BLOGGED:
CANADA: True Patriot Love Foundation launches ......
nova0000scotia.blogspot.com/2013/12/canada-military-news...Cached
Dec 08, 2013 · CANADA
MILITARY NEWS: Honouring Nelson Mandela- Canada style of real, ... HONOUR- Canada's
Prime Ministers, ... nova0000scotia
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Guiding adventures: first the Valley, then the world
Heather Desveaux
Just after she begins her first year of high school at West Kings in Auburn this September, 15-year-old Cassidy Joudrey is travelling abroad for two and half weeks, but her mom Jeanette doesn’t mind her missing school at all.
In fact she’s thrilled her daughter is one of two girls from Nova Scotia, and the only one from the Annapolis Valley, chosen to travel to the other side of the globe to attend an international Girl Guide jamboree in Australia called The Great Bunya Gathering.
Over 3,000 Girl Guides from around the world gather in Brisbane for a week long camp of pioneering and recreation adventures celebrating the community service and leadership opportunities Guiding offers.
Joudrey says she’s a little nervous for her only child to travel so far without her parents, but she has complete faith in the organization and the event.
“It’s very rare for a Guide around here to get chosen to attend an international event,” says her mom. “A majority don’t make it past the provincial level.”
It’s a highly competitive process, Joudrey adds. There is a 25-page application form and a 600-word essay to submit. “Thousands of girl guides across Canada apply each year in hopes of being one of eight chosen for the international trips usually offered.”
Joudrey started Sparks when she was five years old and is in her 11th year as a member of the Girl Guides of Canada (GGC) with 1st Berwick Rangers. She has achieved all awards at each level, including the Lady Baden Powell award, the Canada Cord, and is now working toward her silver Chief Commissioner’s award.
Cassidy just received her airline travel itinerary last week. “We have a few days to travel around Sydney and Brisbane, which will be cool to see. We have to research all these different things we want to see and do.”
Joudrey says she’s most interested in the wildlife there at the zoos and aquariums. “There are also sanctuaries where you can hold koalas, I really want to do that.” She’ll be keeping a journal of her adventures to tell others in GGC about them when she returns.
While Joudrey has received financial support from all levels of guiding in Canada, she still needs to raise a bit more, and is holding a barbecue on July 25 at Berwick Foodland.
The GGC in the Annapolis Valley is a part of the Harvest Trail district in N.S. spanning from Hants to Yarmouth and back around to Chester. There are 810 girls and 192 guiders, or adult members, in the district which fall into the following levels based on age: Sparks (five to six years), Brownies (seven to eight years), Guides nine to 11 years), Pathfinders (12 to 14 years), Rangers (15 to 17) and Adults (18+).
The girls participate in activities, adventures and community service which encourages them to learn life skills and toward achieving the main concepts of the GGC’s mission statement: being confident, resourceful, courageous and to make a difference in the world.
“It teaches you a lot of things like teamwork and everything around camping and outdoor skills we may not otherwise learn,” says Cassidy.
Adult volunteers, called Guiders, oversee and mentor these transitions and achievements but also get something back in return, says her mom, who was also a guide leader for 12 years.
Joudrey says volunteering is extremely rewarding and not that time consuming for a commitment for one night a week, some paperwork, satisfaction and lots of fun.
“You get to see the impact you make on these girl’s lives, how guiding helps make them better women for the future. I think today’s young women need more female role models and some just need to be in a safe place to be where they feel like they are treated like an equal.”
“It’s such an amazing organization.”
GGC is currently seeking adult members in many communities throughout the Valley for units, camps or events, at the district, area and provincial level. Visit www.girlguides.ca/web/ns to be a volunteer or register your daughter to be a member.
On July 19, the Hardwood Lake Girl Guide Camp, off Aylesford Road near Lake Paul Fire Station, is marking its 60th anniversary, which is open to the public.
In fact she’s thrilled her daughter is one of two girls from Nova Scotia, and the only one from the Annapolis Valley, chosen to travel to the other side of the globe to attend an international Girl Guide jamboree in Australia called The Great Bunya Gathering.
Over 3,000 Girl Guides from around the world gather in Brisbane for a week long camp of pioneering and recreation adventures celebrating the community service and leadership opportunities Guiding offers.
Joudrey says she’s a little nervous for her only child to travel so far without her parents, but she has complete faith in the organization and the event.
“It’s very rare for a Guide around here to get chosen to attend an international event,” says her mom. “A majority don’t make it past the provincial level.”
It’s a highly competitive process, Joudrey adds. There is a 25-page application form and a 600-word essay to submit. “Thousands of girl guides across Canada apply each year in hopes of being one of eight chosen for the international trips usually offered.”
Joudrey started Sparks when she was five years old and is in her 11th year as a member of the Girl Guides of Canada (GGC) with 1st Berwick Rangers. She has achieved all awards at each level, including the Lady Baden Powell award, the Canada Cord, and is now working toward her silver Chief Commissioner’s award.
Cassidy just received her airline travel itinerary last week. “We have a few days to travel around Sydney and Brisbane, which will be cool to see. We have to research all these different things we want to see and do.”
Joudrey says she’s most interested in the wildlife there at the zoos and aquariums. “There are also sanctuaries where you can hold koalas, I really want to do that.” She’ll be keeping a journal of her adventures to tell others in GGC about them when she returns.
While Joudrey has received financial support from all levels of guiding in Canada, she still needs to raise a bit more, and is holding a barbecue on July 25 at Berwick Foodland.
The GGC in the Annapolis Valley is a part of the Harvest Trail district in N.S. spanning from Hants to Yarmouth and back around to Chester. There are 810 girls and 192 guiders, or adult members, in the district which fall into the following levels based on age: Sparks (five to six years), Brownies (seven to eight years), Guides nine to 11 years), Pathfinders (12 to 14 years), Rangers (15 to 17) and Adults (18+).
The girls participate in activities, adventures and community service which encourages them to learn life skills and toward achieving the main concepts of the GGC’s mission statement: being confident, resourceful, courageous and to make a difference in the world.
“It teaches you a lot of things like teamwork and everything around camping and outdoor skills we may not otherwise learn,” says Cassidy.
Adult volunteers, called Guiders, oversee and mentor these transitions and achievements but also get something back in return, says her mom, who was also a guide leader for 12 years.
Joudrey says volunteering is extremely rewarding and not that time consuming for a commitment for one night a week, some paperwork, satisfaction and lots of fun.
“You get to see the impact you make on these girl’s lives, how guiding helps make them better women for the future. I think today’s young women need more female role models and some just need to be in a safe place to be where they feel like they are treated like an equal.”
“It’s such an amazing organization.”
GGC is currently seeking adult members in many communities throughout the Valley for units, camps or events, at the district, area and provincial level. Visit www.girlguides.ca/web/ns to be a volunteer or register your daughter to be a member.
On July 19, the Hardwood Lake Girl Guide Camp, off Aylesford Road near Lake Paul Fire Station, is marking its 60th anniversary, which is open to the public.
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About SJ15. ScotiaJamb 2015 will be the
experience of a lifetime, celebrating all that Scouting accomplishes: adventure,
leadership and fun. ... The Nova Scotia Council is excited to welcome you to Camp Nadooae from July 11th to 17th, 2015. ... Join us this summer to experience the natural beauty of Canada's East Coast.
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CANADIAN VETERAN WINS....
Court sides with veteran
Woman sought disability benefit
MURRAY BREWSTER THE CANADIAN PRESS
OTTAWA - The Federal Court of Appeal has handed down a judgment that will force Veterans Affairs and its independent appeal board to take more care in deciding on the mental health claims of ex-soldiers.
In a recently released decision, the justices overturned a lower ruling and rejected arguments from the Veterans Review and Appeal Board in the case of Anne Cole, a former officer discharged because she suffered from depression.
She applied for a disability benefit, saying her military service was the cause of her mental health issues, but the Veterans Department, the appeal board and even the Federal Court rejected her claim, saying that her condition was not primarily related to military service.
But in a ruling that surprised many observers, the Federal Court of Appeal sided with Cole and said she should only have had to demonstrate that her illness ‟arose out of or was directly connected with" her time in uniform.
The wording is key because both the department and review board have insisted, particularly in mental health cases, that a veteran point to one traumatic incident or series of incidents that caused their depression or posttraumatic stress disorder.
The legislation does not stipulate a level or degree to which the cause of an illness must be justified, the appeal court said. In fact, the law governing veterans' benefits says the government must be generous and give ex-soldiers the benefit of the doubt when it comes to whether their injury was caused by military service.
The May 5 ruling, which has yet to be posted online, has been circulating in the veterans' community.
It sets out a four-part guideline for the federal government and the tribunal to follow to decide claims.
The ruling should make both the department and the independent board think twice about rejecting claims, said Stephen Aker, one of Cole's lawyers.
‟It'll be helpful to veterans. How helpful? It depends on the individual circumstances of their cases," said Aker.
What it does not mean is that the federal government will be forced into approving a flood of mental health claims that might otherwise have been rejected, he said.
A military law expert, retired colonel Michel Drapeau, agrees and said it should lead to ‟fairer, faster, more efficient and more effective adjudication of disability claims," particularly for posttraumatic stress.
‟This lowers the bar most significantly for injured veterans," he said.
The question, Aker said, is how closely both the department and the review board will follow the decision. In the past, justices rendered a decision favourable to an ex-soldier on a specific point of law only to see the same issues land back in front of them.
A spokesman for Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole pledged that the department would review its policies and practises in order to align them with the court's decision.
Martin Magnan said there is no intention to appeal the decision.
‟The Government of Canada welcomes the Federal Court of Appeal decision and applauds the court's clarification of the test for establishing a veteran's entitlement to a disability pension," Magnan said in an email.
‟This Federal Court ruling provides Veterans Affairs Canada with the opportunity to re-evaluate its interpretation and application of legislation to ensure veterans receive all of the benefits to which they are entitled." He statement did not set out a timeline for the review, but Magnan did say the department ‟is committed to applying the 'benefit of the doubt' in its adjudicating procedures."
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BLOGSPOT:
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BLOGSPOT:
CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Renting in Nova Scotia- your rights/Landlord-Tenant/Immigrants/and them debt collectors turning creepy... u cross the line-u get arrested in Nova Scotia/KNOW UR LAW STUDENTS, YOUTH, AGED AND POOR WHEN RENTING.... know your rights.... always... /PAYING RENT AND SECURITY FOR PETS... IS ILLEGAL IN CANADA... KNOW UR RIGHTS KIDS... As always links included and God bless our troops and yours
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Fasting rituals span the faiths
Jim King | Separation of Church & State
This week marks the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, a month considered by Muslims to be the holiest month of the year.
The month, which began on June 18, is noted for the fasting which Muslims are expected to do between daylight and dark for the entire month. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is a requirement during the month of Ramadan, although there are those who are exempt from the fast.
Abstaining from food and drink is thought to enable people to understand more fully how those less fortunate than them feel. It is a time for spiritual renewal, for community closeness and it brings people closer to God.
The month of Ramadan does not occur at the same time every year because Muslims follow a lunar cycle and each year the month occurs about 11 days earlier than the previous year. Obviously when Ramadan occurs during the winter the fasting period is much shorter than it is this year.
The traditional start of the fasting period is when the crescent moon becomes visible. That worked well when Muslims all lived together but not so well when North American Muslims do not see the moon at the same time as Muslims in the Middle East, or far northern Muslims have more than 20 hours of sunlight daily.
Although not as widespread as Muslim fasting, the practice is not unheard of in other religious circles. Fasting is spoken of in the Bible, but for Christians fasting is not a compulsory thing.
