BLOGSPOT:
War Amps
Canada - amazing organization - making disabilities in2 abilities
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BLOGSPOT
CANADA MILITARY NEWS-more killing of our walkers in Canada than troops at war WTF???- Pedestrian rightsntips
http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2015/06/canada-military-news-no-pedestrians.html
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#1BRising - I'd
prefer to be a poster girl- on the wrong side of the world....... because I
wish the wrong side of the world had our rights......the actual fight 4
freedom- Aussie Poster Girl is the Vera Lynn song that reflected WWII- it's passion
of r troops over callous judgements; and deep caring 4 children who have no
other chances outside our Nato troops fighting and dying 4 simple basic
freedom-
-u
wave placards and scream freedom- our troops actually fight and die 4 freedom.
Aussie
Digger Tribute : POSTER GIRL (this
beautiful brave song and words- fit all Nato troops..... God bless u all)
AUSSIE
TRIBUTE- BECCY COLE- POSTER GIRL 4
AUSSIE DIGGERS
and folks this is why millions and
millions of us who love our troops dearly and clearly love Peter MacKay- girls
matter-women matter #1Brising
QUOTE:
I remember an event in Afghanistan
some years ago where the minister, the chief of the defence staff and I were
touring bases in disclosed and undisclosed locations. Reaching a forward
operating base in Kandahar province, the young Royal 22nd Regiment Commanding
officer invited us up to a recon tower that surveyed the surrounding territory.
About 2,000 yards outside the perimeter was a two-storey-high building with a
Canadian armoured vehicle parked in the yard. The building? flew the Afghan
flag.
“What
is that building?” I asked.
“It
was Taliban HQ for this region,” the young officer replied. “It dispensed the
harshest most brutal form of Sharia law and terrorized the region.”
“What
is it now?” I continued.
“A
girl’s school,” was the response?.
The
minister and I exchanged knowing looks with each other.
Hugh Segal on the importance of Peter
MacKay
With
his roots in the hard-scrabble of ?rural Nova Scotia politics, he was key in
creating a Conservative party with Red Tory voices intact
Hugh
Segal-May 29, 2015
Jim
Young/Reuters
Peter
MacKay and I would often rib each other. In 1998 he co-chaired my leadership
campaign against Joe Clark; in 2003 I co-chaired his for what was then the
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada?. We both admitted that I had done a
better job—at least that’s what his 65 per cent final ballot victory clearly
implied.
The
truth was and is that he was the perfect candidate, in terms of character,
ability, charisma and intent. And while Red Tories like myself were pleased to
support him, it was not because of some romantic belief in his philosophic
adherence to Disraeli, R.B. Bennett, Bob Stanfield? or Bill Davis, regardless
of the context or circumstance. Rather it was his competitive
anti-Grit-establishment determination that evoked our loyalty.
Jean
Chrétien had won a decade’s worth of elections just by showing up and watching
the centre-right divide up the vote. One does not grow up in hard-scrabble
?rural Nova Scotia politics without, as a Tory, viscerally understanding the
ill winds assumed Liberal hegemony can bring—and these were his roots. Which is
why he worked so hard to get the democratic representative caucus (DRC) of 12
alienated Canadian Alliance MPs to work with Clark’s Progressive Conservatives,
whose ranks had swollen to 21 thanks t?o Jean Charest’s superb 1997
campaign—and excess Liberal insensitivity to Employment Insurance exigencies in
the Atlantic region. Sadly, Clark’s inability to reach out to the DRC did
little to assuage their frustration with Stockwell Day.
It
was important for the party that Peter MacKay win the PC leadership. He was the
only sustainable and viable candidate. That he inherited a party with no money,
dwindling membership and zero policy content only deepened his challenge. As
for the alleged Orchard “arrangement” (in which rival candidate David Orchard
threw his support behind MacKay on the condition there would be no merger with
the Alliance) there was always less to it than met the eye. That Mr. Orchard
has since run as a Liberal? sort of finishes that chapter.
Creating
a new “Conservative Party of Canada” national institution may not have been on
Peter MacKay’s initial agenda. But when, to his credit, Stephen Harper
suggested negotiations to see what might be done, MacKay responded as a
life-long Tory who had fought Liberal hegemony could: he gave his approval for
the negotiations. Both sides were represented by estimable leadership
figures—the Tories by Don Mazankowski, Bill Davis and Loyola Hearn, MP; the
Alliance by Ray Speaker, Gerry St. Germain and Scott Reid, MP.
In
the end, the decisions on a new party constitution and guiding principles
having been reached (and both could have? come from the PCs under Bill Davis), there was one sticking
point—whether votes on policy or leadership would be by a simple party-wide
majority (allowing one slightly evangelical riding in Calgary to outvote all of
Atlantic Canada) or by riding delegates, eight per seat. MacKay hung in, and
made it clear that with no delegates there would be no new party. Harper, to
his credit, relented.
A
new Conservative Party of Canada was born—with Red Tory voices and aspirations
intact. That, plus MacKay’s decision not to contest the ensuing leadership of
the new party?, were his crowning achievements as a partisan leader.
His
relationship with U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, his remarkable
service to the Canadian Forces as a minister who went everywhere they did in
the most difficult and threatening of circumstances, his convening of the
Halifax Defence Forum (still an important stop on the annual? global defence
analysis cycle), all speak to his breadth and engagement.
I
remember an event in Afghanistan some years ago where the minister, the chief
of the defence staff and I were touring bases in disclosed and undisclosed
locations. Reaching a forward operating base in Kandahar province, the young Royal
22nd Regiment Commanding officer invited us up to a recon tower that surveyed
the surrounding territory. About 2,000 yards outside the perimeter was a
two-storey-high building with a Canadian armoured vehicle parked in the yard.
The building? flew the Afghan flag.
“What
is that building?” I asked.
“It
was Taliban HQ for this region,” the young officer replied. “It dispensed the
harshest most brutal form of Sharia law and terrorized the region.”
“What
is it now?” I continued.
“A
girl’s school,” was the response?.
The
minister and I exchanged knowing looks with each other.
—
Hugh Segal is the master of Massey College in Toronto. He served nine years as
a senator and was chief of staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.
--- -----
And Peter Mackay knows how we adore our nations troops.... and mourn and scream and weep and cry and pray and raise up..... Mackay defended and had the backs of our troops when no politician gave a sheeeet from Taliban Jack 2 Chretien 's Rwanda 100 Days of Silence 2 Greens don't give a sheeet sherlock and Bloc ... well just Bloc.... and Mackay steps up 4 redemption and renewal of Omar Khadr..... God... Omar Khadr..... his face will always read september 11 2001 to millions and millions and millions ... BUT Mackay sees redemption... so what are we do do... but at least think on it..
Peter MacKay praises Omar Khadr for renouncing violence, as Stephen
Harper stays mum
“Let’s look
ahead with optimism, but with caution, when it comes to individuals who have
past proven tendencies that have that have resulted in the loss of human life,”
MacKay says, as Stephen Harper says little on the grounds that the matter is
before the courts
Stephen Harper does not appear
to have changed his stance on Omar Khadr since the former Guantanamo Bay
prisoner was released on bail Thursday.
Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN
PRESS
By: Mike Blanchfield The Canadian
Press, Published on Fri May 08 2015
OTTAWA—The Harper government
appeared largely unmoved Friday by Omar Khadr’s apologetic remarks and vow to
become a peaceful law-abiding citizen — cementing the longstanding divide
between the two camps.
Justice Minister Peter MacKay
showed signs of giving Khadr a benefit of the doubt, which set him apart from
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other Conservatives — all of whom held firm
to their long-held view that Khadr remains a convicted war criminal.
MacKay said Khadr’s public
declaration that he had renounced violence was a good first step after his release from prison, but
cautioned people shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Khadr was involved in
terrorism.
“What I hope will happen is
that Mr. Khadr will abide by Canadian laws, respect people’s safety, and he is
now in a position where he is going to be given that opportunity to prove
that,” said MacKay, speaking at an event in Halifax.
“Let’s look ahead with
optimism, but with caution, when it comes to individuals who have past proven
tendencies that have resulted in the loss of human life.”
But Khadr’s remarks didn’t
seem to sway Harper much Friday as he defended his Conservative government’s
efforts to keep the former Guantanamo Bay prisoner behind bars.
“Mr. Khadr, as we all know,
pled guilty to very grave crimes, including murder,” Harper told a news
conference as he offered his thoughts and prayers to the family members of U.S.
Sgt. Christopher Speer.
“Our government’s priority in
these matters is always to make sure, first and foremost, we keep in mind the
protection and security of the Canadian population.”
Harper said little else,
citing the fact the matter remains before the courts.
Public Safety Minister Steven
Blaney said Friday said he had been in contact with Speer’s family in the last
week, and that he sides with them.
Asked at an event in Montreal
whether he thought Khadr might have reformed, he replied: “Well, I hope so.”
