#Northern Ontario economic issues | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lookingattheedgeoftime · 4 years

Text

The first few chapters of my end of the world novel, written out of boredom while working in Africa many years ago. You will be the first ever to read this if you want.

The World

In 2025 Quebec declared independence from Canada after years long, systematic campaign of terrorism by the separatist movement. This “independence” was deemed unconstitutional buy the Federalists and they refuse to acknowledge Quebec's right to do so. The Federalists attempted to force Free Quebec into submission with an economic embargo and the threat of military occupation. There was a provision in law and precedence set in the 1970's to initiate war measures act. This provision would allow the federalists to occupy the province. Threats were not successful and the in 2026 Prime Minister enacted the War Measures Act and ordered the Military to take control of the government buildings in Hull. The Quebec government declared this to be an invasion of their legal territory and a civil war in Canada was initiated.

By late 2027 the civil war in Quebec is in full swing. The Federalists fighting against the Quebec government in a protracted engagement along the borders and waterways of the former province. The Free Quebec forces were entrenched and working to repel the federalists who searched the length border for weak spots and try to expedite these weaknesses. The indigenous Indian populations (The First Nations) in Quebec have extensive land claims, for a huge portion of Quebec. Particularly long the Quebec / USA borders areas the federalist forces deemed to controversial to attack from. The aboriginal community took umbrage with the French claiming the entire province for themselves. As a result of the conflict the cross border activities were brought to an end and resulted in the collapsing their economy. Historically the First Nations also had justifiable issues with significant history of rejected land claims and had little expectation this conflict would result in better treatment. They saw the victor in this conflict as a winner takes all situation and it became seen as a and time to act against current and future oppressors. They were an well-armed motivated people and engaged in a guerrilla war against both sides. Simultaneously throughout the other Canadian Provinces the First Nations took positive control of as much occupied and disputed lands as possible and blockaded their reservations from the rest of Canada. Other than in Quebec these blockades turned into an impasse rather than out and out war.

The government of the United States of America decides to tried preserve it's considerable assets in Canada and ostensibly to aid in the stabilization the situation by supporting the government of the remaining parts of Canada. This was achieved by with a strong NATO insertion mobilized from the United States. This merely escalated the situation, other provinces with unrealized Independence agendas reacted to the influx of foreign fighters and other guerrilla fronts are formed. Primary in the west the NATO forces are seen as occupiers and were engaged vigorously by the new independence militias. All sides in the conflict take a terrific amount of casualties. This process drags on, it is thought mostly due to the unwillingness of the Canadian government to commit weapons of the types that would damage infrastructure of Quebec. The Free Quebec government has no such qualms and in the areas about to be taken by their opponents were laid to waste.

Radical right in the United States of America were incensed by the NATO involvement in this war with their next door neighbours on two levels. One is that the military power of NATO is being mustered in the eastern The United States of America. They feared that once the forces have quashed the uprising in the North they will be applied to deal with the unruly and becoming more powerful militia movements in the Northern States. The second and the biggest concern is NATO is working against the government of a sovereign state and believe that the sanctity of the free The United States of America is in dire jeopardy by NATO's power.

Mid 2028 the troubles in Quebec have escalated to a peak and both troops from Canada and NATO are fighting against two resistance movements. Within the Provinces in siege, The fighting was bitter and retributions against the general population seen as supporting the resistance movements become more common place. Free Quebec and the First Nations had settled into guerrilla warfare. These two groups are also working outside the borders of Quebec independently to undermine the power of the Government of Canada in the other provinces. The methods of the citizens sympathetic to either cause are terror, sabotage and assassination. The Militia Movement in the United States of America sets up a coalition between like minded groups within the borders of the United States of America (Religious Groups, White Supremacists disgruntled military factions and politicians) and begin a concerted effort to over throw the government of the United States of America.

This starts a domino effect with the plethora of other factions wanting a piece of the pie. Some of these are very strong (African American, Hispanic and Asian Groups). They mobilize forces to control their own areas and protect their people from the Coalition of primarily white forces. Powerful Drug cartels south of the border see this turmoil in the United States as a opportunity to cement their influence in the southern States. The republic of Mexico, long subjected by US policy and a victim of systemic discrimination see this a opportunity and side with the Cartels and set their sights on reclaiming territory lost to them in the past. The slogan adopted by these forces somewhat ironically, is “Remember the Alamo” apparently seen a the event that there loss of power and territory of their nation.

2029 - The rest of Canada not in conflict with Ottawa, is failing under the burden of supplying fuel and manpower to the war in Quebec. As well as having to deal with their own significant problems with the NATO the First Nations and Militias. The result is once loyal provinces to the central government, broker other deals and decided to join the fray in opposition.

2030 - North America is in chaos, the United States of America is suffering huge strife due to the anarchy caused by the tactics of the various combatants within and outside their borders. The Militia and Ethnic groups bombings, attacks and assassinations of government and political detractors to their agendas are common place. The United States recalls it's forces abroad to face the growing crisis. Canada and NATO are still fighting in Quebec and the Western and Maritime Provinces are more than voicing separatist rhetoric, using captured weapons to enforce their ideals. The Aboriginal, French and English populations in Quebec and Ontario are greatly reduced. There is a continued huge backlash from the Native movement in Canada as well as the United States of America. Communities near reservations are attacked and looted. Extremely harsh retribution is dealt out in all cases by the governments of Canada and the United States of America. Europe and Asia cut off diplomatic ties with Canada and the United States of America because of the miss use of NATO forces and the ethnic cleansing being initiated in North America. NATO recalls what is left of the non-American contingent back to Europe and the fight is continued by the Governments Canada and the USA under the same banner.

2029 - Radical groups in the Developing Nations of the world see a golden opportunity to strike against the West. A virulent strain of the Ebola Virus currently rampaging through the poorest parts of Africa is introduced in volume to major Cities throughout the United States of America. Utilizing the returning war fighters from abroad, either infected by Martyrs or on purpose for a never ending list of other reasons. These carriers enter virtually all airports and other points of entry available in the United States, Canada and even through Mexico carefully muled across the borders. The result is huge amounts of first disease cases in North America. The aftermath is the infection and death of 50 % of the population of North America. Through the wonders of air travel and the infiltrators meant for the USA, it spreads immediately into Mexico and South America. Panic ensues in the war torn countries, foreigners not willing to leave are deported and the gift of mutated virus is given back to the rest of the civilized world.

2030 - Total Suspension of Civil Rights in Canada and the United States of America.

Similar situations are have cropped up in Europe and Asia it is a time of illness, war and rumours of war. With the largest health risk in the last several centuries being the mutated contagion most countries in the world close their borders. It is an attempt in vain to stop the spread of this plague. It is for not, throughout the world in very short time and huge portions of the population dying from the effects of the former tropical disease, not before passing it on to their families, first responders and care givers. The WHO and other such agencies are helpless to stem the tide, the need for anti-virus far outstrips the ability to produce it. The dedicated professionals succumb at the same rate as their patients. With the lack of trade the western world, the European, Middle Eastern countries and Asia are thrown into not only a health but financial crisis.

2032 - Collapse of the world economy, anarchy reigns throughout the world. Only the most remote Countries and Areas are surviving mostly by physical separation and systemic eradication of attempted refugees.

2032 - In order to protect its borders from active aggression from the surrounding countries, the now isolated Israel launches low yield nuclear attacks against its neighbours. The neighbours who had spent decades readying themselves for such and attack reply in kind. The result is the Middle East is reduced to a wasteland that will produce little but fusion glass and cancer for generations. The fallout darkens Africa, Europe and most of Asia.

2034 -The world is no longer a highly organized place. In the vast majority of World Nation's organized government are no longer in control of their populace. Pretenders to the power such as separatist movements, expansionist regimes, financial opportunists, religious zealots die just like the rest. City-states are formed around centres that had a military or other power presence. The other cities and towns decline to isolated areas with populations of roving bands, killing and looting to survive. For the first time in several centuries mankind's numbers are declining at a geometric rate.

An event that started in a huge under populated country has been the impetus of the fall of mankind. But like all good infestations the struggle to live is paramount and globally small groups form and eke out a existence. This is the story of one such individual.

Nathaniel's World

At this point in his life, like most of the people of the world, he was not living the best of times. The New World order has receded to the New World chaos. Citizens of all Nations live in isolated pockets struggling to feed their loved ones and trying to find solace in anything that explains the way it has become. They have little protection against their former leaders or organizations powerful enough to become leaders. Although the population as a whole is one-tenth the size it was ten years before. Famine and disease is still pervasive in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The only outpost of relative prosperity is Australia and they have completely isolated themselves from the world. Airlines do not fly, banks no longer exist, worldwide communication has been reduced to Morse coded messages via cable lines between the outposts of civilization. These pockets of structure and organization disappear at a constant rate.