It is seen by many to be beneficial for the same reasons Muslims think it is helpful. By cutting oneself off from physical considerations, one is able to be more in tune with one’s spirituality and therefor with God. Usually, fasting is paired with praying as Jesus did when he fasted for 40 days in the wilderness.
Other biblical people fasted for different reasons. David fasted to save the life of his illegitimate son, in order to make his prayers more effective, but it didn’t work in David’s case. Nehemiah fasted as he mourned for the destruction of Jerusalem and David on another occasion said fasting was a way on humbling himself before God.
Young native American Indians would use fasting and isolation as a rite of passage into adulthood. The boys would spend three days alone in spiritual contemplation waiting for a vision of their future to be revealed to them and when their time was up they would discuss the meaning of what they had seen with the tribe’s shaman.
Fasting for a day or even part of a day takes both courage and determination, and in all likelihood some changes in the chemistry of the body. Not being able to drink water for 17 hours in 30-plus degree temperatures is not easy. Smokers cannot smoke, and if being hungry, thirsty and dying for a smoke is not enough to get one down, swearing and backbiting are also prohibited.
Jim King describes himself as a secular humanist who enjoys continually learning why the secular life is his preferred one. If a reader has a question for Jim to explore from this perspective, please email him and he will do his best to respond in a future column.
http://valleyharvester.ca/2015/07/16/fasting-rituals-span-the-faiths/
The month, which began on June 18, is noted for the fasting which Muslims are expected to do between daylight and dark for the entire month. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is a requirement during the month of Ramadan, although there are those who are exempt from the fast.
Abstaining from food and drink is thought to enable people to understand more fully how those less fortunate than them feel. It is a time for spiritual renewal, for community closeness and it brings people closer to God.
The month of Ramadan does not occur at the same time every year because Muslims follow a lunar cycle and each year the month occurs about 11 days earlier than the previous year. Obviously when Ramadan occurs during the winter the fasting period is much shorter than it is this year.
The traditional start of the fasting period is when the crescent moon becomes visible. That worked well when Muslims all lived together but not so well when North American Muslims do not see the moon at the same time as Muslims in the Middle East, or far northern Muslims have more than 20 hours of sunlight daily.
Although not as widespread as Muslim fasting, the practice is not unheard of in other religious circles. Fasting is spoken of in the Bible, but for Christians fasting is not a compulsory thing.
It is seen by many to be beneficial for the same reasons Muslims think it is helpful. By cutting oneself off from physical considerations, one is able to be more in tune with one’s spirituality and therefor with God. Usually, fasting is paired with praying as Jesus did when he fasted for 40 days in the wilderness.
Other biblical people fasted for different reasons. David fasted to save the life of his illegitimate son, in order to make his prayers more effective, but it didn’t work in David’s case. Nehemiah fasted as he mourned for the destruction of Jerusalem and David on another occasion said fasting was a way on humbling himself before God.
Young native American Indians would use fasting and isolation as a rite of passage into adulthood. The boys would spend three days alone in spiritual contemplation waiting for a vision of their future to be revealed to them and when their time was up they would discuss the meaning of what they had seen with the tribe’s shaman.
Fasting for a day or even part of a day takes both courage and determination, and in all likelihood some changes in the chemistry of the body. Not being able to drink water for 17 hours in 30-plus degree temperatures is not easy. Smokers cannot smoke, and if being hungry, thirsty and dying for a smoke is not enough to get one down, swearing and backbiting are also prohibited.
Jim King describes himself as a secular humanist who enjoys continually learning why the secular life is his preferred one. If a reader has a question for Jim to explore from this perspective, please email him and he will do his best to respond in a future column.
http://valleyharvester.ca/2015/07/16/fasting-rituals-span-the-faiths/
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CANADA'S FIRST PEOPLES- MI'KMAQ- NOVA SCOTIA- THE GOOD STUFF
Pictou Landing site gets cash boost
Community multi-purpose building project receives $650,000 in federal support
FRANCIS CAMPBELL TRURO BUREAU
fcampbell@herald.ca @CH_HubBub PICTOU LANDING - Chief Andrea Paul stepped out of the modern Pictou Landing health centre and motioned to the fire hall and training centre across the street.
The dilapidated one-storey building that had housed the band's administrative offices hardly inspired a forward-looking vision.
But that will all change by the end of October when a new $1.3-million multi-purpose building opens its doors.
‟This is significant," said Paul, leader of the 460-resident Mi'kmaq First Nation community at the mouth of Pictou Harbour.
‟That's our main place of business for everyone in the community," Paul said. ‟Even just to look at it (the old building) hasn't been healthy. I'm excited about the new building. It's going to have our cultural pieces in it and it's going to be new and refreshing." Thanks to a $650,000 contribution from ACOA that was announced Monday by Justice Minister Peter MacKay and a matching $650,000 from the Pictou Landing band, the eco-friendly pre-fabricated building will be under construction by Aug. 1 and completed three months later.
‟The problem we had with this building is that we had a lot of mould and mildew in it and just a lot of issues with it," Paul said of the old building that will be torn down. ‟People were constantly sick, and it wasn't a good working environment.
‟For us to have a new building for our staff that is safe, that is clean and that is accessible for all is very exciting. To be able to showcase that, to market it to other communities, is very exciting. To see where we've come from to where we are going, to see that transformation is very exciting. I'm very excited for the people in our community." Excitement hasn't been a catch word traditionally associated with the community, which is located near the Northern Pulp mill and the Boat Harbour effluent treatment plant. Last year, a trust agreement kicked in that ordered the federal government to compensate band members and residents to the tune of $35 million for the adverse effects of the treatment centre.
Some of that money has been used to pay the band's part of the new building, which will house administrative, training and development offices.
‟It's a sizeable contribution for what we think is a substantial return," MacKay said of the federal funding. ‟It really is the best of partnership and innovation coming together.
‟What is sometimes missing these days in Nova Scotia is a manufacturing strategy so that we are producing an actual tangible project and product that is going to create jobs and bring about greater economic prosperity. The fact that is happening right here on Pictou Landing First Nation is remarkable." The building will be constructed in components by MacGregors Industrial Group in its steel-building fabrication facility in McClellan Brook. The plan is that similar buildings can be built and transported to Canada's North, where weather and permafrost conditions are not ideal for building construction, and to regions outside the country that require temporary or long-term buildings in the wake of disasters.
‟The basic components would be built in our fabrication facilities," said Dave MacGregor. ‟As the business grows and the partnership grows, we'll look at other opportunities for fabrication. It's the frames that we fabricate and it's panelized construction after that." The corporate partnership, for which a memorandum of understanding was signed Monday, includes the band, MacGregors, the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce and Solar Global Solutions, a Halifax renewable energy company.
Sean Fleming, general manager of Solar Global, said his company will provide an energy system for the building that combines solar energy, battery storage and a small heat and power generator.
‟In the summertime, the building will be feeding excess power into the grid and using more power in the wintertime to heat the building, but over the course of the year, it should about netzero in terms of energy usage," Fleming said. ‟It's very exciting, probably the first commercial space in Nova Scotia that will get close to that value."
Pictou Landing Chief Andrea Paul listens on Monday as Justice Minister Peter MacKay announces $650,000 in federal funding from ACOA to help build a new administrative, training and development building in Pictou Landing. FRANCIS CAMPBELL Truro Bureau
Community multi-purpose building project receives $650,000 in federal support
FRANCIS CAMPBELL TRURO BUREAU
fcampbell@herald.ca @CH_HubBub PICTOU LANDING - Chief Andrea Paul stepped out of the modern Pictou Landing health centre and motioned to the fire hall and training centre across the street.
The dilapidated one-storey building that had housed the band's administrative offices hardly inspired a forward-looking vision.
But that will all change by the end of October when a new $1.3-million multi-purpose building opens its doors.
‟This is significant," said Paul, leader of the 460-resident Mi'kmaq First Nation community at the mouth of Pictou Harbour.
‟That's our main place of business for everyone in the community," Paul said. ‟Even just to look at it (the old building) hasn't been healthy. I'm excited about the new building. It's going to have our cultural pieces in it and it's going to be new and refreshing." Thanks to a $650,000 contribution from ACOA that was announced Monday by Justice Minister Peter MacKay and a matching $650,000 from the Pictou Landing band, the eco-friendly pre-fabricated building will be under construction by Aug. 1 and completed three months later.
‟The problem we had with this building is that we had a lot of mould and mildew in it and just a lot of issues with it," Paul said of the old building that will be torn down. ‟People were constantly sick, and it wasn't a good working environment.
‟For us to have a new building for our staff that is safe, that is clean and that is accessible for all is very exciting. To be able to showcase that, to market it to other communities, is very exciting. To see where we've come from to where we are going, to see that transformation is very exciting. I'm very excited for the people in our community." Excitement hasn't been a catch word traditionally associated with the community, which is located near the Northern Pulp mill and the Boat Harbour effluent treatment plant. Last year, a trust agreement kicked in that ordered the federal government to compensate band members and residents to the tune of $35 million for the adverse effects of the treatment centre.
Some of that money has been used to pay the band's part of the new building, which will house administrative, training and development offices.
‟It's a sizeable contribution for what we think is a substantial return," MacKay said of the federal funding. ‟It really is the best of partnership and innovation coming together.
‟What is sometimes missing these days in Nova Scotia is a manufacturing strategy so that we are producing an actual tangible project and product that is going to create jobs and bring about greater economic prosperity. The fact that is happening right here on Pictou Landing First Nation is remarkable." The building will be constructed in components by MacGregors Industrial Group in its steel-building fabrication facility in McClellan Brook. The plan is that similar buildings can be built and transported to Canada's North, where weather and permafrost conditions are not ideal for building construction, and to regions outside the country that require temporary or long-term buildings in the wake of disasters.
‟The basic components would be built in our fabrication facilities," said Dave MacGregor. ‟As the business grows and the partnership grows, we'll look at other opportunities for fabrication. It's the frames that we fabricate and it's panelized construction after that." The corporate partnership, for which a memorandum of understanding was signed Monday, includes the band, MacGregors, the Pictou County Chamber of Commerce and Solar Global Solutions, a Halifax renewable energy company.
Sean Fleming, general manager of Solar Global, said his company will provide an energy system for the building that combines solar energy, battery storage and a small heat and power generator.
‟In the summertime, the building will be feeding excess power into the grid and using more power in the wintertime to heat the building, but over the course of the year, it should about netzero in terms of energy usage," Fleming said. ‟It's very exciting, probably the first commercial space in Nova Scotia that will get close to that value."
Pictou Landing Chief Andrea Paul listens on Monday as Justice Minister Peter MacKay announces $650,000 in federal funding from ACOA to help build a new administrative, training and development building in Pictou Landing. FRANCIS CAMPBELL Truro Bureau
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LIKE WE'VE BEEN SAYIN.... we do NOT have any candidates that sparkle and shine and are new and determined to bring us - the actual Canadians.... belief that they will actually work for us...
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE:
NO MARCHING TO THE POLLS
Re: ‟Premier concerned about low turnout, slow ballot counting" (July 20). Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be much less discussion about why voter turnout is so low. Instead, we hear about ways to raise turnout, such as compulsory voting.
What a great idea. Let's depreciate the vote of the motivated and choose political leadership by forcing the unmotivated, and the possibly less informed, to choose.
Just putting it out there: Why are elections the only types of exchange where we blame the customer for not buying? I suspect that if something that inspires is put on the policy shelf, more customers will show up. Heck, even put something on the shelf that people detest and at least voters will turn out to vote for the competitors.
John Jozsa, Halifax
IT'S POLITICIANS, NOT PROCESS
Re: ‟Voter turnout worries McNeil" (July 16). Is it stupid in here or is it just me? Does Stephen McNeil, a grown-up boy who has made it all the way up the food chain to become premier, want us to believe that he believes low voter turnout is due to the way we vote? You have to wonder: Does part of the training to become a politician involve learning how to breathe with your head buried in the sand?
