Maple Lake Ontario

‘The hockey gold medal has come home, where it belongs’

Ξ March 1st, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Photography, United States, canada, events, news, winter |

Sidney Crosby wins gold for Canada. (Photo credit: Doug Mills/New York Times)

The depth and breadth of hockey’s place in Canadian culture can be hard to fathom beyond the borders. But it now might be heard, echoing from the north, thanks to a 3-2 overtime victory over the United States in the final event of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

To hear Canadians tell it, the hockey gold medal has come home, where it belongs.

Canada did not win as many medals as it had hoped at these Olympics, which closed on Sunday night, but it won more golds (14) than any country in history. The last, an emphatic exclamation point on the 2010 Vancouver Games, will be collectively cherished more than any other.

This, after all, is a country whose $5 bill has a scene of children playing hockey on a pond, with a quotation from the short story “The Hockey Sweater,” by Roch Carrier:

“The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places — the school, the church and the skating rink — but our real life was on the skating rink.”

Hockey, the Canadian poet Richard Harrison once said, “is the national id.”

Continue reading this article at the The New York Times.

Roberto Luongo w/ victory flag (Photo credit :NYTimes/Stalknecht)

Team Canada Olympic hockey team wins gold/ Photo credit: Doug Mills, NY Times

It is really hard not to gloat.

The men I live with were rather smug about Canada’s loss to the U.S. earlier in the competition. They felt quite sure that the US had a lock on the gold.

There was never a doubt in my mind that Canada would take home the hockey gold. The world’s record 14 gold medals  for Canada is the fudgey chocolate icing on my Nanaimo bar.

County of Haliburton – Broadband Outreach Program Internet Courses For $10!

Ξ September 2nd, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Algonquin Township, Haliburton Highlands, Haliburton, Haliburton Highlands, Internet, Lecture, Maple Lake Ontario, NON paid Post, Ontario, business, canada, community services, computer, cottage country, news, personal, service(s) |

Fleming Collage, Haliburton Campus (Photo: Roger Corrao)

Hey there!

I’m spreading the news about  the Internet Outreach Program’s series of courses through Fleming College that is being offered to folks in the Haliburton County. It’s been a long time coming but with the funds from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Farm, and Rural Affairs’ (OMAFRA) finally released Haliburton County can finally join the information age with the Internet. I’ve supplied all the information you should need (below) no matter if you are an absolute beginner, beginner through intermediate, or perhaps a business person building a brand on the world wide web.

I’m truly impressed with the diversity of offerings and the token fee involved for each series that should make this endeavour one that anyone can undertake.

It’s my understanding that broadband service is now or soon will be available to 95% of Haliburton County residents and  the cost is extremely low.

I’m looking forward to taking advantage of this service next summer. Unfortunately, since the funding was held up and I needed to work from the cottage my spouse and I committed to a 2-year contract with a satellite Internet provider and the cost is ridiculous. I’ve been told by a Broadband Outreach Program representative that this provider will need to lower his rates to be competitive but I’m not holding my breath as he’s made no offer yet.

As my cousin’s spouse remarked, this guy should be paying us as we agreed to be the point of origin for his satellite dish so he could offer services to the folks on Maple Lake.

I thought he’d put some effort into marketing as we were promised a lower fee when 5 more people signed up. He never did much–at least not via his website–and he certainly won’t now and it’s become a real pain. Lesson learned. I simply wanted to spend more time at the Lake but the reality was I couldn’t afford to do so without working. Now I’m paying over two years many times more than I made in the sum total of two months using the service.

But back to you smart people for whom the waiting is now paying off. All the info on the almost-free Internet classes is below.

Enjoy!

County of Haliburton- Broadband Outreach Program
Internet Courses for individuals and businesses
at Fleming College for only $10

Ontario to hit record $14.1B deficit in 2009(!)

Ξ March 27th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Maple Lake Ontario, Ontario, Sorry, Travel/Vacation, United States, business, canada, financial, government/politics, me, news, opinion |

1 Canadian dollar = 0.813008 U.S. dollars

Ontario will rack up a record $14.1-billion deficit in 2009

Ontario will rack up a record $14.1-billion deficit in 2009 as it commits billions to infrastructure projects and job retraining aimed at pulling the province out of a recession, provincial Finance Minister Dwight Duncan revealed on Thursday in the tabling of his $108.9-billion budget.

