Canada Strong

The other weekend, when DW and I were cycling along the Thousand Islands Parkway, between Butternut Bay and Rockport, I received a notification on my phone that read "Welcome to the United States." Apparently, we were close enough to the American border to ping off a cell tower that was across the river.

"Fuck you," I said to that message. I looked across the water to the tree-lined shore and thought to myself, I'm glad I'm not over there, in that dumpster fire.

I'm glad to be Canadian. We're not a perfect country—there's no such thing—but compared to our neighbours, we're about as close as you can get.

Happy Canada Day!

Image: theflagstore.ca

Still Shopping Canadian

I shook my head as I walked out of the store. I shouldn't have gone in at all.

Kid 1 didn't tell me that her toilet was broken. Unbeknownst to me, she's been lifting the lid of the tank, reaching into the frigid water, and manually pulling up the flapper to flush the toilet.

I don't know how long she's been doing this but it was DW who told me that the toilet was broken. I avoid our kid's bathroom because, like her bedroom, it's always a mess. Items all over the counter; clothes piled up on the floor. I only ever go in every other week, when I empty her garbage pail as part of taking out the trash.

But the other day, DW mentioned that our kid's toilet wasn't working properly. When I went in to investigate, I discovered that the rubber ring that holds the chain to the flapper was broken. It was an easy enough fix: replace the flapper.

For years, we've shopped for home-repair and improvement items at our local Home Depot. There's a Canadian Tire store that is a bit closer to home but went in years after Home Depot, and we were used to shopping at this chain store. Also, I find the Canadian Tire to be cluttered, so I preferred the other store.

It was my first time in the Home Depot since DW and I made the decision to stop buying American products, to not give our business to American companies. But when I was out on this mission, it didn't even occur to me that the Home Depot is an American chain.

Not right away, anyway.

In the plumbing section, I came up to the display of toilet-repair items just as a young sales associate was finishing with another customer. "Can I help you find anything?" he asked.

I was already standing in front of the flappers, looking at all the different sizes and brands. "I'm looking for a flapper but didn't realize there were so many different types." I've replaced flappers on toilets before and never gave it any thought: I just saw the one size and that was it. "It's for an American Standard toilet."

"Two-inch or four-inch?"

"Good question," I replied, thinking about the ones I had bought before. "I'm thinking a two-inch flapper."

"How old is the toilet?"

"More than 25 years old."

"Definitely, the two-inch," he said, pulling one off the rack and handing it to me.

I couldn't help but see the American flag on the label and Proudly made in America printed underneath the image. "Um, do you have any that aren't made in the U.S.?"

"Yeah, but they're made in China." The young lad was clearly of East-Asian ancestry and I also noticed another Asian man standing not too far away, within earshot.

"These days, I'll take Chinese-made goods over American-made ones," I said.

"I don't think these items are affected by tariffs."

"That's not the point."

"Do you mind me asking why you don't want the American-made flapper?"

I was a bit surprised that the young guy would ask that question. Did he not follow the news? I mean, he did know about the trade war and the Orange Felonious Turd's tariffs. "I'm not buying anything that's American-made. It's as simple as that. As Canadians, we should all avoid American products. I have American friends, living in the U.S., who are avoiding American products."

"The American flapper is better made. I'd trust any silicone coming out of North America than those coming out of China." He seemed offended, as if he had made the product, himself.

"Pardon me for saying so," I said, "but the Americans are fucking around with us. They need to find out what consequences are. For eight bucks, I'll take my chances with the Chinese flapper." I handed him back the flapper that he had given me and pulled the other one off the rack.

"Suit yourself," he said. I couldn't get over how little he seemed to care about our relationship with the United States. As someone in sales, I get that he wanted me to buy the more-expensive item (it was four dollars more) but he didn't seem to understand my decision to avoid American products.

It wasn't until I walked out of the store and reached my car that it hit me that I had just purchased something from an American-owned store. I almost turned around but I really needed the flapper and wasn't sure I'd fine what I needed elsewhere.

