, unobstructed
view to the southeast on the morning of Mar. 4, just before sunrise, you might
catch a glimpse of Mercury (mag. +0.2, in Capricornus - the Sea Goat) about 1/2
degree (a close conjunction) to the left of Jupiter (mag. -1.9), as the two
planets hover just about the horizon. Saturn (mag. +0.7, in Capricornus) will
be to the right of and slightly above Jupiter and Mercury. Mars (mag. +0.9, in
Taurus - the Bull) is an early evening object, visible about 59 degrees above
the southwest horizon (2.5 degrees below the Pleiades star cluster) by about
6:40 p.m., remaining observable until just before it sets in the southwest
around 1 a.m. Both Venus and Jupiter are too close to the Sun to be observable
this coming week.
The first two weeks
of March (and April) are the best times to look for the Zodiacal Light. At this
time of the year, the ecliptic (the apparent line of movement of the Sun, Moon
and planets across the sky) is tilted almost vertically relative to the western
horizon. The Zodiacal Light is sunlight reflected off a myriad of minute dust
particles along the inner plane of our solar system, left there by countless
comets zipping in around the Sun. Look for a diffuse, whitish, pyramid-shaped
glow of light extending upward from the horizon about one and half-hours after
sunset, when the sky has fully darkened. Viewing from a dark site, away from
city lights, will increase your chances of finding the Zodiacal Light, and will
greatly enhance its overall appearance. If you have trouble spotting it, try
using your averted vision by looking just to the side (your eyes detect faint
light better off to the side, rather than directly on). Take your DSLR camera
along for a timed photo.
Until next week,
clear skies.
Events:
March
4 - Mercury and Jupiter in close conjunction; ESE, pre-dawn
5 - Last Quarter Moon
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Good old classics with marvelous (ageless, timeless) divas:
Donizetti’s Don
Pasquale, today until 6:30PM
Starring Beverly Sills, Alfredo Kraus, Håkan Hagegård, and Gabriel Bacquier,
conducted by Nicola Rescigno. Production by John Dexter. From January 11, 1979.
Verdi’s Falstaff, tonight 7:30PM until Wednesday
6:30PM
Starring Mirella Freni, Barbara Bonney, Marilyn Horne, Susan Graham, Paul
Plishka, Frank Lopardo, and Bruno Pola. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From October 10, 1992
Shared by my dear
sister-in-law in the States, and very timely:
"Kindness is more than
deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch, It is
anything that lifts another person."
--- C. Neil Strait
March 1, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
FYI:
Latest Government Update on COVID 19 measures are here,
published online Sunday evening:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/modified-red-restricted-measures-prince-edward-island-five-new-cases-announced
Local Food Ordering:
Organic Veggie Delivery week, order by Monday
PM today for delivery Friday, March 5th.
https://www.organicveggiedelivery.com/
Charlottetown Farmers' Market 2Go, order by
TUESDAY NOON, for Thursday pick-up/delivery,
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
(due to probable increased demand, they might close orders
early, so keep that in mind)
EatLocalPEI --
Order by Wednesday
night
for pickup/delivery
Saturday/Sunday
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
-------------------------------
MLAs will not be sitting in the Legislature today, which gives everyone a
chance to prepare for the next two weeks, with sittings originally scheduled
for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 1PM-5PM, and Fridays from
10AM-2PM. Doing the math, it's the same number of sitting hours per week
as the previous way (16).
However, of course, they may do something different tomorrow and Wednesday due
to COVID gathering restrictions.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
----------------------------------
Thursday, March 4th:
Webinar:
Carbon Bombs, Canada and the Climate, with National Observer's Linda Solomon Wood and
Author Bill McKibben, 8PM, online, free.
from the event notice:
Bill McKibben is a decades-long veteran of climate advocacy, whose grassroots
activism has enormously impacted environmental politics.
Almost 10 years ago, McKibben dubbed Canada’s tar sands projects “carbon bombs”
which devastate the environment. The federal Liberals and Alberta Conservatives
have both doubled down detonating those bombs, sinking fortunes into the
development of new oil pipelines even as President Joe Biden has signalled a
disinterest in building new fossil fuel infrastructure. As Texas freezes over
with lethal, extreme winter weather, McKibben's messages resonate stronger than
ever.
Is it too late for Canada to get on the right path?
Join McKibben as he works through these dilemmas with host Linda Solomon Wood
in a public Conversations event
Details and registration link
----------------------
Thursday, March 11th:
Deadline -- Public
Input on Make up of Elected School Board
this notice from Colonel Gray High School's weekly report in The Guardian:
The Department of Education and Lifelong Learning is seeking input into elected
board-related matters. Help direct the future of education and share thoughts
by doing a short online survey: https://www.research.net/r/esbc
Those interested can also email their thoughts using esbc@edu.pe.ca or send a written submission by
mail to:
Elected Public School Branch Board of Directors Public
Consultations, Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, PO Box 2000,
Charlottetown, P.E.I, C1A 7N8, attention: Legislative and Planning
Co-ordinator. The deadline for submissions is March 11.
from today's The (U.K.) Guardian:
Electric
cars truly greener – Fossil fuel cars waste
hundreds of times more resources than battery electric
cars, according to a study that adds to evidence the switch will
bring large environmental benefits. After recycling, only about 30kg of raw
material is lost over the life of a lithium ion battery, compared with 17,000
litres of oil used in a petrol or diesel vehicle, according to analysis by
Transport & Environment (T&E). Its calculation shows petrol and diesel
cars use at least 300 times more resources. T&E calculations suggest a
battery electric car will use 58% less energy than a petrol car over its
lifetime and emit 64% less carbon dioxide.
article link: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/01/fossil-fuel-cars-make-hundreds-of-times-more-waste-than-electric-cars?
from last month: Online link: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-marking-50-years-of-wetland-conservation-and-loss-547472/
GUEST OPINION: Marking 50 years of wetland
conservation and loss - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Dan Kraus
Published in print
on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021
Fifty years ago, nations gathered to create the world’s
first global agreement to conserve a habitat. This had long been undervalued,
and as a result was rapidly disappearing. Fifty years ago, there was a global
call to action to save our wetlands.
On Feb. 2, 1971,
the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was adopted in Ramsar,
Iran. Often referred to as the Ramsar Convention, its purpose was to stop the
worldwide loss of wetlands. Today, 171 countries, including Canada, are parties
to the convention.
The Ramsar
Convention has helped many wetlands. Over 2,400 wetlands around the world have
been designated as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance. Canada has 37
Ramsar sites, including some the Nature Conservancy of Canada have helped
protect in Atlantic Canada. They are Tabusintac Estuary and Shepody Bay (N.B.),
Musquodoboit Harbour (N.S.), Malpeque Bay (P.E.I.) and Grand Codroy Estuary
(N.L.). World Wetlands Day marks the signing of the Ramsar Convention and is a
day to highlight the importance of wetland conservation
Despite a global
agreement and a special day of recognition, we have not been kind to wetlands over
the last half century. Over the past 50-years, over one-third world’s remaining
wetlands have been lost. They continue to disappear at a rate faster than
forests, and the loss is accelerating.
In every
country, including our own, we are now facing an increasingly critical
decision: which wetlands will we choose to save, and which wetlands will we
choose to lose?

Canada has 37 sites
designated as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance, including Malpeque
Bay in P.E.I.
Contributed - SaltWire
Network
reprinted from
online article -- better resolution and other graphics at the online article
Our
choices will matter for both nature and people.
Wetlands come in
many forms across Canada. Our vast northern peatlands are some of the most
extensive and intact wetlands left on Earth. But in southern Canada, we’ve done
our part to contribute to global wetland losses by draining forested swamps,
prairie sloughs and coastal salt marshes. In many parts of southern Canada,
only a fraction of our original wetlands remain.
What all our
different wetlands share is their ecological importance. Coastal fens along the
Great Lakes coast and saline wetlands of the prairies, along with over 90 other
wetland communities, are of global conservation concern. Wetlands provide
spawning habitat for many sportfish. They produced millions of waterfowl each
year and are essential for keeping Canada’s “duck factory” open. Many of
Canada’s terrestrial and freshwater species at risk regularly occur, or rely,
on wetlands, including eastern mountain avens, yellow rail and Blanding’s
turtle.
Canadians need
wetlands now, more than ever. Our northern peatlands are global giants when it
comes to storing carbon. Wetlands around our cities and farms are one of our
best natural defenses to buffer communities from extreme weather events and our
rapidly changing climate. They are the Swiss Army Knife of ecosystems. The
wetlands around us store carbon, hold flood water, recharge creeks during
drought, stop storm surges and provide fire breaks. We can’t afford to lose
them. The best use of wetlands is to have them remain as wetlands.
Celebrating
World Wetland Day every Feb. 2 may not seem ideal. Many are frozen and quiet.
Blanketed with snow that covers trees and turtles. But they are waiting for
spring when their most important work will begin. As ice cracks and snow melts,
they will fill with the spring runoff. Like giant sponges on the land, they
will turn unwanted floodwaters into much-needed summer flows to our rivers and
streams.
The next 10
years mark our decision decade for nature. We need forward thinking wetland
policies and plans that consider how this critical element of our
infrastructure can be strengthened. Donations to support wetland conservation
by Nature Conservancy of Canada can be matched through the Natural Heritage
Conservation Program and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
We can choose to
be the new generation that values, conserves and creates wetlands, or continue
to pass on an ecological deficit to our children. Fifty years ago, there was a
commitment made to future generations to stop the loss of wetlands. We need to
fulfill that promise.
Dan Kraus is
senior conservation biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s Il Trovatore, today until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Yonghoon Lee, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky,
conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Sir David McVicar.
From October 3, 2015.
Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, tonight 7:30PM until 6:30PM
Tuesday
From January 11, 1979. "This John Dexter production, designed by Desmond
Heeley, was a parting gift to the great American soprano Beverly Sills, who bid
farewell to the Met as Norina, the smart young widow at the center of
Donizetti’s comedy. The sensational Alfredo Kraus sings her beloved Ernesto.
Håkan Hagegård, in his Met debut role and season, is Dr. Malatesta, the man who
helps the young couple trick the crusty old bachelor of the title (Gabriel
Bacquier at his comical best) into a fake marriage. This being a Donizetti
comedy, it all turns out perfectly well at the end—and getting there is pure
operatic fun." Yes, it's all yellow chiffon and slender cigarette
holder elegance with Beverly Sills, a great way to start a week honouring
female opera stars.
"Stay
afraid, but do it anyway. What's important is the action. You don't have
to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will
follow."
---Carrie Fisher (1956-2016),
actor
February 28, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Notes:
Posted Saturday night, here is a link to the latest COVID exposures and
notifications from the P.E.I. Government:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/circuit-breaker-announced-pei-new-cases-covid-19-announced
Page with updated exposures date and locations, in Summerside (a lot) and
Montague and Charlottetown (a few).
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-and-wellness/potential-covid-19-exposures
A reminder to consider keeping a log
of when and where you are, basically, when you're outside your home.
-------
Basically, "Circuit-breaker" measures of no indoor dining (but you
can order take-out and delivery), some gathering limits reinforced, etc.
The PEI Symphony has cancelled the concert with soprano Tracy Cantin scheduled
for today.
------------------------
On Friday, after the Legislative Assembly finished sitting for the week, the
Standing Committee on Health and Social Development met at 2:30PM to discuss
the IRAC report on the Brendel/Red Fox/Irving land transfer. Here is from
an on-line article from The
Guardian, which summarizes it well:
P.E.I. standing committee to subpoena Brendel
report - The
Guardian article by
Stu Neatby
Published ONLINE on
Saturday, February 27th, 2021 (probable PRINT date Monday, March 1st, 2021), in
The
Guardian
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/pei-standing-committee-to-subpoena-brendel-report-557492/
A Legislative standing committee has passed a motion to require
the Province’s Minister of Agriculture and Land to release an investigative
report into the Brendel land sale, a land transaction that allegedly went afoul
of the Lands Protection Act.
The Brendel report
was completed by the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) but has
been a carefully guarded secret since last fall. Agriculture Minister Bloyce
Thompson has said the report must go through the Freedom of Information
process; some information may be redacted under this process as it would be
considered personal information.
However, standing
committees have the ability to compel the production of documents without going
through the Freedom of Information process.
The investigation
concerned a transfer of 2,200 acres of land between a family farming operation
and Red Fox Acres Ltd., a company which lists a member of the Irving family as
a director.
Friday’s motion
called for the committee to subpoena the report along with “any other
associated documents necessary to interpret and understand the report and its
findings.” The motion also called for the subpoena to be issued no later than
11:59 p.m. on March 2.
But the motion, passed by the standing committee on health and social development,
also calls for the documents to be produced at an in-camera meeting, in
physical form only. This means the standing committee will not release the
report publicly. The motion stated that this would balance the need to respect
privacy concerns of the parties involved with the duty of the committee to hold
government to account.
While committee
members cannot release details contained in the Brendel report, they can make
recommendations based on these details.
The motion was
introduced by Green MLA Trish Altass.
"Islanders
really want to ensure that the spirit and intent of the Lands Protection Act is
being upheld. And there are a lot of questions about what happened with this
particular situation,” Altass told The Guardian on Friday.
“It's unfortunate
that it got to that stage. It's very unfortunate that the Minister did not
choose to simply table the report in the legislative assembly."
Thompson had turned
down an earlier request from the committee to provide the Brendel report. He
said this was done in order to avoid compromising the legal position of the
Province.
Legal counsel
representing Red Fox Acres Ltd. and Rebecca Irving have filed for a judicial
review of a Ministerial decision by Thompson ordering divestiture of land, due
to the findings of the Brendel report"I've followed the letter of the law
all the way through this,” Thompson said in an interview.
"One misstep and
the investigation could be thrown out. I have to take this seriously and follow
every legal procedure.”
Nevertheless, Thompson
said he would comply with a subpoena of the committee.
"I will
hand-deliver the report. I'll carry it in myself," he said.
The Brendel
investigation could have implications for a planned overhaul of the Lands
Protection Act, as well as the Planning Act. A land matters committee is
expected to make recommendations to update and change these laws in the spring.
Agricultural groups have suggested loopholes in the Act allows certain actors
to circumvent its limits on landholdings.
During Question
Period on Friday, Green agriculture critic Michele Beaton suggested the
juggling process over the release of the Brendel report could compromise the
work of the land matters committee.
“What answers can
they give you if they haven’t seen what’s in the report?” Beaton asked,
referring to the Brendel investigation.
“I will follow that
letter of the law. And I guarantee you, every Islander will see this report,
Mr. Speaker, in whole,” Thompson responded.
In an interview,
Thompson said the Land Matters committee has not yet seen the report but “will
definitely see the report” before they present their recommendations in June.
-30-
Catch-up on anything from the P.E.I. Legislative Assembly this week (Question
Period Friday should be available in written format, and videos) on their
website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
and some other clips and notices:
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
Sunday Breakfast Butter:
Paul MacNeill,
published of the The
Graphic publications and commentator on many things, tweeted
off-the-cuff a couple of days ago:
"As wave 3 rolls
around the world, the lead story on PEI is whether butter creams like it did
years ago #pei #bubble #CovidWhat" and I was glad people pointed out that this *is* actually
a bit of deal, environmentally, ethically for the cows, and certainly about
public trust in an industry that promotes its wholesomeness in golden
advertisements.
Sylvain Charlebois, who really is our local expert on
food policy and distribution (he's at Dalhousie University, and writes op-ed
pieces prolifically) wrote this column published in some Saltwire publications
in the region earlier this month and just this Friday in print in The Guardian.
It's worth a careful
read:
Hard
truth about butter - The Guardian article by Sylvain Charlebois
Published IN PRINT on Friday, February 26th, 2021, in The Guardian
ONLINE link: https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/business/local-business/sylvain-charlebois-the-hard-truth-about-butter-in-canada-555678/
For months now, thousands of
Canadians have taken to social media, saying they’ve noticed that butter is
harder and does not get softer at room temperature. Not all butter is harder.
Some people blame winter and the colder weather, but the truth is more troubling
than that. Disturbing reports are now pointing at some practices on the farm
that may have altered the quality of the butter we buy.
Since last summer, thousands of dairy
farmers have been giving more energy supplements to their herd — palm oil. Sources
suggest it has been going on for more than a decade, but the problem has become
more apparent since August, when butter demand went up suddenly, forcing the
dairy industry to produce more dairy fat.
To explain it simply, palm oil given to
dairy cows increases the proportion of saturated fat in milk compared to
unsaturated fat, thus increasing the melting point of butter. This explains why
butter made from cows fed with palm oil remains difficult to spread at room
temperature.
Due to our supply management regime,
farmers are under tremendous pressure to meet their quotas so they can get
paid. What is also making the use of palm oil on supply-managed farms the most
probable cause is that many specialty products, like organic butter and butter
made from grass fed cows, don’t appear to have been affected at all. The use of
palm oil in dairy has been going on for at least a decade without consumers
knowing about it, but since last summer, the practice suddenly expanded to
hundreds of farms, if not thousands.
Demand for butter in 2020 was up 12.4
per cent in Canada. Having more Canadians at home cooking up a storm has added
more stress on dairy production, and more specifically, on the production of
butter fat. Hard butter is now more noticeable because so many farms are
participating in the practice. It is believed about 30-35 per cent of Canadian
dairy farmers are doing this to meet their lucrative production quotas, but
nobody knows for sure, not even the Dairy Farmers of Canada or the Canadian
Dairy Commission.
In fact, the Dairy Farmers of Canada are
still turning a blind eye and denying everything even though suppliers, farmers
and processors have now come forward admitting the problem.
Canadians may wonder why a dairy farmer
would ever use palm oil to increase fat production. Even though palmitic acids
come at a cost, it is less expensive than adding cows to their herds, which
would substantially increase the cost of production. There is nothing illegal
about giving palm oil to dairy cows, and nothing prevents dairy farmers from
following this practice.
However, little research has been
conducted on how giving palmitic acids to dairy cows could compromise the
health of both animals and humans. What we do know is that palm oil may
increase certain heart disease risk factors in some people. The effects of palm
oil production on the environment, health and lives of Indigenous people in
different parts of the world are well documented and deeply concerning. So,
given the dairy farmers' Blue Cow campaign, which is constantly reminding us
that dairy products in Canada are among the best in the world, such practice is
ethically questionable.
Complaints have been filed with
processors, which then get filed with the dairy boards. The number of
complaints is making this situation tricky and dairy boards have been
unbelievably quiet on the hard butter issue on social media and elsewhere.
This subject is obviously taboo in the
industry, and many dairy farmers with a high sense of integrity are seemingly
upset and want this practice to cease immediately. Nobody in the industry wants
to openly address the issue, at least not within media.
The presence of palm oil in dairy fat
can be detected but does require time and effort. Some firms are apparently
trying to develop a technology that will allow dairy manufacturers to detect
palmitic acids in the product they receive. Sources are suggesting that dairy
boards want to use this technology to discipline farmers, allowing
manufacturers to reject sub-par butter fat in the interest of the industry and
the public.
The dairy industry is quite concerned
about its angelic image and does not want this story to come out in the open,
but now it has.
Unlike other countries, in Canada milk
is essentially a public good. Not only do dairy farmers have exclusive
government-sanctioned quotas, which make it a privilege for the few to produce
milk, but Canadians taxpayers have also given $1.75-billion to the industry to
assure us continued access to wholesome dairy products.
Dairy Farmers of Canada has only itself
to blame. Despite its dismal transparency track record, it should have asked
Ottawa to ban these products from the market, or at least openly condemned the
practice. A step in the right direction would be to see supply-managed dairy
farmers including Canadian grown oils in their feed additives over imported
palm oil. However, they chose not to, simply to uphold the image they
desperately try to protect, at any cost.
So disappointing.
Sylvain Charlebois is professor in food distribution and policy and senior
director of the AgriFood Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University.
sylvain.charlebois@dal.ca
@scharleb
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera, today until 6:30PM
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Kathleen Kim, Stephanie Blythe, Marcelo Álvarez,
and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Production by David Alden.
From December 8, 2012. 2 hours 40 minutes
Verdi’s Il Trovatore, tonight 7:30PM until Monday about
6:30PM
Starring Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Yonghoon Lee, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky,
conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Sir David McVicar.
From October 3, 2015.
Two Verdi operas, both with Dmitri Hvorostovsky
as the conflicted (but in the end) bad guy, ending a week of tribute to the
beloved brilliant baritone, who died too soon in 2017. Article on him
February 27, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Farmers' Markets and
local stores open today:
Charlottetown
(9AM-2PM),
Summerside*
(9AM-1PM),
Heartbeet Organics
Farmacy (9AM-6PM, with local food out until 1PM),
and Riverview
Country Market, etc.
*Note on the Summerside Farmers' Market Facebook
page from last night:
"The Summerside Farmer’s Market will be open tomorrow,
February 27th, 9-1.
Some vendors have decided not to attend, given the current
circumstances so perhaps it is best to contact your favourites directly before
venturing in.
Stay safe."
--------------------------
"Watering the Grassroots" conference
online continues today and tomorrow, details here.
--------------------
Tonight:
Rainforest Lounge, with Todd MacLean, in conversation with potter Robert McMillan, 7PM.
Instagram Live,
here:
https://www.instagram.com/toddpei/
----------------------------
To catch up with the two days of the Legislature, see the following sites,
below.
(To recap: the Speech from the Throne Thursday, and Welcomes, Question Period,
and beginnings of response to Speech from the Throne Friday. New PC MLA
Zack Bell moved the Throne Speech motion, Cory Deagle spoke about his own
mental health struggles in his seconding of the motion, and Peter Bevan-Baker
started a lively Official Opposition Leader comment on it, with the hour ending
before he was finished.)
The Legislature resumes sitting Tuesday at 1PM.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
------------------------------
Over the weekend:
Covid-19 News Updates
may be found here: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/search-covid19
In addition to the P.E.I. Government's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/govpe
LETTER OF THE WEEK: Lack of political
will continues to plague land policy in P.E.I. - The Guardian Letter of the Week by Joan Diamond
Published on
Wednesday, February 24th, 2021
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-of-the-week-lack-of-political-will-continues-to-plague-land-policy-in-pei-556100/
The coalition for the Protection of P.E.I. Lands was recently
invited to make a presentation to the Standing Committee on Natural Resources
and Environmental Sustainability.
We welcomed this opportunity to present our concerns and
make recommendations. We were surprised that one committee member seemed intent
on using this precious time to ask irrelevant questions and was given an
inordinate amount of time for this. He obviously did not agree with our
presentation. Rather than use the time for a discussion of our differences, he
appeared to want to focus on whether we had watched him proposing an amendment
to the Lands Protection Act in the Legislature. He might be surprised to know
that we have more substantial things to research. The whole thing was a moot
point since the amendment proposed by this member of the Third Party, was
defeated in the Legislature.
Our coalition is made up of volunteers who stay on top of
all things concerning land on P.E.I. We do this on our own dime, spending much
of our precious spare time working together to change P.E.I. for the better.
Unlike the MLA in question, Minister of Agriculture in a former government,
this is not our job. He is well paid to do what he does. He could afford to
better prepare himself so that he would at least attempt to understand
different perspectives submitted by concerned citizens. The problem is not a
lack of solid, well-researched input from the community.
The problem is a serious lack of political will to
legislate in favour of what is best for Islanders and the land rather than
supporting the interests of large corporations and their shareholders.
Thankfully, other members of the Standing Committee asked
thoughtful questions and made insightful comments.
During our presentation, one of our Coalition’s founding
members shared with the committee that she took part in her first presentation
on P.E.I. land protection over 40 years ago. Sadly, the recommendations all those
years ago were much the same as the ones we made to this 2021 standing
committee. Over the years, there have been countless committees struck, studies
done, presentations written and submissions made. After all this exhausting
work, the same problems continue and many new ones plague our fragile P.E.I.
lands. While we go on with endless studies and consultations, suspicious land
transactions are happening at an alarming rate around us.
Our committee appreciates being given the chance to share
our research with any and all committees working towards improving our
relationship with P.E.I. lands. We feel we have much to share and remain
hopeful that the government will soon commit to making at least some of our
recommendations become reality. In future, we hope that all
government-appointed committee members take their task up with enthusiasm and
an honest will to learn from citizen volunteers, rather than pushing their own
agenda.
Joan Diamond, on behalf of the Coalition for the
Protection of P.E.I. Lands
-30-
The Standing
Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability's page is here
on the Legislative Assembly's website:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/index.php/committees/current-committees/natural-resources-and-environmental-sustainability
And the transcript
for the February 4th, 2021, meeting (when the Coalition for the
Protection of PEI Lands presented) can be found on this page.
Video and such can be found by searching for Year 2021, and the date was February
4th meeting, from the Committee's page.
Opera-tic Saturday
Saturday Afternoon
at the Opera, recorded Met Opera performances on Radio, 2PM, 104.7FM
Strauss’s Der
Rosenkavalier
With Renée Fleming (Marschallin), Elīna Garanča (Octavian), Erin Morley
(Sophie), Matthew Polenzani (A Singer), Günther Groissböck (Baron Ochs)
Performance from May
13, 2017. An excellent cast, even Polenzani's tiny bit in
the first Act.
