Contents
- 1 September 30, 2020
- 1.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 1.2 P.E.I. government took in $16.6 million in PNP defaults as of March 2020 - The Guardian article by Stu Neatby
- 1.3 Butcher and Butcher, Fine Island Meat's page - Facebook post by Chris van Ouwerkerk
- 2 September 29, 2020
- 2.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 3 September 28, 2020
- 3.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 3.2 Atlantic Skies for September 28th - October 4th, 2020: "Our Celestial Neighbourhood" by Glenn K. Roberts
- 4 September 27, 2020
- 4.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 4.2 Larger issues at play than Buddhist permit - The Eastern Graphic Editorial by Paul Mac Neill
- 4.3 Shocking reluctance to act on land reform - The Eastern Garphic Letter to the Editor
- 5 September 26, 2020
- 5.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 5.2 LETTER: Skyscrapers in Charlottetown? - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 6 September 25, 2020
- 6.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 6.2 LETTER OF THE DAY: Rethink waterfront buildings in Charlottetown - The Guardian Letter of the Day
- 6.3 Sherwood Crossing — Public Input Required - stopkillampei.com post by Doug MacArthur
- 7 September 24, 2020
- 7.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 7.2 LETTER: Time for a grown-up conversation - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 8 September 23, 2020
- 8.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 8.2 LETTER: Sept. 25 is a Global Day of Climate Action - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Marilyn MacKay
- 9 September 22, 2020
- 9.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 10 September 21, 2020
- 10.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 10.2 Downloading the Environmental Guilt Trip - by David MacKay
- 11 September 20, 2020
- 11.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 11.2 LETTER: A double standard - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 12 September 19, 2020
- 12.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 12.2 Fishkills: Action needed - The Guardian article by Don Mazer and Ann Wheatley
- 13 September 18, 2020
- 13.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 14 September 17, 2020
- 14.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 15 September 16, 2020
- 15.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 15.2 LETTER: Update on Gunns Bridge - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 16 September 15, 2020
- 16.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 16.2 GUEST OPINION: Fish kills on P.E.I.: We've been here before - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Don Mazer and Ann Wheatley
- 17 September 14, 2020
- 17.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 18 September 13, 2020
- 18.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 18.2 Former planning expert says Charlottetown will regret approving eight-storey apartment on waterfront - The Guardian article by Dave Stewart
- 18.3 GUEST OPINION: Concern for our city - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Doug MacArthur
- 19 September 12, 2020
- 19.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 19.2 GUEST OPINION: Basic Income: A challenge to all federal politicians - The Guardian Guest opinion by Marie Burge
- 20 September 11, 2020
- 20.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 20.2 HEATH MACDONALD: Reinvest in mental health and addictions - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Heath MacDonald
- 21 September 10, 2020
- 21.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 21.2 Opinion: What we’ve learned about COVID-19: We have to keep learning - The Globe and Mail article by André Picard
- 22 September 9, 2020
- 22.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 22.2 Protecting our seniors - Social Media post by Ole Hammarlund, MLA
- 23 September 8, 2020
- 23.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 23.2 Atlantic Skies for September 7th-13th, 2020 - Could Humans Live on Mars? - by Glenn K. Roberts
- 24 September 7, 2020
- 24.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 24.2 LETTER: A cautionary tale about preserving green space - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 24.3 LETTER: Nature paved over - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
- 25 September 6, 2020
- 25.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 26 September 5, 2020
- 26.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 26.2 Old oil and gas wells find new life with renewable energy - David Suzuki Foundation post by David Suzuki with contributions from Senior Editor and Writer Ian Hanington
- 27 September 4, 2020
- 27.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 28 September 3, 2020
- 28.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 28.2 Don’t let COVID fiction become unwanted reality - The Eastern Graphic column by Paul MacNeill
- 29 September 2, 2020
- 29.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
- 29.2 Charlottetown Belongs to Every Islander - The Island Heartbeat essay by Allan Rankin
- 29.3 The Haviland Street Project could be a big opportunity for the City -- by Ole Hammarlund
- 30 September 1, 2020
- 30.1 Chris Ortenburger's CANews
September 30, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
order Deadline:
Eat Local PEI -- Online Farmers' Market
order by Wednesday
midnight for Saturday pickup/delivery:
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
Standing Committee
on Health and Social Development, 1PM, Topic: Mental health of
Islanders during the COVID-19 pandemic
The committee will
meet to hear a briefing on the state of Islanders' mental health during and as
a result of the pandemic from the Canadian Mental Health Association
(Tayte Willows, Treena Smith and Courtney Cudmore). The committee will
also meet with Dr. Heather Keizer (additional presenters to be determined) on
the same topic.
The Hon. George
Coles Building remains closed to the public. The meeting will be live-streamed
on the Legislative Assembly’s website and Facebook page.
Members of the Committee:
Gordon McNeilly
(Chair) (L)
Trish Altass (Green)
Hannah Bell (Green)
Hon. Jamie Fox (PC)
Heath MacDonald (L)
Hon. Bradley Trivers (PC)
Legislative Assembly home page:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
--------------
Today is Orange
Shirt Day -- more about it, here: https://www.orangeshirtday.org/
Orange
Shirt Day: communities coming
together in a spirit of reconciliation and hope because every child matters.
---------------
Tomorrow, Thursday, October 1st:
Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental
Sustainability, 10AM, Coles Building but live-streamed and
recorded audio/video.
The Coalition for the Protection of PEI Water is presenting to
the committee about the regulations on water extraction, before the committee
writes it report and recommendations to the Legislature for the Fall
sitting. The second draft of the regulations will likely take into
account the committee's report.
--------------------------
Also tomorrow,
Thursday, October 1st, 3-6PM, Farm Centre Legacy Garden: with the following on
sale:
-Garlic ($20 for 1 pound, $40 for 2 pounds, $50 for
3 pounds)
-Tomatoes: Roma and Mountain Merit ($1.50 per
pound)
-Tomato Seconds ($1.00 per pound)
-Green Tomatoes ($1.00 per pound)
-Tomatillos ($2.50 per pound)
-Winter squash: butternut, acorn, kabocha... ($2.00
per pound)
-Fresh herbs: Parsley, sage, dill ($2.00 per bunch)
-Dried herbs: Basil, parsley, sage ($3.00 per 20g)
more on their Facebook page:
moneymoney https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/provincial/pei-government-took-in-166-million-in-pnp-defaults-as-of-march-2020-503536/
P.E.I. government took in $16.6 million in
PNP defaults as of March 2020 - The Guardian article by Stu Neatby
Published on
Tuesday, September 29th, 2020
Two
years after discontinuing a controversial provincial nominee program, the
province has continued to collect millions in defaulted deposits from
applicants. As of March 31, 2020, the province’s Island Investment
Development Inc. (IIDI) collected $16.6 million in defaulted deposits for the
2019/20 fiscal year. The entrepreneurship stream of the PNP was discontinued in
September of 2018, to be replaced with a work permit stream.
Between 2011 and
2018, immigrant investors were able to gain permanent residency in P.E.I. under
the entrepreneurship stream after paying a deposit of between $100,000 and
$200,000. Applicants to the program could regain their deposit after remaining
on the P.E.I. for one year and successfully running a business.
The province has
collected millions each year in defaulted deposits from the program. However,
in the last year, the province has reduced the proportion of immigrants who are
defaulting on their deposits.
During a
presentation before the legislative standing committee on public accounts,
Jamie Aiken, executive director of IIDI, which is responsible for P.E.I.’s
Office of Immigration, said the province has refunded the deposits of 222 PNP
immigrants. Ninety-four, or 29 per cent, of the PNP immigrants under this stream
had their deposits defaulted to the province. "Although the program has
ceased operations, we are seeing continued improvement in people continuing to
fulfill their obligations," Aiken told public accounts on Tuesday.
In all, the
province holds $120 million in restricted funds related to 676 PNP applicants
under the cancelled entrepreneurship stream. These funds are held in guaranteed
investment certificates.
"These
individuals are either with the federal government of Canada for processing or
they're now in process of establishing their business here on P.E.I.,"
Aiken said of the 676 applicants.The entrepreneurship stream had accounted for
the majority of PNP applicants on P.E.I. prior to 2018. Since that time, most
PNP applicants have been nominated through the labour stream. This stream has
not seen the same level of controversy the entrepreneurship stream did.
The
entrepreneurship stream was replaced in 2018 with a work permit stream, which
granted permanent residency to immigrant entrepreneurs after they demonstrate
they have remained on P.E.I. for over one year. Aiken said 238
applications have been received for this stream since September 2018, but only
28 have arrived in P.E.I. and have started a business.
Another
immigration stream, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program, saw 648 immigrants
successfully arrive in the province. This program matches prospective
immigrants and graduated international students with employers who are unable
to find trained workers locally.Aiken said an evaluation of this program found
that 94 per cent of AIPP applicants have remained on P.E.I. after one year.
However, the
province has no means of tracking overall immigrant retention.
Currently, the
AIPP is slated to continue into 2021. Liberal MLA Gord McNeilly asked about the
requirements of the program for applicants to remain with one employer for 12
months. "I love the program, but it doesn't seem to fit for Prince
Edward Island, being a seasonal economy," McNeilly said. "Our
EI system is based on hours. And this program is based on a relationship with a
specific employer."
Jeff Young, a
business integration manager with IIDI, said the Atlantic provinces have been
advocating for the requirements to be more flexible for applicants.
"Unfortunately, right now the federal position has been they want 12
months year-round employment with one employer," Young said.
Green MLA Hannah
Bell said she has observed a “significant churn” in terms of increased
commercial rental rates in Charlottetown, which some have attributed to
applicants from the discontinued PNP entrepreneurship stream.
"It makes it a hell of a lot harder when your commercial business rates
are going up to $4,000 a month, which is where they're sitting right now in
most commercial spaces in and around Queen Street,” Bell said
"I really am concerned about how you can change that trajectory."
Aiken said the
introduction of the work permit stream would place more requirements on
immigrant applicants to remain in P.E.I. and invest in the community. He said he
hoped to see other business leaders reach out to immigrant
entrepreneurs. "We, as an office, but as well as the business
community of P.E.I., we need to put our best foot forward in terms of welcoming
them into the community," Aiken said.
-30-
And related, a long but
very informative post from Chris van
("the other Chris
O")
Butcher and Butcher,
Fine Island Meat's page - Facebook post by Chris van
Ouwerkerk
Monday, August 31st,
2020, on social media
So it has come to my
attention that we have had customers go into the front space where our butcher
shop and then sandwich shop had been located, only to be told that we are
“closed forever.” This statement could not be further from the truth. We are
still open 7 days a week in the back space of the building at 25 St. Peters
Road and will continue to be until the end of September when we pack up and
move to Ellen's Creek Plaza across from the Arlington Orchards stand. My
apologies in advance but this is going to be a long post.
With so many big
things going on in the world right now, my little things seem pretty
unimportant and irrelevant. However, those small things are having a sizable
impact on my life. I am being forced out of the building that my business has
occupied for just shy of 5 years. It is unfortunate and sad that during a
pandemic and within a short period of time after the birth of my first child
that I have to pack up a space that has occupied my heart and get out of a
community that I have grown to love. Luckily I have built up a business that is
capable of moving and I have found a space that I think will not only serve us
well but serve us better. That being said I do feel like I need to talk about
something that has been weighing on my mind and soul.
When I first moved
into 25 St. Peters Road it was owned by a local couple. There were problems but
they were quick to help and address most concerns. About a year and a half into
my tenancy, the building was put up for sale and sold to a corporation set up
under the much maligned Provincial Nominee Program. Over the course of the next
year I saw my landlords maybe 3 times. Getting anything fixed or issues
resolved was like pulling teeth and was all conducted through email. I had to
explain what snow removal meant on more than one occasion as an example. That
being said, it was not a bad tenancy and I just chocked it up to being a part
of business. After a year the building went up for sale and I had the
opportunity to expand into a vacant part of the building at the back. I came to
an agreement with the landlords to occupy both the front and back spaces. There
came a point where the building had a buyer (another PNP candidate) and things
were about to change hands. The day before the sale went through the potential
buyer came in and asked a few questions then informed me that the sale was off
due to a zoning issue. I didn't think much of it and went about my plans to
expand. I began to renovate the space and moved everything in.
Fast forward to a month
after I moved into both spaces, a new larger butcher shop and a small sandwich
shop, another set of new buyers, again PNP candidates, came and began looking
at the building. It became clear after about a week that they intended to buy
the building. Based on their visits to the back space it seemed like they were
sizing it up for their own business. At this point I had come to agreements to
lease both spaces, done the work and was ready to open. Sheer luck led me to
run into the new buyers' real estate agent at a hardware store about a week
before the sale was to go through. I asked him what they had been told about
the occupancy of the two spaces. He informed me that they had been told that
the space was vacant and I was just storing my belongings there. He also said
it was his clients' intention to open their business in that space. I informed
him of the true nature of things and all hell broke loose. The sale price
changed, the new buyers still purchased the building and they scheduled a
meeting with me.
The intention of the
meeting was to come to an agreement on how they could proceed with their PNP
business given that I occupied both spaces. They informed me that I would need
to vacate the back space unless I allowed them to take my newly opened sandwich
shop for their business. I negotiated and got a good deal, but was left
slightly disheartened at the prospect of having to give up a major part of my
newly expanded business. Again, I settled and decided that it was the best way
to protect my overall business.
Fast forward a year,
to June of 2020. The new landlords had fulfilled their PNP requirements and
decided to close up shop. Part of our original agreement was that at that point
I would get both spaces back and be made whole. Turns out they promised the
front space to another PNP business and refused to give me the lease for the
space that I had occupied for almost 5 years. Fine. I had built my business up
and was happy with just holding onto my butcher shop. My lease was running out
and I just wanted to sign a new one and avoid any confrontation. The new
business even bought my commercial sink after I refused to rent it to them for
the 6 months they planned on being open.
Turns out that the new
business in the front space attracted the attention of the City of
Charlottetown. The City had informed the previous landlords of a zoning issue
with the building back when the first sale fell through. The building is only
permitted at present to have 1 Commercial Unit and has been operating with 3.
Once that was determined the landlord very quickly hired a lawyer and sent me a
letter informing me that I would have to vacate the building, during a global
pandemic when small businesses are struggling to survive. Not the PNP business
at the front who have informed me that they will only be in operation for 6
month to fulfill their PNP requirements but the business that has been in
operation in this community for 5 years. So that's that. I have to vacate the
building and unfortunately the community of Parkdale.
So why am I writing
this? In the past 3 years I have now had direct interactions with 3 Provincial
Nominee Program candidates under the business stream. I also have an employee
who is a Provincial Nominee Program candidate under the working stream. These
two streams could not be more different in the type of people they attract.
Under one stream you have wealthy, uncaring people buying their way into
Permanent Residency and often times leaving once they do. Under the other you
have hardworking, sweet, wonderful people working their butts off to build a
place in our community. I am tired of the number of fake or temporary business
taking up important commercial space and driving up their rental prices. I am
tired of watching our communities be sold to the wealthiest bidder. I am tired
of the hardworking, amazing PNP candidates under the work stream having their
name tarnished by a stream that they don't have access to because of wealth
inequality. This is the legacy of successive governments who have gotten greedy
and absorbed with the high price of PNP deposits. Something really needs to
change here.
-30-
A post script in that as
he works to open at his new location at Ellen's Creek plaza tomorrow, he notes
that no politicians or media contacted him since he wrote it (Gord
McNeely did in the Facebook comments since then).
---------------------------------------------
Returning to public-voting
on School Board Trustees came up in the Standing Committee
meeting on Education, and unfortunately, Wayne Thibodeau of The Guardian but now
at CBC chooses the angle of focussing on costs in this article in CBC (link
only): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-school-board-elections-1.5743842
Better story angles could be how to increase voter engagement, some background
into issues the former boards had before being dismissed, and general concerns
in public education today.
A bit of Opera:
Metropolitan Opera video-streaming of recorded performances:
Mozart’s Così fan tutte, until 6:30PM
tonight
Starring Susanna Phillips, Isabel Leonard, Danielle de Niese, Matthew
Polenzani, Rodion Pogossov, and Maurizio Muraro, conducted by James
Levine. From April 26, 2014.
Wednesday, September
30
Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, about 7:30PM tonight until
Thursday about 6:30PM
Starring Lucy Crowe, Barbara Frittoli, Elīna Garanča, Kate Lindsey,
Giuseppe Filianoti, and Oren Gradus, conducted by Harry Bicket. From
December 1, 2012.
Global Chorus essay for September 30
James P. Bruce
At
times, it is difficult not to despair about the future. Current economic and
political practices which focus on the short term – a business quarter or a
four-year term – ignore future impacts on humans, other species and the
environment.
The implications for climate change are most evident. Digging up or pumping out
the last drops or chunks of fossil fuels and burning them in gas-guzzling
vehicles and inefficient power plants has already begun to leave a legacy. With
more water vapour in the warming atmosphere, storms, foods and droughts are
causing much suffering and economic damage. But we are seeing only the
beginning of this terrible trend.
That is only one of the environmental problems that the present economic
practices encourage. Another is the growing concentration of harmful chemicals
in our air and water. Some 23,000 of the 80,000 to 100,000 distinct chemical
compounds in North American commerce have been identified as chemicals of
concern (Health and Environment Canada, 2006). But the endocrine disrupters,
pharmaceuticals and many other potentially harmful substances are not removed
at sewage treatment plants or in air pollution controls. Governments rarely
regulate, and choose supporting short-term profits over their responsibilities
to protect health and our common environmental heritage.
Is there any cause for hope? As climate change, chemical pollutant effects and
species extinctions become more evident and severe in coming decades, the
public will place increasing value on health and on protecting remaining
ecosystems. Voters must elect different kinds of politicians, those with
concerns for the “Public Trust,” and we all must expect more responsible
actions by corporations. If we learn well from First Nations’ teachings, we
will all care more about future generations, and the world our grandchildren
and their grandchildren will inherit.
—Dr.
J.P. (Jim) Bruce, OC, FRSC, former assistant deputy minister of Environment
Canada, senior officer of World Meteorological Organization, Geneva
-----------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 29, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Order deadline:
Charlottetown
Farmers' Market to Go, Tuesday
noon for Thursday delivery/pickup:
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
Standing Committee
meetings today:
Public Accounts Committee, 9:30AM,
livestreamed on the Legislative Assembly website and Facebook page.
Topic: Financial
management of the Provincial Nominee Program; Operations of IIDI
"The committee
will meet to receive briefings on financial management of the Provincial
Nominee Program, and the overall operations of Island Investment Development
Inc., by the Office of Immigration/Island Investment Development Inc.
The Hon. George
Coles Building remains closed to the public. The meeting will be live-streamed
on the Legislative Assembly’s website and Facebook page."
This is a very
capable committee under the guidance of Michele Beaton (D5: Mermaid -
Stratford). It definitely points towards the strength of accountability
that a minority government can have.
Michele Beaton, chair (Green)
Karla Bernard (Green)
Cory Deagle (PC)
Robert Henderson (L)
Sidney MacEwen (PC)
Gordon McNeilly (L)
Standing Committee on Education and Economic
Growth, 1:30PM, livestreamed.
Topic: Restoring elected school boards
"The committee
will meet to receive a briefing from Elections
PEI representatives regarding the process of
re-establishing elected school boards. (Note:
The Bluefield Family of Schools District Advisory Council briefing re: schools
reopening, originally slated for this meeting, will be rescheduled at a later
date.)"
This committee's members are:
Karla Bernard
(Chair) (Green)
Hon. James Aylward (PC)
Robert Henderson (L)
Hon. Ernie Hudson (PC)
Lynne Lund (Green)
Heath MacDonald (L)
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
--------------------
Tonight, apparently
right before the U.S. Presidential debate #1, and like the U.S. debate, it's
not directly about us, but may be of interest:
"Unlock Democracy" Campaign Update
Zoom webinar, 8:30PM, with Dave Meslin. "We're building momentum towards democratic
reform all across Ontario. Find out where we're at, what's happening next, and
how YOU can plug in!" Intriguing, especially anything
involving the engaging Dave Meslin.
More details:
http://www.unlockdemocracy.ca/time_to_topple
Charlottetown Deputy Mayor Mike Duffy dutifully wrote an opinion piece in The Guardian defending parking tax
revenue. (While we are trying to become less reliant on
automobiles, it's hard to do much of anything in Charlottetown, if you don't
live nearby, without a car.)
Here's Mike Duffy's piece: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-parking-fees-contribute-to-city-revenues-502027/
To which forward-thinking resident Phil Ferraro wrote in response:
Monday, Septmeber 28th, 2020
I would like to
thank Councilor Mike Duffy for voicing his concerns over the City of
Charlottetown’s loss of revenues and our need to replace lost income from
parking meters due to the COVID-19 shutdown. (Guardian September 26,
2020) The Councilor makes a compelling case for the need to generate new
income. He offers three options: increase parking meter fees, raise taxes or
cut services. Since he advises the citizens of Charlottetown citizens let their
representatives know what they think of these options and since none of these
options offer solutions for a sustainable social and economic recovery, I would
like to pose a few more acceptable options.
Like many North
American cities, Charlottetown could impose a substantial “Linkage Fee,” on
commercial developments. (Linkage fees are paid by developers to help offset
the costs incurred by the city to build roads or housing for people that will
work in the newly constructed stores.) These fees could easily offset the
lost revenue from parking meters and, like in other jurisdictions, the funds
could be used to build affordable public housing; which could also function as
a long-term source of revenue generation.
I was recently in
conversation with someone who was in Copenhagen. They told me that they
traveled all over the city on e-bikes that they were able to rent at various
depots around the city. Now that we have an illuminated rail-trail and soon to
be constructed bike lane on the Hillsborough Bridge. E-bike rentals may be
quite popular for many residents and tourists while also reducing much of the
traffic congestion that we now have.
The federal
government has announced plans for a green economic recovery. The city should
take full advantage of any grants and make all public buildings as energy
efficient as possible and have a publicly-owned solar utility. Solar energy
currently has a 5-6 year payback after which the energy is virtually free for
decades.
While downtown
parking is generally considered a necessity for shoppers of all income levels,
The expanded docks on the waterfront for pleasure craft are luxuries owned by
people generally of higher income brackets. Raise the dockage fees.
We all know that
COVID-19 will eventually pass. Once it does, we have a vastly underutilized
event grounds. Resume hosting events that tourists and residents will pay to
attend. In the meantime, the drive-in theaters have come up with a plan to
remain open. Why not do the same?
Finally, I am often
amazed at the number of cars parking for free behind the Shaw, Jones and
Sullivan buildings, especially when a recent study revealed that the vast
majority of the people that work there could easily ride a bike, walk or take
public transportation. Put up a gate , like we have at the airport and charge
for parking.
While these options
may require a bit more planning and thoughtful negotiations with other
organizations or levels of government they can also be viewed as revenue generating
actions that will also help put Charlottetown on a path to a more sustainable
and prosperous future; something that raising the parking meter fees will never
accomplish.
Phil
Ferraro, Resident of
Charlottetown
Opera
notes -- it's Mozart Week!
Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, today until about 6:30PM
From October 18, 2014. This production places "....Mozart’s timeless
social comedy in a manor house in 1930s Seville."
Mozart’s Così fan tutte, tonight 7:30PM until Wednesday
about 6:30PM
Starring Susanna Phillips, Isabel Leonard, Danielle de Niese, Matthew
Polenzani, Rodion Pogossov, and Maurizio Muraro. From April 26, 2014.
Phillips and Leonard have just the most beautiful, bell-like, strong voices.
https://www.metopera.org/
Global Chorus essay for September 29
Adria Vasil
We don’t need a foggy crystal ball to see the world screeching toward the brink
of catastrophe – the early fruits of short-term thinking are popping up
everywhere. They’re showing up in the persistent toxins in umbilical cords, in
the growing rates of mysterious cancers and disease, in vanishing forests and
species, in the droughts, foods, fires and storms stirring up with increasing
fervour around the globe. The heavy truth is, there are hidden ramifications
behind each of our daily actions, choices big and small, on water, wildlife, workers,
climate – and the very people that use this stuff – us.
Today my job involves fagging those impacts. The only thing that keeps me from
throwing in the towel in total paralysis is knowing this: every positive action
sparks an even greater positive reaction. My mother told me when I was young
that the globe is essentially a giant domino board – that we can actually
transform the world by focusing on changing our little corners of it, setting
into motion the forces for transformation from person to person to person.
Okay sure, as a collective, we’ve been putting the Earth’s five a.m. wake-up
calls on snooze for a while now, but have no doubt, the Earth will keep
smacking us upside the head until we all get with the program.
In my personal crystal ball, I see an emerging world where our throw-away,
single-use culture of built-in obsolescence is a thing of the past, everything
is recycled in a closed loop in perpetuity. We get our energy from sewage,
rotting food and all sorts of surprising sources now going to waste. And green
chemistry ensures everything we make, buy and use is as safe as water and
mimics Nature’s patterns. I believe, ultimately, that we’ll realign with the
ecosystem we depend on once we realize that the only way to save our own behinds
from Nature’s wrath is to reconnect and get in tune with Nature’s brilliance.
Thankfully, millions of souls – scientists, researchers, engineers, farmers,
teachers, business folk, moms, dads, are already doing just that.
So, chin up, listen to mom and keep working on your little corner – it holds
the key to transforming the entire globe.
— Adria Vasil, environmental journalist, columnist, author of the bestselling Ecoholic
book series
SO very much at her
website:
http://adriavasil.com/
-----------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 28, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Order deadline for
local food options this week:
OrganicVeggieDeliver,
order by tonight for Friday delivery. Info at:
https://www.organicveggiedelivery.com/
Charlottetown Farmers' Market to Go,
Tuesday noon for Thursday delivery/pickup:
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
Eat Local PEI -- Online Farmers' Market
order by Wednesday midnight
for Saturday pickup/delivery:
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
D10 --
Democracy versus a horse race
The local "pundits" in media had fairly similar articles last weekend
about how the retirement of provincial Liberal MLA stalwart Robert Mitchell
from District 10: Charlottetown-Winslow would affect Island politics. It's
likely an election will be called so the new MLA could sit in the Legislature
in November, so nominations and nominations meetings are already getting
planned.
The gist of the articles (in my reading) was first accolades to Mitchell
(deserved, as he did everything he was directed to do when a backbencher
or a Minister); then they all pretty much said the same thing: Premier Denny
and the Island Progressive Conservatives could get a majority government if
they win that seat. Woo-hoo! Goodies for the District, fewer
headaches of always having to collaborate with the Official Opposition! Or the
Liberals could regain the seat and start their
"comeback". (Additionally, some speculated on Mitchell's future
and the safety of Sean Casey's federal MP seat, and so forth.)
OK, I know the Stanley Cup is almost over for 2020, but really.
I like the buzz of politics as much as anyone, but this should not be just a
sports event -- columnists could be considering the shape and scope of the
District, its needs, and the Island's needs at this point. The residents
could be encouraged to vote not just for the chance to go with the winning
team and get more goodies, but to think about local and provincial
issues. And with some vision for the future.
And it's not about going back to the binary Red Team-Blue Team contest, stale
old politics where the unlucky group just gripes about how better they did
things when they were in power (with little results to back those claims,
frankly) and wait for the tide to turn. That's very narrow vision that's been
much too wasteful for the past decades.
The Official Opposition (and the Third Party at times) has been doing a pretty
good job asking questions, bringing up issues and questioning the pat answers,
and really trying hard to keep government accountable and inject new ideas into
government. It looks like a Minority Government is resulting in better
governance for Islanders.
A final side note that there is one true aspect to the sporting analogy:
this byelection will be a horse race -- as the "first past the
post" election system is what we have here now, and it often results in
false majorities. But people can be informed and vote well, earn more
about voting system alternatives, and strive for a better future for the
Island.