From the Home Depot, I drove to the nearby Canadian Tire store. Even if they have the same products, I told myself, I'd buy the Chinese flapper and then go back to Home Depot, where I'd return the original one.

At least I'd be giving my business to a Canadian company.

There was only one two-inch flapper at the Canadian Tire store, and it was from a Canadian company. I could hear the young sales associates voice in my head: "I'd trust any silicone coming out of North America than those coming out of China."

"I agree, my friend," I said as I made my way to the cash registers.

The return at Home Depot was quick, with no questions asked. It would be my last time visiting this store. I would get into the habit of shopping at Canadian Tire, even though it can often get a bit cluttered.

At least I was still shopping Canadian.

Shopping with Care

I'm the first to admit that I'm pretty fortunate. Both DW and I have good jobs and a roof over our heads, with not one but two vehicles, even though we're now both working from home.

(We've all but given our CR-V to Kid 1.)

When we go shopping, I'm notorious for not looking at the price tag in the grocery stores. If I saw something that I wanted, I simply put it in the cart. We're not rich by any stretch of the imagination but we're comfortable enough that we can afford most things that we want.

But lately, I've been paying attention when I go to the stores. Not by looking at the price sticker, particularly, but looking at where the item is from.

I wrote about this, last week, and how I've started using an app that helps me determine if something is a product of Canada, made in Canada, or not from Canada. But I was using that app at stores where I already shopped, and it helped me determine whether I put the item in my cart or back on the shelf.

Last weekend, DW and I were doing our weekly grocery run, and I had noted that we were getting low on bar soap and that I was getting to the end of my tube of toothpaste (yes, we have our own preferences in toothpaste so have our own tubes). But when we went to pick up our usual brand, we discovered that it was made in the U.S.. Same with our second preference.

Apparently, Irish Spring soap is made in Canada but I prefer unscented soaps, or at least soaps with a mild scent. And because both Crest and Colgate are American companies, we needed to find alternatives to our toothpaste.

We also discovered that the cat food that we usually buy is a product of the U.S.A. so it's also now off our list.

Luckily, there are stores near the Barrhaven Costco that offer a solution to our shopping dilemma.

Natural Food Pantry has at least five locations throughout the Ottawa area and offers lots of Canadian products, including soaps and toothpaste. We bought a bar of olive-oil soap as well as a pumice soap from Woodbridge (Ontario) company The Soap Works. These soaps also come without packaging, though there are tiny, brown-paper bags that they supply for you to carry their soaps home.

For toothpaste, we found Green Beaver, from Hawkesbury, about 90 minutes east of Ottawa. They make all sorts of personal-care products from natural ingredients. I grew up on Crest so this will be something new for me. DW chose a mint toothpaste but I decided to go for something completely different and picked the Zesty Orange.

I still have a few days' worth of my current tube of paste so I'll start the Green Beaver one later this week.

Natural Food Pantry has lots of other Canadian products, from food, beverages, and more. We also needed cocoa powder, and found the Camino brand on their shelves. It's organic and fair-trade, and we already love their chocolate.

Sure, these products cost a bit more, but as I said, I'm fortunate to not have to look at stickers very closely. And, with all of the American services and subscriptions that we've recently cancelled, we're still ahead of the game.

For cat food, we're lucky that there's a pet store next door to Natural Food Pantry. Ren's Pets is a Canadian company that has many Canadian-made items for your pets. We found Go! Solutions cat food, which is available in lots of flavours and formulae for any type or age of cat.

Now, here, DW and I did pay attention to the price. It's about double the cost of the generic food that we were buying at Costco but the ingredients are better and more specific to our cats' needs. At least there was a 10-percent discount on the bag and, because we signed up for Ren's rewards program, we'll save $10 on our next bag.

Most importantly, though, we're supporting a Canadian business, which is something that I feel is worth the extra cost.

And, judging by how Cece started chewing through the bag after we got it home, and the other two cats started sniffing and rubbing up against the bag, we think they'll like the grain-free salmon food.

Ren's also has a Canadian-made kitty litter, by Odourlock, which DW researched and found highly rated. And while we've been buying Canadian cat litter at Costco for years, it's the dustiest litter we've ever used, even though it boasts being 'dust-free.'