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s La Traviata. until noon
today
Starring Natalie Dessay, Matthew Polenzani, and Dmitri
Hvorostovsky, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Production by Willy Decker. From
April 14, 2012.
Met Stars Live, 2PM,
Sonya Yoncheva in
Germany, ticketed, details here
Available on-demand for the next two weeks
Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera, 7:30PM
tonight until 6:30PM Sunday
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Kathleen Kim, Stephanie Blythe, Marcelo Álvarez,
and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Production by David Alden. From December 8, 2012.
"David Alden’s elegant 2012 production moves Verdi’s
thrilling drama to a timeless setting inspired by film noir." Pretty
cool.
"If you do not pick a
day to relax, your body will pick it for you."
--- Neal Owusu
and parts of
today look pretty nice for a bit of relaxing time outside, and parts of
tomorrow inside!
February 26, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
The P.E.I. Legislature
sits from 10AM-2PM
Standing Committee on
Health and Social Development, 2:30PM, online.
Topic: Consideration of the committee's work plan regarding
request for Brendel-Red Fox Acres land sale report
Both sitting and meeting
will be live-streamed here:
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
Fridays4Future,
**12noon**, **Coles Building**, off Richmond Street.
Note the time to be
outside the buiding while the Legislature is in session.
Facebook event details
A multi-day workshop of
interest:
February 26th-February
28th:
Watering the
Grassroots: Applied Activism Virtual Conference, various times, online
“Watering the Grassroots” is a free 3-day (approx 3 hours each
day) virtual conference that aims to bring together environmental clubs and
grassroots organizations to work on developing important skills and knowledge
bases to improve their organization’s function and impact. Envisioned by
University of Toronto Environmental Action (UTEA) and Queen’s Backing Action on
Climate Change (QBACC), WTG attempts a nation-wide approach to delving into
pressing, intersectional, and important issues related to the environment and
climate change by bringing together workshop leaders and panelists spanning
from Newfoundland to British Columbia.
Each day of the conference lasts from 2.5 to 3 hours, and
the themes follow an intuitive order that builds upon the previous day’s
learning and skills-building.
<<snip>>
more at:
Facebook event details
The Speech from the
Throne's complete text is found at the end of this newsletter, from: https://www.assembly.pe.ca/legislative-business/speech-from-the-throne
Reading it from the bottom up provides some perspective on the closing part as
you read through the sections.
News article on Speech
from the Throne: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/updated-clean-tech-nursing-initiatives-key-themes-of-pei-throne-speech-556803/
House
opens with throne speech - The
Guardian article by Stu Neatby
Collaborative health
care, mental health, green jobs, childcare spaces emphasized for coming year
Published on Friday, February 26th, 2021
Two years into his mandate, Premier Dennis King has
chosen to emphasize a commitment to collaborative health care and the
development of a clean tech sector in P.E.I. as key initiatives for the coming
year.
The throne speech, a prelude to the province’s operating budget,
was read to P.E.I. MLAs by Lt.-Gov. Antoinette Perry on Thursday, opening the
winter sitting of the legislature. The speech emphasized planned initiatives in
health care, mental health and addictions, education, childcare and
sustainability. The economic recovery of the province in the post-COVID-19
period was mentioned but was not a dominant theme of the speech.
A key focus of the health-care commitments announced in the
throne speech were aimed at both attracting nurses and establishing
collaboration healthcare centres. King had signalled this earlier in the week
during a state of the province speech, in which he said that providing all
Islanders with a family doctors was not a realistic possibility.
“Despite the efforts and intentions of our health-care
professionals, many of us remain frustrated with our health-care system,” Perry
told the legislature. “My government has adopted a model of health care which
will move the primary focus from acute and long-term care toward
community-based care.”
This will mean the creation of a program called "medical
homes and medical neighbourhoods". This will initially involve the
establishment of three new “primary care homes”, which will have a
collaborative team of health professionals. It is not clear where these new
homes will be located.
"The doctor will be at the centre of that delivery for sure
but there will be other professionals, whether they be nurse practitioners,
RNs, LPNs, social workers," King said in an interview.
The speech also pledged to expand post-secondary programs for
registered nurses at UPEI and licensed practical nurses for Holland College.
A planned $5 million dollar fund for recruitment of nurses and
nurse practitioners will also be established, to provide student debt
forgiveness for those working in P.E.I.
On mental health and addictions programming, the government
pledged to establish a $10-million mental health and addictions fund for new
programming. In addition, a new P.E.I. Centre for Mental Well-being will be
established, which would be composed of non-profit partners.
A new 24-hour mental health phone line is planned.
A new seniors' health strategy was also mentioned in the speech
but few details were offered. The speech noted the province will be piloting a
new at-home respite program as well as a so-called multi-disciplinary dementia
team.
The speech also said nurse practitioners would be introduced into
the care teams for private long-term care facilities.
Perhaps the most ambitious effort involves a $50 million pot of
seed funding for clean tech initiatives in P.E.I. King has pledged to create
2,000 jobs in the sector.
The speech said the funding would assist enterprises focused on
climate change, clean air, clean water and soil health.
In addition, the speech pledged the creation of three “tax-free development
zones” for clean tech businesses, as well as a $10 million research and
development fund.
A P.E.I. energy academy will be established, involving Holland
College and UPEI.
The throne speech also pledged to create 300 new childcare spaces
on P.E.I. this year. A plan to establish universal half-day pre-kindergarten
for four year olds, initially planned to be in place last fall, is planned for
this fall.
The province is also pledging to provide micro-loans for
under-represented populations such as Black, Indigenous, people of colour,
women, LGBTQ+ individuals and youth to establish businesses.
Finally, the throne speech said a report from the Premier’s
Council for Recovery and Growth, a body established to chart the course for
P.E.I.’s post-COVID recovery, would be tabled in the legislature this session.
The speech also pledged $1 million to help the Charlottetown
Airport Authority to develop an air travel recovery strategy.
Green Opposition Leader Peter Bevan-Baker painted the throne
speech as a “tepid, trite and timid” vision for P.E.I.’s future.
He said he was disappointed the speech did not provide more
substantial investments in mental health and addictions, or for addressing
poverty. He noted the speech did not heavily emphasize the new mental health
campus on the grounds of Hillsborough Hospital.
"We've gone in two years of this administration from shovels
in the ground on day one to 'here's a phone line,'" Bevan-Baker said.
"I heard nothing about wages, nothing about minimum wage,
nothing really about the elimination of poverty."
Interim Liberal Leader Sonny Gallant said his caucus was dismayed
that there was not more of a long-term economic vision for the province. He
also said there was not enough focus on seniors. The Liberals plan to introduce
a bill that would see the creation of a seniors' advocate on P.E.I.
"There's a lot of different seniors that can't navigate the
system, they don't have family members here," Gallant said.
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s Ernani, today until 6:30PM
Starring Angela Meade, Marcello Giordani, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Ferruccio
Furlanetto, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Pier Luigi Samaritani. From February 25, 2012.
Verdi’s La Traviata, tonight 7:30PM
until noon tomorrow (special concert tomorrow afternoon)
Starring Natalie Dessay, Matthew Polenzani, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted
by Fabio Luisi. Production by Willy Decker. From April 14, 2012. A startlingly refreshing
production and performances by Dessay, with the stern but compassionate
Hvorostovsky as the father of the always lyrical and sympathetic Polenzani.
February 25, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
February 24, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
February 23, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"We live
in a society, not an economy."
--
Islander Jonathan Greenan, on social media, February 19th, 2021
---------------------
Events:
Dr. Heather Morrison
will give her Tuesday COVID update at 11:30AM, unless she
doesn't because other stuff comes up.
https://www.facebook.com/govpe
Also CBCPEI's Facebook page and
Island Q93 FM Radio
Tonight:
Tuesday, February 23rd:
ECO-PEI AGM, Meeting: 6:30PM, Presentation
panel discussion on "Creating an Environmental Bill of Rights", 7PM,
online.
Facebook event details
-------------
Tomorrow,
Wednesday, February
24th:
West Royalty Active Transportation Trail
Public Meeting, 7PM, in-person
(limited) and online.
from the event notice:
You're invited to a Public Meeting on the proposed West
Royalty Active Transportation Trail!
We want to hear your thoughts, ideas, and concerns so we can
prepare a plan that meets the needs of all residents. Specifically, with this
project, we aim to connect both ends of the community, provide a space for all
Islanders to enjoy nature sustainably, and fostering an active and healthy
lifestyle among our neighbours.
To learn more about the proposed trail system, watch this video:
https://youtu.be/92wLiWPRRLA
Please note, due to Public Health restrictions, this event is
limited to 50 in-person participants. Pre-registration required, visit
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeuaFZxUr8Q2eC0S2uzx8c4NM37z66GAcbk_gJhoSzAiVomjQ/viewform
(I had a little trouble getting the
in-person meeting registration link to work, so apologies if this doesn't work
after being sent out. I am not sure if Facebook live or Zoom will be the
online platform. Also, the video is almost a year old now, and pretty,
but could use some more maps, and there are likely to be areas that need
clarity to discuss. I know people who exercise their dogs in the Upton
Park area are concerned and should be addressed.)
---------------------------
Thursday, February
25th:
Speech from the
Throne, 2PM, PEI Legislature.
That's usually that's the main work of that day.
Friday's sitting time is now an hour longer -- 10AM-2PM, and next week begins
the regular Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday hours of 1-5PM.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
The State of the
Province video from Premier Dennis King is on the Government's
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/govpe
CBC Online article
summarizing speech-- link only: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-dennis-king-state-of-province-1.5923796
I am all for
levity in the news, but not at a confused wild animal's expense, with the
element of (the) police force:
CBC online article
headline
Surly
seal spotted on Charlottetown sidewalk apprehended by police
Atlantic Skies For
February 22nd - February 28th, 2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
Planet X and Great-Uncle George

Planet X artistic
rendition credit : Wikimedia
Commons

Silhouette credit : Ruth Monsell, Silhouettist
Planet X and
Great-Uncle George have something in common - both are thought to exist, but no
one has actually seen either of them. I know, I know...who the heck is
Great-Uncle George, and what does he have to do with Planet X?
Most (well, many
anyway!) families have a Great-Uncle George - that family member who is listed
in the family registry, but who no one has ever seen, though he is reputed to
periodically send postcards to faroff, distant family members (none of whom
you've ever personally met, and only have blurry, faded pictures of) when he
happens to be in their neighbourhood. He is believed to be an extreme recluse,
living at the very edge of civilization (perhaps in the wilds of the Amazon
jungle), and like all elusive, shadowy individuals, is attributed
larger-than-life qualities.
Like
Great-Uncle George, Planet X is an enigma. It is theorized to be a super-sized
planet that orbits well beyond the orbit of Neptune. Its existence (like that
of Great-Uncle George) is surmised, not by direct visual observation (at least
not to date), but, rather, by its influence on a number of trans-Neptunian
(meaning "outside the orbit of Neptune") objects in the Kuiper Belt,
a doughnut-shaped ring of icy objects beyond Neptune. Over the past two
decades, a number of large Kuiper Belt objects have been discovered, including
the dwarf planets Sedna (2003) and Eris (2005), as well as smaller objects such
as VP 113 ("Biden") in 2012, TG387 ("The Goblin") in 2015,
and VG18 ("Farout") and AG37 ("Farfarout") in
2018; the latter object now designated, to date, the farthest orbiting object
in our solar system.
Except for the
orbits of Sedna and "Biden" (which do not approach Neptune), the
orbits of the other distant objects all swing out in one direction from the Sun
(something that should not normally occur). Astronomers surmise that this is
due to the gravitational influence of a massive, as yet undiscovered, object
(labelled Planet X) somewhere in the neighbourhood. It is now believed that
this hypothetical Planet X has an orbit 20x that of Neptune. At such a
distance, Planet X, if it exists, would take approximately 1,000 years to
complete one full orbit around the Sun. Preliminary calculations put its size
at 4x that of Earth, with a mass about 10x that of our planet (somewhat less
that the mass of Neptune).
Each time
astronomers locate another far-flung object at the extreme edge of our solar
system (such as recently found "Farout" and "Farfarout"),
and indications show that their orbits are shaped by the gravitational
influence of a massive celestial object in their neighbourhood, the case for
the existence of Planet X is strengthened. It is only a matter of time, as
larger telescopes are developed and trained skyward, and as the potential
location of the elusive planet is narrowed down, that Planet X will be found,
or some other explanation put forth. If Planet X is discovered, it will become
the ninth planet of our solar system, replacing once-noble Pluto, now sadly
demoted to dwarf planet status.
Now, about
Great-Uncle George. Do we really want to find him? Wouldn't it be more fun to
keep him as one of those elusive, colourful, eccentric family members who
everyone talks about at the annual family gathering, and who just might appear
completely out of the blue one day? Wait a minute, was that the doorbell?
It will be very
challenging to view Mercury (mag. +0.5, in Capricornus - the Sea Goat) this
coming week. It makes its highest appearance (its greatest elongation west of
the Sun) in the pre-dawn, southeast sky on the 24th, reaching an altitude of
approximately10 degrees above the horizon, though it may be difficult to spot
in the pre-dawn glow. Likewise, Jupiter (mag. -1.9, in Capricornus), though
bright, will be difficult to spot, barely reaching 2 degrees above the
east-southeast horizon at dawn. Saturn (mag. +0.7, in Capricornus) rises no
higher than 9 degrees above the northwest horizon at dusk. Mars (mag. +0.9, in
Taurus - the Bull) is visible 61 degrees above the southwest horizon by about
6:30 p.m., remaining observable until it sets shortly after 1 a.m. Look for
Mars to the lower left of the Pleiades ("Seven Sisters") star cluster
on the 28th, about halfway up the southern sky as the sky darkens. Compare the
reddish colour of Mars with that of the reddish star Aldebaran, the
"eye" of the bull, Taurus. Venus, close to the Sun, is not observable
this week.
The Full Moon on
Feb. 27 was referred to by the indigenous tribes of North America as the
"Snow Moon", as February was often the month of winter's heaviest
snowfalls.
Until next week,
clear skies.
Events:
Feb.
27 - Full ("Snow") Moon
28
- Mars to lower left of Pleiades star cluster
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s Il Trovatore, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, and Dmitri
Hvorostovsky, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Sir David McVicar. From April 30, 2011. 2 hours 30
minutes
Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, tonight 7:30PM until Wednesday
about 6:30PM
From April 15, 1999.
Elijah Moshinsky’s atmospheric production, designed by Mark Thompson, sets the
stage for this gripping performance of Tchaikovsky’s passionate setting of
Pushkin’s classic novel. Valery Gergiev’s idiomatic and authoritative
conducting inspires a superb cast, headed by Plácido Domingo (Ghermann),
breathtaking in his portrayal of a man unraveling toward suicide. Galina
Gorchakova is Lisa, the woman he loves and destroys, Dmitri Hvorostovsky lends
a superb voice and regal bearing to Prince Yeletsky; and Elisabeth Söderström
is hair-raising as the old Countess. Olga Borodina is Paulina and Nikolai
Putilin is Count Tomsky. 2 hours 51 minutes
February 22, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
This year, and let's
hope it becomes standard, the annual speech can be broadcast to all Islanders
(with OK internet).
Tonight:
State of the Province Address by Premier
Dennis King, 7PM, Government website.
"The Rotary
Clubs of Prince Edward Island will host the annual state of the province
address with Premier Dennis King on Monday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m.
The annual address
is an opportunity for the premier to reflect on the past year and provide
Rotarians and their guests with an outlook on the year ahead. The event is
typically held in person and includes a number of presentations and updates
from local Rotary clubs.
This year, because
of the current public health restrictions, the event will be virtual and open
to all Islanders to watch. The address will be available on the Government of
Prince Edward Island Facebook page and YouTube channel."
excerpt from:
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/pei-premier-to-give-state-of-province-address-to-rotaries-feb-22-554618/
P.E.I. Government Facebook page and YouTube Channel links:
https://www.facebook.com/govpe
P.E.I. Government YouTube channel
----------------------
Local Food:
Charlottetown
Farmers' Market 2Go, order by TUESDAY NOON, for Thursday
pick-up/delivery,
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
EatLocalPEI --
Order by Wednesday
night
for pickup/delivery
Saturday/Sunday
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
Zinging viewpoint #1, from F. Ben Rodgers: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-we-have-more-gambling-options-than-pei-needs-554059/
LETTER: We have more gambling options than
P.E.I. needs - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on Thursday, February 18th, 2021
Online gambling needs to be regulated according to Darlene Compton, minister of
Finance, in order to protect Islanders.
Well yes, I’m
sure it does. However, illegal land purchases need to be regulated, digging
huge holding ponds need to be regulated, our ground water needs to be
regulated, clear cutting needs to be regulated, and the list goes on.
Of course, there
is a big difference between the other issues and gambling. The government is
quick to move to regulate online gambling as it represents taxable income for
them.
All this nonsense
about protecting Islanders is insulting. It has nothing to do with Islanders,
it's all about money. If the government really cared about its citizens, they
would be moving to stop online gambling. It's a huge drain on family incomes of
those who can ill afford to gamble. It's an addiction that destroys lives and
families causing loss of homes and everything else. Often leading to mental
health problems.
Mental health
problems, oh yeah, I almost forgot, we don’t have a treatment clinic or staff
for people suffering and in need of help. But online gambling goes ahead.
This government
needs to get its priorities right. We have much greater issues than online
gambling.
We already have
more than this tiny island needs. Lotto machines in legions and Lions clubs,
bars and private clubs. We have instant lotto tickets sold at every corner shop
and service centre. People spend thousands hoping to hit the jackpot. A jackpot
that for the masses never happens. Remember the two politicians on the milk
carton — they wanted to make the Island an internet gambling centre. We all
know how that turned out.
F.
Ben Rodgers, Abram-Village
---------------------
Zinging Viewpoint #2
from Ranald MacFarlane in Fernwood: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-angus-maclean-had-it-right-554432/
LETTER: Angus MacLean had it right - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on Thursday, February 18th, 2021
Here and globally when farm land is owned in large measure by the filthy rich,
young people don’t get to farm. It’s too expensive to start and they don’t want
to be a tenant farmer all their lives.
Without new
farmers coming on, it stifles adaption and we as a culture lose knack and
knowledge.
The political
paralysis we have experienced since Angus Maclean was premier has set us on a
very unsustainable course. Eventually we will have to look at amending the
1,000-acre limit. I’m sure it needs to go down to accommodate more sustainable
numbers.
For now, Premier
King, please fire up the enforcement of the LPA as is.
Ranald
MacFarlane, Fernwood
And thanks to the sharp-eyed reader for pointing out that I predated Marie
Burge's letter printed in yesterday's newsletter as "February 29th"
which was a bit of a leap.
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Puccini’s Turandot, tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Maria Guleghina, Marina Poplavskaya, Marcello Giordani, and Samuel
Ramey, conducted by Andris Nelsons. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From
November 7, 2009.
This week begins:
Dmitri Hvorostovsky Week
This week of free streams
pays tribute to Dmitri Hvorostovsky, the beloved Russian baritone who passed
away in 2017. Celebrate his extraordinary career with some of his most riveting
Met appearances, and explore the articles and resources (at this LINK) to expand your knowledge
and enhance your experience as you enjoy the screenings.
Verdi’s Il Trovatore, tonight 7:30PM until Tuesday
about 6:30PM
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, and Dmitri
Hvorostovsky, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Sir David McVicar.
From April 30, 2011.
February 21, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
When she's not keeping track of the Water Act with the Coalition for the
Protection of PEI Water, Catherine O'Brien will
be the guest with fellow Fascinating Lady Kelley Mooney at the King's
Playhouse, 2PM, today. Pay what you wish.
Of course seats are limited due to physical distancing restrictions, but you
can check here
for details or how to see if there still is space in this lovely Georgetown
space:
Facebook event details
Another Citizens' Alliance Board member, Don
Mazer, has been busy with his work on ECO-PEI's board and
putting together their usual informative,timely and clock-work-precise AGM with
feature presentation.
Tuesday, February
23rd:
ECO-PEI AGM, 6:30PM,
online. Presentation will start about 7PM.
This year its about "Creating an Environmental Bill of Rights", with
special guest Tina Northrup from East Coast Environmental Law Association, and
Dr. Nino Antadze from UPEI's Environmental Studies.
Facebook event details
with a quick registration link, and you will be sent a Zoom link a day or so
before the meeting
Thursday, February
25th:
Throne Speech Thursday,
2PM!
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
Getting caught up with
an excellent opinion piece this week: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-government-media-are-silent-on-proportional-representation-553482/
Government, media are
silent on proportional representation - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Marie Burge
Published on
Thursday, February 29th, 2021
It must be a mystery to all Islanders why proportional
representation (PR) has practically disappeared from the communications of all
four political parties.
Just two short years
ago PR was a real possibility and a well-founded hope for many P.E.I. residents
in most sections of the province. It was top of mind for the majority of the
voting population across 23 of the 27 electoral districts. Do politicians feel
that the people of P.E.I. are tired of democratic reform or that they are not
interested?
It is hard to believe
that the Island population would so easily give up after such a long history of
fighting for democracy and for needed changes to the electoral system. If our
ancestors had listened to twisted and false advertising, we still would not
have the secret vote, women’s vote, or Indigenous vote. In no other stage of
P.E.I.’s democratic reforms would Islanders have given up. So why would we give
up now when we are so close to reaching our goal of proportional
representation?
The organization
Islanders for Proportional Representation (IPR) notes that with the exception
of a sentence or two in an op-ed or a letter to the editor, PR is “dead in the
water” for the media. Who or what is influencing the media’s silence on this
crucial issue?
Islanders for
Proportional Representation has expected that at least the P.E.I. government
would keep democratic renewal and electoral reform as a high priority. In
reviewing the mandates of the various cabinet ministers we are struck by the
shocking reality that no department is responsible for democratic renewal. It
appears, therefore, that having no other ministerial home, this responsibility,
by default, falls back on the premier.
We remind the current
government, including the official opposition and the third party, that they
are dishonouring almost 50 per cent of Island voters by not keeping
proportional representation in the limelight. It is the hope of Islanders for
Proportional Representation that it will show up in the speech from the throne
on Feb. 25.
In particular, it is
important to remember that many more Islanders voted “yes” for PR than the
number who voted for the Progressive Conservatives, the party brought to power
in the 2019 election. Where are their voices heard?
Marie
Burge,
Islanders
for Proportional Representation
-----------------------------
Paul MacNeill's
publisher's column in The Graphic publications this week, with good insights: https://www.peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/will-new-ministers-lead-or-parrot-bureaucracy-silos/article_ba80e05e-704b-11eb-8723-fb1d79fbcc61.html
Against
the tide
Will new ministers lead
or parrot bureaucracy silos? - The Eastern Graphic article by Paul MacNeill
Published on
Wednesday, February 18th, 2021, in The Graphics
A cabinet shuffle is
the art of making one domino fall gently onto another. And while Premier Dennis
King’s shuffling of chairs was billed as a tweak it turned into much more, with
half of cabinet finding new roles.
The impetus came on
two fronts: the perception that James Aylward’s performance was not up to snuff
in health and wellness and a desire to centralize government’s ambitious Net
Zero initiative in the hands of Steven Myers. The timing does raise eyebrows,
less than three weeks before start of the spring session of the legislature.
Normally, shuffles occur months before, allowing ministers the time to get up
to speed on new responsibilities. It means some King cabinet members will be
walking a high wire when Question Period opens on the 25th.
When you have two big
needs, shuffles very quickly become more than a tweak. And so it was that Myers
moved from transportation to the newly-coined Environment, Energy and Climate
Action. It rewards Myers for effectively managing transportation, albeit with
criticism for prioritizing paving over other frontline services, while moving
big ticket initiatives like Net Zero forward. It removes questions of
departmental jurisdiction.
There was never a
question of dropping Aylward from cabinet. He represents Stratford and is owed
a massive IOU from the party for his surprising decision to quit as leader,
allowing Dennis King to vault onto the provincial stage. Aylward struggled to
find his footing in health, most notably on the mental health and addiction
files, areas of pressing need that he represented strongly in opposition.
Transportation, while a significant drop in the cabinet pecking order, offers Aylward
an opportunity to rebound and refresh the trajectory of his political career.
Replacing Aylward in
government’s largest department is Ernie Hudson, who is already sending out
worrisome statements of support for questionable policy decisions by Health
PEI, an organization riven by professional jealousy, silos and pet projects.
Only a partisan would look at its health and addiction efforts and say it’s
been effective. Bureaucrats at a legislative committee last week showed just
how out of step they are with leading thinkers on mental health by promoting a
mobile mental health unit that includes an armed police officer on every call.
The bureaucrats bragged about how they worked to obtain lived experience via
surveys and consultations.
What they don’t realize,
because of institutional bias, is this is not lived experience. Lived
experience is having a knowing voice at the decision making table. This does
not exist for any Health PEI file on mental health, addictions or transmittable
disease. And the proof in the pudding came when the officials explained away
why the model was selected over the advice of an expert panel that specifically
recommended against it. The decision to ignore advice was made in the executive
suite - effectively saying to hell with input, we’ll do whatever we want.
If Hudson wants to be
something more than a name added to the long list of ministerial public
apologists for Health PEI’s narrow, siloed decision making, he needs to push
back and demand better, more responsive programming.