A while back, in total desperation, we voted the NDP into power, and you see where that got us - and them. Could this be a clue to the premier as to why there is low voter turnout? In any election these days, it isn't a matter of choosing the best candidate (if you want to vote); it's a matter of choosing the least objectionable one.
If people ran their households the way the government runs the province or country, they'd be thrown into jail immediately, if not sooner. They do not pass ‟go" for being an unfit provider. Politicians, eh! They're so cute when they're that age.
Dave Cleveland, Bridgewater
Re: ‟Premier concerned about low turnout, slow ballot counting" (July 20). Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be much less discussion about why voter turnout is so low. Instead, we hear about ways to raise turnout, such as compulsory voting.
What a great idea. Let's depreciate the vote of the motivated and choose political leadership by forcing the unmotivated, and the possibly less informed, to choose.
Just putting it out there: Why are elections the only types of exchange where we blame the customer for not buying? I suspect that if something that inspires is put on the policy shelf, more customers will show up. Heck, even put something on the shelf that people detest and at least voters will turn out to vote for the competitors.
John Jozsa, Halifax
IT'S POLITICIANS, NOT PROCESS
Re: ‟Voter turnout worries McNeil" (July 16). Is it stupid in here or is it just me? Does Stephen McNeil, a grown-up boy who has made it all the way up the food chain to become premier, want us to believe that he believes low voter turnout is due to the way we vote? You have to wonder: Does part of the training to become a politician involve learning how to breathe with your head buried in the sand?
A while back, in total desperation, we voted the NDP into power, and you see where that got us - and them. Could this be a clue to the premier as to why there is low voter turnout? In any election these days, it isn't a matter of choosing the best candidate (if you want to vote); it's a matter of choosing the least objectionable one.
If people ran their households the way the government runs the province or country, they'd be thrown into jail immediately, if not sooner. They do not pass ‟go" for being an unfit provider. Politicians, eh! They're so cute when they're that age.
Dave Cleveland, Bridgewater
AND... MENTAL HEALTH.... NOVA SCOTIA AND SERVICES LACKING..
MENTAL HEALTH CARE
Staff gaps are not new
Nova Scotia opposition parties were quick to jump on the Liberal government after New Glasgow's Aberdeen Hospital announced last week that its mental health inpatient unit will close in early August for at least three months.
Tory critics called the situation shameful and incompetent, putting lives at risk. NDP interim leader Maureen MacDonald said Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine owed Nova Scotians an explanation for why he allowed the situation at the hospital to reach this point.
There's no question this government urgently needs to review the performance of mental health services across the province, using as a guide the many sensible recommendations that have come from a series of reports done in the last five years, including the 2012 mental health strategy.
The Liberals also need to commit to act on that review and produce a performance plan, with timelines and annual progress reports.
Despite Mr. Glavine's recent denial of any crisis in mental health care, too many people still wait far too long for mental health services, or get turned away without help or treatment.
Nova Scotia Health Authority (NSHA) officials say no one approaching the Aberdeen Hospital for mental health services will be turned away, promising anyone who needs inpatient treatment will be transferred to another facility.
Clearly, however, this unit's hopefully brief closure can only put more pressure on an already overburdened mental health system across Nova Scotia.
But it's fair to point out the current situation at the Aberdeen hospital also reflects the longstanding problem of shortages, in Canada and beyond, of both psychiatrists and nurses working in psychiatric care.
The NSHA spokeswoman blamed ‟unusual staffing challenges" in both nursing and psychiatric services for the shutdown, despite ongoing recruitment efforts.
A Canadian Medical Association survey in 2012 found there are fewer psychiatrists than needed nationally. In the U.S., physician recruiting firm Merritt Hawkins's 2015 report on most sought health-care specialities in that country said psychiatrists were third on their list, the highest demand seen in the 27 years of the firm's review.
Meanwhile, Janet Hazelton, president of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union, says the province, with one of the oldest and unhealthiest populations in the country, has had a chronic shortage of nurses for many, many years.
Specialities such as nursing in psychiatric units often have shortages, she said. Smaller facilities, which rely on smaller numbers of nurses, are particularly vulnerable.
She rightly argues the problem must be tackled nationally through more equitable health-care funding from Ottawa. Right now, health-care funding is on a per capita basis, which underestimates the health-care needs of Nova Scotia's older, sicker population.
Shortages of mental health care professionals obviously predate the current Liberal government. But that just underscores the urgent need for Mr. Glavine to quickly find out where the province is not meeting best-practice advice.
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Stephen Hawking, Russian billionaire launch search for extraterrestrials
LONDON — Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has joined a Russian billionaire to launch a major new effort to listen for aliens in the search for extraterrestrial life. Read More
LONDON — Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has joined a Russian billionaire to launch a major new effort to listen for aliens in the search for extraterrestrial life. Read More
FOOD FOR THOUGHT - 1960 Canada's Bill of Rights
Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.
John Diefenbaker
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-
COMMENT:
well
yes...the world's everyday people- not the political bullshit or mainstream
media useless as titties on a bull... or United Nations who still refuses 2
enshrine women equal men and children matter in all their policies.....
Canadians are relatively $$$ poor; we are a new young and brilliant nation ....
200 cultures and 2 official languages.... and same gender laws passed in 1969,
women equal men by law... and THE BILL OF RIGHTS WAS PASSED IN 1970.... Mandela
and Martin Luther King called Canada - FREEDOM.... We love our First Peoples of
10,000 years and they are truly featured along with our immigration story of
building this young nation.... youngbloods all over the world want 2 come and
visit , study and immigrate 2 our glorious young country.... thank u for the
share... and stating the obvious.... love Canada's Global News.... u are one of
the best news in mainstream on the planet... and u don't play cruel politics -
u love each and all of us... God bless our troops, policing, rcmp, firefighters
and first responders... because that's how I roll- old momma nova
Canada tops the list of countries with the best reputations. What do you think?
VANCOUVER — Canada’s reputation
in the world is the cream of the crop, according to a new survey of global
public perception.
Our country claimed the top
spot on the survey of 55 nations (based on GDP), conducted by the Reputation
Institute, an international consulting firm based in Copenhagen and
Boston.
Canada knocked Switzerland out
of the No. 1 spot (Switzerland dropped to No. 4 this year) and topped
Scandinavian and northern European countries which traditionally place at the
top of “best places to live,” happiness indexes and the like.
But, Canada is no stranger to
being in first place on the Country RepTrak: it’s held that spot all but two
years since the survey began in 2010. Canada was second to Switzerland last
year and to Sweden in 2010.
“When people perceive a country
positively based on their direct experiences and through the lens of others,
that translates into increased tourism dollars,” Reputation Institute managing
partner Fernando Prado said in a press release. “That’s because a country’s
reputation dictates supportive behaviors such as the willingness of people to
visit that country.”
Canada’s ranking is based on
the interviews of more than 48,000 people in G8 countries, according to the
Reputation Institute.
To gauge the perception of 55
countries — in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia — the survey
looked at three dimensions: effective government, appealing environment and
advanced economy.
To back up our
top ranking, survey respondents were most likely to want to visit, live, work
and study in Canada. We also ranked high for potential investment (No. 2),
interest in buying our products (No.5) and as a place to attend or organize
events (No. 2). That could be a good thing for the Canadian economy,
considering economists are predicting we’re headed towards another recession
and the Canadian dollar dropped Wednesday on news
of the Bank of Canada cutting the trend-setting interest rate by 0.5 per cent.
But based on that, the
reputation ranking isn’t great news for those at the bottom of the list.
Those countries are:
·
51. Nigeria
·
52. Russia
·
53. Pakistan
·
54. Iran
·
55. Iraq
Russia, one
of the world’s largest economies, saw its reputation slip in this year’s
ranking, thanks to its annexation of Crimea in 2014 and continued involvement
in the conflict in Ukraine.
The world’s biggest economy,
the United States, improved on its reputation but still failed to crack the Top
20, coming in at No. 22 (between Thailand and Poland).
Interestingly, financially-troubled
Greece was in
the Top 30 and even improved on its score from the 2014 ranking. (The firm did
not specify the dates when the survey was conducted, but it was likely before
the current economic crisis worsened.)
While Canada is doing well in
the eyes of respondents, Canadians’ image of their country is slightly lower.
The Reputation Institute found that the internal reputation of Canada had a
six-point difference from its external ranking — coming in second behind
Australia for self-image.
What do you think of Canada’s reputation? Is Canada a country others should look up to? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
At the same time, Russians had
a very high view of their country and came in third for self-image with the
highest gap between how it viewed itself and how everyone else did — a 47.2
point gap.
Canada was also appealing on
other fronts in the ranking, those not entirely tied to business and politics,
such as lifestyle, how friendly and welcoming Canadians are and for being a
beautiful country.
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--------------
Ben Brown Athletics - Para-ATLANTIC CANADA'S PARA ATHLETES.... Woo Hoo...
Ben Brown Athletics - ParaPan AM and PAN AM
- Team/Club: Valley Athletics
- Coach: Ueli Albert
- Goals: Rio Paralympics
Hometown: Berwick, NS
Current residing: Cambridge, NS
Ben races primarily in sprint and middle distances, including the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m, in the T53 classification. He currently holds the NS records in all of these disciplines, and was also NS’s first para athlete to compete in both the Canada Summer and Winter Games.
Check out Ben’s full bio at Global Wheelchair Athletics.
Current residing: Cambridge, NS
Ben races primarily in sprint and middle distances, including the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m, in the T53 classification. He currently holds the NS records in all of these disciplines, and was also NS’s first para athlete to compete in both the Canada Summer and Winter Games.
Check out Ben’s full bio at Global Wheelchair Athletics.
- View Athlete Profile
Adam Casey
Curling
Newfoundland
- View Athlete Profile
Adam Lancia
Basketball- Wheelchair
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Alex Duckworth
Snowboard
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Alexa Irvin
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Alexis Crossley
Ice Hockey
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Allyssa Cleaves
Wrestling
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Andrew Jessop
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Arthur Ferguson
Sailing
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Austin Denman
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Ben Brown
Athletics - Para
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Ben Russell
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Brody Blair
Boxing
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Caleb Jones
Athletics
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Christel Robichaud
Athletics - Para
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Ciaran Hearn
Rugby
Newfoundland
- View Athlete Profile
Craig Spence
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Daneesha Provo
Basketball
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Danial Murphy
Swimming-Paralympic
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Dave Durepos
Basketball- Wheelchair
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Dave Waters
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
David Bambrick
Athletics - Para
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
David Mori
Sailing
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Ellie Black
Gymnastics- Artistic
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Enya Pouliot
Gymnastics- Artistic
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Erin Rafuse
Sailing
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Erin Smith
Volleyball Indoor
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Geneviève Lalonde
Athletics
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Genevieve Orton
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Hannah Taylor
Wrestling
Prince Edward Island
- View Athlete Profile
Hannah Vaughan
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Hugh Smith
Gymnastics- Artistic
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Jackie Marciano
Athletics - Para
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
James McManus
Judo
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Jamey Jewells
Basketball- Wheelchair
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Jared Connaughton
Athletics
Prince Edward Island
- View Athlete Profile
Jason McCoombs
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Jillian Saulnier
Ice Hockey
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
John Ferguson
Sailing
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Justine Colley
Basketball
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Katarina Roxon
Swimming-Paralympic
Newfoundland
- View Athlete Profile
Kate Campbell
Karate
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Logan Campbell
Sailing-Paralympic
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Lorena Ellis
Wrestling
Prince Edward Island
- View Athlete Profile
Louis Fortin
Cross Country Ski-Paralympic
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Luke Demetre
Bobsleigh
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Mark Arendz
Biathlon
Prince Edward Island
- View Athlete Profile
Mark de Jonge
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Marshall Hughes
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Max Burt
Volleyball Indoor
Newfoundland
- View Athlete Profile
Michelle Russell
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Nkem Ezurike
Soccer
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Pamela LeJean
Athletics - Para
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Paul Tingley
Sailing-Paralympic
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Phillipe Poulin
Athletics - Para
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Rachelle Coward
Basketball
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Sam Stewart
Wrestling
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Scott Lutes
Sailing-Paralympic
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Shaun Fair
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Shawn Daye-Finley
Wrestling
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Shayne Dobson
Athletics - Para
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Simon Richard
Goal Ball
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Stuart Wight
Cycling
New Brunswick
- View Athlete Profile
Team Saunders
Sailing
Nova Scotia
- View Athlete Profile
Una Lounder
Canoe/Kayak
Nova Scotia
-----------------
#1BRising
FIFA 16 cover will feature women stars Morgan and Sinclair in US and Canada
FIFA 16 acknowledging women exist isn’t something to applaud
by Amanda Connolly
Tweet
—
18m ago in Opinion
Each of the female players will appear alongside Lionel Messi on their respective covers. In the US, it will be Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan; in Canada, it will be Christine Sinclair, captain of the Canadian national team and in Australia, 21 year old Stephanie Catley will be featured. In the UK, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will be the second cover star next to Messi thanks to a public vote. However, if I was on Henderson’s PR team, I would probably consider suggesting he offers his place to a female player.