In the now distant past the North American political system ceased to exist and the population has fended it's self. In the past Governments had enacted powers to seize weapons in an attempt to limit the possibility of a revolution or separation by the provinces or random acts of violence. The result of this is after the decline when the need for security is the greatest there was none to be had. It has left the population unable to defend themselves from the basest elements of the society. A similar policy of the seizure of private assets was enacted to fund the war with Quebec and the Aboriginal population. This generally reduced the population of rich or poor to the same level subsistence and a process of survival of the fittest is the standard.

The wars within Canada and the U.S.A. ended eventually not from a victory but because the armies had been reduced to minimum levels and there was not the material to feed them or fill their weapons. When the few fighters that remained returned to their homes they found vulnerable, impoverished, people with not enough food and little desire to continue living. As thanks for the soldiers efforts, they where stoned in the streets by good and bad alike.

Politicians fared worse, they and their families where hunted down like dogs and murdered. The fabric of society was torn, lawlessness reigned as civic control was lost.

The were exceptions to the rule, one sector of the population the was relatively unaffected by this action was the criminal element. At the onset of the decline the organized criminal fraternities initiated actions against the authorities outside of the general mayhem of the many wars that were raging. They took their place in the new world with assassinations, bombings and looting. In the beginning these occurrences where perceived by the authorities as revenge of the rank and file masses against a totalitarian regime. Retribution was dealt out mercilessly against the normal population. This was much easier than dealing with the real instigators because of their organization's strengths. This policy was ineffective for obvious reasons and after the control structure further weakened by these actions. Once these groups held the upper hand, the criminal element concentrated their activities against the people, taking what they wanted.

During this period the constructive elements in the society, the businesses, the people who had managed to continue to work did no better. They had their resources taxed to past the breaking point. The only places to continue to apply their still needed skills was to groups who could pay in food, medicines or protection.

Money, gold, property and any of the other trappings of wealth had no value at all. The criminal elements resorted to harvesting the last natural resources available and this was by the systematic looting and murder of the population. Law and order was a thing of the past and the population was at the mercy of the gangs of looters.

Other than the Criminal elements, other groups with other agendas began to form. These groups unlike the criminal ones in normal times would be considered closer to the norm. The new wealthy, the ones who once were considered paranoia preppers. Built bomb shelters, hoarded food and armaments barricaded themselves into walled continuities and protected them with mercenaries paying them from the stock piles they had hoarded. Religious groups would attempt to hunt for resources in a communal fashion, as would former political and paramilitary forces.

With controls lost in the large centres transportation of the necessities of life had long ceased. Cities with abundant sources of power such as Hydroelectric or Nuclear continued to work on automated systems. Cities that required imported fuels for power and services turned into cold dark ghost towns.

The population in large centres as well as the rural communities had been further reduced not only from disease and violence but by starvation as well. The rural communities that fortified and isolated themselves did the best. They continued to produce the necessities of life for their groups and sometimes were able to fight off the organized bands of looters.

Part one

Something evil this way comes

She could hear them coming up the front stairs, they groaned with the weight of heavy footfalls. No sooner than they had reached the top of the long flight of steps, they began to force open the entrance door. The men were laughing and calling to the two women they knew were inside the house. Defenceless women were there candies to them, they seemed to feed on the terror.

A busy night had been had by the gang, several of the houses in the once upscale cul-de-sac were burning, illuminating the predawn sky. The mother was waiting at the top of a small set of stairs that led down to the entrance landing where the door was being forced open. She was in tears as was her daughter, both of their faces showed fear and rage. From the front window of the house they had seen the marauders execute several of the remaining neighbours and now it was their turn.

The house was a four level back split design. The first level was the garage facing the street, It also contained the mechanical area, spare room and a crawl space. This was directly under the third level. A short set of stairs brought you up from the garage to the second level at the back of the house. This second level was the family room and a large bed room. The kitchen, dining and main living room area comprised the third level. The three main bedrooms occupied the fourth and final level. From the living / dining room on the third level there was a sun deck facing out over the garage. In the better days, a nice feature. On a warm summer night to sit and take in the cool air and view the mountains in the distance. Also allowing one to call down to the kids that would inevitably playing on the drive way that supper was ready. The house was the most elevated on the block and the only access from the street other than the boarded up garage door was the set of front steps. There was a landing at the top to access the main door and a once inside few more steps to take you into the main room. The only other entrance to the house was the back door off the second level. In better times the house was one of the nicer residences in the middle class subdivision. Now like the rest was a derelict, by all intentions soon to be yet another burned out husk.

The house next on the left had mostly collapsed because of a accidental fire in the early years when people first tried to made do in the depths of winter with fire as a replacement for natural gas. There was a large amount of thick undergrowth prohibiting access to the sides and rear of the house. The alley that served the back of the houses on that side of the street had been blocked by wrecks of cars and refuse for years. Like the garage door all the other entrances were boarded over as were the windows. The ones far above ground level were painted over and mostly boarded up with only a slit to look through. The only open access that was not completely sealed was the door to the balcony over the garage, this was the way they came and went with the help of a extension ladder that was carefully hidden.

It was an optimal night for the looters. A cool moonlit night. Cool was important, it was so they could see light from houses and apartments that were not well prepared. The light would be caused be the occupants were trying to warm themselves with a fire. If it was not the flickering of a cozy fire, it was the warm smoke escaping the domicile's chimney. The full moon allowed easy mobility and communication. They were not the sort that wanted to work during the day when people might put up a fight. Better to sneak up in the dead of night when people were alone and boarded up. The menacing laughter and the sounds of burning wood prevailed in the hollow night as they ransacked the houses. This evening they had concentrated the days work thus far, were the more accessible homes who's entrances were on the ground floors and showed signs of life. Although the house was in darkness and looked abandoned, it had attracted the looter's attention when the teen-aged girl had screamed in horror, at the murder of a neighbour's family. She had baby sat the children in the past, a boy and a girl. No longer toddlers, now well into their teens. Regardless, no one in their right mind could bear to see them die, Certainly not Molly. The gang of looters had dragged the family on to the street as they had done the others. So far six houses in the small neighbourhood were ravaged, the occupants life's blood draining into the gutters. Their prized possessions in a growing pile in the centre of the street. Although there was murder, looting and pillaging, strangely at this late point in the night there was no raping. Perhaps the emaciated people they were victimizing were not as desirable as the hangers on to the tribe were, perhaps the blood lust was enough.

The adults were the first , on their knees in the moon light, the mother then the father, both of their throats opened with a long filet knife. The children shrieked in terror at the sight, then the boy, finally the girl. Before the girl rolled onto the pavement another wail pierced the already chaotic night.

When they saw the mother pull the girl away from the balcony window the looter's attention shifted. The focus of their activities became the large blue house across the street.

The boarded up door flew open with their weight and four of the looters stumbled into the entrance with the momentum of the others behind them. Their expectation was to see helpless new victims to play with. However the woman held to her shoulder a Savage side by side 12 gauge shot gun. It's barrels were cut down to just below eighteen inches, the pattern the shot would print the diameter of the base of a good sized coffee tin at eight feet. That was proved by the bloom that appeared on the chest of the first man through the door. He uttered a gasp and fell back against his compatriots, he clawed at the wound in his chest as he collapsed onto the landing. This was a complete surprise to the new occupants of the entry way and to the group on the stairs. Firearms or more importantly ammunition was unheard of, the game had dramatically changed as did the looters desire to enter the house. The explosion of the shotgun in the dark confined space was deafening. In the dark of the entry way the muzzle blast was like a flash of a camera. The second barrel spewed out its projectiles at the next intruder with similar effect. This time the pellets went high on her target and several of the people in the entrance way were hit by the buckshot. This added to their confusion with the blood and tissue being sprayed about in the restricted space. The ones not incapacitated by the pellets and bone fragments wanted out of this kill box in the worst way.

The shotgun was empty, she snapped open the action of the Savage and the two spent twelve gauge shells, were ejected over her right shoulder with a pop. Instead of reloading she slid the shotgun up to the crook of her left arm and she pulled the Smith & Wesson, model 640, five shot, 357 mag pistol from the black nylon belt holster at her hip. She raised the small stainless steel revolver and fired double action into the crowd. She methodically fired with care, picking the centre mass of the dark shapes. Moonlight had turned on them, instead of a big help, it silhouetted them in the entrance way. The pistol jumped in her hand and the results of the shots and the hits were spectacular. The detonations in the confined space were phenomenally loud, the light coloured walls reflected the light of muzzle blasts. The hits by the 158 grain pistol rounds did substantial damage to the first target. But with the retained velocity and energy continued through the first man, on the next and in some cases the next man after that. The wounded and soon dead tried to claw past the still standing, trying to escape her fire but were met with resistance from the balance of their number trying to get inside inside the entrance in panic as well. Apparently they weren't having a good time waiting on the stairs outside.