Khadr, now 28, pleaded guilty
in October 2010 before a widely discredited military commission to five war
crimes — including murder in the death of Speer, a U.S. special forces soldier.
On Thursday, he walked free on
bail after an Alberta judge rejected the government’s final attempt to block
his release, saying the government had failed to prove Khadr posed a risk to
the public or could do harm to Canadian interests. Khadr’s release came with a
list of restrictions, including wearing a tracking bracelet and a curfew.
During a remarkable news conference
on his lawyer’s Edmonton driveway, Khadr apologized for the pain he has caused
and urged Canadians to give him a chance to demonstrate his worth.
“I will prove to them that I’m
more than what they thought of me. I’ll prove to them that I’m a good person,”
Khadr said.
“Give me a chance! See who I
am as a person, not as a name — and then they can make their own judgment after
that.”
Khadr spent almost 13 years behind bars, four of them as a
convicted war criminal.
He was captured, badly
wounded, by American forces in Afghanistan in July 2002, when he was 15 years
old. At one time, he was the youngest prisoner at the American prison compound
in Guantanamo Bay.
After his release on bail,
Khadr offered a comment on Harper’s hard-line stance: “I’m going to have to
disappoint him, I’m better than the person he thinks I am.”
A pair of Conservative MPs was
left cold by Khadr’s comments as they arrived Friday morning on Parliament
Hill.
“Words are just words,” said
Saskatchewan Conservative Tom Lukiwski. “I reject the notion he was a child
soldier. I think it was a very deliberate, premeditated act, and he should pay
the price for that.”
Added Ontario Conservative
Costas Menegakis: “He killed a soldier. He admitted to it. He’s guilty. He
knows he’s guilty. I think he should be in prison.”
In Halifax, MacKay also said
that legislative changes were being contemplated that might make it harder for
the accused in terror cases to be granted bail.
But the minister did not
elaborate, and his office did not provide further clarification.
MacKay, a former criminal prosecutor,
also displayed some deference to the discretion of judges, a stance many of his
fellows Conservatives don’t always share.
“I think most judges are
well-versed in the importance of their decision when it comes to releasing
somebody, whether it’s while serving a sentence on appeal or awaiting trial,”
said MacKay.
“I’ve seen for the most part
very thoughtful and appropriate decisions taken on bail, but judges are not
infallible — just like politicians.”
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BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: O Canada...sigh, Why aren’t there more (visible/invisible) disabled TV Anchors, Media, Radio, OnLine folks representing us on air and radio AND POLITICS?-Here’s how 2do it-make the world proud/ #1BRising /UN Peacekeepers stop raping/OmarKhadr dishonours Canada and our troops who died 4 Afghan freedom
and
BLOGGED- VOTE CANADA –
get ur f**king paperwork in order and vote.... AFGHANS DID... get your courage
and determination 4 freedom on...
CANADA
MILITARY NEWS: Yemen proves this is not our war and we must stop coddling
political bullshit of USA and UN/NATO indifference 2 extermination of Islam
people- our troops matter dammit - GETCHA CANADA ON - it's time Canadians
hugged our troops and kids and kicked all politicians in the arse- the world is
going 2 hell and Canada media and politicians are playing me, me, me.... get
rid of the lot o them - we're better than this Canada./APRIL 11, 2015- JUST IN-
And soon enough... coming 2 a country near u... Are we watching the opening act
of an Islamic world war?
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BLOGGED:
WORDPRESS:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: imho- hey Canada let’s take all Europeans as refugees
in our glorious country; let’s thank the USA 2da 4 being great/and other bits
and pieces of Canada stuff /Environment matters- NO FRACKING CANADA pls.
LOST OPPORTUNITY-
Canada was not included in Afghanistan Leaders visit and vice versa....
Canadians and troops know we are loved by Afghans and Afghans know Canadians
and our troops love them and respect them dearly... and Afghan's troops are
incredible.... God Bless Afghanistan...
QUOTE: Diplomatic and Afghan government officials, who could
not speak publicly because of the sensitivity of the subject, said the trip was
billed as a chance for new leader and the Afghan government's chief executive
officer, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, to personally thank Canadians for the
sacrifices, notably the deaths of 158 soldiers.
and....
BLOGGED:
CANADA
MILITARY NEWS August 1update, From June 2014-Afghanistan-1960s remember- HEADS
UP -Pakistani Rebels and Suicide Attackers slither in2 our Afghanistan -Hey Canada
n USA etc. Wld u die 2 vote 4 ur countries like r Afghans? - AFGHANS BRING
PRIDE 2 NATO TROOPS AND AFGHAN TROOPS AND POLICING APRIL 5, 2014- they are
rising up and defiant and proud showing the world how 2 be free at last- no
taliban gonna take their world no more... no way- Whilst UN, EU,USA, Canada
politicians hijack our world and turn humanity in2 ashes-Ukraine4oil....
Afghanistan rises us up/DAILY UPDATES AFGHANISTAN- Kabul Dreams -Good Morning
Freedom
--------------
Even
the Americans are saying- WHAT'S THE MATTER CANADA... CAN'T YA STAND AN HONEST
POLITICIAN? and that's not been said since Joe Clark.... Sweet Jesus, Mother
Mary and Joseph.. we are well and truly f**ked... because we all know the
liberals will kill the union like they just about did us back in the 90s....
and NDP has way 2 many crazies... and Elizabeth May ruined her reputation and
her party with her recent tv performance and the Bloc??? and the remains of the
Tory party??? Oh Lord have mercy on Canada....
and
BLOGSPOT #1BRising
#1BRising -Canada’s York University-
shame-shame on u. Women equal men in our Canada. Shame on u- One Billion
Rising-no more excuses or abuses. As Minister Peter MacKay says...it’s why our
troops go 2 war 2 protect little girls and rights of women- York University’s
shame
-------------
-
Peter MacKay proclaimed that we did not send soldiers to Afghanistan to protect
the rights of women to only see those same rights eroded here at home.- on the
abuse of girls and women by bullying in their own schools and universities.
#1BRising?
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--------
John
Baird and now our Peter MacKay- 2 good men.... women and girls actually
matter/ed 2 u.... O God ?#?1BRising? Peter MacKay we walked the floor and voted
because of your incredible devotion 2 our troops especially in the ugly fields
of Afghanisan again and again... u were voted by NATO troops as the most trusted
and respected ... imagine..... and not one goddamm politican gave a sheeet 4
our troops from taliban jack and his crazies 2 elizabeth green the bloc and the
liberals refusing 2 even buy the right gear and the horrendous Rwanda.... what
a mess Canada is in... from Liberal's Justin Bieber... to NDP Thomas the
unknown teddy bear with the way 2 crazy gang who want Omar Kjadr 2 be head of
Canada's Security.... 2 PM Harper I'm not going 2 change
PETER
MACKAY - u did good 4 women and girls of this world... and like Afghans say...
u really, really cared about the people and your troops.
Peter
MacKay and John Baird u gave the greatest speech that was never shared on human
rights of girls and women... both of u count victims over the monsters.....
your
family is lucky Peter... and family is everything.... we have lost 2 great men
along with our Irish Man Jim Flaherty... as an old die hard liberal TIL
CHRETIEN BETRAYED US IN RWANDA.... ALONG WITH OUR CANADA PEACEKEEPERS... and
once in a while ndp.... we are well and truly f**ked.... O Canada... imho
PETER
MACKAY LEAVES POLITICS
By
Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) -
Peter
MACKAY is leaving politics and Stephen Harper to return to live in New Scotland
with his family ... He will not be of the next October election!
His
departure may mean that the new dolphin to lead the Conservative Party of
Canada would be, as the rumor runs for several months, Jean Charest, who is
preparing for the post-Harper in a few years. Sources from the world of
politics are running this idea of a comeback by Jean Charest and we do not
speak of the next October election. We talk to after that.
Or
Harper will want to stay or he will leave in the coming years and this is where
Charest would come into play. But that these are projections by stands "managers"...
As
for Peter, it is said that his wife, political activist and former beauty
queen, Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay, wants to do politics. She could be the one
that takes over but not with the Conservative Party...
Peter
likes to live time at his father's farm more than in Ottawa. The MacKay are a
bit the Péladeau of Nova Scotia in the wood industry and as landowner, a
notorious family (if not a rich one).
Peter's
father, Elmer, is a man of great kindness and generosity with a very deep
respect for the people around him. He is himself a former career politician at
the time of Brian Mulroney.
I
personally have known Elmer during my years in Ottawa and if I had to choose a
companion to live and survive on a desert island, I would choose Elmer MacKay.
A real good and generous human guys!
The
son Peter is a lucky man and fostered by life. He turns 50 in September, when
he and his wife expected a second baby (a girl) also in September.
To
be continued!