Odourlock is also supposed to be dust-free so we'll pick some up as soon as our current supply runs out.

Shopping Canadian hasn't been the challenge we thought it would be, and we've found the experience to be quite liberating. It takes a little care but as soon as we find the products that we need, it's easy enough.

Where do you shop Canadian?

Shop Canadian

For the first time ever, DW and I got out of Costco, last Saturday, spending less than $100 on our grocery run. Our bill came to $77 and change.

We managed to still buy our essentials but there were many things that we usually get, but ended up putting them back on the shelf. Why? Because they were products of the United States.

We said no thanks to our usual case of Bubly flavoured sparkling water. We said goodbye to our mango nectar, which I usually add to my morning smoothies.

Having finished the last of the jug that we already had at home, I've switched to tap water.

Being a potato-chip junkie, we came away empty-handed.

DW and I cruised our usual route around the aisles of Costco but before anything went into the cart, we checked labels for where the product originated, and when the label was unclear, I whipped out a handy phone app.

Shop Canadian app tile.

Shop Canadian.

This app scans the UPC or QR code of a product and tells you if the item is a product of Canada, was made in Canada, or comes from elsewhere. It also relies on user input, where you can provide information about how much Canadian involvement makes up the product.

For example, a package of tea might have been made in Canada from imported leaves (as far as I know, we don't grow tea in our country). I scanned one package of tea and the app told me that the product was made in Canada, but didn't tell me how much.

I examined the box and learned that the leaves were imported but that the tea was processed, bagged, and packaged in Québec. According to the app, that gives this tea a Canadian rating of three maple leaves out of five.

Unfortunately, the package did not reveal where the leaves were sourced, but DW and I took a chance and figured that they didn't come from the U.S., so in the shopping cart it went.

It took us a little longer to get our groceries but we expect the shopping process will go faster, now that we know which of the products we used to get are no longer on our shopping list. Leaving Costco on that morning, the only things we were bringing home were Canadian and Italian.

From Costco, we went to Farm Boy. Sure, it can be a bit more expensive than some of the grocery stores in our neighbourhood but we've boycotted Loblaws, and the other stores aren't as close to home.

And, because of the manager of Farm Boy from a couple of years ago, I'm forever loyal.

Shopping in Farm Boy was easy. The signs in the produce section clearly state the origin of the food. We shopped Canadian first, Ontario second, and then any country other than the United States. A couple of things weren't clear, but the Shop Canadian app was once again useful.

Farm Boy's house sparkling water is a product of Canada, so we can kiss Bubly goodbye. Their house-brand of potato chips is 100-percent Canadian, manufactured by Covered Bridge, in New Brunswick.

Leaving Farm Boy, the only non-Canadian product we walked out with was the package of Brussels sprouts, which came from Mexico. And again, we spent under $100.

I think our shopping habits are forever changed. Going forward, DW and I are determined to shop local whenever possible. She is already searching online for Canadian alternatives to her makeup and skin products, as well as our soaps and other necessities. Of course, we won't be able to shop exclusively Canadian but we're determined to avoid American products at all costs.

We've also cancelled all of our American streaming services: Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Prime Video, and more. We're watching a lot of programs on CBC Gem and streaming CTV and Global.

And, of course, we have BritBox.

I think we'll be just fine, shopping anywhere but from the U.S. of A. How about you?

Same Age

One wears it better.

Last weekend, DW and I headed out to the Rideau Canal to check out the Winterlude festivities. It wasn't our first time, this season, on the canal, as we had hit the ice on the first morning that the NCC opened it to the public, but it was the first time since our city's annual celebration had opened.

We parked in Centretown's Golden Triangle neighbourhood, not far from the Corktown Bridge. DW's plan was to skate from this pedestrian bridge to the 0-kilometre marker, near the Canadian Senate, and back, past her starting point, to Fifth Avenue, and then back again.

Because of my reconstructive foot surgery, back in 2018, my left foot no longer fits into my skate. And even if it did, there's a spot on the top of my foot, just above where a metal plate and eight screws take the spot where I once had joints, where, if any pressure is applied, causes intense pain.