The fiscal plan also proposes corporate tax cuts to ease costs for struggling businesses and stimulate investment in Ontario’s sagging economy, which has shed hundreds of thousands of jobs in recent years.

The budget forecasts a deficit of $3.9 billion in the 2008-2009 fiscal year, followed by a deficit of $14.1 billion in 2009-2010. It anticipates Ontario will run deficits for the next seven years, with a proposed return to balanced books no later than the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

The province and the federal government have also agreed to harmonize the provincial sales tax and GST into a single 13 per cent sales tax by July 1, 2010, which Duncan called the “next essential step” in growing the province’s economy and improving competitiveness.

It also allocates a $3.4-billion contingency fund, from which an unspecified amount can be directed toward a bailout package for the province’s beleaguered auto industry once negotiations with automakers are completed.

You know what alarms me about Ontario’s fiscal situation? Just last summer the Canadian dollar was worth more than the American. For the first time ever we spent more to vacation in Ontario at the cottage that in my entire life! And I was completely happy to do so. Happy for Canada, happy for Ontario. But in less than nine months time the Canadian dollar has plummeted to be worth roughly 80 cents on the American buck! Call me fiscally naive but that seems really out of whack. What the heck happened?! And so quickly.

Here in the States we are up a creek with no paddle but this has been building for many years. I have to think that the Canadian economy was in a fix 9 months ago but something was over-inflated and it appeared you all were fine. Best of luck. We’ve got a long slog too so at least you are not alone. Hate to consider this but I’ve been told that as the US goes so goes Canada about 6 months later and darned if  it’s not happening.

Second point. What is with the word “harmonize” when describing the fusing of  the provincial sales tax and GST into a single 13 per cent sales tax? Harmonize? Really? The politicians really know how to spin.

And 13%? Oi! Even with socialized medicine as a benefit and that silly baby supplement that families get– a 13% tax? We have the highest sales tax in the United States and it’s 10.25%. Honestly, when I really start comparing the two countries I have to believe that Canada is not better off than the States. What’s next? Your infant mortality rates going up and life expectancy going down? Do you really want to follow the muddy path that the States has followed– or is it too late? I hope not. On both counts.

Lights Out! For Earth Hour 2009 on March 28!

Ξ March 18th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Photography, United States, canada, events, family, fun activity, government/politics, health/happiness, home, news |

What can you do?

It is easy! From 8:30 – 9:30 local time turn off all lights and non-essential electrical appliances to support an increased awareness of environmental issues. See below for unique ways to mark Earth Hour 2009 with friends and family.

10 Ways to Mark Earth Hour

• Attend local Earth Hour events or organize one.
• Go outside and look at the stars.
• Find a great viewing spot to see your town or city go dark at 8:30 p.m.
• Take pictures and send them to Your Weather.
• Go for a lantern walk through a park.
• Patronize local restaurants and businesses taking part in Earth Hour.
• Gather your family or friends for a candle-lit dinner.
• Meet your neighbours at a street or block party.
• Have an acoustic music jam.
• Talk to your children about how much electricity your family uses. Brainstorm ways to reduce it.

Source: WWF-Canada
From the official video source: Official Earth Hour 2009 video. Earth Hour is on March 28th, 2009 at 8:30pm. More at http://www.earthhour.org

Support Earth Hour by making your own video and adding it to our Earth Hour Global group here:
http://www.youtube.com/group/earthhourglobal/

Earth Hour images can be downloaded and shared from our flickr photostream, including Shepard Fairey Vote Earth artwork: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhour_global/

No Worries, USA, Canada Has Your Back

Ξ February 27th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Photography, United States, government/politics, news, property/real estate, technical, tracking |

Source

Canadian Air Force Fighter Jet

Canadian fighters scrambled to turn back a Russian Bear intercontinental bomber over the Arctic within 24 hours of  US President Barack Obama’s visit to Ottawa last week.

The Tu-95 turboprop was approaching over the Northwest Passage but never crossed into Canadian airspace after two the interception by two Canadian CF-18 fighter jets, Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said today.

The Canadian pilots told the Russian aircraft “to turn around, turn tail and head back to its own air space, which it did,” MacKay said.

“I’m not going to stand here and accuse the Russians of having deliberately done this during the presidential visit” on Feb. 16, MacKay said, “but it was a strong coincidence.”

Russian Bearcat Fighter Jet

Russian bombers have stepped up patrols approaching U.S. and Canadian airspace to press Moscow’s jurisdictional rights and access to the potential mineral wealth on the Arctic frontier.