Natalie Jameson’s
switch from environment to education is the surprise of the shuffle. While
Jameson has significant upward potential, there were too many days in the
legislature when she appeared caught off guard by opposition questions. Even
Tories were quietly grumbling she wasn’t doing the necessary homework. If this
trend continues, education will only make the issue worse. It is a department
always high on the opposition’s radar. Like health, education is driven by
talking points and pet projects. Mediocrity is accepted, when our goal as a
province should be to create the best education system in the world. Rural
areas of small jurisdiction, like Finland, have changed perceptions and their
economy by setting the bar very high. We need to get past gobbledygook and
start delivering for our children and province.
Paul MacNeill is
Publisher of Island Press Limited. He can be contacted at paul@peicanada.com
-30-
News Article and note
about in-depth reporting features starting tomorrow: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/irac-ceo-questioned-about-buddhist-landholdings-on-pei-554819/
IRAC CEO questioned
about Buddhist landholdings on P.E.I. - The Guardian article by
Stu Neatby
Published on
Saturday, February 21st, 2021
Editor's Note:
The Guardian has spent months
interviewing members of Buddhist organizations and residents of Kings County
about the hundreds of Buddhist nuns and monks who now live P.E.I. The story
that has emerged, which will be published in two parts this coming week, is one
that involves land holdings, immigration, housing, government transparency,
religious freedom and geopolitics in Asia. Watch for the first part on Monday.
CHARLOTTETOWN,
P.E.I. — (The) subject of land holdings of two Kings county Buddhist
organizations was briefly raised during a standing committee meeting on
Thursday.
During a meeting
of the standing committee on natural resources and environmental
sustainability, Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission CEO Scott MacKenzie
was asked if the commission would consider a public land audit of two Buddhist
organizations.
Green MLA Michele
Beaton said the public lacks clarity about the issue. “There is concerns
over land holdings down in the eastern end of the province,” Beaton said.
"From the side of the individuals with the land holdings, they're also
concerned and it's kind of a 'he-said-she-said.'”
Suggestions have
been circulating online for years that two Buddhist organizations – the Great
Wisdom Buddhist Institute (GWBI) and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute
Society (GEBIS) – have accumulated more land holdings than they are permitted
under the Lands Protection Act.
There is no clear
evidence this has happened. Both groups own significantly less than 1,000
acres, which is far below the land size limits under the act.
But some of these
concerns played into a decision made by Three Rivers Council in September to
deny a permit for a proposed dormitory and campus proposed for GWBI. The
organization of Buddhist nuns says it needs to construct the campus due to a
lack of housing for hundreds of its members.
Buddhist nuns are
currently scattered between a monastery farmhouse in Uigg, a dormitory in
Brudenell, a converted lobster shanty in Montague and several individual homes.
“At what point in
time does IRAC make a decision to help out individuals in a situation where the
public believes that they are doing something — whether they are or not — but
have an arms-length body like yourself do an investigation or an audit of some
sort?" Beaton asked.
"I don't think
we've ever done that. I think anyone who knows what their landholdings (are),
can disclose what their landholdings are," MacKenzie said.
Three Rivers'
denial of the building permit has had real consequences for GWBI.
In an interview
last weekend, three board members of GWBI confirmed that about 30 students aged
14-17, enrolled at a private school run by the monastic organization, left
P.E.I. in January, in part, due to the lack of housing.
“They need
space," Venerable Sabrina Chiang, a GWBI board member told The
Guardian. “They're lively. They need to run around and to play.”
"I think
it's the best decision for everyone," Venerable Yvonne Tsai, another GWBI
board member, told The Guardian. "Everyone wants everyone to live
better. So that's why they made that decision."
Both Tsai and
Chiang said they hope to work directly with IRAC to address land concerns that
have been raised in the community.
MacKenzie did not
directly say whether IRAC has looked into land holdings related to the Buddhist
organizations.
“Have you ever
done an investigation on, for instance, GEBIS or GWBI, on their
landholdings?" Beaton asked MacKenzie.
"I can
neither confirm nor deny. We will not talk about any possible investigations
that may have or may not have happened,” MacKenzie said.
Stu Neatby is The
Guardian's political reporter.
stu.neatby@theguardian.pe.ca
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
The last days of the week highlighting productions of Franco Zeffirelli, with
amazing casting:
Bizet’s Carmen, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Waltraud Meier, Plácido Domingo, and Sergei
Leiferkus. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From March 25, 1997. Smoking hot.
Puccini’s Turandot,
tonight 7:30PM until Monday about 6:30PM
Starring Maria Guleghina, Marina Poplavskaya, Marcello Giordani, and Samuel
Ramey, conducted by Andris Nelsons. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From November 7, 2009. Icy
cold.
February 20, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"A river is more
than an amenity, it is a treasure."
--- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Read more https://www.yourfates.com/water-quotes-save-water-slogans/
Some local food places:
Farmers' Markets in Summerside (9AM-1PM) and Charlottetown
(9AM-2PM)
Heart Beet Organics
Farmacy and Fermentary, store with local fresh vegetables and ferments;
restaurant, too. 152 Great George Street, Charlottetown.
Riverview County
Market, Riverside Drive, local food.
-----------------------
Catch-up on anything
political from:
P.E.I. Legislative
Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative
Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
Whatever, it's
Friday afternoon...wait! Water Act!!
Water Act enactment announcement: from: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/water-act-protects-drinking-water-and-environment-supports-research
Water
Act protects drinking water and the environment, supports research - PEI Government
Prince Edward Island
will bring the Water Act
into effect June 16, 2021, ensuring government is able to manage and protect
water resources for the common good, including humans and the environment now
and into the future.
“Islanders want and
deserve strong regulations, evidence-based decisions and healthy rivers and
streams. Bringing the Water
Act and water withdrawal regulations into effect will allow us to
manage and track who is using what amounts of water, provide government experts
with additional data and increase public transparency on water use.”
- Environment,
Energy and Climate Action Minister Steven Myers
The Water Act is supported by four
sets of regulations including updated Water Withdrawal regulations, which were the
subject of public consultation in the fall of 2019. Under these regulations all
water wells drawing above the level of domestic household consumption will
require a permit.
Following public and community feedback, government is strengthening the water
withdrawal regulations. Changes include:
conservation of water resources is explicitly noted as a
policy objective of the minister;
government’s water withdrawal policy for healthy stream flow
and aquatic environments is included defining acceptable levels needed to
allow or prohibit extraction;
the minister can require a drought contingency plan for
selected, large water withdrawal programs;
a provision is being made for construction of high capacity
wells for research in agricultural irrigation and there is a policy
to guide government’s decisions on research projects; and,
a provision is being made to grandfather existing clusters of
low capacity wells used for agricultural irrigation (e.g. holding ponds);
however, no new clusters that have the same impact as a high-capacity well
will be permitted.
As required under the Water Act, government
will provide the regulations to the Standing Committee of Natural Resources and
Environmental Sustainability for 90 days, at which point they will take effect.
The regulations continue to be available online for public comment.
Under the provision for
research, the Province will be permitting the proposal by the Canadian Rivers
Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) into the impacts of
high capacity wells in agricultural irrigation and the environment. The
Province will invest in the project, removing the need for financial
contributions from industry. The research program is also being expanded to
consider soil health and the relationship between soil health, nutrient
management, and supplemental irrigation. Maintaining soil health and organic
matter levels is important for soil productivity and for maximizing the
benefits of supplemental water use.
Farms participating in
the irrigation study will be asked to develop a Soil Health Improvement Plan. Producers
will create individual plans for each farm property that outlines the
management practices in place to support soil health; including the monitoring
of soil health over time with soil health testing.
Additional enhancements
are planned to support soil health through Department of Agriculture and Land
including a merit-based program for the construction of erosion control
structures, an incentive for soil building rotational crops, an increase in
support for spring tillage and winter cover crops, and the addition of the soil
health testing package to the long term Soil Quality Monitoring Project.
“Our goal at the
Department of Agriculture and Land, is for a progressive, dynamic, agriculture
industry that is both financially sound and environmentally responsible. I
support decisions about water being informed by science and this research will provide
valuable information on supplemental irrigation as part of a sustainable
approach to farming,” added Bloyce Thompson, Minister of Agriculture and Land.
-30-
SO holding ponds
will be grandfathered in (allowed to be kept) which could mean a rush on new
construction, so the Minister enacting the moratorium on those the previous
Minister said she would would be great. Are there reasons the King
government isn't following through on this -- murmurs of legal challenges?
Also, the rather skimpy-on-details research proposal from the Canadian Rivers
Institute/UPEI has been seasoned a bit to make it more palatable, removing the
direct industry funding and tying in soil health; but it's still wells being
punched in fairly vulnerable areas, which is worrisome. It's tough, tough
situation but if we were really adhering to the precautionary principle, we
probably wouldn't drill the wells....even to find out if we could drill wells
without causing harm. It's a bit of a catch-22.
The water extraction regulations can be found here: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/environment-energy-and-climate-action/proposed-water-withdrawal-regulations
Some good things: Steven Myers is stressing water protection. And
he certainly has a "let's get this done" attitude and gets his team
to do just that. It will be good to see that verve focused on climate
*action*, also.
CBC Article: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-water-act-proclaimed-law-1.5920308
P.E.I.
Water Act comes into force June 16, with allowance for high-capacity well
research - CBC online article by Sara Fraser
Published on Friday,
February 19th, 2021
Environment minister
insists: 'We're not anti-agriculture ... This isn't an attack on farming'
Regulations attached
to a new Water Act on Prince Edward Island will not allow any new high-capacity
irrigation wells, except for a new agricultural research project the University
of Prince Edward Island is conducting.
That news came as
the province announced Friday that it intends to bring the long-awaited
Water Act into effect on June 16, 2021.
"This has been
the most consulted-on bill probably in the history of the P.E.I.
government," Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action Steven
Myers told CBC News:
Compass host Louise Martin in an interview Friday afternoon.
(see link for interview tape)
Myers,
formerly P.E.I.'s transportation minister, took over the Environment portfolio just two weeks
ago, after a cabinet shuffle. "When I got in the chair here, I said,
'It's time that this gets moved into the final stage.'"
Designed
to manage and safeguard the province's water supply, the Water Act was
passed by the P.E.I. legislature in 2017 but never enacted.
One of its key roles:
Regulating how water is extracted for use on the Island, including
water farmers get from irrigation wells.
The government placed
a moratorium on any new high-capacity wells back in 2002, and it has been
hotly debated ever since. Some farmers, especially potato growers,
have for years lobbied passionately in favour of more access to
irrigation, as hot, dry summers shrink their yields.
Since January 2020,
P.E.I.'s Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action has been working
on a second draft of the regulations to be attached to the Water Act, following
public consultations during the summer of 2019. Consultations on the Water Act
itself took place in 2015 and again in 2017.
'Moratorium
will stay in place'
The act is
underpinned by four sets of regulations — including updated water withdrawal
regulations, which say all water wells drawing above the level of domestic
household consumption will require a permit.
"The moratorium
will stay in place," Myers said. "It's pretty exciting what we're
doing here; it's the first time ever we've protected water on Prince
Edward Island from a holistic viewpoint."
He added: "We're
not anti-agriculture. This isn't an attack on farming ... we have to protect
drinking water on Prince Edward Island."
There is, however, a
provision to grandfather existing clusters of low-capacity wells such as
holding ponds used for agricultural irrigation, and a provision for new
high-capacity wells for agricultural irrigation research.
That's where things
get interesting.
UPEI study
to measure high-capacity well impact
Under the provision
for research, the province has given the go-ahead to a proposal by the Canadian Rivers Institute at UPEI that
will study the impacts of high-capacity wells in agricultural irrigation.
Michael van den Heuvel,
the Canada Research Chair in Watershed Ecological Integrity at UPEI, proposed
the study, and suggested it be jointly financed by government and the private
sector.
As CBC News reported in September 2020, the study would
involve installing new high-capacity irrigation wells on four P.E.I. farms and
measuring the impact their use has on the local watershed. Van den
Heuvel said the data would take four years to collect.
However, Myers said
on Friday that the government alone will invest in the project to remove the
need for financial contributions from industry. He also said the research
would be expanded to consider soil health and the relationship between soil
health, nutrient management and supplemental irrigation.
More
help to develop better soil
According to a
written news release, farms participating in the irrigation study must develop
a soil health improvement plan. Producers will create plans for each farm
property that outlines management practices to support soil health, including
monitoring and testing soil health over time.
The Department of
Agriculture and Land plans to help farmers manage soil health through new
incentives including a merit-based program for building erosion control
structures, an incentive for soil-building rotational crops, an increase in
support for spring tillage and winter cover crops (to prevent winter soil
erosion), and more.
"I support
decisions about water being informed by science and this research will provide
valuable information on supplemental irrigation as part of a sustainable
approach to farming," Bloyce Thompson, minister of agriculture and land,
was quoted as saying in the government news release.
As required under the
Water Act, the regulations will take effect after they've been in front of the
standing committee of natural resources and environmental sustainability
for 90 days. The regulations continue to be available online for public comment,
the release said.
Regulations can be changed much more easily than legislation can,
Myers noted.
Does that mean the
results of the research could eventually allow the moratorium to be
lifted?
"I'm going to
let the scientists take it and do their piece," Myers said. "If the
time comes where there's a requirement for more water, it's not going to be
something that's handed over easily."
At the same time, he
noted that climate change is an extenuating factor in agricultural water use,
"so we have to be open to change."
-30-
Related article on holding ponds, from CBC News, yesterday (link only):
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-water-act-reaction-wells-holding-ponds-1.5920774
Radio
Puccini’s La
Rondine, 2PM, CBC Music Radio, 104.7FM
Performance from January 10, 2009
Marco Armiliato; Angela Gheorghiu (Magda), Lisette Oropesa (Lisette), Roberto
Alagna (Ruggero), Marius Brenciu (Prunier), Samuel Ramey (Rambaldo)
So sweet, Gheorghui
is like the Swallow of title, this fragile but strong little bird.
Video:
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Mozart’s Don Giovanni, today until 6:30PM
Starring Carol Vaness, Karita Mattila, Dawn Upshaw, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey,
Ferrucio Furlanetto, and Kurt Moll, conducted by James Levine. Production by
Franco Zeffirelli. From April 5, 1990.
Bizet’s Carmen, tonight 7:30PM until Sunday
about 6:30PM
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Waltraud Meier, Plácido Domingo, and Sergei
Leiferkus. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From March 25, 1997.
Sure to be a fiery Carmen, with the same La
Rondine Angela Gheorghiu as the cast-aside Micheala (she has some
beautiful arias in a opera with so much for the Carmen to sing).
February 19, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"We
have to wake up to the fierce urgency of the now"
--Jim Yong Kim, physician,
anthropologist, former president of the World Bank,
on Climate Change
-----------------------------
Events:
Fridays4Future, 3:30PM,
outside Province House.
It's the last one
before the Legislature resumes late next week, reminding politicians and people
about the need for Climate Action.
More details here at
Facebook event link
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
-----------------------------
Rainforest Lounge with
Todd MacLean and special guest, Hailey MacIsaac, 7PM, Instagram Live.
LINK:
https://www.instagram.com/toddpei/
Article:
from:
The Smog -- Need-to-know basis
Published on Thursday, February 18th, 2021
The Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, the independent government agency that regulates the United States’
energy landscape, warned Texas that
its grid was unprepared for cold conditions a decade
ago. But it’s unclear what, if anything, the state did
to prepare for extreme weather — and four days after winter storms began
pummeling the Lone Star State, hundreds of thousands remain without power,
and millions more are experiencing water disruptions.
------------------------------
Blaming the Wind for the Mess in Texas Is
Painfully Absurd - The New Yorker article by Bill McKibben
Published on
Thursday, February 18th, 2021
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/blaming-the-wind-for-the-mess-in-texas-is-ridiculous
Sometimes, all you
need is a map. In the wake of this week’s power failures in Texas, which have
left millions without heat in subfreezing conditions, right-wing politicians
and news networks decided that the emergency was down to “frozen wind
turbines,” a phrase that has now been repeated ad infinitum on all the various
ganglia that make up the conservative “information” network. The editorial
board of the Wall Street Journal, which has managed to be wrong about energy
and climate for more than four decades, put it like this: “Gas and power prices
have spiked across the central U.S. while Texas regulators ordered rolling
blackouts Monday as an Arctic blast has frozen wind turbines.” Governor Greg
Abbott took time out from failing to deal with the emergency that had
imperilled many in his state to tell Fox News that “this shows how the Green
New Deal would be a deadly deal for the United States of America.” Not to be
outdone, on Tuesday afternoon, Representative Dan Crenshaw, a Republican who
represents Texas’s second congressional district, including parts of Houston,
tweeted that “this is what happens when you force the grid to rely in part on
wind as a power source.” The Agriculture Commissioner, Sid Miller, who is
“known for his right-wing Facebook posts that have, in the past, spread
misinformation and amplified conspiracy theories,” the Texas Tribune reported,
“also posted an unvarnished view of wind energy on Facebook: ‘We should never
build another wind turbine in Texas.’ ”
The usual responsible voices eventually
responded with a large amount of data showing that Abbott, Fox, and the rest
were completely wrong. Failures in renewable-energy generation accounted for a
small percentage of the outages. The biggest problems were in “thermal”—which
is to say fossil-fuel—generating plants and systems; simply put, natural-gas
pipelines froze in the cold, as even Governor Abbott admitted. His own energy
regulators at the ill-named Electric Reliability Council of Texas explained
that “it appears that a lot of the generation that has gone offline today has
been primarily due to issues on the natural-gas system.” Or, as Michael Webber,
an energy-resources professor at the University of Texas at Austin, put it,
“gas is failing in the most spectacular fashion right now.” (A nuclear power
plant also went down, likely as a result of freezing temperatures shutting down
cooling systems or sensors.)
I’m glad that there were plenty of
authorities to try to set the record straight, but, of course, the truth was
still searching for the winter boots in the back of the garage by the time the
falsehoods had spread across the Internet. It’s particularly annoying because
the bad-faith nature of the whole idea should have been obvious to anyone with
an iota of geographical knowledge. Besides Texas, the biggest producers of wind
power in the country are Iowa, Oklahoma, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois,
Kansas, North Dakota, and California. Except for California, all these places
are situated to the north of Texas, and deal with much harsher winters. The
idea that wind turbines cannot deal with cold weather is, prima facie,
ridiculous: countries with huge wind-power installations include Germany,
France, and Italy, all of which have managed in the past to host the Winter
Olympics—and Italy is planning to host them again, in 2026. People have
developed plans for building giant wind farms in Greenland to feed the European
Union and the United States. If cold weather somehow made it impossible for
wind turbines to operate, you would think someone would have noticed by now.
Cold weather can, however, make it hard to
operate wind turbines if you don’t plan for it—installations of “cold-weather
kits” prevent icing and freezing—and it appears that the Texas authorities
didn’t plan for much. State officials, it turns out, had been gleefully
tweeting at California authorities for months, making fun of them for not
planning well enough to prevent brownouts when heat waves struck the West
Coast. But tweeting—and a deep and abiding faith in markets to solve all
problems—seems not to have been a good strategy when faced with a severe cold
snap.
A cold snap that,
by the way, seems likely to be linked to the jet-stream collapse that comes
when you warm the Arctic, as we have been doing by burning large quantities of
fossil fuel. If you wanted to do something about that, you’d need more wind
turbines. Funny about that.
Bill McKibben is a
founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org and a contributing writer to
The New Yorker. He writes The Climate Crisis, The New Yorker’s newsletter on the environment.
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Puccini’s Tosca, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Hildegard Behrens, Plácido Domingo, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by
Giuseppe Sinopoli. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From March 27,
1985.
Mozart’s Don
Giovanni, Friday 7:30PM until 6:30PM Saturday
Starring Carol Vaness, Karita Mattila, Dawn Upshaw, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey,
Ferrucio Furlanetto, and Kurt Moll. Production by Franco
Zeffirelli. From April 5, 1990.
Two classics!
February 18, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Standing Committee on
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, 10AM, online.
Topic: Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission's process of
investigating land sales
The committee will
meet with representatives from the Island Regulatory and Appeals
Commission for a briefing on how land sale investigations are conducted.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
----------
Bill Gates:
Interviewed by Anderson Cooper, Online, pay what you can, 7:30PM PST, (11:30PM
here)
and available for two weeks afterwards
Various payment options, which include a copy
of Gates' book on Climate Change. Bill's getting a tremendous amount of
media attention for his ideas, so if you've felt out of the loop, here is a chance
to see what all the fuss is about.
https://lectures.org/event/bill-gates/
---------------------------
Tuesday, February
23rd:
ECO-PEI
AGM, meeting 6:30PM and Panel Discussion on Creating an Environmental Bill of
Rights, starting about 7PM, online
The theme of our annual meeting this year is environmental
rights - exploring the concept and the idea of creating legislation.
We'll start with a short business meeting at 6:30 pm, which will
be followed by a panel discussion at 7, with guest speakers Tina Northrup,
Staff Lawyer with East Coast Environmental Law Association and DR. Nino
Antadze, Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, UPEI.
Register for the meeting at https://tinyurl.com/44ww84pv - a link to the
zoom meeting will be sent to you one or two days before the event.
Facebook event details
News:
When The Guardian writes that the
Minister of Finance and Manager of Policy, Planning and Regulatory Affairs
faced "harsh" questions, I can only be glad that committee members
and other MLAs asked such questions. Might it not be "harsh"
for a government to aid in addicting more people to gambling saying it's no
different than buying scratch tickets at a local convenience store?
Online casinos could ‘repatriate’ P.E.I.
gamers from offshore sites: Compton
by Stu Neatby
published on
Thursday, February 18th, 2021, in The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/online-casinos-could-repatriate-pei-gamers-from-offshore-sites-compton-553654/
Allowing the
Atlantic Lottery Corporation to establish an online casino for P.E.I. gamblers
will create an alternative to illegal, unregulated offshore sites, while
contributing to provincial tax coffers, P.E.I.’s minister of finance told a
standing committee on Wednesday.
Darlene Compton
faced harsh questions from MLAs during an appearance before the standing
committee on health and social development. The minister spoke about cabinet’s
decision to allow the Atlantic Lottery Corporation to establish an online
casino for P.E.I. gamblers.
The ALC
established an online casino site in New Brunswick over the summer. This gaming
site is currently geofenced, meaning P.E.I. residents cannot access it.
But P.E.I.’s
cabinet has authorized the P.E.I. Lotteries Commission to develop “an enhanced
digital platform” that would allow a similar site to be set up for P.E.I.
gamblers.
"The
intention of the platform is not to create new players. It is to repatriate
play from illegal, for-profit entities in other countries back to ALC's
responsible and regulated platform," Compton told the committee. “We
will be having discussions with health and wellness on possible harm mitigation
measures and responsible gambling education campaign."
Compton said
P.E.I. is “early in the process” of developing the online gaming
platform. Gambling in Canada is regulated and run by provincial gaming
authorities. But online gaming has been eating away at bricks and mortar gaming
revenues for years. The ALC estimates $100 million of revenue leaves Atlantic
Canada each year due to offshore online gaming sites.
Compton also said
an online casino for P.E.I. gamblers is estimated to turn a $750,000 profit in
its first year alone. Forecasts estimate net profit would reach $985,000 in the
second year and $1.2 million in year three.
But several
opposition MLAs argued allowing a provincially sanctioned online gambling
platform could boost gambling addiction in P.E.I. The same standing committee
heard earlier this month that about 950 people in P.E.I. are considered to have
some form of gambling problem.
“Somebody has to
lose in order for P.E.I. to make money. And all of the studies show that that
person is more likely to be a low-income Islander," Opposition Green
Leader Peter Bevan-Baker said. "Do you still feel that this is
a responsible way for Prince Edward Island to generate revenues?"
"It's no
different than going to the corner store and purchasing lottery tickets,"
Compton said in response. "People are going to gamble. And the
percentage that have a problem are going to have supports here on P.E.I. to
help them."
So far,
regulations governing advertising for the new online casino have not been
created.
“We’re not
interested in creating brand new players. Our focus is on repatriating play,”
said Jennifer MacDonald-Donovan, manager of policy, planning and regulatory
affairs with the department of finance
But at least one
ALC promotion has been pulled in P.E.I. Green MLA Michele Beaton
revealed that one promotion involved an email sent out recently by ALC to an
unknown number of individuals with dormant accounts, advertising a $20 credit
to reactivate their accounts. The promotion was also advertized on
Facebook.
“We have no idea
how many of those people were recovering addicts. We see (ALC) advertising on
Compass,” Green MLA Michele Beaton said of the ad campaign. “That
doesn’t sound responsible to me,” she said.
MacDonald-Donovan
did not disagree with Beaton. "We saw that ad, and the
minister sent notice to Atlantic Lottery that that's not to happen again,"
MacDonald-Donovan said. “They are not to try to incentivize with a cash
bonus or credits to non-players."
However, as of
late Wednesday afternoon, an ad offering the $20 "bonus" for
individuals setting up a new online account was still up on the Atlantic
Lottery mobile website.