(In fact, the
Islanders for Proportional Representation is holding an online event about PR
in October -- more details to follow.)
--CO
The Night Sky This
Week:
Atlantic
Skies for September 28th - October 4th, 2020: "Our Celestial Neighbourhood"
by Glenn K. Roberts
At this time of the
year, in the autumn, the night skies are often so incredibly clear
and transparent, you feel you could reach up and grab a handful of the
stars above you. On those clear, moonless nights (or on a night when the Moon
hasn't yet risen), when you're outside, away from city lights, and gazing
skyward (particularly directly overhead), you will see what appears to be a
misty, faintly-glowing, irregular band of light extending across the night sky
from the north-east to the south-west. This is our Milky Way Galaxy (from the
Latin via lactea,
from the Greek meaning "milky circle"). The portion of the
galaxy that we are seeing is, in fact, just one, small part of our
galaxy, referred to as the Orion Arm. This is our "celestial
neighbourhood" of the larger galactic metropolis we call the Milky
Way, in which our solar system is located.. Think of it as a sort of celestial
address for where we live - To Mr. & Ms. Earthling, c/o Earth, Sol System,
Orion Arm, Milky Way Galaxy.
The Milky Way
Galaxy actually has 5 arms (4 major- Perseus, Sagittarius, Centaurus,
and Cygnus; and 1 minor - Orion); long, spiralling curves of stars,
planets, asteroids, comets, etc., radiating, like the sections of a child's toy
windmill, out from our galaxy's center (theorized to be a super massive
black hole.) The galactic center of the Milky Way is located visually in the
constellation of Sagittarius - the Centaur (a constellation representing a
mythical half-human, half-horse creature, prominent in the summer, southern
night sky. We cannot directly see the galactic centre due, in great part, to
the intervening dust and gas clouds (the interstellar medium) between Earth and
the center. Just like the arms of the toy windmill, the arms of the Milky
Way Galaxy are curved, due to our galaxy's rotational spin. It takes
our solar system, traveling at 790,000 kph, approximately 220
million years to complete one full circuit around the galactic center. It
bespeaks just how vast our galaxy is, estimated to be 100,000 -
200,000 light years (lys) in diameter (you do the math), and to
contain 400+ billion stars. The small, rural, celestial town of our solar
system is located approximately 27,000 lys from the center of
downtown Milky Way (the galactic center). And you thought the 1 hour commute to
your urban workplace was far!
Our galaxy is one
of several galaxies known as the Local Group, consisting of the Milky
Way Galaxy, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds,
plus a scattering of dwarf galaxies. The smaller groups of galaxies are,
themselves, grouped together in large associations. The Local Group is a part
of the much larger association of galaxies known as the Virgo
Supercluster, itself part of a huge association of superclusters referred
to as the Laniakea Supercluster. Don't plan on visiting any of these
neighbours, or asking them over for dinner....neither of you will survive the
trip. What lies beyond the Laniakea Supercluster and other such gatherings of
galaxies, is anyone's guess, though it is theorized that the
superclusters form part of a vast, interconnected web
of galaxies that constitute the very fabric of our universe. Needless
to say, there is much, much more out there than meets the eye.
Mercury is still
not readily observable this coming week, though if you have an unobstructed
view of the western horizon, and a clear sky, you may spot this diminutive
world sitting (at mag. -0.03) approximately 5 degrees (a half hand's
width at arm's length) above the south-west horizon just after sunset on Oct
1. It will emerge into the evening sky later in October. Venus (mag.
-4.09) rises in the east around 3:30 a.m., and reaches its highest altitude in
the eastern, pre-dawn sky of 33 degrees, before fading into the approaching
dawn around 6:50 a.m. By Oct. 4, Venus will rise around 3:45 a.m., and
fade from view by about 7 a.m. Mars (mag. -2.45) becomes visible 7 degrees
above the eastern horizon around 8:40 p.m. (8:10 p.m. by Oct. 4), reaching its
highest point in the evening sky of 50 degrees by 2:20 a.m., before becoming
lost from view 20 degrees (13 degrees by Oct. 4) above the western
horizon as the dawn twilight breaks around 6:50 a.m. (7 a.m. by Oct. 4).
Jupiter (mag. -2.4), an early evening object now, is visible by 7:15 p.m. (7:05
p.m. by Oct. 4), 20 degrees above the southern horizon. At its highest point in
the mid-evening sky around 8:30 p.m., Jupiter remains observable until about
11:15 p.m. (10:50 p.m. by Oct. 4), when it drops below 8 degrees above the
south-west horizon. Saturn (mag. +0.46) follows Jupiter up into the southern
sky around 7:30 p.m. (7:25 p.m. by Oct. 4), reaching 22 degrees above the
southern horizon by 8:30 p.m., and remaining visible until about 11:30 p.m.
(11:05 p.m. by Oct. 4), when it drops below 10 degrees above the south-west
horizon.
October has two
Full Moons - the "Harvest Moon" on the 1st, and the
"Hunter's Moon" on the 31st, just in time for Halloween.
Until next week,
clear skies.
Events:
Sept.
28 - Moon at aphelion (farthest from Sun)
Oct.
1 - Full (Harvest) Moon
3 - Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth)
-30-
Opera corner:
Puccini’s La
Bohème, today until 6:30PM
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramón Vargas, Ludovic Tézier, Quinn
Kelsey, Oren Gradus, and Paul Plishka, conducted by Nicola Luisotti. From April
5, 2008. Cry and cry some more. I think this was the only live
simulcast at the movie theatre in Charlottetown that I have gotten to see, and
was enthralled.
Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, tonight 7:30PM until Tuesday
about 6:30PM
From October 18, 2014. " Richard Eyre’s elegant production, which opened
the Met’s 2014–15 season, sets the action of Mozart’s timeless social comedy in
a manor house in 1930s Seville. Ildar Abdrazakov leads the cast as the
resourceful Figaro set on outwitting his master, the philandering Count
Almaviva, played by Peter Mattei. Marlis Petersen sings Susanna, the object of
the Count’s affection and Figaro’s bride-to-be, Amanda Majeski is the Countess,
and Isabel Leonard gives a standout performance as the pageboy
Cherubino." Standout and fearless acrobatics, too, as this is the
one where she leaps out of a window and gets caught by helpers, as there was no
room for the a landing pad.
Global Chorus essay for September
28
Cam Mather
I
have been involved in the environmental movement for 30 years and there has
never been more evidence than is available today that we are on the cusp of a
human-caused environmental calamity. However, what I have learned from living
off the electricity grid for the last 15 years is that there are solutions and
that you can enjoy a comfortable life while contributing a minimal amount of
carbon to the atmosphere.
It all comes down to one simple solution – putting a price on a carbon. Since
we know that carbon dioxide is the main driver of climate change, by putting a
price on it we can encourage individuals to make smarter choices for how they
heat and power their lives. Many of us are used to paying for each bag of trash
we send to the landfill, and this is no different. Technologies do exist to
live carbon free.
What’s missing is the incentive for people to do so. Once carbon is priced
properly I believe the marketplace will provide even more ingenious solutions
to help people save money while reducing their carbon footprint. All that’s
missing today is the political fortitude to do the right thing. What can the
average citizen do in the meantime? Live your life as if carbon was extremely
expensive and vote Green to send the message to the governing party that the
time has come to take tough action on the most important political issue.
The fate of humanity depends on it.
—
Cam Mather, author of Thriving During Challenging Times: The
Energy, Food and Financial Independence Handbook, publisher of Aztext Press
www.cammather.com
-----------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 27, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events today:
Downtown Farmers' Market, 11AM-4PM,
Lower Queen Street. Lots of produce you can put away for the winter, but
things to eat and crafts. "We hope to see you this Sunday at the ”Open Air”
Market....Over 60 local vendors. Featuring the Freshest of Produce."
PEI Green Party Dream-a-thon, anytime
4-6:30PM, on-line, all welcome.
"...an evening of diverse performances by many talented Islanders....music,
storytelling, comedy... there will be something for everyone, and every
performance will be a celebration of who we are and what makes PEI
special!" This is also a fundraising event, with donations accepted.
Details:
Facebook event link
Though responding to a Letter to the Editor (the latter one, below),
Barb McDowall sums it all up:
from Barb McDowall,
Friday, September 25th, 2020, social media:
We
live on an island with a finite amount of land and water. Municipal and
provincial governments are sorely lacking in vision, their insistence on
propping up the status quo (“the way we’ve always done it”) and breaking their
covenant with the people who elected them. We all, as citizens, suffer from the
deliberate exclusion in the decision-making processes that affect us, the land,
the water and our living earth directly.
But we do see
when we stand up (repeatedly) and make our concerns known, some politicians
hear. We are still striving for better electoral systems that make
governments sort people's concerns and work together.
Paul MacNeill's
editorial (bold is mine): http://www.peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/larger-issues-at-play-than-buddhist-permit/article_d749e186-fcdd-11ea-91e2-3fb3a38437ff.html
Larger issues at play than Buddhist permit - The Eastern Graphic Editorial by Paul Mac Neill
Published on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, in
The Graphic publications
Some
will paint Three River’s decision to deny a building permit for a Buddhist
residence as a defiant demand for increased provincial land control
regulation.Some will see it as not so subtle institutional racism.
The reality is
nothing nearly as nefarious.
Council is doing
its job, building the foundation of a community still in its infancy. Any long
term community view requires a rule book, an official municipal plan, which in
the case of Three Rivers is still being formalized by an Ontario firm. Until
complete, it’s understandable why brakes are temporarily applied to the Great
Wisdom Buddhist Institute development.The three storey residence, to house 170
of an expected 1,400 nuns over the next decade, is but one portion of the total
project encompassing hundreds of acres and multiple buildings.
It is the massive
scale, with its subsequent impact on community and provision of municipal
services, that council is attempting to balance, something that will only truly
occur when the King government puts substance to rhetoric and stops dawdling on
promised reform.
In the last number
of years housing prices in eastern PEI have soared, while the number of
available homes for sale decline.The combination means the dream of owning a
home is becoming impossible for a growing number.The growth of the Buddhist
community is a primary driver of the hot housing market, that includes seeing
followers buy a whole Brudenell subdivision.
Don’t mistake this
as criticism. It’s not. People have the right to sell property and receive fair
market value in return. The issue is the large number of homes that sit empty
for much of the year, purchased by followers or family members of nuns and
monks. It is PEI’s version of the Vancouver condo crisis, also driven by empty
homes creating an overheated market. It’s not an easy problem to solve, but it
is one that the King government must address because it will only magnify in
coming years.
The same holds
true when it comes to quality agricultural acreage being taken out of
production as the Buddhist community buys large swaths of land, part of a
larger issue of land ownership control and limits. It’s in this vacuum change
is occurring and friction is increasing.
The promised land
bank. Still just a promise.
The promise to get
to the bottom of the Irving share purchase of Brendel Farms, a blatant run
around of the spirit and intent of the Lands Protection Act, languishes for
more than a year at the Island Regulatory Appeals Commission.The only thing of
substance IRAC has produced is a waste of taxpayer’s money and the appearance
of a conflict of interest by retaining former Chief Justice Gerard Mitchell. His
daughter was deputy minister responsible when the Brendel sale occurred and now
is a full-time commissioner with IRAC. Regardless the quality of his resume,
Justice Mitchell should not be involved.
IRAC was handed a
file where the basic facts were not in dispute, yet it delivers a sloth-like
investigation that belies the urgency demanded.
The King
government doesn’t need to wait for IRAC to act. But the longer government goes
without delivering on its foundational promise, the greater chance nothing of
substance will be delivered.
The Brendel sale
makes a mockery of provincial legislation. Without a forceful response, which
could include mandating divestiture of land, it is open season for those
wanting to circumvent land ownership limits. Clear provincial guidance is
needed for transference of agricultural land from one generation to the next
and legislation mandating enforceable limits, including arm’s-length control.
Immigration is
vital to the viability of every Island community. The Buddhist community is a
welcome and important addition to Three Rivers and eastern PEI region, but
there is a continual undercurrent of mistrust. Fixing issues always begins with
honest, respectful dialogue.
GEBIS and council
need to sit down and talk. But the King government must also step out of IRAC’s
shadow and deliver on its oft-repeated promise of land ownership control. It’s
not about some idyllic Protestant-Catholic, white, postcard image of what the
Island was 50 years ago. What’s needed is a road map individuals, corporations,
communities and organizations can trust, so we don’t look back in 50 years and
lament what we’ve lost.
Paul MacNeill is
Publisher of Island Press Limited. He can be contacted at paul@peicanada.com
-30-
And Chris McGarry's letter: http://www.peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/shocking-reluctance-to-act-on-land-reform/article_9aee7f40-fcdc-11ea-b420-f349682d63f1.html
Shocking reluctance to act on land reform - The Eastern Garphic Letter to the Editor
Printed on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020, in The Graphic publications
On April 23, 2019, Islanders went to the polls, resulting in the province’s
first minority government since 1890, with the Green Party making it to the
opposition benches for the first time in history.
There has been a shocking reluctance to implement sound land reform policies
and take ironclad steps to close the loopholes in the Lands Protection Act.
Instead, those concerned about the future of our province’s farmland –
including affordability for young farmers – have been placated by the usual
half – promises and lip service to an issue that lies at the heart of PEI’s
primary industry, agriculture.
The failure on the part of the King government to ensure the spirit and intent
of the Lands Protection Act is enforced continues to enable big agriculture and
developers to buy more acres of farmland by putting the land under the names of
individuals and corporations.
Lately, there has been a growing controversy in the Three Rivers Municipality
regarding GEBIS (Greater Enlightenment Buddhist Institute) and GWBI (Great
Wisdom Buddhist Institute), an organization of groups of Buddhist monks and
nuns that have been growing in Kings County over the past decade (and owns
thousands of acres through various affiliated entities) and GWBI – the Buddhist
nuns' plan to construct a residence in Brudenell. Local residents, concerned
about what potential impact this development would have on land prices, the
local housing market, etc. held a meeting in Montague to voice their concerns.
The Councillors heard those concerns and voted 7-3 to not approve the building
permit, indicating that it needs to hear from the King government and engage
the community and Buddhists in a dialogue as Three Rivers proceeds to develop
its first long-term community plan.
Since time immemorial, PEI has been referred to as the ‘million – acre’ farm.
For decades, small farming operations were the lifeblood of the Cradle of
Confederation. Regrettably, too many of our elected representatives care not if
they sell off the farm, so to speak.
Since before the time PEI became a province, Islanders have maintained a strong
bond with the land and have always striven to protect it. As more people become
vocal about the growing threats to land ownership, politicians will have to
shed their reluctance to act on this pressing issue and do the right thing.
Chris McGarry, Belfast
-30-
Operatics -- Met
Opera video-streaming -- Puccini week is wrapping up:
Puccini’s Turandot,
today until 6:30PM
Starring Christine Goerke, Eleonora Buratto, Yusif Eyvazov, and James Morris,
conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From October 12, 2019.
Christine Goerke was the dynamic Valkyrie Brunhilde in the most recent viewing of
Die Walkure.
Here, she wows "...audiences
as Turandot, the icy princess at the heart of Puccini’s grand final
masterpiece. About 2 1/2 hours.
Puccini’s La Bohème, tonight 7:30PM until Monday 6:30PM
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramón Vargas, Ludovic Tézier, Quinn
Kelsey, Oren Gradus, and Paul Plishka, conducted by Nicola Luisotti. From April
5, 2008. "... a touching performance starring Angela Gheorghiu and
Ramón Vargas as the frail seamstress and her poetic lover." Just
over two hours.
Global Chorus essay for September 27
Brenna Davis
I have an unshakable hope that the Earth will be renewed. My hope lies in the
mind and heart of humanity – in the heights of our innovation, and in the
depths of our compassion.
Human beings have a passion for innovation. One of the biggest watershed moments
in modern history was the invention of the combustion engine, which birthed the
industrial revolution. From the development of metallurgy, to the mastery of
physics, the creation of the engine required millennia of innovation. An engine
is an exquisite example of our ability to innovate, despite the unintended
consequences of climate change. Our generation is beginning to apply the same
innovative spirit that created the engine to environmental innovation. We are
finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint, eliminating toxins from
manufacturing and expanding use of renewable energy. We are in an era of
astounding environmental innovation across the globe.
Human beings are being called to environmental innovation because of compassion
for future generations. We know that we are already experiencing climate change
that impacts people worldwide. Even if we stop all emissions today, scientists
found that the climate wouldn’t return to a state of stasis for at least a
century. This scientific finding rings in an era of intergenerational
environmental justice. It calls the entire world to unprecedented levels of
compassion for human beings whom we will never meet. Compassion for people of
the future may seem like a tall order, but compassion has an amazing quality –
when we develop compassion for ourselves, we develop compassion for others. It
stands to reason, then, that our most important work is to develop compassion
for ourselves. When we do, our compassion will overflow into our relationship
with the world, including protecting the Earth for those yet to be born.
When our hearts and minds merge, each human being has the innate ability to
compassionately innovate for the good of all. This is how the Earth will be
renewed for the well-being of future generations. As the Hopi elders generously
and wisely stated, we are the ones we have been waiting for.
—Brenna
Davis, environmental scientist, sustainable business expert
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 26, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Farmers' Markets in
Charlottetown (8-1PM)
and Summerside
(9AM-1PM -- INSIDE)
If you want to catch up on any Legislative
Standing Committee meetings recordings (transcripts take a
while to get finished, but video and/or audio are there), here is the Calendar
of meetings from the Legislative Assembly website:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/calendar
Though this newsletter
has carried a lot about issues in Charlottetown recently, it is very good to
see Citizens clearing expression their opinions about Charlottetown's
leadership and vision (or lack of), as we all share in how our Capital City
looks, and functions.
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-skyscrapers-in-charlottetown-501576/
LETTER: Skyscrapers in Charlottetown? - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on Friday, September 25th, 2020
A few months back I wrote an article about the sorry state of
University Avenue and the lack of long-term vision at City Hall (Charlottetown
lacks vision and leadership, June 6). I decried the complete disregard for any
kind of strategy to improve the traffic flow and perhaps more importantly the
visual appearance of the main gateway to our historic city.
I said my piece
and was happy to get on with our COVID-19 lifestyle. That was until I saw the
rise of a massive steel frame on the campus of UPEI directly adjacent to the
avenue. OMG!
Is it just me or
does this thing look drastically out of place with not only the campus but the
entire city? Why would anybody in their right mind think that this fits with
the character of the campus? It’s twice the height of any other building and
can be seen piercing the skyline for miles in any direction.
Is this the
future we want for our city: skyscrapers on campus and soon on the waterfront?
The university
has some wonderful buildings that have served both SDU and UPEI for decades.
Thousands of students have passed through these buildings on their path to
higher education and self-development. I fear that we have done them a terrible
disservice by dwarfing them with a structure that is so dramatically at odds
with every other building on campus and the surrounding area.
It’s truly
unfortunate that little consideration was given to the character, history,
personality and image of UPEI.
Ron
MacNeill,
UPEI Class of 1974,
Charlottetown
--------------------------
And
the University of Prince Edward Island appears to have missed an opportunity to
obtain the corner lot of University and Belvedere and turn the now-former
"Subway" lot into a green space or quiet, atractive part of the
University; word in the local paper is that it's to be a pizza franchise.
Lots of Opera:
Radio:
Saturday afternoon,
with Ben Heppner, 1PM, 104.7FM
Details:
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/2-4288-saturday-afternoon-at-the-opera
The classic, Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi
Chicago Lyric Orchestra and Chorus, with Quinn Kelsey - Rigoletto, Matthew
Polenzani - Duke of Mantua and Rosa Feola - Gilda
Video streaming:
The Stuff of Divas
Puccini’s Tosca, tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Sonya Yoncheva, Vittorio Grigolo, and Željko Lučić, conducted by
Emmanuel Villaume. From January 27, 2018.
Puccini’s Turandot,
tonight about 7:30PM
until Sunday 6:30PM
Starring Christine Goerke, Eleonora Buratto, Yusif Eyvazov, and James Morris,
conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From October 12, 2019.
Global Chorus essay for September 26
Seth Godin
We’re all going to die.
Of course we are. Everyone does.
Not only that, but it’s far too late, and the politics are too entrenched to
imagine that we’ll be able to maintain the status quo as we know it. The ice
caps are going to melt, temperatures are going to rise and our lives (and more
importantly, the lives of our grandchildren) are going to be dramatically
different.
So, does that mean we should give up? Does that mean we should heedlessly burn
and destroy and consume, acting as if everything is just fine?
I hope not.
No, this isn’t a problem to be fixed the way pottery can be mended or a skinned
knee can heal. This is the new normal. But even with that acknowledgement, we
must work ceaselessly because we know that all of our efforts will make a
difference: they will contribute to ameliorating the problem we caused in the
first place.
And mostly, it’s a problem to be fixed because humans don’t give up. We don’t
shrug our shoulders, avert our eyes and just watch our offspring live a life
that’s not nearly what it could be. It’s our nature to fight, to improve and to
innovate.
I guess I’m asking you to stop looking for the certain solution, stop hoping
for the perfect hope, and instead embrace what we’ve got, which is the task at
hand, which is the effort to make a difference.
Because it matters.
— Seth
Godin, author of The Icarus Deception
https://www.sethgodin.com/
----------------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 25, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Friday, September 25th:
Charlottetown Rally
for Global Action Climate Strike Day, 12noon-2PM, Province House.
"The PEI (Epekwitk)
Fridays for Future Climate Action Group is hosting this rally (and probably a
march) from noon to 2:00 pm starting in front of Province House on Grafton
Street. We join with others, including Fridays for Future Canada, 350.org, Sierra Club, and
Amnesty International Canada to call on our governments to take immediate
action to reduce GHGs and to meet targets set out in the Paris Agreement."
More details:
Facebook event link
and more background: https://fridaysforfuture.ca/register-event/
If unable to attend, consider watching and contributing to social media coverage
and utilizing hashtags such as: #ClimateEmergency #JustRecovery #FridaysForFuture #nogoingback
Standing Committee meetings
Special Committee on Retention of Government
Records, 10AM, livestreamed and recorded
Topic: Briefing on
current practices on record management in government
Location: 1st Floor,
Hon. George Coles Building, 175 Richmond Street
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing on current practices on record management in
government, by Jill MacMicken-Wilson, Provincial Archivist; and Bethany
MacLeod, Deputy Minister, of the Department of Education and Lifelong Learning.
The Hon. George
Coles Building remains closed to the public. The meeting will be live-streamed
on the Legislative Assembly’s website and Facebook page
Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental
Sustainability, 1PM, livestreamed
Topic: Update on
the livestock strategy
The committee will
meet for an update on the livestock strategy from Minister Thompson.
The Hon. George
Coles Building remains closed to the public. The meeting will be live-streamed
on the Legislative Assembly’s website and Facebook page.
Legislative Assembly website Link to watch live
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-of-the-day-rethink-waterfront-buildings-in-charlottetown-500428/
LETTER OF THE DAY: Rethink waterfront
buildings in Charlottetown - The Guardian Letter of the Day
Published on
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020
I have been re-reading and thinking about Doug MacArthur’s
article, (Concern for our city, Sept. 11), and share his concern for the future
of Charlottetown. I support the establishment of a citizens' forum before any
waterfront construction irrevocably changes our city.
I am an Islander
who has lived abroad for many years and, since 2014, live on the Island. I feel
extremely lucky to be here.
For 20 years I
lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the U.S., a city of 85,000 people. It was
founded by Native Americans and Mexicans and almost everything is built in the
adobe style. In the mid-1940s it was a sleepy town full of artists, attracted
by the unique architecture and the light. The city fathers decided to preserve
the unified adobe look and instituted strict height and building style codes
which remain in effect to today.
Because of the
presence of this inspired vision, Santa Fe is a tourist mecca attracting
millions of people every year. Businesses flourish and the few businesses that
do require larger buildings locate on the outskirts of the city. The building
codes preserve the “look and feel” of the city. They focus on what was unique
and saved it for future generations.
Charlottetown is
also a unique city, not only in the beauty of its historic architecture and the
simplicity of its small homes, but also because of its location on a
magnificent harbour. If the two large buildings approved for the waterfront
move ahead, we will lose the glory of our city. We will lose the charm that
attracts tourism and the historic beauty that defines us. These two buildings
will live long as a monument to bad judgment.
I am well aware
of the shortage of housing. I am also aware that low-density housing alone is
not going to answer this pressing need. However, we are an intelligent,
imaginative, creative people and surely we can work together to create a better
solution in housing than the out-of-scale, out-of-place, proposed buildings on
Haviland and lower Prince Street.
I beg of you
Mayor Brown and Council: take a new, courageous, and creative look at the
uniqueness of Charlottetown, and how best to preserve it. Please pause, consult
with your constituents, and together, let's create a plan that satisfies the
need for housing and honours the beauty of our city.
Maida
Rogerson, Charlottetown
-30-
Not about the City's
waterfront, but about the public review and input process on another project,
Sherwood Crossing by Towers Road in "the back" of the Charlottetown
Mall.
From Doug MacArthur:
https://www.stopkillampei.com/news/sherwood-crossing-public-input
Sherwood
Crossing — Public Input Required - stopkillampei.com post by Doug MacArthur
Published on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020
The purpose of this post is to encourage City Council to
ensure that there is adequate time and available information to enable and
encourage public input into the proposed Sherwood Crossing project before any
zoning change is approved by Council.
Last month, the
City of Charlottetown invited the public to have input into possible rezoning
changes which could enable a 14.78 acre parcel of undeveloped land at the
corner of Tower's Road and Mt Edward Road to be the site of a +300-unit
apartment/townhouse project, plus commercial health care facility. The
project's developers are off-Island developers, Killam and RioCan, and local
developer, APM. Our Stop Killam PEI campaign continues to be focused on
Killam's 15 Haviland 99-unit outrageous City Hall approval process [no public
input allowed] and the resultant calamity of a building. At this point, we have
no position on Killam’s Sherwood Crossing project, except for the
need for adequate opportunity for public input.
There is not yet
enough available information for the public or City Council to make fully
informed judgments on rezoning and subsequent project approval. A major
unanswered question is the impact of this major project on traffic in the area
and how to best mitigate potential problems. However, the City is near completion
of a comprehensive traffic study which should be in final form within weeks and
which can be helpful in determining traffic issues and needs of the greater
area. To their credit, a number of city councillors have taken a position that
only after the traffic study final report is prepared and reviewed will Council
consider the zoning change request.
There are also
other issues which have been raised by the public and need to be seriously
addressed re Sherwood Crossing. These include loss of green space, water
and other infrastructure issues, adjacent Confederation Trail concerns,
affordable housing elements, active transportation provisions, etc.
It is entirely
reasonable that a period of approximately three months [from the August
public input start date] be set aside for public input. This is a very large
project with major long-term implications; all the relevant background info [eg
City traffic study] is not yet available; we are in a time of Covid-19 when
public input logistics are more difficult than normal; the public is
demonstrating great interest in this project; the local construction sector is
at or near full capacity and winter is almost upon us, so what's the rush.
Additionally, the City will be in a much stronger bargaining position with the
developer if the City has a well-researched position to negotiate the terms of
the project as part of the rezoning approval, rather than granting the approval
and then trying to finalize the development terms. Finally, major rezoning and
approval of large projects is not a drive-through process-it can and
should take time to reflect the importance of the decisions being
made.
There are many
other municipalities which have embraced meaningful and adequate public input
in their development approval processes. We urge our City Council to ensure
there is provision for sufficient public input in the Sherwood Crossing
project. The development will be with our community for 100 years, so
surely it's worth a few months of public input now to ensure the process and
the result have maximum community support.