At the same time the looters forced the front door the teen-aged girl walked out onto the balcony over the garage, well separated from the attacker below her she helped the looters pay for their crimes. She fired her Marlin 1894 lever action, nine shot, 357 mag rifle into the heads and backs of the men on the steps leading into the house. The combined attacks of the two women equated to a crossfire, it chewed up the looters. They fell down the stairs or over the edge of the railing like a water fall of bodies. The Mother's Smith ran out first, she grabbed the still smoking pistol with her left hand as she opened the action of the gun with her right hand. With the cylinder out, she dumped the still smoking spent cases onto the floor, by depressing the plunger several times. With her right hand she reached down to her belt and took out a SKS push / pull speed loader and dropped the new rounds into the cylinder.

With the firing from inside the door way ceasing the remaining few looters stumbled into the entrance to avoid the fusillade from the girl on the balcony. One started to ascend the first set of stairs momentarily forgetting the woman inside. She dropped the speed loader and grabbed the butt of the small revolver, snapping the cylinder in place with her right index finger. She raised the pistol and straighten her arm. She looked down the sight line and fired point blank into the head of the man climbing the stairs. The other men trying to avoid the shooting from outside were sprayed with the brains and skull fragments of their compatriot. The girl on the balcony moved back against the wall of the house and reloaded the rifle. It required both hands and a great amount of concentration to force the shells past the loading gate in the near dark conditions. She could hear the bark of her mother's Smith and the screams of the dying. As the last round exited the two and a half inch barrel of the S&W, young girl leaned over the balcony and fired a round into the top of the head of the last standing bad guy on the stairs. He fell to his knees and added his mass to the pile in front of the broken in door.

She then walked to the front of the balcony and began searching for targets on the street. Like her mother, the young girl had never shot a living thing before but had practised extensively with the firearms, dry firing them to get used of the actions. She had the training to sight the looters on the street and deal them. Her distances where set by her father and in the small circle of houses corrections for elevation were not required. Some of the hits were not lethal blows, but at least they were bad enough to incapacitate the recipients and leave them writhing on the ground in a puddle of their fluids.

Seeing the lack of new opponents, the woman reloaded her Smith and Wesson and placed it in it's holster. Then she picked up the speed loader she dropped and put them in the pouch it had originated from. She stuck her right hand into her pants pocket and pulled out two more shotgun shells and dropped them into the savage and snapped it closed with a quick motion of her left hand.

She turned and ran down the stairs to the second level to the back of the house and carefully looked through a gap between two pieces of wood that covered the window. She could see that no one had ventured into the back yard so far. This was a very good thing from her perspective defending both entrances would most likely lead to failure. As it was was guaranteed that even if they survived the night and the house was still standing, the following night a distinct reversal of this outcome was inevitable. This was scenario that they had discussed for years and now the time had come. It was with great regret that she prepared to leave her home and abandon what remained of their lives.

She pulled two of the three pack sacks that were in the family room on that level of the house, into the bedroom next to it. She knew that it would be unlikely that the third pack would make it through the night but it was the only note she could leave that might be able to tell the story that the two of them had survived.

In the corner of the bed room was a desk, she pulled it away from the wall. It was hinged and pivoted easily away from the recess, revealing a trap door. It led to a hand dug tunnel to the far side of the alley behind the house. Her husband had dug it, shovel full by shovel shoring the walls and roof as he went. It was not big enough to stand but sufficient to bring in supplies and move out of their cul-de-sac clandestinely. It had proved to be structurally sound and weather proof over the years. Designed to be the method they used to come and go when they wanted to avoid detection. Now it was their only salvation and their last hope.

The young girl chose her last target and fired into the centre of the dark shape. She could see the remaining marauders trying to get close with torches with out exposing themselves to the young girl's wrath. After the last case was ejected from the receiver she abruptly turned and walked into the house. She pulled the yellow disposable ear plugs out and even though her ears were slightly ringing she heard her mother calling her from the lower level, “Molly we are out of here”. As she walked through the living room the first torch flew onto the balcony. She reloaded the rifle as she travelled though the house. Looking around at the home she had lived in all her life.

They left through the tunnel and walked north, the supplies in their packs would last a month and they would not stop until then.

#my novel

2 notes · View notes

felsartdump · 5 years

Text

November is Native American Heritage Month

Hello lovelies!

Seeing as November is Native American Heritage Month, I thought it only fitting to take part in Miss Corinne's #landchallenge. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn more about my native roots for myself and, as Miss Corinne herself stated; “The point of this exercise is to get you all to put in the effort of learning about the history of the land you occupy instead of asking an Indigenous person to do it for you. First lesson in allyship�� Do. The. Work.”

The challenge was issued to nonnatives to essentially learn 3 points for yourself and by yourself;

What tribal lands do you occupy?

Cultural history about the tribe(s)

How the area was colonized.

There is a site where you can check which tribes own the land you occupy.If you’re doing this challenge I highly recommend hitting up that site and letting it guide you!

That being said: This taught me… so much it’s unbelievable. It took me quite a few hours to compile and write so forewarning: it is long. Like sit down and have tea with this mini novella long.

I am currently occupying; Niitsítpiis-stahkoii ᖹᐟᒧᐧᐨᑯᐧ ᓴᐦᖾᐟ (Blackfoot / Niitsítapi ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ), Tsuu T'ina, Métis & Cree land!

Prior to European settlement, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada was actually a gathering place that was owned by the Blackfoot, the Plains Cree (my mothers tribe is the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation!) and the Nakoda peoples who were already living here. It wasn't until about the late 18th century that European fur traders arrived, and the mixture of these Native peoples with French Fur traders created a new cultural group called the Metis (which my father is!). The Metis established themselves to the east of here, but after being displaced by white settlement, they migrated to Alberta.

So that's freaking sweet. I'm living in a land that is rich in history from both of my parents!

The Plains Cree specifically, known also as the Nation of Hunters, followed seasonal animal migrations in order to eat, clothe themselves and make tools. Hunting always has been (and still is!) an important part of Cree culture. There is a trail that was used by First Nations people and bison alike since ancient times that ran from Montana in the south, through the Red Deer River at an area now known as the Old Red Deer Crossing, and right up to Fort Edmonton. It makes sense now why so many tribes used to gather here!

The Cree were first contacted by Europeans in 1682, at the mouth of the Nelson Hayes rivers in what is now northern Manitoba, by a Hudson's Bay Company party traveling about 100 miles inland. Fur trading posts established after 1670 began a period of economically motivated migration as bands attempted to make the most of the growing fur trade.

During the late 1700s and 1800s the Cree who had migrated from the Plans changed with rapid, dramatic success from trappers and hunters of the forest to horse-mounted warriors and bison hunters while supplying many of the European traders who relied on them fresh meat.

In 1875 the NW Mounted Police set up Fort Calgary along what they dubbed the "Calgary and Edmonton Trail", then set up the Canadian Pacific Railway in Calgary shortly after. This produced a huge increase in traffic along this trail, which in turn meant the trading post and stopping house was next built at the Old Red Deer Crossing in 1882 and that sudden influx of European people brought epidemics with them and began to over hunt the bison. I'm not talking just 'hey you don't see bison around much anymore'. I'm talking they hunted the bison to near extinction, literally. Herds upon herds of bison were destroyed and the Plains Cree and surrounding tribes (who relied on these bison for food, clothing and shelter and regarded the bison as a sacred animal and religious symbol) were brought to ruin when they were forced to be dependent on the government for their needs.

The Canadian government then actively withheld rations and other resources to force starving Plains Cree to sign treaties then promptly relocated them to reserves.

The Cree, being the resilient and resourceful people that they are, then survived by farming, ranching and casual labor on those reserves, but were further subjected to cultural destruction through decades of trauma via the residential school system that Native peoples were forced to attend.

The Red Deer Indian Industrial School first opened in 1893 on the north side of the Red Deer River close to the old Crossing settlement with the idea that the site was close to a 'white' urban center and a substantial distance from Native reserves. Funding for this school was pulled very early, the government failed to adequately pay any of the teachers or staff that worked there and the sanitation at this school was HORRENDOUS. I'm talking overcrowding in a place that had frequent outbreaks of diseases like scarlet fever, meningitis, mumps, measles and tuberculosis. The school's official register states that one third of the students enrolled here in the first two years of the place being open died prematurely and an official of the Ontario Health Department in Canada (Dr. P.H. Bryce) himself wrote that, of all the Indian industrial schools he examined, Red Deer had the worst mortality rate.

This, of course, all lead me to further research about the epidemics that specifically occurred in Red Deer and I was horrified to learn that The Charles Camsell [Indian] Hospital (founded in 1913 in Edmonton, Alberta) was something called an “Indian Hospital”. An “Indian Hospital” was a racially segregated hospital used to isolate Indigenous tuberculosis patients from the general population because, and I quote, there was “a fear among health officials that “Indian TB” posed a danger to the non-Aboriginal population.” This was a site heavily involved with the “Sixties Scoop” that occurred specifically in Canada from the late 1950’s right through the 1980’s that involved taking or “scooping up” Indigenous children from their families and communities for placement in foster homes or adoption.