Photo
1: Peter MacKay;
Photo
2: Peter MacKay and Stephen Harper;
Photo
3: Peter MacKay with his son;
Photo
4: Nazanin Afshin-Jam MacKay and his son;
Photo
5: Elmer MacKay;
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BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: MALALAS #1BRising -One Billion Rising-breaking chains of abuses-no excuses Canada/Bullying-BULLYCIDES/r NATO troops matter/cartoons-photos-rants/UN is disgrace/Step up Canada please #1BRising / Sept 14-2013/WE ARE ALL NEDA
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BLOGGED:CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Meet Muslim Comic Hero- Marvel’s Ms. Marvel…. wow Comic books are finally getting it-actual global inclusion matters 2 kids and youth – and the star is a GRL yes… imagine in the Islam world- the star of the comic is a grl… how cool is that/ Women Heroes of the Ages-Shagrat al-Durr /Women in Islam pure Islam are honoured, respected and cherished – O Canada women equal men by law so let’s teach our children that pure Islam is equality 2/ #1BRising -O CANADA
http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2015/05/canada-military-news-meet-muslim-comic.html
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WORDPRESS: BLOG
CANADA- our
environment matters 2 Canadians- not one political party has ever truly given a
sheeeet about the environment of r Canada… only Canadians/God chose First
Nations 2 be the protectors of the last nature lands on planet/Games Sites n
links 4 kids and 1st Nations history
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WORDPRESS
Come getcha Nova Scotia on.... them old grassroots music and
and new.... we love our cultures.... and our children.... we fight 4 our women
and girls and our men and boys respect us.... and the hard row 2 hoe on
#1BRising feel the air, the sea, bring
your walkers, wheelchairs.... and bring your kids and see the whales and do a
jig... and hav a cuppa and feast on community suppers.... we'd love 2 have
u.... 200 cultures and 2 official languages.
blogged
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: June26- Come Visit Nova Scotia-history-culture- Music-jazz,blues,hiphop/rap, folk, humour,country, kitchen-check out r cultures-the fun 4 all ages n disabilites-Mi’kmaq,Black Loyalist, French Acadians,Scots,Irish,China,India,Japan,Jamaica,German,Dutch-200 cultures-come visit
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BLOGSPOT:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: #1BRising - Sep 12- Canada's stepping up - no more abuses or excuses of rape, abuse of children and women/photos/videos/ wake up Canada- One Billion Rising/St. Mary's steps up/UBC steps up/ Canada
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Mar15- Positive Thinking- there are lots of jobs folks- How 2 Control your own destiny- get 2 school and retraining 2 where the real jobs are NOT PRETENDWANNAB- have a great life… Dale Carnegie/Jaycettes/designing courses that fit and a program Adult Education Certification was wonderful- u can do it… u can do it… jobs are there /fix u – u can /RETRAINING and more training – exciting and good 4 ur spirit and job prospect/Nation Nations- youngbloods NOT interested in joining military- conscription coming back in
http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2015/03/canada-military-news-mar15-positive.html
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BLOGSPOT:
CANADA:
LIFE WITH BILLY- Nova Scotia-mandatory reading - no more excuses - no more
abuses- Universities, Colleges, High Schools must change- ur the leaders of our
Canada Kids- they look up 2 u/PAEDOPHILE MONSTERS- Martin Kruze I was a
paedophile's dream/SHELDON KENNEDY- abused survivor urges US congress-empower
the bystanders/helplines 4 kids with shitty lives-ONE BILLION RISING
BLOGSPOT:]
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Canada is Passive... don't think so.... Canadians - 2 letters supporting Canada troops that are a lesson 4 all 'CIVILIZED NATIONS'-AND SEPT4-USA Just in- the letter of all letters- America got their balls back thx 2 Grade IV Teacher with Made in America stitched across her Heart/ O yes... It's our Canada Baby and our Nova Scotia... come visit fall in love with them crazy Canucks- our nation is young, beautiful, culture savvy, 2 languages official, and free- and we love our First Peoples of 10,000 years- NATAL DAY CANADA -Aug/Sept 2014 PTSD Canadian Vet Walking Across Canada- INTO NO MAN'S LAND (Mark Hartwig and the band)- PEI -Nova Scotia Sept 4-5 and Newfoundland- Give our troops/vets Atlantic welcome and hug everyone/Sept. ANOTHER LETTER-SEP8 and ABBAS DUMPING COCKROACH HAMAS
--------------
CANADA
The Trews - Highway of Heroes
"Highway of Heroes", was
co-written and co-produced by The Trews and Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar) and was
inspired by the 2006 death of Captain Nichola Goddard from The Trews' hometown
of Antigonish, NS. Canada's Highway of Heroes, is the section of the
MacDonald-Cartier freeway named to honour those who have sacrificed all in
service of country.
You can purchase "Highway of
Heroes" world-wide exclusively via iTunes. http://bit.ly/dbVi6d
Net proceeds from sales will benefit
the Canadian Hero Fund ( http://www.herofund.ca
), an organization that assists the families of Canadian military personnel
through academic scholarships.
The video was directed by Tim Martin
------------
Thank
u Canada... our kids matter
Dog soothes girl at sex-assault
trial—a first for B.C.
Crown,
victims’ support worker said case should be viewed as baby steps towards
expanded use of canines at trial
The
Canadian Press
May
29, 2015 Delta Police-Kim Gramlich/CP
VANCOUVER
– A police dog has helped a 10-year-old girl endure the pain of testifying
about an alleged sexual assault, and in doing so has become the first canine to
assist a child during a trial in British Columbia.
Caber,
a yellow Labrador retriever, rested peacefully in a bed and at the girl’s feet,
as she spoke in the witness box, while shielded by a screen in Surrey
provincial court Tuesday.
The
dog soothed the girl so she could provide a full and candid account of the
horrific incident that allegedly victimized her the previous year, said Crown
lawyer Winston Sayson.
“When
the child was testifying, she would reach down to just pet or rub the dog. When
she broke down during the testimony, we had to stand down,” said Sayson.
“She
basically lay down beside the dog. They laid down together and it really helped
her calm down and she was able to return to court and complete her testimony.”
Crown
and a victims’ support worker said the successful integration of a dog in the
courtroom should be viewed as baby steps towards expanded use of canines at
trial.
Among
the six dogs believed to be accredited to assist victims in Canada, a canine
named Hawk supported a victim in Calgary in December 2014, and another dog was
permitted in an Edmonton courtroom in March.
The
Criminal Code includes provisions allowing special accommodation for vulnerable
witnesses — usually children.
A
judge ruled Caber could attend the trial to supplement a support worker who is
permitted to accompany any witness under age 18. The defence lawyer took no
position on the matter, Sayson said.
The
dog was not present to help make the Crown’s case but simply aid the witness to
give evidence, added Sayson.
He
said the girl testified for about 90 minutes but declined to provide further
details for her protection.
Kim
Gramlich, Caber’s handler and the victim services co-ordinator for the Delta
Police Department, said the dog seemed to ground and focus the girl when she
was upset.
“Dogs
provide unconditional support,” she said. “They don’t care about the colour of
your skin, how much money you make, what you look like. They don’t care about
any of that. They just provide affection.”
She
said research shows a dog’s presence can help lower blood pressure.
Gramlich
said she got the idea from the United States where more than 70 dogs do similar
work.
The
Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, which trained Caber for two years, provided
the animal at no cost to the Crown as part of its mandate.
Winston
said the door has opened for the Crown to provide more options for victims of
crime but stressed only accredited dogs will be welcome.
“We
do not want everybody coming with their pet parakeet or pet boa constrictor,”
he said. “There has to be some dignity in the courtroom.”
---
UK,
US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand -All Nato- Brothers/Sisters in Arms
Published
on Jun 24, 2012
Putting
a side politics and hatred, like it or not, we are brothers. Until you have
served for you country along side you allies, I guess you truly don't know what
it means to have your allies aside you. Fighting, for your freedom.
---
This
is so beautiful and so Canadian and there was some show on the other day... and
a smart alec was saying wow with this u could look up a chic's skirt... and
total silence at the table of these young dudes.... and they quietly said...
don't be one of those guys... if u want 2 be our friend... man up.... I could
have cried #1BRising Canada, Australia all around the world men are rising
up and saying 'don't be that guy- MAN UP..... show respect 4 yourself and your
mother.... and it just floors me... how many tween and teen guys are picking it
up so quickly... thank. u... thank. u... thank u... and God bless our troops.
OUR TROOPS
Dart packing up, heading home from
Nepal after last month's devastating quakes
By: The Canadian Press
Posted: 05/28/2015 3:59 PM | Last Modified: 05/28/2015 4:06 PM | Comments:
Posted: 05/28/2015 3:59 PM | Last Modified: 05/28/2015 4:06 PM | Comments:
OTTAWA - Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team is leaving
Nepal after a month of work in the earthquake-shattered country.
The military team will turn over its base camp to
non-governmental organizations.
Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team is leaving Nepal
after a month of work in the earthquake-shattered country. Members of the team
are shown clearing a road with a multi-purpose engineering vehicle in the
village of Sankhu, Nepal, on May 10, 2015, in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN
PRESS/HO - DND, Sgt. Yannick Bedard
The departure comes after the Canadian government, the United
Nations and Nepal concluded there is no longer a critical need for foreign
military assets on the ground.