-30-
Opera Corner:
Puccini’s Madama
Butterfly, today until 6:30PM
Starring Patricia Racette, Maria Zifchak, Marcello Giordani, and Dwayne Croft,
conducted by Patrick Summers. From on March 7, 2009. OK, this one is really
sad. 2 1/2 hours
Puccini’s Tosca, tonight 7:30PM until
tomorrow about 6:30PM
Starring Sonya Yoncheva, Vittorio Grigolo, and Željko Lučić, conducted by
Emmanuel Villaume. From January 27, 2018. Vibrant acting, but it all
ends...so...badly...for the Diva, her beloved political revolutionary, and
the lecherous guy in power. But not in that order. Also 2 1/2 hours
a little dated as
written around 2013, but the last paragraph still resonates
Global Chorus essay for September
25
Stéphane Dion
Despite empirical evidence and science’s warnings regarding the ever-increasing
deterioration of our natural environment, unsustainable economic activity,
political wrangling, self-serving practices and just plain negligence keep
trumping environmental imperatives.
Most political leaders care about this tragedy. But concretely, they are not
accountable to the planet; they are accountable to their jurisdiction. That’s
why, most of the time, local trumps global, and short term prevails over long
term.
Now, assume that we change the rules of the game. Imagine a world where each
decision maker, public or private, has to pay the real cost of pollution and
where we all know that our partners and competitors have to pay for this cost
as well. In such a world, political rulers would still think of their own
jurisdiction’s welfare first but their decisions would be more mindful of the
global commons.
Putting a price on pollution: this is what the overwhelming majority of
economists, scientists and environmentalists – and a few foolhardy politicians
– have been urging us to do for years. This applies notably to the climate
change crisis.
The current UN climate negotiations are stalled; that is the inescapable
conclusion of a cool, lucid mind. So let’s redirect these negotiations towards
achieving a universal harmonized carbon price.
We need a world
where pollution is no longer cost-free. We need to switch from self-destructive
development to sustainable development. Action on this survival necessity and
moral imperative is long overdue; it will require individual commitment,
business support and political will.
—The
Honourable Stéphane Dion, PC, Member of Parliament for
Saint-Laurent–Cartierville (Montréal), former Minister of the Environment
Wikipedia provides an
update:
Stéphane Maurice
Dion PC (born 28 September 1955) is a Canadian diplomat, political
scientist and retired politician who has been the Canadian Ambassador to
Germany and special envoy to the European Union since 2017. Dion was Minister
of Foreign Affairs under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from 2015 until he was
shuffled out of Cabinet in 2017. He was also the Leader of the Liberal Party of
Canada and the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons from 2006 to
2008.
-----------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 24, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Thursday, September 24th:
CANCELLED -- Standing
Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, 10AM, on the PEI Energy Strategy.
More details here.
Tomorrow:
Friday, September
25th:
Charlottetown Rally
for Global Action Climate Strike Day, 12noon-2PM, Province House. The PEI (Epekwitk)
Fridays for Future Climate Action Group is hosting this rally (and probably a
march) from noon to 2:00 pm starting in front of Province House on Grafton
Street. We join with others, including Fridays for Future Canada, 350.org, Sierra Club, and Amnesty
International Canada to call on our governments to take immediate action to
reduce GHGs and to meet targets set out in the Paris Agreement.
More details:
Facebook event link
and more background:
https://fridaysforfuture.ca/register-event/
An important commentary and
analysis, which I hope both the Premier and various political
"backroom" denizens read carefully: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-time-for-a-grown-up-conversation-500924/
LETTER: Time for a
grown-up conversation - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Ppublished on Wednesday, September 24th, 2020
The lack of rain this summer has been a concern of Islanders
tip to tip. It resulted in the flow of many Island rivers to fall below their
assigned maintenance level. These values are necessary to protect the ecological
integrity of the river systems. Under the EPA regulations, extractions from
these rivers cease once that threshold is surpassed. On Sept. 18, P.E.I.’s
Watershed Alliance issued a public statement pointing out recent extractions
from the Dunk River to facilitate potato irrigation. This took place during the
period from Aug. 19-26, at a time when the river was significantly below its
assigned maintenance flow. The Dennis King government made special
dispensations to allow this to take place without accepting counsel from the
local watershed group.
On the same day,
Premier King was in New Annan to mark the opening of Cavendish Farm’s potato
research facility. Mr. Robert Irving flew in for the occasion and took the
opportunity to ramp up his demand to end the moratorium on high-capacity wells.
In the premier’s response was the statement “we have to have an adult and
grown-up conversation about it.”
I think we need
“an adult and grownup conversation” about his government’s reluctance to
respect existing regulatory environmental protections and the language and
intent of the still pending Water Act. Perhaps in this conversation Premier
King could also justify his choice to sweeten the spreadsheet of a chosen few.
Boyd
Allen, Pownal
Metropolitan Opera
streaming of video recordings:
Puccini’s Manon
Lescaut, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Kristine Opolais, Roberto Alagna, Massimo Cavalletti, and Brindley
Sherratt, conducted by Fabio Luisi;. From March 5, 2016. France in 1940's,
Alagna and Opolais...pretty cool. 2 1/2 hours.
Puccini’s Madama
Butterfly, tonight 7:30Pm until Friday 6:30PM
From on March 7, 2009. "Patricia Racette is Cio-Cio-San, the
trusting and innocent young geisha of the title, who disastrously falls in love
with American Navy lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton (Marcello Giordani), only to be
abandoned by him. Maria Zifchak is her loyal servant Suzuki" (and is an
incredibly gifted soprano in any of these supporting roles she plays and a
sweet actress) "and Dwayne Croft is Sharpless, the sympathetic American
consul who does all he can but is unable to avert tragedy." Sadder than
sad. 2 1/2 hours
Global Chorus essay for September
24
Céline Cousteau
Hope
serves as a driving force for positive change. This hope inspires us to look to
our future and take the necessary steps to ameliorate our lives.
When we talk about protecting our planet it is not just for the sake of the
environment, it is for own livelihood as well – for the health of this planet
is our own health (lest we feel we can survive on oil, cement, pollution and
dwindling natural resources).
But much like a marathon, we should be ready to work, train and believe in our
ability to reach our goals. It is in part hope that creates the conviction
needed to endure the challenge.
By shifting our thinking, and believing in a global community with a common
stake in the future of our species, we can and will make positive
socio-environmental change happen. In fact, we have no other choice – our human
potential to survive relies on a shift in consciousness and our unified action.
I have hope that we can make that shift happen and that we can act more like a
tribe; a community with a common future. We need to believe in this, else we
lower our arms in defeat, and that is not an option.
— Céline Cousteau, multimedia documentarian, socio-environmental advocate,
founder/director of CauseCentric Productions
http://causecentric.org/
Another site with
fascinating content and calls to action -- "Amplifying the voice of great
causes...inspiring action through storytelling."
-------------------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 23, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
CANCELLED -- The
Special Committee on Poverty in PEI was to meet this morning, in camera (so out of
the cameras and public microphones), to discuss their report, but are NOT
meeting due to the weather.
This
afternoon:
Federal Speech from the Throne, coverage
begins at 2:30PM, all
expected to wrap up around 5PM, CBC Radio and CBC and CTV TV
This evening:
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau public address,
7:30PM, also probably preempting
local programming.
----------------------------
Tomorrow, Thursday,
September 24th:
Standing Committee on Natural Resources and
Environmental Sustainability, 10AM,
on the PEI Energy Strategy.
More details here:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/calendar/natural-resources-and-environmental-sustainability-committee-4
About Friday, September
25th (bold is mine):
LETTER: Sept. 25 is a Global Day of Climate
Action - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Marilyn MacKay
Published on
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020
Fridays for
Future, the climate movement inspired by Greta Thunberg, has called for a
global day of climate action on Sept. 25. Many groups around the world are
planning events – both in person and online aimed at drawing attention to the
climate emergency. The
P.E.I. Fridays for Future Climate Action Group is holding a rally that day from
noon to 2 p.m. in front of Province House on Grafton Street.
They join with others, including Fridays for Future Canada, 350.org, and
Amnesty International Canada to call on our governments to take immediate
action to reduce global warming and to meet targets set out in the Paris
Agreement.
As countries
around the world prepare to spend billions to help their economies recover from
the COVID-19 pandemic, many climate groups are emphasizing the importance of
investing in human well-being and a green, low-carbon economy for this year’s
global climate action day. Themes such as “A Just Recovery for All” and “Build
Back Better” reflect a growing call for systemic change in our social and
economic institutions; recognizing that tackling climate change goes hand in
hand with creating a more equitable world. Here in Canada the speech from the
throne will be delivered on Sept. 23 outlining a pathway to recovery for this
country. The P.E.I. Fridays for Future group plans to review the throne speech
and take an opportunity at the Sept. 25 rally to speak on its compatibility
with the principles of a green and just recovery.
Greta Thunberg
recently offered a grim assessment of progress on the climate crisis since she
began her Friday school strikes two years ago in Sweden. She and some of her
fellow activists wrote in The Guardian International Edition: “The climate and
ecological crisis has never once been treated as a crisis. The gap between what
we need to do and what’s actually being done is widening by the minute.“ She
has called on adults to help with this youth lead movement: “... to change
everything we need everyone.” Sept. 25 is an opportunity to show support for
the world’s youth who are trying to secure a sustainable future for everyone.
The P.E.I. Fridays
for Future Climate Action Group works to effect immediate action on the climate
emergency by advocating with the public and all levels of government for
effective climate policies which are both scientifically based and equitable
for all. They hold weekly climate rallies, 4-5 p.m., at Province House on
Grafton Street in Charlottetown. All are welcome to join in.
Marilyn McKay is a
member of the P.E.I. Fridays for Future Climate Action Group.
-30-
Regarding today's Global Chorus
essayist:
What is permaculture?
Popularly seen as a ‘cool’ form of organic gardening,
permaculture could be better described as a design system for resilient living
and land use based on universal ethics and ecological design principles.
Although the primary focus of permaculture has been the redesign of gardening,
farming, animal husbandry and forestry, the same ethics and principles apply to
design of buildings, tools and technology. Applying permaculture ethics and
principles in our gardens and homes inevitably leads us towards redesigning our
ways of living so as to be more in tune with local surpluses and limits.
Permaculture is also a global movement of individuals, groups
and networks working to create the world we want, by providing for our needs
and organising our lives in harmony with nature. The movement is active in the
most privileged and the most destitute communities and countries. Permaculture
may be Australia’s most significant export for humanity facing a world of
limits.
--from David Holmgren’s latest book RetroSuburbia
Met Opera streaming
of recorded operas:
Puccini’s La
Fanciulla del West, today until 6:30PM
Starring Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, and Lucio Gallo, conducted by Nicola
Luisotti. From January 8, 2011. Grand opera meets the Wild West and the
results are very dramatic!
Wednesday, September
23
Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, tonight 7:30PM until Thursday
6:30PM
Starring Kristine Opolais, Roberto Alagna, Massimo Cavalletti, and Brindley
Sherratt, conducted by Fabio Luisi;. From March 5, 2016. "Kristine Opolais
is the young woman whose conflicting desires for love and luxury lead to her
tragic end, and Roberto Alagna plays the man who falls for her in Puccini’s
early hit. Richard Eyre’s elegant production, which sets the action in 1940s
occupied France..." Wow!
Global Chorus for September 23
David Holmgren
Organized
international responses (between nation states) to the current global
environmental and social crises are unlikely to be effective or in time, and
are more likely to worsen the crises because they will all be designed to
maintain growth of the corporation dominated global economy and protect the
power of nation states.
Despite the pain and suffering from the ongoing, and likely permanent,
contraction of many economies, the explosion of informal household and
community economies have the potential to ameliorate the worst impacts of the
crises by rebuilding lost local resilience.
I believe the diversity of integrated design strategies and techniques
associated with concepts such as Permaculture will be most effective at
building household and community economies as the global economy unravels. The
diversity of these strategies and techniques promises that at least some will
provide pathways for longer-term survival of humanity while the adverse impacts
of some strategies will tend to be more local and limited allowing natural
systems (especially at the global scale) to stabilize.
Because the future will be more local than global, the critical path is the
ongoing development and refinement of effective local designs, while the
Internet and other aspects of the failing global systems still have huge
potential to allow the viral spread of the most effective and widely applicable
designs.
Systems ecology and indigenous wisdom both suggest that in a world of limited
resources, the ethics of “care of the Earth,” “care of people” and “fair share”
will prove more advantageous to local survival than those based on greed and
fear, that have been so powerful during a century of unprecedented abundance.
To put it crudely, hungry dogs hunt co-operatively and share the results, but
given an abundance of food, they fight each other for the spoils.
I have great hope that the diverse local cultures that emerge from the ruins of
industrial modernity will be based on these ethics and informed by design
principles found in nature. The uncertainty is how much more pain and
despoiling are yet to unfold before fear and greed prove maladapted to a world
of limits.
—David Holmgren, co-originator (1978) of the Permaculture design system for
sustainable living and land use, ecological builder, farmer, author, teacher,
activist
And, as you can guess,
there is a great deal at this website:
www.holmgren.com.au
----------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 22, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Cancelled (or at least
postponed)
-- Standing Committee on Education and Economic Growth, which
was to met this afternoon and discuss the reopening of schools.
--------------------------
There are several legislative Standing Committee meetings planned for later
this week, including Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability
Thursday and Friday (Calendar here).
To catch up (which I need to do) on previous presenters for that Committee,
this page should show the transcripts for the meetings in 2020, and three focus
on the Water Act
regulations, if you wish to find them. AT THIS LINK
You could also search for video and audio recordings for meetings (I suggest
start with year 2020 in their rather clunky search system) which you reach by
going to
their committee page (at the very bottom):
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/committees/current-committees/natural-resources-and-environmental-sustainability
If you read the Global
Chorus essay for today (below) written around 2013 during the
Harper-era fight for Canada to acknowledge the effects of fossil-fuel
production, consider reading it again keeping in mind similar situations today
with other major traditional economic forces and environmental protection
issues.
Also,
The Official Opposition Critic for the Environment and Climate Change writes:
--------------------------
Monday, September 21st, 2020
Statement by Lynne
Lund, Official Opposition Critic for Environment, Water, and Climate Change on
concerns regarding stewardship of our natural resources
Like many
Islanders, I was concerned to learn government issued a permit to withdraw
water from the Dunk River despite the river already being well below normal
levels. We know this has been an extremely difficult summer for farmers. But
much of these difficulties are a direct result of climate change. Drier summers
are expected to be our new normal, and that’s why it’s critical we find
solutions that protect all of our resources, land and water, so farming can
survive, and thrive, as well.
What we need is a
sustainable vision for our Island that balances the very real needs of our industries
with the very real threat of climate change.
This is not the
first time government has issued permits with little thought given to the
impacts. We have seen government issue permits for a developer to destroy sand
dunes at St. Margaret’s Beach for a walkway when one already existed, and to
remove part of an old piece of Acadian forest, of which there are not many
examples left on PEI, to make way for more traffic lanes at the corner of St.
Peter’s Road and the perimeter highway.
While the Minister
of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Energy has taken responsibility for the
destruction of the sand dune, it should never have happened in the first place.
I even appreciate he is ensuring Islanders that what happened with the sand dune
will never happen again. Surprisingly, we hear no similar assurances from the
Minister of Environment, Water, and Climate Change when it comes to matters
related to the environment.
To quote
Indigenous Canadian filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin “When the last tree is cut, the
last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is
sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and
that you can’t eat money.”
I join my Islander
friends and neighbours in calling on government to do a better job of
stewarding the resources we have entrusted to its care. I am asking the
Minister of Environment, Water, and Climate Change to explain her vision for
balancing the need of protecting our natural resources with supporting the
industries that Islanders rely on.
Lynne Lund, MLA
Summerside – Wilmot
Official
Opposition Critic for Environment, Water, and Climate Change
-30-
Opera Corner:
Puccini’s La
Rondine, today until 6:30PM
Conducted by Marco Armiliato; starring Angela Gheorghiu, Lisette Oropesa,
Roberto Alagna, Marius Brenciu, and Samuel Ramey. Transmitted live on January
10, 2009. So pretty, so sad.
Tuesday, September
22
Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West, tonight 7:30PM until Wednesday
about 6:30PM
From January 8, 2011. "Puccini’s musical vision of the American West
is vividly brought to life in Giancarlo Del Monaco’s atmospheric production.
Deborah Voigt is Minnie, the girl of the title and owner of a bar in a
Californian mining camp. Marcello Giordani sings Dick Johnson, the
bandit-turned-lover hunted by the cynical sheriff Jack Rance (Lucio Gallo), who
wants Minnie for himself. Complete with whiskey-drinking cowboys, gunplay, a
poker game, and a snowstorm, La Fanciulla del West is Puccini at his most
colorful." That's such a fun description!
Global Chorus essay for September 22
Ian Willms
The idea that we need to “save the planet” is entirely ridiculous. The Earth
doesn’t need us for anything. From formation of its molten core to its multiple
ice ages and numerous extinction-level asteroid impacts, our planet has evolved
into a nearly perfect, self-correcting system. We’ll kill ourselves long before
we destroy the Earth.
I have spent the last three years photographing the indigenous communities
located in the region of the Canadian oil sands. A couple centuries ago, their
ancestors roamed the Athabasca region of northern Alberta, following the
caribou herds and living in harmony with their environment. Today, their First
Nations bands have been confined to remote reserves where their sources of food
and water are so polluted that they now must cope with rising rates of cancer,
miscarriages and other serious ailments. As more and more of their hunting
territory is stripmined and drowned beneath with man-made lakes of toxic waste,
the prospect of reviving their traditional livelihood is quickly fading away.
They are the canary in the coal mine.
For the 2012–13 fiscal year, the Canadian government budgeted $9-million in tax
revenue to fund an ad campaign that attempted to convince Canadians and the
world of the importance of oil sands developments. The ads trumpeted words like
“energy security” and “economic progress” while insisting that environmental
protection was a top priority. They also reminded us that the oil sands are
worth $1.7-trillion to Canada’s GDP over the next 20 years while neglecting to
mention that the oil sands industry alone emits more carbon per annum than the
entire nation of Turkey. The public will buy the government’s line because
they’re too afraid to face a new and unknown world.
The oil sands are the reason why my country pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol
and why my government continues to sabotage the international climate change
debate with destructive policies and a noncommittal stance on proposed climate
accords. While Canada is not solely responsible for global climate change, our
actions contribute to a greater whole. We will not choose to transition to a
sustainable existence until that change becomes a necessity. By that time, it
will be too late to avoid major loss of human life. Extreme weather patterns
have already become the norm and there are climate change refugees all over the
globe. A new and unknown world is coming and we must adapt in order to survive.
Beyond simply surviving, we must live. The coming centuries will present us
with an opportunity to rebuild our world while considering the hard lessons of
today. The greed and inequity that has flung us into this quagmire of systemic
destruction must not be carried forward. Our brilliance as a species to create
and invent needs only to be focused in the right direction for us to create
something that is truly lasting and beautiful. Good luck, everyone.
—Ian
Willms, Boreal Collective
Ian is a former member of the Boreal Collective,
a group of documentary photgraphers:
https://www.borealcollective.com/6967877-about
-------------------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 21, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
It's a relatively quiet beginning of the week, as perhaps people are focussing
on other matters, but there are several Standing Committee meetings Tuesday
through Friday, and Friday is also going to have a Climate Demonstration.
Details to follow
from David MacKay,
social media September 13th, 2020 (edited slightly):
Downloading the
Environmental Guilt Trip - by David MacKay
In order to get
serious about improving our environment we need to understand the things that
have prevented our society from making real environmental improvements, over
the past 30 years. We have had time to mend our ways, the red lights of
environmental degradation began flashing 30 years ago.
To understand the
lack of environmental advancements it is useful to compare the other social
challenges we have made progress on, during the past few decades. Take, for
example, equity for people with disabilities. While realizing there are many
challenges to overcome, one must admit that progress has been made. In
contrast, progress in justice for the land and water, in relative terms, has
been minuscule.
There are many
reasons for this; the unwillingness of government leaders to create and enforce
strong environmental laws and the willingness of corporate elites to prioritize
money over the ecosystem. But there is another factor: the downloading of an
environmental guilt trip through mainstream media’s implied shaming of
individual’s lack of action to save the planet, as if individual action alone
can save the planet. Downloading environmental guilt to citizens serves to
confuse, frustrate and ultimately make individuals feel helpless and guilty in
the face of ecological collapse.
Take the issue of
plastic pollution. We are, by any measure, drowning in plastic. Why? Because
the majority of plastics are cheaply made, difficult to recycle and there is
little or no corporate cost or consequences for their throw-away packaging.
Coke Cola produces 110 billions bottles per year yet the cunning communicators
at Coke HQ have, by and large, made only promises about recycling programs,
implied that it’s those careless trash tossers that are the problem, while
ignoring their decision to generally leave glass bottles behind. In the end
COKE Inc., by their actions, show that higher profits trump the environment.
Is it not time, in
this era of ecological collapse, to recognize big business’s green washing
techniques and the negative effects of well crafted media manipulation, through
their downloading of the environmental guilt trip.
-30-
So suggestions for this,
please, besides using your purchasing power, paying attention to social
campaigns calling out polluters, sharing stories of people and companies who
look at the big picture in their small decisions, etc.
Opera Corner:
Met Opera's video streaming
Bellini’s Norma, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja, and Matthew Rose,
conducted by Carlo Rizzi. From October 7, 2017.
Week 28 (Puccini
Week)
Puccini’s La
Rondine,
7:30PM tonight until Tuesday at 6:30PM
"Puccini’s achingly beautiful score charmingly conveys the plight of Magda
(the 'swallow' of the title) who unexpectedly finds true love with the handsome
young Ruggero. But their idyllic and happy life comes to an premature end as
she is haunted by the fear (of) her checkered past...(then) real-life couple
and operatic stars Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna portray Puccini’s
star-crossed lovers." With very cool Art Deco sets. From
January 2009.
"Star-crossed
lovers" is kind of the theme of Puccini Week
Global Chorus for September 21
Rajendra K. Pachauri
I am optimistic that humanity can find a way past the current global crisis
that we face. The challenge of climate change of course is by far the most
daunting of all the complex problems that afflict planet Earth, and indeed it
would take an enormous amount of determination, enlightenment and possibly
lifestyle and behavioural changes to effectively meet this challenge.
The strongest basis for my optimism lies in the fact that we have today a
wealth of scientific knowledge by which we can project the impacts of climate
change in the future, if human society were to do nothing about this problem.
At the same time, we also have knowledge by which we know that mitigation
actions to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases can be taken in hand with very
modest, and sometimes even with negative costs. Our major effort therefore
should be to disseminate knowledge in a balanced and dispassionate manner, so
that human society can take decisions which would help us in meeting this
challenge for our benefit and for generations yet to come.
Albert Einstein was right when he said that problems cannot be solved with the
level of awareness that created them. We have to use scientific knowledge which
has been produced in creating widespread awareness, for in that lies the strongest
basis for addressing the problems we face.
In summary, therefore, I remain optimistic, and I think we have every reason to
be hopeful, even though the path ahead is not going to be without barriers,
resistance and difficulties.
—
Rajendra K. Pachauri, chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(until 2015), director-general of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute, New
Delhi) (until 2016)
Pachauri died earlier this
year at 79 after heart surgery, and had been facing sexual harrassment charges
that led to his resignation from the above organizations
from The Guardian (U,K.) article from February 2020:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/14/rajendra-pachauri-former-ipcc-head-dies-aged-79
----------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 20, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Downtown Farmers' Market, 11AM-4PM,
Lower Queen Street,
produce and crafts
and ready-to-eat food.
Morning Dew Gardens U-Pick flowers sale,
10AM-12noon and 4-6PM, Jewell Road in Warren Grove.
By donation.
"Come pick flowers tomorrow! We’re spending the weekend
preparing the farm for hurricane winds
which are likely to take
out what’s left of the flower garden.
Rather than the usual $15 cost, bouquets will be by donation
($10 suggested, or pay what you can) to the PEI Humane Society. There are still
lots of colourful sunflowers, cosmos, snapdragons, and other beautiful blooms
that survived the frost! Help us find a home for the last of our flowers while
supporting the wonderful folks and critters.....
Park along the road by the farm sign at 139 Jewell Road and help
yourself! The usual physical distancing and hand sanitizer rules will be in
effect, but instead of our regular setup we’re asking you to bring your own clippers/scissors and bouquet
supplies. A bucket, jar, or rubber band would do the trick!..."
Virtual Open Farm Day
Atlantic
A little different
this year.
"Open Farm Day is the third Sunday of September
annually. See a map and a list of participating at www.peiagsc.ca/openfarmday"
Facebook event details
YouTube Channel
Interesting point of
view:
LETTER:
A double standard - The
Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on Thursday,
September 17th, 2020
I read with interest the transfer of 3.8 acres of land from the
province to the municipality (Capital close to acquiring PE Home property, Aug.
28). Plans for the space range from a botanical garden (not native and not
natural), or maybe even a meditation space.
Ironic that in
developing land in Sherwood (most recently the intensive infill along Mount
Edward Road) there is nary a thought to preserving green space. Once that
entire 50-acre (plus or minus) area is developed it will likely be home to
2,000 people and maybe 3,000 plus cars, degrade the Confederation Trail, and
add by leaps and bounds to the traffic already making any “meditative” state
impossible, let alone the simple enjoyment of any green space.
What a double standard.
Are we turning Charlottetown into a city segregated by the “haves” (aka
downtown Charlottetown) and the “have-nots” (aka Sherwood). Since amalgamation
I have seen an increasing erosion of the quality of life with commercial and
industrial development (paving plants), apartments in people’s backyards, and
major transportation corridors. Sadly, as we look towards more intensive
development and new neighbours, there is not a thought to their meditation
space, let alone any new green or natural space. Maybe we can hop in our cars
and drive to the new space in “downtown Charlottetown” — or will we need a new
road for that? Also, Mr. Brown didn’t mention what land the city was
transferring to the province. Inquiring minds need to know. What are we really
paying for 3.8 acres of meditation space?
Michael Deighan, Charlottetown
Met Opera video
streaming:
Donizetti’s L’Elisir
d’Amore, today until 6:30PM
Starring Pretty Yende, Matthew Polenzani, Davide Luciano, and Ildebrando
D’Arcangelo; conducted by Domingo Hindoyan. From February 10, 2018. Fun,
silly, amazing vocals.
Bellini’s Norma, Sunday 7:30PM until Monday about
6:30PM
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja, and Matthew Rose,
conducted by Carlo Rizzi. From October 7, 2017. Not fun, nor silly, but
amazing vocals.
Very much to peruse in
the Global Chorus essayist's Simran Sethi's website, including about her book Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow
Loss of the Foods We Love.
https://simransethi.com/
Global Chorus essay for September 20
Simran Sethi
To the ancient Greeks, she was hope. Elpis: a spirit bearing flowers, borne out
of the actions of the first woman, Pandora.
Pandora was the all-gifted one. Crafted from earth and water, she was Zeus’
punishment to mankind, retribution for Prometheus’ theft of fire. The gifted
beauty let ills spring forth into what had been a perfect world.
The chaos was her doing.
At least that is what we have been told. That curiosity overwhelmed Pandora.
She opened a box she had been instructed to keep closed – and evil escaped.
Small winged creatures of sickness, plague and bane, calamities that could not
be undone. Pandora recovered in time to capture only one spirit: Elpis.
This mythology reverberates through the challenges we face today: poverty,
environmental degradation, inequality. We opened the box. The crises have taken
fight. All that remains is hope.
But if hope was mingling with the evils in that box, she might be one of them –
another cause of suffering. Because hope is not action, it is expectation. Like
the ancient Greeks, we question if hope is worth having. We consider keeping
her locked away.