It’s a noteworthy step for EA and timely given the lingering atmosphere from the US women’s team victory in the World Cup earlier this month.
Acknowledging the existence of women on its cover and in the game is certainly a positive thing and with the US team’s success, it’s sure to give the game a sales boost.
However, given that women have played FIFA and participated in equally exciting high level sports since forever, I highly doubt this will change the demographic of people playing the game; and more so, it highlights the fact that FIFA ignored the already undervalued successes of women in sports and the women playing its game for so long.
Without dampening the spirits of the new female cover stars, it is still a feat, but having to highlight and applaud the inclusion of such impressive athletes in modern society is backwards.
-------------------
Fracking water on way out of Kennetcook
After being treated on site, 20 million litres goes to Lafarge plant
Fracking waste water stored in Kennetcook will be transported to the Lafarge cement plant in Brookfield to be used as a coolant.
The people of Kennetcook will finally be rid of their least favourite neighbour.
On Thursday, the provincial government gave approval for Atlantic Industrial Services to treat 20 million litres of fracking waste water for naturally occurring radioactive materials and then put it through reverseosmosis.
The Debert company will begin relocating its water treatment equipment to Kennetcook next week.
The twice-treated water will then be transported to the Lafarge cement plant in Brookfield to be used as a coolant in the kiln and evaporated at 700 C. Once the treatment process begins, up to eight truckloads of treated water will be moved to the cement plant each day.
A pilot project that saw two million litres of treated water go through the same process last year showed that the final emissions from the cement plant were no different than when fresh water from a nearby lake was used in the kiln.
Including the pilot project, a total of eight million litres from the Kennetcook site have been treated by Atlantic Industrial Services and disposed of through Lafarge’s plant.
The water in the holding ponds is left over from drilling operations by Triangle Petroleum in 2007 and 2008. Triangle is responsible for site reclamation, said the Environment Department.
Ken Summers, who lives near where some of the drilling occurred, said he is glad the water will finally be gone after all these years, but he is disappointed about the decision to treat it locally without first consulting the community.
“That’s quite a step they’ve taken without even asking us. It’s gotta go, but it’s how to do it.”
An Environment Department spokeswoman said Atlantic Industrial Services was required to treat the naturally occurring radioactive materials on site, so the company decided to conduct the entire treatment process there.
Summers said his other concern is about treatment happening outside of Atlantic Industrial Services’ controlled environment. He said he thinks the overall experience of dealing with the water has been “an agreed lesson learned.”
“People may not agree about what should have happened back then, but everybody agrees that there was no scrutiny about how this was going to happen.”
and
---------------------
On Thursday, the provincial government gave approval for Atlantic Industrial Services to treat 20 million litres of fracking waste water for naturally occurring radioactive materials and then put it through reverseosmosis.
The Debert company will begin relocating its water treatment equipment to Kennetcook next week.
The twice-treated water will then be transported to the Lafarge cement plant in Brookfield to be used as a coolant in the kiln and evaporated at 700 C. Once the treatment process begins, up to eight truckloads of treated water will be moved to the cement plant each day.
A pilot project that saw two million litres of treated water go through the same process last year showed that the final emissions from the cement plant were no different than when fresh water from a nearby lake was used in the kiln.
Including the pilot project, a total of eight million litres from the Kennetcook site have been treated by Atlantic Industrial Services and disposed of through Lafarge’s plant.
The water in the holding ponds is left over from drilling operations by Triangle Petroleum in 2007 and 2008. Triangle is responsible for site reclamation, said the Environment Department.
Ken Summers, who lives near where some of the drilling occurred, said he is glad the water will finally be gone after all these years, but he is disappointed about the decision to treat it locally without first consulting the community.
“That’s quite a step they’ve taken without even asking us. It’s gotta go, but it’s how to do it.”
An Environment Department spokeswoman said Atlantic Industrial Services was required to treat the naturally occurring radioactive materials on site, so the company decided to conduct the entire treatment process there.
Summers said his other concern is about treatment happening outside of Atlantic Industrial Services’ controlled environment. He said he thinks the overall experience of dealing with the water has been “an agreed lesson learned.”
“People may not agree about what should have happened back then, but everybody agrees that there was no scrutiny about how this was going to happen.”
and
Pictou Landing takes mill permit to top court
Environmental terms too lax, native group says
Earlier this year, the Environment Department issued an industrial permit for Northern Pulp that calls for the Pictou County mill to reduce its environmental footprint and close its Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility. (STAFF / File)
Pictou Landing First Nation is taking its Northern Pulp appeal to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
Earlier this year, the Environment Department issued an industrial permit for Northern Pulp that calls for the Pictou County mill to reduce its environmental footprint and close its Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility, which is located on First Nations land, by 2020.
Pictou Landing First Nation appealed the decision, saying the terms of the industrial approval weren’t strict enough.
But Environment Minister Randy Delorey denied the appeal, saying “consultation took place” and “accommodations were made with Pictou Landing First Nation by imposing several terms and conditions in the industrial approval.”
According to documents released earlier this week, Pictou Landing is appealing that decision as well. The documents were filed with the court on July 10.
In the written notice of appeal, Brian J. Hebert, counsel for Pictou Landing First Nation, said Delorey “failed to accommodate the aboriginal and treaty rights of the Pictou Landing First Nation in the industrial approval, including, without limit, their right to the use and enjoyment of their reserve lands free of environmental contamination.”
He went on to say the industrial approval should be “quashed, set aside or revoked and is of no force and effect.”
On Aug. 12, the appellants and respondent will appear before a judge at the Halifax Law Courts to determine when the appeal will be heard.
Earlier this year, the Environment Department issued an industrial permit for Northern Pulp that calls for the Pictou County mill to reduce its environmental footprint and close its Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility, which is located on First Nations land, by 2020.
Pictou Landing First Nation appealed the decision, saying the terms of the industrial approval weren’t strict enough.
But Environment Minister Randy Delorey denied the appeal, saying “consultation took place” and “accommodations were made with Pictou Landing First Nation by imposing several terms and conditions in the industrial approval.”
According to documents released earlier this week, Pictou Landing is appealing that decision as well. The documents were filed with the court on July 10.
In the written notice of appeal, Brian J. Hebert, counsel for Pictou Landing First Nation, said Delorey “failed to accommodate the aboriginal and treaty rights of the Pictou Landing First Nation in the industrial approval, including, without limit, their right to the use and enjoyment of their reserve lands free of environmental contamination.”
He went on to say the industrial approval should be “quashed, set aside or revoked and is of no force and effect.”
On Aug. 12, the appellants and respondent will appear before a judge at the Halifax Law Courts to determine when the appeal will be heard.
Atlantic tourism gets $20m boost
OTTAWA BUREAU ANDREA GUNN
agunn@herald.ca @notandrea
The federal government and Atlantic provinces announced Friday a $20-million renewal of a partnership focused on promoting the region as a tourist destination.
The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership is a collaboration between federal and provincial governments and tourism associations from the four provinces with a mandate to enhance the region's lucrative tourism sector. The three-year renewal includes $10 million from Ottawa, $6.6 million from the Atlantic provinces and $3.4 million from the four provincial tourism associations.
According to a news release, over the next three years the partnership will focus on increasing reach and frequency of marketing in foreign markets, primarily the United States and United Kingdom.
Nova Scotia Business Minister Mark Furey said in the release he hopes to double the province's tourism revenues in the next 10 years.
‟To do that, we need to attract more first-time visitors from farther away, and the Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership agreement will help us do just that by targeting visitors from key international markets." According to the tourism partnership website, a third-party analysis of the 2012-2015 partnership agreement generated $164.4 million in revenue in Atlantic Canada - $13.55 for every dollar invested in marketing campaigns.
-------------------------
COME VISIT... GETCHA CANADA AND NOVA SCOTIA ON...
VAL MARIE, SASK.
Un-convent-ional bed and breakfast
Lodgings provide rest stop near national park
BILL GRAVELAND THE CANADIAN PRESS
The dark sky, booming thunder and bright lightning of a fastmoving Prairie thunderstorm seemed to add to the atmosphere at the Convent Country Inn in tiny Val Marie, Sask.
The convent was opened in 1939, and for decades the Sisters of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary taught the residents of the community 120 kilometres south of Swift Current.
The main part of the building was cloistered and the rest was the local high school. After a new public school was built in the 1960s, the remaining sisters sold the building and it was used as a care home before it was abandoned in 1978.
A week before it was scheduled for demolition in 1996, it was rescued by Robert Ducan and his son Adam who chanced upon the building during a summer vacation. They restored it and turned it into a bed-and-breakfast a year later.
A tiny chapel remains on the second floor along with a confessional booth.
The 10 rooms are spacious and although not ostentatious in any way, they are comfortable with large beds and armchairs.
Jana Cornoc is the manager of the Convent Inn, as well as the cook, maid and, in a pinch, the bellman as well.
She said the inn is mostly full from when it opens in early May until the end of October.
Some guests are looking for peace and quiet while others are curious to see what it would be like to stay in a convent, and many use it as a stopover on their way to Grasslands National Park.
The park is one of the few remaining areas of undisturbed dry mixed-grass/shortgrass prairie grassland.
A herd of Plains bison was reintroduced into the region nearly a decade ago.
Cornoc said she doesn't find anything unusual about spending all of her waking hours at a former convent, but some guests don't agree.
‟Well, we have had a few incidents of people who think they felt a spiritual presence," she said.
‟One lady had to change her room because she said the nuns were chit-chatting so much she couldn't sleep. She was a psychic medium so she was really, really telling me you need to move me from that room because they're chatting too much," Cornoc added with a laugh.
There are signs of the former occupants everywhere. A large room on the main floor that now serves as a breakfast area and an entertainment room on the second floor still have a wall full of blackboards, which contain everything from Bible verses to words of advice.
The Convent Inn is for sale, but its owners will keep it open until a new buyer is found.
Val Marie, which now has a population of about 130, was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and was considered to be in the United States.
But in the 1880s the British North American Boundary Commission marked the border between the United States and Canada and Val Marie was placed in Canada.