In an interview,
MacDonald-Donovan and Compton both said part of the marketing of the P.E.I.
online casino would involve communicating that it is a trusted option for
gamers. Players can limit their bets and place time limits on access to the
site.
“If someone is
going to go play online, they're probably going to take a site and stick to
it,” MacDonald-Donovan said. “If that site is a regulated site versus a
non-regulated site … that's probably a better alternative.”
-30-
Checking in on Nova
Scotia:
JIM
VIBERT: Rankin brings ambitious plan to build back better
Opinion
piece published on Monday, February 8th, 2021, in The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/regional-perspectives/jim-vibert-rankin-brings-ambitious-plan-to-build-back-better-549794/
Nova Scotia Liberals
looked past the pandemic and picked as their new leader, and Nova Scotia’s next
premier, the candidate who offered the most ambitious plan to build back
better.
When he and his new
Liberal government are sworn in sometime in the next two weeks, Iain Rankin
will become the province’s first millennial premier — he was born in 1983 — and
he’ll arrive in office with an aggressive social and economic agenda that is,
above all else, inclusive and green.
Rankin won the
three-way leadership race Saturday night, edging out Labi Kousoulis on the
second ballot by 265 points out of a total of 5,500. Former health minister
Randy Delorey, who’d campaigned as the best choice to lead the province through
the pandemic, finished third on the first ballot and was eliminated.
Rankin succeeds
Premier Stephen McNeil, who is leaving him a province that’s become almost a
sanctuary amid a sea of COVID, and the new premier’s immediate political
prospects hang on maintaining that enviable position.
Formidable
task
He also takes over a
province that, prior to the pandemic, was on an economic upswing, with record
immigration, thriving exports, a growing population and the highest employment
levels ever.
Rankin now faces the
formidable task of assembling a cabinet and a staff, putting together a throne
speech and a budget and meeting the legislature for the first time as premier
on March 9 — just one day shy of a full year after the House last met.
He also takes over a
government with a one-seat majority and that’s just three months away from
entering the fifth and final year of its mandate.
So, right out of the
gate, he’ll have to try to put his stamp on the government, even as he and his
team look for the right window of opportunity to ask Nova Scotians to elect a
third successive Liberal government.
But first, Rankin will
be seized with the immediate demands of cabinet-making from among the other 25
Liberals in the current 51-seat assembly. (Redistribution will increase the
legislature to 55 seats at the next election.)
That cabinet will, in
essence, be the government Rankin leads into the next election, and
conventional wisdom says it will consist of Liberals who will reoffer in that
election.
Weighing
options
If Rankin follows that
convention, current ministers Leo Glavine (health); Karen Casey (finance);
Geoff MacLellan (business) and Gordon Wilson (environment) in addition to
McNeil, wouldn’t be included, so Rankin needs to find talent on the Liberal backbench
to fill those sizable holes.
Suburban Halifax MLAs
Brendan McGuire and Ben Jessome along with Kings South’s Keith Irving — three
Liberal backbenchers who backed Rankin — are first in line for those cabinet
vacancies.
The premier-designate
said he’s weighing his cabinet options, that it will include new faces but that
he will also make use of the experience that’s available to him.
Rankin will also need
to be mindful of the divisions a leadership race can leave in the party, and
his cabinet choices can go a long way to healing those rifts.
He’s already said his
leadership opponents, Kousoulis and Delorey, have places in his cabinet and,
given the rather shallow talent pool he has to draw from, so too will ministers
from McNeil’s government who backed Rankin’s opponents.
He will also need to
quickly assemble a staff of trusted political and policy advisers, people who,
past experience shows, can gum up the works of government in a hurry if they
exert their influence before they figure out how to use the levers of power.
Fiscal
footing
But the first real
tests for Rankin will come in about a month, when his government brings first a
throne speech and soon after a budget to the legislature.
That’s when Nova
Scotians will discover how, and if, the youthful premier’s bold and idealistic
vision can mesh with the stark realities of a province trying to keep the
pandemic at bay while struggling to regain the economic footing that eroded
under the virus.
Rankin believes that
the solid fiscal footing McNeil had the province on before the pandemic hit
provides some flexibility to meet the demands of the moment, while advancing
his broader agenda.
“This is our moment to
activate an economic plan that ensures no Nova Scotians are left behind, a plan
that is low-carbon, and that is climate-resilient,” Rankin promised during the
campaign. Those twin themes of environmental responsibility, and social and
economic inclusion and justice, permeated almost everything he said during the
leadership race.
Whether Rankin leans into
his brand as a new generation of leader, flush with the aspirations of that
generation, or whether the hard realities of the moment will temper or delay
his ambitious plans will become clearer as we move into the spring.
Protecting
parks
Rankin has early
opportunities, particularly on environmental files, to burnish his bona fides.
He’s committed to
protecting the 100-plus places in the Parks and Protected Areas plan that have
yet to be designated for protection. Early action to move those sites along in
the process would help cement his environmental credentials.
And, if he includes
the controversial Owl’s Head land, which the McNeil government surreptitiously
removed from the list to make way for a proposed golf resort, among the areas
for protection, he’ll send a loud message that when he balances potential
economic activity and the environment, the environment stands a fighting
chance. That hasn’t been common in these parts.
Others will be
watching to see how Rankin’s government advances its other key priority,
building a more economically and socially inclusive province.
“If our province is to
truly build back better, we must confront our past and learn from our mistakes,
in particular those that continue to harm and hold back African Nova Scotians and
Mi’kmaq Peoples,” he said. “We must include marginalized groups in all of
government’s decision-making, with honest deference to their lived experience —
and then we must act.”
Nova Scotia’s new,
millennial premier arrives in office amid the worst health crisis in a century
and the economic ruin it is has wrought. He brings an ambitious agenda of
progressive social, economic and environmental action, and he faces an election
within 15 months at the absolute outside, likely much sooner.
It’s at this point
where I suppose we should wish him luck.
Journalist and writer
Jim Vibert has worked as a communications adviser to five Nova Scotia
governments.
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, today until 6:30PM
Starring Tatiana Troyanos, Jean Kraft, Plácido Domingo, and Vern Shinall;
Teresa Stratas, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, and Allan
Monk. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From
April 5, 1978.
Puccini’s Tosca, tonight 7:30PM until 6:30PM
Friday.
Starring Hildegard Behrens, Plácido Domingo, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by
Giuseppe Sinopoli. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From March 27, 1985.
Astronomy note:
Mars Rover
Perseverance is set to land today about 3PM.
NASA TV
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/#public
and others, including this Facebook Live event from the Yorkshire Dales Astronomy
Club, will have some sort of coverage. NASA TV is pretty much
about the rover the whole day! TV schedule here -- scroll down to Thursday.
"A single sunbeam is
enough to drive away many shadows."
--Francis
of Assisi (1181-1182)
February 17, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"One way to open
your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, 'What if I had never seen
this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?' "
---Rachel Carson (1907-1964), American biologist, writer, and
pioneer environmentalist
maybe we can look that
way at glorious icy structures all over the place today....
-------------------------------
Events:
Standing Committee meetings --
**note these may be
delayed or rescheduled due to road conditions**
Health and Social
Development Standing Committee Meeting, 9AM, online
Topic: The committee will meet to receive two briefings:
1. Briefing on
challenges and areas of opportunity with respect to information and protection
of privacy, and other matters, with Information and Privacy
Commissioner, Denise Doiron
2. Briefing on the
processing and completion of information requests, and other
matters, with Acting Director of Privacy Services, Justice and Public
Safety, Clare Henderson.
Health and Social
Development Standing Committee Meeting, 1:30PM, online
Topic: Expansion of online gambling
services
The committee will meet to receive a briefing on the decision to
expand access to online gambling, with
Minister of Finance, Hon. Darlene Compton and Department of Finance Manager of
Policy, Planning and Regulatory Affairs, Jennifer MacDonald-Donovan
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
--------------------
EatLocalPEI food
ordering deadline today for Friday/weekend delivery/pickup -- more details
here:
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
Podcast with background,
from The Guardian (U.K.),
about something far away yet very familiar:
Why
are Indian farmers protesting against the government? - The Guardian (UK) podcast
The
Guardian’s south Asia correspondent and the founder of a sustainable farming
movement explain why farmers are so angry
from Tuesday, February 16th, 2021: 25 minutes long: https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2021/feb/16/why-are-indian-farmers-protesting-against-the-government
Rachel Humphreys talks to the Guardian’s south Asia
correspondent, Hannah
Ellis-Petersen, about the farmers’ protests taking place in India. The farmers
object vociferously to new laws that constitute the most sweeping reform to
agriculture for decades. The government of the prime minister, Narendra Modi,
says the laws will bring necessary modernisation and private competition to an
ailing sector that has left millions of farmers destitute. Farmers say the laws
were passed without consultation and will allow private corporations to control
the prices of crops, crush their livelihoods and take away their land.
Rachel also
talks to Umendra
Dutt who runs the Kheti Virasat mission, a people’s movement
for sustainable farming and food safety in the state of Punjab. Umendra feels
optimistic about the protests – he believes the government will no longer be
able to ignore the issues facing farmers.
--------------------
Unfortunately, the police are presumably being instructed to be rather
forceful...article from the newsletter The
Beacon at Grist:
A 22-year-old Indian
climate activist, Disha Ravi, was arrested over the weekend for editing and
distributing an online “toolkit” for helping Indian farmers who
are protesting agricultural reforms that could hurt their livelihoods. The toolkit
had been shared on Twitter by Greta Thunberg, the founder of the Fridays for
Future youth climate movement which Ravi helps lead in India.
from February 15th, 2021
Original News Article
-------
the article is from the Thompson Reuters Foundation:
"We are the
corporate foundation of Thomson Reuters, the global news and information
services company. We work to advance media freedom, foster more inclusive
economies, and promote human rights."
-------------------------------------------
Some P.E.I. webpages from organizations promoting local farming, local care of
land:
National Farmers Union -- PEI
https://nfu-pei.ca/
Coalition for the Protection of PEI Lands Facebook page
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Gorgeous Productions
by Franco Zeffirelli Highlighted This Week continue with:
Verdi’s Falstaff, today until 6:30PM
Starring Mirella Freni, Barbara Bonney, Marilyn Horne, Bruno Pola, and Paul
Plishka. From October 10, 1992. Just over 2 hours.
Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, tonight 7:30PM until Thursday
about 6:30PM
From April 5, 1978. "This video captures a real rarity: one of the very
few times the brilliant Plácido Domingo performed both of the great tenors
roles during the same evening at the Met. Domingo singing either Turiddu (in Cavalleria) or Canio
(in Pagliacci)
would be remarkable, but to get both in the same incandescent performance is to
see history...(with) the sensational singing actors Tatiana Troyanos
(Santuzza), Teresa Stratas (Nedda), and Sherrill Milnes (Tonio), these searing
one-act operas blaze."
2 hours 30 minutes
February 16, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"Be
silly.
Be honest.
Be kind."
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American essayist and philosopher
-----------------------------------
Events:
Noon today is the
deadline to order from the Charlottetown Farmers' Market 2GO service for
Thursday pickup:
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
Softly
snowing inside reading today: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-acclamation-a-dangerous-precedent-550101/
Two
issues have have been in the news recently, and had a vigorous rebuttal, and it
shows it's good to see dialogue. The first is Wayne Carver's piece from
Monday, February 8th, 2021, about the acclamation of Doug Currie as the
Conservative Party of Canada's candidate for the Charlottetown Riding in any
upcoming federal election (I have to admit, Doug Currie in the same grouping as
Stephen Harper, Erin O'Toole and Andrew Scheer makes me rub my eyes), and
Carver's call for independent candidates.
Acclamation a dangerous precedent - The
Guardian Guest Opinion by Wayne Carver
Published on Monday, February 8th, 2021
Popular educator and politician
Doug Currie has been acclaimed as the federal Conservative Party candidate for
the Charlottetown area in the next federal election.
He has earned the trust of his
community and constituents during his time in provincial politics and would no
doubt be an excellent representative of the people in Ottawa. And while Mr.
Currie’s world is changing, so too is the world of politics.
To have a national political party
seek out respected candidates in a province is not new but to have a national
leader “acclaim” a candidate in one of the provinces without the input of the
provincial voters is most unusual.
Here on Prince Edward Island
voters have always felt isolated from Ottawa, even though we have several
members of Parliament in our midst. Except for Gail Shea’s tenure, there has
not been local representation by the federal Conservatives between elections,
for decades. I have not seen a representative from any federal party at the
door, ever. Lots of literature, no politician. We are accustomed to being taken
for granted. But to have a local candidate acclaimed is unsettling.
The democratic process is supposed
to allow citizens the right to choose a local candidate from a field of other
likeminded individuals interested in representing their communities. The
nomination process at the local level has always been a short-term activity
wherein prospective candidates and the community have an opportunity to
interact and express their concerns and goals. In that way the community has at
least an opportunity to choose from among interested candidates.
Having your candidate acclaimed by
the federal leaders denies the citizen the right to chose their own candidate.
That is a dangerous precedent.
How much does the federal
Conservative leader know about our community and our wants and needs? Would the
leader of the party know for example that the voters on P.E.I. have long been
proponents of electoral reform and many citizens want to move forward with
change? The most glaring obstruction in our current system is the bipartisan
corporate control of government. People recognize this and want change.
Does the leader of the federal
Conservative party really know or care about our political concerns, or is he
just looking for a solid candidate?
Is Erin O’Toole, or Doug Currie
for that matter, willing to fight for electoral reform on behalf of local
constituents or will it be the same old “me first” philosophy? Does Erin
O’Toole realize this province has voted on electoral reform twice? Both times
the criteria for the vote was such that the results were guaranteed to fail at
the outset. In fact, in the run up to the 2019 vote, the provincial Wade
MacLauchlan government introduced legislation that provided for up to $150,000
to groups running in support of or opposed to change in the electoral system.
Advocates for electoral reform and informed residents brought the subject to a
vote, twice. So why did the government decide to provide financial assistance
at the last hour? Was it because they thought the electoral reform proponents
needed opposition, something to dampen the enthusiasm?
Whatever the reason, both sides
received $75,000 and the provincial government claimed not to have taken a
position on the issue. Duh!
Almost as democratic as having a
local candidate “acclaimed” by the leader of a federal party without any input
from the voters in the constituency. Or the Municipal Government Act limiting
public input in municipal affairs and allowing private investors to snap up our
most valuable assets.
Actions such these diminish and
make a mockery of the electoral process. It seems an effort is underway to
further centralize our government. Is the day at hand where public input will
not be required for government programs? Will the councillors, MLAs and MPs be
making decisions on our behalf like officials in one-party political systems?
No wonder we want change. If there
is any question in a person’s mind about the political process being about the
“people”, incidents such as these should be a wakeup call.
Hopefully we will have answers to
questions before the election. What we really need is independent candidates.
Let us get rid of the old knotted political parties and corporate politicians.
They are simply a group of like-minded individuals working together to promote
their own interests. Seems very few are concerned about the greater public
good. One thing for certain, if either of the old, tired federal corporate
parties are elected, not much will change except for the people’s descent into
serfdom. A $900 billion debt can do that.
Wayne Carver is a member of Vision
P.E.I. who lives in Longcreek.
------------------------------------------------
There was an immediate and predictable response from the CPC PEI
representative, LINK only: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-doug-curries-acclamation-followed-process-550642/
Another is the idea of a Basic
Guaranteed Income and what it's meant to do (combat poverty with dignity), and
other options to do this. There is no doubt P.E.I. seems like a perfect
place to try this, pilot project or whatever, as called for by the Official
Opposition of P.E.I., the NDP PEI I think, and many anti-poverty groups.
Recently, three of P.E.I.'s Senators have written about this (I wonder about
Percy Downe's opinions on this). https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/pei-senators-basic-income-is-an-idea-whose-time-has-come-550641/
P.E.I. Senators: Basic income is an
idea whose time has come - The Guardian Guest opinion by
Diane Griffin, Brian Francis, and Mike Duffy
Published on Tuesday, February 9th,
2021
Last spring more than 50 members of
the Senate of Canada urged the federal government to implement a guaranteed
basic livable income program. At the same time, a special committee of the
Prince Edward Island legislature called on Ottawa to join the province in
creating a GLBI.
Doubters suggested a GLBI would be too
costly, and too complicated. They’d prefer tinkering with the status quo. The
GLBI idea seemed stalled. Faced with this hurdle, a group of Island Senators
has written Premier Dennis King and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to suggest a
way to end the stalemate. Why not start with a small pilot project in Prince
Edward Island?
In our letter we reminded Mr. Trudeau
that Prince Edward Island’s modern economy is a result of an innovative 1969
federal-provincial program called the “P.E.I. Comprehensive Development Plan.”
Ever since, successive governments have used P.E.I. (population ~150,000) as a
“test bed” for important innovations in agriculture, fisheries, energy from
waste, wind energy and so on.
Now out of the economic disruption
caused by COVID-19, P.E.I. and the federal government have another historic
opportunity for social innovation. The arguments for a guaranteed livable basic
income (GLBI) are well-known and are persuasive, especially in an economy like
PEI’s with an ageing demographic.
Last week the British Columbia
government stepped away from the GLBI idea because of the plan’s perceived
potential shortcomings. A pilot project in P.E.I. would test those concerns and
allow the program to be adjusted as needed.
Critics may argue against an
incremental approach, but we should not forget that medicare, our most
successful social program, began incrementally, one province at a time starting
with Saskatchewan.
In 1984, the Macdonald Royal
Commission recommended a GLBI as a counterbalance to the negative effects of
free trade with the United States. The Mulroney government passed free trade,
but ignored the rest of Macdonald’s report.
Mr. Trudeau now has an opportunity to
finish that work and, in so doing, turn the page on the economic devastation
caused by COVID-19 and build a brighter future for P.E.I., and one hopes,
eventually for millions of Canadians. The government response to the economic
disruption caused by the pandemic was a scramble, with some covered and others
not. Had a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income been in place, Canadians would have
been automatically protected.
We closed our letter by urging Mr.
Trudeau to begin Canada’s post-pandemic recovery with a pilot GLBI program in
Prince Edward Island, the birthplace of Confederation.
A guaranteed livable basic income
truly is – an idea whose time has come!
Diane Griffin, Brian Francis and Mike Duffy are
Senators for Prince Edward Island.
-----------------------
One persistent voice arguing for fighting poverty a different way, on a
different scale, is Mary Boyd: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-a-tale-of-two-provinces-551135/
GUEST OPINION: A tale of two
provinces - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Mary Boyd
Published on Wednesday, February
10th, 2021
Editor, in recent months two provinces released reports on a universal
basic income (UBI). The special all-party committee of the P.E.I. legislature
recommended in its Nov. 27, 2020 final report that the province of P.E.I. begin
immediate negotiations with the federal government for the development and
implementation of a UBI at an annual net cost of $259,958 million. If the
federal government is not supportive, they recommend that the government of
P.E.I. initiate the development and implementation of a UBI pilot for Prince
Edward Island involving a minimum of 3,000 people for at least three years.
On the other side of the country,
an expert panel was appointed by the British Columbia government to explore the
idea of a basic income guarantee for British Columbia. The panel was composed
of Dr. David A. Green of the Vancouver School of Economics, Dr. Jonathan Rhys
Kesselman, School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University and Dr. Lindsay M.
Tedds, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary. The panel received 40
research papers, 16,000 simulations and wrote a 529-page report.
While the P.E.I. committee began
with the bias of exploring how to establish a UBI and how to cost it, the B.C.
panel had a much broader mandate and wider input. Their report is
philosophical, inspired by the words of the great Nisga’a leader, Joseph
Gosnell. It focuses on ways to improve society as an integral part of
eliminating poverty. The authors wrote in their Dec. 28, 2020 final report, “We
have concluded that moving to a system constructed around a basic income for
all as its main pillar is not the most just policy change we can consider. The
needs of people in our society are too diverse to be reflectively answered
simply with a cheque from the government.”
They noted that the basic income
(BI) is a very costly approach to addressing any specific goal such as poverty
reduction, but also in the way it would try to accomplish those goals. For
them, the BI approach supports only one element of their set of just
characteristics and does it to the exclusion of approaches that emphasize
social interactions and cooperation. The BI is more individualistic, placing
too little emphasis on communities in which the recipients live.
The B.C. panel refuses a pilot
project concluding that it is not an effective use of government money. They
contend that a pilot of three to five years cannot fully evaluate the situation
and that a longer pilot is unlikely to survive for political reasons. They
state that waiting for results before policy changes, would delay too
long-needed changes and that the pilot cannot include the changes needed to
finance a real-world basic income.
The P.E.I. Coalition for a
Poverty Eradication Strategy and the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice
question the conclusions of the all-party committee of the P.E.I. legislature.
Granted, they were following a vote in the P.E.I. legislature to establish a
guaranteed income, but later some MLAs explained that they did not fully
understand what a guaranteed income was and their vote was in favour of doing
something about poverty. Furthermore, the community was not fully consulted.
The all-party committee failed to
consider alternatives to the basic income, some of which would be less costly,
could be implemented more quickly, would be more effective in eradicating
poverty and would build healthy communities while respecting the dignity of
work and the worker. The P.E.I. approach was narrow from the beginning.
The job guarantee (JG), which was
presented to the committee is proving to be a popular and effective program in
Europe, India, South Africa, Argentina and especially the USA where the
majority of voters and politicians prefer it to the BI. A job guarantee for
P.E.I. would cost around 1 to 1.5 per cent of gross provincial product but once
established it would be close to revenue neutral. The job guarantee is a
component of the Green New Deal (GND), and has been called its most crucial
component. The GND insists that a green transformation requires basic economic
security for all. Its demands are strongly supported by many corners of civil
society. It offers decent jobs at decent pay to the most disadvantaged of
society and to all who wish to work. It also offers hands-on training. Green
jobs are, “those that address all forms of destitution and neglect of our most
valuable resources, both natural and human.” (Dr. Pavlina Tcherneva)
Tcherneva states that the GND
calls for a wholesale transformation, necessary to produce a rapid and robust
answer to global warming. It is an all-hands-on-deck industrial strategy that
has been called the “moonshot of our time” and linked to “wartime
mobilization.” It results in economic security for all. Green projects
rehabilitate the environment, strengthen communities, and improve the social
determinants of health. “Every climate solution and the manner of its
implementation will have deep economic, social and political ramifications.”
A bill to eliminate poverty on
P.E.I. will have to go way beyond the narrow perspective of the all-party
committee of the legislature. It requires shared public dialogue rather than
inviting like-minded witnesses and ignoring other alternatives. It is
surprising that all of the party representatives on the committee agreed to the
Legislative Committee report. If we repeat this we will be leaving P.E.I.
behind the more progressive movements everywhere. The solution to poverty is
urgent.
Mary Boyd, MacKillop Centre for
Social Justice and P.E.I. Coalition for a Poverty Eradication Strategy.
I see that there is a lot of common ground, and
probably a lot of shared history working on this issue that I don't know the
depth of. It's a bit of a platitude but it helps to focus on the where we
agree and on going forward.
Soft snow or stormy day listening:
Bill Gates on the podcast Sway from The New York Times on his ideas for
climate change, 43 minutes (I have not listened to the whole thing):
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/opinion/sway-kara-swisher-bill-gates.html
Metropolitan Opera video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Puccini’s La Bohème, today until
6:30PM
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramón Vargas, Ludovic Tézier, and
Oren Gradus, conducted by Nicola Luisotti. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From
April 5, 2008. Just over two hours of simply sublime.
Verdi’s Falstaff, tonight
7:30PM until Wednesday 6:30PM
Starring Mirella Freni, Barbara Bonney, Marilyn Horne, Bruno Pola, and Paul
Plishka. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From October 10, 1992. A good
old-fashioned Falstaff, grand costumes and acting and singing superb. Two
hours.
Finally, Shrove Tuesday pancake roundup, from The (U.K.) Guardian
(LINK only):
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/feb/15/the-joy-of-pancakes-10-top-chefs-on-their-favourite-recipes-from-apple-crepes-to-duck-dosa
February 15, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Happy Islander Day! And lucky Islanders we are.
We just need to protect this little Island as best we can.
Events:
Snowshoeing -- South Shore (Crapaud area),
1:30-3:30PM, meeting
at Crapaud Public Library parking lot (that's down and behind the firehall/ the
old pharmacy location), TCH, Crapaud.
Bring your own snowshoes, but a limited number will be on hand. Hot
chocolate afterwards. Hosted by the South Shore Citizens Group and South
Shore Pharmacy (the spiffy new building further west and across the highway)
more
details: https://www.facebook.com/SouthShoreCitizensGroup/
------------------
Many
other events listed here on the Government's website Islander Day page; note
that some may be sold out or at capacity, so check first:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/event/islander-day
Islander Day is a
provincial holiday (no schools, post-secondary or provincial services) and a
"civil observance" of National Flag of Canada Day, but not a federal
or postal holiday.
Most grocery stores,
malls, libraries are closed, no bus service, but federal government offices are
open, apparently. more at this: CBC article link
--------------------
And when you get
hungry and plan food for the rest of the week:
Organic Veggie Delivery
week, order by Monday PM for delivery Friday. Next order week of March
1st
https://www.organicveggiedelivery.com/
Charlottetown Farmers' Market 2Go, order by TUESDAY NOON, for
Thursday pick-up/delivery,
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
EatLocalPEI --
Order by Wednesday
night
for pickup/delivery
Saturday/Sunday
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
----------------------
Today is (was?) the
deadline for the Animal Welfare Survey from the P.E.I. Government.