Let us revisit the myth of Pandora’s box. Because what she actually opened was
a vessel – pithos – not a box. Smooth and rounded, some called this vessel the
womb; others, life. Pandora was our stand-in: wife, mother, householder. And
tucked into her earthy vessel were spirits that would only later come to be
known as maleficent. Some say the vessel was not full of evils, but necessities
– the elements required to sustain a household. And Elpis was seed, bits of
grain set aside for planting, the hope for abundance. Hope made manifest
through action.
This was Pandora’s doing.
Perhaps it was agency – not curiosity – that compelled Pandora to open the
vessel. And hope, caught under the lip of the jar, was not imprisoned. Loath to
leave us, she stayed. She endured. She is with us still.
Hope is the beginning and the end, the ripe seed that holds the promise of the
next planting. We prepare the ground, we nourish and we water. And then, we
hope.
—
Simran Sethi, journalist, educator
simransethi.com
---------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca September 19, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Farmers' Markets in Charlottetown (8-1PM) and Summerside
(9AM-1PM -- INSIDE)
Some local food:
from the City of
Charlottetown, Thursday, September 17th, 2020:
The City’s Community Veggie Planters are still brimming with delicious produce
that is ripe for the picking. See below for what is ready this week:
*Frank MacAulay Park: Lemon Balm, Lettuce, Patty Pan Squash, Spinach
*Orlebar Park: Basil, Kale, Lemon Balm, Rosemary
*Victoria Park: Dill, Lettuce, Patty Pan Squash
*Windsor Park: Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Dill, Eggplant, Lettuce, Swiss Chard
More info:
https://www.charlottetown.ca/environment___sustainability/lawns_gardening/community_vegetable_planters
There is a lot going on with water right now in the Province,
its "regulation" and protection, who wants more and who is making
decisions affecting this public trust. And many questions swirling and
only lightly touched on by media (who is trying, to their credit) -- Where's
the Water Act
right now, is there actually a moratorium on building holding ponds right now,
what's that big research study studying, what's the new "Cavendish Farms Research"
facility going to be doing, how water issues weave with land issues, both in
holdings and in actual land use -- SO much to make sense of. The
Citizens' Alliance goal is to address parts of this as we can and keep the big
picture in sight: that we only have so much water and land, that climate is
changing, and while certain industries may contribute to Island coffers, our
priorities may be totally out of whack if we aren't protecting land and water
for future generations.On some government
authorized extraction of water in the Dunk River:
The PEI Watershed Alliance, which
represents most of the watershed groups on the Island, has unfortunately but
somewhat understandably often been reluctant to wade into heavy criticism of
government, as their member groups receive most funding from government
resources. Very, very good to see their leadership voicing concerns.
from September 18th,
2020,
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1774034432735786&id=168804916592087
PEI Watershed
Alliance was disappointed to learn that in late August the province allowed the
extraction of surface water from the Dunk River (Kinkora) despite water levels
being critically low.
More information
on river maintenance flows and current river flow can be found on the PEI
government website: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/service/find-stream-level-information
—
Response to water
withdrawal from the Dunk River, August 19 – 26th, 2020:
““The board of the PEI Watershed Alliance was disappointed to learn that the
province granted approval for agricultural producers to extract surface water
from the Dunk River during August 19 – 26th, 2020. At this time, the river’s
water levels were well below the posted maintenance level (45.5 cm), a value
that is meant to protect the ecological integrity and natural flow of the
river. The King Government’s decision to allow pumping when river levels were
below maintenance flow went against the conditions outlined in the
Environmental Protection Act Watercourse and Wetland Protection regulations and
Water Extraction Permitting Policy. On August 18th (4:00 pm) prior to water
extraction, the Dunk river water level was recorded as 40.53 cm (~5 cm below
maintenance flow) on the PEI Government Water Level information website and
once water extraction commenced on August 20th the water level dropped
approximately 5 cm to 35.98 cm (~ 10 cm under maintenance flow).
The board of the PEI Watershed Alliance realizes that drought like conditions
have put strain on our agricultural producers, however, low stream flows
negatively affect the quality and quantity of habitat for aquatic life and
entire ecosystems. We are discouraged that this water extraction decision was made
without consideration of the efforts of the local watershed group (Bedeque Bay
Environmental Management Association) in improving the ecological health of the
Dunk River which is home to an endemic population of Atlantic salmon (COSEWIC
listed as Special Concern). The Dunk is one of the last remaining rivers with
native salmon populations in central PEI. Low flows within river systems are
detrimental to salmon and trout due to increased predation risk and decreased
food availability. We also recognize the significant effect that water
withdrawal via multiple low or single high capacity wells can have on surface
water quantity.
The board is upset by this shortsighted approach of the Premier as it
counteracts the purpose and goals of the Water Act in ‘ensuring quality,
quantity, allocation, conservation and protection of water is managed in the
interests of a common good that benefits and accommodates all living things in
the province and their supporting ecosystems.’ The PEI Watershed Alliance and
our constituent watershed groups strive for environmental betterment and spend
countless energy and resources to improve our Island’s ecosystems through
watershed planning and management practices towards goals laid out in the PEI
Watershed Strategy. We believe in the precautionary principle and work together
with various stakeholders including governments, industry and other partners to
find solutions for environmental issues. The Agri-Watershed Partnership is a
recent example of this collaborative approach.
Environmental sustainability must be a priority. Unfortunately, we do not feel
that this is the viewpoint of the King Government as demonstrated by the Dunk
River surface water extraction approval. The ability of an industry to have
undue influence on our government is unacceptable and the precedence of the
premier in making this decision goes against his oft repeated saying that a
'co-operative approach is critical to the success of our government.' Other
recent approvals such as Irrigation Holding Ponds and the Eastern Kings Wind
Farm further highlight our concerns. We are requesting an immediate meeting
with Premier King and Ministers Jameson and Thompson to discuss our concerns on
these issues.
Sincerely,
Mike Durant
Chair, PEI Watershed Alliance""
-30-
PEI Watershed Alliance Facebook page
Water Protection, and
Fish Kills, the second of the two-part series by Don Mazer and Ann
Wheatley of ECOPEI.
Note
this was not posted online in the Opinions section of The Guardian as of yet,
but I asked for a copy of their work, which they graciously sent to me.
Fishkills:
Action needed - The
Guardian article by Don Mazer and Ann Wheatley
second of two parts
Published on Monday,
September 14th, 2020
It’s not a pretty picture – thousands of dead fish, in various stages of
decomposition – but it’s a familiar one. There have been many fishkills over
the years, including several in the Montrose River, the site of last week’s
most recent die-off. In almost all of the 60+ cases between the late 60s and
2017, pesticides were found to have caused the deaths of those fish. In the
small number of “unsolved” cases, pesticides could not be ruled out. Small
fish, especially, decompose pretty quickly, making the cause of death difficult
to discern.
It’s the ways in which we humans use our land and our water that has caused
fish – and other living things, everything is connected in a watershed – to
die. And we’ve shown a remarkable capacity to resist changing our behaviours.
After years and years of evidence, prosecutions, fines, media attention, and
general wringing of hands, this is where we are, still. Whatever regulations we
have put into place, inadequate. Whatever incentives we have offered, and
whatever best practices we have promoted, not good enough.
The PEI Water Act, which one could argue still won’t be strong enough to
prevent fish kills, anoxic events and other problems, but which offers some
basic protections, has been in the works for 5+ years. That’s just too long.
ECOPEI calls on the Premier and Minister Jameson to take whatever action is
needed to put the Act into effect.
We need to examine our unhealthy dependence on industrial agriculture. When
will we understand the inherent contradiction in the labelling of Prince Edward
Island as Canada’s Food Island? What kind of food, and food for whom? At what
cost to our land, water, flora and fauna and climate should we continue to, on
such a massive scale, strip PEI soil of nutrients and organic matter, load it
with harmful chemicals and watch it blow away or flow into streams and rivers?
The benefits of industrial agriculture, while shared to some extent by local
producers, accrue mostly to large corporations. The costs, including costs to
the environment, are shared more widely, by all of us.
This has been a hot, dry summer. Most people in Prince Edward Island are
connected in some way to farm families and are aware of the profound impacts of
weather on their livelihoods and on their ability to keep producing the food
that we eat. Global warming is making things worse.
The PEI Federation of Agriculture and the PEI Potato Board have called for the
moratorium on high capacity wells to be lifted. They say farmers need more
access to water for irrigation. ECOPEI acknowledges the severity of the dry
conditions. We see this as yet another reason to focus on protection of water
for the future; to maintain, not lift the moratorium, and to evaluate and
bolster all of our water conservation efforts.
Industrial agriculture may be the predominant model, but Prince Edward Island
has a strong tradition of family-scale farms, and of farmers who rely on
sustainable, organic methods of production. To prevent fish kills in the future
we must support those farmers as we wean ourselves from the use of pesticides.
We need to provide more support for farmers involved in or wanting to
transition to organic agriculture, more support for smaller-scale farmers to
distribute their products – for example by requiring hospitals, schools,
nursing homes and prisons to purchase locally produced food, and by developing
the infrastructure necessary for a strong local procurement system.
We can also strengthen provincial rules and regulations when it comes to land
use. This would include more stringent buffer zone and crop rotation
regulations, with no exceptions, and a moratorium on holding ponds for
irrigation. Targets for soil organic material should also be set, tying
government support to meeting those targets.
Fish kills have become predictable, but they don’t have to be inevitable.
Ensuring clean and adequate amounts of water and a healthy environment for
future generations requires action now, and that’s what we all need to be
asking of our government.
-30-
Saturday and Sunday
morning, afternoon and evening at the Opera:
Radio:
Saturday afternoon,
with Ben Heppner, 1PM, 104.7FM
Details:
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/2-4288-saturday-afternoon-at-the-opera
Today it is the entertaining Don
Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti, with
Bryn Terfel as Don Pasquale, Olga Peretyatko as Norina, and Ioan Hotea as
Ernesto, with
Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. A recent recording, I
think.
Video streaming:
Bellini’s I
Puritani, tonight until 6:30PM
From January 6, 2007. "Soprano Anna Netrebko took New York by storm when
she performed the role of the fragile Puritan maiden Elvira. Her daring take on
the heroine’s famous mad scene earned her rapturous standing ovations from
sold-out houses night after night. Overflowing with ravishing arias and
ensembles, this bel canto gem also stars Eric Cutler as Elvira’s love Arturo,
Franco Vassallo as her suitor Riccardo, and John Relyea as her uncle
Giorgio." Those Puritans.
Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, 7:30PM tonight until Sunday about
6:30PM
From February 10, 2018. "Donizetti’s bubbly romantic comedy about a
spunky landowner, a hapless peasant, and the dubious love potion that may or
may not bring them together never fails to delight audiences. In this
performance from the Met’s Live in HD series, South African soprano Pretty
Yende stars as Adina, imbuing her character with lovable warmth while tossing
off effortless coloratura passages from beginning to end. Tenor Matthew
Polenzani is Nemorino, Adina’s love-struck admirer, who pours out his heart in
the moving aria “Una furtiva lagrima.” The cast also includes baritone Davide
Luciano as the swaggering Sergeant Belcore and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as the
wily Dr. Dulcamara, and Domingo Hindoyan conducts Bartlett’s Sher’s charming
and colorful production."
Global Chorus essay for September 19
Grant Lawrence
I believe there is hope.
Whenever I speak with skeptics about our global social and climate crisis, I
often say this: even if you don’t believe that the climate is changing, even if
you think global warming is part of some giant hoax left over from the hippie
era, look at it this way: pretend the planet is your yard, your property. Do
you dump your garbage out of your open kitchen window onto your lawn? Do you
toss out your used appliances into your front yard? Is your backyard filled
with your last twenty years of computer monitors? Unless you’re from Manshiet
Nasser, the answer is probably no. You pride yourself on keeping your private
property neat and tidy and free of trash and garbage. You probably recycle your
newspapers and your bottles and you might even compost.
If we can abide by this simple logic in our attitudes toward the Earth by
applying NIMBY thinking (“not in my backyard”) to our entire planet, no matter
where you stand on climate change or what your stance may be, our planet will
be a better place now and for future generations.
Let’s treat the rest of the planet just like our own private property. Earth is
our home. We need to clean up the mess.
—Grant Lawrence, radio host of CBC Music
http://grantlawrence.ca/
Grant is also hosting the 2020 Canadian Music Class Challenge,
modified for this year.
---------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 18, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Standing Committee meeting: Rules,
Regulations, Private Bills and Privileges, 10AM, Audio available *after*
the meeting.
"The committee will meet to
consider its work plan, including: Motion No. 71 (Motion respecting hybrid
proceedings of the House); rules changes relating to the new parliamentary
calendar and sitting hours; and other new business.
The buildings in the parliamentary precinct remain closed to the public. The
audio of the meeting will be available on the Legislative Assembly's website
and Facebook page following the meeting."
Committee
members:
Hannah Bell (Chair) (GP)
Sonny Gallant (L)
Lynne Lund (GP)
Sidney MacEwen (PC)
Hon. Matthew MacKay (PC)
Hal Perry (L)
Legislative Assembly
website
"Watch Live" link will be on front page
Legislative Assembly
Facebook page
------------------------------------------------
Page about the Motion:
Motion
71: Motion 71 - Motion respecting hybrid virtual proceedings of the House
PDF is here
Friday4Future Charlottetown, 4PM, near Province House
"Join us in solidarity with youth-led #FridaysForFuture school climate
strikes happening across Canada and around the world on Fridays, as founded by
Greta Thunberg in Aug 2018,
All are welcome! We gather to express our love for humanity and our concern for
the future...."
Facebook event link
----------------------------------------
Tomorrow, Saturday, September 18th:
Tree Planting, Frank MacAulay Park,
9:30AM-12:30PM, PREREGISTRATION
required
"The City of Charlottetown invites the public to a
celebratory tree planting in the J. Frank MacAulay Park on Saturday, September
19 to mark the completion of an environmental improvement project at the
park."
Facebook event link
https://www.facebook.com/events/2360164854287177/
Opera notes:
Met Opera video performances streaming:
Rossini’s La
Cenerentola, tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Elīna Garanča, Lawrence Brownlee, Simone Alberghini, Alessandro
Corbelli, and John Relyea; conducted by Maurizio Benini. From May 9,
2009. Cinderella and fantastic singing!
Bellini’s I
Puritani, tonight 7:30PM until Saturday late afternoon
Starring Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler, Franco Vassallo, and John Relyea;
conducted by Patrick Summers. From January 6, 2007. A mad scene allows
Netrebko to display all her amazing vocal talent.
The Global Chorus
essay writer is Alastair McIntosh, a prolific and creative ideas person and
writer. And inspiring speaker. He spoke to the public at UPEI a few
years back, and one thing that stuck with me was his description of how being
elected causes politicians to start being layered in a bubble, with people less
likely to tell them the awkward truths and the politician getting more and more
distanced from their constituents. This in 2013 or so was definitely the
case with the previous MLA for a District in particular, and I think I have
watched some of those in the room that night, now elected to office and one in
that same District, working hard to keep the "bubble" from
forming.
Alastair's website is full of interesting articles and podcasts.
http://www.alastairmcintosh.com/
Global Chorus essay for September 18
Alastair McIntosh
The great question of our times is: what does it mean to be a human being? Are
we just egos, on legs of meat? Here today, gone tomorrow? Obsessed with
competition, consumerism and war?
Or is there more to us than that? Are we still in the early days of the
unfolding of humanity? Facing the come-what-may of the come-to-pass, but on a
pilgrim sojourn?
Sometimes when I feel very alone, doubting and lacking perspective, I go to a
still dark place and look to the stars. Te last time I was home on the Isle of
Lewis I went by the fve-thousand-year-old Callanish standing stones. Aferwards
I dropped in for a cup of tea with Calum, the minister of the village’s Free
Church of Scotland.
His Calvinist theology is not quite mine, but we Quakers “seek that of God in
all,” and it has been my experience to fnd this pastor’s pulse a beat ahead of
my own.
“Te old people of the island,” he said, as I broke a piece of cake, “maintained
that there is only one quality in the human heart that the Devil cannot
counterfeit. We call it the miann. It is a Gaelic word. It means ardent desire.
Te ardent desire for God.”
I do not know Calum well enough to speak for how he understood that desire. But
for me, it is about a very fesh-and-blood kind of love. Te ground of all that
we most truly are, the essence of good things, the fabric of community and the
meaning that gives meaning to meaning.
I lef Callanish that day sparked by the fre of this miann. We can but ask for
it inwardly. To raise our eyes. To see life’s starry connection. And who knows?
To glimpse the opalescent shimmer of love’s hope.
— Alastair McIntosh, author of Soil and Soul and Hell and High
Water: Climate Change, Hope and the Human Condition
-------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 17, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Standing Committee on Natural Resources and
Environmental Sustainability, 10AM
Water Act
regulations -- specifically the water withdrawal (extraction) regulations.
The committee will
meet to hear two presentations on the Water Act
and water withdrawal regulations. Guests will
be the PEI Federation of Agriculture Executive Director, Robert Godfrey,
and Canadian Rivers Institute Director, Michael van den Heuvel.
The Hon. George
Coles Building remains closed to the public for in-person attendance, but this meeting will be
live-streamed on the Legislative Assembly’s website and Facebook page. Audio
and video recordings of the meeting and a transcript of same will later be
made publicly available as well.
Members are:
Cory Deagle (Chair) (PC)
Hon. Darlene Compton
(PC)
Robert Henderson (L)
Stephen Howard (GP)
Lynne Lund (GP)
Hal Perry (L)
Committee's home page
Legislative Assembly
website:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/peileg
--------------------
Webinar -- "Why Canada Needs Basic Guaranteed Livable
Income," hosted by Paul Manley, Green Party MP, 8PM. Registration
link and more details:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LhSFdmXqSdWRtkJMUk4rvA
Oh, so it wasn't the
phone system upgrade...
From the Special
Committee on Government Records Retention, yesterday -- a 49 second clip
curtesy of Kevin Arsenault, showing MLA Sydney MacEwen who could have deleted
certain e-mails:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiGY7SfderA&fbclid=IwAR3QfIcNJzinPvRKIn89HrbWl-Pw7nKUix3PRqEcQ6v0fLDUHdzYM8sgXg

Storms and Smoke:
North and Central America (and part of South America), from NASA's image of the
day, September 15th, 2020, by way of meteorologist Jay Scotland "What a
sobering image," he writes.
Opera corner: Met
Opera videostreaming
Donizetti’s La
Fille du Régiment, today until 6:30PM
Starring Natalie Dessay, Felicity Palmer, Juan Diego Flórez, and Alessandro
Corbelli; conducted by Marco Armiliato. From April 26, 2008.
Rossini’s La
Cenerentola, tonight 7:30PM until Friday 6:30PM
From May 9, 2009. "f ever a composer was born to set the enchanting fairy
tale of Cinderella to sparkling music it was Rossini. His much put upon heroine
Angelina (Elīna Garanča) has to cope not only with nasty stepsisters, but also
an over-the-top, farcical father, Don Magnifico (Alessandro Corbelli). And in
this version the Prince (Lawrence Brownlee) and his valet (Simone Alberghini)
swap identities, which causes no end of delightful confusion. With Cesare
Lievi’s delightful storybook production and Maurizio Benini’s expert
conducting, it’s all as light and delicious as a marvelous musical
soufflé."
Global Chorus essay for September 17
Jan Zwicky
This obsession with doing, with making things happen: it’s at the root of the
problem. Many of us are incapable of sitting still; incapable of listening;
incapable of looking and learning in silence. We can’t let the world just be
itself – we always have to be fixing it, changing it, making it better,
improving things. (The way I fuss over my garden!)
Have humans made progress? Let’s rephrase. Is global consumer culture an
improvement on regional Paleolithic culture? Are the transnational
corporations, to whom we’ve handed over control, improvements on the power
structures of Paleolithic societies? As a woman who deeply appreciates the
degree of personal freedom afforded me by contemporary North American culture –
a degree of freedom unknown to nearly all other women who have lived and died
on this planet – I find it hard to say no. But there is little doubt that, in
planetary terms, no is the answer to these questions. There is also little
doubt that the planet itself is going to answer them. When it does, many of us
will be up against one of the other things that humans are not very good at:
letting go.
There is, I believe, no hope that anything like contemporary North American
society will exist on the other side of the crash. The car is already spinning out
over the cliff. What is left to intelligent, moral beings in such a situation
is witness. Down on our knees, then, in grief. Down on our knees in remorse if
fear for our own comfort has made us refuse to listen, if we’ve allowed wealth
to insulate us from the truth. Look, now, one last time.
Really look. Open your heart as wide as it will go. Ten open your hands.
—Jan
Zwicky, poet, essayist: Songs for Relinquishing the Earth, Wisdom
& Metaphor and Auden
as Philosopher: How Poets Think
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jan-zwicky
----------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 16, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Standing
Committee Meetings today:
Special Committee on Government Records
Retention, 10AM. Livestreamed and recorded.
Topic: Briefing on
IT processes regarding deletion of records
The committee will
meet to receive a briefing on the technical process of email record deletion
and IT matters relevant to Information and Privacy Commissioner Order No.
FI-20-007, by John Brennan, Director of Business Infrastructure Services; and
Scott Cudmore, Director of Enterprise Architecture, of Information Technology
Shared Services.
The Hon. George Coles Building
remains closed to the public. The meeting will be live-streamed on the
Legislative Assembly’s website and Facebook page.
Committee membership:
Michele Beaton (GP)
Hon. Peter Bevan-Baker (GP)
Cory Deagle (PC)
Sidney MacEwen (PC)
Gordon McNeilly (L)
Hal Perry (L)
Special Committee webpage
More pharmacy:
Standing Committee on Health and Social
Development, 1PM, livestreamed
Topic: Pharmacists scope of practice
and pandemic related challenges
The Committee will meet to receive a briefing from the Prince
Edward Island College of Pharmacy's perspective on the scope of practice of
pharmacists during the pandemic and challenges faced from their perspective,
with Guest: Prince Edward Island College of Pharmacy Registrar, Michelle Wyand.
Members:
Gordon McNeilly (Chair) (L)
Trish Altass (GP)
Hannah Bell (GP)
Hon. Jamie Fox (PC)
Heath MacDonald (L)
Hon. Bradley Trivers (PC)
Committee website
Legislative Assembly website
(with Watch Live link when committees are meeting)
Legislative Assembly Facebook page
----------------------------------
EatLocalPEI
Online Farmers' Market, due by midnight
https://mailchi.mp/maplebloomfarm/eatlocalpei
From a letter in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-update-on-gunns-bridge-497234/
LETTER: Update on Gunns Bridge - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published on Tuesday, September 15th, 2020,
in The Guardian
I am a seasonal resident with a summer home on the Trout River Road that has a
view of Gunns Bridge; now the "new" Gunns Bridge or as someone
earlier this year in a letter to The Guardian called it, "The Bridge to
Nowhere".
For many summers
now I have been visiting Gunns Bridge every evening to observe the state of the
river for a survey run by the P.E.I. government. In previous years, the typical
characteristics I observed at this time of year were water colours like
lime-ricky and milky, a strong odour from decaying sea lettuce and a resultant
anoxic river. This year, I am happy to report that the Trout River shows none
of these signs. Almost no discolouration, no build-up of dead sea lettuce, no
smell, not only at Gunns Bridge, but even further up river.
The doubling of
the bridge span in the new bridge has meant that dead sea lettuce has not been
able to build up above the bridge but has been washed down river. The river
just needed a chance to cleanse itself. I don't think the government could do
anything more beneficial towards improving the environment than doubling the
width of all the spans of all the bridge/causeway combinations across all the
rivers of P.E.I. Indeed, why wait for a hurricane to make it necessary to do
something? I would be happy to see the tax dollars I contribute spent in this
way.
While I'm at it,
kudos to Highfield Construction for a job really well done.
Andrew Pletch, Millvale
CBC web article from May 202
Some fun and relatively short Metropolitan Opera video streaming:
Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, today until 6:30PM
From April 9, 2011. "Rossini’s rarely heard comedy receives a
brilliant performance in Bartlett Sher’s Met premiere production, with a trio
of today’s greatest bel canto stars in the leading roles: Juan Diego Flórez is
Count Ory, a handsome rogue who finds women—all women—irresistible. Diana
Damrau sings the virtuous Countess Adèle, and Joyce DiDonato is Isolier, the
count’s page, who is also in love with the countess. Jokes, misunderstandings,
and gender-bending disguises—including knights dressed as nuns— abound in this
hilarious tale of deception and seduction. Maurizio Benini conducts."
Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment, tonight 7:30PM until
Thursday about 6:30PM
From April 26, 2008. "Madcap physical comedy and impeccable coloratura
come together for Natalie Dessay’s indelible portrayal of the feisty tomboy
raised by a regiment of French soldiers. Juan Diego Flórez is the young Swiss
villager who conquers her heart—and a slew of high Cs. Also featuring
uproarious performances by Felicity Palmer and Alessandro Corbelli, as well as
a cameo by Tony Award winner Marian Seldes, this laugh-out-loud production was
a runaway hit that left audiences exhilarated." Both are about 2 hours and
20 minutes.
Global Chorus essay for September 16
Fernand Pareau
From the time I first saw the mountain, there have been many changes. It is now
much more dangerous. In recent years, there have been large rock slides, for
example, particularly in the west face of the Dru [l’Aiguille du Dru of the
Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps]. And the glaciers are shrinking – those
of Bossons and the Mer de Glace have lost up to seven metres in thickness per year.
They used to descend into the valley. Now, there are two lakes at the bottom of
the Mer de Glace! And this decline is everywhere. And faster and faster.
It is we who are responsible for the global warming. It is we who are
pollutant.
With the ARSMB (Association pour le Respect du Site du Mont Blanc), we
denounced this pollution, and have gained in the knowledge of its components.
There is now a regional call to action that is unfolding here, notably with:
the involvement of doctors who have reported an increase in certain diseases;
changes toward more environmentally friendly heating methods within the
municipalities of the Chamonix valley; car-sharing programs that are coming
into effect; and an increased number and frequency of trains, in order to encourage
commuters to drive less – as the train schedule of Zermatt, Switzerland, is
being used as a model example, where there are trains every ten minutes and no
cars.
All these measures can be extended and developed even further. But when the air
is this polluted, we need even more drastic measures to be put into place. And
the ultimate solution for the Chamonix valley will be its classification as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Preservation of the area in this manner will
prohibit the passage of all large transport trucks, will reduce this
devastating pollution and environmental impact to the site, and will bring an
incentive toward buying local and in-season fruits and vegetables.
If pollution is reduced, the air quality will improve, it will slow global
warming and the melting of glaciers will stop. And if we save our mountains, we
allow our children to live there! Life is in the beauty of Nature and the
mountains, which must be preserved.
—Fernand Pareau, 85-year-old doyen of guides to the peaks of Chamonix (France)
...and who was featured in Franny
Armstrong's The Age of Stupid, but I can't find anything more
updated that this about him:
https://www.spannerfilms.net/people/fernand_pareau
And
In October 2017,
Swiss, French and Italian officials signed a joint declaration to classify it (Mont Blanc Massif)
as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which would guarantee the preservation of the natural
wonder. - from https://nomadict.org/chamonix-home-to-the-highest-peak-in-the-alps/
----------------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 15, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Local Food ordering deadline, 12noon,
Charlottetown Farmers' Market 2 GO (CFM2GO), for pickup Thursday.
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/
Legislative Standing
Committee meetings today:
Public Accounts
Committee, 9:30AM, on-line.