Photos by BILL GRAVELAND CP
The Convent Country Inn in Val Marie, Sask., was built in 1939 but it has since been turned into a bed and breakfast.
A former nun's room at The Convent Country Inn in Val Marie is shown here on June 19.
-----------------
Ottawa to clear way for veterans to get free legal help in fight for benefits
OTTAWA BUREAU ANDREA GUNN
agunn@herald.ca @notandrea
Veterans fighting for benefits will soon be able to take their case all the way to Federal Court without having to pay for their lawyer.
On Friday, Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole confirmed plans to implement a recommendation first made by the veterans ombudsman in 2012 to give veterans the option of being represented by their pension advocate at a Federal Court level.
Now, if a veteran is refused benefits through Veterans Affairs, he is able to appeal that decision through the quasi-judicial Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB). During that process, a veteran is represented by a federally funded Bureau of Pension Advocates lawyer. If a veteran wants to take the decision further, the next option is Federal Court.
Right now, veterans at Federal Court must either pay for their own lawyer or find someone to represent them pro bono.
In 2012, the ombudsman issued a report that included seven recommendations to make the adjudication process simpler for veterans. One of those was for the minister of Veterans Affairs to mandate the Bureau of Pensions Advocates to represent applicants in Federal Court. A follow-up review released by the ombudsman's office in February underlined that recommendation as one of two not implemented.
In 2013, then-veterans affairs minister Julian Fantino responded to the recommendation, saying resources are best used at levels of appeal prior to Federal Court.
But on Friday, O'Toole said his office plan to move forward.
‟The Chretien government ended that process, and we're going to restore it in the coming months," he told The Chronicle Herald.
O'Toole said 70 per cent of claims made by veterans are approved outright, and the aim of Veterans Affairs is to increase that number so fewer veterans need to embark on a legal battle.
O'Toole did not provide any details about the timeline for the implementation.
Veterans Ombudsman Guy Parent said allowing a veteran's pension advocate to represent veterans in Federal Court is a logical step. He said going through the appeal board can take several years. During that time, the Bureau of Pension Advocates lawyer and the veteran (or their family) tend to build a relationship.
‟Who is better positioned in that context to represent the clients? We think the Bureau of Pension Advocates should carry on because they've carried the file all through the different mechanisms and they're very knowledgeable of the case and its evolution." Seeking legal representation is not just a financial burden for veterans. Rehashing their story can also be emotionally taxing, especially for those with PTSD, Parent said.
David MacLeod, a Nova Scotia veteran and author of a book on the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, said the change will make a Federal Court appeal more accessible to more veterans. He also said he would like to see Federal Court given more power in its decisions surrounding board cases. Right now, Federal Court judges cannot order the board to reverse a decision, only to review it.
NDP veterans affairs critic Peter Stoffer echoed MacLeod's comments.
‟If we gave the power to the Federal Court judge, the power to overturn a decision, that's what I'd really like to see," he said.
Stoffer said an NDP government would get rid of the Veterans Review and Appeal Board and replace it with a peer-reviewed medical system.
There is no indication of what allowing Federal Court representation by pension advocates might cost. Parent said although the number of cases that make it that far is relatively small, it's an expensive process.
-----------------
IN PHOTOS: Kids of Nova Scotia
THE CHRONICLE HERALD
Last Updated July 19, 2015 - 8:21p
http://thechronicleherald.ca/sports/1300243-in-photos-kids-of-nova-scotia
-----------------
A screen-free summer for kids
Lila Hope-Simpson
OK, who are we kidding? The odds of having a screen-free summer are about as likely as Nova Scotia having a rain- free summer. But realistically, we can reduce the time our children spend sitting in front of screens and encourage more hands-on creativity and outdoor play. Here are some fun and accessible outdoor activities — and I don’t mean sitting outside with the iPad!
Build a fort
Start with a box. Make a fort, a race car, a doll’s bed or a shopping cart. Don’t have an empty cardboard box? That’s oK — think “outside the box” and throw a sheet over a table. Building a fort develops creativity and imagination, encourages teamwork and fosters problem-solving skills. It is a popular activity for multi-age groups and offers kids a sense of accomplishment. Children can build a fort, take it apart, change it the next day and take ownership, creating a private place or a meeting place, active or quiet.
Sand and water play
Give your kids a bucket and shovel in a sandbox and sit back and sip your iced tea while they become absorbed in the possibilities. If you really want to kick back and relax, just add water. The messier, the better! Watch them pour, measure, shape and build. Add rocks, shells or dinosaurs. For toddlers and preschoolers, this is basic science and math. If you don’t have a sandbox, fill a plastic baby bathtub with play sand, add a few yogurt containers, funnels and spoons and you’re good to go. For variety buy or make kinetic sand.
Did you know that adding cinnamon to your sandbox may keep bugs away? And please remember to keep a lid on it — cover the sandbox to prevent cats from visiting.
As for water, fill spray bottles with water and your kids will do the rest. Or “paint” the house by providing buckets of water and paintbrushes. Put a bucket of water on the deck with a rag and let the kids “wash” their cars and toys. Even watering the plants can be a fun outdoor activity on a summer day. Provide some bubbles! What is more magical than blowing bubbles on a summer day and trying to catch them as they gently float away?
Backyard detective
You don’t have to go far to enjoy the great outdoors. Your own backyard is full of insects, spider webs, wild flowers (sometimes called weeds), tree trunks, earth, rocks, sticks, leaves, birds and squirrels.
Make a list (with words or pictures) and have your kids search for each item. A scavenger hunt encourages them to explore their habitat and appreciate nature. Pick up some binoculars or magnifying glasses at the dollar store for additional possibilities. Are the leaves smooth or fuzzy? How many legs does an ant have? Are any bugs hiding under the rock? Do you see any birds at the bird feeder?
Stompers
Buy them or make them. Stompers are stilt-like toys that are actually two cans turned upside-down and held tightly against your feet by pulling up on the attached cord or string. Just watch your preschoolers develop coordination, balance and enjoy plenty of exercise with their new stompers.
To make your own, find two large, wide cans that are the same size. Punch two holes on either side of each can near the top. Kids can paint or decorate the cans if they wish. Tie strong cord, ribbon or tubing through each hole of one can, creating a loop. Repeat with the other can. The child places each foot (with shoes on) on top of the inverted cans, pulls up tightly on the cord, which should be waist high, and stomps! Supervision required.
Gardening
Kids can plant seeds, weed, water and pick. They will take a much greater interest in the family garden if they are involved in hands-on participation, whether your fancy is veggies, herbs or flowers. They might even be more apt to eat the carrots if they watch them grow. Composting can be part of the learning activity. Gardening is open-ended, appropriate for all age groups, educational, natural and cost effective.
Obstacle course
School-age children might enjoy setting up their own backyard obstacle course with rocks, wood, planks and rope. This active activity involves problem-solving skills teamwork, cooperation and gross motor skills.
And more…
Need more ideas? Balls, chalk, hopscotch, ring toss, dirt pile, cloud watching or star gazing, running through the sprinkler, badminton, horseshoes, play dough, piñata, wading pool, treasure hunt, bird watching, tag, hide-and-seek, swings, slides, teeter-totters and more. You don’t need to buy an expensive trampoline or install a swimming pool to lure the kids outside.
The truth is — most kids are keen to cut back on screen time when alternatives are accessible and available. Most outdoor activities are low-key, free or frugal.
Spread out a blanket and have a picnic lunch or snack. Provide some shade, dress appropriately for the weather, wear sunscreen and a hat and the sky’s the limit! Explore and nurture a love of nature in your own backyard. While it may not be a totally screen free summer, it can still be an active one that engages your children in plenty of outdoor play.
Build a fort
Start with a box. Make a fort, a race car, a doll’s bed or a shopping cart. Don’t have an empty cardboard box? That’s oK — think “outside the box” and throw a sheet over a table. Building a fort develops creativity and imagination, encourages teamwork and fosters problem-solving skills. It is a popular activity for multi-age groups and offers kids a sense of accomplishment. Children can build a fort, take it apart, change it the next day and take ownership, creating a private place or a meeting place, active or quiet.
Sand and water play
Give your kids a bucket and shovel in a sandbox and sit back and sip your iced tea while they become absorbed in the possibilities. If you really want to kick back and relax, just add water. The messier, the better! Watch them pour, measure, shape and build. Add rocks, shells or dinosaurs. For toddlers and preschoolers, this is basic science and math. If you don’t have a sandbox, fill a plastic baby bathtub with play sand, add a few yogurt containers, funnels and spoons and you’re good to go. For variety buy or make kinetic sand.
Did you know that adding cinnamon to your sandbox may keep bugs away? And please remember to keep a lid on it — cover the sandbox to prevent cats from visiting.
As for water, fill spray bottles with water and your kids will do the rest. Or “paint” the house by providing buckets of water and paintbrushes. Put a bucket of water on the deck with a rag and let the kids “wash” their cars and toys. Even watering the plants can be a fun outdoor activity on a summer day. Provide some bubbles! What is more magical than blowing bubbles on a summer day and trying to catch them as they gently float away?
Backyard detective
You don’t have to go far to enjoy the great outdoors. Your own backyard is full of insects, spider webs, wild flowers (sometimes called weeds), tree trunks, earth, rocks, sticks, leaves, birds and squirrels.
Make a list (with words or pictures) and have your kids search for each item. A scavenger hunt encourages them to explore their habitat and appreciate nature. Pick up some binoculars or magnifying glasses at the dollar store for additional possibilities. Are the leaves smooth or fuzzy? How many legs does an ant have? Are any bugs hiding under the rock? Do you see any birds at the bird feeder?
Stompers
Buy them or make them. Stompers are stilt-like toys that are actually two cans turned upside-down and held tightly against your feet by pulling up on the attached cord or string. Just watch your preschoolers develop coordination, balance and enjoy plenty of exercise with their new stompers.
To make your own, find two large, wide cans that are the same size. Punch two holes on either side of each can near the top. Kids can paint or decorate the cans if they wish. Tie strong cord, ribbon or tubing through each hole of one can, creating a loop. Repeat with the other can. The child places each foot (with shoes on) on top of the inverted cans, pulls up tightly on the cord, which should be waist high, and stomps! Supervision required.
Gardening
Kids can plant seeds, weed, water and pick. They will take a much greater interest in the family garden if they are involved in hands-on participation, whether your fancy is veggies, herbs or flowers. They might even be more apt to eat the carrots if they watch them grow. Composting can be part of the learning activity. Gardening is open-ended, appropriate for all age groups, educational, natural and cost effective.
Obstacle course
School-age children might enjoy setting up their own backyard obstacle course with rocks, wood, planks and rope. This active activity involves problem-solving skills teamwork, cooperation and gross motor skills.
And more…
Need more ideas? Balls, chalk, hopscotch, ring toss, dirt pile, cloud watching or star gazing, running through the sprinkler, badminton, horseshoes, play dough, piñata, wading pool, treasure hunt, bird watching, tag, hide-and-seek, swings, slides, teeter-totters and more. You don’t need to buy an expensive trampoline or install a swimming pool to lure the kids outside.
The truth is — most kids are keen to cut back on screen time when alternatives are accessible and available. Most outdoor activities are low-key, free or frugal.
Spread out a blanket and have a picnic lunch or snack. Provide some shade, dress appropriately for the weather, wear sunscreen and a hat and the sky’s the limit! Explore and nurture a love of nature in your own backyard. While it may not be a totally screen free summer, it can still be an active one that engages your children in plenty of outdoor play.
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Couples say 'I do' all over again
Halifax city hall offers vow renewal ceremony for folks from diverse backgrounds
JESSICA FLOWER
jflower@herald.ca @isabellejflower
Love is all around - at least it was at Halifax city hall on Friday.