The day after the devastating April 25 temblor, Canada sent a
reconnaissance team and members of the DART to assess conditions.
Within days, military C-17 transports flew in personnel and
equipment to aid in the recovery efforts.
The DART focuses on water purification, initial, primary
medical care and engineering support.
In Nepal, the Canadian team treated more than 700 patients,
distributed 75 water filtration units and provided access to clean, safe
drinking water for approximately 3,400 people.
It also provided 750 maps and visuals to the Nepalese and
foreign militaries and to non-governmental and UN agencies. Its engineers
removed about 720 dump-truck loads of rubble and also cleared roads.
Canada has also contributed $10 million to relief efforts; the
government matched donations made to Canadian charities for Nepal between April
25 and May 25.
"The Canadian Armed Forces have done us proud in their
humanitarian work to help the people of Nepal recover from last month's
terrible earthquake," Defence Minister Jason Kenney said in a statement.
Foreign Affairs Minister Rob Nicholson also praised the
military effort.
"While humanitarian needs still persist, the progress
made by the DART, working closely with the government of Nepal and our
international partners, has made a significant impact on the lives of the
Nepalese people."
----------------
CANADA RAISES
$$17 MILLION OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS 4 NEPAL..... GOVT. OF CANADA MATCHED...
Red Cross
celebrates work of N.S. students to aid Nepal relief effort
So
far, $17million has been raised across Canada, and the
federal government has pledged to match
any donations received until May 25. That means the $1,300 dollars raised by
Crichton Park Elementary will be doubled.
atlantic.ctvnews.ca/red-cross-celebrates-work-of-n-s-students-to-aid-nepal-r...
May 21, 2015 - Donations continue to
come in for the people of Nepal, left trying to rebuild after two ... So far, $17million has been raised across Canada, and the
federal... school to make a donation to the Red Cross in just over a week.
----------------
Activists using social
media to fight jihadists The Canadian Press
A Montreal-based human rights think-tank
wants to fight jihadist groups on their own online turf, saying it's time to
push back against the propaganda. Kyle Matthews, who heads Concordia
University's … More »
WORDPRESS:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS- GLOBAL YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT- June/July 2014- Canada is flying high over some nations- and education does matter- and poverty in 2014 is UNITED NATIONS DISGRACE
---------------------
CANADA'S LITTLE MOSQUE ON THE PRARIE WAS A HUGE HIT 4 OVER 5
YEARS... don't play the race card or religion card in Canada - and women equal
men by law and same gender laws came in2 effect in our Canada in 1969.... GET
USED 2 IT... MOVE ON..
------------
Heaven was needing a hero (Hommage Canadien 2012 Canadian
Tribute)-Jo Dee Messina
--------------
God bless Afghanistan's troops...... u amaze us all and God
bless Afghans- u voted April 5, 2014 and u made history with your bravery...
Global Times - Saturday 30th May, 2015
Some 93 militants and nine
Afghan army personnel have been killed during military operations and clashes
within the past two days, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on
Saturday."Over ...
- See more at: http://www.afghanistannews.net/#sthash.CRImDbuG.dpuf
------------------
Afghanistan News.Net - Saturday 30th May, 2015
ISLAMABAD - A travel ban on
five senior Afghan Taliban officials freed by the United States in a prisoner
exchange last year will expire Sunday. The five Taliban officials have been in
Qatar since ...
- See more at: http://www.afghanistannews.net/#sthash.CRImDbuG.dpuf
AND..
BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: JULY15-USA TRAITOR- SGT. BOWE
BERGDAHL- OBAMA AND NATO BETRAY OUR TROOPS AND AFGHANS AND SHAME THE WORLD-
just 2 participate in a white mans war that they have created with Canada and
EU. Shame on the lot of u.... u disgrace our troops of our nations and slap the
faces of Afghan women and children/Adfghan news updates/troop love/Dr. Abdullah
Abdullah - Good Morning Freedom /UKRAINE BEING HIJACKED BY NATO AND USA, CANADA
AND EU/Afghanistan and our Nations troops betrayed by American President/Ukraine
betrayed by West dogma- $$$ 2 Ukraine NOT Home Nations troop healing and
education???
------------
This weekend Saskatoon's Islamic Centre
opened it's doors to the community. The group hosted tours of its mosque,
had a barbecue and answered people's questions about the religion. Nisa Bano,
an 18-year-old … More »
-------------
Canada's
ambassador to Nepal thanks Calgary community for earthquake aid
--------------
Bank of America fined $30M for
violations involving U.S. servicemembers
By Doug G. Ware | May 30, 2015 at 6:25 PM
NEW YORK, May 30 (UPI) -- Bank of America has been hit with a
$30 million fine for violating the rights of accounts owned by U.S. military
servicemembers, officials said.
The violations reportedly involve 73,000 different bank
accounts belonging to the military members, the New
York Times reported.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (O.C.C.) said the
bank violated the rights of servicemembers and failed to ensure it was
complying with a federal law designed to ease financial stresses on those in
the military.
The law, known as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, seeks
to ease financial strain on servicemembers as a mode to help them cope with other
stresses brought on by military service.
The law limits how much interest banks can charge on
servicemembers' accounts while they are deployed, and prevents banks from
repossessing vehicles and foreclosing homes on soldiers without a court order.
Bank of America said the O.C.C.'s order affects a "small
percentage" of credit card and deposit overdraft customers. The North
Carolina-based bank also supposedly performed illegal debt-collection
procedures on military members and civilians, the Times report said.
"We have taken significant steps over the last several
years, and will take further steps now, to ensure we have the right controls
and processes in place to meet and exceed what is required by law, and what our
military customers deserve and expect," Andrew Plepler, a Bank of America
executive, said.
In 2013, the O.C.C. was involved in a similar investigation of
JPMorgan Chase
AND..
WORDPRESS
USA-Europe-Asia-Middle East-China n all banking institutions- u r crating another disaster of global finances and ordinary folk will pay dearly- look at this world and media is lying about it again
-------------
'We
fought the British, now we want their support against Isil'
The shifting currents of the Middle East mean the West is forced to fight on the same side as its bitterest enemies
The shifting currents of the Middle East mean the West is forced to fight on the same side as its bitterest enemies
Thaffar Hashem
By Richard Spencer,
Baghdad
6:00AM BST 31 May 2015
Thaffar Hashem is a battle-hardened warrior, who has fought
jihadists under the cover of American and allied jets. His ambition is to visit
Britain – and in particular Glasgow, a place of which he has heard only good
things.
But he acknowledges that he is unlikely to be allowed to go
any time soon: Mr Hashem is an active member of a proscribed terrorist
organisation.
A dentist in civilian life, Mr Hashem is a volunteer fighter
in the Iraqi
"Kata'ib Hizbollah" – the Hizbollah Battalion – an Iranian-backed
Shia militia heavily engaged in the struggle against Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
His profession makes him particularly useful: he has become,
he says, a practised if unqualified facial surgeon from patching up battlefield
wounds.
The Hizbollah Battalion has two claims to military fame: its
battles in the war against Isil – and its constant attacks on American and
British forces after the invasion of Iraq in
2003.
Now Britain and the United States find themselves, through
gritted teeth, on the same side as the Hizbollah Battalion in their common
campaign against Isil.
This is the new world order of what some have dubbed the
West's "frenemies", forged by the imperative of resisting Isil's
advance.
In the shifting geopolitics of the Middle East, it is
impossible to find anyone who is permanently on the same side as the West.
Britain and France stood with Qatar to
help the same militias topple Col Muammar Gaddafi in Libya
four years ago, but then watched horrified as Qatar continued to back Islamists
who fought against a new government which the Western powers – and the United
Nations – recognised as legitimate.
Today, the Gulf nation hosts both former Taliban inmates of
Guantánamo Bay and the regional headquarters of US Central Command.
Syria is another example: hardline Islamist groups, receiving
Qatari money, fight alongside Jabhat al-Nusra, an arm of al-Qaeda. The group
has previously attacked America and Saudi
Arabia – the very countries that have supplied other rebels in the alliance
against the Assad regime.
Mr Hashem is the face of the other side of the
"frenemy" coin – the battles fought by his Shia militia against Isil
show America's growing co-operation with Iran, a country on which it continues
to impose sanctions and still lists as a state-sponsor of terrorism, precisely
because of Tehran's backing for groups like the Hizbollah Battalion. Yet in
Iraq, they are all on the same side against Isil.
Mr Hashem chose to be interviewed in Baghdad's Babylon Hotel,
a few hours before
it was struck by an Isil car bomb. He gave a unique insight into the nature
of America's "non-co-ordinated co-operation" with Iran.
"We were besieged for 70 days until we taught Isil a
lesson they will never forget," he said. "The missiles we were
shooting were Iranian, the ammunition, every bullet was Iranian, everything we
used was Iranian."