Topic:
Property Tax and Assessment; Corporate Taxation. "The
committee will meet to receive briefings on property tax and assessment, and
corporate taxation, by Beth Gaudet, Provincial Tax Commissioner; and Nigel
Burns, Director of Economics, Statistics and Federal Fiscal Relations, of the
Department of Finance." Watch live on the Legislative Assembly website
or Legislative Assembly Facebook page
or later on the Public Accounts Committee page
Public Accounts Committee is made up of:
Michele Beaton
(Green Party) (Chair)
Karla Bernard (GP)
Cory Deagle (PC)
Robert Henderson (L)
Sidney MacEwen (PC)
Gordon McNeilly (L
Standing Committee on Education and Economic
Growth, 1:30PM,
"The committee
will meet to consider its work plan."
Same viewing places as
above, except the Committee's page to view later is here:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/committees/current-committees/education-and-economic-growth
and the committee's members are:
Karla Bernard (GP) (Chair)
Hon. James Aylward (PC)
Robert Henderson (L)
Hon. Ernie Hudson (PC)
Lynne Lund (GP)
Heath MacDonald (L)
---------------------------------------------
Opera Corner:
Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, today until 6:30PM
Starring Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecień, and John Del
Carlo. From November 13, 2010. It ends happily! 2 hours 20
minutes.
Rossini’s Le Comte Ory, tonight 7:30PM until Wednesday
about 6:30PM
Starring Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, and Juan Diego Flórez; conducted by Maurizio
Benini. From April 9, 2011. A romp, and also 2 hours and 20
minutes. :-)
Metropolitan Opera link
--------------------------------------------
Thursday, September
17th:
Webinar: "Why
Canada Needs a Basic Guaranteed Livable Income, 8-9:30PM, on-line (link to
registration, below)
"What would be
the greatest benefit of a Guaranteed Livable Income to you or someone in your
life? Green Party MP Paul Manly (Nanaimo-Ladysmith), in
collaboration with Coalition Canada: Basic Income, is hosting a national town
hall on Guaranteed Livable Basic Income with a panel of experts who will
explain the basics, talk about the benefits, and break down some myths and
misunderstandings. We’ll also hear from Canadians who will speak about
guaranteed livable basic income from their personal experiences. Live
simultaneous French translation will be provided.
More details at:
https://www.greenparty.ca/en/content/why-canada-needs-guaranteed-livable-basic-income
You may remember yesterday I
mentioned how the Leap Manifesto has done the work to describe how the economy
can move both into a green economy and with social justice as a priority.
Today is:
Happy 5th Birthday, Leap Manifesto!
Organizer Arshia
Lakhani writes,
So here’s my
ask: for our birthday, will you follow us on:
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/TheLeapOrg
Twitter
https://twitter.com/TheLeap_Org,
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theleap_org/
and our NEW TikTok account**so you
can join the celebration?
There’s going to
be contests, funny videos, highlights and lowlights from our past five years.
We will be taking you back to our proudest moments, and shouting out some of
our loudest haters. You’re not going to want to miss
this.
Arshia Lakhani,
Communications Manager, The Leap
** I could not get the TikTok link to work, sorry, but you can probably search
for it.
Or take a few
minutes to go to their website:
https://leapmanifesto.org/en/the-leap-manifesto/
and read the FAQs,
see what the principles are, etc.
(once you get past the swirly forested main banner, lovely, but too much
screen-motion for some)
Unfortunately, but good for the reminder: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-fish-kills-on-pei-weve-been-here-before-496422/
Part one of two:
GUEST OPINION: Fish
kills on P.E.I.: We've been here before - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Don Mazer and Ann Wheatley
Published on
Saturday, September 12th, 2020
We have been here so many times before. Now, 2,000 dead trout on
the Montrose River, the third fish kill in those waters in 10 years.
Fish kills have come
to be a regular, even expected event – an unfortunate fact of Island life.
There have been 62 documented fishkills since 1967, including 51 where
pesticides are the suspected or identified cause. Multiple fish kills have
occurred in 15 watersheds. There have been three or more fish kills in seven
watersheds.
Many words have been
written and spoken, proposals made, investigations launched: there are even a
few successful prosecutions to help assure us that fish kills can be blamed on
a few individual farmers, and not on the policies and practices that support
industrial agriculture.
It may seem like
everything has already been said about fish kills, and perhaps it has. But
these points bear repeating: fish kills continue, and things need to change.
Here are some
selections from letters by members of the Environmental Coalition of Prince
Edward Island over the past 13 years.
Don
Mazer (2007), after fish kills on the Tryon and Dunk Rivers:
"The problems
that we face go far beyond the restorations of fish habitat and populations;
our environmental problems are more systemic and interrelated. We need to be
guided by an ecocentric vision, grounded in the value of enhancing ecological
health in all of our practices. We can no longer afford the ‘risk management’
models that push the land to its limits. Such a vision requires that we address
what even the Guardian recognizes as the chemical dependency of our mainstream
farming practices. It is imperative that we recognize that human practices that
degrade and endanger the environment actually threaten our economy as well as
our human health. There are no healthy humans on a sick planet. We need to
regard the death of these fish as a reflection of how much the health of this
Island and all of its inhabitants, human and nonhuman alike has been
jeopardized … and to make the dramatic changes that would contribute to a truly
healthy, sustainable and 'green Island."
Gary
Schneider (2012):
"Another year,
another fish kill and the start of the anoxic events in Island rivers. Even
with the extremely dry weather we’ve been having in Prince Edward Island, we’re
still not able to have a summer without dead sections in our streams and rivers
. . . Dead zones in our rivers will continue until we actually take the
necessary steps to solve the problems.
I would like to feel
that the death of thousands of fish and other creatures in the Trout River, the
impacts on the health of the Montrose River ecosystem, and the damage to our
tourism and recreational fisheries sectors were not in vain. We need our
government, and the agricultural community, to stand up, take responsibility
and solve these problems. And we need Islanders to support new legislation, not
oppose it. We cannot afford to have our reputation, and our very spirit,
seriously damaged each summer."
Ann
Wheatley (2013): Commenting on the report of the Action Committee for
Sustainable Land Management, established to examine the 2011 and 2012 fish
kills at Barclay Brook:
"The report fails
to address the most important issue affecting the health of our watersheds and
all of the plants and animals that depend on them. That is, the prevalence of
industrial agriculture in this province. The monoculture of potatoes on such a
large scale, with its heavy reliance on large doses of pesticides and synthetic
fertilizers, is causing great harm to the environment and we need to do
something about that."
We don’t need another
commission to know which way the wind is blowing. We need our provincial
government to come up with a step-by-step plan to significantly reduce
pesticide use throughout the province. It is the right thing to do and the only
way to get us out of this harmful cycle of annual fish kills.
Don
Mazer and Ann Wheatley are members of the Environmental Coalition of Prince
Edward Island. This is part one of a two-part series. Part two will offer more
analysis of the causes of fish kills, their connection to agricultural and
water issues, and offer needed directions for change.
-30-
This is an amazingly
perceptive piece by Lennie.
Global Chorus for September 15
Lennie Gallant
I often close my concerts with a song titled “The Band’s Still Playing,” which
employs the once supposedly unsinkable Titanic as metaphor for the good ship
Planet Earth. I ask the audience to become part of the ship’s orchestra, and
have them jubilantly singing the horn parts, while the lyric laments the
“rearranging of the deck chairs” and the band’s “crying out for our souls.” It
is meant to be a sardonic piece about the perilous state of the world and our
rather complacent attitude; but I feel the point of the song is often missed …
perhaps it’s too subtle.
We cannot be subtle anymore. Te “iceberg” in front of our ship is menacing and
ready to rip our hull apart. It will take a tremendous amount of strength and
will to turn the wheel and change our course before it’s too late. I believe it
can be done, but it must happen now.
The old adage “it is always darkest before the dawn” may be a reality in the
world today. I sense there are sparks of hope that are just waiting for the
right breath of air to fan them into something far greater. I see it on YouTube
in simple acts of kindness that go viral, and in humanitarian movements that
kids initiate, first thought to be naïve, that end up having powerful results.
I see it in people risking their livelihood and reputations to speak a truth
about environmental issues, no matter how unpopular it may be. These things
give me hope. We are desperate for inspiration, bravery, ingenuity and real
leadership.
How do we fan these embers so they turn into a force passionate and strong
enough to change our collective behaviour and present heading? I believe it
will take a tremendous shift in our thinking that the media, artists, talk show
hosts, bartenders, celebrities, writers, taxi drivers, activists, students,
teachers … anyone with any kind of audience, must initiate and propagate. We
cannot expect it to come from our political leaders, who far too often have
actually become followers. We need a radical change in popular culture as to
who and what we designate as being truly newsworthy. It’s time to seriously
celebrate those who make courageous efforts in greentech and science and in
re-establishing our connection with the natural world. If we can make this the
lead story – inspiring, necessary and cool – then I think we just might be
blowing our horns for the right reason. “Wake up! Grab the wheel … Iceberg
ahead!”
—
Lennie Gallant, songwriter, father
----------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca September 14, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Ordering Organic vegetable delivery, Monday night:
https://www.organicveggiedelivery.com/
City of
Charlottetown Council meeting, 5PM, City Hall.
The Towers Road projects are on the agenda.
For those who wish
to attend in person, a screen will be set up in the second floor lobby of
City Hall for the public to watch the live streaming of the meeting.
Live Stream:
https://www.charlottetown.ca/mayor___council/council_meetings/live_streaming_of_council_meetings
or www.charlottetown.ca/video
More background and Mayor and City Council contact info in September 7th Citizens' Alliance News:
https://mailchi.mp/2ecf3d2ce41a/citizens-alliance-news-monday-september-7th-2020?
In
Conversation: Dimitri and the PEI Greens, 6:30PM, On-line (Zoom)
Join Candidate for the leadership of the Federal Green Party of Canada Dimitri
Lascaris
"...to discuss the climate crisis and our plan to move Canada to a more
democratic, egalitarian and green society."
Sign on to Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/97242650743
Facebook event link
Met Opera offerings:
Massenet’s Werther,
tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Lisette Oropesa, Sophie Koch, Jonas Kaufmann, David Bižić, and
Jonathan Summers, conducted by Alain Altinoglu. From March 15, 2014. Kaufman is
the epitome of the yearning, suffering poet.
Week 27 (Bel-Canto Favorites)
Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, tonight 7:30PM until Tuesday
about 6:30PM
Starring Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecień, and John Del
Carlo; conducted by James Levine. From November 13, 2010. This one is
much too much fun, so energetic!
Saturday's The House, the week in Canadian politics on
CBCRadio, had two interesting articles in the last half of the
program Saturday -- an interview with three of the Green Party leadership
contenders, and a bit of a discussion on recovery the economy with the
environment and social justice in mind. The infuriating aspect was
hearing the that "nobody has a plan of how to do both
simultaneously", when The Leap Manifesto and its braintrust have been
working on this for several years.
CBC The
House episode link from Saturday, September 12th, 2020
The Leap Manifesto website
Global Chorus essay for September 14
Lillian Rose Stewart
I believe in miracles, I see them everyday where a modern highway meets an
unchanged vista, frozen in time. Earth the way it is meant to be … the way it
was in the beginning.
Snow falls gently, the windshield wipers tap a metronome to the clanking of
tire chains ringing against the black macadam surface of the highway. It is a
violent symphony accompanied by a chorus of strangers from nine sovereign
nations, singing out the lyrics. The chatter resonates in languages I cannot
speak, nor understand, but I am not disturbed. After twenty years of driving
this bus I know that around the bend awaits a miracle. Amber lights flash dance
upon the snow, airbrakes blast an awakening for my captive audience. We will
make an unscheduled stop.
They gather in awe, these unlikely brethren, as the majestic Sierra Nevada loom
in the distance, reflected upon the waters, mighty moraines cloaked in
shimmering white sky fall. It is a masterpiece … but I see only the faces of
strangers as they turn to share their joy.
In that fleeting moment as they stand shoulder to shoulder, these kings and
ditchdiggers, the colours of their skin are merely hues in a human rainbow.
There are no angry words or lines drawn on a map, just the beating of hearts
speaking a common language. I smile … for in that brief and glorious moment
there is … peace on Earth.
I hope … this moment becomes a memory … and the memory becomes … a knowing, a
realization of an ancient wisdom … that all things are bound by the wonder and
the beauty of our mother Earth. And I hope they take this knowing with them to
their towering penthouses in Dubai, or to a shanty on the banks of an Egyptian
river, or to a bustling backstreet market in Hong Kong. A knowing … that peace
on Earth is an attainable thing … that the beauty and the wonder of a sustained
mother Earth is an attainable thing, anywhere, everyday, for all things of this
Earth … if only we choose it.
I hope … and hope is a new beginning.
— Lillian Rose Stewart, retired ski bus driver,
screenwriter www.bluemountainskink.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Mountains_water_skink
-------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 13, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Sunday Downtown
Charlottetown Market, 11AM-4PM, Lower Queen Street (closed to auto traffic for
that time).
Some opera:
Berlioz’s Les
Troyens, today until 6:30PM
Starring Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Karen Cargill, Bryan Hymel, Eric Cutler,
Dwayne Croft, and Kwangchul Youn, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From January 5,
2013. Adapted from the Aenead.
Sunday, September 13
Massenet’s Werther, 7:30PM until 6:30PM Monday
Starring Lisette Oropesa, Sophie Koch, Jonas Kaufmann, David Bižić, and
Jonathan Summers, conducted by Alain Altinoglu. From March 15, 2014.
Gorgeous singing, sad story of a poet in love.
Background
(printed a while ago, I think), from June: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/former-planning-expert-says-charlottetown-will-regret-approving-eight-storey-apartment-on-waterfront-465407/
Former planning expert says Charlottetown will
regret approving eight-storey apartment on waterfront - The Guardian article by Dave Stewart
Published on
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2020
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. —
One of the people who played a lead role in shaping the
Charlottetown waterfront says the city is ruining decades of hard work.
Doug MacArthur is
talking about council’s decision to approve a $30-million, eight-storey
apartment building at 15 Haviland St., directly behind Renaissance Place (the
former Sacred Heart Home).
“I do not like to see
(all of the work) falling apart at this stage because so many things have been
well done since the 1970s," MacArthur said in an interview last week,
referring to the city’s waterfront.
MacArthur used to own
his own planning firm, called Spatial Planning. He was also one of the federal
government officials who worked on developing the waterfront over an industrial
site to what it is today. To cite one example, with the help of the
Charlottetown Area Development Corporation, the old Texaco tank farm was
transformed into Confederation Landing Park.
MacArthur said he
isn’t upset with Pan American Properties and owner Tim Banks, the developer
leading the project, acknowledging that the property is as-of-right and was
zoned in 2012 in such a way that allows a building of this size to be built on
the waterfront.
“What he’s doing is
maximizing profit. My problem is the city letting him do it because they have
not done the proper due diligence."
MacArthur said his
big concern is that the city’s design review board signed off on the project
following a 17-minute meeting.
“I still think there
is an opportunity to revisit this building. I think there are so many things
wrong with the way the design committee went about it and I think there are so
many inaccuracies in how this building complies with everything from heritage
bylaws to all sorts of things."
MacArthur said people
need to realize this eight-storey structure is going to tower over the neighbourhood
buildings, which include Queen Charlotte Armouries, Renaissance Place and the
Culinary Institute of Canada.
“This must not be
allowed to proceed. The first thing the cruise ships will see is this building.
New buildings on the waterfront should cannot overwhelm other neighbourhood
buildings."
Coun. Greg Rivard,
chairman of the planning and heritage committees, said the design review board
did its due diligence. “We have a board in place that has architects on
it," Rivard said. “They get reports prior to the meetings, so it is
not like they are seeing (proposals) for the first time at the meetings.
They’ve had these reports in their hands for a week.
“There are cases,
sometimes, where they will reach out to our heritage or planning staff with
questions prior to the meeting. A lot of the questions they may have had may
have been answered ahead of time."
MacArthur still warns
letting eight-storey buildings rise on the waterfront sets a dangerous
precedent. “I think if this proceeds it will be the worst project the
waterfront has seen," MacArthur said.
-30-
Excellent
letter, encouraging all Islanders to remain involved and ask questions: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-concern-for-our-city-495719/
GUEST OPINION:
Concern for our city - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Doug MacArthur
Published on
Saturday, September 12th, 2020
For those who have been fortunate enough to visit European
cities, have you noticed how beautiful many of them are, how they attract
countless tourists from all over the world, and how proud local residents are
of their city. One reason is that hundreds of years ago European planners
developed and refined a city planning approach based on "concern for the
appearance of the city". To this day, this approach guides urban
development and planning in much of Europe.
In the U.S.,
until the early 20th century, urban planning was largely hit and miss. More
recently, the U.S. introduced the concept of "as of right" in its
planning procedures. As of right means that a building project can proceed if
it meets ALL of the zoning/development requirements on a particular site.
Still, in the U.S., a city's mayor and council have final decision-making
power.
Throughout much
of the world, there is also a concept called participatory planning. The basis
for this concept is that the extent to which planning involves public
participation reflects the degree of democracy enjoyed in a city or country.
Where government is authoritarian, so is planning.
Killam's
$30-million, 15 Haviland St., 99-unit project was approved by the city in 17
minutes. As we have argued on our Stop Killam P.E.I. website and Facebook page,
the project ignores provisions in the 2012 City Waterfront 30-Year Plan,
ignores requirements in the City's 2014 Zoning Bylaws, and suffers from
inadequate access/egress issues. Yet, it was approved in 17 minutes. Meanwhile,
we also argue the proposed lower Prince Street/Founders Hall seven-storey
building has many similar issues.
Right up until
today, Mayor Philip Brown has said he is helpless to do anything to reconsider
these two projects because the previous mayor and council introduced
"as-of-right," and, for a similar reason, he says there can't be any
public input into either project. First, as-of-right doesn't apply when a
project doesn't meet bylaw requirements. Second, Mayor Brown says he intends to
change the bylaw (after these projects proceed!), but he hasn't lifted a finger
to change the bylaw since he was elected, and instead on Jan. 6, 2020, he
signed a 15 Haviland Development Agreement with Killam that included a clause
saying that desired Killam changes to the project particulars could be approved
by the city's chief administration officer and would not need to go to council.
Does that sound like someone who wants to restore authority and public input in
city council?
Just one term in
office by the current city administration is damaging our city irreparably, and
the damage by these two projects will last 100 years. Meanwhile, how can we as
residents and Islanders, have any confidence that this city administration will
responsibly address decisions on upcoming projects such as Mount Edward
Road/Towers Road and the $80 million or more sports complex?
All Islanders are
justifiably proud of our capital city and birthplace of confederation. For 50
years we have been concerned with the appearance of our city and have tried to
make wise development decisions, and almost always with opportunity for public
input. Mayor Brown has made it clear time and again that he will do nothing to
hear our voices or to act on our concerns. I believe it's time for us to stand
up and be counted.
Doug MacArthur
was actively involved in Charlottetown waterfront development in the 1970s-80s
and subsequently played an onsite project management role in development
projects in more than 60 countries.
-30-
Global
Chorus essay for September
David Gershon
Again and again in
history some people wake up. They have no ground in the crowd and they move to
broader, deeper laws. They carry strange customs with them and demand room for
bold and audacious action. The future speaks ruthlessly through them. They change
the world.
— Rainer Maria Rilke
From runaway climate change that threatens the survival of humanity and the
many life forms on Earth, to the many starving people and those just eking out
an existence at the very edge of survival, to the desperation of our inner-city
youth, to our patterns of thought that perpetuate a divided world, our planet
is in need of a radical transformation that goes to the very root of our vision
as human beings.
What could enable such a fundamental transformation is our innate longing as
human beings to create a better world for ourselves and our children. This
inherent desire for self-improvement is a key lever for human evolution because
there are enormous possibilities to tap into it. But to access this potential
requires transformative change leaders capable of calling forth our intrinsic
aspiration. This is a learnable skill set and transformationally minded leaders
are growing as more people attempt to lead lives driven by meaning and purpose.
All the more so among the Millennials.
At the Federal Convention of 1787, after three and a half months of
deliberation over a constitution for the new United States, Benjamin Franklin
was asked, “Well, doctor, what have we got? A republic or monarchy?” “A
republic,” replied the doctor, “if you can keep it.” The same could be said
about our planet. Whether we get to keep it as a viable dwelling place for
human habitation and evolution is up to us. To do this we must be able to
change the game. Changing the game is not a spectator sport. It requires each
of us to play a position on the team, and to play it with all of our heart and
soul and mind. It requires nothing less than our very best and highest efforts.
Those of us alive on the planet at this moment in time have a special destiny
in its evolution. We are the ones who must reinvent our world to sustain the
fragile social experiment of human civilization. This is a momentous
responsibility and opportunity. As we accept this responsibility and seize this
opportunity, we align our individual purpose with humanity’s advancement. We
become conscious actors in our planet’s great evolutionary adventure. I wish
you and all of us Godspeed on this epic journey.
—David Gershon, co-founder and CEO of Empowerment Institute
www.empowermentinstitute.net
-------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365
Voices on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 12, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Farmers' Markets:
Charlottetown
(8-1PM) and
Summerside (9-noon)
Opera today and
tomorrow:
Radio:
Saturday Afternoon
at the Opera with Ben Heppner, 1PM, CBC Radio Music, 104.7FM,
La Ville morte by Nadia Boulanger
Goteborg Opera Chorus and Orchestra
More details:
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/2-4288-saturday-afternoon-at-the-opera
Video streaming
Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de
Perles,
until noon today
Starring Diana Damrau, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecień, and Nicolas Testé,
conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. From January 16, 2016.
Soprano Joyce
DiDonato is having a special live, ticketed concert, 2:30PM
"American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, one of opera’s most luminous
stars, most recently starring in the title role of Handel’s Agrippina last
season..." And just about everything else -- so wonderful.
More details
Berlioz’s Les Troyens, 7:30PM tonight until Sunday about
6:30PM
Starring Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham and Bryan Hymel, conducted by Fabio Luisi.
From January 5, 2013. " Berlioz’s epic masterpiece retells the magnificent
saga of the aftermath of the Trojan War and the exploits of
Aeneas..." Susan Graham as Dido, Deborah Voight as Cassandra...wow!
LETTER: The best MLA we never had
published on
Friday, September 11th, 2020, in The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-the-best-mla-we-never-had-494847/
EDITOR:
Joe Byrne has stepped down from leadership of the Island New Democrats after
contributing much to the Party, and to Islanders. As leader of the Island New
Democrats, he applied his diverse experience, from working with the poor in the
Dominican Republic to driving instruction for Islanders. With his trilingual
acumen (English, French and Spanish), he welcomed immigrants to the Island, and
Canada with the Newcomers Association, and has worked with many Island
progressive organizations to make life better in our province.
Joe led the New
Democrats as a principled consensus builder, always open to the views of others
in the development of policy and messaging to advance the well-being of
Islanders. Given his record of caring and commitment, Joe Byrne is the best MLA
the Island never had.
I join with the
thousands of Islanders who have come to know Joe in wishing him, his wife Rosa,
and their adult children Daniel and Claire all the best in all their future
endeavours.
Herb Dickieson, O’Leary
from another person who
would make an excellent MLA, Marie Burge: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/guest-opinion-basic-income-a-challenge-to-all-federal-politicians-495205/
GUEST OPINION: Basic Income: A challenge to
all federal politicians - The Guardian Guest opinion by Marie
Burge
Published on
Thursday, September 10th, 2020
Coalition Canada:
BIG/revenu de base, is a national coalition made up of Basic Income Guarantee
(BIG) action groups, representing nine provinces and one territory. Since its
founding in November 2019, the Coalition has advocated for a national program
of basic income which would be a fully funded, federal-provincial program. The
Coalition proposes that P.E.I. would be an ideal launching place for BIG, which
would mean implementing BIG with the advantage of a full-province experience. Having
minority governments in both Ottawa and Charlottetown looked like an advantage.
For the past months, the Coalition has been contacting and
engaging federal decision-makers of all parties in preparation for Lobby Week
on the Hill (Oct. 20-22) advocating for a national BIG program. Then on Aug.
18, 2020 the first session of the 43rd Canadian Parliament was prorogued. This
provided an immediate opportunity for the initiation of Basic Income Guarantee.
The second session of this Parliament will begin on Sept. 23. This involves
presenting a new plan of action in the form of the Speech from the Throne.
Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Your Aug. 18,
2020 “Prorogation speech” added a note of hope especially for vulnerable
Canadians. You promised a new future for Canada. You were very clear that the
government is determined to opt for new directions. You said that that these
directions “will protect the lives of the most vulnerable people rather than
serving the privileged one per cent.” Key phases from your speech are: “We have
a choice to make. We can decide to move forward instead of returning to the
status quo. We can choose to embrace bold new solutions to the challenges we
face, and refuse to be held back by old ways of thinking.”
Vulnerable
Canadians will be eager to hear how the “new ways” will be blueprinted in the
Speech from the Throne. We anticipate a new plan for the redistribution of
wealth. We expect to see directions which are based on the recognition of three
grassroots movements which grew in strength in the first months of COVID-19.
These three movements highlighted the following: that basic income is a right
of all people so that all can have their basic needs met with dignity; that
anti-racism is systemic, requiring deep systemic changes; and that global
warming is The Definitive Emergency. The movements have expressed in multiple
ways that their issues and goals logically and intentionally intersect.
We expect from
your government some well-grounded, determined, and dynamic new solutions which
will address the inequalities and gaps that you revealed as you did your utmost
to respond to the huge number of Canadians who are always left behind, and more
so in a time of crisis. In particular, we expect to see and hear in the Speech
from the Throne that the next session of Parliament will move forward to create
a Federal-Provincial Basic Income Guarantee for Canada.
Dear Jagmeet Singh, Leader of the New
Democratic Party of Canada (NDP).
Your party’s
unenviable position now is to provide the Liberal Party with the assurance of a
needed majority vote on the Speech from the Throne (and to avoid an unwanted
election). This scenario, although an important moment of power, is not without
risk for your party. History shows that the collaboration involved in this
relationship has not always favoured the NDP in the long run. We urge you to
convince the Liberal government to protect the lives of the most vulnerable
people rather than serving the privileged. The lives of the most vulnerable
people will not be served as long as they do not have, as their right, the
assurance of a Basic Income Guarantee to meet their human needs.
We unabashedly
expect you and the New Democratic Party to use your bargaining power to force
major changes. This is the time to concentrate on changing the system. Yes, we
need Pharmacare, a remodeled EI, universal child care, affordable housing, and
other support programs. But at the centre, it is essential to institute Basic
Income Guarantee so that all people will be able to meet their daily needs with
dignity. In particular, we expect the NDP to demand that the next session of
Parliament will move forward with substantial steps toward creating a
Federal-Provincial Basic Income Guarantee for all of Canada.
All Canada is
watching!
Marie Burge is a
staff member at the Cooper Institute in P.E.I., a member of the P.E.I. Working
Group for a Livable Income, and a P.E.I. representative on Coalition Canada:
Basic Income/revenu de base.
-30-
Global Chorus essay for September 12
Matthew Sleeth
On
graphs that predict future trends, CO2 levels, population growth and species
extinction head skyward on asymptotic lines. Glacier depth, ocean stocks and
tropical forests run the opposite direction on black diamond slopes.
The cry goes out to do more, step it up, and engineer more efficiently. If only
we could find a way to turn our garbage into 100-octane fuel, our problems
would be solved.
Maybe instead of trying harder or going faster, we simply need to pause. Our
lives have become one long, run-on sentence without a comma, semicolon or
period. Musicians say that it is not the notes – but the silences between them
– that make music. Without pauses, our lives just become noise.
Since the time of Moses, society has kept a weekly Stop Day. In my lifetime, we
have lost that day of rest. Coming to rest one day in seven reminds us that we
do not need more wonders in this world; we need more wonderment. Remembering the
Sabbath turns us from human doings into human beings.
As Abraham Lincoln said: “As we keep or break the Sabbath day, we nobly save or
meanly lose the last best hope by which man arises.”
Scientific studies now show that our unrelenting consumption is killing us and
killing the planet. To reverse this dire trend, we do not need to do more; we
need to do less.