The municipality hosted a vow-renewal ceremony for couples from all walks of life.
Mayor Mike Savage presided over the ceremony, letting 26 Nova Scotian couples in same-sex and straight marriages renew their vows in an event the city dubbed Still the One.
Under a tulle-swathed arch, with the sun shining, a brass quintet playing wedding classics and a bubble-machine going full blast, the stage was set.
Each couple had the opportunity to get up in front of the crowd of about 150, filled with family and loved ones, and recite their own vows. Depending on the couple, there were laughs or tears, and sometimes, both.
Jenn Nearing and Emma Devost of Eastern Passage met 10 years ago at a Nova Scotia government-hosted wrap party celebrating the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada.
‟It's a second 10-year anniversary. Both for us and on a national platform," said Nearing.
‟It's great to see so many straight couples as well. And this is what we hoped for all those years ago - for equality. That same-sex marriage is normal. And it really felt like that today." Devost said the community and their neighbours have been supportive.
Steven and Glenda Bradley of Halifax had been discussing renewing their vows for a while. When Steven saw the event on Twitter, they knew this was it.
‟We've been married 26 years next month and we're so happy to share it with everyone. Love is love," said Glenda, referring to the hashtag, which was used to celebrate same-sex marriage ruling in the United States.
‟We have our son here and his partner and our soon-to-be grandchild, so it was a very special day for us." Savage was in high spirits, donning a boutonniere.
‟Today is a celebration of love, commitment and marriage and also to recognize a decade of same-sex marriage in our country," he said.
MP Megan Leslie was in attendance, as well as several members of Halifax's city council, including David Hendsbee, Darren Fisher, Jennifer Watts and Steve Craig.
The celebration was toasted afterwards in city hall with sparkling wine and cupcakes. . . . This is what we hoped for all those years ago - for equality. That same-sex marriage is normal. And it really felt like that today.
Jenn Nearing Vow renewer
Couples renew their vows at the You're Still the One ceremony on Friday. Twenty seven couples took part in the event. Photos by RYAN TAPLIN Staff
People attending the ceremony cheer after couples exchanged marriage vow renewals.
Vow renewal participants Heather and Nadia Morgan get a hug from their two-year-old son Avery after renewing their vows at the ceremony.
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Kentville coach hailed as Maritime Sport Hall of Fame inductee
Contributed
Kentville Mayor David Corkum and members of town council welcomed Burton Russell to a council meeting on June 15 to receive a special presentation. Corkum introduced Russell, noting that following many years as a coach, mentor, sports author and participant in sports-related functions, Russell has been named to the Maritime Sports Hall of Fame. He was congratulated by the town and presented with a print of the town in acknowledgement of his achievements.
Russell is well-known throughout the community, having attended KCA and Acadia University, prior to attending Dalhousie. For the last 25 years of his career, he taught English and coached sports at Kings County Academy. He is the author of 11 books on Maritime sports history; is currently the official statistician of the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League; and enjoys a diverse interest in culture, education and sports. He is what many refer to, as a “man for all seasons.”
Russell thanked the town for the honour of being asked to come for the presentation. He gave a brief history of his career and noted that the presentation “will be one of the highlights of [my] life.”
Russell is well-known throughout the community, having attended KCA and Acadia University, prior to attending Dalhousie. For the last 25 years of his career, he taught English and coached sports at Kings County Academy. He is the author of 11 books on Maritime sports history; is currently the official statistician of the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League; and enjoys a diverse interest in culture, education and sports. He is what many refer to, as a “man for all seasons.”
Russell thanked the town for the honour of being asked to come for the presentation. He gave a brief history of his career and noted that the presentation “will be one of the highlights of [my] life.”
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TOWN CRIERS-
Don’t shoot the messenger
Lynn Moar
In days of old in Britain, before literacy was the norm and long before mass communication, news was delivered by town criers with the ringing of a bell and the words “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez.”Town criers were the means by which the masses were told of Royal proclamations, market day announcements, by-aws and even, yes, advertising.
Unfortunately, the news wasn’t always good. Often the gentlemen with the fancy dress and tricorne hat needed protection as citizens were apt to take out their frustrations on their person for delivering unhappy news of higher taxes or war. So, the monarchy ruled that the crier was working under the protection of the ruling monarch and causing harm to the person of the crier was tantamount to treason — hence the saying “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Criers have been credited with great influence upon the history of communications, especially in the media area. After all they were the first newspapers and broadcasters.
Nova Scotia has a long and proud British heritage which it embraces. For that reason there are still many town criers across the province. From Sydney to Yarmouth, town criers attend official functions. These days however, they only proclaim good news.
Every two or three years the town criers of Nova Scotia gather for a competition to crown one as the ultimate crier. In June the Nova Scotia provincial Town Crier Competition was held in Digby, hosted by Annapolis Royal town crier, Peter Davies.
James Stewart, town crier of New Glasgow and chairman of the Nova Scotia Guild of Town Criers, recently placed second in the World Town Criers competition in Bermuda. Stewart then made the trek to Digby to try to take the Nova Scotia title as well. Alas, Stewart placed second once again, this time to Windsor’s Lloyd Smith.
Smith won for his cry and also carried off the “Best Dressed” title at the Digby competition.
Cries were judged on volume, clarity, the choice of words and their inflection, while the criers were judged on how they looked in their uniforms, their bearing and confidence. As with debating competitions, Criers are given the topic of their cry and are then judged on the content.
Cries during the Digby competition all centered on the celebration of Digby’s 125th anniversary as an incorporated town.
Unfortunately, the news wasn’t always good. Often the gentlemen with the fancy dress and tricorne hat needed protection as citizens were apt to take out their frustrations on their person for delivering unhappy news of higher taxes or war. So, the monarchy ruled that the crier was working under the protection of the ruling monarch and causing harm to the person of the crier was tantamount to treason — hence the saying “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Criers have been credited with great influence upon the history of communications, especially in the media area. After all they were the first newspapers and broadcasters.
Nova Scotia has a long and proud British heritage which it embraces. For that reason there are still many town criers across the province. From Sydney to Yarmouth, town criers attend official functions. These days however, they only proclaim good news.
Every two or three years the town criers of Nova Scotia gather for a competition to crown one as the ultimate crier. In June the Nova Scotia provincial Town Crier Competition was held in Digby, hosted by Annapolis Royal town crier, Peter Davies.
James Stewart, town crier of New Glasgow and chairman of the Nova Scotia Guild of Town Criers, recently placed second in the World Town Criers competition in Bermuda. Stewart then made the trek to Digby to try to take the Nova Scotia title as well. Alas, Stewart placed second once again, this time to Windsor’s Lloyd Smith.
Smith won for his cry and also carried off the “Best Dressed” title at the Digby competition.
Cries were judged on volume, clarity, the choice of words and their inflection, while the criers were judged on how they looked in their uniforms, their bearing and confidence. As with debating competitions, Criers are given the topic of their cry and are then judged on the content.
Cries during the Digby competition all centered on the celebration of Digby’s 125th anniversary as an incorporated town.
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COMMENT:
folks... we really need 2 start getting our Green Party vibrant.... because with NDP screaming for Quebec separation... and Liberals gutting everything... and Tories, totally taken over by the Reform party and never gonna change... we are up sheeeeeet creek WITHOUT a paddle folks.... seriously.... so let's change up at the grassroots...
Ontario, Ottawa clash over pension plan
THE CANADIAN PRESS
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Premier Kathleen Wynne says Prime Minister Stephen Harper is playing politics by refusing to co-operate with Ontario's new pension plan, and warns voters will question his motives in the upcoming election campaign.
‟It's a disappointing political move on the prime minister's part," Wynne said Friday after Finance Minister Joe Oliver sent a letter rejecting Ontario's request for federal help in administering its new pension plan.
‟I have no idea why Prime Minister Harper would want to make one of his last actions before he goes into an election - or maybe one of his last actions as prime minister - obstructing the retirement security of the people of Ontario," added Wynne.
Speaking after the annual premiers' conference in Newfoundland and Labrador, Wynne said her colleagues agreed to again look at enhancing the Canada Pension Plan, which remains her preferred option over creating a provincial plan.
‟It is a live discussion across the country," she said. ‟It's not just about Ontario." The federal government has the infrastructure to administer the CPP, and Ontario believes a feefor-service agreement with Ottawa would be the most efficient way to implement its pension plan. The province said it is looking at other options.
Wynne vowed to proceed with its implementation, even without assistance from the Conservative government.
‟I think it's very unfortunate, because what it does is threaten to make the whole process more complicated," Wynne said.
‟That is a real challenge for the people of Ontario to understand why the prime minister would want to make a process being put in place to make their retirement more secure more complicated." The Conservatives have made no secret of their opposition to an Ontario pension plan, but Oliver upped the ante Thursday with his letter warning Ottawa will not co-operate with the province in any way.
‟The Ontario government's ORPP would take money from workers and their families, kill jobs and damage the economy," wrote Oliver.
‟Administration of the ORPP will be the sole responsibility of the Ontario government, including the collection of contributions." Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown said his federal cousins were right to try and block the ORPP because of the costs it would impose on businesses, noting 150 companies signed a letter saying the pension, energy prices and a proposed cap-andtrade system are creating a hostile climate for businesses.
‟When you see companies like General Motors and Ford signing that letter, saying this will kill jobs in Ontario, we should all be concerned," said Brown.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is battling the federal Conservatives about their opposition to Ontario's new pension plan. ANDREW VAUGHAN CP
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Replica of French frigate Hermione arrives in Lunenburg
MARY ELLEN MacINTYRE STAFF REPORTER
Published July 18, 2015 - 5:13pm
B97481039Z.1_20150718171257_000+GGFAA24L.1-1.jpg (1 of 6)
Dancers perform near the French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)Dancers perform near the French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)B97481039Z.1_20150718171257_000+GGFAA24P.1-1.jpg (2 of 6)
Rigging of the French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)Rigging of the French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)B97481039Z.1_20150718171257_000+GGFAA24Q.1-1.jpg (3 of 6)
Figurehead of the French frigate Hermione. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)Figurehead of the French frigate Hermione. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)B97481039Z.1_20150718171257_000+GGFAA24R.1-1.jpg (4 of 6)
Replica cannons of the French frigate Hermione. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)Replica cannons of the French frigate Hermione. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)B97481039Z.1_20150718171257_000+GGFAA24S.1-1.jpg (5 of 6)
Canadian Navy personnel are pictured near the French frigate Hermione on Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)Canadian Navy personnel are pictured near the French frigate Hermione on Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)B97481039Z.1_20150718171257_000+GGFAA1U2.1-1.jpg (6 of 6)
Captain Yann Cariou is pictured aboard the French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)Captain Yann Cariou is pictured aboard the French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)
It was a beautiful sight — the reproduction of an 18th century French frigate sailing into Lunenburg harbour Saturday filled hearts with joy.
“I’ve never seen such a beautiful sight. It is just the most gorgeous vessel I’ve ever seen,” enthused Louise Privet, a visitor from Quebec, as tall ship Hermione arrived.
And Lunenburg is no stranger to beautiful ships with sails, being the home port of Nova Scotia’s famed Bluenose II.
Still, many stood in awe of the massive yellow, red and blue beauty at wharfside.
“The cannons were roaring — unbelievable.”
Privet and hundreds of visitors watched as dignitaries stood before the replica of the 32-gun ship that brought famous French General Lafayette to America. He came to tell of France’s alliance with the Americans against the British and that ships and troops were on the way.
French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, shown Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)
The massive replica of the Hermione warship was built in France over a 17-year period and set sail just this past April for the east coast of the United States. The vessel was built with public and private funding and cost about $20 million to complete.