Sadly, my skating days are over.

But that didn't keep me off the ice. Armed with one of my D-SLRs, I walked from the Corktown Bridge to the 0K marker and back, snapping some photos and shooting video along the way.

I'm planning to make a video of the skateway, including some Winterlude festivities, in the next week or so. Stay tuned.

By the time I returned to Corktown Bridge, I could see DW climbing the stairs toward Queen Elizabeth Drive and our car. She phoned me, wondering where I was, and I told her I was about 50 metres behind her. By the time I had ascended the stairs, she was just getting to our car, so I used the key fob to unlock the doors for her.

I told her, on the phone, that I just wanted to capture some video from atop the pedestrian bridge and would join her ASAP.

In the car, DW suggested that we drive to Ottawa City Hall, where we could park in the underground garage, and that we wander Sparks Street, where there are ice sculptures and other goings-on. It was a great idea, so off we went.

One of the sculptures celebrates the 60th anniversary of our Canadian flag. The ice is carved as a fireplace and hearth, with the number 60 carved on the mantle and our flag proudly placed like a priceless painting.

DW suggested that I stand in front of the sculpture, since I'm also turning 60 this year (in less than three weeks, as a matter of fact).

The flag is holding up much better than I am. It'll also last much longer that I will, no matter what some dipshit says.

Happy Friday!

Walking Away

It was something that I never expected that I'd ever hear from DW: "I don't want to, and it would hurt, but I'm prepared to walk away from it all."

Last week, I pulled the plug on the last of my Meta accounts, Instagram. I had already said goodbye to Facebook (including its Messenger service), Threads, and WhatsApp.

Instagram was the hardest but in truth, I haven't actually missed it yet. I've been adding photos to my old Flickr account and I've been sharing photos on Bluesky.

I'm good.

On Friday, I officially closed my Amazon account, ditching Prime Video in the process. And on the weekend, DW and I took our time in grocery shopping, making sure that nothing that went into our cart was American.

We're doing our best to do our part. Shop Canadian!

Last year, we started making plans for our next big vacation—months before our trip to Mexico, last December. It'll be our first family vacation in about seven years, and everyone is keen.

I'm not sure I'm ready to share our destination yet: stay tuned. Or not, depending on how things go.

While we're not going to the United States (I vowed, in 2016, that I was done with that country), we do have to change planes in an American city, and both DW and I are on edge. It's a Red state.

I haven't been able to help myself. I've been critical of the U.S. and haven't held back about my thoughts of the felon in the White House. DW has asked me to be guarded on social media but I haven't done a very good job, especially since this weekend, when the Orange Asshole slapped a stupid tarriff on Canadian goods entering the States.

He's petty and vindictive, and DW is worried about what could happen to Canadians who go through security at American airports.

I'm hoping that if things start to escalate before our trip (we still have until May), the Canadian government will declare the U.S. to be a risk and announce a travel advisory. And, in doing so, our airline will divert us to another transfer point, outside of the States.

But the other day, DW said something that caught me by surprise: "I'm prepared to walk away from it all." Meaning, she'd cancel our trip, resulting in the loss of thousands of non-refundable dollars.

I'm not ready to do that yet but we'll consider it as a last resort. We're watching the dismantling of American democracy, and we don't want to be anywhere near it when that happens.

Unfortunately, our country is too close for comfort.

With Glowing Hearts

We're not perfect but we strive to be among the top countries in the world. And I'm proud to call Canada home.

There are some who claim that Canada is broken but those that do have clearly not travelled abroad. Those who say that this country is broken clearly have an agenda that is not sincere.

Sure, we could be better, but if we work together, we can achieve anything. 

Happy Canada Day!

Challenges for 2022

I did it again but there's no "oops."

Ever since I signed up for my first Conqueror virtual challenge, I've been receiving promotional offers and notifications of new challenge routes. I don't mind getting these offers in my mail box because I'm genuinely interested in continuing the challenges for as long as I can.