Give it a rest: stop one day in seven.
—Matthew
Sleeth, MD, executive director of Blessed Earth, author of 24/6
http://sabbathliving.org/246-2/
-------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 11, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Fridays for Future, 4PM,
Province House (Grafton Street side). "All are welcome! We gather to
express our love for humanity and our concern for the future. Feel free to
bring your own signs and invite others.
We urge everyone to contact your MLAs, MPs and city/town Councillors and ask
what actions they are taking to address the climate emergency. Email is good
for keeping a record of answers.
We want young people and future generations to have a planet on which they can
thrive. Children are welcome in this movement; all events will be peaceful,
civil gatherings. We are moved to express our love for humanity and our concern
for the future." from
the event link
Opera:
Massenet’s Cendrillon,
until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Kathleen Kim, Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote, Stephanie Blythe, and
Laurent Naouri, conducted by Bertrand de Billy. From April 28, 2018.
Bizet’s Les
Pêcheurs de Perles, tonight 7:30PM until about noon Saturday
Starring Diana Damrau, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecień, and Nicolas Testé,
conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. From January 16, 2016. This opera has the
gorgeous tenor-baritone duet, “Au fond du temple saint.”
While bitterly true, this is a tiny bit rich coming from the finance minister
for several years while provincial Liberal government with various Health
Ministers *knew* about these mental health needs and families' and professionals'
ideas on how to improve services. https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/heath-macdonald-reinvest-in-mental-health-and-addictions-492630/
HEATH MACDONALD: Reinvest in mental health
and addictions - The Guardian Guest Opinion by Heath MacDonald
Published on
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2020
Over the past
several months, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed serious gaps in many of the
ways we respond to Islanders in crisis.
In particular, I
am very concerned with mental health and addictions – and the very real
prospect of a difficult situation being made much worse.
As we all know,
there are thousands of Islanders and families who deal with the challenges of
mental health every day. During the pandemic, I have heard heartbreaking
stories of individuals and families who are finding it more difficult to cope,
and even more problematically, to find help and treatment.
For instance, we
know from a recent Statistics Canada report that one in five Islanders
consulted with a mental health professional last year.
Add in the
difficult toll of the pandemic, and it’s clear that government has to quickly
adapt its services and programs to meet needs that are shifting very quickly.
For instance, I
know of a family that is diligently helping out with an elderly parent at home.
The main caregiver suffers from complicated mental health issues, and in spite
of that individual’s absolute dedication to the task, the strain of providing
daily care is showing. But with the pressures currently faced by those
Islanders who work in mental health, it is difficult for that family to get the
assistance they so often need.
There are many
stories like that, and they are not confined to those with mental health
challenges.
As the pandemic
wore on, I began to hear more and more about the growing problem of opioid
addictions. Unfortunately, in a stressful time, many people have found it more
difficult to cope with addictions and gain access to the professional help they
need. Furthermore, I have heard many cases of addictions relapse, which is very
painful for both the addicts and their families.
In my opinion, we
need to examine our current mental health and addictions programs in the light
of COVID-19. We all know the systems that serve Islanders were at capacity
limits pre-pandemic. Now, it’s quite apparent that our investments in mental
health and addictions will require major new investments, and most particularly
in training more people to help Islanders with growing challenges.
Recently, the
federal government took the first major step in helping Islanders. The Safe
Restart Agreement provides about $50 million to the Island for a variety of new
initiatives, which include improvements to mental health and addictions.
I will be looking
to the provincial government for its plans to reinvest in mental health and
addictions – and furthermore, will advocate for a comprehensive new plan to
increase the number of people trained to provide these much needed services to
Islanders.
And frankly, there
is no time for delay. For instance, this is what United Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres had to say recently: “Unless we act now to address the mental
health needs associated with the pandemic, there will be enormous long-term
consequences for families, communities and societies.”
To my mind, a
concentrated, immediate and dedicated effort will help prevent those long-term
consequences.
Heath MacDonald is
the Liberal MLA for Cornwall-Meadowbank.
Heath MacDonald, MLA for District 16's page on the
Legislative Assembly website
Smiles, from human
interpretation of wildlife in photos:
The other Guardian published the "Comedy
Wildlife Photography Award" winners,
https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/
and the organization
helps wildlife through its efforts
https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/conservation.php
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2020/sep/11/comedy-wildlife-photography-awards-2020-finalists-in-pictures
One winner:

Surprise smiles, Lake Bogoria, Kenya
While walking on trail
at the southern side of Lake Bogoria, the photographer spotted a group of dwarf
mongooses
Photograph: Asaf
Sereth/CWPAs 2020
from the above article
Global Chorus essay for September 11
Nikki Stern
Contemporary culture doesn’t always seem to value the idea of hope. No wonder,
when conventional wisdom also confuses hope with expectation: if I hope for the
best, the best will surely follow. Yet we soon learn the universe doesn’t
automatically give back what we put out, or we discover a benevolent deity
isn’t likely to rush to our aid. Disappointed, we might conclude that hope is a
waste of time, has no meaning in modern times or, worst of all, is a nasty
trickster making promises it has no intention of keeping.
We mustn’t let that happen.
The truth is that we humans are overdue for a retooled version of hope that
rejects certainty but embraces possibility. We can’t know what the future will
bring, but we can envision the best possible future and work for it. Hope freed
from the constraints of guaranteed outcomes emboldens us, empowers us and gives
us purpose. It sparks the imagination and strengthens our resolve. Flexible,
nimble and never without a sense of humor, this hope celebrates discovery,
applauds adaptability and thrives on creativity.
Feet on the ground and head in the clouds, hope rejoices in the journey, not
the destination. It asks, why can’t we? It answers, we can.
There will be days when our better selves go into hiding. There will be nights
when we yearn for reassurance. Yet hope is available to light the way, no
matter where our paths begin or where they end.
— Nikki Stern, writer, non-profit adviser, former executive director of
Families of September 11, author of Hope in Small Doses
-------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 10, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Standing Committee meeting: Committee on
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, 10AM -- *This meeting will
be live-streamed*
Topic: Presentation on the Water Act by Prince Edward Island
Fishermen’s Association Executive Director, Ian MacPherson.
The Hon. George
Coles Building remains closed to the public for in-person attendance, but this meeting will be
live-streamed on the Legislative Assembly’s website and Facebook page. Audio
and video recordings of the meeting and a transcript of same will later be
made publicly available as well.
Members of this committee include:
Cory Deagle (Chair) (PC)
Hon. Darlene Compton (PC)
Robert Henderson (L)
Stephen Howard (GP)
Lynne Lund (GP)
Hal Perry (L)
Committee page link
Legislative Assembly
website
"Watch Live" link will be on front page
Legislative Assembly
Facebook page
------------------------------------------------
Tonight:
Fall Gardening and
Season Extension Workshop, 7PM, Zoom.
"Join this on line gardening workshop and get your
gardening questions addressed by farmer Stephanie of Morning Dew Garden. Steph
has worked with some of the best organic farmers in Atlantic Canada. Some of
you may have attended her garden workshops at the Farm Centre Legacy Garden
sponsored by the Food Exchange in 2018. Steph is the author of "Edible
Gardening for Beginners" on the FX website http://www.foodexchangepei.com/resources.html.
Steph will be sharing tips and techniques for growing
vegetables through September and making the most of this abundant season. She
will be taking questions."
Facebook event link for workshop link
---------------------
Opera Corner:
Berlioz’s La
Damnation de Faust, tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Susan Graham, Marcello Giordani, and John Relyea. From November 22,
2008. A beloved tenor (who passed away last fall) in a tough role.
Massenet’s Cendrillon,
tonight 7:30PM until Friday 6:30PM
Starring Kathleen Kim, Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote. From April 28, 2018.
"Storybook" is truly the theme, as books and pages form the
set. DiDonato is her charming self as the CInderella character, Coote is
a convincing prince in the trousers role, and Kim is dynamite as the
sprite-like Fairy Godmother. The dancers dressed as the carriage's
prancing horses for their few minutes on stage are darling, too.
Global wildlife being decimated by human actions, WWF report
warns
by Malavika
Vyawahare
published on Wednesday, September 9th, 2020, on the Mongabay website
https://news.mongabay.com/2020/09/global-wildlife-being-decimated-by-human-actions-wwf-report-warns/
Article at LINK
above

A Malagasy dwarf
chameleon (Brookesia micra), the world’s smallest chameleon. It is found in the
Nosy Hara archipelago in Madagascar. Image by Nick Riley/WWF-Madagascar.
Image taken from the
article, below.
---------------------
Full Report here from the World Wildlife Fund:
https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-us/
This came my way via Ian Petrie, and it's both bracing and reassuring. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-what-weve-learned-about-covid-19-we-have-to-keep-learning/
Opinion: What we’ve learned about COVID-19: We
have to keep learning - The Globe and Mail article by André Picard
Published on Tuesday, September 8th, 2020
In the seven months that the novel coronavirus
has stalked the world, we’ve learned a lot of science about how the virus
spreads, how it kills and how we develop immunity (or not).
That knowledge has forced us to change our
beliefs and approaches.
Masks went from irrelevancy to the forefront of
public-health measures. We went from obsessing about surface contamination to
fretting about ventilation. We shifted from fearing those who cough, to
wondering who was asymptomatic and spreading disease silently.
One of the important lessons to draw from this
is that we need to follow the evidence. Public-health officials changing their
guidance is not flip-flopping – it’s adapting.
The other key takeaway is to beware of false
dichotomies. The coronavirus is not spread only by droplets or aerosols, but
likely by both. Similarly, we should be equally wary of symptomatic and
asymptomatic spread, but also realize the coronavirus does not spread that
easily.
The distance and the duration of exposure
matters, as does the environment. We’re way safer outdoors than indoors, and
when not speaking at all instead of speaking/singing/yelling moistly. We can
now direct our wrath at overeager karaoke aficionados instead of runners.
Most important of all, we have to dispense with
the fiction that recovery efforts will be either about the economy or about
health. The surest way to get the economy back on track is to limit – or
ideally, eliminate – the spread of COVID-19.
Canada is not the U.S. – where many states have
embraced a destructive “reopen and illness be damned” attitude – but many
provinces have loosened restrictions hastily. We didn’t need to open bars when
we did; there is no logic to allowing gatherings of 250 people, and as
important as it is to get kids back to school, class sizes of 30 students
should have been a non-starter.
We’re seeing the consequences of that
short-sighted impatience as cases creep up again. We are nervous about what
will happen after Labour Day, with a lot of kids returning to school, many workers
going back to offices and the cooling weather chasing us indoors.
The trepidation is justified, and we have to
prepare ourselves psychologically for the possibility of more lockdowns.
What is not certain, though, is an inevitable
second wave. Increasingly, it appears that the coronavirus pandemic will play
out as one long wave, with the occasional ripple when we become complacent.
We should not assume there will be huge spikes
in deaths in the fall. Nor should we see low mortality as the sole measure of
success. One of the most unpleasant surprises that COVID-19 has delivered is
that it appears to cause long-term damage, especially to the heart. We are
seeing a small but significant number of those who get infected developing
chronic illness. We call them “long-haulers.”
The most intriguing development to come,
however, will be in our approach to testing.
Since the outset of the pandemic, the mot
d’ordre has been to test, test and test some more. Canada has done more than
six million tests. But the PCR test – the current standard, a molecular tool
that tells us if someone has been infected – is slow, costly and has
limitations.
As we learn to live with the coronavirus and as
social interactions escalate, what we need to know is not so much who has been
infected, but who is still infectious. For that, we need a rapid diagnostic
test, one in which you swab your nose or spit in a tube and get results within
minutes. If you’re negative, you can head off to work or school in confidence.
The knock against diagnostic tests is that they
are not accurate, but that’s not a deal-breaker. If you’re positive, you stay
home, and then get a follow-up test. But a lot of unnecessary tests and
quarantines can be avoided.
Finally, we are learning a lot about immunity.
Not that long ago, we were certain that people
who were infected with coronavirus would develop immunity. There was serious
discussion about “immunity passports” so the recovered could return to work.
Now, it appears immunity may be fleeting, and
re-infection possible. But again, these are not black-or-white issues.
Most people who get infected have at least some
immunity, and it seems to last for some time, if not forever. That bodes well
for vaccine development.
As vaccines are tested in controlled conditions
and in the real world, you can bet our views on immunity will change again. And
that’s okay. As the pandemic evolves, so too must our responses.
-30-
Global Chorus essay for September 10
Rhett Butler
Every year more creatures are added to endangered species lists, oceans rise
with atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and more wild places disappear.
Humanity’s footprint on the planet is ever larger and deeper. But while it is
easy to view these trends with great despair, we would be wrong to abandon
hope. Indeed, there are nascent signs that things can change for the better.
In the past 30 years there have been important developments that have laid the
groundwork for a new revolution, where services generated by healthy natural
ecosystems are recognized and valued. These are services like erosion control,
carbon storage, maintenance of the water cycle and the option value afforded by
biodiversity.
Recognizing the value of Nature requires us to first understand it. That’s
already happening – there have been major advances in quantifying Nature’s
services. For example, we know that pest control services by native birds in
Costa Rica are worth $10,000 a year to a small coffee farmer in Costa Rica, while
mangroves and coral reefs generate more than $400-million annually for Belize
from ecotourism, erosion control and fisheries.
While this is admittedly a very narrow way to view the value of Nature, it’s a
first step to engaging decision makers and the public.
Engagement is critical if we hope to transform how humanity stewards the
planet’s resources. The good news is that new tools – ubiquitous mobile phones,
social media and free access to virtually limitless amounts of information –
enable public participation like never before. We’re already seeing the power
of targeted participation in the form of protests movements that are
transforming commodity supply chains. Due to activist-led campaigns, today it
is taboo for soy farmers in the Amazon to chop down rainforests for farms. It
will soon be the same for palm oil producers in Malaysia and paper
manufacturers in Indonesia.
Change will not come easily, but greater knowledge of Nature’s services,
combined with participation by an increasingly informed and active populace,
will move us toward a world where humans will live in greater balance with the
planet’s other inhabitants.
—
Rhett A. Butler, author of Rainforests, founder of Mongabay.com
https://www.mongabay.com/
from:
https://www.mongabay.com/rhett/
Rhett Butler founded Mongabay.com in 1999 with the mission of raising interest
in and appreciation of wild lands and wildlife. For the first ten years of the
project, he operated Mongabay on his own, publishing thousands of stories and
tens of thousands of photos.
Today Rhett Butler serves as editor-in-chief of the web site as well as CEO of Mongabay.org, Mongabay’s non-profit arm, which
is now responsible for all of Mongabay news content...
Beyond Mongabay, Rhett Butler runs WildMadagascar.org, a site that highlights the
spectacular cultural and biological richness of Madagascar and reports on
environmental news for the Indian Ocean island nation.
Rhett Butler is also co-founder of Tropical Conservation Science, an open-access
academic journal that aims to provide opportunities for scientists in
developing countries to publish their research, and the Tropical Forest Network, a social network in
the San Francisco Bay Area broadly interested in tropical forest conservation
and ecology.
-------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 9, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Today:
Green and Just Recovery Twitterstorm (and
other social media platforms), all day.
organized by
Stand.Earth, the David Suzuki Foundation, and others
"Join the online Day of Action on Wednesday, September
9th, and help pressure politicians to implement a green and just recovery!
background: The federal government is about to give the Canadian economy a
multi-billion-dollar kick-start in an effort to recover from the COVID-19
health crisis. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build back a more
just, sustainable, and healthy Canada - a Canada that works for everyone, not
just the few. But big polluters are pushing the federal government to funnel recovery
spending into their pockets instead.
With the federal government about to lay out its recovery priorities in the
September 23rd Throne Speech, we don’t have a moment to waste.
**Join the online Day of Action on Wednesday, September 9th, and help pressure
politicians to implement a green and just recovery!**
Sample text for
targeting key ministers on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, email, and by phone
will be posted soon for you to use.
Millions have already joined the call for a green and just recovery. On
September 9th, let’s unite with one voice and make our message impossible to
ignore.
HOW: Watch this
space (link below) for sample text to use in your posts!"
Facebook event link
------------------------
Standing Committee
meetings:
Special Committee on Poverty on PEI is
meeting this morning to discuss its report, but this is an in camera meeting
only and won't be recorded for the public.
Membership
Trish Altass (Chair)
Hannah Bell
Sonny Gallant
Hon. Ernie Hudson
Gordon McNeilly
Hon. Bradley Trivers
Health and Social Development Committee
Meeting, 1PM,
Topic: How pharmacists have been
managing during the COVID-19 pandemic and the upcoming flu season
Guest: PEI Pharmacists Association, Erin MacKenzie
The committee will receive a briefing on how pharmacists have dealt with the
pandemic thus
far and plans going forward
as we enter flu season.
The buildings in the
parliamentary precinct remain closed to the public. The live-stream will be available
on the website and Facebook as well as in the archive section after the
meeting as ended.
The Special Committee consists of:
Gordon McNeilly (Chair)
Trish Altass
Hannah Bell
Hon. Jamie Fox
Heath MacDonald
Hon. Bradley Trivers
More here:
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/committees/current-committees/health-and-social-development
------------------------------------------
Little brown birdies:
Bird ID Workshop: All about Sparrows, 3PM,
on-line live and available afterwards. Hosted by the several New Brunswick
Nature organizations
"Even a good birder will tell you that it can be difficult to identify
sparrows. Well, we are here to help. Join the Nature Trust, Nature NB, and
Ornithologist Dorothy Diamond on Wednesday, September 9th for a free,
family-friendly webinar to learn about how to identify sparrows in New
Brunswick.
During this 1-hour webinar, you will learn how to identify sparrows based on
their field marks and calls, how to use e-bird to contribute to the
conservation of birds, and more.
This webinar is a part of our digital Passport to Nature...."
* If you cannot
attend this webinar live, a recording will be available.
Register at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1015936174464/WN_R80VnjkPQiidrHoQMW1EIQ
--------------------------------
Opera Corner:
Gounod’s Roméo
et Juliette,
until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Diana Damrau, Vittorio Grigolo, Elliot Madore, and Mikhail Petrenko,
conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. From January 21, 2017.
Berlioz’s La
Damnation de Faust, 7:30PM until Thursday at 6:30PM
Starring Susan Graham, Marcello Giordani, and John Relyea. From November
22, 2008.
from the Green Party MLA Ole Hammarlund,
District 13: Charlottetown-Brighton, who is very thoughtfully presents a
situation and resolutions:
Protecting our
seniors - Social Media post by Ole Hammarlund,
MLA
Tuesday, September
8th, 2020, on Social Media
Generally our province has been a 100% successful in
protecting our seniors from Covid-19. First line of defense is our policy of
tracing, testing and self-isolation, which has been so successful that we have
not yet had a single case of community spread. Well over 10,000 people have
crossed our borders from all over the world, including widely Covid-19 infected
countries, and even though 51of those people were in fact tested positive, they
all recovered or are recovering in self-isolation.
Our second line of defense has been in our nursing homes where
visitors were first banned and now restricted. While some may well be suffering
from too little contact with family, thankfully no one has contacted the
Covid-19 virus that we know is particularly dangerous for seniors.
But not all seniors live in nursing homes. My district
Charlottetown-Brighton has government built and operated seniors homes. 501
Queen Street for instance is an excellent example of a high quality senior’s
home, which the provincial and federal governments constructed about 40 years
ago. There are other projects as well and generally the occupants I have spoken
to are happy to have their affordable apartments available, knowing that rents
and facilities such as common rooms cannot be found on the open market without
paying twice the rent. Indeed there are hundreds of seniors on the waiting
lists for apartments in provincially operated homes.
But all is not well in these buildings. Complaints about
repairs or services, if answered at all, is sometimes followed with suggestions
that if the occupant is not happy, they can move elsewhere. This is of course
an insulting suggestion, since no occupant would be able to find an alternate
apartment at an equally affordable rent.
Lately I hear complaints about the cleaning process. Residents
are happy about the increased cleaning, but really concerned that the cleaners
do not wear masks or practice social distancing. Their complaints to the
Minister are going un-answered. How is it possible that these groups of seniors
are not afforded similar protection as seniors in nursing homes? Indeed they
are offered no protection at all.
The complaints do not stop here. In fact there seem to be a
consistent chorus of complaints that have been told me in confidence, since
residents fear consequences (or inaction) if they complain themselves.
Many complaints are related to lack of maintenance or updating
of mechanical systems. Ventilation systems for instance, may have met code 40
years ago, but these systems are now unable to cope, so that one resident’s
need to smoke makes life impossible for other neighbor residents who don’t
smoke. Others complain about the ban against having even small dogs. This
despite the fact that for seniors having a dog can extend their life and make
them happier as well.
Many buildings are in fact so large that different life styles
can easily be accommodated by simply grouping the occupants in different wings
or different floors, according to preferences regarding smoking, pets and
noise, but there is no attempt to do that and occupants moving within the
building or to other projects is forbidden or discouraged.
It seems obvious to me that the Minister and other staff
responsible for the operation of senior’s homes are missing an important aspect
of housing. It is not enough to supply affordable apartments. The goal should
be to provide an environment that is supportive so that the seniors living
there can live their lives in full comfort and maximum happiness. That of
course includes high levels of maintenance, updating of mechanical systems such
as heat and ventilation, a friendly method of receiving complaints and
requests, accommodation of all types of lifestyles and pets and of course that
staff wear masks when in contact with the senior occupants during our Covid-19
crisis.
Why would we offer anything less to our seniors!
Ole Hammarlund
Ole Hammarlund is the MLA for
Charlottetown-Brighton. In his earlier years as an architect, he designed many
seniors and nursing homes. At 78 he is now a senior himself and the oldest
member of the legislature. He can be reached at ohammarlundmla@assembly.pe.ca
There is SO much forward thinking information here, at the website of the
organization founded by the September 9
Global Chorus essayist:
Center for the
Advancement of the Steady State Economy (CASSE)
https://steadystate.org/
"CASSE is an organization that explores economic growth in earnest,
including its downsides. We refuse to ignore the costs of economic growth, and
our position
sets the record straight. We recognize the conflict between economic growth and
various goals for society, and we stand up for rational macroeconomic policies. Continuous
economic growth on a finite planet is wishful thinking. We confront the truth
that there are limits to growth, and we examine other possibilities for managing our
economic affairs. "
Things have been
adjusted for COVID-19's effects
Global Chorus essay for September 9
Herman Daly
(answering the question
of is their hope for the Earth and why they think there may be)
I
think the answer depends ultimately on who (or what) we think we are.
1. Are we the blind result of chance who happen to have evolved a bigger more
complex brain than other animals, a brain whose merely epiphenomenal
consciousness may amuse itself by projecting picture shows inside our cranium,
but having no real purpose or independently causative impact on the world other
than diferential reproduction?
Or,
2. Are we creatures evolved from the rest of Creation with the purpose of
reflecting to some degree the image of God, and therefore capable of
distinguishing good from evil, and true from false, and thereby acting
responsibly as stewards and caretakers of the Earth?
If we think we are as described in 1 then in my opinion we are already cooked.
Indeed, what reason would there be to care, and in what would we place our hope?
Nevertheless, 1 is the worldview of “scientific materialism,” which is very
influential in our modern secular society.
The second view affirms a basis for hope, and for our own adequacy to respond
to that hope. Its truth is recognized in many of the world’s religions and does
not contradict true science. As for the details of a viable and good future
society I have argued that a steady-state economy is a necessary condition. But
I doubt that it, or any solution, could be achieved unless “we” see ourselves
as the people in 2 rather than 1.
—
Herman Daly, professor emeritus in the School of Public Policy at University of
Maryland
https://steadystate.org/
-------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 8, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Local Food
Ordering:
Deadline Noon today
for ordering: from "Charlottetown Farmers' Market 2GO", for pickup
Thursday:
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/Index
Eat Local PEI orders
due by midnight, Wednesday, September 9th:
https://www.localline.ca/eatlocalpei
------------------
Tuesday, September
8th:
City
of Charlottetown Planning Committee meeting, 4PM. "Sherwood
Crossing" (North of Towers) Project, to be discussed and voted on at Public invited (or can
watch on-line if unable to attend). The meeting will be live streamed online at www.charlottetown.ca/video.
Link to yesterday's Citizens'
Alliance News with all the Mayor's and Councillors' contact info.
More, below
------------------------------------
Met Opera video streaming
"French Week"
continues:
Massenet’s Manon, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczała, Paulo Szot, and David Pittsinger, conducted
by Fabio Luisi. From April 7, 2012.
Tuesday, September 8
Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, tonight at 7:30PM until Wednesday
at 6:30PM
Starring Diana Damrau, Vittorio Grigolo, Elliot Madore, and Mikhail Petrenko,
conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. From January 21, 2017.
Atlantic Skies for
September 7th-13th, 2020 - Could Humans Live on Mars? - by Glenn K. Roberts
As NASA's Perserverance
spacecraft speeds towards its February 2021 landing on Mars, many people
are, once again, pondering the possibility of ordinary humans one day
traveling to and living on the planet. In the 1910s, Edgar Rice Burroughs'
masterfully written fictional books about Mars excited the public's
imagination with tales of humans traveling to the Red Planet,
and interacting with the native Martians. Hollywood's 2015
movie, The Martian, teased the possibility of human-survival (tenuous as it
was) on Mars. Could humans really live, work and play on the surface of Mars,
or will such an idea forever remain but a fantasy of literary
fiction and cinematic CGI?
The problem of safely
traveling to Mars aside, the first question that needs to be asked and
answered is where would we live once we got to Mars? Due to the
significant, constant solar radiation (not to mention periodic solar
flares) that the surface of Mars is subject to due to its thin atmosphere
(Earth's atmosphere protects all life on its surface from the
greater portion of the Sun's harmful radiation), we would have to
live in some sort of underground structure. Current estimates indicate at
least 5 meters below the surface would provide the same protection level
as our atmosphere. While the technology certainly exists to build such
structures (NASA already has proto-type Mars One shelters under construction),
they would still have to be transported to Mars and constructed, perhaps by
robotic construction crews, prior to any human settlers arriving.
Okay, so we have a place to live once there, what other things are required?
Foremost would be a supply of air to breathe - a properly proportioned
mixture of oxygen, nitrogen, and other trace gases to match that of
Earth's atmosphere. We would have to transport an adequate supply for the
number of settlers on hand, not a problem for a couple of astronauts
carrying their own backpack supply, but certainly a more difficult task for a
large number of settlers planning on emigrating there. It might be
possible, over time, to grow enough oxygen-producing plants
within specialized structures to generate the oxygen amount (to then be
mixed with the other required gases) needed; something, with enough space and
time, well within the realm of achievable, perhaps, once again, by
robots pre-human arrival. The next two requirements would, by necessity,
be a high priority - food and water. Since, at least initially, there
would be no immediate means of obtaining water or growing crops, all water
and food supplies would have to be transported to Mars, a significant and
expensive logistics problem for those planning the trip, particularly if a
large number. Terra-forming the Martian surface to generate a breathable atmosphere,
a climate and soil conducive to growing crops, and establishing an
adequate water supply (from underground ice deposits) would
probably take at least a few hundred years.
Could humans survive on
Mars? Yes, at least a few could, for a short period of time,
provided they took everything they needed (prefab shelters, and
sufficient food and water) for the time they planned to be there.
Long-term settlement, however, would require a massive investment of time,
money, technology and effort; doable, yes, but would it be worth it? Perhaps.
Afterall, the early explorers and settlers of our own planet faced many
unknown challenges and life-threatening risks (though, perhaps, not to the
same degree) when they set sail for distant lands, unsure of a safe arrival and
what life would be like in the new world. In many ways, settling Mars
would be a similar challenge, just on a much larger scale.