But the support from the air was decidedly American. As this battle
for control of the town of Amerli reached a crucial stage last year, the US
carried out at least three strikes on Isil positions near where Mr Hashem was
fighting, aiding the arrival of a relief force consisting largely of other Shia
militias.
This incident also brought Mr Hashem face-to-face with Gen
Qassem Soleimani, whom he regards as a hero. The general is the commander
of the Al-Quds Force, the special forces arm of the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard. His unit is taking a leading
role in helping Shia fighters in sectarian wars – not only in Iraq, but
also in Yemen and Syria.
"No one gives us support that is unconditional, apart
from Iran and in particular Qassem Soleimani," said Mr Hashem.
For years, Gen Soleimani helped to organise attacks on US
forces in Iraq. America blamed him and his lieutenants for turning the
Hizbollah Battalion and other Shia militias into formidable enemies. In
particular, the US believes that the Hizbollah Battalion was created by its
Lebanese namesake and pioneered the use of roadside bombs, which killed
hundreds of American and British troops in Iraq.
Mr Hashem claims that he only joined the group after becoming
disillusioned with the allied invasion of 2003 – something he originally
welcomed, he said, because he believed it would "get rid of Saddam Hussein
and bring in paradise".
That was in the past, and it could be argued that as alliances
shift, it is only reasonable for former enemies to make friends against a new
one.
But that ignores both wider and local politics. The Hizbollah
Battalion is fighting alongside its more famous namesake in Syria,
where it is trying to prop up Bashar al-Assad – whom America and Britain are
officially committed to bringing down.
The US and Britain are also committed to a non-sectarian
future for Iraq, with a stake for the Sunni minority – a goal that the rise of
Shia militias such as the Hizbollah
Battalion is unlikely to further.
Last week, Mr Hashem took part in a minor victory in a village
north-east of Ramadi,
which has fallen into Isil's hands. He filmed 200 captives being led away
into the desert – Isil fighters, mostly foreign, he said. Sunni activists say
they were civilians.
He conducted medical checks on the men "for
disease". He said he did not know what happened to them afterwards, but
when asked if the prisoners would be kept safe, he paused.
"Are you married?" he asked. "If, God forbid,
Isil killed one of your children or raped your wife, what would you do?"
Mr Hashem is, in any case, dismissive of the rights of
civilians encountered in the reconquest of Isil-held territory. "Most of
the people in Ramadi who hate Isil have already left," he said.
"There are millions of refugees. The ones who are left
are supporters – we have seen them clapping Isil on their videos."
The Western coalition refuses to fight on the ground,
determined to force Iraq to win its own war against Isil, on the basis that
Iraqis will only defend a victory that they themselves have achieved. But that
leaves Mr Hashem and his comrades to bear the brunt of the struggle
By keeping air strikes to a minimum, moreover, America and its
allies risk the accusation that they are letting Isil win. The number of US air
strikes in this war is a fraction of those carried out during the original
invasion of Iraq 12 years ago.
There is an obvious explanation for this: when you are trying
to occupy an entire country and cripple its armed forces, there will inevitably
be more targets to bomb.
But Mr Hashem suspects – like many Iraqis – that America and
Britain are somehow involved in a conspiracy to keep Isil powerful, for a
variety of reasons. He urged them to openly back groups like his.
"They should be praising and glorifying us for our battle
against these human monsters," he said.
He certainly has little concern about allying with his own
former enemies. Mr Hashem is personally in favour of Britain, explaining his
preference for Glasgow because that was where his dentistry teachers trained –
and they "couldn't speak highly enough" of the place.
But, at the end of the day, he does not care who is on his
side. "We are grateful to anyone who helps us and provides weapons – even
if it is Satan."
-------------
In Honour of Our Canadian men and women who serve/d- land,
sea, air- Military, Militia, Reservists and Rangers..... thank u.... WHEN I
FIND MYSELF IN TIMES OF TROUBLE- MOTHER MARY COMES 2 ME...SPEAKING WORDS OF
WISDOM...LET IT BE....
Canada needs
2 find news $$$$ funding partners.... we gave $$$billions 2 the poor of Mexico
and India.... and this is how Canada gets repaid.... just saying.... when do
all the nations we $$$$$fund and sponsor start giving back ...
Mexico beating Canada for luxury auto
production: ‘The game has changed’
By Grace Macaluso, Windsor Star May 30, 2015
A silver Jaguar emblem is pictured outside a Jaguar car sales
dealership in Manchester, north-west , England
In the battle to shift the flow of automotive investment from
low cost Mexico, Sandra Pupatello’s decision to chase a luxury carmaker seemed
to make sense.
Canada’s auto industry specializes in the production of
minivans, muscle cars, crossover utility vehicles and pricey nameplates, like
Lexus and Lincoln; value-added, mid-and-full-sized vehicles with profit margins
healthy enough to offset the higher cost of auto assembly in this country
compared to Mexico, where autoworkers earn about a tenth of the hourly wages of
their Canadian counterparts.
Sandra Pupatello, CEO of the Economic Development Corporation
CEO. (DAX MELMER/The Windsor Star)
So, when word surfaced last year that Volvo Cars and Jaguar
Land Rover Ltd., were planning to build new plants in North America, the CEO of
the WindsorEssex Economic Development Corporation mounted separate campaigns
aimed at luring the carmakers to the region. In the end, only Jaguar took the
pitch from Pupatello, as well as the federal and Ontario governments, seriously
enough to visit the city in early January to look at a parcel of land near
Windsor’s airport.
A month later, however, the British-based carmaker declined
Canada’s offer, which, according to sources, would have covered 40 per cent of
its investment. The overriding concern: the governments’ incentive package, in
particular Ottawa’s program of loans, paled in comparison with the advantages
of producing vehicles in lower cost jurisdictions, said a source familiar with
the discussions.
“There wasn’t enough money on the table,” the source said.
While Jaguar, which was purchased by India’s Tata Motors in
2008, has yet to confirm where it will locate its new plant, company executives
have said they are considering spending more than $500 million to build a new
factory somewhere in Mexico.
Losing a luxury assembler seemingly better suited to the
Canadian industrial landscape known for its highly productive, educated and
skilled workforce, has been a bitter pill to swallow.
“It’s concerning,” said Matt Marchand, CEO of the
Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I don’t believe we can’t compete
because we can. I think we need to be more aggressive. We have to go back and
understand why we haven’t done it.”
Charlotte Yates, principal investigator at McMaster University’s
Institute for Automotive Research and Technology, said Mexico has emerged as
the place to not only build small cars with thin profit margins, but luxury,
value-added vehicles.
“Where Canada does have some competitive advantage, that
clearly has been eroded by Mexico,” said Yates. “The game has changed.”
In the past two years, eight automakers have opened or
announced new plants or expansions in Mexico. Just last month, Toyota announced
plans to move production of the popular Corolla sedan from Cambridge to
Guanajuato. The carmaker pledged to replace the Corolla with “mid-sized,
higher-value vehicles.” Ford Motor Co., chose Mexico over Windsor for a
$2-billion global small engine program, despite an incentive package that
included $900 million from the federal and provincial governments and $170
million in cost savings from Unifor.
Daimler AG and Japan’s Nissan Motor Co., unveiled plans last
June to invest about US$1.4 billion in a new plant in Mexico to jointly develop
and produce small luxury cars. While the decision was based in part on Nissan’s
strong presence in that country, it was also a vote of confidence in Mexico’s
competitiveness and the quality of its workforce, allowing it to compete
against the United States and Canada for highly skilled automotive jobs.
Add hourly
all-in labour rates in assembly plants averaging about US$8 an hour, a one-stop
government support for attracting investment, a more lax regulatory environment
and free trade deals covering more than 40 countries, and Mexico’s competitive edge becomes
irresistible for carmakers looking to export to the U.S. and across the globe.
In fact, real
wages in Mexico have been falling while productivity has been rising, added
Yates. “Companies have the ability to make profit in a landscape where wages
are held down by a host of factors.”
Sean
McAlinden, senior economist at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor,
Mich., said cheap labour isn’t the sole reason for the automotive procession to
Mexico. German carmaker Audi will save $5,000 per vehicle in overseas tariffs
when it ships a Q5 SUV from its factory in the state of Puebla, compared with
building the same vehicle in the U.S., he said.
“That’s more
important than the labour cost advantage that Mexico has when it comes to
global luxury cars,” said McAlinden. “Any country that has the largest number
of free-trade deals will have the highest score at attracting auto plants.”
With small
cars “it’s all about labour costs,” he added. “But a tariff is a big deal on
luxury cars.”
Joe Hinrichs,
president of the Americas for Ford, said as much in an interview with The Windsor Star during this
year’s Toronto International Auto Show: “If you have a low-cost environment and
you have more free-trade agreements, you have the ability to have lower costs
and ship globally and do more volume out of one manufacturing location.”