However, the survey software the Department of Agriculture used for the survey
literally meant February 15th as midnight this morning, so it's saying it's
closed. You can also write to the Department's Media Contact Ron Ryder to
mention that it really should be extended as the deadline was perhaps
unintentionally misleading.
rrryder@gov.pe.ca
We'll let you know if we hear it's been opened back up again, if you didn't get
a chance to participate already.
Diana Lariviere, animal welfare advocate who resides in the
South Shore, posted some notes on social media several weeks ago, which I am
reprinting with her permission (from December 15th, 2020):
Have your say on animal welfare legislation in PEI >> BUT
>> A few points of possible interest before completing the survey:
1) very near the end, there is a problem with the question … “who
should be responsible for animal welfare” … in that the options do not include
“other”. This might have been an inadvertent error of omission, BUT it is also
a tactic often used by governments to support what that government has already
decided (for example, so that they can state >> 80% of respondents stated
that organization “x” should have responsibility for…). On the positive side
and as an alternative, there is a “comment” block just below that particular
question in which you may use to offer an alternative.
2) Throughout the survey, there is no acknowledgment of the
EIGHTEEN (18) animal rescue groups that exist within PEI. The only one that is
highlighted is the Humane Society.
3) PEI Wildlife Legislation does not allow for “rescue /
rehabilitation” of wildlife -- >> similar to “Hope for Wildlife” in Nova
Scotia and similar to what exists in other Canadian jurisdictions. Yet…PEI
legislation DOES allow for “farming” of select wildlife. The message? …profit
is ok but not rescue??
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/islanders-opinions-wanted-animal-welfare
Diana also requested from the Department, and passed along to me, a printable PDF of the survey
and $20 Tim Horton's gift card participant incentive draw ballot, to print out
and mail in or scan/fax; if you wish to email me, I can forward those forms to
you.
It's all about Mars this week!
Atlantic Skies for
February 15th-22nd, 2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
Touchdown Mars - 'Perseverance' and
'Ingenuity' Arrive
On Thursday Feb.
18, after a voyage of 203 days, NASA's 'Perseverance' rover (part of the
Mars 2020 mission), and its sidekick 'Ingenuity' helicopter-drone are scheduled
to touch down in the Jezero Crater, just north of the Martian equator. Launched
on July 30, 2020, as part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program,
'Perseverance' will be only the fifth rover to land on the Red Planet. It is
also the first artificial object to land on Mars since 'Insight Mars' in 2018,
and the first rover to land on the planet since 'Curiosity' in 2012. Its
primary mission will be to roam the Martian landscape, exploring and
investigating the planet's ancient surface geological formations, while
assessing the possibility of past habitability by seeking evidence of water and
any biosignatures of past microbial life that might be preserved within
accessible geological materials.
Another important
rover objective will be to scoop up surface material samples as it traverses
the Martian surface, and cache them in containers for potential retrieval by a
future Mars sample-return mission, possibly in 2031. Other duties relate to the
assessment of new technologies (including precise landing technologies), as
well as the planet's environmental conditions, both critical to future manned and
robotic expeditions to Mars. 'Perseverance' has a planned surface mission
timeframe of at least one Mars year (687 Earth days). It will be the first
rover to utilize all five "senses" - "sight" (it has 16
cameras); "touch" (its robotic arm has a "hand" with a
drill and ground contact sensor); "taste" (its spectrometer uses
chemistry instruments to analyze rocks); "smell" (its SuperCam's
infrared laser beam vaporises samples to analyze mineral composition); and
"hearing "(its two microphones will record and transmit to Earth
actual audio recordings of sounds on Mars).
'Perseverance's'
robotic 'Ingenuity' helicopter-drone is a small (1.8 kg) autonomous aircraft,
which will operate independently of the rover. Its sole purpose is experimental
- to test the potential of powered flight on Mars. The Martian atmosphere is 1%
as thick as that of Earth, and its gravity 1/3 that of our planet's.
'Ingenuity' will operate on rechargeable, solar- powered batteries, and has
internal heaters to maintain operational temperatures during the long, cold
Martian nights. It will make one or more test flights within its first 30 days
on the planet, guided by Earth-generated commands relayed through the rover. It
has two cameras - one black and white, one colour.
NASA's Mars 2020
mission was one of three space missions launched to the Red Planet during the
July 2020 Mars launch window. The other two missions were the United Arab
Emirates' 'Hope' orbiter (which arrived and successfully entered orbit on Feb.
9) and China's Tianwen-1 mission (with an orbiter, lander, and rover, expected
to enter orbit on Feb. 10). For more information about the 'Perseverance'
landing, go to education@jpl.nasa.gov, or simply Google 'NASA's Mars 2020 mission'.
The dearth of
bright planets in the night sky continues this coming week, with Mercury (just
past inferior solar conjunction on the 8th), Venus, Jupiter and Saturn all
unobservable. The lone planet visible throughout the night is Mars (mag. +0.6,
in Aries - the Ram). Visible around 6:20 p.m., 61 degrees above the southern
horizon as dusk gives way to darkness, Mars, despite its historic noteority on
the 18th, quietly sets in the southwest around 1:10 a.m. Look for Mars to the
upper right of the waxing Moon on the evening of the 18th.
Until next week,
clear skies.
Events:
Feb. 18 - Mars 2020
mission lands
- Mars to upper right of Moon
19 - First Quarter Moon; Pleiades ("Seven Sisters") star cluster to
the right
-30-
On the
Chinese Mars Mission:
excepts from
Space.com:
https://www.space.com/tianwen-1.html
Update:
As of Feb. 10, 2021, Tianwen-1 (China's first independent interplanetary mission), has arrived on time and
successfully into orbit around Mars...coverage of the arrival here: China has joined the
ranks of the Mars-exploring nations.
The probe, a
combination orbiter, lander and rover, launched from Earth aboard a Long March
5 rocket on July 23, 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having traveled 292
million miles (470 million kilometers) from Earth, Tianwen-1 will enter orbit
around the Red Planet on Feb. 10. The Tianwen-1 rover will attempt to land on
the Red Planet in May or June of 2021.
(more details in the
article, and a mention of the United Arab Emirates orbiter that was launched in
that same advantageous time in 2020.)
<<<
Like many explorations of space, Tianwen-1 has a philosophical side. According
to the team that built the
probe, "Tianwen" means 'questions to heaven,' a phrase taken
from the name of a famous poem by one of the greatest poets of ancient China,
Qu Yuan. Future interplanetary missions from China are expected to share the
"Tianwen" moniker. >>
And maybe I'll figure
out how to spell perseverance right! (murmuring to self
"per...sever...ANCE!")
-------
Speaking of subtle misspellings and word choice, someone pointed out the
"saintly" setting of the proposed idea to put a bandstand, firepits
and more seating in the Green Space in front of Founders' Food Hall (...and
were local residents asked of their opinion of this?)
Founders
Food Hall to have more outdoor seating - The Guardian
Published on Saturday, February 13th, 2021, in
Founders Food Hall & Market is adding additional
outdoor seating, fire pits and a bandstand in front of the building.
Charlottetown council approved the additions during a regular
meeting Feb. 8. The additions will go on the section of green space that
Founders owns off of Water Street.
"It certainly will be a nice improvement and a great way to
attract some people down there," Coun. Alanna Jankov said.
The space will also include a landscaped area for beatification,
and Jankov noted the existing trees will not be affected. As well, music or
events would end whenever the facility closes each evening.
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Wagner’s Die Walküre, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Hildegard Behrens, Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Gary Lakes, James
Morris, and Kurt Moll. Production by Otto Schenk. From April 8, 1989. Great
"old-fashioned" staging, super singing, riveting, action-packed
story.
February 15th-22nd, 2021
Franco Zeffirelli
Week!
This week of free
streams celebrates Franco Zeffirelli, the Italian director and designer whose
grand, historically informed, and intricately detailed productions have
delighted generations of operagoers.
Puccini’s La Bohème, 7:30PM tonight until Tuesday
6:30PM
From April 5, 2008.
" Puccini’s evergreen paean to young love and the bohemian life has
captivated generations of Met-goers through Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic
production. Movie theater audiences for the high-definition transmission of
this staging got to see it with fresh eyes in a touching performance starring
Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas as the frail seamstress and her poetic
lover." 2 hours 16 minutes.
February 14, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
A little more difficult that chocolates or flowers today, but
could make plans for spring...
"He that plants trees loves others beside himself."
--Thomas
Fuller (1608-1661), English writer
--------------
Event:
Tomorrow, Monday,
February 15th, is the last day this survey will be open:
Animal Welfare Act
review:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/islanders-opinions-wanted-animal-welfare
Here is the link to an opinion piece (the entire piece was printed here
recently) by animal law expert Elizabeth Schoales about it, for some
perspective:
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-the-other-side-of-ag-gag-545659/
There is plenty to criticize about each political party, but it's interesting
that the Island's current and former Progressive Conservative governments,
which sometimes project themselves the party of family values and such, plunge
ahead with increased access to gambling venues, however the platforms change
with the times.
Peter McKenna wrote an
Opinion piece published in The Globe and Mail on May 9th, 2004,
sections below, entire piece here:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/peter-mckenna/article24357830/
The Conservative government of Pat Binns is
currently debating whether to bring the province of Prince Edward Island
further along the road of gambling addiction. Or, more correctly, its own
addiction to the revenues flowing from gambling-related activities.
No matter how I look
at it, I can't for the life of me wrap my mind around the thought that politicians
on PEI would welcome such a development. Most people who seek public office do
so because they genuinely believe that they can make a difference. That is, if
they continue to work tirelessly (and often thanklessly), they can improve the
lives of ordinary islanders, and especially the life chances of our young
adults....
<<<<
As an instructor of
political science, I have to believe that this is still the case when I stand
before my students. But I must confess that when I hear media reports about
hundreds of VLTs for the driving park, I do begin to wonder.
I keep asking myself:
How can a provincial cabinet and caucus honestly believe that it is helping
young islanders by knowingly getting them hooked on VLTs? If even one person
goes on to commit suicide, as has happened in far too many other provinces, it
will be on the hands of the Binns government. What will the Premier say to the
parents of that lost soul? Will he argue that the provincial deficit made him
do it? That rationalization, I'm sure, would offer little comfort.
Perhaps a deluge of
costly gambling-related lawsuits, which have become all the rage in other parts
of Canada, would get the government's attention? Do we really want to go down
this mindless path?
Peter McKenna is an
assistant professor in the department of political studies at the University of
Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown.
------------------------------
And now, another Peter
writes: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/peter-bevan-baker-government-is-playing-a-high-stakes-game-with-islanders-lives-551479/
PETER BEVAN-BAKER:
Government is playing a high stakes game with Islanders' lives - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Peter Bevan-Baker
Published on Friday, February 12th, 2021
Governments
operate on income that, in large part, comes from taxes. It is used to carry
out two of their core functions: to provide services, and to redistribute
wealth in our society.
I have always
subscribed to the view that people are fine paying taxes if they know two
things: taxes are being collected in an equitable and ethical way, and those
monies are being spent thoughtfully and productively to enhance the common
good.
Recently, the
P.E.I. government approved a new online casino initiative to be operated by the
Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC). There was no debate on the decision in the
house and no consultation with Islanders on how they might feel about it. In
fact, government has never mentioned the project, and most Islanders heard
about it first in the news, weeks after the final decision had already been
made behind closed doors.
ALC is a
government Crown corporation that manages gambling activities in the Atlantic
region and distributes revenues from these activities to four provinces. The
most recent figures available show that ALC generates about $1.2 billion
annually in gambling revenue. Revenues come from the sale of ticket lotteries,
video lottery terminals (VLTs) and casinos like Red Shores here on Prince
Edward Island. VLTs are both the most profitable and the most addictive of
these revenue streams, contributing over half of the net income to ALC.
Many have referred
to gambling as a “voluntary tax”, recognizing that more money is taken in than
goes out in prizes. That money, like income and sales taxes, goes straight into
general government revenues.
Equitable and
ethical tax policy is progressive, meaning those who are most able to pay
shoulder the greatest burden. This is why we have stepped income taxes, it is
how sales taxes work, and how a well-crafted carbon tax would work. However, if
we look more closely at where revenues for gambling come from, it is clear that
the greatest burden falls on those least able to afford it.
The new online
casino is different from the VLTs that Islanders are used to playing at their
local legions. The limits are way higher and government is actively encouraging
Islanders to try it out with $20 starter gifts to set up an account, including
placing ads on CBC Compass.
It is estimated
that gambling addiction is the primary reason for nearly 400 Canadians a year
dying by suicide. That translates to two Islanders every year.
Addiction is a
terrible thing, and governments have formed an alarming habit of relying on the
revenues it receives from gambling. P.E.I. receives about $18 million annually
from gambling, $11 million of that through VLTs. The government spends about
$200,000 on problem gambling services and none of the revenue is targeted to
support those with lower incomes who contribute disproportionately to it.
Last week, in a
meeting of the standing committee on health and social development, we heard
from experts that governments should spend 30-40 per cent of gambling revenues
on supports. On P.E.I., that would equal over $3 million. The P.E.I. government
is underspending by 90 per cent, and yet it sees no problem with targeting
Islanders with dreams of paying off debt or purchasing the home they always
wanted, knowing full well that the group most susceptible to that form of
advertising are those for which these things are by and large out of reach.
More needs to be
spent on helping those with gambling problems. We have a crisis on Prince
Edward Island in the area of mental health and addictions. So far, government
has not begun to properly manage that crisis. Creating new avenues in which
addictions may be worsened is both unethical and callous.
Government should
treat gambling the same as other addictive things like alcohol, cannabis and
tobacco. It should limit its advertising and make the provision of gambling
services revenue neutral. Any and all revenues generated should be
redistributed back to those who need it.There is still time for Premier King to
recognise the numerous issues with this decision and to reverse it. Government
is gambling with Islander’s lives, and the cost is far too high.
Peter Bevan-Baker
is the MLA for New Haven-Rocky Point and leader of the Official Opposition.
-30-
Several years ago,
blythely walking around "The Vatican" (one of the nicknames for the
Charlottetown complex of buildings of Province House, Coles Building, J. Angus
MacLean, and the little house by St. Paul's Church that's the Clerk's office),
seeing an old friend and her partner, who looked embarrassed when I said
something like "I am going to watch the Legislature. What are you
doing here?" , I later realized they were seeking help for his serious
gambling problem. And of course this was around the time the cash-cow of
VLTs was being milked.
[Just to give lumps all
around, it's not like the Liberals under Robert Ghiz eschewed pursuing gambling
revenues, as the e-gaming debacle shows, but somehow perhaps there was some
justification in that they were trying to milk GFAs (Gamblers From Away).]
---------------------
So
opening up more opportunities for gambling need way more thought and public
consultation.
Standing Committee meeting on this issue:
Friday,
February 5th, 2021
Health and Social
Development
the search is clunky but the date and committee should help you find
transcripts or video archives:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/committee-archive
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Berlioz’s Les Troyens, until 6:30PM today
Starring Tatiana Troyanos, Jessye Norman, Plácido Domingo, and Allan
Monk. Production by Fabrizio Melano. From October 8, 1983. Placido as
Aeneas!
Wagner’s Die Walküre, today 7:30PM until 6:30PM Monday
Starring Hildegard Behrens, Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Gary Lakes, James Morris. Production
by Otto Schenk. From April 8, 1989. Just under four hours but all
riveting!
February 13, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"Hope" is the thing with feathers--
That perches in the soul--
And sings the tune without the words--
And never stops--at all.
---Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), American poet
Events:
Farmers' Markets open in Charlottetown (9AM-2PM) and Summerside
(9AM-1PM)
Heart Beet
Organics Farmacy and Fermentary, store
and order pickup 9AM-1PM, store with many fresh vegetables and ferments; and
restaurant open until 6PM. 152 Great George Street, Charlottetown.
--------------
Starts today!
Great Backyard Bird Count begins today, February 12-15th, anywhere, details
here
https://www.birdcount.org/
(and someone from P.E.I."s extensive bird watching community can tell me if this is "worth it" or if there are
other opportunities for backyard birding.
And Phillips Feed, Exhibition Drive, is open until 12noon with sale
on birdfood and feeders this week.
----------------------------
Tonight:
Rainforest Lounge with Todd MacLean and special guest Logan Richard, 7PM, Instagram Live.
Also:
Valentines Eve Concert at The Haviland, 7:30PM, The Haviland
Club, Charlottetown, email for reservations, proceeds to help local
and international charities.
Contact David MacKay at <mackaypei@gmail.com>
to see if they are still accepting reservations or donations.
Consultation and stewardship -- town...
Is Charlottetown a Community OR a Commodity? - by the Future of Charlottetown,
on their Facebook Group
Posted on Tuesday, February 9th, 2021
https://www.facebook.com/FutureOfCharlottetown
In the past two years, almost every Charlottetown neighbourhood has
encountered unfortunate decisions by city hall. The list includes Simmons
rink/pool closure, 15 Haviland urban design disaster, asphalt plant, original
Trainor Street decision, funding of developer infrastructure, questionable
tendering practices, and on and on.
We’re not alone.
Vancouver recently encountered a city hall that was losing touch with
residents. Excerpts from the following article explain what they have done
about it and why.
"Residents of Vancouver believe that their views on planning and
development are being ignored. Vancouver’s communities have united to propose a
different approach. Working together as the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods
we aim to restore neighbourhood-based planning while strengthening community
involvement and influence in decision making.
If Vancouver is to remain an inclusive, liveable and healthy city, we
must have a City Council that will respect our diverse neighbourhoods as the
fundamental building blocks of our city.
Community consultation means more than making planning and development
decisions in private, then informing residents... The City must work
collaboratively with residents, neighbourhood associations and community
organizations throughout the planning process. The decision-making process must
be transparent and accountable to ensure that planning reflects the needs,
aspirations, and local knowledge of residents.
The interests of communities and residents must come before private profits.
Housing and developments should be consistent with established neighbourhood
character."
Sound familiar? In the Charlottetown case, our community seems to have become a
commodity in which our neighbourhood facilities are traded off, our waterfront
and green areas are turned over to developers with little or no thought, and
our citizens are treated like they don't matter.
Future of Charlottetown is trying to assist our neighbourhoods in being heard
by city hall and in encouraging our provincial officials to recognize their oversight
responsibilities.
Please help get the message out and let us know your thoughts, concerns and
ideas.
-30-
---------------------------------------
Consultation and stewardship -- country...
I Dissent -
by Sally Bernard, Barnyard Organics Farm
Published on Wednesday, February 10th, 2021, on her blog,
http://barnyardorganics.blogspot.com/
What does Ruth Bader Ginsberg, the late and celebrated American Supreme
Court Justice have to do with agriculture on PEI? Perhaps not much, but her
famous dissentions have inspired this letter. Because like Ruth was, I am a
member of a collective in which I am often the minority opinion, and likewise,
my opinion is rarely represented or supported by the collective, in this case
the PEI Federation of Agriculture. I am a farmer and I support other farmers,
which is why I continue to support farm organizations and hold membership with
them, expecting them to represent my voice and values to higher
authorities.
Sadly, I’ve watched my representative organization continue to rally around
decisions that support economy over environment, corporations over small farms
and commodities over communities. The most recent push to remove the moratorium
over high capacity wells and increase the capacity for irrigation has me
feeling like a very small voice in a large room.
I receive newsletters encouraging me to contact my MLA regarding “the
water issue”, assuming I will rally support for increased irrigation and water
usage. But as I work in the buckle of the potato belt, waking to the whine of
sprayers most mornings, watching soil wash into our deteriorating waterways,
washing blowing red dirt off my siding, I struggle to get behind the chorus for
measures that would facilitate even more industrialized exploitation of our
resources.
Three new ‘ponds’ have been constructed within 5km of our farm in the last few
weeks and while I of course do not support the use of high capacity wells for
golf courses or leisure activities either, I cannot allow those objections to
prevent me from acknowledging the short-sightedness of further loosening of
regulations around our water. And while I abhor the pressure that farmers feel
to take perfectly arable land out of production to build huge well-water-fed
ponds, I again cannot let my empathy for their position overshadow my concerns
for the water the future farmers and generations will be able to access.
So while my farming organization calls on politicians to consider the plight of
drought-affected producers, with irrigation as the solution, I dissent.
Escarpment Blues by Sarah Harmer
If they blow a hole in my backyard
Everyone is gonna run away
The creeks won't flow to the Great Lake below
Will the water in the wells still be okay?
We'll keep driving on the Blind Line
If we don't know where we want to go
Even knowledge that's sound can get watered down
Truth can get sucked out the car window
We're two thirds water
What do we really need?
But sun, showers
Soil and seed
We're two thirds water
The aquifers provide Deep down in the rock
There's a pearl inside
If they blow a hole in the backbone
The one that runs across the muscles of the land
We might get a load of stone for the road
But I don't know how much longer we can stand
-30-
____________________________________________________
Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, 2PM, CBC Music, 104.7FM,
Massenet’s Cendrillon
Performance from April 28, 2018
Conducted by Bertrand de Billy; Kathleen Kim (La Fée), Joyce DiDonato
(Cendrillon), Alice Coote (Le Prince Charmant), Stephanie Blythe (Madame de la
Haltière), Laurent Naouri (Pandolfe) Sweet version of Cinderella
Metropolitan Opera video performance streaming: Serious history stuff!
https://www.metopera.org/
Philip
Glass’s Akhnaten, today
until 6:30PM
Starring Dísella Lárusdóttir, J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Aaron
Blake, Will Liverman, Richard Bernstein, and Zachary James, conducted by Karen
Kamensek. Production by Phelim McDermott. From November 23,
2019.
Berlioz’s Les Troyens, 7:30PM
until 6:30PM Sunday
Starring Tatiana Troyanos, Jessye Norman, Plácido Domingo, and Allan
Monk. Production by Fabrizio Melano. From October 8, 1983.
February 12, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"How
paramount the future is to the present when one is surrounded by
children."
--Charles Darwin, (1809-1882) British naturalist
(whose birthday is today)
-----------------------------------------
and especially when one of those
children is Greta Thunberg...
Events:
Fridays4Future, 3:30PM,
near Province House.
Facebook event details
Great Backyard Bird Count begins today,
February 12-15th, anywhere, details
here
https://www.birdcount.org/
(and someone from
P.E.I."s extensive bird watching community can tell me if this is
"worth it" or if there are other opportunities for backyard birding.
Today: Deadline for Public Comments:
Proposed Temporary
Foreign Worker Protection Act
More details:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/service/proposed-temporary-foreign-worker-protection-act
Tomorrow, Saturday, February 13th:
a bit on Darwin and all:
Webinar:
"A Most Interesting Problem -- What Darwin Got Right and Wrong about Human
Evolution in The Descent of Man", Darwin Week
Event," 3-5PM, free, online.
"Join The Leakey Foundation for a celebration of Darwin’s
birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Descent of Man.
This event brings together seven world-class scholars and
science communicators to explore what Darwin got right and what he got wrong
about the origin, history, and biological variation of humans."
Facebook event link for more details
Event link to register
Which MLA represents where, and what? Who is in what cabinet seat?
Constituency and roles are listed for each of the Members of the Legislative
Assembly on this page, here, but you have to click on each one:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/members
The LEAP folks have also been promoting a better
role for Postal Services in connecting the country in a green way.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-to-the-editor-canada-post-has-the-ability-to-change-the-country-for-the-better-548818/
Canada Post has the
ability to change the country for the better - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on Thursday, February 11th, 2021
What if Canada Post was part of the post-COVID recovery? Last year was a record
year for parcel delivery. Parcel delivery at CPC has been growing exponentially
for the past five years, and it shows no sign of slowing down. With this kind
of growth, a corporation like Canada Post must roll up its sleeves and review
its values, its commitment, and the service portfolio it offers to the
population.
Canada Post already
has the infrastructure and the network to be an integral part of the post-COVID
recovery and development. In doing so, it would create jobs across the country
and be part of the government’s environmental plan, while also respecting its
mandate to be financially self-sustaining.
To achieve this, the
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) has launched a bold campaign called
“Delivering Community Power.” Post offices are everywhere throughout Canada.
CPC has more than 6,400 outlets, the largest retail network in the country.
CUPW proposes to accelerate the electrification of Canada Post’s vehicle fleet.
CPC operates more than 20,000 vehicles, generating 65 kilotons of CO2 every
year.
The acquisition of
electric vehicles would benefit the environment, stimulate the automotive
sector and create decent jobs. Now, imagine if Canada Post installed charging
stations at its facilities and made them available to all, creating the largest
network of charging stations in Canada.
COVID has brought to
light the problem of high-speed Internet access in hundreds of communities.
With its extensive presence in those communities, Canada Post could play a
central role perfectly in line with the government’s commitment to bring
high-speed Internet access to all communities. This also fits with Canada
Post’s mission, because it supports online shopping and online shopping fuels
parcel delivery. In 62 countries, the post office also provides banking
services. Canada’s extensive postal network could also provide crucial banking
services, especially in remote, rural and Indigenous communities, which have
been abandoned by major banks.