However, despite my own
astronomy interests and science fiction-fueled dreams of traveling to
distant planets, I think we humans would be far better off to invest all
that time, money, technology and effort into mitigating the significantantly
endangering environmental and social issues that are already confronting
us. We live on a very unique (as far as we know), special and extremely
beautiful island in the middle of a vast celestial ocean. It's time we woke up
to that fact, and collectively worked to maintain and preserve that
uniqueness, specialness and beauty, not only for ourselves, but also for
the generations that follow. Yes, the urge to and fascination of traveling
midst the stars to other planets is exciting, and perhaps one day, in the
distant future, humans will travel out there and settle other planets
(including Mars), but if we don't soon start to take care
of the planet we live on, we're not likely to survive as a species to
ever step foot on any of those distant worlds.
Mercury is too close to the Sun, and, thus, not observable at present. Jupiter (mag. -2.54)
is visible above the southern horizon around 8 p.m. It reaches its highest
point (21 degrees) in the southern evening sky around 9:20 p.m.,
remaining visible until about 12:40 a.m., when it sinks below 7 degrees above
the southwest horizon. Saturn
(mag. +0.35), as it has all summer, follows Jupiter into and
across the early evening sky, becoming visible 18 degrees above the
southeast horizon around 8:15 p.m. It remains visible until shortly before 10
p.m., when it disappears from view after dropping below 10 degrees above the
southwest horizon shortly after 1 a.m. Mars
(mag. -1.98 on the 7th, and -2.12 by the 13th) will continue to
brighten this month and next, as it heads for its Oct. 13 opposition (when
it will be at its brightest). The Red Planet is visible above the
eastern horizon shortly after 10 p.m., reaching an altitude of 50 degrees above
the southern horizon shortly before 4 a.m., and lingering in view until it's
lost in the dawn twilight around 6:25 a.m. Venus (mag. -4.3) rises in the east
around 2:50 a.m., and reaches a height of 38 degrees (its highest point of the
year) above the horizon before fading with the approaching dawn by about
6:25 a.m. On the
morning of Sept. 13, look for the crescent Moon directly above Venus in the
pre-dawn sky.
Until next week, clear
skies.
Events:
Sept.
7 - Venus at highest point in sky for 2020
10 - Last Quarter Moon
from The (Other) Guardian
(U.K.) edition today:
Harken to the Ghost Hedgehog – White likenesses of hedgehogs are starting to appear on
roadsides in Dorset to highlight that they are being killed by fast-moving
vehicles. The hedgehogs, made of white-painted wood, are being put up by the
Dorset Mammal Group after one small village, Pimperne, reported more than 20
squashed hedgehogs in just a year.

from the online story in today's Guardian (U.K.):
Ghost hedgehogs in
Briantspuddle, Dorset, which reported more than 20 squashed hedgehogs on its
roads in just one year. Photograph: Colin Varndell
It is hoped that the “ghost hedgehogs”, like the “ghost bikes” where cyclists
have lost their lives, will encourage motorists to slow down and drive with
more care. Hugh Warwick, ecologist and author of The Hedgehog Book, said:
“Hedgehogs provide a point of connection to the natural world more effectively
than any other animal. They share our gardens and green spaces – but for that
to happen, we need to help them.”
Ghost Hedgehog story link
Here is an example excerpt from a note not-in-Charlottetown Tony Reddin wrote,
which he would be fine if you wish to copy or adapt:
"Please do not
allow more natural areas to be bulldozed and paved over and do not approve
the Sherwood Crossing/North of Towers development.
Please
do adopt building regulations that protect green space and make
Charlottetown a leader in appropriate development and protection of natural
areas, which are so important for the health and well-being of residents
and visitors..
I am not presently a Charlottetown resident
but I spend a lot of time in Charlottetown and I care a lot about our capital
city. As Alan Rankin has written: Charlottetown
Belongs to Every Islander. "
http://theislandheartbeat.com/?p=2863
Global Chorus essay for September 8
Trudie Styler
Do we
want to be the generation that destroyed ourselves?
Rainforests once covered 14 per cent of the Earth’s land surface. Now they only
cover 6 per cent. When they’ve been decimated to the tipping point, there will
be no way back. We will face such extreme weather conditions that our planet
will no longer support human life. What will it take for us to stop hiding from
these terrible truths?
Well, there is a way out of this mess. But we have to face the truth, and we
have to embrace change. We can’t leave it to the next governments, and the next
generation. It’s time to take the responsibility – not by 2020, not by 2050,
but now – to cut carbon emissions decisively and urgently. Deforestation
accounts for around 20 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions. Simply halting
deforestation would be the single fastest and cheapest way to make a
significant reduction. So why aren’t we doing it?
We’re now at a turning point in our short human history. We have a unique
opportunity to shift our focus and to change our priorities. We don’t have to
make a choice between the economy and the environment. A transition to a clean
economic system, one that values vital natural systems, one that understands
the cost of pollution and waste, will open up huge opportunities. The shift is
inevitable. Countries can’t stop it. They can only slow it down. And as they do
so, they will be left behind. The time when leaders could claim not to understand
the implications of the evidence before us is long past.
You will be judged by your children, your grandchildren and all the generations
to come. They will ask, “Did you do everything you possibly could to stop
climate change?” We’re all mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers and
sisters: as a planetary family, whatever our differences, we share one world,
one fate and one chance.
—Trudie
Styler, actress, producer, creator of the Rainforest Foundation UK
--------------------------------------------------
essay from:
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 7, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Happy Labour Day, and even if there won't be the usual picnics and events, do
consider all that labour unions and motivated citizens have done to improve the
lives of working people.
And it has been a whole year since Dorian. On this day in 2019, Bonshaw
had the fun of hosting Prof. Terry Pratt performing his one-man show on Samuel
Johnson (Guardian background article) just before the rain and
wind really got going and there was still had power.
(Though it was fabulous in a small group setting, the story and acting are so
vivid and engaging the Dept. of Education should really film Yr. Obedient Servant
for use in the schools.)
---------------------------------
Events today:
One last cup of tea:
Meet David Merner, over Green Tea, with Anna
Keenan, 8:30-9:30PM, on-line.
Each episode, 1 candidate for Leader of the Canadian Greens has
been chatting with Anna Keenan in this 'Over Green Tea' series.
Candidate 9 of 9 (though the field has now narrowed to 8!) is
David Merner - a lawyer with a career in public service in the BC Ministry of
Attorney General and the federal Department of Justice & Privy Council
Office. He has served on many volunteer boards, and is a former federal Liberal
candidate.
Check out his campaign website here: https://www.davidmerner.com/
Join the conversation live on Monday September 7, at
https://www.facebook.com/AnnaKeenanGreen/live
PEISO (PEI Symphony Orchestra) Concert
"Under the Stars" at the Brackley Drive-in , 8-10:30PM,
with Tara MacLean and others.
Ticketed per carload.
Facebook event link
------------
Metropolitan Opera
video streaming:
Thomas Adès’s The Tempest, until about 6:30PM
Starring Audrey Luna, Isabel Leonard, Iestyn Davies and Simon Keenlyside,
conducted by Thomas Adès. From November 10, 2012. And the set design and
acrobatics are amazing.
Week 26 (French Week)
Monday, September 7
Massenet’s Manon, Monday 7:30PM until Tuesday about
6:30PM
Starring Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczała. From April 7, 2012. "A
beautiful ingenue with a taste for finer things makes her way to Paris, where
she becomes irresistible to the men around her -- including the Chevalier des
Grieux, whose all consuming love for her leads to ruin." It's
gorgeous and so, so sad.
https://www.metopera.org/
Charlottetown City
Council and Planning Committee can make better decisions than they have been.
Tuesday, September
8th:
"Sherwood
Crossing" (North of Towers) Project, to be discussed and voted on at
City of Charlottetown Planning Committee meeting, 4PM. Public invited
(or can watch on-line if unable to attend).
Background (and I apologize for any factual errors, as I am trying to get my
head around this project which has a very short timeframe for people to comment
on):
On the Mt. Edward Road side of "Towers Mall" or the Charlottetown
Mall, is already a new vast mixed development where the ill-fated driving range
used to be. While seemingly prettily designed, the development has been
criticized by me and others for apparent lack of incorporated community spaces,
playgrounds, safer walking/biking access to the mall or the school,
etc.
The same "Wild West" mentality of development in Charlottetown
appears to continue with this mayor and council. On the other side
of the road from Mt. Edward Road to the Mall is a proposed development
alongside the Confederation Trail, the (North of Towers) "Sherwood
Crossing project", by Killam/APM (yes, same pairing as the the Haviland
Street high-rise that has been put on hold for a few month.
APM website with slideshow presentation:
https://www.apm.ca/
and thoughtful comments: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-a-cautionary-tale-about-preserving-green-space-489560/
LETTER: A cautionary
tale about preserving green space - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published
on Wednesday, August 26th, 2020
The proposed Sherwood
Crossing development is but the latest in a series of high-density infill
developments that are eroding Charlottetown’s natural capital and the services
it provides, virtually completing the swath of concrete and asphalt stretching
from North River Road to Mount Edward Road.
Don’t get me wrong,
this is not a diatribe against development. Well–planned, high-density infill
can be a cornerstone of sustainable development. It protects outlying areas
from sprawl, makes more efficient use of infrastructure, and can be
instrumental in protecting natural areas: a win-win–win for the community, the
local economy and the environment.
But in this era of
enlightened sustainable community planning, we see a disturbing pattern of
disregard for green space and its critical role in conserving biodiversity,
climate change mitigation and adaptation, and ultimately, the quality of life
in our communities.
The proposed
Sherwood Crossing is in an eminently walkable area serviced by transit with a
natural area that is home to a surprising biodiversity, including red-tailed
hawks. It could be a model for sustainable community design with a focus on
renewable energy, active transportation and integrated natural areas. Instead
we see the usual acres of parking rather than any credible green space.
We are a growing
urban centre striving to meet the urgent needs of our community, but in meeting
this challenge we should demand better for our residents and the environment.
The chaotic “leave no stone unturned (or tree uprooted)” approach to planning
must give way to a considered, balanced approach based on the principles of
sustainability if we are to build a city for the future that is green, safe,
healthy and vibrant. It can be done.
Connie Gaudet, Charlottetown
----------------------------------------------
and more recently: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/opinion/local-perspectives/letter-nature-paved-over-493428/
LETTER: Nature paved over - The Guardian Letter to the Editor
Published
on Saturday, September 5th, 2020
I have many concerns regarding APM MacLean’s proposed North of Towers
development. One of them is the loss of the remaining natural areas within city
boundaries. Greenfield land plays a critical role not only in conserving
biodiversity and providing climate change mitigation benefits, but also has a
positive effect on the fundamental quality of life in our communities.
It is no secret that
natural habitat destruction and fragmentation are leading causes of
biodiversity loss. Many urban jurisdictions have been using the green
infrastructure concept, which is an interconnected network of natural areas
that provides wildlife habitat, flood protection, cleaner air and cleaner
water.
Incidentally, does
the public know that at least two new roads will bisect the Confederation
Trail? While other cities upgrade the safety of their active transportation
infrastructure, Charlottetown accepts proposals that degrade a marvelous
multi-purpose trail within its municipal boundaries.
I support denser
mixed-used housing projects, but not at the expense of natural areas being
needlessly paved over in favour of market-priced housing and automobility.
Sustainable design practices incorporate more effective and efficient land use,
along with alternative energy and energy conservation techniques. We have a
valuable but limited window of opportunity to design an urban environment that
is optimized to deal with a warming world and committed to the betterment of
the community.
Why is the city not
pushing to adopt more stringent, energy- and space-efficient building
regulations that truly take Charlottetown into the 21st century and beyond?
Barbara Dylla, Charlottetown
----------------------
What can you
do?
(adapted from some information sent by concerned citizens)
Consider attending the Planning Meeting: Tuesday,
September 8th, 4PM, City Hall, during which "the Board
will recommend approving or not the zoning change request (from Low Density
Residential to Comprehensive Development Area) to City Council."
For
those who wish to attend in person, a screen will be set up in the second
floor lobby of City Hall for the public to watch the live streaming of the
meeting.
For more information, please contact the Planning and Heritage Department at
902-629-4158 or planning@charlottetown.ca. Being there in
person will show the councillors and planners that the citizens are paying
attention (strength in numbers).
The meeting will be live streamed online at www.charlottetown.ca/video.
Certainly calling or
writing to their Ward Councillor is very important, with cc to all the other
councillors https://www.charlottetown.ca/mayor___council/city_council/meet_my_councillor
For non-residents, it
matters, and it's our Capital City, many of us go to Charlottetown for goods
and services and should have a voice in the matter, too. (See Allan
Rankin's blog reprinted here recently for the same arguement).
Consider writing/calling to the Mayor
Philip Brown
mayor@charlottetown.ca
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-393-2601 (Cell)
902-892-8662 (Home)
and calling/cc'ing all the City of Charlottetown Councillors
Councillor Alanna
Jankov - Ward 1
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-393-3999 (Cell)
902-620-3474 (Office)
ajankov@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Terry
MacLeod - Ward 2
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-394-7821 (Cell)
tmacleod4@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Mike
Duffy - Ward 3
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-628-9501 (Cell)
mduffy@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Mitchell
G. Tweel - Ward 4
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-393-5538 (Cell)
mtweel@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Kevin
Ramsay - Ward 5
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-892-1902 (Home)
902-940-5291 (Cell)
kramsay@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Bob
Doiron - Ward 6
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-566-2764 (Home)
902-394-2895 (Cell)
rdoiron@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Greg
Rivard - Ward 7
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-388-7031 (Cell)
grivard@charlottetown.ca
Deputy Mayor Jason
Coady - Councillor Ward 8
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-218-5734 (Cell)
jascoady@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Julie
McCabe - Ward 9
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-393-9739 (Cell)
jlmccabe@charlottetown.ca
Councillor Terry
Bernard - Ward 10
902-566-5548 (City
Hall)
902-368-1634 (Home)
902-628-5393 (Cell)
tbernard@charlottetown.ca
------------------------
The full Charlottetown
City Council meets Monday, September 14th, and would vote on
the recommendation (if that happens) for the zoning change request. The
public can attend that meeting in similar fashion, too.
The City Council has been approving most zoning changes in the recent past.
A Little Astronomy:
Planets:
Venus is dazzlingly bright in the east in the pre-dawn sky.
Jupiter is very bright in the evening sky in the east. Saturn is a little east
of it and not that bright.
Mars rises later, is up overhead by dawn and is surprising bright and red.
Moon is waning and rising later and later each night.
Global Chorus essay for September 7
Tony Wheeler
I’ve always been a firm believer in the virtues of travel. Of course you are,
someone might cynically say, creating Lonely Planet has made you a rich man.
Fair enough, travel and tourism may be the world’s biggest business, but there
are many places in the world where it’s the only business. In those countries
it’s all-important.
Yet travel is so much more than something that puts food on the table and sends
the kids to school. It’s the way we citizens of the world learn about and
communicate with each other, because when we travel we see the world and its
peoples in reality, not filtered through some media viewfinder or interpreted
by some government spokesperson.
That’s really come home to me in recent years when my travels have taken me to
a list of places which tend to be on government travel advisories in the “don’t
go there” category. I’ve been to Iraq and Afghanistan, not as some embedded
journalist, but as an ordinary independent tourist. I’ve travelled around North
Korea, Congo DRC, Haiti and Libya. I’ve been able to compare Saudi Arabia (the
weirdest country I’ve ever been to, after North Korea) with Iran (a far from
perfect country, but far friendlier and more democratic than Saudi Arabia).
Most recently I travelled through Pakistan and observed the impact on that
country from the world’s two major powers. One was sending in road builders to
help keep the challenging Karakoram Highway open. The other was sending in
drones to kill people. Guess which one was more popular?
—Tony
Wheeler, co-founder of Lonely Planet
his website, including his
recent blogs on being in COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne, Australia:
https://tonywheeler.com.au/
------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 6, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Downtown Farmers'
Market, 11AM-4PM, lower Queen Street.
Tomato Fest, anytime 1-5PM,
Heart Beet Organics Farm, 742 Darlington Road, Darlington. Suggested at
the door $15 or pay-what-you-can, children until 12 free.
Tomato sampling, both fresh and in recipes, instructions on seed saving,.
COVID-19 guidelines to be followed, so participants are asked to bring a mask,
capacity is limited and people may want to come a little later in the
afternoon. "Be smart. Be safe. Be kind. And let's eat
tomatoes!"
For more info: Email <info@heartbeetorganics.ca>
or call/text at: 902-964-3060
------------
Meet
Meryam Haddad - Over Green Tea, 8:30-9:30PM.
Anna Keenan interviews Green Party leadership contender Meryam Haddad.
"Candidate 8 of 9 is Meryam Haddad: immigration lawyer,
LGBTQ+ and environmental activist, millennial!
Check out Meryam's campaign website here: https://www.meryam2020.ca/
Join the conversation live on Sunday September 6, at https://www.facebook.com/AnnaKeenanGreen/live
Facebook event link
--------------------------------
Cultural
events today and tomorrow:
Today:
Hamlet,
Stratford Festival film of live performance, 1PM, CBC TV Channel
11. You may want to check the listings to confirm.
Metropolitan Opera
video streaming:
The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess, until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Angel Blue, Golda Schultz, Latonia Moore, Denyce Graves, Frederick
Ballentine, Eric Owens, Alfred Walker, and Donovan Singletary, conducted by
David Robertson. From February 1, 2020.
Sunday, September 6
Thomas Adès’s The Tempest, 7:30PM tonight until Monday about
6:30PM
Starring Audrey Luna, Isabel Leonard, Iestyn Davies, Alek Shrader, Alan Oke,
William Burden, Toby Spence, and Simon Keenlyside, conducted by Thomas Adès.
From November 10, 2012.
These both are amazing.
https://www.metopera.org/
Tomorrow:
Monday, September
7th:
PEISO (PEI Symphony
Orchestra) Concert "Under the Stars" at the Brackley Drive-in ,
8-10:30PM, with Tara MacLean and others.
Tickets are $40 per carload regardless of number of
passengers
Facebook event link
So much good reading here at the
Learning for a Sustainable Future website, here:
http://lsf-lst.ca/en
Founded by David Bell
-------------------------------------------------------
Global Chorus essay for September
6
David Bell
An old Russian proverb defines a “pessimist” as “an informed optimist.” The
more one learns about the depth and extent of the challenges facing humankind over
the remainder of this century, the easier it is to feel discouraged. The
current path of global development appears to be taking us toward environmental
and social disaster.
Some years ago, I conducted interviews with dozens of sustainability experts
from all parts of the world to prepare a 12-hour radio series entitled
“Sustainability: Canadian and Global Views.” The people I spoke with were
highly “informed” about the challenges ahead, but every one of them believed
that we are capable of bending the curve, of steering spaceship Earth toward a
more sustainable future.
Is there still room for optimism? That’s hard to say. But there is a compelling
case for hope. To begin with despair is a very poor motivator. And there is
much to be done. So hope is the essential, necessary premise of positive
action. It is a crucial diet for anyone who wants to make the world a better
place to live for current and future generations. Yet, despite the enormous
challenges that lie ahead, a diet of hope is not thin gruel. In essence,
sustainability poses an “educational” challenge for humankind. We need to learn
to live differently on this planet. This will require the emergence and
widespread adoption of a culture of sustainability which embeds the values of
caring for each other, caring for the Earth and caring about the future.
The good news is that the green shoots of such a culture are already very
evident. Millions of individuals and organizations all over the world are
passionately committed to addressing sustainability problems. The signs are
everywhere, in the education sector, in civil society, in business, in
government and in everyday living. New technologies of global communication can
facilitate this culture shift toward sustainability.
In the spirit of hope, every one of us can do our part to make a difference for
each other, for our planet and for our future. And we can have fun doing it!
—David
V.J. Bell, PhD, professor emeritus and former dean of environmental studies at
York University (Toronto, Canada), board member of Learning for a Sustainable
Future
www.lsf-lst.ca
---------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 5, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Farmers' Markets in
Charlottetown (8-1PM) and Summerside (9-noon)
Operas:
Saturday
afternoon radio with Ben Heppner, 1PM, 104.7FM
Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni
with Elīna Garanča andI Pagliacci by Ruggero
Leoncavallo
Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Met Opera video
streaming: Two day special
The Gershwins’ Porgy
& Bess,
until 6:30PM Sunday
Starring Angel Blue, Golda Schultz, Latonia Moore, Denyce Graves, Frederick
Ballentine, Eric Owens, Alfred Walker, and Donovan Singletary, conducted by
David Robertson. From February 1, 2020. Three hours. A modern
classic.
https://www.metopera.org/
from the David Suzuki
Foundation: https://davidsuzuki.org/story/old-oil-and-gas-wells-find-new-life-with-renewable-energy/
Friday,
September 4th, 2020
Old oil and gas wells find new life
with renewable energy - David Suzuki
Foundation post by David
Suzuki with contributions from Senior Editor and Writer Ian Hanington
As part of its
COVID-19 response, Canada’s government is spending $1.7 billion to clean up “orphan”
and inactive oil and gas wells in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Industry should be footing the bill, but the work is critical and will keep
people employed and, in some cases, help them upgrade skills.
Orphan wells are
those with no known legal or financial owner, often because a
company has gone bankrupt. Finance Canada says Alberta has
about 4,700, Saskatchewan 600 and B.C. 350, with another 91,000 inactive wells
(no longer productive) in Alberta, 36,000 in Saskatchewan and 12,000 in
B.C. Some have been “abandoned” — industry-speak for capped to prevent toxic
leakage.
Subsidies that
help workers are fine, but those that allow industry to continue business as
usual while avoiding responsibility for repairing the damage it’s caused aren’t
the way to recover from a pandemic or economic downturn. That’s why some
forward-thinking people are taking it a step further.
In most cases,
it’s best to restore sites to more natural states. But, with roads, grid
connections and infrastructure already in place, some can be converted to
renewable energy operations, from geothermal to solar.
Around Taber,
Alberta, the RenuWell project plans to employ fossil fuel industry workers to convert two to four inactive wells to solar
energy installations that can generate 2,900 MWh and more than $224,000 in
electricity sales a year to the area. It’s an idea that could easily be scaled
up. As project originator Keith Hirsche explained, transforming 10 per cent of
inactive wells to solar installations in Alberta alone would provide enough
renewable energy to meet the government’s 2030 goals without removing
additional land from agriculture.
The project is
supported by funding from the Municipal Community Generation Challenge, an initiative
of provincial and municipal agencies. As part of the project, an organization
of former oil workers called Iron & Earth is partnering with Medicine Hat
College to develop a five-day “rapid upskilling program for fossil fuel
industry and Indigenous workers to learn the basics of solar before working on
transforming the well sites themselves.”
Seeing the need
to diversify in the face of falling oil prices, increasing automation and
climate disruption, oilsands workers started Iron & Earth in 2015. As executive director Lliam Hildebrand and board member
Bruce Wilson wrote in an Edmonton
Journal article, “It’s not a case of fossil-fuel industry
workers versus the rest, or Alberta versus British Columbia. We are all in this
together. The challenge now is how to move forward in a way that leaves no one
behind.”
Geothermal energy
also shows promise for transforming some wells. In April, the Canadian
Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors, Petroleum Services Association of
Canada and geothermal developers formed a partnership to promote
geothermal development and create opportunities for displaced oil and gas
drillers and service workers. Some deeper wells can be used for exploration and
monitoring for geothermal potential.
A Narwhal article
details Fort Nelson First Nation’s efforts to
turn 6,800 hectares of land in the Clarke Lake gas field in northeastern B.C.
into a commercial-scale geothermal project. It would reduce reliance on fossil
fuels (and thus greenhouse gas emissions) and could provide heat for homes, businesses
and greenhouses.
Although data from existing wells in the nearly depleted gas field show high
enough underground temperatures for good geothermal potential, drilling is
required to determine if water flows are adequate. That can be expensive, but
preliminary studies show it will likely pay off.
Other uses for
depleted wells include hydrogen production, lithium
recovery (used in batteries) and carbon capture and storage.
Ideally, most
former oil and gas wells and related infrastructure would be returned as close
to natural states as possible, restoring habitat for animals like caribou and
reversing some of the devastation to traditional Indigenous territories and
ways of life.
But in many
cases, old well sites provide opportunities to scale up renewable energy
without building new roads and infrastructure and encroaching on valuable
agricultural land. Some solar installations are also compatible with nature
restoration and agriculture.
We must find
better ways to hold industry accountable for the
many oil and gas wells yet to be orphaned. Innovation for a transition to
cleaner energy is something everyone can get behind.
Written by David
Suzuki with contributions from Senior Editor and Writer Ian Hanington
-30-
Global Chorus essay for September 5
Mustafa Abu Sway
The
relationship with the environment should be based on companionship. In the
Islamic worldview, every component in the environment is a Sign pointing in the
direction of God. When members of the environment go extinct, it simply means
that we are treading on a path with less Signs, leading to a spiritual vacuum,
and endangering our very existence.
Yet, there is hope!
The Prophet Muhammad (upon him be peace) prohibited polluting the water
sources, and the path of people. He also encouraged his followers to
continuously plant fruitful saplings under the most difficult situations, even
under apocalyptic conditions, he said:
If one of you had a
sapling [of a palm tree] in his hand, and the Hour [of the Day of Judgment] has
arrived, and he could [still manage to] plant it, then he should plant it.
If you become aware of an issue, then you should act accordingly.
And we are conscientious of the environmental crises, and we are invited to act
now.
My understanding of the Islamic worldview is that it is imperative to maintain
the natural habitat of all species, and to care for the environment as a whole.
We should act responsibly and consume food and other materials in moderation
and in a sustainable way. Our survival as humanity is intertwined with the
survival of other species. But also we should address economic policies that
lead to inequality, which in turn affect the environment negatively.
It is not morally acceptable that our globe has two major groups: one that has
plenty, and the other hardly subsists. In addition, one cannot neglect warfare
and the resources wasted in this respect. Peace is vital for the environment. I
have high hopes in our ability to rise to the environmental challenges, and for
this, Muslims and non-Muslim alike need to co-operate and rub shoulders in
action-based programs.
—Prof. Dr. Mustafa Abu Sway, Integral Chair for the Study of Imam Al-Ghazali’s Work at Al-Aqsa
Mosque and Al-Quds University, Palestine
------------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 4, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Standing Committee Meeting:
Health and Social
Development Committee, 1PM,
Topic: Hurricane
season planning
Location: First
floor, J. Angus MacLean Building, 94 Great George Street
The committee will
receive a briefing on post-tropical storm Dorian and planning for the upcoming
hurricane season during the pandemic from the Minister of Justice and Public
Safety.
The buildings in the
parliamentary precinct remain closed to the public. The audio of the meeting will be available on the Legislative
Assembly's website and Facebook page following the meeting.
---------------------
Friday4Future, 4PM,
Province House, Grafton and Great George Streets side.
from their Facebook event link
We meet weekly, slight time change to 4-5pm,
usually in front of Province House (on Grafton St.), to call for our political
leaders to take drastic meaningful ACTION to address the climate emergency, and
do their part to transform our economy from dependence on fossil fuels to using
only clean renewable energy.
-----------
Haviland Club -- Book Launch, 7PM, Esther of Farringford,
with author Lynne Thiele.

----------------
Sunday, September 6th:
Tomato Fest, Heart
Beet Organics, 1PM, ticketed. 742 Darlington Road, off Rte, 2 in Darlington.
Ticketed. Tomato salsas and soups and variety tasting, with physical
distance guidelines followed.
Facebook event link
News of Robert
Mitchell, MLA for Charlottetown-Sherwood area, resigning as MLA:
from Stu Neatby's article
yesterday:
https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/news/local/updated-pei-liberal-mla-robert-mitchell-resigns-492837/
"Mitchell said he was proud of his work in these departments. He noted the
early stages of work on the Water Act began under his tenure, as did the
revamping of the Municipal Government Act. During his time as health minister,
plans for the completion of the new mental health campus at the Hillsborough
Hospital were announced. "
'Under the Elections
Act, voters in Charlottetown-Winsloe can expect a by-election to be called
within six months." Or by March 2021.