But what does that have to do with a hospital, you ask?

There are tons. of. personal. accounts. and archives linked to this hospital that say the government was using the excuse of ‘you’ll get to fly on a plane and go somewhere new’ or ‘we’re going to heal you’ as a way to encourage these people to go to these hospitals (and usually never come back). This hospital of horrors closed down in 1996, but so many of the people who died there did so unbeknownst to their loved ones, and their bodies were buried on the Edmonton Residential School property just across the street. It was the kids from the Residential School who dug and tended the graves because being a member of those schools meant they were technically wards of the state.

Y i k e s.

I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the history of one of the many tribes whose land I now occupy and all I can think of is how little I knew before tonight. If it wasn’t 3:40am I could (and would!) learn so much more. Please, please do this challenge. Learn as much as you can about Native American Heritage before it’s too late.

#tw: residential schools #tw: Indian Hospitals #tw: the sixties scoop #Native American Heritage #Native American Heritage Month #tw: death #landchallenge #i believe in you guys!#you can doooo it #it doesn't have to be long like mine #i just have horrible organization skills srsly #didn't even find out that website existed until hours of me desperately searching which treaty Alberta was under made me frustrated #its treaty 6 & 7 btw #i don't think i could forget that if i tried now lol

8 notes · View notes

j-shute · 5 years

Text

If you care about the environment, back Warren. Not Sanders.

I’m not an American, I’m a Brit. But what I’m about to say here is valid across all countries. It’s not your fault if what I’m about to say comes as a surprise to you, the main stream media have collectively failed to challenge and inform you about it.

A while back, Bernie Sanders posted this:

This is entirely accurate. Climate change is a major issue, and we need a competent strategy to deal with it.

Bernie also posted this:

This is disingenuous. Yes, we need to transform our energy systems, but there are many ways to do that. Some fall more to the ‘pragmatic’ side, similar to the UK’s stance (use gas to end coal, while building nuclear and offshore wind). Others are on the ‘purist’ side, such as Germany (No more fossil fuel capacity, phase out nuclear, wind and solar).

Bernie is a purist, and that’s bad.

This is the Vermont Yankee power station:

Built in the 1970′s, it produced 70% of Vermont’s (Bernie’s home state) electricity. It received an extension to run into the 2030′s but was shut down in 2014 due to being undercut by cheap gas power.

The US reactor fleet has a 100GW capacity, and produces 20% of the countries power. It is their largest source of carbon free power. By extending the plant licenses, a common and highly regulated practice, most of them could run safely into the 2030′s, 2040′s and, in some cases, 2050′s.

Many older reactors though suffer from a financial double whammy. On one side is cheap natural gas electricity, on the other is subsidised renewables. Providing financial assistance to keep these plants open is one of the cheapest ways of stopping more emissions.

Bernie Sanders opposes any license extensions, any financial help, and any new nuclear new build.

This is a NuScale SMR

It is a mass producible small reactor that is passively safe. It CAN’T melt down. It’ll be cheap, easy to build, and has been privately financed by a set of US companies. It is one year away from passing through the US licensing requirements, with the first plant planned for operation in 2026-2027.

Under Bernie Sanders plans, a decade of work and investment, and a potential critical tool in the fight against climate change, will be dealt a hammer blow.

But that’s not the only problem with Bernie:

The US shale revolution dealt a hammer blow to coal, allowing the country to meet the Kyoto protocol targets without even trying. Not only is it a vital transition fuel (until the last coal plant is shut down), but it’s got a strong future in a carbon neutral world.

This is a prototype Carbon Capture power plant

Like the Nuscale SMR’s, it’s a project that’s been ticking along in the background, pushed on by private backers. It uses the Allam Cycle, named after it’s inventor, to produce electricity at the same efficiency as current gas stations, alongside pipeline ready pure CO2.

I repeat, it’s carbon capture and storage at the same price as current electricity. This is a monster of a game changer, with the first commercial plants planned for 2022-2024.

Bernie Sanders, though, is opposed to CCS in all forms. Like nuclear, he calls it a false solution.

But couldn’t we run on renewables regardless?

Even if you feel concerned at a climate activist throwing away some of our best tools, you might feel that their drive towards the solution more than makes up for it. After all, you can run the country on wind and solar, can’t you?

Well, you can. But it’s nigh on impossible to do so.

Despite what climate activists tell you, the wind isn’t always blowing everywhere:

Above is a graph showing the change in wind production from season to season. Below is a closer look at how wind production across Europe (I couldn’t find one for the USA) can nosedive at the same time. Madrid is as far away from Helsinki as New York is from Los Angeles. Even across a continent, the wind isn’t always blowing everywhere.

Solar, meanwhile, varies everywhere according to the seasons. In northern latitudes such as the UK, a solar panel might produce ten times more power in the summer as in the winter. Even in California, solar in the summer can produce 1.5-2X what it does in the winter.

Which, in southern desert states, is good. They need little heating in the winter, and aircon in the summer. Big desert solar arrays at low latitudes are a good source of energy. Less efficient, inherently badly optimised and far more expensive rooftop solar further north (where you need lots of winter heating) are about as useful as Mao’s backyard furnaces were at making steel.

But what about batteries?

I’m sure many people will now talk about storing power. However, the idea that we can economically do this (similar to the idea that the wind is always blowing) is probably one of the most successful bits of fake news ever spun. Let me illustrate.

This is Vogtle units 3 and 4:

With a project cost of $17 billion, renewable energy enthusiasts like to paint it as a perfect example of the failures of modern nuclear.

This is Tesla’s Big battery:

Costing $50 million USD, Renewable enthusiasts like to paint it as a triumph of renewables.

The big battery stores 129mwh of electricity, which equates to $387 per kwh of storage. Or, $0.387 billion per Gwh. For $17 billion, you get 44 Gwh of storage.

Vogtle will produce that same amount of energy in just over 18 hours.

Even if you use the most expensive, finance inclusive, cost for Vogtle, it will still fill the equivalent storage potential in 29 hours.

To run a fully intermittent grid, we’d need days if not weeks of storage. Or, we could spend a fraction of that money on nuclear power, and be done.

But what about pumped Hydro?

Again, let’s use a sense of scale to explain how much you’d need. Something big, like this:

Lake Erie and Ontario are separated in elevation by 99m. Assuming you use dams and locks to turn them into a giant upper and lower reservoir, how much energy could you store?

By draining 1m of water from the smaller Ontario, and pumping it into Erie, you could store 4,600GWH of electricity.

The US uses around 2,740 per day on average. So you’d have a viable short-term store for the entire country. It wouldn’t be seasonal storage.

The equivalent storage using batteries would cost over $1.38 trillion. This is enough for 81 Vogtle plants. They would have 194GW of capacity, and produce 4196GWH a day.

Using Nuscale SMR’s at the current quoted price (which could come down if you get a dedicated assembly line going) you could get 328 GW of capacity.

What about seasonal storage?

In countries with winter heating seasons, you need a reliable source of energy or people will freeze and die. Even with Nuclear, you’re at the peak of energy requirements, so it’s uneconomical to build to that point.

Instead, you can use biogas, biomass and waste to energy. Stockpiling your fuel throughout the year, you can burn it when most needed. Even better, in many cases you can convert existing fossil fuel plants.

Credit where credit is due, Bernie Sanders is pro bio-energy (as opposed to some (even purer) greens). At the same time, he is anti-waste to energy.

So what is the point of this?

The point is that we can’t simply add ‘Wind, solar, batteries’ and get an energy system that works. There are serious technological limitations and economic realities. Long term energy storage is incredibly cost prohibitive. The wind doesn’t always blow everywhere. In any case, if we only have a short time to stop emitting carbon, why shoot your biggest contributor of green energy at the same time?

Germany lost a decade due to its closure of its reactors, and still has some of Europe's dirtiest electricity. Had they closed the Lignite plants in North-Rhine Westphalia instead, they’d of cut their emissions while opening up giant pits like the Hambach mine for conversion into pumped storage sites. I’ve done the calculations, they could run the country for half a day on that level of storage.

In contrast, France is the only developed country to turn a dirty grid into a clean grid. They did it decades ago with nuclear, but there are those in power who want to shut reactors down early. They don’t care that they can build out renewables anyway, and export the extra energy or use it for transport. They care more about killing nuclear than saving the planet.

This is why Warren is better than Sanders.

Elizabeth Warren wants a green new deal and medicaid for all, just like Sanders. Unlike him, she’s open to keeping the US nuclear fleet going. She’s open to new reactors and CCS. Both have a plan and a drive, but hers is open to more options and focuses on what the real enemy is. Bernie is a purist. Purism sounds good. But wherever you look, it’s the pragmatists that have always performed better.

I care strongly about the environment and global warming, which is why, if I could, I’d vote for Warren. Because you can’t say that global warming is the biggest threat we face and then throw away our best tools against it.