When choosing a challenge to join, I only have one criterion: the distance of the route must be at least 300 kilometres. Because I typically cycle the majority of the route (be it on a spin or road bike), I want the journey to last more than a couple of weeks. In a typical week of cycling, I tend to cover about 150 kms.

Since about the middle of 2016, I vowed to never set foot in the United States again and at first I thought I wouldn't join an American virtual challenge. But I realized that this decision was silly (the virtual challenge one) because I'm not really setting foot in the U.S. and there is some beautiful countryside to see (though, for the majority of my virtual Route 66 journey, the view has been boring).

Even though I've only completed just over two-thirds of my virtual Route 66 challenge and I still have an 805.5-km loop around the Scottish Highlands to complete, I've signed up for three more challenges, each of which I won't start until sometime in 2022.

Last week, I received a notification that there is a new Conqueror virtual challenge and I was intrigued. This challenge takes me to China and follows the Great Wall. It's a 3,513.1-km trail that has me fondly remembering when I visited this colossal structure in 1998, while I was living in South Korea, and thus fulfilled a dream that I had had since I was in elementary school and we studied this colossal human achievement (albeit, on the backs of forced labour).

(I wrote about my experience of visiting the Great Wall of China, making it Roland Axam's memory, in my novel Songsaengnim: A Korea Diary.)

On Black Friday, The Conqueror sent out a promotion, where I could join this new challenge at a 30-percent savings, so I signed up. It was my chance to revisit the Great Wall without setting physically being in China.

Ever since China first detained the two Michaels (Kovrig and Spavor) in retaliation for the house arrest of Meng Wanzhou, who was to be extradited to the U.S. for fraud charges, I had vowed to never set foot on Chinese soil. But as with my vow against the U.S., the pledge is physical.

China is a beautiful country and its citizens are wonderful. I just have a problem with its government.

So, I'm looking forward to starting this trek as soon as I've finished the Scottish challenge.

At the online checkout, I was offered more savings. I could earn an additional 20 percent off the purchase of three more challenges or 17 percent off two more. So I joined two more challenges.

When the Great Wall challenge was announced, I already had considered what my next challenges would be. I would love it if The Conqueror would put together a trans-Canada route, but in the meantime, I began eyeing the Appalachian Trail (3,167.6 kms) and decided to add it to my shopping cart. Looking for some Canadian content, I also added the Cabot Trail (299.4 kms).

I know: the Cabot Trail is under 300 kms (barely), but DW and I drove the Cabot Trail, years ago, and I've always wanted to do it again. The starting line is even at the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, a place that we visited in real life. It was hard to say no to it.

To date, I've covered just over 7,266 kms (as of time of writing this blog post) and I still have 1,188 kms left to go on Route 66. With these three new challenges, plus my Scottish trek, I'd say that 2022 is pretty full.

And these challenges have been much cheaper and way more motivating than a gym membership.

Small-World Traveller

Not long ago, when I was lamenting the cancellation of my next big vacation, I began to think about the places I've seen in the world already. I used to think that I've been around the world and was a great traveller.

Map: Google

I've been to many places within my own country and have travelled throughout the United States. On my home continent, I've also been to Mexico and have vacationed in Cuba.

In Europe, I've been to France, Italy, and Germany, and have travelled throughout England, Wales, and Scotland.

And in the far east, I've lived in South Korea but have also visited North Korea, China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

It sounds like a lot, but when you look at the world, it's really only a fraction of what's out there.

Just for fun, I took a screen capture off of Google Maps of the world. I then began to colour in parts of the world I've seen. For Canada and the U.S., I only filled in the provinces and states I've visited. Some, such as many of the eastern provinces and states, I've driven through extensively, stopping in many cities and towns. In western regions like British Columbia and California, I've only been to one or two places: Vancouver, San Diego, and Palm Springs.

I saw a lot of Arizona in 2016. It was the last time I've been to and will ever be in the United States. I'm done with that country (but I digress...).

I've only ever visited the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico; mainly, the Mayan Riviera. And, in Cuba, I only stayed on an island resort.