The latest
failed attempt to win a new assembly plant has increased pressure on the
federal and Ontario governments to establish a national automotive strategy
steered by an auto czar empowered with the resources to target and secure
investment.
“Canada still
has some competitive advantage,” said Yates. “But it needs to move fairly
quickly, organizing and co-ordinating government programs to hit a home run in
terms of getting that investment.”
Mexico’s
share of North American auto production grew to 19 per cent last year as new
Honda and Mazda factories opened. Meanwhile, Canada’s production rose a
fraction and its share of North American output fell to 14 per cent, its lowest
level since 1987.
While the
U.S., in particular the southern states, has done a better job than Canada in
drawing new auto plants and jobs, it finds itself in the same boat as Canada
when it comes to competing with Mexico, said McAlinden.
Mexico’s
emergence as an automotive superpower has come at the expense of jobs and
investment in Canada and the U.S., said McAlinden. It’s time, he added, for a
critical review of the North American
Free Trade Agreement.
“Wages in
Mexico keep falling despite all the new investment,” said McAlinden. “It has a
softer regulatory environment that probably shouldn’t exist. We have to
renegotiate NAFTA. There’s too much of an imbalance.”
Canada’s
automotive trade deficit with Mexico was a record $10.3 billion in 2014, said
Jim Stanford, senior economist at Unifor, which represents hourly workers at
Detroit Three plants in Canada.
“They buy
less from us than they did in 2000,” said Stanford. “It’s a one-way street, and
Mexicans aren’t even benefiting. Real wages are no higher than they were when
NAFTA was signed in 1994.”
Free-trade
advocates had argued that Canada would keep high-end vehicles while losing
“bare-bones, low skilled jobs,” said Stanford. “But autoworkers in Mexico are
quite capable of doing high skilled, high value work. There are still huge
labour cost savings for producing an Audi or BMW in Mexico compared to
producing it here.
“This race to
the bottom has been unleashed by free trade and will be experienced in all
vehicle classes, whether low end or high end.”
10 ways
Mexico is winning
1. Unionized
auto assembly workers in Canada earn about US$50 in wages and benefits an hour
compared to about $8 in Mexico. In the U.S., its $58 at General Motors and $38
at Volkswagen’s factory in Tennessee. Wages and benefits at Mexican auto parts
plants are even lower, averaging about $4 an hour.
2. Mexico has
a network of 12 free-trade agreements that cover about 43 jurisdictions
including the European Union, Canada, the U.S., Israel, South and Central
America.
3. Mexico’s
auto supply chain is growing, attracting powertrain facilities from such
automakers as the Detroit Three, Volkswagen and Nissan. Ontario-based Magna
International is also a big player, employing 24,000 workers in Mexico.
4. ProMexico,
the economic development arm of the Mexican government, offers a one-stop
support for investment attraction. Created in 2007, it pools the resources of
federal and state agencies, enabling anyone interested in investing in Mexico
to quickly access all the necessary information.
5. Mexican
auto production more than doubled in the past 10 years and is expected to rise
another 50 per cent to about five million vehicles annually by 2022. U.S.
production is expected to increase only three per cent, to 12.2 million
vehicles, in the next seven years.
6. Automakers
now have 18 factories in 11 Mexican states, many built in the past 10 years. In
four years, five more will be built, moving the country from the world’s
seventh biggest auto producer to fifth.
7. The number
of auto producing jobs in Mexico has risen almost 40 per cent since 2008, from
490,000 to 675,000 in 2014. During the same period, U.S. auto manufacturing
employment grew 15 per cent to nearly 903,000. In Canada employment in the auto
sector, including assembly and parts manufacturing, has plunged from more than 160,000
in 2000 to just under 120,000.
8. Companies
in Mexico’s light-vehicle industry perform activities that range from assembly
to casting and stamping of vehicles and engines. Currently, more than 48 car
and light-truck models are produced in Mexico.
9. Mexico is
the world’s eighth largest car, truck, part and component producer. It’s main
export market is the U.S. In 2014, nine
of every 100 vehicles were exported to Latin America. The main destinations for
Mexican exports were Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile. Four of every 100
light vehicles exported went to the European Union.
10. In 2010,
Mexico overtook Canada as the leading supplier of commercial vehicles to the
U.S.
Sources:
Center for Automotive Research, IHS Automotive, Government of Mexico,
ProMexico, Wards AutoWorld, Unifor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and RBC
Economics
gmacaluso@windsorstar.com
or twitter.com/winstarmacaluso
----------------
My favourite
reporter... Dr. Chantal Hebert- pure Canadian and ultimately fair and down 2
earth -just the facts.
Stephen Harper’s task more difficult
without Peter MacKay: Hébert
With the loss of Peter MacKay, Stephen Harper’s task of
leading his party to a fourth mandate this fall has become more daunting.
·
By: Chantal Hébert
National Affairs, Published on Fri May 29 2015
If it were not for Peter MacKay, Stephen Harper would never
have become prime minister and it is an open question whether he can secure
another majority mandate or, for that matter, another election victory, without
him.
What is certain is that, in the absence at his side of the man
who led the Progressive Conservatives to his tent a bit more than decade ago,
Harper’s task of leading his party to a fourth mandate this fall has become
more daunting . . . and a bit more lonely.
If you believe, as I do, that the moderate conservative voters
who gave Harper a majority in 2011 stand to decide the outcome of the upcoming
campaign, then the loss of MacKay as a candidate is a grievous one.
Preventing red Tory voters from turning into blue Liberals (or
taking on a shade of NDP orange) will be harder in his absence.
The first immediate consequence of the minister of justice’s decision
to not run again is to make the Conservatives more vulnerable in Atlantic
Canada, a region where they were already facing a steep uphill battle to hang
on to the 13 seats they currently hold.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals hold a commanding lead across the
four provinces.
Mackay — whose political base is Nova Scotia — has always
stood taller than his boss in a region where the word progressive is still
deemed to have a place on the conservative label. There is not, on Harper’s
cabinet or backbench, another Atlantic Canada figure of comparable stature.
MacKay was elected to the House of Commons under Jean Charest
in 1997. He served under Joe Clark. His father, Elmer, was a fixture in Brian
Mulroney’s governments. As Tory leader, the justice minister was the co-builder
of the bridge between the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform/Alliance
branch of the Canadian right.
But that 2003 bridge has seen more Progressive Conservative
traffic headed out of the government’s command centre than going in the
opposite direction over the past few years.
Senate speaker Pierre-Claude Nolin passed away earlier this
year. Ontario senator Hugh Segal has moved on to academia. They were among the
last leading red Tory establishment members on Parliament Hill.
Over the Harper decade the influence of the Tory side of the
Conservative family has steadily declined.
The regiment of Progressive Conservatives that the justice
minister was purported to lead from his senior post in Harper’s government is
by now mostly outside the power loop looking in.
It remains to be seen whether they will be as motivated to
mobilize behind Harper’s re-election bid this fall as they could be in
assisting MacKay in a future leadership bid.
MacKay’s upcoming retirement may not change the immediate
directions of the government but it could alter the political dynamics
surrounding the looming legislative debate over end-of-life care.
After the Supreme Court struck down the prohibition on
medically assisted suicide earlier this year, it was MacKay as justice minister
who vowed that the government would not use the notwithstanding clause of the
Constitution to circumvent the ruling.
Harper is under pressure from the religious right to do just
that. With MacKay out of the picture, it is unclear whether the ruling
Conservatives — if they are re-elected to government next fall — will feel
bound by the assurances that he gave.
His imminent departure from politics tilts the balance of
influence a bit more toward the social conservative wing of Harper’s caucus.
Their cabinet champion, national defence minister Jason Kenney, is fast
outliving his competition for insider influence.
With the exception of industry minister James Moore, none of
the other major architects of Harper’s three election victories will be around
next fall to fight alongside Harper in what is lining up to be his most
challenging campaign battle since 2 004.
Jim Flaherty is no more.
John Baird is off to a lucrative private sector career. After his defeat in
Alberta, Jim Prentice is a spent quantity. None of their cabinet successors has
emerged as a force to be reckoned with on par with those former ministers.
On the eve of his fifth election campaign as leader, Harper
more than ever stands head and shoulders over his cabinet team but that is more
by default than anything else.