#politics #us politics #climate change #green energy #bernie sanders #elizabeth warren #wind power #energy storage #nuclear energy #maths #greennewdeal

7 notes · View notes

ontarionewsnorth · 7 years

Text

New Community Labour Market Series Report focuses on Schreiber

New Cmnty #LabourMarket Series Report focuses on @TownofSchreiber @NorthernPolicy @NSWPB @charlescirtwill @ONlabour @MichaelGravelle @PattyHajdu @Canada @ONgov @jobscanadajobs @ONeconomy unders

CLICK image to view report (PDF) Know your community to grow your community. North Superior Workforce Planning Board – Your Local Employment Planning Council and Northern Policy Institute have teamed up to provide communities with greater access to labour market information at the very local level. The Community Labour Market Series Report – Schreiber by Amandine Martel and José-Karl Noiseux,…

View On WordPress

0 notes

tdgeog4390-19 · 5 years

Text

Not all that Glitters is Gold

The meaning of rural:

Looking back on my very first post about my initial thoughts of rural Canada, I had a very personal and narrow perspective. I mostly thought about the geography of rural Canada and the physical features that separated the provinces from each other. Don’t get me wrong; diversity and Canadian nature are very important aspects of rural space, but after exploring more dimensions over this course, I have come to realize the real complexity behind this term. I really feel like the meaning of rural is different for everyone, as it is the remote spaces that people give recognition to in accordance with their experiences. For example, we all think to analyze the countryside of Ontario, but I bet the discussion would be very different if this class were being held in northern Canada, or on the west coast... or say, Africa! This was especially brought to my attention during Abdul’s presentation in class and in one of the exhibitions at the art gallery which told the story of third-world fishermen risking their lives, and usually becoming drug users.

Rural Canada is also a beautiful space, but it is also where a lot of destruction and conflict arises involving the extraction of natural resources. I think that we could relate rural to the saying, “not all that glitters is gold”, in that although everything may appear beautiful and simple, there is a certain evil that is behind that aesthetic curtain. I think that there is a lot of work left to be done in making sure we don’t destroy the purity of rural Canada, while still encouraging community development.

How do I envision rural Ontario in 10-100 years?

I think that populations in smaller townships will start to grow. An article from Calgary states that as residents grow older, and younger people move out of these towns, rural communities across Canada are looking to encourage immigration as a way to rejuvenate their workforce and expand their tax base. Therefore I think it is likely that rural areas may become more culturally diverse over time, which would be interesting. I suppose an example of this is the increase of Mexican immigrants working in tomato greenhouses in Leamington, Ontario, which I have seen first hand. The challenge is attracting them and convincing them to stay in the country rather than in the more opportunistic cities, but some provinces have started to improve on this by collaborating small towns with provincial and federal governments. Initiatives such as customized immigration plans (towns in N.B), social media campaigns (in B.C.), Temporary Foreign Worker Programs, and simply making rural communities more welcoming has drawn the interest of workers from Germany, Russia, and the Philippines.

I don’t think there will be much change of Rural Ontario in the next 10 years, but within the next 50 years, I would predict that we would start to notice these population shifts. Although it is expected to be very slow, even migration of Canadian citizens out of urban centers may be likely as cities become overcrowded and overpriced without expanding in time. In the next 50-100 years, I would imagine a St.Jacobs-like transformation to occur in many rural communities that are nearby a larger ‘city’ center. As discussed in class, we had all agreed that St.Jacobs was on the edge of being classified as a rural town. Towns in Ontario may be likely to see similar transformations if marketing strategies for tourism and businesses enhance.

With 2030 global water shortage and 2050 food shortage threatens us, author Robert Giles believes in a rural future, and has made a case study in West Virginia. The design is pitched as the dynamic, systems-solution to long-term global problems. It is made up of over 150 small businesses, guided by GIS and prescriptive software based on the latest science, working together to manage rural lands profitably and to meet rising food and water needs. Although ideas like this may be far fetched, I think the concept is admirable, showing the real opportunities of rural land. Lastly, I could also envision rural Ontario becoming a very green functioning society in the very distant future (~100 years). Already many urban and rural centers around Ontario have begun to prioritize green infrastructure and technology by using nature for community economic development and resilience. I would only imagine this to increase as Canada continues to realize the importance of our environment and protecting rural resources.

How do we get people to care about rural Ontario?

I think it’s important to remind people of the relationships in rural communities, opportunities and the productivity they offer. Rural Ontario is home to many resource industries and agriculture, with about 17% of Canadians living in these areas. Looking back at the presentations during the rural symposium, it is clear that agri-policies are not enough to address rural communities, and that issues are more specific. I think that the best approach is applying place-based development for the future of Ontario, focusing on youth, transportation, and economy.

On January 17, 2019 the director, Brent Royce, of Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) released a statement discussing the need for investment in Ontario agriculture and rural communities. The video below is a 2-minute audio of OFA’s advice to the government.

youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=167&v=uQS5q6sOKjc

Royce declares that investing in rural Ontario will create economic opportunity for everyone. Specifically, investing in natural gas, infrastructure, transportation, health care, and rural schools. Royce says that Ontario’s economy has the most to gain from prioritizing neglected regions in the province, and that it it will jump start farms, agri-business and rural communities, all while stimulating all of Ontario in the end. The OFA understands the province’s current fiscal situation and the need for restraint, but they also know that sound public investment in Ontario agriculture and rural communities will pay dividends and will ultimately improve Ontario’s fiscal outlook by driving the economy forward.

Ultimately…

The future of rural Canada will likely look very different among provinces, as there are many different conceptions of ‘rural’, and there is no one universal model for rural innovation. One thing is for sure, we need more connectivity and more meaningful development within rural Ontario. Rural policy needs to be prioritized and be considered at the very start of policymaking in Ontario, Canada, and worldwide. Does anyone else have different thoughts on how we can best approach the sustainability of rural Ontario?

-P.s. thank you all for the great discussions over the semester! Good luck to everyone in your future adventures! :)

References

https://calgaryherald.com/news/national/canadas-small-cities-and-rural-areas-desperate-for-immigrants

https://www.cicnews.com/2016/10/rural-areas-and-small-cities-across-canada-eager-to-attract-more-newcomers-108558.html#gs.49deoq

http://www.ruralsystem.com/rural-future/

3 notes · View notes

vlgeo439019-blog · 6 years

Text

There’s no internet?! (Insert screaming 12-year old)

Our world revolves around the internet. Banking, politics, social movements, education, reading, access to medical care, booking appointments, or purchasing products online - you name it, the internet is 100% involved. As people who always have access to the inter-web, we often forget that there are remote areas in the world that are internet “immune”, so to speak. While we sit down, drinking a cup of coffee, and work on a assignment online on campus or in a cafe, we don’t really think about the people out there that are living their day-to-day lives without the internet.

Of course this isn’t a bad thing, but when the world is so dependent on using the internet, it makes life significantly harder for those individuals who live without it.

For the purposes of my blog this week, I’m going to write about low broadband internet accessibility in rural areas. I've spent a lot of time in the past few weeks focusing on agriculture and farming - it's time for a refreshing change!

Low internet accessibility in isolated areas isn't a new phenomena. Since the early 2000′s internet use has been growing - in 2009 usage increased by over 700% and further increased by 400% in 2013. By 2023 it is predicted that internet usage will skyrocket. The number of users is predicted to reach 33 million users, nearly 99 percent of the Canadian population.

Unfortunately, I have difficulty believing in the authenticity of this statement, especially considering the fact that only 85% of Canadian citizens are adequately serviced with a reliable internet connection. This may seem like a considerable number of people, but when you look at a map of Canada the stark reality is that there is a technological divide between the north and south, even in Ontario!

Partial map of northern & southern Ontario.

The green areas on the map represent those regions with an adequate level of internet connection, more specifically fixed wireless access. The yellow colour represents those areas that have access to cellular data or cell service. As I’m sure you all can see, this represents a majority of Canada’s urban population in southern Ontario.

Those areas without colour have no cellular service at all.

Partial map of northern & southern Ontario.

The red dots represent those areas that are largely under-serviced, communities with anywhere between 1000 to 7000 people. Although generally more common in northern Ontario, there are some locations in the south that are suffering due to a lack of service as well.

Why is this a problem?

A farmer in the Ottawa Valley explains, “I live ten minutes from the town of Renfrew and I’m in a blackout zone with no hopes of getting high speed internet. I pay nearly $200 dollars a month for only 100 gigabytes of data - enough data for only 20 hours of internet. Watching videos is impossible.”

This may not seem like a problem, but with children who rely on the internet for school projects and assignments, it really puts a damper on things. The additional costs for poor internet are pretty unbelievable as well.

A man from Elgin County can’t even pay his bills reliably. Don Miller, a farmer and business owner, says that he was put out of service for ten days without warning, just narrowly regaining his connection in time to pay off $8000 dollars in pesticides and fertilizers. He’s unable to use internet in the evenings; too many people use it at once. Miller is unable to stay up to date on cattle and grain prices as well.