Finally, imagine letter carriers knocking at the door of someone who lives
alone. They could offer this check-in service at the request of a family member
who could receive a notification saying that everything is fine, or that help
is needed.
My 56,000 brothers
and sister from CUPW will not accept that Canada Post is sitting idly, refusing
to change its old values and habits. I urge you to contact your Member of
Parliament to demand a strong postal service for the future.
Scott
Gaudet, postal worker,
Summerside
And let's start with
resuming door-to-door delivery.
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Rather different experiences as rulers, with Luciano Pavarotti as a King of
Sweden and his awful fate in Verdi's
A Masked Ball, and Anthony Ross Costanzo as Ahknaten and his awful
fate in a Philip Glass opera of the same name. But both mesmerizing in their
own way.
Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Aprile Millo, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, Luciano Pavarotti,
and Leo Nucci. Production by Piero Faggioni. From January 26,
1991.
Philip Glass’s Akhnaten, 7:30PM Friday until 6:30PM
Saturday
Starring Dísella Lárusdóttir, J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Aaron
Blake, Will Liverman, Richard Bernstein, and Zachary James, conducted by Karen
Kamensek. Production by Phelim McDermott. From November 23, 2019
February 11, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
requiescat in pace, Daryl, and condolences to your
family and friends, and the many students and Islanders whose lives you graced
Always
an environmental advocate
Daryl Guignion remembered for passion for
conservation - The Guardian article
Published on
Thursday, February 11th, 2021

from a celebration of his retirement, on the West
River, in 2008.
Photo by Diane Griffin
“I believe that Daryl
is an example to us all by what he did in a positive way to maintain our
natural world, perhaps more than any other individual in the province.” Sen.
Diane Griffin
With the passing of Daryl Guignion on Feb. 8, 2021, Prince Edward
Island has lost one of the greatest advocates for environmental conservation in
the province, say those who knew him.
“As a university professor, he educated many about the importance
of our environment. Because of his influence, teachers and other professionals
brought environmental concerns to younger generations and to Islanders at
large," said Rosemary Curley of Nature P.E.I. His students went on to
positions of influence in university faculties, environment departments and
nongovernmental organizations throughout Canada.
“A strong advocate for Atlantic salmon conservation, erosion
control, and natural areas, Daryl mentored many Islander," said Dan
McAskill, president of Hillsborough River Association. “He was one of our
foremost spokespersons for watershed conservation on P.E.I. and media sought
his comments on the prevention of watershed problems.”
Guignon understood that conservation meant wise use of our
environment and he constantly spoke and acted for the province's natural
resources. His free time was often spent helping organizations committed to
river restoration, and he assisted hunters and trappers with problems. He was a
founder and the second president of the Island Nature Trust, set up to protect
habitat on the Island through land acquisition. He was also a founder of the
Morell River Management Cooperative. As a former president of the P.E.I.
Wildlife Federation and a board member of the Canadian Wildlife Federation, his
advocacy and influence was felt beyond the university and immediate community.
He operated at the policy level as well as the practical “hands on” level to
get things done. For his efforts he received many awards including the Hon. J.
Angus MacLean Natural Areas Award, National Recreational Fisheries Award and
the Prince Edward Island Environmental Award.
A UPEI professor, Guignion retired in 2008 from his faculty
position at the biology department, but still taught sessional courses and led
workshops. At the University of Prince Edward for 41 years, he served on many
committees, the university senate, and was chair of the biology department.
Sen. Diane Griffin, who was a student in the first class taught by
Guignion said, “I believe that Daryl is an example to us all by what he did in
a positive way to maintain our natural world, perhaps more than any other
individual in the province.”
He was an inspirational teacher, and UPEI students awarded him as
Faculty Member of the Year. With his tremendous knowledge, pleasant, easy-going
manner, and sense of humour, he was always in demand as a popular speaker.
In honour of Guignon and his colleague, Dr. Ian MacQuarrie, former
students established the Daryl Guignion and Ian MacQuarrie Graduate Scholarship
in Science at UPEI to assist students in ecological and wildlife studies. While
donations are still being sought, several students have received scholarships
to date.
-30-
"The best way to
remember Daryl is to plant a red oak tree."
--- from
the full obituary, sweetly detailed and poignantly personal, below
Events:
Tonight:
Outside the Rails -- Better Health Care
Governance for PEI, with MLA Trish Altass, 7PM,
Zoom
Green MLA and Health Critic Trish
Altass presents a bill she's working on to restore Health PEI's
ability to carry out its strategic plan and operations without undue political
interference, reversing controversial changes made by the Liberal government in
2018.
Zoom registration link
If that doesn't work,
more details and another link here: https://www.greenparty.pe.ca/event_calendar
------------------------------
Saturday, February
13th:
Valentines
Eve Concert at The Haviland, 7:30PM, The Haviland Club,
Charlottetown, email for reservations, proceeds to help local and
international charities.
Love songs define
Valentines and there will be a variety of love songs at the Valentines Eve
concert on Saturday, February 13th, 7:30 at the Haviland Club, in
Charlottetown.
Part of the net proceeds from the concert will go to support a
local international development organization ISCA (isca-aidc.ca)
which is beginning a new agriculture initiative in Legane, Haiti. Proceeds will
also be shared with Lennon House P.E.I (lennonhouse.ca).
Admission is by donation and reservations are available by
emailing
mackaypei@gmail.com
if confirmations are NOT received within 12 hours seating may be
at capacity, due to Covid restrictions ( 4 and 10 persons person tables
available).
Haiti project online
donations are being accepted at isca-aidc.ca or by
contacting: 902-940-5864.
The event is being is being organized under guidelines provided
by Health PEI.
Now until 12noon,
Saturday, Feburary 20th:
Bird
Food and Feeders sale at Phillips Feed Store,
Exhibition Drive,
Charlottetown
Some percentage off for the buyer, and Phillips donates to Island Nature Trust,
from the sale, too.
It you want to catch up on any P.E.I. Provincial Legislature Standing Committee
meetings or other business, here are two ways:
P.E.I. Legislative
Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative
Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia,
tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Kathleen Battle, Rockwell Blake, Leo Nucci, Enzo Dara, and Ferruccio
Furlanetto, conducted by Ralf Weikert. Production by John Cox. From December 3, 1988. It's
just Madcap.
Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera,
7:30PM until 6:30PM Friday
Starring Aprile Millo, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, Luciano Pavarotti,
and Leo Nucci. Production by Piero Faggioni. From January 26, 1991.
Although another opera featuring the "brooding power and elegance of
Verdi’s drama of love and politics", it's really gripping! And the
costumes are delightful.
from The Guardian, Thursday, February 11th, 2021,
page B7
GUIGNION,
Daryl Lloyd 1942-2021
Daryl Lloyd Guignion died on February 8, 2021 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital
in Charlottetown, PEI. He was born to Lloyd and Mabel Guignion in Rosebridge,
Gaspe. Daryl and his siblings, Garth, Sandra and Marlene, grew up in a small
house on land that today borders on Forillon National Park. To say that Daryl
came from a modest background would be an understatement. He didn’t experience
the luxury of indoor plumbing or a telephone until he was in high school. Money
was scarce and Daryl developed his strong work ethic as a young boy, working in
the woods alongside his father and brother cutting pulpwood, milking the cow,
tending the garden and raising chickens and later, working in copper mines in
Murdochville. He inherited his mother’s gentle nature and she encouraged him to
do well in school. Daryl saw the damage inflicted on the family by his father’s
alcoholism and promised his mother he would never drink. He stayed true to his
word. Grade 12 was unavailable in Gaspe and Daryl left to attend Dartmouth High
School in Nova Scotia. He became the first in his family to get a university
degree, completing his BSc at Mount Allison University. Daryl spoke often about
the influence of Dr. Hinrich Harries at Mt. A in encouraging a holistic view of
the environment and developing a passion for field work. Wilfred Carter
encouraged Daryl to do his Masters Degree at Laval University and he completed
his Masters research project studying eider ducks in the St. Lawrence estuary.
His Gaspe wilderness background came in handy when he spent a summer on an
isolated island. He had many stories of harrowing trips in a small boat going
to and from Brandy Pot Island, and eating gulls’ eggs when there were no other
supplies. Father Charlie Cheverie offered Daryl a position in the Biology
Department at St. Dunstan’s University which eventually turned into 40 plus
years of teaching in the U.P.E.I. Biology Department. Daryl and Father Charlie
would remain lifelong friends and enjoy fishing trips in the Morell River and
in Gaspe for many years. Daryl cherished his years at the university and spoke
often of how well he was treated, from cafeteria staff, custodians, and
maintenance workers to lab technicians, secretaries and fellow professors.
Daryl taught a variety of field courses and his students recall field trips to
parts of PEI most of them had never visited - canoe trips to wetlands,
snowshoeing, visits to old growth hardwoods and sand dune ecosystems. Some
remember when he told them to lie on the beach at the Conway Sand Hills, close
their eyes, and listen to the waves and the birds to fully experience and
appreciate the beauty of the natural world around them. Daryl took students to
the Atlantic Society of Fish and Wildlife Biologists annual meeting every year
and they have lasting memories of hikes in Fundy National Park and of climbing
Gros Morne Mountain. Other residents of Duffy Science Centre were less enthused
when he brought in muskrats for the class to skin and examine or when students
were asked to find an animal carcass and prepare the skull in his mammalogy
class. The smell of rotting flesh lingered in the building for many days. Daryl
sat on countless environmental committees both in PEI and across the country.
One that was especially important to him was the 1985 National Parks Centennial
Citizens Committee. He was able to visit national parks across Canada and in
working with people from various backgrounds, he finally gained the confidence
in his abilities and knowledge that had been lacking. He often pointed to that
Committee as being a turning point in his life. His involvement in
environmental issues in PEI included many hard-fought battles. Daryl may have
been quiet but could be formidable when he was passionate and determined about
something. He would often speak of his involvement in the development of the
Island Nature Trust, the protection of Greenwich, and the Morell River
Conservation Zone as perhaps his most proud achievements. He also took great
pride in the development of two technical manuals for watershed management on
PEI and two Atlantic salmon strategies which continue to provide guidance for
river restoration in PEI. The journey was always more important to Daryl than
the destination itself. No trip, long or short, could be done without frequent
stops at an apple stand, donut shop, or dairy bar. The drive from PEI to his
ancestral home in Gaspe took most people just over eight hours. For Daryl, it
often stretched to twelve, as he stopped for a picnic, a walk along a river or
beach and numerous naps. During the month of Daryl’s sudden illness, many
former students reached out to share memories and comment on how he had shaped
and influenced their lives. Many have said that they would not have chosen
their career without Daryl’s influence and inspiration. The word most often
used to describe Daryl was “gentle”. He had a quiet, positive approach and
tended to see the best in people. He believed that fostering relationships was
just as important as carrying out research, and enjoyed talking with landowners
in their kitchens as he carried out work across PEI. He often spoke of how good
it felt to be welcomed into homes and offered tea and biscuits when he would be
seeking permission to access properties. Daryl was known for his generosity. He
shared his knowledge of the environment willingly and with anyone who would
listen. Even after his retirement from UPEI in 2008, Daryl continued to work
with watershed groups in the province to improve habitat and populations of
fish and wildlife. His generosity knew no bounds, and he was constantly
delivering raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb and his famous raspberry jelly to
anyone who would take them. Even when he was admitted to hospital, he insisted
on having us bring in jelly for nurses and doctors involved in his care. Many
people have also received red oak tree saplings from Daryl. He could be seen
collecting acorns at his property in Canavoy, which he recently protected under
the Natural Areas Protection Act, as well as on the UPEI campus and city parks.
Not only would he give you saplings, he would often come to your property to
plant them. The best way to remember Daryl is to plant a red oak tree. Although
Daryl spent time in most of the rivers in PEI, the Morell River held a special
place in his heart. He knew the river intimately, and when he had trouble going
to sleep, would “launch” his canoe and paddle his way down the river until he
fell asleep. He took pride in his involvement in the salmon restoration program
for over 30 years and assisted in the collection of salmon up to this past
fall. Daryl was very proud of his children and their accomplishments. It was
fortunate that the children living out of province were able to visit and spend
time with their dad during the past month. In the last few years, Daryl could
be seen in a lawn chair watching Evelyn and Harrison play soccer or in the
bleachers at a basketball game. Daryl and Rosie worked as a team over the past
thirty years, sharing many days and nights in the field, and entertaining
others with their bickering and banter. Pillow talk in their household was
discussions around brook trout, salmon and smelts. Daryl received much
recognition and many awards for his decades of environmental involvement and
achievements and was particularly proud of his National Recreational Fisheries
Award received in 2012. The recognition was appreciated, but Daryl’s greatest
wish has always been for Islanders to continue the fight and work to protect
and restore our environment for future generations. Daryl is survived by his
wife Rosie, children Jeff (Wendy), Suzanne (Diana), Daryl (Lisa), Amanda
(John), Evelyn and Harrison; grandsons Justin (Tia), Zakary (Tatyjanna), and
Sam (Savannah), as well as great- granddaughters Atlas and Arya Guignion. Daryl
is survived by his brother Garth and sisters Sandra Adams (Arden) and Marlene
Guignion, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Donations in Daryl’s
memory can be made to the Island Nature Trust or the Daryl Guignion and Ian
MacQuarrie Graduate Scholarship in Science at UPEI. Arrangements entrusted to
MacLean Funeral Home Swan Chapel. Online condolences may be made at www.macleanfh.com
February 10, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
(The
United States and the Soviet Union) "...tend to speak of national security
as though it were still capable of being dissociated from the universal
well-being; in fact, sometimes in these political addresses it sounds as though
this nation, or any nation, through force of character or force of arms, could
damn well rise above planetary considerations, as though we were greater than
our environment, as though the national verve somehow transcended the natural
world."
--
E.B. White (1899-1985), American essayist
...an amazing quote from decades ago, from the author of many essays, and Charlotte's Web
Events:
Eat Local PEI
local markets order today for delivery/pickup later this week/weekend.
Details here:
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
--------------------------
Standing
Committee meetings today:
Health and Social
Development, 9AM, online
Topics:
1. Treatments options for Cystic Fibrosis
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing on treatment options for Cystic Fibrosis from
Advocacy Director for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Hunter Guindon.
2. Technology for Type 1 Diabetes
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing from Brooks Roche on the technologies available to
manage Type 1 Diabetes.
Health and Social
Development, 1:30PM, online
Topics:
1. Supervised
consumption sites
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing on supervised consumption sites and harm
reduction.
Chief
Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison
Senior
Public Health Policy and Planning Officer, Erin Bentley
2. Mobile mental
health crisis units
Chief
Administrative Officer of Health PEI - Mental Health and Addictions, Lisa
Thibeau
Manager
of Community Mental Health and Addictions (West), Lorna Hutt
Director
of Mental Health and Addictions Research, Dr. Amanda Hudson
This last topic was
rescheduled from a week ago.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
--------------------------
Tonight:
Outside
the Rails -- Modernizing Electricity on PEI, with Steve Howard, 7PM, webinar
Modernizing
Electricity Background reading blog by Steve Howard:
https://peigreencaucus.ca/2021/01/modernizing-electricity-on-pei/
(even though the date
listed on this article has passed, I think they still want feedback)
I can't find a link to
register for tonight's webinar, which should be all over the place -- we can
share it on the Citizens' Alliance Facebook group page, which
you can go to and join.
----------------------------------
Also tonight:
Webinar: Why We
Organize, by the David Suzuki Foundation, 8PM, online
from the event
description:
Future Ground Network is a new David Suzuki Foundation
initiative designed to support your grassroots groups and initiatives by
providing training, resources and connections to help you strengthen your
impact. Whether it’s creating urban agriculture projects, campaigning for
climate justice or advancing sustainable transportation, Future Ground Network
allows groups to collaborate to bring about the social and ecological
transitions we and the planet so badly need. Learn more: https://futuregroundnetwork.org/
Do you want to help transform your neighbourhood or
municipality? Are you already part of a community group and want to register
your group to take advantage of the network? On February 10 at 4 p.m. PT / 7
p.m. ET, for the length of a Netflix show or two, you can join us for our
Future Ground Network launch webinar!
The webinar will feature guests from the Future Ground Network
community, along with David Suzuki, to talk about what it takes to inspire
collective action. Join us to learn more about what the network has to offer
and help us answer the question: Why do we organize?
Facebook event link for
more details
Registration Link: https://actionnetwork.org/events/why-we-organize-future-ground-network-launch-webinar?
Charlottetown News:
New hope for
Simmons Arena as 3rd ice service at UPEI deemed not feasible
CBC article -- link only: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-no-third-ice-surface-upei-1.5907010?
---------------------------------
Op-Ed: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/peter-mckenna-whats-wrong-with-allowing-16-year-olds-to-vote-550156/
PETER McKENNA: What’s
wrong with allowing 16-year-olds to vote? - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Peter McKenna
Published on
Tuesday, February 9th, 2021
When my UPEI
political science class on parties and elections tackled the thorny question of
whether 16- and 17-year-olds should be able to vote in elections, there was no
shortage of opinions. I started off by asking two pertinent questions: What
problem is lowering the voting age trying to fix and, secondly, what harm would
it do?
There were, of
course, many other queries and plenty of thoughtful comments and lively
discussion. Alas, there was no real consensus for or against changing the
voting age. In fact, the students had more questions than answers.
I essentially
identified the problem at hand as a disturbingly low voter turnout rate in
Canada. And that participation rate has been declining sharply since 1988 (when
it stood at 75 per cent). It barely broke 61 per cent in the 2011 federal
election (and the provincial numbers for voter turnout are shockingly worse,
with the exception of P.E.I.).
There are a handful
of arguments against allowing 16-year-olds to vote for legal, educational and
political reasons. One of the central objections is that 16-year-olds lack the
requisite civic or political maturity to vote — that is, they don’t have
sufficient knowledge of Canadian politics, policy issues and party platforms
and leaders.
Not surprisingly,
there are an equal number of arguments in favour of lowering the voting age.
Many of them revolve around boosting voter turnout, ensuring that politicians
pay attention to the issues (like the climate emergency) of younger Canadians
and instilling in youth a habit of early voting to sustain our democracy over
the long term.
It is worth pointing
out here that political parties in Canada, at both the federal and provincial
level, have their own electoral agendas when it comes to lowering the voting
age. Indeed, parties on the political left tend to embrace the idea because
they surmise that younger voters will naturally gravitate toward their
progressive policy platforms. Those on the right, however, tend to oppose the
change so as to block the left-leaning parties from benefitting from such a
measure.
Call me a cynical
political scientist, but I’m just not convinced that those advocating for or
against lowering the age of voting are doing so in the absence of electoral
motives.
Now, does the general
public itself support lowering the voting age? According to a 2016 Angus Reid
poll, the answer is a resounding no (not even among younger voters). In fact,
75 per cent of respondents overall were strongly opposed to lowering the voting
age to 16.
But what was really
interesting was that 66 per cent of those in the 18-34 age range also objected
to such a move. It was less surprising that those 55 and older rejected the
idea by a whopping 82 per cent.
The fact of the
matter is that we really don’t have a lot of solid data to bolster either
side’s arguments. There has been some statistical evidence from Germany, which
does allow voting at 16, showing that turnout numbers have increased by 5 to 8
per cent. But then there is a drop-off in turnout in subsequent elections for
those in the 21-30 age range.
Obviously, the dismal
32 per cent turnout for those aged 16 and 17 in P.E.I.’s fall 2016 electoral
reform plebiscite is not encouraging. There is just no way to sugar-coat that
awful participation rate. And that figure is even more problematic when you
recall that Elections P.E.I. undertook a youth mobilization campaign, made it
easier to vote online and by phone and allowed for a week-long advance poll.
I’ll be honest with
you, I’m not exactly sure where I stand on lowering the voting age. When I
listen to young people speak on matters of a political nature, I’m often
impressed with their knowledge and level of understanding. But then I think
about the fact that so many voters in the 18-25-year-old range have completely
tuned out of politics altogether and just can’t be bothered.
Yet, if there was
data from those countries permitting voting at 16 confirming a trend toward
higher voter turnout and youth engagement in politics in general, then I would
certainly lean toward supporting the idea. But given the historically low
turnout rates by that 18-25 age cohort in Canada, I’d like to see the data
first.
Along with the
statistical voting info, I would also make two other suggestions. First, any
move to implement voting at 16 should be accompanied by a mandatory civics
education course (with a passing grade) at the high school level. Secondly, it
wouldn’t hurt to first test the waters of youth voting at the municipal level
to gauge the interest and turnout of 16- and 17-year-olds.
I realize that these
recommendations are not a perfect solution. But at least we would have some
hard data to work with going forward.
Peter McKenna is
professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.
-30-
Energy News (LINK only) from The (U.K.) Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/10/why-oil-giants-are-swapping-oil-rigs-for-offshore-windfarms?
Why
oil giants are swapping oil rigs for offshore windfarms
The fossil fuel
giants need to find new ways to reduce emissions, generate growth and maintain
their share price
finally, but still
some issues regarding renewables....
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming: two legendary performances available,
honouring Black History Month. More details:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s Ernani, until 6:30PM
Starring Leona Mitchell, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, and Ruggero
Raimondi. Production by Pier Luigi Samaritani. From December 17, 1983.
Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 7:30PM until Thursday about 6:30PM
Starring Kathleen Battle, Rockwell Blake, Leo Nucci, Enzo Dara, and Ferruccio
Furlanetto, conducted by Ralf Weikert. Production by John Cox. From December 3, 1988.
A fun classic performance.
February 9, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"Earth
and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are
excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from
books."
--- Sir John Lubbock (1834-1913) ,Vice chancellor, University of London
-----------------------------------
Today:
Charlottetown Farmers' Market 2GO order
deadline noon today for
Thursday pickup:
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
Standing
Committees Today:
Public Accounts, 9:30AM
Topic: Briefing on Procurement
of Goods Act
The committee will
receive a briefing on the Procurement
of Goods Act and its regulations by Lori Richard, Acting Manager of
Procurement Services, Department of Finance; and Kal Whitnell, Executive
Director of Economic and Population Growth, Department of Economic Growth,
Tourism and Culture.
Education and Economic Growth, 1:30PM
Topic: Briefing on PEI's economic recovery
The committee will
meet for a briefing on plans for PEI's economic recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic, particularly for women.
Minister
of Economic Growth,Tourism and Culture, Hon. Matthew MacKay
Deputy
Minister of Economic Growth,Tourism and Culture, Erin McGrath-Gaudet
Please
note: A meeting with Hon. Minister Jameson and the Director of the
Interministerial Women's Secretatiat will be rescheduled for a later
date.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
On Modernizing
legislation on Electricity on P.E.I:
a reminder from Tony
Reddin, who among many things also serves at the Energy Coordinator for
ECO-PEI:
Here is an "invitation for feedback on this initiative for important legislation...comments can still be sent to officialopposition@assembly.pe.ca
See also Wednesday, February 10th presentation and feedback notice at https://www.greenparty.pe.ca/event_calendar
https://peigreencaucus.ca/2021/01/modernizing-electricity-on-pei/
Action to Consider--
Federal Aquaculture Act
from the David Suzuki Foundation
Share your thoughts in the federal consultation to shape
Canada’s first-ever Aquaculture Act!
Canada is creating
its first-ever federal Aquaculture Act. We’re concerned that this legislation
could undermine existing environmental protections for the sake of economic
growth.
Now is our chance
to ask Canada to put nature first in the Aquaculture Act.
Don’t let the
industry off the hook! Demand that the new Aquaculture Act will not exempt industry
from environmental protection standards and will provide a clear framework for
enforcement.
You can help
ensure that the aquaculture industry remains bound by strong environmental
protection standards. Many regulations that help protect aquatic environments
from the harmful impacts of aquaculture already exist. The new act must not
water them down.
We don’t need a
new law that exempts the aquaculture industry from these regulations, but we do
need one that builds on existing standards and focuses on protecting the
environment.
Speak up now for
Canada’s aquatic environments. Tell Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Minister
Bernadette Jordan and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to put nature first in the
Aquaculture Act.
Read
the very well-put-together letter here and consider signing: https://davidsuzuki.org/action/put-nature-first-in-the-aquaculture-act/
Interesting to read analysis of land protection in our neighbouring province: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/regional-perspectives/jim-vibert-finally-nova-scotia-hits-land-protection-landmark-barely-549485/
JIM VIBERT: Finally, Nova Scotia hits land
protection landmark, barely - The Guardian article by
Jim Vibert
Published around
Saturday, February 6th, 2021, in Saltwire publications
(before Iain Rankin's
win as Nova Scotia Liberal leader and next Premier)
It’s a classic case of better late than never.
This week the
provincial government announced 20 sites for designation as parks or protected
natural areas, bringing the province – barely – to its long-held goal of
protecting 13 per cent of the province’s land for nature, and for people to
connect with and enjoy nature, respectfully.
It’s late
because Stephen McNeil promised that the goal would be achieved during his
first term in office, which ended some 45 months ago.
The announcement,
coming in the dying days of McNeil’s Liberal government, gives his successor a
little breathing room, at least on this file.
Liberals pick a
new leader today, and he will be installed as Nova Scotia’s 29th premier
sometime in the next week or two.