Chantal Hébert is a national affairs writer. Her column
appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Pg3Jul 22- PAEDOPHILE HUNTING SUCCESS/Mackay new Minister of Justice 4Canada/Human Trafficking -26 Million women and kids years -united nations looks the other way- the nightmare 4 kids in 2013- SHAME ON US ALL- one billion rising- one billion rising
--------
BLOGGED- Mental
health matters Canada
Clara Hughes
CANADIAN OLYMPIAN- Finishes Bike Ride -July 3 update-from the mouths of the
children- JUNE 26 UPDATE- CANADA DAY'S COMING-JULY 1- GET UR CANADA ON -4
CANADA OLYMPIAN CLARA HUGHES BIG RIDE 4 MENTAL HEALTH FOLKS- send her tweets of
support and love- Hey it’s Canada –Mental Health matters. NEWS
UPDATES-Teen/Youth/PTSD/Abuse/Bullying stuff /Our Olympian Clara's completes
journey 4mentalheal-let's talk-July 1- Clara's in Ottawa CANADA DAY 2014/SEPT
24 NS RCMP- preventing violent encounters -respect homeless and psychiatric
problems DO LIST
BLOGSPOT: O CANADA
Seniors dying/burial/living in poverty $$$- IN CANADA-NOVA SCOTIA- Don't be afraid- God loves us old sinners- getting prepared-write ur own obit- find out $$$ 4 burial 4 poor folks/Women- ur rights/Pensions- Income- LIVING IN POVERTY HELP- One Billion Rising- girls and women matter Nova Scotia and Canada
AND...
BLOGGED:
CANADIAN SENIORS ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF-12 Monthly 4wk cheat 2 full weeks- same 4 poverty systems- O Canada- Nova Scotia?? This is soooo 60s and this is 2014!!1 Fix it or lose our votes in 2015/Sept 25- Holy Sheeeeet Sherlock -Linda McQuaing's IPOLITICS article- real war over inequality isn't between old and young- awesome/Sep. 25- OLD AGE... POPULATIONS GLOBALLY- AND YOUTH - GLOBAL MAPS OF AGES 2014... O Canada, Africa has all the young ones and a bit Middle East - world is changing
http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2014/09/canadian-seniors-are-getting-ripped-off.html
CANADIAN SENIORS ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF-12 Monthly 4wk cheat 2 full weeks- same 4 poverty systems- O Canada- Nova Scotia?? This is soooo 60s and this is 2014!!1 Fix it or lose our votes in 2015/Sept 25- Holy Sheeeeet Sherlock -Linda McQuaing's IPOLITICS article- real war over inequality isn't between old and young- awesome/Sep. 25- OLD AGE... POPULATIONS GLOBALLY- AND YOUTH - GLOBAL MAPS OF AGES 2014... O Canada, Africa has all the young ones and a bit Middle East - world is changing
http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2014/09/canadian-seniors-are-getting-ripped-off.html
And
BLOGGED:
SENIORS- PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES-
Nova Scotia Canada- Global hits-NOVA SCOTIA SENIORS How 2
prepare4disaster/International Disability and Senior Links/Mental
Wellness/Wheelchair/coping with disabilities proudly- RECYCLE- how 2 separate
your householdgarbage and electronic waste (thanks Kings Co. Nova Scotia) -
let’s git r done Canada... and world.... Seniors and Disabled matter- all links
provided- thx Canada-USA-UK-Aussies-Europe etc.
BLOGGED:
IDLE NO MORE CANADA-USA-MEXICO-AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND- Suicides- Residential (boarding) School Assimilation- 1800s- 1900s- here's the facts- our First People Matter, 10,000 years
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God bless
Canada's Vets....
WOUNDED
WARRIORS.CA- Amazing Grace
CANADA: "Freedom" Support our troops
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BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: South Pole Wounded Warriors Allied Challenge-Incredible story and victory of 4 countries of Wounded Warriors – Antarctica 2 South Pole- Victory run/walk success- in harshest climates- UK/Canada/Australia and USA- The Journey and success proving 2 a billion folks proudly- disabilities are abilities in disguise- did we make u proud- u surely did and do..Environmentalists could NOT make it.... u ran and walked it.... the world rejoiced and Santa and NORAD hugged u along the way. The Journey 2 Victory blogged daily- December 2013/O CANADA TROOPS- we love u so- honour
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BLOGGED
IDLE NO MORE CANADA- One Billion Rising- Breaking the Chains- Global abuse of Aboriginals First Peoples- Canada/USA/Australia/New Zealand/Latin America - UNITED NATIONS SHAME- all politicans have betrayed Canadians 10,000 year peoples
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USA-Wounded Warriors
When Johnny
Comes Marching Home-Dolly Parton- America ...America
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UK-Australia-New
Zealand-The Soldiers with Robin Gibb - I've Gotta Get A Message To You
[Official Video]
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Save-A-Vet
Rescues Hero MWD Dexter
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NATO TROOPS-
HONOUR- ALL COUNTRIES- Do I Make U Proud-
Pls. hug r vets, all serving r flags- then,
now always, Troops, Wounded, Soldiers of Suicide, Homeless, and hurting- from.. home and away-yelling
real, real, loud or signing- HELL YA...u
all make us soooo proud.... thank u, thank u, thank u
2 families of
Nato Nations from Nato troops- Do We Make U Proud: tears and prayers yes, oh
yes... on this day- u are the true heroes of this earth....
Tribute to
all the NATO and ISAF soldiers in Afghanistan
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BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS- Nov 5:- AFGHANISTAN FORMAL REPORT - UPDATED NOV 4 - Comic talkes -truth talking 4 world- ROBIN WILLIAMS, JEFF FOXWORTHY, CHARLIE DANIELS, JOHN CLEESE, STEPHEN FRY-Hey United Nations how bout some equality 4 girls, disdabled, kids ngays-lets get us some freedom world -fix our own- God bless our Nato troops-God bless our Afghanistan
---
posted/posted/posted/
CANADA: Pg6Jun24- Jeff Foxworthy-USA- a
country founded by geniuses n run by idiots/ROBIN WILLIAMS PEACE PLAN FOLKS/Why
Country fans r the best- Jeff Foxworthy
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Stephen Fry hits back at accusations of Islamophobia
Sunday 01 September 2013
Stephen Fry has spoken of his frustration at being labelled an
"Islamophobe" for criticising the violent acts committed by some
Islamists.
In a strongly worded blog post, the actor and comedian
lamented that the "squeezed liberal finds himself in the position that he
cannot criticise Islamofascism because it's somehow 'racist'".
He continued: "It is a topsy-turvy smothering of debate
and an Orwellian denial of free speech to declare that speaking out against
violence will cause violence."
Fry decided to write the piece after attracting criticism for
giving his support for the prominent atheist and evolutionary biologist
Professor Richard Dawkins, a noted critic of Islam.
In on online exchange last week, Fry said Prof Dawkins was
justified in singling out Islam for more criticism than other religions,
tweeting: "Wonder why. Oh, have a look around the world and see them
slaughtering each other, let alone others. So charming to women too …"
Clarifying his views in a blog post titled "Am I an
Islamophobe?", Fry wrote: "Do I hate Muslims? Absolutely not. Any
more than I hate Christians. Or Jews, or Hindus, or anyone on account of their
beliefs, or lack of them. I am simply not interested in laying into one
religion or another. To me they are all as untrue as the next, which is the
point and the only point of being an atheist."
Fry, 56, continued: "I am afraid of anyone who hates me
and everything I stand for and wants me and the civilisation I grew up in
destroyed."
However, he added: "Do I believe that all Muslims want to
see my civilisation destroyed? That they are all bombers in the making? Of
course I don't."
Fry also expressed his frustration at having to go through
"this absurd liberal court of inquisition" of defending himself
against the charge of Islamophobia, saying: "[It] really grinds my
gears."
---
#1BRising
so Brady gets
4 games over dumb football he sure didn't blow himself and Rice the beater gets
freedom???.... televised severely beating a woman and the FOOTBALL CARTEL
PROTECTS RICE... AND DUMPS.... BRADY????? God bless America.... cause no one
else will at the end of the day..... and near as we can tell.... God is very,
very angry.... ! imho ?#?1BRising? and PS... we'll keep Brady.... beating on a
woman is so ugly.... and if u can't handle a football... they did win by a huge
score.... right??? We'll keep Tom Brady.... and God help all these American
treasured athletes u all fall over who viciously beat their women on tv- in
plain view.... and the court and opinion still kicks Brady's balls...??? What's
the matter America.... u don't hug your troops and u bust Brady's balls whilst
you make Gods of your women beating machines??? seriously. #1BRising imho
Ray Rice has
domestic violence charges dismissed
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ON PETER
MACKAY LEAVING POLITICS- Even the Americans are saying- WHAT'S THE MATTER
CANADA... CAN'T YA STAND AN HONEST POLITICIAN? and that's not been said since
Joe Clark....
Sweet Jesus,
Mother Mary and Joseph.. we are well and truly f**ked... because we all know
the liberals will kill the union like they just about did us back in the
90s.... and NDP has way 2 many crazies... and Elizabeth May ruined her
reputation and her party with her recent tv performance and the Bloc??? and the
remains of the Tory party??? Oh Lord have mercy on Canada....
PETER MACKAY-
u put victims first... gave a sheet about girls and women- ?#?1BRising? (we
will always remember) in the ugly parts of the world.... and always put the
troops first.... always... NATO TROOPS voted u the most trusted and respected
in Afghanistan because u were always there and u fought your own damm party 4
our troops with your Fly Emirates Hat in parliament and your marching in2
Afghanistan deliberately after every taliban baby killing machine storm....