The crossing took 32 days.
“We kept to the tradewinds south of Portugal... to cross the Atlantic,” said Captain Yann Cariou, during a short meeting with reporters.
Cariou said the 80 member crew onboard the vessel endured “three or four gales” during the crossing.
“But this ship is made for sailing the wide open sea,” he said, smiling broadly.
The lifelong sailor declared the vessel the best he’s ever sailed.
“She was flying not sailing,” he said, paraphrasing General Lafayette.
The original vessel took part in the American Revolution, fighting alongside General George Washington’s troops.
L’Hermione was also involved in a lesser known event in 1781 which took place just off the coast of Cape Breton. A British supply convoy en route from Halifax to Sydney (then known as Spanish River) for a load of coal was attacked by L’Hermione and another vessel.
Lunenburg was the only Canadian visit for the vessel. Since June, it has sailed along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and took part in July 4th celebrations in New York.
It sets sail for its return voyage to France on Sunday.
“I’ve never seen such a beautiful sight. It is just the most gorgeous vessel I’ve ever seen,” enthused Louise Privet, a visitor from Quebec, as tall ship Hermione arrived.
And Lunenburg is no stranger to beautiful ships with sails, being the home port of Nova Scotia’s famed Bluenose II.
Still, many stood in awe of the massive yellow, red and blue beauty at wharfside.
“The cannons were roaring — unbelievable.”
Privet and hundreds of visitors watched as dignitaries stood before the replica of the 32-gun ship that brought famous French General Lafayette to America. He came to tell of France’s alliance with the Americans against the British and that ships and troops were on the way.
French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, shown Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff)
The massive replica of the Hermione warship was built in France over a 17-year period and set sail just this past April for the east coast of the United States. The vessel was built with public and private funding and cost about $20 million to complete.
The crossing took 32 days.
“We kept to the tradewinds south of Portugal... to cross the Atlantic,” said Captain Yann Cariou, during a short meeting with reporters.
 |
A man holding an Acadian flag takes a picture of the French frigate Hermione, a replica of the original 1779 vessel, Saturday in Lunenburg. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff) |
“But this ship is made for sailing the wide open sea,” he said, smiling broadly.
The lifelong sailor declared the vessel the best he’s ever sailed.
“She was flying not sailing,” he said, paraphrasing General Lafayette.
The original vessel took part in the American Revolution, fighting alongside General George Washington’s troops.
L’Hermione was also involved in a lesser known event in 1781 which took place just off the coast of Cape Breton. A British supply convoy en route from Halifax to Sydney (then known as Spanish River) for a load of coal was attacked by L’Hermione and another vessel.
Lunenburg was the only Canadian visit for the vessel. Since June, it has sailed along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and took part in July 4th celebrations in New York.
It sets sail for its return voyage to France on Sunday.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1300095-replica-of-french-frigate-hermione-arrives-in-lunenburg
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BLOGSPOT:
BLOGSPOT: CANADA MILITARY NEWS: who are u to change history?- Hey Canada , USA, Europe- and world – all history matters- STOP SCRUBBING FIRST PEOPLES HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN AMERICAS and latino and Immigrant history off the pages 2 suit the ‘MOMENT’ ... shame on the lot of ya- USA u going all black and Californ...i...a... movie stars and such /Canada Immigration History matters as much as First Nations- Canadians get that/QUOTES..imho/updates
http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2015/07/canada-military-news-hey-canada-usa.html
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.... WHAT>?
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Fresh new look for Halifax Pride
HEATHER LAURA CLARKE
Halifax Pride has a brand-new rainbow-hued look just in time for the 28th annual Halifax Pride Festival - which runs July 16 to 26.
Festival committee chair Willem Blois says the bright new logo was the result of a community consultation, and the eight-member board is very pleased with it.
‟We wanted to get a more cohesive image that captured the unique identity of Pride in Halifax, and what makes it special," says Blois. ‟Most cities have their own Pride festivals, but we had to say 'What does Halifax Pride have that they don't?" The new logo was critical because Blois says they are positioning the Halifax Pride Festival as a must-see event for people across North America.
‟Our organization is getting larger and the Halifax Pride Festival is becoming more of a cultural event in Nova Scotia, so we wanted to show people outside the province that this is an event you just have to attend." The Halifax Pride Festival committee also collaborated with Egg Studios to create a special video project featuring interviews with members of the community telling their stories. Blois hopes it's circulated widely on social media channels to increase awareness of the festival.
‟You meet so many people who say that Montreal is the furthest east they've ever gone, and they usually don't realize how big Halifax Pride is becoming," says Blois. ‟We want to showcase Halifax Pride on a bigger stage, and get more people to our site to learn about it." But the logo isn't the only difference you'll notice at this year's festival. If you're used to saying ‟LGBTQ" to refer to Halifax's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community, you'll now want to add a ‟plus" to the end of it.
Blois says LGBTQ+ is the new acronym, because it also includes Transsexual, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2 Spirited, Asexual and Allies - and it's much shorter than saying or writing ‟LGBTTIQQ2SA" every time.
Transgender issues have been getting mainstream news coverage in light of Caitlyn Jenner's recent transition. Blois says the Halifax Pride community ‟couldn't be happier" for Jenner, and he's pleased to see the transgender community gaining a higher profile around the world thanks to the attention.
In fact, this year's Grand Marshal for the Halifax Pride Parade, Kate Shewan, has worked to support members of the transgender community. She is the executive director of the Youth Project - a Halifax non-profit dedicated to providing support and services to youth around issues of sexual orientation and gender. Shewan is also the treasurer of the Canadian Professional Association for Transgender Health (CPATH) and was involved in the successful struggle to achieve human rights recognition and access to healthcare for transgender Nova Scotians.
Blois says Halifax Pride has come a long way since 1987 when the first march took place. He believes Pride committees around the world got ‟a huge boost" between 2004 and 2010, and things have grown exponentially ever since.
‟Pride started to enter the mainstream around that time, and corporate sponsors jumped on board, and things shifted from a community festival to a major cultural event," says Blois. ‟The other day, I heard someone describe Toronto Pride as 'the biggest cultural event in North America.'" Blois says corporate sponsorships have helped Pride committees increase their reach and grow each year. And while he describes gays and lesbians as ‟more mainstream" today, the transgender community is in need of the extra awareness.
‟Transgender rights - and people who just don't necessarily fit into the gender binary - are still finding their civil rights movement, which happened for gays and lesbians in the '80s and '90s," says Blois. ‟This is a time for celebration, but also for reflecting, and seeing where we still need to go." While he says there has been an outpouring of support for Caitlyn Jenner on social media, there have also been ‟transphobic" comments and crude jokes.
‟There is a lot more education that still has to happen," says Blois. ‟There is still work to be done, because we're not all totally equal in everyone's eyes yet." For more information, please visit www.HalifaxPride.com.
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hmmm.....if only 6,000 voted out of 1 million? ... why did Canada even waste $$$$$$taxdollars on this crap in the first place??
CANADA- Expat voting case turfed on appeal
Court overturns ruling that restored rights
of those living abroad over five years COLIN PERKEL THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO -Allowing Canadians who have lived abroad for more than five years to vote in federal elections would be unfair to those who live in Canada, Ontario's top court ruled Monday.
In a split decision, the Court of Appeal overturned a ruling that had restored the right of more than one million long-term expats to vote.
Canada's ‟social contract" entails citizens submitting to laws because they had a voice in making them through voting, the ruling states.
‟Permitting all non-residentcitizens to vote would allow them to participate in making laws that affect Canadian residents on a daily basis but have little to no practical consequence for their own daily lives," Justice George Strathy wrote for the majority court.
‟This would erode the social contract and undermine the legitimacy of the laws." Strathy said the relevant part of the Canada Elections Act aimed to strengthen the country's system of government. While it infringed on the rights of the expats, he said, the infringement is reasonable and can be justified in a free and democratic society.
Two Canadians living in the United States - Montreal-bornJamie Duong and Toronto-born Gillian Frank - launched the constitutional challenge, arguing the five-year rule was arbitrary and unreasonable. Both argued they had only left for educational and employment opportunities and still had strong ties to Canada and a stake in its future.
In May last year, Superior Court Justice Michael Penny threw out the voting ban, noting that mass murderers have the right to cast ballots but long-term expats who care deeply about the country do not. Penny also said expats could well be subject to Canadian tax and other laws.
The Appeal Court said Penny's judgment was clouded by the government's assertion that expats ‟do not have the same connection" to Canada as residents.
‟This caused the debate to be cast as whether non-resident citizens were worthy of the vote," said Strathy. ‟As a result, he overlooked Canada's democratic tradition and the importance of the social contract between Canada's electorate and Parliament." In a dissenting opinion, Justice John Laskin said he considered Penny's judgment to be persuasive. He also said the government never argued that ‟preserving the social contract" justified the charter breach. Either way, Laskin said, it is not a good reason to limit voting rights.
The rule disenfranchising Canadians who have been abroad formore than five years was enacted in 1993 amid debate about the strength of their ties to Canada and their knowledge of domestic politics.
However, the five-year clock reset for those who returned even for short visits until 2007, when Elections Canada began enforcing a requirement for expats to ‟resume residency" in Canada to regain their right to vote abroad.
The Conservative government had argued the five-year rule was reasonable and in line with international norms.
Although the legislation technically applies to more than one million expats, records show only about 6,000 of them actually voted in the 2011 election.
TORONTO -Allowing Canadians who have lived abroad for more than five years to vote in federal elections would be unfair to those who live in Canada, Ontario's top court ruled Monday.
In a split decision, the Court of Appeal overturned a ruling that had restored the right of more than one million long-term expats to vote.
Canada's ‟social contract" entails citizens submitting to laws because they had a voice in making them through voting, the ruling states.
‟Permitting all non-residentcitizens to vote would allow them to participate in making laws that affect Canadian residents on a daily basis but have little to no practical consequence for their own daily lives," Justice George Strathy wrote for the majority court.
‟This would erode the social contract and undermine the legitimacy of the laws." Strathy said the relevant part of the Canada Elections Act aimed to strengthen the country's system of government. While it infringed on the rights of the expats, he said, the infringement is reasonable and can be justified in a free and democratic society.
Two Canadians living in the United States - Montreal-bornJamie Duong and Toronto-born Gillian Frank - launched the constitutional challenge, arguing the five-year rule was arbitrary and unreasonable. Both argued they had only left for educational and employment opportunities and still had strong ties to Canada and a stake in its future.
In May last year, Superior Court Justice Michael Penny threw out the voting ban, noting that mass murderers have the right to cast ballots but long-term expats who care deeply about the country do not. Penny also said expats could well be subject to Canadian tax and other laws.
The Appeal Court said Penny's judgment was clouded by the government's assertion that expats ‟do not have the same connection" to Canada as residents.
‟This caused the debate to be cast as whether non-resident citizens were worthy of the vote," said Strathy. ‟As a result, he overlooked Canada's democratic tradition and the importance of the social contract between Canada's electorate and Parliament." In a dissenting opinion, Justice John Laskin said he considered Penny's judgment to be persuasive. He also said the government never argued that ‟preserving the social contract" justified the charter breach. Either way, Laskin said, it is not a good reason to limit voting rights.
The rule disenfranchising Canadians who have been abroad formore than five years was enacted in 1993 amid debate about the strength of their ties to Canada and their knowledge of domestic politics.
However, the five-year clock reset for those who returned even for short visits until 2007, when Elections Canada began enforcing a requirement for expats to ‟resume residency" in Canada to regain their right to vote abroad.
The Conservative government had argued the five-year rule was reasonable and in line with international norms.
Although the legislation technically applies to more than one million expats, records show only about 6,000 of them actually voted in the 2011 election.
