First Thing
There was a great article about community advocacy in the Globe and Mail. In Huntington Beach, California, there was little access for physically challenged individuals to use the beach.
In order to go into the water, someone would have to physically carry them to the water’s edge. Wheelchairs get bogged down in the sand.
After a number of emails to city staff and local councillors, someone consented to come out and see the problems first hand. The solution was a “Mobi-Mat”, which sits on top of the sand and allows people in wheelchairs to get to the water. It’s a huge hit. Physically challenged people can now access the water, go swimming and take surfing lessons. So much so, the town installed a second Mobi-Mat, with three more to come.
Contrast this with our local community. The mayor of Mono, ON, John Creelman, wrote a letter to the Minister of Transportation, Caroline Mulroney, regarding local traffic issues that occur on provincially controlled highways that run through town. The town would love to take action but can’t because the province has the final say. Mr. Creelman asked for a meeting with the minister. Usually, this kind of thing gets kicked down the chain and some ministerial assistant is dispatched to placate the populace. But the minister didn’t even see fit to do that. She responded that due to scheduling constraints, she is unable to meet. For the next four years. Busy, busy, busy.
The ironic thing is that a Blue Box could run for the Conservatives in Dufferin-Caledon and win the riding. To say that PC support is strong here is an understatement. Perhaps voters should keep this level of service to the riding in mind come election day.
Second Thing
The CBC national news’ top three stories this morning were all on climate events. The aftermath of Hurricane Fiona, the damage to Cuba and the Caymans from Hurricane Ian, and the persistent flooding of Pakistan where more than 1,500 people have lost their lives.
But there’s no such thing as climate change. Just Google “Climate change is a hoax” and take a deep dive down the rabbit hole. Never mind that we have once in a century climate events every few years now, that places like California and British Columbia are experiencing annual heat waves that are like nothing in recorded history and that people in Miami will likely have to kiss their homes goodbye because of rising sea levels.
But if you do your research on Facebook or heaven help me, Instagram, you won’t find this information. If you look at organizations that do, well, science, it’s a different story.
Third Thing
Under the category of ‘reap what you sow’ or ‘chickens coming home to roost’, our newly elected leader of the opposition, Pierre Poilievre, has the RCMP investigating a threat of rape against his wife. While violence of any kind is not to be condoned, I honestly don’t understand how he didn’t see this coming. Either that, or his ability to dissemble is simply superior to mine.
The person against whom the complaint is lodged is the alleged leader of a neo-Nazi group called Diagolon. Jeremy MacKenzie was also a leader of the Freedumb Convoy in Ottawa, a founding member of the People’s Party of Canada, and has a podcast where he spouts conspiracy theories. It’s during one of these broadcasts that Mr. MacKenzie made the threat. He called it a ‘power move”.
Let’s rape her … It’s not really a sex thing, we just want to show people that we can do things to you if we want to. It’s a power move.”
As if this isn’t bad enough, Mr. Poilievre was seen shaking Mr. MacKenzie’s hand during the February 2022 protests, marching with him and others in the convoy, and generally courting them. In other words, he wanted to be seen as “one of them”. Talk about hubris.
Of course, Mr. MacKenzie has walked back his statement, saying he was drunk, it was just a joke, yada yada yada. Just like Donald Trump claiming women wanted to be raped, that he could put his hands wherever he wanted on them and they’re asking for it. But he was just joking and was subsequently elected President.
Then Mr. Poilievre has the temerity to deny that he’d only recently heard of Diagolon, that he didn’t understand with whom he was consorting back in February and condemned the need for the Emergencies Act to shut down the occupation of downtown Ottawa.
Gimme a break. Any politician that can fog a mirror has seen the rise of white supremacy groups in the U.S. like the Proud Boys and Diagolon. To claim that he'd first heard of them about a month ago is beyond the pale.
Where was Mr. Poilievre’s condemnation of the “Fuck Trudeau” signs and flags? No where to be found. But then, someone wants to rape his wife (as a joke) and now he’s indignant.
I’m not going to deny that a shot against a sitting politician isn’t fair game. Are the flags despicable? Of course they are. Is a threat to rape abhorrent? Without a doubt.
But if you walk with a Nazi and talk to a Nazi and shake hands with a Nazi…what does that make you?
By the way, I'm just joking about all of this. I also own a red Ferrari.
We had a dove come visit. They never sit on the railing. A rare treat.