For European countries, it's a mixed bag: I've driven or taken the train all over England, drove all over Wales, and have only visited the lowlands of Scotland. I've been all over France but have only been to Rome, Venice, Cinque Terre, and all over Tuscany when I've visited Italy.

In Germany, I've only been to Berlin.

Again, for East Asia, I've only been to the airport in Tokyo, Japan, and to Fukuoka. I've travelled extensively in Thailand and to several places in Malaysia. Being essentially a city on a small island, I've been all over Singapore.

For China*, I've only been to Beijing and to Hong Kong. I doubt I'll ever return, but at least I've seen the Great Wall.

Having lived for two years in South Korea, there are only a small number of places that I haven't visited. I'm toying with the idea of returning, one last time, in a few years. And I've only been to the demilitarized zone in North Korea: Panmunjom, where the armistice was signed in 1953—I crossed the line in the middle of that historic room, into the north. 

Painting in all of those countries, states, and provinces, it still looks like a small portion of the world in which I've travelled. This coming September, I was supposed to fill in two more countries, Belgium and the Netherlands, with a more-extensive tour of Germany.

I hope this pandemic ends by 2021 and that DW and I can fulfill that vacation. I have other places that I want to see, and COVID-19 is holding me back.

In the meantime, I'll just relive my travelling days of yore, claiming the title of small-world traveller.


* I realized that, in filling in China, I also claimed the northern reaches of Vietnam. Oops.

Beer O'Clock: 150

It's not often that one country celebrates another country's anniversary. But because, for Canada, one of its founding fathers and first prime minister originated from another country—we're talking about Scotland—and he was known for his love of drink, it's only fitting that a brewery gives its nod to Canada's 150th anniversary.

Edinburgh brewers, Innis & Gunn, has concocted a limited edition ale that celebrates Canada's confederation, 150 years ago, and ties in the two countries long and happy relationship. Let's take a closer look:

Maple & Thistle Rye Ale (5.9% ABV)
Innis & Gunn Brewing Company
Edinburgh, Scotland

Appearance: deep copper-brown with red tones, and a foamy, beige head that pours thick and remains solid through most of your drinking session.

Nose: somewhat closed to start, though I was enjoying it outdoors and found that even the slightest breeze threw my nose off. I did, however, detect mild oak and trace amounts of burnt rye.

Palate: complex flavours of oak, orange rind, and a smokey maple that finished with a tiny bite. The is absolutely no sweetness; rather, the combination of flavours makes for a rich dryness.

Overall impression: I could see myself drinking this ale at a campfire in one of Canada's national parks. Eating bacon to the sounds of loons, singing on a nearby lake.

Stroking a beaver.

For this release, Innis & Gunn matured this bottle-conditioned ale in 150 oak barrels for 150 days. It's a pretty special ale.

And while it's not my favourite Innis & Gunn brew (and I like them all), as a Canadian who loves Scotland, I have to thank those folks for paying tribute to us.

Sir John A. Macdonald would be proud.

Beer O'Clock rating: 3.5

Cheers! 

Home-Grown

I was relieved to hear CBC News call this a terrorist act. They called it exactly what it was.

When peaceful people are mercilessly gunned down, especially in a place of worship, where there is supposed to be an environment of peace and community, of belonging, it was a cowardly act.

I don't know what the perpetrators of this act of terror thought they were doing, or if they even thought at all. But no mistake: they are terrorists, and terrorists are not welcome in our country.

Now, more than ever, Canadians have to come together to speak out against violent attacks that target any welcome group in our society. And no mistake: these poor victims were welcome.

In a time when the government of our neighbours to the south have lost all sense of goodwill, of community, of justice, we have to show that we are a tolerant society. Just as are the good people who are fighting against the emerging tyranny in Washington. We must all stand, united.

First, they came for the Muslims. But this time, we're not staying silent.

A New Direction

And so, we have our Canada back. Or, at the very least, we have stopped the steady slide, have prevented the plunge into the abyss.