In northern, remote communities this is even worse. There are massive issues of affordability and accessibility. In Thessalon First Nation for instance, a reserve outside of Sault. Ste. Marie, satellite internet service is provided by Xplornet. Unfortunately this system has been criticized for being inconsistent, expensive, and lags in times of high traffic. Without proper monitoring, bills can quickly add up and cost hundreds of dollars each month.

Public wifi hotspots are a suggested solution to this problem, but for many communities this is inadequate as well. Some towns and villages lack public spaces or have inconsistent hours operation, forcing people to tailor their lives around accessibility. People are forced to travel long distances just to receive important information regarding health care, education, and employment. This costs money, time, and a considerable effort, which translates into a geographical advantage. Individuals in urban areas do not have to deal with this at all, creating the digital divide I mentioned above.

In terms of economic activity, small communities in isolated regions are also at a disadvantage as well. There is little opportunity for digital industries or businesses to be established in these areas as low access to high speed internet could easily destroy a young or brand new entrepreneur. People are not willing to risk the possible loss.

Even access to digital health care is a problem with poor internet. For those individuals who rely on digital forms of medical care, it’s a challenge to receive help if it is desperately needed.

Recently there have been conversations surrounding possible solutions to this problem, the Canadian government being a major actor in the discussions of such solutions. In 2016, the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) deemed basic internet service as a human right and set aside over $750 million for infrastructure investment to provide services where market forces have fail, primarily rural and northern communities as we have discussed.

Unfortunately the plans released do very little to improve the lack of accessibility in these areas. Two years ago the CRTC proposed that with improved infrastructure internet speeds would reach 50 megabits per second. Today, the Commission has gone back on its word; speed targets will be cut in half, reaching 25 megabits per second. This means that as each household in these areas adds additional internet-connected devices to their bill, there will be an increased number of connectivity issues. This is amplified in Indigenous communities where access to high-bandwidth connections is expensive and where multiple families share a single dwelling.

Solving internet accessibility in Canada is going to be a challenge, that’s for sure. It’s difficult to say whether this is going to be possible in the first place. Many communities, even those in close proximity to Guelph have poor internet. One of my housemates currently relies on a very poor satellite connection at her family home due to the topography in her area. Her home is surrounded by drumlins, large glacial remnants, that act as giant barriers to a reliable internet signal.

I currently live outside of Midland and experience very poor internet. If you guys look at either of the maps I’ve linked above, there’s a small peninsula that’s right across from the Bruce Peninsula to the east. In that area there’s a little spot surrounded by red dots. That’s approximately where I currently live and the internet is horrible. There are times when my youngest sister can’t complete assignments for her school because of it.

Despite all of this, it seems to me that Indigenous communities seem to suffer the most when it comes to issues of rurality. They continue to be forcefully isolated, especially by the Canadian government and big-box internet companies due to poor bandwidth. There is little room for change, growth, and independence in these communities when the lack of internet is forcefully caging people to a number of social, economic, and political issues, continuing a cycle of dependency created as a result of colonization.

What do you guys think? Is internet a basic human right in our time and day? Is there an adequate solution to addressing a lack of internet accessibility in a timely manner?

- Vanessa

3 notes · View notes

onpoli · 6 years

Link

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is setting her sights on boosting support from the 905 and rural areas by naming deputy leaders from Brampton and northeastern Ontario farm country.

As the New Democrats prepare for the fall session of the Legislature beginning Sept. 24, Horwath has also taken the unusual step of giving all 39 of her MPPs a critic role to keep tabs on Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet.

“It is up to us to be the voice of the over 3 million Ontarians who voted against Doug Ford,” Horwath, now leader of the Official Opposition, told a news conference Thursday.

She appointed veteran MPP and farmer John Vanthof (Temiskaming-Cochrane) and first-time member Sara Singh — who won Brampton Centre by just 89 votes over her Progressive Conservative challenger in the June 7 election — as her deputies.

Singh, founder of the not-for-profit social agency Broadening Horizons working with youth in Brampton, is tasked with reaching out to voters in the Greater Toronto Area, while Vanthof will look to make bigger inroads in farming and rural communities.

“We know that we connected very strongly with residents in the GTA as well as in rural Ontario...but we also know that we need to become more familiar to families in those communities and those areas,” Horwath said of the spring election campaign, which saw former premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals reduced to seven seats.

Full list of critic roles is under the cut.

Michael Mantha (Algoma-Manitoulin): Northern Development & Mines

Rima Berns-McGown (Beaches-East York): Poverty & Homelessness

Sara Singh (Brampton Centre): Attorney General

Gurratan Singh (Brampton East): Auto Insurance

Kevin Yarde (Brampton North): Community Safety & Correctional Services

Marit Stiles (Davenport): Education

Taras Natyshak (Essex): International Trade

Paul Miller (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek): Tourism & Sport

Monique Taylor (Hamilton Mountain): Children & Youth Services

Sandy Shaw (Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas): Finance & Treasury Board

Tom Rakocevic (Humber River-Black Creek): Government Services & Consumer Protection

Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong): Indigenous Relations & Reconciliation

Ian Arthur (Kingston and the Islands): Environment & Sustainability

Laura Mae Lindo (Kitchener Centre): Anti-Racism, Citizenship & Immigration Services

Terence Kernaghan (London North Centre): LGBTQ Issues

Peggy Sattler (London West): Economic Development

Teresa Armstrong (London-Fanshawe): Home Care & Long-Term Care

Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk-James Bay): Training, Apprenticeship & Trade, Francophone Affairs

Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre): Municipal Affairs

Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, and Niagara-on-the-Lake): Health and Safety, WSIB

France Gélinas (Nickel Belt): Health Care

Jennifer French (Oshawa): Infrastructure, Transportation & Highways

Joel Harden (Ottawa Centre): Accessibility & Persons with Disabilities, Pensions, Seniors Affairs

Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale-High Park): Mental Health & Addictions

Doly Begum (Scarborough Southwest): Early Learning & Childcare

Chris Glover (Spadina-Fort York): Colleges & Universities

Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines): Veterans, Legions, Military Affairs

Jamie West (Sudbury): Labour

Judith Monteith-Farrell (Thunder Bay-Atikokan): Natural Resources & Forestry

John Vanthof (Timiskaming-Cochrane): Agriculture & Food, Rural Development

Gilles Bisson (Timmins): House Leader

Suze Morrison (Toronto Centre): Housing, Women’s Issues

Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth): Energy & Climate Change

Jill Andrew (Toronto-St. Paul’s): Culture

Jessica Bell (University-Rosedale): Transit

Catherine Fife (Waterloo): Jobs, Employment, Research & Innovation

Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West): Community & Social Services

Percy Hatfield (Windsor-Tecumseh): OLG & Horse Racing

Faisal Hassan (York South-Weston): Youth Engagement

#canadian politics #canpoli #onpoli #ontario #ondp #andrea horwath #sara singh #john vanthof

32 notes · View notes

presssorg · 6 years

Text

Oil Pipelines: is it as easy as turn the valves? Activists in Action

Companies decry ‘valve turners’ who shut down pipelines BISMARCK, N.D. — As Enbridge prepared to move climate-damaging tar sands crude through a 40-year-old pipeline in eastern Canada in 2015, environmentalists and indigenous peoples including Vanessa Gray thought about what happened in Michigan just five years earlier: Another of the company’s lines had burst, sending oil into a river in one of the largest spills in U.S. history. With that in mind, Gray and others decided they needed to do more than just speak out. In December 2015, three activists from Montreal entered Enbridge property near the Quebec-Ontario border and turned an above-ground emergency pipeline shut-off valve. About two weeks later, Gray and two others did the same at a different site, drawing even more attention because authorities levied charges that could have landed them in prison for life. They ended up with no jail time and accomplished their goal of raising awareness. “I hope it inspires others,” Gray, 26, a member of an Ojibwe tribe, said in a recent interview. It already has, by activists in the U.S. who believe fossil fuels are precipitating a global warming crisis. Just last month four activists targeted an Enbridge oil pipeline in northern Minnesota. But pipeline companies say so-called valve turners are dangerous — to themselves and the public — and many energy industry officials and advocates say they should be treated as domestic terrorists. Several states are considering increasing fines and prison terms for such attacks and holding associated organizations legally accountable as well. “It’s reminiscent of a number of years ago when environmental groups were spiking trees to interfere with the timber industry,” said Alan Olson, executive director of the Montana Petroleum Association. “When environmental groups go out to cause physical harm or to harm infrastructure, in my mind that is domestic terrorism.” To Michael Foster, it’s a wake-up call to a world quickly approaching “a life-or-death moment.”