On Jan. 27, two Tu-95s were intercepted and turned away from the Alaska coast.

RAINFALL WARNING: Haliburton Issued at 12:12 PM EST on Weds. Feb. 11, 2009

Ξ February 11th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Algonquin Township, Haliburton Highlands, Haliburton, Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Ontario, Ontario, Photography, cottage country, nature, news, weather, webcam, winter |

Indian River, Port Carling, 02.11.09 mid-day

25 MILLIMETRES OF RAIN TODAY INTO THURSDAY.

Lake Muscoka, Gravenhurst mid-day, 02.11.09

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CURRENTLY OVER ILLINOIS* WILL TRACK TOWARD LAKE HURON TONIGHT THEN EASTWARD TO MONTREAL BY THURSDAY MORNING. RAIN IN ADVANCE OF THE LOW HAS REACHED SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO AND WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTH AND EASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY TO REACH THE OTTAWA VALLEY BY EVENING. FOR MOST LOCATIONS, THE RAIN WILL PERSIST FOR APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS WITH RAINFALL TOTALS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR IN EXCESS OF 25 MILLIMETRES. DUE TO FROZEN GROUND AND A SATURATED SNOWPACK, THIS MEETS ENVIRONMENT CANADA’S RAINFALL WARNING THRESHOLD OF 25 MILLIMETRES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. NOTE THAT THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS GIVEN ARE RATHER GENERAL…VARIABILITY WILL EXIST BETWEEN REGIONS DUE TO LOCALIZED HEAVIER SHOWERS AND POTENTIAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. THE RAIN WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING, WITH MOST AREAS SEEING A BRIEF CHANGEOVER TO SNOW BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION ENDS.

No skiing today: Calabogie Ski Hill

Chapleau River- 02.11.09

How quickly will Obama repair the damage done to Canadian-American relations?

Ξ January 21st, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Photography, United States, canada, news, opinion, personal |

Barack Obama, joined by his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia, takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts to become the 44th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol. (Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)

Source: CBC.ca

The Canadian government anticipates an announced visit from U.S. President Barack Obama will come “sooner rather than later,” Canada’s foreign affairs minister told CBC News on Tuesday.

A crowd gathers on the University of Calgary campus on Tuesday to watch U.S. President Barack Obama’s inauguration on a large TV in the food court of the students’ centre. (Tom Spears/CBC)

Lawrence Cannon said despite the choice of George W. Bush to visit Mexico in his first official state visit, a historical precedent from John F. Kennedy onward suggests presidential visits to Canada have “always been quite close” to the inauguration date.

“The visits to Canada have been very closely aligned with the beginning of the mandate of the new president, so I think that the presumption that it will be sooner rather than later is bang on,” Cannon said in an interview from Ottawa.

Obama has already pledged his first official trip abroad will be to Ottawa. Cannon said he did not have a confirmed date for the new president’s visit, but officials from both sides of the border have been in touch.

“We expect that over the course of the next couple of days …we’ll get a better sense of how this is going to work out,” he said. “But we’re pleased that he’s coming to Canada first and foremost.”

PM, Ignatieff congratulate new president

In a statement Tuesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper offered his heartfelt congratulations on behalf of all Canadians to Obama and Americans as they celebrate a “historic day with their friends around the world.”

The prime minister said he is “delighted” that the president has accepted Canada’s invitation to make this country the destination of his first international visit.

“The United States remains Canada’s most important ally, closest friend and largest trading partner and I look forward to working with President Obama and his administration as we build on this special relationship,” Harper said.

I am truly hopeful that the damage done to Canadian-American relations can be repaired in the most expeditious and mutually beneficial way.

Never in my lifetime, most of it spent as a Canadian citizen living in the United States as a legal resident, have I been aware of such frosty relations for such an extended period. Sure there have been dust ups over acid rain and free trade and these and many others should concern both the US and Canada. In the past disagreements generally were hammered out–a meet-halfway position was struck.

But from Bush’s first blunderous inaugural first visit into Mexico, effectively snubbing both Canada and  long-standing protocol–and remember we are all about tradition and protocol– to the back-breaking straw–the Iraq war and Canada’s right choice in not supporting it, Canada and the United States have seen their sibling-like relationship deteriorate. Both countries know of course, each one being the other’s biggest trading partner that we couldn’t stop being allies but the Bush Administration gave Canada the cold shoulder–there was absolutely no question about that.