With our new government, I'm hoping that the following changes come straight away:

• An end to the first-past-the-post election system. We need proportional representation. Our new government must promise to change this part of the election system, making a real Fair Elections Act. I'd like to see the federal government to encourage the provinces to adopt this system, ensuring that it's in place before any further election.
• Increased funding to the CBC. A country that stifles its public broadcaster is not a free society. A cancellation of any plans to sell CBC properties.
• A return of the long-form census. A government that cannot gain detailed, relevant information cannot plan for the future.
• An end to the muzzling of ministry spokespeople—a return to media access to information. You know, the way it was done before Stephen Harper took over (and called it the Harper Government).
• Attend the Climate Conference. We owe it to the environment.

There are lots of other issues and promises that must be fulfilled, but these changes are relatively easy. Others will take time and will require considerable legislation that requires legal scrutiny and proper debate. Sure, the changes that I proposed will also need that, but who would seriously oppose them?

There is a lot of work for our new government. But the era of division and fear is over. Fear and paranoia is done.

A new direction is upon us.

Let's go!

Decision Day

This election has been exhausting and stressful, but the day has come for Canadians to make their decision about the future of this great nation.

And a decision for the next leader cannot be a strong one without your input. So please, get out there and vote.

Good luck to us all.

This Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

I have to admit it: I'm scared shitless.

Not of the terrorists. Never have been. We haven't had a bona fide terrorist attack on Canadian soil and I'm not worried about walking down any streets. (Most streets, that is.)

But there is a group of people that is threatening to destroy my country, and its leader makes the Emperor of the Evil Galactic Empire look like a pussy.

On Sunday, Canadians learned that parliament has been dissolved and that the longest election campaign in modern Canadian history is underway. It must also be mentioned that it will be the most expensive campaign in our country's history, costing Canadian taxpayers tens of millions of dollars more than it would have, had the party that has boasted to be fiscally responsible called the election half as early.

As we head into this election campaign, let us remember a few points about the current government.

• In the last budget, we were told that the books were balanced and that we would have more than a billion dollars in surplus. Thanks, of course, to dipping into the country's contingency fund. Only, after economic analysts have examined the budget in detail, we are actually in another deficit of more than a billion-and-a-half dollars. There is a $2.9B discrepancy.
• The current government has claimed that it supports our war veterans, and yet it has cut support centres across the country.
• Under the current government, our average annual growth of GDP has increased by only 1.6 percent, the smallest increase of the past nine leading parties.
• Tough crime laws have been drafted, despite decreases in Canadian crime rates.
• Canada's Economic Action Plan, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars, which saw no real job creation.
• The senate scandal, of which we've only scratched the surface.
• The millions of dollars needlessly spent on repackaging the armed forces.
• The cuts to our national broadcaster.
• The stonewalling of the media.
• The silencing of our scientists.
• The so-called "Fair Election Act," which prohibits citizens living abroad from voting, prohibits Elections Canada from calling on citizens to vote, and restricts eligible voters from casting ballots without specific identification (gone is the vouching rule).

A recent study has been published, in which it shows that the Harper Regime has proven to be the worst government, economically, since World War II. You can read it here. 

The attack ads of the current government and its supporters have been childish and have attacked on personal levels, without providing a clear platform or vision.

Harper himself says some of the most ludicrous things:

What does this even mean? How are terrorists getting money from "honest, hardworking Canadians"? If you're hardworking and honest, you're not about to hand over your money to terrorists. I thought the honest and hardworking Canadians paid taxes to the government. Who uses it to fund needlessly long election campaigns.

I'm tired of the fearmongering. I'm tired of the waste of money. I'm tired of the lies and bullshit.

And I'm scared.

What scares the shit out of me is the fear that people will not get out and vote. The apathy toward elections is what got this regime into power.

Canada used to be respected the world over. We used to be peacekeepers, used to have a seat in the United Nations Security Council. We used to care about the environment.

All of that has gone over the past 10 years.

I want my Canada back.

Please: get out and vote. 

Photo Friday: Canadian Must-Do

There are some things that I feel every Canadian must do to truly experience this great country of ours. And while I have done most of the things on my informal and truly subjective list, there are some things that I still need to do.

One of the things on my list was finally achieved this past weekend: I rode the sled down the boardwalk during Québec City's Carnaval. And I essentially did it for free.