“We must stop the flow of fossil fuels as a society,” said the mental health counsellor from Seattle who spent six months in jail for turning a pipeline shut-off valve in North Dakota in October 2016. “You can argue about the best, or better, ways to do it, but we haven’t done it yet, and we’ve run out of time.” Foster was part of a loose-knit group of 11 climate change activists who dubbed themselves Climate Direct Action and simultaneously turned shut-off valves on five pipelines in North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and Washington state that carry Canadian tar sands crude into the U.S. “We were committed to nonviolence. We were committed to safety and making sure no communities were impacted or damage occurred. We weren’t interested in damaging equipment,” Foster said. “That’s where we took the cue from Canada.” In response to that action, federal regulators issued a bulletin warning that tampering with pipeline valves can result in “death, injury, and economic and environmental harm.” None of the valve-turning incidents has led to an injury or a spill, but critics say the protest tactic is at the very least hypocritical. “What eco-extremists fail to recognize is that their own reckless actions risk seriously harming the same environment that they claim to be trying to protect,” said Craig Stevens, spokesman for Grow America’s Infrastructure Now, a pro-pipeline coalition. Enbridge spokesman Jesse Semko said tampering with pipelines is no different than targeting railways or power lines, and the company “will support the prosecution of those individuals to the fullest extent of the law.” But some think the law doesn’t go far enough. The valve-turning protests all have been prosecuted under state laws, and the punishments have varied. No protester other than Foster has spent more than two days in jail. A group of bipartisan lawmakers, led by Colorado Republican Rep. Ken. Buck, asked the U.S. Justice Department in October 2017 whether protesters could be prosecuted under federal domestic terrorism laws. The response in February 2018 from Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd, provided by Buck’s office, didn’t give much clarity. Boyd said pipeline protest incidents “may or may not qualify as ‘domestic terrorism,”‘ and he wouldn’t comment on whether any federal investigations were happening. The department didn’t respond to an Associated Press request for comment. Some states aren’t waiting for federal action. The American Legislative Exchange Council has created a model bill that carries stiff penalties for protest incidents targeting “critical infrastructure” such as pipelines. It’s inspired by a 2017 Oklahoma law that carries penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Louisiana last year passed a law similar to the model, and the legislatures in North Dakota , Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Mississippi, Indiana and Wyoming are considering similar bills this year, according to Grant Kidwell, the council’s energy policy expert. The oil and gas industry also is acting. The Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance in October 2017 launched an online database to catalogue attacks on pipelines, including valve-turning. “I hope it doesn’t spread,” Alliance President and CEO Toby Mack said. “I think it’s pretty obvious that it’s just kind of a stupid way of making a point.” Activists believe the stupidity lies in ignoring a climate change crisis. “The state of the movement for climate justice in the United States is in need of more boldness,” said Jay O’Hara, co-founder of the Climate Disobedience Center. —— Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/NicholsonBlake Published at Sat, 09 Mar 2019 15:34:07 +0000 Read the full article

#activists #cleanenergy #climatechange #crude #greenpeace #middleeast #opec #pipeline #valveturners

1 note · View note

kayla1993-world · 2 years

Text

Sylvia Jones was appointed to the position of minister of health. She has one of the most significant positions in the province as Ford unveiled his slightly expanded new cabinet on Friday.

Jones, a Dufferin MPP, served as Ford’s previous administration’s solicitor general. Christine Elliott, who held the position during the COVID-19 pandemic for more than two years before deciding not to run for re-election, is replaced as minister of health by her.

30 MPPs make up Ford’s new executive council. 28 people made up his previous cabinet. Seven people of colour, five inexperienced MPPs and nine women total in the new cabinet, down from nine in the previous one.

Once again, the new Ontario cabinet ministers’ mandate letters will not be made public. In the interim, consideration will be given to the government’s appeal regarding its ability to preserve the confidentiality of Ford’s 2018 mandate letters.

The same MPPs will serve as ministers in several portfolios. The list includes Doug Downey as attorney general, Calandra as long-term care, McNaughton as labour, Mulroney as transportation, Bethlenfalvy as finance, Lecce as election and Clark as municipal affairs and housing.

Merrilee Fullerton will continue to manage the autism file. This includes the portfolio for children, communities and social services.

Michael Ford is the premier's nephew and the new minister of citizenship and multiculturalism. He is also one of the inexperienced MPPs promoted to the cabinet.

When asked if he believed nepotism played a role in his appointment, Michael Ford replied that he categorically rejects that.

Ford also responded that his nephew is qualified and has ten years of political experience when asked about his appointment on Friday.

The ministry of natural resources and forestry will be headed by Smith, who won the Parry Sound election and Greg Rickford, who previously held the position, is still serving as the minister of indigenous and northern development.

Moreover, he had previously been in charge of the mining portfolio, which has since been given to George Pirie.

The first Black woman to serve in a PC cabinet is Williams. She was appointed associate minister of women's social and economic opportunity.

Other ministries have undergone adjustments or received new mandates. Sarkaria is president of the Treasury Board and has expanded his duties to include procurement and emergency management.

Kaleed Rasheed is promoted to the newly created position of minister of public and business service delivery from the minister of digital government.

Parsa has been promoted to the cabinet's position of associate housing minister.

Lisa MacLeod, a Nepean MPP who held various cabinet positions in the Ford administration, most recently as minister of heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries, is absent from the list.

Ross Romano is an MPP from Sault Ste. Marie. He is also a former minister of government and consumer services. He was also not included.

On Friday, the opposition New Democratic Party demanded that the new cabinet present a new budget to stop Ford's plan purported $2.7 billion in cuts.

The PC government's budget, tabled in April, lays out $198.6 billion in spending, with billions earmarked for infrastructure this year and over the next decade. The document pledges $158.8 billion over 10 years for highways, transit and hospitals.

The NDP demands that the government hire thousands of healthcare professionals, decrease class sizes and repeal Bill 124, which caps wage increases for public sector employees like teachers and nurses at one percent annually.

The party also took issue with the size of the new cabinet. Ford was allegedly adding more vehicles to his cash machine by increasing the number of MPPs from 21 in 2018 to 30.

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner also issued a statement calling for more action on climate change, housing affordability and protecting farmland. He also pointed to a lack of diversity in Ford's new cabinet.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says while Lecce has been reappointed as education minister, it hopes for "a change in approach" when it comes to decision-making on issues facing students and education workers.

The union representing about 83,000 elementary teachers, early childhood educators and other education staff is heading into bargaining with the province and says it plans to challenge the government if necessary to secure the funding and resources that students need.

On Friday, Ontario Autism Coalition was present at Queen's Park. They conveyed that the autism community cannot continue to wait.

Ford had promised to remove the wait list for children and young people with autism who needed assistance, but the group claimed in a release that since then, the list has grown by more than twice as much.

0 notes

sixtyfivehundredmiles · 6 years

Text

What happens when Lake Superior has too much water? It dumps it into an already overflowing Lake Michigan

For nearly a century, a dam at the head of the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., has been used like a faucet, controlling the amount of water flowing from Lake Superior into lakes Michigan and Huron.

In the past five years, following a swift rise in lake levels, the relatively obscure Lake Superior board that regulates the amount of water released has stepped up these discharges, raising an outcry from a group representing property owners along the shoreline of Lake Michigan and potentially harming seasonal tourism.

John Ehret, an Olympia Fields, Ill., resident and a director of the Great Lakes Coalition for Shoreline Preservation, occasionally shows people photos of the broad sandy beaches that once existed outside his cabin in western Michigan. Now, Ehert said, many of his neighbors have fortified their home with boulders, and his property is “damn near in the water.”

Several factors have contributed to rising water levels and shoreline erosion, including increased precipitation and runoff, but Lake Superior outflow is exacerbating the problem, data from the National Ocean Atmospheric Administration and the International Lake Superior Board of Control show. Last year, the amount of water released from Lake Superior into lakes Michigan and Huron was the highest in 32 years.

This month, Lake Superior measured about 9 inches above its long-term average but almost 5 inches below its levels from last July. Lakes Michigan and Huron were recorded at nearly 2 feet above their historic average and a half inch higher than a year ago. Still, the Lake Superior board expects to increase the flow to 2,800 cubic meters per second this month — more than enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool each second — and above the amount called for in the most recent regulatory plan for balancing the lakes.

“They have no right ...,” Ehret, 88, said. “They are having the same problem we are. They've lost a lot of their sand. What they want is to lower their lake and dump it downstream — and we don't want it!”

U.S. officials say the elevated discharges aren’t simply an attempt to drive down Lake Superior’s levels, highlighting the need to accommodate hydropower plants, downstream fish-spawning habitat and commercial shipping.

The St. Marys River runs between Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Ontario, passing through a network of canals, hydropower plants and a dam with 16 steel control gates, which are regulated by the Lake Superior control board, a binational entity that determines how much water is released into the rapids. The board assumes the daunting responsibility of balancing the socio-economic and environmental interests of Lake Superior with those of lakes Michigan and Huron, which are considered one body of water because they are connected at the Straits of Mackinac.

Although Lake Superior’s flow has been fully regulated since 1921, scholars say it wasn’t until a period of high lake levels in the mid-1970s that the board adopted regulatory strategies that considered lakes Michigan and Huron.