There is every reason to believe that Barack Obama will do what he can to repair what’s broken and to reestablish and maintain family ties.

Among many other great expectations that are presumed of President Obama, this one is most personal to me.

Power is back on for most in Southern Ontario (Outage map)

Ξ January 6th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Haliburton Highlands, Ontario, Photography, nature, news, weather, winter |

In the “I am still a bit behind department,” my spouse who stays better atop the winter weather in Southern Ontario than I do, told me last night that there had been a massive power outage in the last days of 2008.

I find that as of today  almost everyone now has power though it is my understanding that for some folks it took upwards of a week to get full power restored. The Hydro One company refers to these outages as taking place in “seasonal” areas. For the folks that are year-rounders that had to have been a miserable, cold week.

This is what Hydro One official statement on the situation on December 28 when they were first grappling with the after math:

More than 200,000 Hydro One customers out of power due to wind storm

December 28, 2008 — Hydro One crews have been battling a severe winter storm today, as winds of up to 100 km per hour topple hydro poles and road closures hamper assessment and restoration efforts. By 4 p.m. today, more than 230,000 customers were without power. Hydro One has mobilized resources from across the Company, as the storm has affected communities right across the province.

At the time they’d stated that they expected to have full power restored within three days. This is what they were up against:

Areas Impacted/Hydro One Customers Affected

The official news from Hydro One several days later was:

“More than 90 per cent of Hydro One customers impacted by winter storms now have power restored.”

It’s been six days since then and there has been no news information in news release form–just maps of affected areas. I plucked today’s map of Hydro One outages in Southern Ontario (shown below).

Source

‘Embarrassing’ to be a Canadian at climate talks

Ξ December 13th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ United States, canada, financial, government/politics, image, news, opinion |

It’s really hard to read this type of news. I realize that all the choices are tough but I’m disheartened to see that Canada truly has morphed again–back into a 10X smaller (in population) version of the United States.

Last I spoke with my favourite aunt on the topic of the US and Canada she said, “as the United States goes, so goes Canada six months later.” This was just last summer and according to news reports then the Canadian housing market was still strong. Now, it’s in free-fall like here the US. Yesterday, I saw that the Canadian government had voted to bail out their automobile industry with millions of Canadian tax dollars–exactly as is been debated (and all but finalized) by the US federal government.

Now this. Canada actually got worse grades at the United Nations Climate Conference than did the United States. I have to agree that is indeed a mark of shame.

Mark of Shame for Canada

The UN climate conference in Poznan, Poland, was a “mark of shame” for Canada, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said on Saturday.

Delegates from poorer nations were angry at Canada for not meeting its commitments under the Kyoto protocol, as well as all industrialized countries for stalling on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, May told CBC News.

During the conference, which began Dec. 1, Canada won several Fossil of the Day Awards, announced by Climate Action Network International, a group that includes more than 400 non-governmental organizations.

“It was embarrassing being a Canadian at these meetings,” May said.

“Canada, unfortunately, was about the worst performer here, and that’s saying a lot. That means worse than the United States with the lame-duck Bush administration, still doing what it can to obstruct.

“But in the negotiations, Canada, I say, won. It’s really a mark of shame,” she said.

“Canada’s Government Could Topple”

Ξ November 29th, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ canada, news, opinion |

Source
“OTTAWA — Canada’s minority Conservative government, re-elected less than two months ago, could be toppled in the next few days if Prime Minister Stephen Harper doesn’t make changes to an economic statement that has all three opposition parties up in arms.

Two of the three Canadian opposition parties are negotiating to form a coalition government, which the third has agreed to support, if the government is defeated in a confidence vote in the House of Commons on the government’s updated budget forecast, which the opposition parties said doesn’t address the financial crisis. The plan also would eliminate some subsidies to political parties.

Former Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and Ed Broadbent, former leader of the New Democratic Party, are brokering a behind-the-scenes deal, according to a person familiar with the matter.”

That’s a pretty attention-grabbing headline above.
It would seem that a minority government could be vulnerable to a “takeover” such as this. It is rather exciting to see government in action –because it actually is moving rather quickly. The outcome of this situation which will determine if Prime Minister Harper continues to hold his job or if familiar names from the past push forward and “topple” Harper’s minority Conservative government.
Can you imagine if Bush could have be toppled by a vote of no confidence? Certainly he’d be long gone.

I’ll be staying tuned.