Legislative Assembly link to Map of District 10 -- Charlottetown-Winsloe, which
still has area a lot of Sherwood in it.
https://www.electionspei.ca/sites/www.electionspei.ca/files/NewDistrict10.pdf
------------------

Map, originally from
Brad Trivers' website, showing the current District -Charlottetown-Winsloe (in
darker purple) and some outlines of the former Districts that make it up.
Though a devoted constituency man with devoted followers (CBC reporter Kerry
Campbell told of "The Robert Mitchell Song" going through many
choruses at a nomination meeting some years back), Mitchell is going to get
more time to be the "Poppy" he so enjoys being.
Global Chorus essay for September 4
Fatima Jibrell
I live in a small village called Durduri, on the coast of the Puntland State of
Somalia, where life evades international conscience. My coastal village is the
epicenter for illegal and extractive charcoal production from very scarce
acacia trees; something which largely escapes media attention. Unemployment and
scarce livelihood opportunities afflict our young men, leaving them vulnerable
to the lure of piracy, charcoal burning and chewing Mira. At the same time,
foreign nations are looting Somalia’s waters through illegal fishing and
trawling, while foreign navies patrolling those same waters often deny Somali
youth access to fishing as a local livelihood opportunity to which they are
fundamentally entitled.
What is happening in my village and across Somalia demonstrates the fractured
relationship between local and global. Humanity is united by a common cause –
to preserve our planet and empower our people – and yet I see a world that
shrugs of its responsibilities and works against its people. But I also see a
world that is waking up.
Grassroots efforts have shown that environmental degradation can be reversed,
and that livelihood opportunities can be created. Relentless commitment is
however required from all parties, from local communities to national governments
through to world bodies such as NATO and the UN. People from around the globe
must think about the impact of their actions, and like-minded individuals must
come together with a shared vision and commitment to do things differently.
We still have a long, long way to go, but I am not without hope.
—Fatima
Jibrell, women’s rights and environmental protection advocate, founder and
senior advisor of Adeso African Development Solution, founder of Sun Fire
Cooking
www.adesoafrica.org
www.sunfirecooking.com
(older website)
-------------------------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 3, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Congratulations to Joe Byrne on his work talking the helm of
the provincial NDP. Joe resigned from that position yesterday.
Joe's unabashed
socialist perspective is sorely needed in the P.E.I. Legislature, but it's
grinding to steer a smaller party when its leader has to work other jobs,
too. AND when we are in a First-Past-the-Post voting system that
inculcates the larger Parties and results in much resistance to real
reform.
Joe will undoubted
continue to play a role in commenting on how we could be governing with our
better nature and looking out for all people and the environment, too.
----------------------
Events:
Special Legislative Committee on Climate
Change, 1:30PM.
Topic: Briefing on
promotion of electric transportation in Quebec
"Location:
Committee Room, J. Angus MacLean Building, 94 Great George Street
The committee will meet to receive a briefing on efforts to promote electric
transportation in Quebec, by representatives of Transition énergétique Québec.
Video recording will
not be available for this meeting; an audio recording of the meeting will be
available on the Legislative Assembly's website and Facebook page following the
meeting. The buildings of the parliamentary precinct remain closed to the
public."
Notes
on the Special Committee on Climate Change:
This committee has been "created to explore the options available to
reduce GHG emissions and to make fully costed recommendations on how the
province can best meet its emission reduction targets." and to engage with
the public.
Lynne Lund is chair, and with Steven Howard, is the Green Party (Official
Opposition) contingent
(Interim Third Party leader) Sonny Gallant and Deputy Speaker Hal Perry are the
Liberals
and Natalie James (Honourable Minister of Environment, Water and Climate
Change) and Sidney MacEwen are the Government representatives.
https://www.assembly.pe.ca/ClimateChangeCommittee
------------------------------
Green Party Federal Leadership race and eligibility to vote
deadline to register:
Today
(midnight, Pacific time) is the last day to purchase or renew a membership to
be able to vote in the leadership contest which begins later this month.
Those 14 and older are eligible.
https://www.greenparty.ca/en/leadership-contest
-----------------------------------
Operatunities, streamed recorded live operas from The
Metropolitan Opera Company
https://www.metopera.org/
John Adams’s Nixon in China, tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Kathleen Kim, Janis Kelly, Robert Brubaker, Russell Braun, James
Maddalena, and Richard Paul Fink, conducted by John Adams. From February 12,
2011.
Berg’s Lulu, 7:30PM tonight until Friday at
6:30PM
Starring Marlis Petersen, Susan Graham, Daniel Brenna, Paul Groves, Johan
Reuter, and Franz Grundheber, conducted by Lothar Koenigs. From November 21,
2015
Paul MacNeill spins a
possible scenario: http://www.peicanada.com/eastern_graphic/don-t-let-covid-fiction-become-unwanted-reality/article_256917b4-ebbe-11ea-9807-dbb4742c3c64.html
Don’t let COVID fiction become unwanted reality - The Eastern Graphic column by Paul MacNeill
Published on
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020, in The Graphic newspapers
It started with 100
people gathering for a beach party on a cool, moonlit, early fall night. There
was beer, guitars and revelry at a summer enjoyed. Social distancing and masks
were definitely not mandatory. In fact, no one seemed to think twice about it.
Martha was a designated driver. She enjoyed the night and when the time came
drove her friends home and headed to her parent’s place in Stratford. She was keen
to get an early start the next morning on a project assigned to her Grade 12
English class at Charlottetown Rural.
A couple days later
Martha’s mother, Susan, was also enjoying fall’s crispness. The traditional
beginning of respiratory disease season, a time when the number of cold and flu
cases increase dramatically, was the furthest thing from her mind. The easing
of restrictions at long-term care facilities meant she and her siblings could
now visit their aging father on a more regular basis. Normalcy was returning;
it was exciting, she thought, as she walked in the front door and headed for
her father’s room.
A week went by before
Martha noticed the first symptom, a fever, followed by a dry cough and
exhaustion. Susan called 811, explained the symptoms and arranged a COVID test
for her daughter. It would be 24 hours before Martha learned she was COVID
positive.
A day before, the aged
gentleman Susan’s father shares a dinner table with in the dining hall suddenly
fell ill. His lungs struggled for air and his fever spiked. The care facility
went into immediate COVID lockdown. The gentleman, who took pride in telling
harness racing stories of bygone days, tested positive for COVID.
The first days and
weeks of the school year were hectic. Teachers and administrators did the best
they could to enforce social distancing. But in a school with a capacity of 950
and an actual student population of 1,076, it quickly became wishful thinking.
Hallways, bathrooms and classrooms when the teacher had their back turned or
left the room, offered ample opportunity to push back on regulations telling
students what to do and when to do it.
Word of a Rural
student testing positive for COVID spread like wildfire. In the ensuing days,
seven more students, two teachers and a bus driver tested positive. The school
opted to shift to online instruction for two weeks.
The affable
91-year-old seat mate of Susan’s father would become PEI’s first COVID
hospitalization and death.
COVID is insidious.
The virus travels unseen in a community, if given opportunity, and can move
from a beach to classroom to long-term care facility in the blink of an eye.
Family members pass it to relatives, friends to friends and strangers to
strangers.
The outbreak presented
here is fiction. Thankfully. But it is scenarios just like this that have
fueled outbreaks around the world.
As we return thousands
of children to Island schools, while simultaneously expanding public access to
long-term care facilities, it is a realistic picture of what could happen if we
make a mistake. With every step forward on PEI the risk of a COVID outbreak,
and community spread, increases exponentially. We are a province with a greater
direct social connection between youth and seniors. Opening schools and
expanding access at LTC are connected.
Our provincial path
forward is rightly reopening and government has done a good job doing it. But
now is not the time to rest on our laurels. It’s the time to ask more
questions, seek more data and implement as many early warning signs as possible,
like those in a Quebec school last week where two teachers were found COVID
positive and 20 teachers were quarantined on day two of the school year.
This is not failure,
it is a success of safety protocols.
Now is not the time to
listen to those who righteously say “We’re different. We have no virus on PEI.”
BS. We do. It’s here, lurking. The more we open and the less we ignore public
health guidance to social distance and wash our hands, the greater the
opportunity COVID has to emerge.
To remain open
requires ingenuity and personal commitment. Reopening schools sets aside the
number one public health rule of the last six months. Social distancing in
Island schools is functionally impossible and government needs to acknowledge
it. The question then becomes how do we mitigate risk.
Dealing with class
size in a substantive and imaginative way would be a big part of any solution.
The Public Schools Branch and the Department of Education have shown no
imagination on this front, virtually every school has multiple classes with 30
or more students.
PEI, with luck and
skill, avoided two small clusters from leaping into community spread. One
involved a long-term care facility, the other the QEH. Will we be as lucky when
faced with something like the fictional scenario presented here? We all hope
so. But if we’re not, we need targeted testing of ordinary Islanders with no
symptoms, including in schools and LTC homes. Why? We need to determine the
rate of virus in the community. (Boasts about the level of testing on PEI are
artificially skewed by immigrant workers). It’s important data for future COVID
outbreaks and it will help with community containment. Not to mention the halo
effect of easing some of the anxiety of students, parents and teachers.
Any such effort
requires testing capacity. Some on PEI are reluctant to implement community
testing for this reason. Capacity is not an excuse to avoid doing what is
right. So pick select schools, LTC and communities with higher risk factors and
then build on that. We don’t need to do it all at once, but we do need a
detailed plan.
Why do we continuously
test for signs of the next earthquake or volcano eruption? So we aren’t
surprised when one happens. Without community testing, we are opening ourselves
up to a big, unwanted surprise.
Paul MacNeill is
Publisher of Island Press Limited. He can be contacted at paul@peicanada.com
-30-

screenshot from the
website mentioned below
Not to be too bleak, but more to inspire Earth-caretaking, is sharing this
website called The Footprint Network, which measures earthlings use of the
Earth's resources and the day each year we overshoot and use more that the
Earth can sustainably offer. This year it was calculated on August 22.
https://www.footprintnetwork.org/
And, there are solutions offered ("Move the Date"), here: https://www.overshootday.org/solutions
Global Chorus essay for
September 3rd
Robert J. Birgeneau
The most significant social crisis facing our world today is the ever-widening
gap between the rich and the poor. Three billion of the world’s seven billion
people live on less than $2 per day, with the most acute poverty occurring in
South East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In India, one of the world’s
most-rapidly developing countries, 380 million of its 1.2 billion people still
struggle on less than $1 a day.
The Arab Spring uprisings have illustrated that people will not be shut out of
the world’s growing wealth. Even in Western countries, the increasing wealth
gap has sparked recent violent demonstrations in the U.K. and other parts of
Europe.
These are complex problems to which there is no simple solution. In 1959,
British scientist and novelist, C.P. Snow, in his famous lecture “The Two
Cultures and the Scientific Revolution,” saw that the growing inequality
separating the rich from the poor worldwide would lead to social turmoil. He
believed that science and technology could solve the disparity and make the
world prosperous and secure but that the different cultures of humanists and
scientists would hinder scientific progress.
Although science and technology have made incredible strides in the last half-century,
we have not solved the problem of abating global poverty through technological
solutions. We need to understand why the gap between rich and poor is growing.
Education that values and unites the “two cultures” must be the answer. This
education must be broadly accessible, not just reserved for the privileged few.
Solving the world’s most challenging problems requires the attention of many
academic disciplines coming together to seek solutions. Multidisciplinary,
collaborative approaches across the physical and biological sciences,
mathematics, engineering, social sciences, arts and humanities and the
professions, hold the promise of enhancing our contributions to a better world.
—
Robert J. Birgeneau, chancellor of University of California, Berkeley
(retired -- now Professor Emeritus at MIT in Physics)
http://web.mit.edu/physics/people/faculty/birgeneau_robert.html
----------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 2, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Health and Social Development Committee
meeting, 1PM,
Topic: Briefing from Chief Public Health Officer
The committee will
receive a briefing from Dr. Heather Morrison, Chief Public Health Officer in
regards to COVID-19 related matters.
Please note: due to the
installation of the new video equipment the Legislative Chamber, the meeting
will be held at the J. Angus MacLean Building (94 Great George Street).
The buildings in the
parliamentary precinct remain closed to the public. The audio
of the meeting will be available on the Legislative Assembly's website and
Facebook page following the meeting.
Local Food Opportunities:
Farm Centre Legacy
Garden has fresh and dried herbs, and garden amendments and Google Form and contact information
here.
Now, if they only had
canning jars for sale.....
EatLocalPEI order
deadline:
tonight at midnight for Saturday
pickup/some area delivery:
Order information
The
Farmacy grocery and cafe is open today until Saturday, 11AM-eveningtime, 152 Great George
Street, Charlottetown.
Opera corner
Britten’s Peter
Grimes,
until 6:30PM tonight
Starring Patricia Racette, Anthony Dean Griffey, and Anthony Michaels-Moore,
conducted by Donald Runnicles. From March 15, 2008.
John Adams’s Nixon
in China,
tonight 7:30PM until Thursday 6:30PM
Starring Kathleen Kim, Janis Kelly, Robert Brubaker, Russell Braun, James
Maddalena, and Richard Paul Fink,
conducted by *the composer* John Adams. From February 12, 2011. An
odd choice for an opera, but it somehow works. Canadian baritone Braun
sympathetically portrays the Chinese premier.
Some urban perspectives...
from:
http://theislandheartbeat.com/?p=2863
The Island Hearbeat website
Charlottetown
Belongs to Every Islander - The Island Heartbeat essay
by Allan Rankin
allan.rankin51@gmail.com
Published on
Sunday, August 23rd, 2020
Capital cities
have a unique status and role.
They are the
seat of government and justice, and in most instances the major administrative
centre of a province, state, or nation.
They are also
municipalities, and legal creatures of a higher governmental authority.
And while it is
true that individuals and businesses residing within the boundaries of a
capital city pay annual taxes and other charges, capital cities are handsomely
supported by their respective provincial governments.
The City of
Charlottetown for instance could never begin to offer municipal services at
their current levels, or undertake its many capital projects, without major
financial support from both the Province and the Federal Government.
In the City’s
2019-20 budget, the annual municipal grant and infrastructure funding
represents nearly thirty percent (30%) of the total revenue.
Add to this the
direct and indirect economic impact of provincial and federal institutions like
the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters and the University of Prince
Edward Island, and it’s safe to say the City of Charlottetown certainly doesn’t
pull its own weight financially.
Therefore, when
any Islander regardless of where they live expresses an opinion about life in
their capital city, or God forbid questions a decision made by City Council,
they have a right to do so. As our capital city, Charlottetown is a favored
community. It enjoys a special status and every Islander has an investment in
its sound administration and future development.
It is important
to point all of this out because the capital city establishment, especially the
lawyers and developers, and municipal leaders, tend to view the city as their
own private backyard, and everyone else should, well, just mind their own
business.
Although I
reside in Hunter River, and try to support all of our local services, I venture
into “town” frequently to shop, see my doctor, go to a movie, or enjoy a
shawarma at Cedar’s Eatery, in my opinion the best Lebanese restaurant in
Canada.
I also try to
keep up with the issues and challenges confronting our capital city, and
certainly affordable housing, or the lack thereof, has been at the top of the
priority list.
That is why I
was shocked when City Council a few months ago, using a very unorthodox and
limited review process, approved a $30 million 8-story luxury apartment complex
for the Charlottetown waterfront, a 99-unit building to be erected on Haviland
Street.
According to APM
developer Tim Banks, these luxury apartments will include “everything from a
gym to a dog wash” and rent for about 15% more than existing apartments in the
city. Banks claims the housing market needs more than affordable units, which
should be music to the ears of wealthier clients but not to working families
and younger professionals who are already paying exorbitant rents for often
substandard housing.
But what is
especially galling about this development is the abbreviated and under-the-covers
approval process, without any opportunity for public review or consultation.
Evidently, the city bylaw for the waterfront zone does not require a public
meeting.
But there is
strong opposition to the apartment complex and the only avenue concerned residents
have to voice their opinions is social media, unless some individual or group
directly effected by the APM development launches a formal appeal to the Island
Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC).
During my time
as Vice Chair of the Commission, I was amazed at how pliant the City was when
it came to reviewing and assessing proposed development projects, sometimes
willing to go against the recommendations of its own planning board to satisfy
a developer’s wishes.
Undoubtedly, Tim
Banks and APM have that kind of influence over the City, and the prevailing
view is that “any build is a good build”.
Mr. Banks in his
Twitter ramblings likes to call me the “Captain of the Can’t Get Ahead Gang”,
whatever that means. He has me figured as an ignoramus when it comes to the
construction industry, and adverse to the very notion of progress.
I grew up on
construction work sites and know a little about that industry.
My father was a
successful general contractor for most of his working life, building schools, post
offices, and other commercial buildings throughout the province, and his father
was a bridge builder who also put in the first concrete waterfront in
Summerside, not far from where Mr. Banks’ father ran his service station. Not
to belabor the point but my late brother Richard was an award-winning
construction project manager, and his younger son is Chair of the Engineering
Department at UNB.
But I also know
something about responsible public administration, and what fair-minded
government looks like, and I strongly believe the APM project on Haviland
Street because of its scale and location, and impact on neighboring properties,
should undergo a thorough public review.
That’s the view
from Hunter River.
-30-
Note that recently it
was announced that the Haviland development is on hold until the Spring -- but
only on hold.
This was probably in
the papers but I think I missed it. Ole was kind enough to send it to me.
The
Haviland Street Project could be a big opportunity for the City -- by Ole Hammarlund
As an MLA in Charlottetown I have been bombarded with request to do something
about the proposed apartment tower on Haviland Street. The
opponents claim that the proposed new tower will be too tall and completely
block the views from the existing building behind it. But I am also aware
that Charlottetown is in a housing crisis and higher-density housing is part of
the solution.
Too often discussions on new development are framed as either “yes” or “no”,
where one side wins and the other side loses. Instead we should
look at smart design that improves quality of life and the public space for
all. Is that even possible on this small site?
Definitely! For inspiration just look to the Harborside One, the first section
of the waterfront developments that began over 40 years ago. This project
featured underground parking with a well-developed public plaza and park on
top. The waterfront itself is enhanced with a busy marina and the place
is both attractive to live in and a delight for the public to walk through.
This is exactly what could happen at the Haviland site if the City, CADC, the
Province and the Feds get behind it. It could be an advantage that the
entire site is currently owned by one owner and involving the developer should
be no hindrance. Just look what developer Mike Arnold made happen
at the Confederation Center Mall decades ago!
What is needed here is a re-design that looks at both the existing building and
the new buildings as a single comprehensive project. With a proper
re-design, the parking could be reduced to a single story, covering more of the
site. Instead of the current two story parking garage facades, a
lower single story could be softened with terraces and planters.
The actual water front could be extended with a marina, which could serve those
boaters not allowed to use the dock in Victoria Park.
Most importantly the new apartments should be re-designed as two shallower
blocks perpendicular to the shore so that existing views are not blocked and
ALL new apartments get water views instead of just the front half as proposed.
The developers claim that they can build their proposed development without any
public hearing, and in fact recent City by-law changes allow development
without a public hearing as long as zoning and building codes are met.
This is of course a big IF. In fact the review by an independent
architect points out that the proposed project does NOT meet the zoning
requirements. The review shows that a maximum of 79 units are allowed,
while the developer’s plan show 99 units, 20 more than allowed.
Pouring over the plans myself I also note that over two thirds of the bedrooms
have no windows, a code requirement for bedrooms. Developers often
get around this by labeling such rooms as offices, leaving it up to the tenant
what he want to use it for. In any case, there would be plenty of reasons
why City council could turn down this proposal, if they so choose.
Recently the developer announced that they are withdrawing their
application. This will give time to think about making something
really good happen here, and include all levels of government.
Nothing worthwhile happens without a lot of effort, so let us get started
now. I am not against dense development, but all development should be
good for all, including the neighbors and the citizens of Charlottetown.
Ole Hammarlund is the
MLA for Charlottetown-Brighton and an architect. Please comment at ohammarlundmla@assembly.pe.c
Global Chorus essay for September 2nd
Paul Polman
If we are to overcome the enormous social and environmental challenges which
face us – and I believe we can – then we will have to work differently in
future. We will have to work in big partnerships where governments, business
and civil society organizations collaborate together.
As a member of the UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on the post-2015
Development Agenda I became convinced that we could “put an end to extreme
poverty” whilst at the same time safeguarding the planet for future
generations. Central to the achievement of this goal was the idea of a
“Partnership for Development” – grounded in a new spirit of solidarity and
realized through a compact of commitments.
This is not a pipe dream. A number of such multi-stakeholder partnerships are
already in place and delivering results at global scale. The GAVI Alliance is
on track to immunize 243 million children against killer diseases in 73 of the
world’s poorest countries. The Scaling Up Nutrition initiative has brought
together multinational food companies, governments and NGOs in 43 countries to
address malnutrition.
In the environmental area Unilever and the U.S. government have created the
Tropical Forest Alliance. The goal of this partnership is to eliminate tropical
deforestation from the supply chains of commodities like palm oil and soy. The
Alliance now includes the governments of Indonesia, Norway, UK, the Netherlands
and Liberia; dozens of NGOs as well as over 400 companies whose combined
revenues exceed $3-trillion. Good progress is being made. If we succeed we will
have overcome an issue which accounts for over 17 per cent of all greenhouse
gases – more than the entire transportation sector.
In the years to come we will see many more such partnerships. Their energy will
be fuelled by an irresistible demand for change from the young. Their call will
be heeded by a new generation of business leaders who understand that the
economic case for sustainable development is overwhelmingly strong.
I am convinced that we can forge a pathway that will deliver a better future
for all – one where prosperity and environmental sustainability walk hand in
hand.
— Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever
Update:
Polman is
"Co-founder and Chair of IMAGINE, a benefit corporation and foundation
accelerating business leadership to achieve the Global Goals."
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/tag/paul-polman/
One of his articles published on the LinkedIn
site on charities, businesses and government stepping up to help
stop the suffering caused by COVID-19.
-----------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014
http://globalchorus.ca
September 1, 2020
Chris Ortenburger's CANews
Events:
Virtual event: Islands
and COVID-19 Recovery Plans:
Promoting Resilience
and Sustainability, 11AM-12:30PM, free
and all welcome
Click here to register
The Institute
of Island Studies is delighted to kick off a season of online programming
with a Virtual Hub event discussing Islands
and COVID-19 Recovery Plans: Promoting Resilience and Sustainability.
This virtual panel and discussion will be an opportunity to share lessons on
how islands are demonstrating resilience as they respond to COVID-19, and bring
a collection of local voices together to discuss the challenges and
opportunities that we are navigating here on Prince Edward Island.
Moderated by Dr. Laurie Brinklow, the discussion will be
led by our key speakers (see below) who will then be joined by representatives
from island communities around the world and here on PEI, before opening the
floor up to questions from attendees.
KEY SPEAKERS:
• Dr. Jim
Randall UNESCO
Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability, UPEI
• Dr. Francesco
Sindico Strathclyde
Centre for Environmental Law & Governance (SCELG)
JOINED BY:
• Jane
Ledwell (Prince Edward Island) Executive Director, PEI Advisory
Council on the Status of Women
• Dr. Giulia
Sajeva (Egadi Islands, Italy) Marie Skłodowska Curie Individual
Fellowship holder with SCELG
• Dr. Andrew
Jennings (Shetland Islands, Scotland) Institute for Northern Studies,
University of Highlands and Islands
• Dr. John
Telesford (Grenada) School of Continuing Education, T. A. Marryshow
Community College
Registration
link
------------
Deadline Noon today for ordering: from Charlottetown
Farmers' Market 2GO, for pickup Thursday:
https://cfm2go.localfoodmarketplace.com/Index
------------------------
Legislative Committee meeting today:
Public Accounts
committee, 9:30AM
Topic: 2020 Report of the Auditor General to the Legislative
Assembly
"The committee
will meet to continue its review the 2020 Report of the Auditor General to the
Legislative Assembly. Auditor General Darren Noonan will be in attendance.
Video recording is
not available in the Committee Room of the J. Angus MacLean Building; an audio
recording of the meeting will be available on the Legislative Assembly's
website and Facebook page following the meeting."
More details
========================
Tonight:
Get Acquainted Series - Green Leadership Candidates III,
5:30-8PM, Founders Hall and online, all welcome.
With Courtney Howard and Glen Murray
....get together and 'Get Acquainted' with Federal Green Party
of Canada Leadership Candidates. People are gathering at Founder' Hall
for food and discussion (social distancing rules followed) and candidates will
be brought in virtually. All welcome to attend in person or by Zoom:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_F05dJBYeSbWqGimitADDCg?fbclid=IwAR3-zgwu-1sqPl6C4DWY1inJQ4U6-fue_NaIIrXav7U8z3NODsHydzUn234
See for more details:
Facebook event link
Met Opera
corner: 20th Century works!
Strauss’s Elektra, tonight until 6:30PM
Starring Nina Stemme, Adrianne Pieczonka, Waltraud Meier, Burkhard Ulrich, and
Eric Owens, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. From April 30, 2016.
Britten’s Peter
Grimes, 7:30PM Tuesday, until about 6:30PM Wednesday
Starring Patricia Racette, Anthony Dean Griffey, and Anthony Michaels-Moore,
conducted by Donald Runnicles. From March 15, 2008.
Global Chorus essay for September 1
Alexia Lane
How can we save the world? First we must ask ourselves if we willing to pay
more for energy and water. Democratic governments recognize that their tenure
would be short-lived if they insisted that oil and gas companies, for example,
show minimal profits in order to reduce the cost of home utilities. Lack of
profit from large companies, associated job losses, and rising unemployment
would result in mobilization of voters to oust the government that restricted
company profits.
However, if consumers accepted paying more for water, electricity and natural
gas, governments would be free to impose restrictions not on company profits,
but on company practices.
If consumers are prepared to pay more for water, electricity and natural gas,
governments are in a position to mandate “cost-prohibitive” extraction
technologies and to force the oil and gas industry, for example, to respond
accordingly. Waterless methods to extract unconventional fossil fuels exist,
but are rarely used due to the high cost associated with the technologies when
compared with using essentially free fresh water. Costly technology ultimately
translates into higher costs for us as consumers. If we are willing to pay more
for our water and energy needs, the conservation effects would be twofold.
Firstly, there would be greater impetus to conserve water and energy resources
on a home-to-home basis. Secondly, industry would be forced to leave water
resources intact, while continuing to surge forward in fossil fuel extraction.
If we are not prepared to pay more for water, electricity and natural gas, we
will continue on the current path of destruction using primarily
freshwater-intensive extraction methods such as hydraulic fracturing
(fracking), because that is the less expensive solution, the one that keeps our
water and natural gas bills at their current rates. The extent and intensity
with which wells are being fracked across the globe is ever increasing despite known
adverse environmental and public health effects. Moreover, fracking permanently
removes water from the hydrologic cycle, a phenomenon that cannot be undone.
All the water that will ever be on Earth is here today. How much are you
willing to pay for that?
—
Alexia Lane, Water Lane Consulting, author of On Fracking
excellent
book -- more about it here
more about the author here
Note that it is my understanding that fracking is expressing forbidden on
P.E.I. in the Water Act,
(thanks to many Islanders who spoke out about the need to ban this) though the Act has actually not
passed through all the legislative hoops as the regulations on groundwater
extraction are being finalized.
--------------------------------
essay from
Global Chorus: 365 Voices
on the Future of the Planet
edited by Todd E. MacLean
copyright 2014