John Allis, chief of Great Lakes hydraulics and hydrology for the Army Corps of Engineers, acknowledged the increased flow from Lake Superior can translate into a few inches of change in lakes Michigan and Huron but said the changes are insignificant.

“It’s very important to note that the deviations do not call for increasing flows only or decreasing flows only,” Allis said in an email. “We balance the flows over the year to balance total outflow and therefore have very minimal impact on water levels. One way to think of the deviations is as a method that serves to reduce adverse local effects while not affecting the Lakes overall.”

But according to Lake Superior board records, in the past five years, there has only been one month when Lake Superior flows were below the historical average.

Illinois state coastal geologist Ethan Theuerkauf said inches matter.

“You have to think about the slope,” Theuerkauf said. “If you��re talking a couple inches against a heavily armored bluff, you might not be impacting the shore that much. If lake levels are encroaching on a sandy shore and waves are moving farther up, a couple inches could have a profound impact.”

Dramatic swings in water levels

In January 2013, Lake Michigan hit a record low. Immediately afterward, it saw an unprecedented two-year rebound boosted by wetter-than-normal conditions and back-to-back polar vortex winters, which froze over much of the Great Lakes and prevented evaporation.

In the last century, Illinois has become 1.2 degrees warmer and 10 to 15 percent wetter, with much of the added water from heavy rainfalls or thunderstorms, according to state climatologist Jim Angel.

But scientists are divided over how climate change will affect the Great Lakes over the long term.

Rising lake levels

In 2015, amid the ongoing stretch of rising water levels in the Great Lakes, the control board implemented a modified regulatory plan that allows it to make small deviations to the amount of water released from Lake Superior without oversight.

Brig. Gen. Mark Toy, the U.S. chairman of the control board and Army Corps commander in the Great Lakes region, said the plan takes the entire region into consideration.

“Outflows from Lake Superior are currently set to help balance water level conditions and their related impacts to all stakeholders on Lake Superior, the St. Marys River, and Lake Michigan-Huron,” Toy said in an email.

Lake Superior discharges have been proven capable of shaving as much as 4.7 inches off lake levels in one month, which is greater than some of the highest rates of monthly evaporation, according to the International Joint Commission, the organization that oversees the control board and handles water disputes between Canada and the United States. For every inch Lake Superior can be lowered by water passed through the St. Marys River, lakes Michigan and Huron can rise a half inch, experts say.

Late last year, as Lake Superior swelled to nearly 4 inches shy of its record high set in 1985, the board ordered the highest discharges since it began adhering to the 2015 plan. Monthly outflows surged to more than 35 percent above historical averages for July, August, October and November. By April, aided by drier than usual conditions, Lake Superior had dropped more than one foot.

Now, with higher discharges expected to continue through November, some property owners on the lower lakes are watching the shoreline closely.

“The challenge is: How do you distribute the water between Lake Superior and Michigan,” said Roger Smithe, a spokesman for the Great Lakes Coalition for Shoreline Preservation, an organization that represents about 900 shoreline-property owners mostly from Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio. “Lately, we've seen articles about sharing the pain, but we think Lake Michigan shares most of the pain. We think Lake Michigan is a dumping ground for extra water.”

The Saugatuck, Mich.-based coalition has complained about a lack of public input and has written to the control board asking for an explanation about why more water continues to be released.

While control board representatives have stressed they have minimal control of Upper Great Lakes water levels, the consortium of Canadian and American decision-makers, which has historically been charged with keeping Lake Superior within predetermined high and low levels, has been known to open more dam gates if Lake Superior encroaches on those extremes.

Lakes Michigan and Huron have no such safety valve. The 6.3-foot range between their 1986 record highs and 2013 record lows is the largest of all the Great Lakes. By comparison, Lake Superior’s historic variability has been less than 4 feet.

Anxiety along Lake Superior

Despite help from the control board, the consequences of shoreline erosion are drastic along Lake Superior.

On the northern shores of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Tim and Susan Biehl have seen Lake Superior’s rising water overtake beaches, inundate sections of shoreline parks and in some cases claim entire homes.

“Cabins built 50, 60 years ago have gone into the lake,” said Tim Biehl, 71, who noted the water reaches to the tree line in some places. “You can walk down the north shore, and the number of trees on the beaches is phenomenal.”

After several years of anxiously watching the waters draw closer to their home, the Biehls and their neighbors joined a chorus of Yoopers calling for more discharges downstream.

“We’re just a bathtub to store water,” Tim Biehl said.

But that doesn’t sit well with Lake Superior’s southern neighbors who have their own complaints.

Every summer, for more than 30 years, Darcy Haury’s family has driven from suburban Chicago to stay at a vacation rental a few miles outside St. Joseph, Mich. Last year, she arrived at the cabin to find the beachfront where she had enjoyed building sand castles as a child was largely underwater. The stairs leading to the private shoreline had apparently been beaten into splintered timbers by a storm, and they were later told by management that the beach was closed.

Next month, relatives plan to return to the annual family tradition. But it could be the last time they go there.

“It's pretty depressing because it’s my favorite time of year,” said Haury, 28, of Bolingbrook. “Now we’re looking for somewhere else to go.”

Shrinking beaches

Along Illinois' 63-mile shoreline, there has been no shortage of issues.

In Evanston, though beaches have shrunk and the dog beach is completely submerged, the city has found that buying and importing sand to replenish beaches isn't a sound investment.

"That's not in our budget," said Lawrence Hemingway, Evanston's parks and recreation supervisor. "That's money that can wash away overnight"

Highland Park's Rosewood Beach, which was named among the nation's best restored beaches in 2016, was blitzed by powerful storms in April, which caused significant damage. In Chicago's Roger's Park neighborhood, Juneway Beach is all but submerged. And over the years, erosion has gnawed away at the shoreline walking trail at Illinois Beach State Park.

It's unclear if this has had an impact on tourism or recreation, but it certainly affects a visitor's experience, according to Diane Tecic, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources' coastal management program.

"Even with the high lake levels, I doubt people will just say, 'I'm just not going to go to the beach,'" Tecic said. "But it could shift where they go.”

Lake Michigan’s erosion issues have also been greatly complicated by development, which has cut off the natural flow of sand along much of the southern shores of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. As a result, the sand washing from the shores isn’t being replenished.

At Illinois Beach State Park, state geologist Theuerkauf has extensively monitored the shoreline since 2014. In that time, he’s seen as much as 75 feet of shoreline chewed away in a year by Lake Michigan waves and storms.

Theuerkauf said this shoreline loss is unprecedented.

“Five hundred years ago this wetland would’ve been protected by a beach ridge further out.” said Theuerkauf, who has researched and dated the habitat. “Now, 500 years’ worth of shoreline is eroding in a matter of months.”

Under [these circumstances,] even though Lake Michigan’s lake levels are 1 ½ feet below the highs of 1986, the coastline continues to endure accelerated erosion as waves crash further inland.

“Sure, this has happened before,” Theuerkauf said about rising lake levels. “But now we’re permanently losing habitat, and things are always a little different the next time around. Because if the landscape changes, the outcome becomes different.”

Urgency versus history

Smithe, the Great Lakes coalition spokesman who lives in Manistee, Mich., said the alarming reality only requires a glance out the window for many of the group’s members.

In recent years, Smithe has thumbed through nearly 30-year-old documents from the International Joint Commission detailing several proposed solutions to handle high lake levels, which he said weren’t followed up on. Though he’d like to get more information on what can be done, he said the looming threat requires more immediate action.

“We don't need another study,” Smithe said. “We need action on one of the last studies.”

Drew Gronewold, hydrologist for NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, said he can empathize with the sense of urgency that exists in the community during these high water levels. But he noted that a rush to judgment could easily put policymakers in a pinch down the road, cautioning people to remember the lakes’ history.

“Lake Michigan hit a record low in January 2013 and hit a record high in 1986 and a record low 1964. And there were discussions in what to do in those situations, which are [very] similar to those happening today. We should take time to look back at the resolutions for some insight for an appropriate pathway forward.”

For some, waiting and hoping the lake will subside is their only option.

Ehret, the coalition director with a lakefront cabin in Stevensville, Mich., typically splits his time between his home in Chicago’s south suburbs and his western Michigan hideaway. This year, he hasn’t gone to the cabin, and he’s not sure if he will.

“We usually go up there with our grandchildren,” Ehret said. “But with our house leaning into the lake, I don’t think they want to go. Last year, we had no beach.”

Lake Superior Board of Control’s annual public webinar/teleconference will be held 11 a.m. to noon central time on Thursday, July 19. The public can dial into the meeting at 1-877-413-4782, followed by this passcode: 3402087 or watch online here.

Click here for a video explaining how the Soo Locks work

(source: Chicago Tribune)

#news #lake superior #lake michigan #lake huron #this is a long one sorry #science #environment #video

5 notes · View notes