The cost of borrowing a cushioned, wooden toboggan and dragging it up a steep slope, riding down an icy lane off the Dufferin Terrace, down 82 metres and over 152 metres, and reaching speeds up to about 90 kph, was totally worth the $3 cost. Only, the attendant at the top of the run didn't take my ticket, nor one of my kids', and so the girls got to go down one more time.

The view is gorgeous, looking down the escarpment toward the Chateau Frontenac, with the old town further below and the St. Lawrence River to your right.

One more thing off my To-Do list.

The other things I think every Canadian should do are as follows, in no particular order:

• See Niagara Falls from The Maid of the Mist
• Build a sand castle on Cavendish Beach, PEI
• Skate the full length of the Rideau Canal, in Ottawa, during Winterlude
• Drive the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
• Whale watch in St. Andrews, in the Bay of Fundy, in New Brunswick
• Watch the tide come and go from the Hopewell Rocks, also in the Bay of Fundy
• Visit Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland
• Celebrate Carnaval, in Québec City
• Take in the Just For Laughs Festival, in Montreal, Québec
• Walk the sandbar to Percé Rock, on the Gaspé Peninsula, Québec
• Take in the busker festival in Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Visit Lake Louise, in Banff National Park, Alberta
• Photograph Saskatchewan grain elevators at sunset and sunrise
• Ski at Whistler, BC
• Have a picnic in Stanley Park, Vancouver
• Visit the BC legislature building, in Victoria, at night

So far, including the toboggan run, I've done 11 of these activities. How many have you done? What do you feel is missing from this list?

Get out there and see Canada!

Happy Friday!

Another 50

While I prepare to celebrate my 50^th birthday, another, similar but more-important milestone has just been reached.

Fifty years ago, this month, my country's flag was born. The red-and-white, maple-leafed symbol, recognized the world over, was first hoisted on Parliament Hill on February 15, 1965. It's a good thing it wasn't raised a day earlier: with its colours, someone may have thought it was a Valentine's Day joke.

I love its simplicity of colours, of its singular, distinctive symbol.

I welcome it to middle age. If only I should look as good.

Every day, atop the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, a new flag is hoisted. The old flag, only a day old, is passed on to a person who has requested it. If you want one, you can add your name to a list, but you had better do it when you're young: while I would never see mine, my children should get theirs, around retirement age.

The current wait time for that flag is about 49 years.

Happy Birthday, Canadian Flag!

A Merger from Hell

So, the American Republicans want to shut down their government over the issue of a national healthcare system.

Well, as long as they can afford to do that...

Yesterday morning, on my daily commute, I heard Canadian business columnist, Diane Francis, tell Anna Maria Tremonti, of CBC Radio One's show, The Current, how Canada and the United States should merge into a single, unified country.

In the first few seconds of the interview, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ms. Francis is an idiot.

I mean, I love my American friends, but I certainly wouldn't want us all living under one roof.

Perhaps, on paper, when you break down Canada's resources and the net worth of Canadians, versus the resources and net worth of Americans, that we could solve the economic problems that are plaguing our continent. Perhaps, when you crunch numbers and tally assets, you come up with values that appeal to the business world.

But Americans are more than just assets, Canadians are more than just numbers.

The United States is so divided within itself, not just politically, but along lines of religion, education, and health care. Sure, we have plenty of similarities with our broad cultures, but our differences are stark.

If Canada was to merge with the U.S., would Americans openly adopt regulatory systems that have worked for us, like our banking systems? How about the gun laws and the right to bear arms? Our national sports?

Many conservative Canadians are not as radically conservative as a staunch democrat. Canada, since its inception, has been known as a mosaic of cultures; America, a melting pot.

What defines us as Canadians and what defines our neighbours to the south is something that I would never want to see combined into one.

No, Ms. Francis played with numbers and she formulated an idea based on something she liked about those numbers, and little more. But Canadians and Americans are more than numbers.

If Ms. Francis wants to merge with the U.S., she can move south of the border and see how that works out for her.

In the meantime, America, good luck with the running, or halting, of your country. I think you have enough headaches to deal with.