Each of the
three leadership contenders – Labi Kousoulis, Iain Rankin and Randy Delorey –
pledged to hit the 13-per cent target post haste, so the winner can strike that
promise from the daunting to-do list that already awaits him.
Rankin went a
step further, promising to protect all of the remaining sites – more than 100
still remain unprotected – on the eight-year old Parks and Protected Areas plan
that McNeil’s government inherited.
While this
week’s announcement bought the next premier a little time, the reprieve will be
short-lived. As the McNeil Liberals dithered, balked and winced all the way to
the modest – if not timid – 13 per cent, the world passed us by.
In 2010, the UN
adopted a new goal to protect 17 per cent of the world’s land. Canada signed on
to that goal and Bill Lahey included it in his seminal 2018 study and report
recommending the province move to ecologically sound forestry practices. The
province accepted Lahey’s report and is implementing it at a lazy snail’s pace.
More recently,
the 30-by-30 movement has taken hold and much of the world – including Canada
and, since the election of President Joe Biden, the United States – has pledged
to protect 30 per cent of its land by 2030.
That’s an
ambitious – even audacious – goal, but scientists say 30 per cent is both
essential and minimal to combat the Earth’s twin environmental crises – global
warming and mass extinction.
Post-pandemic,
when the world turns its attention back to, well, saving the world, the 30 per
cent target is likely to become the standard and Nova Scotia’s 13 per cent will
be seen for what it is – wholly inadequate.
Many Nova
Scotians won’t be happy with a government that’s making them laggards in the
global effort to make peace with nature. There will be political pressure to
protect more of Nova Scotia, and their will be opponents to the protection of
one more hectare of “usable” land.
Word seeping out
of the provincial government is that there are voices in McNeil’s cabinet
opposed to protecting any new land and who consider every acre placed under
protection another acre lost to economic exploitation. That’s the same mindset
that brought the world to the brink of environmental ruin, climate catastrophe
and the mass extinction of thousands of plant and animal species – where we are
today.
The provincial
Lands and Forestry Department confirmed this week that when – and if – the 20
new sites are protected the province will have about 720,000 hectares of land
under protection. This includes wilderness areas, provincial parks, nature
reserves, private conservation lands (land protected by organizations like the
Nova Scotia Nature Trust and Nature Conservancy of Canada), and federal lands
such as National Parks and National Wildlife Areas.
Even with of all
that, the province barely breaks the 13 per cent barrier.
Nova Scotia’s
landmass is roughly 5.5 million hectares so, when the proposed sites are added,
the province will have protected 13.09 per cent of its land. It will have
cleared the 13 per cent bar by a mere five hectares. By comparison, New York’s
Central Park is about 340 hectares and Truro’s Victoria Park is over 1,200
hectares.
Nova Scotia
attainment of the 13 per cent goal is still only notionally, because a dozen of
the named sites will undergo a period of public comment before they are
officially designated, but that’s considered largely a pro forma exercise.
All the sites in
the Parks and Protected Areas plan – including the 20 announced this week – got
there after extensive consultation, so the places in question have already
cleared that hurdle once.
Plus, most folks
living near those sites will likely be surprised to learn that they aren’t
already protected, just as folks on the Eastern Shore were shocked to learn
that Owl’s Head provincial park wasn’t a park at all, but prime real estate for
a golf resort.
The Liberal
government surreptitiously removed Owl’s Head from the Parks and Protected
Areas list a couple of years back to clear the way for a golf development,
unleashing a firestorm of protest that still rages on.
The next
premier, like the departing premier, will have to find his own “balance”
between often competing interests to preserve the land or to exploit the land.
For generations,
politicians have been claiming to balance environmental and economic
considerations and for generations economic considerations carried more weight
and, almost invariably, the day.
That’s changing
in more enlightened jurisdictions, where the existential threat from continued
environmental degradation has sunk in, and where they’ve discovered that there
are new economic opportunities to be found in protecting the planet.
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Wagner’s Das
Rheingold, until 6:30PM Tuesday
Starring Wendy Bryn Harmer, Stephanie Blythe, Patricia Bardon, Richard Croft,
Gerhard Siegel, Dwayne Croft, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens, Franz-Josef Selig, and
Hans-Peter König, conducted by James Levine. Production by Robert Lepage. From October 9, 2010.
Verdi’s Ernani,
7:30PM until 6:30PM Wednesday
From December 17,
1983. "Pier Luigi Samaritani’s romantic production beautifully
captures the sweep and passion of Verdi’s music. ...The great Luciano Pavarotti
is at his stunning best in the title role as the wronged nobleman turned
bandit. A beautiful and heartbreaking Leona Mitchell is Elvira, the woman he
loves. But she is also pursued by two other men: King Don Carlo (Sherrill
Milnes in one of his greatest roles) and her aged guardian, Don Ruy Gomez de
Silva (a superb Ruggero Raimondi)." This is the one where the sound of the
hunting horn messes up the couple's happiness.
February 8, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"No
matter how dark the cloud, there is always a thin, silver lining, and that is
what we must look for. The silver lining will be come, if not to us then
to next generation or the generation after that. And maybe with that
generation the lining will no longer be thin."
--Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), Kenyan environmental
political activist, Nobel Laureate
Events:
Local food ordering this week:
Charlottetown
Farmers' Market 2Go, order by TUESDAY NOON, for Thursday
pick-up/delivery,
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
EatLocalPEI --
Order by Wednesday
night
for pickup/delivery
Saturday/Sunday
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
--------------------
"Outside the
Rails" Series, from the Official Opposition, continues, via Zoom, with three
MLAs sharing what they are working on for this next sitting of the Legislature,
with discussion:
Wednesday, February 10th:
Green MLA and Energy Critic Steve Howard, 7PM,
has two
pieces of draft legislation he is working on to modernize electricity on PEI and pave
the way for a renewable future, and invites your input.
Thursday, February
11th:
Green MLA and Health Critic Trish Altass,
7PM, presents
two bills she's working on to create an accountability
framework between the Minister of Health and the Health PEI board
and Clarifying the
grounds for the disclosure of health information.
Wednesday, February
17th:
Green MLA and Net Zero Critic Ole Hammarlund,
7PM. The green architect by profession
- will present the
promise and potential of net-zero buildings, which means buildings
that produce the same amount of energy as they use.
LINK to register for any of the "Outside
the Rail" events:
https://www.greenparty.pe.ca/event_calendar
----------------------------
Friday, February 12th:
Deadline
for public input on
Temporary Foreign
Worker Proposed Legislation
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/service/proposed-temporary-foreign-worker-protection-act
An aside:
Let's put in protections
for these workers; we need to look at why there are these labour
shortages and could wages, length of shifts and working conditions be improved.
-------------------------
Standing Committees
this week:
Tuesday, February
9th:
Public Accounts, 9:30AM
Topic: Briefing on Procurement of Goods Act
The committee will
receive a briefing on the Procurement
of Goods Act and its regulations by Lori Richard, Acting Manager of
Procurement Services, Department of Finance; and Kal Whitnell, Executive
Director of Economic and Population Growth, Department of Economic Growth,
Tourism and Culture.
Education and Economic Growth, 1:30PM
Topic: Briefing on PEI's economic
recovery
The committee will
meet for a briefing on plans for PEI's economic recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic, particularly for women.
Minister
of Economic Growth,Tourism and Culture, Hon. Matthew MacKay
Deputy
Minister of Economic Growth,Tourism and Culture, Erin McGrath-Gaudet
Minister
of (Education and Early Learning) and Responsible for the Status of Women,
Hon. Natalie Jameson
Deputy
Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Change, Brad Colwill**
Director
of the Interministerial Women's Secretariat, Michelle Harris-Genge
Wednesday, February
10th:
Health and Social Development, 9AM
Topic 1. Treatments options for
Cystic Fibrosis
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing on treatment options for Cystic Fibrosis from
Advocacy Director for Cystic Fibrosis Canada, Hunter Guindon.
Topic 2. Technology for Type 1
Diabetes
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing from Brooks Roche on the technologies
available to manage Type 1 Diabetes.
Heath and Social Development, 1:30PM
Topic: Supervised consumption sites
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing on supervised consumption sites and harm
reduction.
Hon.
Minister of Health and Wellness, James Aylward**
Chief
Public Health Officer, Dr. Heather Morrison
Senior
Public Health Policy and Planning Officer, Erin Bentley
**Minister/Deputy Minister at the
time the meeting was posted, so subject to change**
--------
Watch online:
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
Atlantic Skies for
February 8th - 14th, 2021 - by Glenn K. Roberts
The Dogs of Winter
As anyone
interested in observing the night sky knows, Sirius is the brightest star in
the night sky. Located in the constellation of Canis Major - the Big Dog,
situated to the lower left of the constellation of Orion - the Hunter, Sirius
is often referred to as "the Dog Star". Canis Major, along with Canis
Minor - the Little Dog, are Orion's four-legged hunting companions. From the
ancient Greek seirios, meaning "glowing" or "scorching",
Sirius was considered a bad omen by the ancient Romans, who were said to
sacrifice dogs to protect their crops from disease, which they associated with
the presence of the star in the night sky. The ancient Greeks believed Sirius
affected the behaviors of dogs during the hottest part of the summer, what they
called the "dog days"; from which we inherited the phrase "the
dog days of summer" to denote abnormally warm weather during the summer
months.
Sirius is actually
a binary star system, consisting of a hot, white primary star (Sirius A), and a
tiny "pup", white dwarf star (Sirius B). Interestingly, the Sirius
binary system is thought to have originally consisted of two large, bright,
bluish stars, with one of them eventually evolving into a red giant, shedding
its stellar atmosphere, and collapsing into a white dwarf (Sirius B). Sirius A
is twice as massive as our Sun, and 25x brighter. At mag. -1.46, Sirius is
located 8.6 light years (lys) from Earth, making it one of our nearest stellar
neighbours; actually the fifth closest star to Earth. For the next 60,000
years, Sirius will slowly move closer to our planet, gradually brightening as
it does; it will then begin to move away from Earth, but will remain our
brightest star in the night sky for approximately the next 210,000 years.
Although it was
important to numerous ancient cultures, Sirius was particularly important to
the ancient Egyptians. Due to its heliacal rising (when a star, after being
behind the Sun, and thus unobservable, for a season, appears above the eastern
horizon just before sunrise), Sirius marked the pending annual flooding of the
Nile River.Its appearance afforded the Egyptian farmers time to move their
livestock and temporary buildings from the river's delta area.
The other "dog
star" in the night sky is Procyon, the brightest star in the constellation
of Canis Minor - the Little Dog, to the upper left of Orion. At mag. +0.34,
Procyon is the eighth brightest star in the night sky, situated a mere
11.46 lys from Earth. It, too, is a binary star system, consisting of a hot,
white, primary (Procyon A) and a small companion, white dwarf star (Procyon B).
The name Procyon comes from the ancient Greek Prokyoh, meaning "before the
dog", in reference to the fact that Procyon precedes Sirius ("the Dog
Star") across the night sky, due to Earth's rotation. Orion, Canis Major
(with Sirius) and Canis Minor (with Procyon) are all prominent in the
mid-evening, winter night sky, about 1/3 the way up the sky above the southern
horizon. On a clear, crisp winter's evening, away from city lights, these three
constellations and their bright stars (especially Sirius) are breath-taking. If
you have your binoculars with you, or are using a telescope, have a look at the
magnificent Orion Nebula hanging below the middle star of Orion's belt. As
well, have a look at Betelgeuse (a large, red, variable star, mag. +0.6- +1.6)
in Orion's upper left- hand corner, and Rigel (a variable, blue
supergiant, mag. +0.05 - +0.18) in the lower right-hand corner.
Mars (mag. +0.6, in
Aries - the Ram) remains the only planet visible again his coming week. The
other bright planets - Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn - are too close to
the Sun to be readily observable; Mercury achieves inferior solar conjunction
(passing between Earth and the Sun) on Feb. 8. Visible around 6:10 p.m., 61
degrees above the southern horizon as the dusk sky darkens, Mars remains
observable until it sets in the southwest around 1:20 a.m. Next week, we'll
look at NASA's Mars 2020 landing on the Red Planet on the 18th.
Until next week,
clear skies.
Events:
Feb. 8
- Mercury at inferior solar conjunction
11 - New Moon
-30-
The Guardian (U.K.)
has a feature interview with Canadian actress Catherine O'Hara in their paper
today:
Schitt’s Creek, the story of a family
holed up together against their will, is one of the biggest television hits of
the pandemic. The show’s star, Catherine O’Hara, tells Hadley Freeman about her
long working relationship with co-star Eugene Levy, starring In Home Alone and
why she loves playing Moira Rose.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/feb/08/catherine-ohara-on-the-joy-of-schitts-creek-eugene-levy-is-the-sweetest-man?
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Puccini’s Tosca, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by
James Conlon. Directed by Tito Gobbi. From December 19, 1978.
Wagner’s Das
Rheingold, 7:30PM Monday until 6:30PM Tuesday
Starring Wendy Bryn Harmer, Stephanie Blythe, Patricia Bardon, Richard Croft,
Gerhard Siegel, Dwayne Croft, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens, Franz-Josef Selig, and
Hans-Peter König. Production by Robert Lepage. From October 9, 2010.
February 7, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
"I'd put
my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I
hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle
that."
--Thomas
Edison, in 1931
----------------------------------
Event:
Today, and sorry for the
late notice:
Lecture Topic: Indigenous Fishery: Rights,
Resilience, and Revival, The Father Daniel O'Hanley Memorial Lecture, 2PM,
via Zoom. Presented by LAMP (Latin American Mission Program)
The Latin American Mission Program (LAMP) is presenting the 29th annual
Daniel O’Hanley Memorial Lecture on Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Due
to COVID 19 restrictions, the lecture will be on-line. The link to register for
the webinar is: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/136220961563
The topic of the lecture is Indigenous
Fishery: Rights, Resilience, and Revival. It is a timely
subject, given the recent fishery conflicts which have arisen which reveal a
lack of understanding of the rights of indigenous people, the treaties and the
definitive and irrefutable court decisions over the years. The joint lecturers
are Dr. Andrea Reid, a citizen of the Nisga’a nation (British Columbia), and
her spouse, John-Francis Lane. They live in British Columbia. Both were brought
up in West Prince, PEI with close ties to the Lennox Island First Nation.
Andrea Reid is Assistant Professor with the University of British Columbia’s
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries She leads the Indigenous Fisheries
Research Unit. John-Francis Lane is a conservationist with a B.Sc. in Natural
Resource Conservation from the University of British Columbia. He is currently pursuing
a Master of Science in conservation science.
John-Francis will
begin the lecture by situating the audience on traditional, ancestral and
unceded Indigenous territories. He will speak about the need for education for
productive dialogue, indicating that many people lack the tools/language to
have fruitful conversations. He will present the context of Maritime Mi’kmaq
rights, legal rights and early settlement. Andrea will speak about Indigenous
knowledge systems, active and sustainable management. She will present the
history of Indigenous fisheries showing how the Fisheries Act made way for the
dispossession and criminalization of Indigenous fishers. She uses a case study
of Pacific salmon in BC, which brings out some of the larger truths. She will lay
out the critical Supreme Court of Canada decisions that shape Indigenous
fisheries realities today. She will speak about current conflicts like
Sipekne’katik (Nova Scotia) arising from failing to reconcile ways of knowing
and being. She will suggest some essential resources/readings/tools to guide
the audience beyond this talk.
As is the custom in
the Daniel O’Hanley Memorial Lecture, a local person knowledgeable on the topic
will give a short response to the guest presenters’ presentation. to connect the
lecture to local realities. The responder for this event is Judy Clark, a
respected Mi’kmaq Elder, a member of Abegweit Mi’kmaw Nation and Elder in
Residence of the UPEI Mawi’omi Indigenous Student Centre. Each year since
Daniel O’Hanley’s death on July 3, 1991, LAMP honours him and all Islanders by
presenting the Daniel O’Hanley Memorial Lecture.
Registration link:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/136220961563
Once again,
apologies for bobbling Steven Myers' name once more, as the new Minister of
Environment, Energy and Climate Action has "v" and not "ph"
in his first name.
It's Iain with two "i's" for the next Premier of Nova Scotia, and he
is looking at Climate Action as a huge priority. The former Environment
Minister won the leadership of the Liberal Party via a ranked ballot.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-liberal-leader-premier-1.5904333
Iain Rankin will be next premier of Nova Scotia - CBC post by
Michael Gorman
Posted on CBC Nova Scotia on Saturday, February 6th, 2021
Iain Rankin will
be the next premier of Nova Scotia.
Rankin was elected
following a vote by Nova Scotia Liberal Party delegates, with the results
announced Saturday night during a virtual convention.
He defeated fellow
former cabinet ministers Randy Delorey and Labi Kousoulis. Delorey was
dropped following the first ballot after earning the fewest points.
About 97 per cent
of the 8,100 delegates cast a ranked ballot.
"It's a
monumental task and I'm up for it," Rankin told reporters.
He instantly
becomes leader of the Nova Scotia Liberal Party and is now premier-designate.
Stephen McNeil remains premier of the province until Rankin and his cabinet are
sworn in, likely in a few weeks, although Rankin could not say for sure when he
expected an event to take place.
Plans
for a greener economy
At 37, Rankin was
the youngest of the three candidates and he positioned himself as a
candidate for generational change.
Much of his policy
was framed around the environment, with Rankin pledging to form an
economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic rooted in green policies. He
believes that resonated with voters.
"Obviously,
younger people want to see action on a number of files that I spoke to, but the
Liberal Party has always been a pragmatic party and one that really valued
social progress," he said.
Rankin said that
won't come at the expense of good fiscal management; now, he said, it
will be done through a green lens.
Rankin has pledged
to get the province off coal and increase the use of renewable energy sooner
than commitments established by McNeil's government, and make Nova Scotia the
first province in the country to be net carbon neutral.
He has also
promised to implement the recommendations of the Lahey Report on forestry
practices, which would see a drastic reduction in clear-cutting.
A
premier for everyone
He dismissed
suggestions that he was particularly different than McNeil, whom he
said "has shown more political courage than any premier in our
history."
Instead,
Rankin said his plans are simply an evolution of things McNeil started and
reflect things people want now, including confronting systemic racism.
"[People] want
to see action on climate change. They want to see us continuing down the path
of righting historic wrongs," Rankin said. "[McNeil]
believes in those things, too, and I'm just proposing that we start taking
those steps forward together and the party, I think, by and large, wants to see
action in those areas."
During his
acceptance speech, Rankin acknowledged it was Liberal delegates who put him in
the position to become the next premier and he pledged to be a voice for
everyone.
"Whether
you're a union member or a business owner, whether you live in downtown Halifax
or in a rural community, whether you work in an office or on the land or on the
sea, or you are a student or are retired, I'll be calling on your skills, your
experience and your expertise to guide our decisions," he said.
Next
steps
Rankin inherits a
province with a low COVID-19 case rate but a massive deficit as a result
of the pandemic.
With mass
vaccinations not expected before the fall and the province's vital tourism
sector already bracing for another down year, Rankin has acknowledged that
efforts to tackle the deficit must take a backseat to keeping as many small
businesses above water as possible.
He said his
top priority would be meeting with Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr.
Robert Strang to discuss the province's pandemic response. Rankin pledged to
follow McNeil's example of allowing the advice of Public Health, not politics,
to take precedence in making decisions.
He also plans to
speak with Kousoulis and Delorey on Sunday to discuss what role each
will take in his cabinet, as well as opposition leaders to see what areas of
common ground there are ahead of the spring sitting of the legislature.
Between then and
now, a budget and throne speech also have to be finalized.
McNeil
says goodbye
Rankin declined to
discuss his transition plans, but said more news on that would be coming soon.
Bringing Kousoulis
onside will be particularly important as the party works to achieve a unified
front ahead of the next provincial election. On the second ballot, Rankin received
52.4 per cent of the points to Kousoulis's 47.6 per cent.
Saturday's event
also included a tribute video to McNeil's time as leader of the party and
premier. He announced last summer that he would be stepping down and not
re-offering in the next election.
During his own
address to the convention, McNeil talked about the importance of party members
coming together quickly following the result and said the next 48 hours would
be crucial.
"We've never
been in a better position to grow, to take off, to launch," McNeil said.
-30-
It is SuperBowl Sunday,
after all...https://www.ecowatch.com/coral-reef-restoration-nfl-florida-2650290890.html?
"NFL Green" Tackles Coral
Restoration Project in Florida Ahead of Super Bowl LV - ECOWatch article by Tiffany Duong
Published on
Thursday, February 4th, 2021
When we think of the Super Bowl — America's most popular
sporting event, according to Arcadia Publishing — ocean conservation and military veterans usually
aren't top of mind. But, for the last two years, a unique collaboration ahead
of the annual game has placed coral restoration at the forefront of the world's
attention.
For almost 30
years, NFL Green, the NFL's environmental and sustainability program, has
managed community greening initiatives for the sports league. Each season,
these culminate with "Green Week" before the big event, with projects
undertaken by the NFL and Super Bowl Host Committee benefitting each host
community, explained NFL Green Associate Director Susan Groh.
"The goal of
NFL Green is to reduce the environmental impact of our events and to go well
beyond that to leave a positive green legacy," Groh told EcoWatch. Efforts
include recovering food, recycling and waste management, donating used event
and building materials and offsetting energy for events.
This green legacy
has also included a touch of blue in the last two years, meaning conservation
efforts focused on the waters of host cities Miami in 2020 and now Tampa in
2021. Miami Green Week activities for Super Bowl LIV entailed planting 100 endangered staghorn corals in Biscayne
Bay in honor of the NFL's 100th season, Groh said.
In the past year,
the effort expanded to "100 Yards of Hope," a football field-sized
coral restoration project. The end zones and center of the field-sized reef
were placed in fall 2020, followed by divers planting thousands of staghorn and
mountainous star corals from The Florida Aquarium (FLAQ), the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and
Atmospheric Science (RSMAS), SECORE International and Frost Science, explained FLAQ
Senior Vice President of Conservation Debborah Luke.
"This
critically important project is helping to restore Florida's Coral Reef, the
third-largest barrier reef in the world, which is in crisis," Luke told
EcoWatch.
Florida's Coral Reef provides key
nursery areas that support the oceanic ecosystem and protect coastlines from
storms and erosion, Luke said. It also provides significant economic benefits
by pumping $3.4 billion annually into the U.S. economy through jobs, tourism,
seafood and medicine, NFL's Groh added.
Unfortunately,
global factors such as the climate crisis, ocean warming and acidification remain threats, along with regional pollutants and a mysterious coral disease.
"Over 90
percent of [the reef's] corals have died... restoration of Florida's Coral Reef
is imperative if we are to continue reaping [its] benefits," Luke said.
100 Yards of Hope
intends to reverse this trajectory on a single showcase reef, explained Dalton
Hesley, a senior research associate at RSMAS, whose team spearheaded
restoration efforts. This is the first large-scale restoration project to
combine thousands of sexual and asexual multi-species coral transplants, along
with disease tracking and mitigation, urchin relocation and high-resolution
mapping. These actions all increase coral cover, diversity and recovery, Hesley
noted.

55 divers remove marine debris from Tampa Bay as part of the
NFL's Green Week. photo by Force Blue
"100 Yards of Hope is a symbol. It is a symbol of what passionate, hopeful
individuals can accomplish when working towards a shared vision," Hesley
told EcoWatch. "What started as a celebration of the NFL's 100th season
has transformed into a fight for the future of our coral reef."
Last week, 150
elkhorn corals, another threatened coral species, were added to the field.
RSMAS provided 55 of the endangered corals, in celebration of Super Bowl 55,
this past weekend. FLAQ provided the remaining corals. A final planting of
massive brain and star corals in the spring will complete 100 Yards of Hope,
Groh said.
Military combat
veterans from Force Blue assisted with the plantings. The
nonprofit retrains and deploys former special operations veterans and
military-trained combat divers to work alongside scientists and
environmentalists on marine conservation work, explained Executive Director Jim
Ritterhoff.
"If we can
do something good for veterans by giving them a new mission to save the planet
and provide a highly skilled workforce to the scientific community, all the
better," Ritterhoff said. "But, maybe the [touchdown] of it all is
how this effort uses Navy SEALS and the NFL, people you don't traditionally see
talking about conservation, to reach an audience who wouldn't necessarily pay
attention to coral reef scientists. People listen because these guys are their
heroes."
Noting that this
is more of a world project than a local Florida project, Ritterhoff added,
"I think it's imperative that everyone be cognizant of these issues. The
Florida Coral Reef is a national treasure, and it could be 100 percent gone in
our lifetime. If we don't behave differently, it will be gone."
In addition to
the coral restoration efforts, NFL Green completed traditional community
greening projects. These involved creating pollinator gardens, planting
mangroves, restoring shoreline and adding sand dunes to prevent erosion and
storm damage.
NFL Green also
connected land and sea with an underwater cleanup called Dive 55 at the mouth
of Tampa Bay. For this, Force Blue team leaders led 55 divers to retrieve more
than 1.5 tons of waste, not limited to old fishing traps, rope, netting,
plastics and beach debris, Groh said. Some of the recovered items will be used
by local students to create art projects that will be displayed at FLAQ to
increase marine debris awareness.