Afghans stepped up on April 5, 2014 and made history around the world by voting
in masses and masses of women dragging their children and youngbloods
shouting... we want the world 2 see that the foreign troops did NOT did in
vain..... and changed the world...
PETER MACKAY
u love/d our troops and our vets and gave a sheet; you helped make the
Canadians aware that victims are more important than your 80s outdated legal
(let the lawyers make their $$$$millions on Canadians dime) rhetoric of save
the f**king monsters.... thank u Peter MacKay....
Just watch-
millions and millions of the silent majority will wreck havoc on any party that
refuses 2 put Canada and Canadians first.... and the pickins are slim...imho.
That's my stroy and I'm sticking 2 it.
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BLOGSPOT:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Why we are in Afghanistan- Why have politicans and United Nations betrayed our troops worse than the Heretic Muslim who kill innocent Muslims by million? Why the betrayal so badly by global politicans of Nato children serving?
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blogged:
NATO/USA/Canada,
UK, Australia ETC. u have betrayed our troops coming home needing and NOT
having immediate mental health care in place- IT'S NOT ABOUT THE WAR- IT'S
ABOUT THE WARRIOR- IVAN LOPEZ is the face of your betrayal. Shame on u/
USA-CANADA ETC. u must get ur medical and mental programs in place up
NOW-please u shame us all- April 4th update- see we told u-here's the real
story
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BLOGGED:
Saturday,
January 4, 2014
BETTE DAVIS-
OLD AGE AIN'T NO PLACE 4 SISSIES- FOLKS OVER 55 ONLY PLEASE- middle age and
seniors ONLY- some smiles, some music- life - every day is a good day
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BLOGSPOT:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Canada's UNIONS- CUPE (POSTIES) N GREEN PARTY SUPPORTING HAMAS??? - Remembering Randy and Janet Connors and the horrific nightmare of AIDS and betrayal of innocent Canadians from Presidents 2 Red Cross donor institutions-CANADA'S STORY/July 22, 2014
----------------
BLOGSPOT:
WELCOME 2 CANADA-Come2Canada Irish youth- EU Youth and work -study- we'd love 2 have u- a land of immigrants- 36million people 2nd largest country on planet- come work here or/and study- GET UR CANADA ON -Come on Asians, Europeans, Africans, Middle East, Balkins- get ur education- get good jobs -Get ur Canada on..and a bit o history of the Maritimes 2 -come on -we'd love 2 have ya/updates April 2014-
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BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Oct30/2014- O Canada/Sir Elton adores POPE FRANCIS/- don't immigrate if u don't like gays/women having equal rights/Abortion is legal 1988/Same Gender Love legal since 1969/and basically- if u F**K WITH OUR TROOPS OR OUR KIDS WE'LL DESTROY U... other than that... we are young, beautiful, educated, free and savvy- No. 19th on gender equality in the world- and we love hockey.... and keeping the innocence of our kids... don't immigrate if u don't or won't tolerate the above.... just don't- over a billion want 2 come, visit move 2 Canada...If u hate gays women rtroops n kids just find another hole... and we love our formal true and pure decent religions... SIR ELTON PRAISES POPE FRANCIS... tons of old blogs... troops /protest with honour and respect of communities- NEVER HIDE UR FACE- honour ur cause/NEDA /Stephen Colbert honours Canada in his own way
WORDPRESS:
O CANADA- Election 2015- Liberal Justin Biber/NDP- Taliban Jack/Tory-I
ain’t a gonna change/Green- no plan or platform- O Canada – odds March 2015-
CALL IT MINORITY NDP GOVERNMENT- Mulcair is cleaning NDP brand cause troops
matter imho/PHOTOS POLITICAL CARTOONS
----
BLOGSPOT:
IDLE NO MORE CANADA- One Billion Rising- Breaking the Chains- Global abuse of Aboriginals First Peoples- Canada/USA/Australia/New Zealand/Latin America - UNITED NATIONS SHAME- all politicans have betrayed Canadians 10,000 year peoples
BLOGSPOT:
IDLE NO MORE CANADA- WAR 1812- it mattered- War of 1812 Bicentennial Highlights Unsung Aboriginal Heroes in Canada’s Creation
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BLOGSPOT
CANADA MILITARY NEWS- F**king PAEDOPHILES-- Canada we ran ourselves ragged in the 70s and 80s cleaning up this sheeet.... especially our own Roman Catholic Church- and we must NOT Stop...bikers, troops, homeless, street folks, oldies like us- git r done/CANADA LET'S CLEAN UP R PAEDOOPHILES- git em b4 the law does/CHILDREN OF THE SECRET- One Billion Rising- No more Excuses-No more f**king abuses/ANONYMOUS- GREAT PAEDOPHILE HUNTERS- Russia and countries vote castration of paedophiles- SEPT 1- Getcha Canada On-How ‘vigilantes’ work ‘within the law’ to force child sex offenders out of Canadian communities/NEWSFLASH- Sep 22- JUSTICE 4 REHTAEH PARSONS- one abuser pleads guilty- ONE BILLION RISING- no more excuses /Sept. 25- Pope fires Bishop who promoted PAEDOPHILE Priest- a huntin we will go
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BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS- July 27 2014- from Canadian Point of View- God bless our troops. God bless Israel-God Bless Canada-God bless Afghanistan- u choose Palestine- we choose our gay brothers and sisters and ISRAEL- equality trumps ur Hamas-Iran-Syria-Hezbollah-Muslim killing Muslims without a care….
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Banking......... poor folks decimated and thrown out like
trash toys..... and humanity dies whilst power, greed and war rises...... again....
BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: USA-Europe-Asia-Middle East-China- all the banking institutions- u are creating a mess in our world of finances again and ordinary people will pay dearly… 2008 all over again/Canada is doing better at Climate Change than USA China Japan or Russia and much of Europe and Asia…come on… JANUARY 16/15… and why is USA always paying 2 fight the planets wars… and Canada, UK, Aussies and French tagging along CLEANING UP MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICAN MESSES…. all these years… give each of your children a good free education and treat your poor better than slaves in the 21st century…come on.. please -GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS… we want u home and know ur soooo tired
----------------
ENVIRONMENT
WORDPRESS:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: China 2nd only 2 USA hunger 4 $$$ endangered elephants etc. tusks-heads-horns/AND WHEN DID THE WORLD’S WORST CLIMATE TERRORISTS BECOME New Wave Climate Changers????
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WORDPRESS:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: – jun- No F**King Fracking Canada- USA BETRAYS ALL WITH COAL AND FRACKING- Why lie- Obama routing coal 2 china through California
BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Nov25- FISH FARMING KILLING our fish, water, soil- and cost NDP Nova Scotia an election
--------
blogged:
CANADA'S ENVIRONMENT BEING QUESTIONED BY UN?- seriously how about Golden Five - Russia, USA, China, Japan and India- who are pure toxic... and will never sign anything???- seriously u have audacity 2 approach Canada and NOT Golden Five?
BLOGGED:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Water- Canada’s glorious water…./Canada history… /Canada let’s preserve our water better and drink from taps instead of killing whales and wildlife with plastic eh?/ NOVA SCOTIA CANADA’S MI’KMAQ PEOPLES OF NOVA SCOTIA- ATLANTIC CANADA.... SHOWED US IMMIGRANTS HOW 2 FIND WATER, HUNT, FISH AND SURVIVE/ International Water Day March 22, 2015
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BLOGGED:
CANADA'S SOCKEYE SALMON'S courage distinction verging on extinction-is teaching what us Climate Oldies have been preaching - each and every Canadian must actually GET INVOLVED IN CANADA'S NATURE- do something physical- not just dumb protests that cost $$$billions- go out and save our nature-our salmon teach us who we were and what we are losing...imho/OLD CANADIANS UNDERSTAND THIS- we grew up in WWII severe poverty and saving and using everything and always respect the land and sea- please get don't wave a poster- get actually involved- our nature's dying
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WORDPRESS BLOG:
WTF?????? – NOT USA- NOT CHINA- NOT INDIA-NOT RUSSIA ETC. …. Australia is called the worst polluting country on the planet… and Canada- shame on all of u
--------------------
WORDPRESS:
Canada’s most iconic – Lobster- Come Visit Nova Scotia – go fishing with r fishers-church suppers- Canada’s Ocean Playground- recipies- Maritime Lobster Panel Report- Canada’s Atlantic Nova Scotia has the most frigid waters 4 Lobster – why their shells are perfect all year round- Largest lobsters ev-a photos/fisher videos…
blogged:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: June26- Come Visit Nova Scotia-history-culture- Music-jazz,blues,hiphop/rap, folk, humour,country, kitchen-check out r cultures-the fun 4 all ages n disabilites-Mi’kmaq,Black Loyalist, French Acadians,Scots,Irish,China,India,Japan,Jamaica,German,Dutch-200 cultures-come visit
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