"It's all
about leadership and legacy," Groh said. "Large events have an
opportunity to not only offset the environmental impact of their events but to
go well beyond that and leave the communities hosting events better than they
found them. The world faces significant environmental challenges and it's going
to take all of us to address them."
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Tatiana Troyanos, and James
King. Production by Bodo Igesz. From March 12, 1988.
Puccini’s Tosca,
tonight 7:30PM until Monday 6:30PM
Starring Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by
James Conlon. Directed by Tito Gobbi. From December 19, 1978.
Stellar, stellar, stellar. Like a SuperBowl of Opera.
February 6, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Fun:
Today, Saturday, February
6th:
Winter Woodlot Tour,
9AM-1PM,
near Rustico (215 Buffalo Road, accessed via Church Road/Rte. 243)
Though things may be a bit soggy, it's organized to be a good experience.
https://infopeiwinterwoodl.wixsite.com/winterwoodlottour
-------------
Food:
Farmers' Markets open in Charlottetown
(9AM-2PM) and Summerside (9AM-1PM)
Heart Beet Organics Farmacy and
Fermentary, store and order pickup 9AM-1PM, store with many fresh
vegetables and ferments; and restaurant open until 6PM
Winterdine: A Toast to Winter,
special Island dining festival, happening these next few weeks - participating
restaurants and details here:
https://winterdine.com/
------------------------------
If you want to catch up on any Standing Committee meetings or other Legislative
Assembly business, here are two points of contact:
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
My Bad not Mey Bad:
Apologies to the new Minister of Environment,
Energy and Climate Action, Stephen Myers, for my repeated misspelling of his
last name in communications yesterday.
Well, okay...since
"responsibility" means "blame for the delay" ...
(and sorry for the
formatting errors and big gaps)
Some of this trouble
with regulations and some sort of public consultation goes back to the second
term of Richard Brown as Environment Minister, when the Water Act was chugging
through the Legislature, and he unfortunately and perhaps inadvertantly garbled
attempts to clarify amendments the then-Opposition (including later Environment
Minister Brad Trivers) tried to include.
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/peis-outgoing-environment-minister-places-responsibility-for-long-delayed-water-act-on-standing-committee-549305/
P.E.I.'s outgoing environment minister places
responsibility for long-delayed Water Act on standing committee - TheGuardian article by Stu Neatby
Published on Friday,
February 5th, 2021
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. —
P.E.I.’s outgoing environment minister says blame for a delay in
proclaiming the long-awaited Water Act can be placed at the feet of a
legislative standing committee.
Following a
swearing-in ceremony at Government House on Thursday, Natalie Jameson was asked
about why the Water Act had not been proclaimed during her tenure.
"Short answer?
The committee," Jameson said, referring to the standing committee on
natural resources and environmental sustainability.
"It sat with
them for a year and a half. To be quite honest, I was losing my patience and I
was getting frustrated because it was taking so long."
On Thursday, Jameson
moved out of her role as environment minister to become minister of education
and lifelong learning. Steven Myers will move into the role as minister of
environment, energy and climate change.
The Water Act was
passed by the legislature in the fall of 2017 during the
previous Liberal government’s tenure, but the bill was never proclaimed.
Specific regulations on water withdrawal were not complete until 2019.These
regulations would provide oversight of irrigation on farming fields, including
the use of high-capacity wells. The most recent draft of regulations would
maintain a moratorium on high-capacity wells.
The standing
committee on natural resources and environmental sustainability is composed of
six members of the legislative assembly, two from each of the Liberals,
Progressive
Conservatives and the
Greens. PC MLA Cory Deagle is the chairman of the committee. The committee
provides policy advice to cabinet.
During the 2020
spring sitting of the provincial legislature, Jameson told The Guardian that
proclaiming the Water Act was a priority.
On Thursday, Jameson
said members of the standing committee were aware that cabinet would wait for
their recommendations on the regulations before proclaiming the act.
“There was an
understanding between cabinet and committee that we would wait until their
recommendations were received. We are almost ready to go with a second draft of
regulations which we will present to the committee," Jameson said.
"The second
draft is based on the recommendations of the committee. The last thing we
wanted to do was give a second draft without those recommendations because then
what was the point of the committee?"
The standing
committee presented its report, including a recommendation to expand a
moratorium on high-capacity wells to non-agricultural uses, in November. The
report also recommended cabinet immediately proclaim the Water Act.
The recommendations
were criticized by the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture. P.E.I. farmers
suffered severe drought conditions during the summer of 2020.
But Jameson said the
second draft of the regulations, which must be in place before the Water Act is
proclaimed, needs to be presented to committee 90 days before they are
proclaimed.
Standing committees
have assumed increased importance during the government of Dennis King. The
all-party committees are perhaps the most tangible parliamentary reforms made
in the name of increased “collaboration”, a regular mantra of the King
government.
In an emailed
statement, Lynne Lund, Opposition Green critic for environment, water and
climate change, said the committee received a briefing on the Water Act
regulations in February of 2020. But the outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in
cancellation of standing committee meetings between February and September.
“The outgoing
minister continues to blame others for her inaction right until the last
moment,” Lund said in an emailed statement. “She can blame the committee,
which is chaired by a government member, but it's been back with her for months
now. It's my sincere hope that under a new minister, we'll finally see
leadership on this file.”
Stu Neatby is The
Guardian's political reporter.
-30-
Music:
It's a super opera
day, and you could block out time in the next few days to be able to enjoy all
the offerings...
Metropolitan
Opera video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, until noon today
Starring Carol Vaness, Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Allen, and
Ruggero Raimondi. Production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. From December 14, 1985.
Strauss’s Ariadne
auf Naxos, 7:30PM this evening until 6:30PM Sunday
Starring Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Tatiana Troyanos, and James King,
conducted by James Levine. Production by Bodo Igesz. From March 12, 1988. If
you could call an opera goofy, this one is, with it's madcap
opera-within-an-opera as two different entertainment productions are forced to
merge into one production. The amazing Jessye Norman as the prima donna
and equally amazing Kathleen Battle as the leader of comic troupe.
In between, and for the next two weeks as
on-demand, is a LIVE concert in the Met
Stars Live productions:
Anna Netrebko, 2PM,
tickets $20, Live concert from the Spanish Riding School in
Vienna.
Presumably, the horses will not be performing simultaneously. But
mezzo-soprano Elena Maximova will join Netrebko for two duets, which will be
even more stunning. More info and tickets:
https://metstarslive.brightcove-services.com/
Radio: Saturday
Afternoon at the Opera Broadcast, 2PM, 104.7FM
Listeners’
Choice: Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
Performance from
December 8, 1956
Fausto Cleva; Maria
Callas (Lucia), Giuseppe Campora (Edgardo), Enzo Sordello
(Enrico), Nicola Moscona (Raimondo). This is the awful story of the
Scottish noblewoman forbidden to marry the one she loves, and she goes mad and
the singing is other-worldly. And apparently the only recording of Maria
Callas at the Met.
"You can't connect the
dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have
to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to
trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life karma, whatever. This
approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my
life."
---Steve
Jobs (1955-2011)
February 5, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
We need not
wait to see what others do.
--- Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Events:
Standing Committee on Health and Social
Development, 1:30PM, online for us.
Topic: Gambling
addiction
The committee will
meet for a briefing on gambling addiction and what an increased
access to gambling services could mean for those already
experiencing addiction issues, particularly during the pandemic.
1) Dr. David
Hodgins, Professor at the University of Calgary (Department of
Psychology) VIA ZOOM
2) Lisa Thibeau,
Chief Administrative Officer of Health PEI - Mental Health and Addictions
and Nora McCarthy-Joyce, Community Relations Specialist, Deparment
of Health and Wellness
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative
Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
Fridays4Future, 3:30PM today,
outside Province House. Reminding our elected officials that the Climate
Crisis needs action, now.**
Friday night Rainforest Lounge with Todd
MacLean and special guest Becca Griffin, 7PM, Instagram
Live. "...
tune in for tunes and a chat with the glorious, zazzley
Becca Griffin in the Rainforest Lounge!"
https://www.instagram.com/toddpei/
I think today is the
deadline to comment on the City of Charlottetown's budget for the next
year. Their website was
down early this morning but details should be here:
https://www.charlottetown.ca/
TOMORROW, Saturday,
February 6th:
Winter Woodlot Tour,
9AM-1PM, near Rustico (215 Buffalo Road, accessed via
Church Road/Rte. 243)
so much going on --
all with social distancing and education and just being outside. Dress
appropriately!
Managing woodlots,
maple syrup, Gary Schneider, Island falconry, displays, etc.
More Details:
https://infopeiwinterwoodl.wixsite.com/winterwoodlottour
In case you need to
see the changes to the provincial cabinet in print:
Hon. James Aylward was sworn in as Minister of Transportation and
Infrastructure;
Hon. Steven Myers was sworn in as Minister
of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, which will
replace the former ministry of Environment, Water and Climate Change, in
addition to taking responsibility for energy policy, the PEI Energy
Corporation and Net Zero strategy for Prince Edward Island;
Hon. Brad Trivers was sworn in as Minister of Social Development and Housing;
Hon. Ernie Hudson was sworn in as Minister of Health and Wellness; and
Hon. Natalie Jameson was sworn in as Minister of Education and Lifelong Learning
and the Minister Responsible for the Status of Women.
You may notice
"Water" is missing from the title of the Environment portfolio, which
could be a signal it's "demoted" from being so important, so citizens
will have to monitor and remind Government. But it's good to see the Climate
Crisis/Energy/Action part get molded together. While there is a touch of
eyebrow-raising at the appointment of Stephen Myers to Environment, I think he
appreciates the Island's natural beauty and fragility, and has a big heart
(under that sometimes-bluster). So best wishes to him, and all of them in
their new roles.
**Stephen Myers
also has the extremely competent deputy minister Brad Colwell in EECA.
You can send him a
note of congrats and wishes for that Climate Action and respecting the
environment at:
samyersminister@gov.pe.ca
---------------------------------------
Stephen Myers
statement on social media late yesterday:
https://www.facebook.com/steven.myers.pei
"Change is never an easy thing for anyone. That said I was
excited when the Premier asked me to take on a new duty in his cabinet today.
Before I talk about that new opportunity I want to just talk about great opportunity
that I had that I'm leaving.
I don't even know where to start when it comes to talking about
some of the accomplishments we had in transportation but what I can say is that
I was very fortunate to have an extremely smart and competent deputy in Darren
Chaisson. I also had the opportunity to work with an extremely dedicated and
professional group of employees throughout the whole department. I tried to
bring new ideas with me to the job and each and every person in the department
responded in a positive manner. I made great friends and I'm sad to leave them
but I'm fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet them.
Now on to what's next. I've been given a really great opportunity
to continue to take a file that I'm really passionate about in our NetZero file
and to push heavily to bring it to action. I've also inherited numerous files
in the environment portfolio that I look forward to advancing. I've been told I
have one of the smartest deputies in government in Brad Colwill and from
sitting down with him today I would say that is probably true.
Today change is good. This will be an active file. We are going to
build a team that will make changes that will be impactful. Islanders will see
change.
Stay tuned.
'Be the change you wish to see in the world.'
Gandhi"
-30-
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Rossini’s La
Cenerentola,
today until 6:30PM
Starring Elina Garanča, Lawrence Brownlee, Simone Alberghini, Alessandro
Corbelli, and John Relyea, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Production by Cesare
Lievi. From May 9, 2009.
Mozart’s Le
Nozze di Figaro, tonight 7:30PM until noon tomorrow
Starring Carol Vaness, Kathleen Battle, Frederica von Stade, Thomas Allen, and
Ruggero Raimondi, conducted by James Levine. Production by Jean-Pierre
Ponnelle. From
December 14, 1985. A classic production with super sopranos!
February 4, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Keep close
to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once it awhile, and climb a mountain
or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
--John
Muir (1838-1914)
Just be careful of the
ice.
Events:
Standing Committee on Natural Resources and
Environmental Sustainability, 10AM,
online.
Topic: Land use on PEI
The committee will meet for a presentation on the use of land in
the province from the representatives from the Coalition for the
Protection of PEI Lands.
The Citizens' Alliance is a member
of the Coalition for the Protection of PEI Lands; this group has so many deeply
committed Islanders representing an array of organizations, big and small, who
really care.
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
----------------------
Note that yesterday's
Health and Social Development Committee meeting on Mobile Mental Health Crisis
Units was postponed and has not been rescheduled yet.
-------------------------
The EOS Eco-Energy
sponsored Climate Change webinars continue with one on Food Sustainability:
Food Sustainability in
a Changing Climate, 3-4PM, online webinar, free.
Dr. Holly Abbandonato is an Assistant Professor at Mount
Allison University specializing in; plant ecology, native seed quality,
grassland restoration, climate change and arctic plant phenology. She will be
giving a webinar on food sustainability in a changing climate.
Facebook event details and registration link
---------------------------------
These are being such an informative series!
Tonight:
Outside
the Rails with MLA Lynne Lund -- An Environmental Bill of Rights, 7-8PM, online.
Green MLA and Environment Critic Lynne Lund presents
legislation she is working on to create an Environmental Bill of Rights for
PEI. Learn more about what an Environmental Bill of Rights is, and provide your
feedback.
Facebook event details with registration link
Also more details on the whole series:
https://www.greenparty.pe.ca/event_calendar
More on Environmental
Rights, from East Coast Law Association, here:
https://www.ecelaw.ca/projects/environmental-rights.html
And, of course, David
Suzuki has been championing environmental rights in the Blue Dot campaign (note
this website starts out very video-clip heavy, but then gets to more readable
content):
https://bluedot.ca/
An op-ed from last
month, by Wayne Carver, who observes and comments on Island politicians
decisions with redoubtable reserve: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-disappointed-and-bewildered-by-pei-budget-539969/
GUEST OPINION: Disappointed and bewildered
by P.E.I. budget - The Guardian Guest Opinion
by Wayne Carver
Published on
Tuesday, January 12th, 2021
Liberal finance critic Heath MacDonald, a former Liberal
finance minster, understated the public sentiment when he said the provincial
budget was a disappointment. It would be more accurate to say the public is
disappointed and bewildered. Bewildered to witness a political party that
campaigned with the slogan "It's about people" then promote and
increase the financial commitment to an infrastructure plan which was clearly
designed to make Liberal party supporters richer, at the expense of our offspring.
Most Conservative voters felt the infrastructure plan was too ambitious.
A Conservative
government was elected in 2019 based on the understanding new members of the
legislative assembly would investigate the sale of prime historical and
publicly owned properties, to non-resident real estate investment trusts
(REIT). Voters expected the new government would re-evaluate the projects and
curtail the massive land grab underway in the province. Many transactions
smacked of partisanship and were conducted in privacy, thanks to the
understated provisions of the Municipal Government Act (MGA). By the time the
public realized what was happening, investors had laid claim to many of the
cherished historic and publicly owned properties in the region. The public’s
confidence in the democratic process was shaken again.
The present
“housing boom”, an initiative being driven by the federal and provincial
governments, as they usually are, is an age-old attempt to stimulate the
economy and enrich the fat cats of entitlement before the Liberal party folds.
Governments have a greater influence on the housing market than any natural
phenomenon. They create the demand and supply the resources by making money
available to industry and financial markets. The incentive is good for the
economy, when properly planned and always good for the ruling party and its
supporters.
In the present
circumstance here on Prince Edward Island (the same thing is happening across
the nation) there seems to be confusion between between affordable housing and
housing for the poor.
Affordable
housing is built by and for real estate trusts, with borrowed federal funding
and easy, if not questionable access to prime properties. The MGA , enacted
without a public “vote” here on the Island, clears the way for that by
authorizing city council to conduct their business without public input. It
also allows council to override the recommendations of the city planning board
and strangely the voting process allows for a voting “abstention” to be
considered as a “Yes” vote.
If city council
can act on behalf of the people without public input and override the planning
board, then they are not acting in the interest of the greater public good.
Somehow, our elected officials have allowed due process to be hijacked by
partisan politics and corporate pressures. They are acting on behalf of vested
interests, not the people.
REITs do not
cater to housing crises. They are an investment trust for wealthy people. Those
who have money and want to invest funds to shelter from tax and earn a return
on their money.
Most people who
invest in REITs know little of what is happening here on P.E.I. Contractors
have access to hordes of federal infrastructure money (public debt). Creating
low-profit public housing would not be priority when there is so much more
profitable infrastructure funding available. Sadly, housing funds for the poor
can sit in the provincial budget fund until the affordable housing funds have
been depleted. In the vernacular, they have bigger fish to fry. Small wonder
the provincial government is still sitting on the low-rental housing allotment.
The federal
Infrastructure Canada Program is the lifeline of our current economic growth
with the promises of grand things to come. Grow our economy, affordable housing,
better roads, long-promised internet upgrades that might improve our .05 upload
speed. Grandiose ideas leading to an uncertain future. Clearly a partisan
federal government work plan designed to benefit the party stalwart. It also
created the ability for the MGA to facilitate the transfer of resources to the
province by approving projects under consideration. In this case, it allows the
federal Liberal government to earmark every borrowed infrastructure dollar
allocated, while in power.
Spending of this
nature cannot afford to be interrupted by due process.
The decision by
the provincial Conservative government to enhance infrastructure spending for
more roads and paving will not go down as one of the finer moments in our
province's history.
The inability of
our ministers to explain clearly the goals and objectives of strategic policies
suggests they had little input during the planning process. At a time when most
people would expect fiscal restraint, we are charging head on into significantly
more public debt. It appears the former provincial Liberal government and
Ottawa have tied up all regional development for the near future. That implies
the ground is shifting in our so called democracy. It begs the question, how
far into the future can a sitting government make financial commitments on
behalf of the electorate? All to satisfy the greed for money, the need for
power and the possibility of future electoral successes.
What started out
as a world vision with a global economy and economic growth for the nation has
ended up as sheer bedlam. But we still have choices.
Reform our
destructive partisan political process or put the country up for a closing-out
sale. We don’t have the luxury of time. If you look closely, interested parties
are already at the door.
They are our
creditors, for the most part, our philosophical opposites. Others,
international investors interested in their financial welfare. If we do
nothing, the choice will not be ours to make.
Wayne Carver is a
member of Vision P.E.I. who lives in Longcreek.
-30-
News from across the
pond:
from The Guardian (U.K.)'s newsletter, Thursday, February
4th, 2021:
Choose your place in
history, PM told – Boris Johnson’s decision to press ahead with
a new coalmine in Cumbria shows “contemptuous disregard for the future of young
people” and will lead to “ignominy and humiliation”, says James Hansen, the
former NASA scientist who is one of the world’s foremost climate voices. Hansen
has written to the prime minister calling on him to stop all support for fossil fuels and “earn a special
place in history” for tackling the climate crisis. Hansen copied to
the letter to John Kerry, now special climate envoy to Joe Biden. The
government says the Cumbria mine is needed to provide coking coal for steelmaking
but Hansen rejected this argument. “We have to replace the old ways of doing
things – there are alternatives. This is possible and we have to do it, because
science tells us we can’t continue business as usual.”
Article link:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/feb/04/top-climate-scientist-warns-pm-over-contemptuous-cumbria-coalmine-plan
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Poulenc’s Dialogues
of the Carmelites, today until 6:30PM
Starring Maria Ewing, Jessye Norman, Betsy Norden, Régine Crespin, and Florence
Quivar, conducted by Manuel Rosenthal. Production by John
Dexter. From April 4, 1987.
Rossini’s La Cenerentola, tonight 7:30PM until Friday at
6:30PM
Starring Elina Garanča, Lawrence Brownlee, Simone Alberghini, Alessandro
Corbelli, and John Relyea, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Production by Cesare
Lievi. From May 9, 2009. SOOO cute, with the most darling Cinderella
(Garanca) and Prince (Brownlee).
February 3, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
In all things
of nature, there is something of the marvelous.
---Aristotle
Events:
Provincial Chief
Public Health Office Covid-19 briefing, possibly today and possibly 11:30AM, on
Government's website and Facebook page, and local radio (93.1FM)
Government Covid
website:
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/covid19
Government Facebook
page (which should have an announcement):
https://www.facebook.com/govpe
-----------------------------
Webinar today:
Compost with Worms! (Vermiculture),
12noon-1PM, online, hosted by EOS Eco-Energy,
from Sackville, NB
Attend an engaging panel on Zoom and hear from 3 folks who have
experience composting with worms.
John Castell had his first introduction to vermiculture during a
1 month Master Composter course that he took almost 20 years ago. Since then he
has been involved giving (many) composting presentations...He and his wife have
been using vermiculture to convert kitchen scraps to compost (worm castings)
for about 16 years. He says the "nice thing about vermiculture is that you
can keep it in the kitchen handy for feeding food scraps to the worms. Done
properly, there is no bad odour. The worms convert wast food into on of the
best composts available."
We will also hear from Michael Freeman who is excited to share
his methods, take questions, compare with other compost aficionados and
neophytes.
Our third guest is Michelle Strain, who is the Administrative
Director at Mount Allison University. Compost is her favourite topic, and says
that "making good compost from food waste is a wonderful way to use that
resource that might normally not be composted to go back on the land. There is
too much food waste on our planet for sure! My own household food waste goes
into a bin for my worm pets to eat."
Register for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtd-2orDMrGt37QPVuZg4iqKULvMPJ8_Qk?
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email
containing information about joining the meeting.
More details on the
webinar and on EOS Eco-energy and their other events:
Facebook event link
--------------------------
Standing Committee on Health and Social
Development, 1:30PM, online (see links)
Topic: Mobile Mental
Health Crisis Units,
briefing by Minister of Health and Wellness James Aylward,
Chief Administrative Officer Lisa Thibeau, and Manager if Community Mental
Health and Addictions (West) Lorna Hutt.
P.E.I. Legislative
Assembly website https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
P.E.I. Legislative Assembly Facebook page link
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
----------------------------
Tonight: Wednesday,
February 3rd:
Outside the Rails with Hannah Bell, MLA -- PEI
Poverty Elimination Strategy Legislation Discussion, 7-8PM,
via Zoom.
Green MLA and Social
Development Critic Hannah Bell talks about the legislation she is working on to
create a Poverty Elimination Strategy for PEI, and seeks participants'
feedback.
Register for this Zoom
event at: https://zoom.us/.../tJIpdeqtpjgrHtaIy6RfmQUzX2oQet98_w0g
Background is here:
https://www.greenparty.pe.ca/eliminating_poverty_on_prince_edward_island
Opinion: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-potato-board-shows-sense-of-entitlement-542564/
LETTER: Potato board shows sense of
entitlement - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on
Wednesday, January 20th, 2010
I felt great
disappointment, and an even greater irreverence for the P.E.I. Potato Board
after reading their recent Guardian piece (Fighting for the same thing, Dec.
30) submitted in response to an opinion piece by the Environmental Coalition of
Prince Edward Island (Issue is not urban versus rural, Dec. 16). The P.E.I.
Potato Board ’s response was an insult to Islanders. Apparently, our perception
and what we actually see happening in our communities is an “unclear and
unproven perception”.
The board
members who signed the letter criticized the coalition for “not acknowledging
that we are all essentially fighting for the same thing – informed,
evidence-based decisions for the use and protection of our water resources on
P.E.I.” That “farmers agree that water should be protected, conserved and used
responsibly”.
Then, the board
played the victim card, that farmers are being denied water. Apparently, you
are the only Canadian farmers whose “access to water is held hostage by an
unclear and unproven perception of what constitutes sustainable agriculture.”
You are “well past the point of patiently waiting”, are you? Really, how
ironic. Actions speak a whole lot louder than words, sirs. Many of your members
are obviously not interested in waiting for the “evidence-based decisions for
the use and protection of our water resources on P.E.I.” as they scramble to
put in holding pond after holding pond. Drilling multiple wells, running pumps
24 hours a day until the ponds are filled.
Then, the
episode this past summer, when potato farmers drew irrigation water from a
river when it was not environmentally sound to do so. How was that “protected,
conserved and used responsibly”?
The board’s
letter shows the sense of entitlement and non-accountability for past and
current harmful farming practices. This came through loud and clear. I suggest
to Island farm families that we consider who is speaking and acting for us. I
doubt, it is the P.E.I. Potato Board.
James Rodd,
Farmer, livestock
and vegetables
North Milton
Metropolitan Opera
video performance streaming:
https://www.metopera.org/
Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, until 6:30PM
tonight
Starring Leontyne Price, Isola Jones, Giuseppe Giacomini, Leo Nucci, and
Bonaldo Giaiotti. Production by John Dexter. From March 24,
1984. One of those awful stories of secret love, and a mistake that
triggers lifelong revenge, that makes such good opera, apparently.
Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, tonight 7:30PM until Thursday
about 6:30PM
Starring Maria Ewing, Jessye Norman, Betsy Norden, Régine Crespin, and Florence
Quivar, conducted by Manuel Rosenthal. Production by John
Dexter. From April 4, 1987. "... the stark drama of Poulenc’s
only full-length opera, which tells the story of a group of nuns caught in the maelstrom
of the French Revolution." It's really quite beautiful, despite its
grim subject.
February 2, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
February 1, 2021
Chris Ortenburger's CANews|