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Moose romance gets more room to grow
Nature group adds 83 hectares of protected land along Strait to encourage relations
More than 80 hectares have been added to the Moose Sex Project’s corridor of land connecting New Brunswick and Nova Scotia wilderness.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada announced Tuesday it has added 83 hectares of protected land for the so-called Moose Sex Project along the Northumberland Strait.
“We want the moose from New Brunswick to come over and make friends on the Nova Scotia side,” said Andrew Holland, the organization’s regional spokesman.
The area is particularly important to moose and other large mammals because it is the only stretch of land connecting Nova Scotia with the rest of North America.
“Connecting New Brunswick to the Cobequid hills is actually a critical long-term conservation objective if we want to keep moose in the province of Nova Scotia,” said Craig Smith, the group’s provincial program director.
Holland said there are 29,000 moose in New Brunswick but less than 1,000 in Nova Scotia, and they are endangered in this province. Canadian lynx are endangered in both provinces.
The organization purchased land in three areas: saltwater marsh and forested areas on the Pugwash River; and the Missaguash marshes on the Nova Scotia side of the Chignecto Isthmus.
On the isthmus, the group plans to secure 10,000 hectares and has now acquired 80 per cent of it.
The group has protected 15 kilometres of undeveloped shoreline on the Pugwash Estuary, making it the “largest natural protected area on the Northumberland Strait,” said Holland.
“We’ve protected currently about 1,200 acres at Pugwash, but we’re keeping going,” Smith. “It’s a parcel or two at a time-type effort.”
Twenty-seven species of shorebirds pass through the region during spring and fall migrations.
The group is the nation’s leading land conservation organization, protecting Canada’s most important natural areas and the species who call this country home.
In Nova Scotia, the group has protected about 12,960 hectares of ecologically significant forests, wetlands and coastal areas for permanent conservation.
“Northern Nova Scotia has been subjected to a long history of settlement and cultural development … and so large impact blocks of habitat are increasingly rare in the landscape,” said Smith.
His group received financial donations from the federal government, the provincial government and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, among other groups from across eastern North America.
“While this may seem (like) a little corner of the Maritimes, in the big picture, this is hugely important,” said Holland.
Exact financial details of the acquisition are not disclosed to protect the privacy of the landowners.
“We want the moose from New Brunswick to come over and make friends on the Nova Scotia side,” said Andrew Holland, the organization’s regional spokesman.
The area is particularly important to moose and other large mammals because it is the only stretch of land connecting Nova Scotia with the rest of North America.
“Connecting New Brunswick to the Cobequid hills is actually a critical long-term conservation objective if we want to keep moose in the province of Nova Scotia,” said Craig Smith, the group’s provincial program director.
Holland said there are 29,000 moose in New Brunswick but less than 1,000 in Nova Scotia, and they are endangered in this province. Canadian lynx are endangered in both provinces.
The organization purchased land in three areas: saltwater marsh and forested areas on the Pugwash River; and the Missaguash marshes on the Nova Scotia side of the Chignecto Isthmus.
On the isthmus, the group plans to secure 10,000 hectares and has now acquired 80 per cent of it.
The group has protected 15 kilometres of undeveloped shoreline on the Pugwash Estuary, making it the “largest natural protected area on the Northumberland Strait,” said Holland.
“We’ve protected currently about 1,200 acres at Pugwash, but we’re keeping going,” Smith. “It’s a parcel or two at a time-type effort.”
Twenty-seven species of shorebirds pass through the region during spring and fall migrations.
The group is the nation’s leading land conservation organization, protecting Canada’s most important natural areas and the species who call this country home.
In Nova Scotia, the group has protected about 12,960 hectares of ecologically significant forests, wetlands and coastal areas for permanent conservation.
“Northern Nova Scotia has been subjected to a long history of settlement and cultural development … and so large impact blocks of habitat are increasingly rare in the landscape,” said Smith.
His group received financial donations from the federal government, the provincial government and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, among other groups from across eastern North America.
“While this may seem (like) a little corner of the Maritimes, in the big picture, this is hugely important,” said Holland.
Exact financial details of the acquisition are not disclosed to protect the privacy of the landowners.
nova scotia
Team of horses, haul of lobster — one day at a time for Joudrey
BRULE — Truman Joudrey was taking it one day at a time.
comment:2009
To say that no progress has been made whatsoever is just wrong. With the resources and the manpower that have been provided its amazing what has been accomplished, but it is just not enough sadly, we have lost the trust of many of the people because we broke our promises, but things are changing, much the way they did in Iraq. Canadians have sent more troops, and badly needed helicopters. Using new tactics they are winning hearts and minds, which is the way to defeat any insurgency.
If you are blaming Canada for the state Kandahar is in, then im most deffinitily going to take it the "wrong way". Despite the way things are, our soldiers are over there doing what they believe to be right. They are volunteers, they are not forced to go. They are willing to give their lives, because they believe that a difference can be made.
Kandahar Fields by Many Waters Band. This was Katie's last performance. May she rest in peace. Please rate and comment.
If you would like to download this song, listen to more music by many waters band, or read about Katie's life, go to manywatersband . ca
Kandahar Fields lyrics:
A white dove in a blue sky
Sheds its feathers of crimson and gold
Laughter fades as the nights grow long
And heroes' stories are told
Summer to Autumn and Winter to Spring
There s a time under heaven for everything
Now is the time to honour
The good and the true
Protect the weak from harm
Defend the helpless too
Time to mend the bows that are broken
Forge the swords again
And lay down, lay down, lay down in the Kandahar fields
And lay down, lay down, lay down in the Kandahar fields Chorus: For we'll not let go No we'll never let go We will stand and pray until the day Laughter is heard and the children play And run on the Kandahar fields
A tribute to all the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, and all of the ISAF (NATO), and to Katie Lamont- Kippel, singer of
Time to tend the ones who have fallen
Mourn with those left behind
Shelter them from the terror by night
Lead them from darkness to light
Mend the walls that are broken
Dig the wells again
Plant the fields for harvest
Sown with seeds of peace
And lay down, lay down, lay down in the Kandahar fields
Canadian Forces Tribute - Kandahar Fields
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u42S-ajbtNw
----
How do I Help a Loved One With the Death of a Family Member?
by Anna Green, Demand Media
------------
POSTE
CANADA
MILITARY NEWS: In One Year- No. Troops massacred on their home soil- Canada,
UK, USA - 8 /UN Troops massacred?
15 Troops killed in Afghanistan
2014-2015 less than both..... now on
this day.... Canadians need 2 protect our troops; our policing, our RCMP, our
firefighters and our First Responders.... as a major priority... because
without them... we have nothing in Canada... not a damm thing....imho
TROOPS MURDERED ON OUR HOMELANDS SOIL-
USA/Canada/UK- .... u matter... ur families matter.... neighbours...military
family... and our countries and our flag.... we weep, we mourn and we pray....
God bless our troops... and yours.. Thx Jacqueline Quyen Hua Hale for the share
of the faces and names... of our American sons... because she knows... we care...
and have been here since September 11, 2001. Go Rest High on That Mountain
sons, your work on earth is done.... God is lucky .... and we mourn... and we
pray.
COMMENT:
Jacqueline Quyen Thu Hale... reports that the 5th WOUNDED TROOP (Navy
has died).... God bless the troops of our nations... and our hearts break...
can't help but reflect on that NAVY MAN... WHO WAS THE USA PRESIDENT- JOHN F.
KENNEDY.... our two troops and UK's trooper.... don't dare tell us not 2
protect our troops and each other from the monsters out there... DON'T U F**KING
DARE!!!! ... raise up #1BRising, vets,
troops, bikers, paedophile hunters, disabled, aged, broken and homeless and
youngbloods- and those who believe in God and those who don't but enjoy our
freedoms because of these men and women wearing the badge of our nations.... u
matter... f**k the politicians of all stripes ... 2 the everyday folks on the
ground.... where real people live... NOT YOUR MEDIA PRINCE/SSES.... u who serve
are the only line of freedom... on this damm day... and our children and all
matter... we weep, mourn, scream and pray.
---------------
Peacekeeping Fact Sheet
Fact
Sheet as of 30 April 2015
[Note:
Statistical information on uniformed personnel is as of 31 March 2015 as
statistical information on civilian staff is as of 31 March 2015, unless
otherwise specified]
·
Peacekeeping
operations since 1948: 71
·
Current
peacekeeping operations: 16
Personnel
·
Uniformed
personnel: 107,565 (as of 30 April 2015)
o
Troops:
92,628
o
Police:
13,181
o
Military
observers: 1,756
·
Civilian
personnel: 16,930 (as of 31 March 2015)
o
International:
5,346
o
Local:
11,584
·
UN
Volunteers: 1,752 (as of 30 April 2015)
·
Total
number of personnel serving in 16 peacekeeping operations: 126,247
·
Countries
contributing uniformed personnel: 121
·
Total
fatalities in current operations: 1,593
·
Total
fatalities in all peace operations since 1948: 3,367
Financial aspects
·
Approved
resources for the period from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015: about $8.47 billion
·
Outstanding
contributions to peacekeeping (30 April 2015): about $1.9 billion
Current operations
In
Western Sahara since April 1991
Strength: 456 total, including:
Strength: 456 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 197
o
Troops:
26
o
Military
observers: 165
o
Police: 6
·
Civilian
personnel: 247
o
International
civilians: 84
o
Local
civilians: 163
·
UN
Volunteers: 12
Fatalities:
15
In the
Central African Republic since April 2014
Strength: 10,827 total, including:
Strength: 10,827 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 10,198
o
Troops:
8,566
o
Military
observers: 142
o
Police:
1,490
·
Civilian
personnel: 565
o
International
civilians: 398
o
Local
civilians: 167
·
UN Volunteers:
64
Fatalities:
2
In Mali
since April 2013
Strength: 11,616 total, including:
Strength: 11,616 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 10,337
o
Troops:
9,261
o
Military
observers: 0
o
Police:
1,076
·
Civilian
personnel: 1,154
o
International
civilians: 542
o
Local
civilians: 612
·
UN
Volunteers: 125
Fatalities:
55
Approved
budget: (07/2014– 06/2015): $830,701,700 [A/C.5/69/17 
]
]
In Haiti
since June 2004
Strength: 8,438 total, including:
Strength: 8,438 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 6,850
o
Troops:
4,683
o
Police:
2,167
·
Civilian personnel:
1,456
o
International
civilians: 324
o
Local
civilians: 1,132
·
UN
Volunteers: 132
Fatalities:
181
In the
Democratic Republic of the Congo since July 2010
Strength: 25,067 total, including:
Strength: 25,067 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 21,023
o
Troops:
19,454
o
Military
observers: 467
o
Police:
1,102
·
Civilian
personnel: 3,587
o
International
civilians: 864
o
Local
civilians: 2,723
·
UN
Volunteers: 457
Fatalities:
91
In Darfur
since July 2007
Strength: 21,007 total, including:
Strength: 21,007 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 17,155
o
Troops:
13,719
o
Military
observers: 186
o
Police:
3,250
·
Civilian
personnel: 3,683
o
International
civilians: 909
o
Local
civilians: 2,774
·
UN
Volunteers: 169
Fatalities:
218
In Syria
since June 1974
Strength: 949 total, including:
Strength: 949 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 788
o
Troops:
788
·
Civilian
personnel: 161
o
International
civilians: 55
o
Local
civilians: 106
Fatalities:
46
In Cyprus
since March 1964
Strength: 1,070 total, including:
Strength: 1,070 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 921
o
Troops:
858
o
Police: 63
·
Civilian
personnel: 149
o
International
civilians: 36
o
Local
civilians: 113
Fatalities:
183
In
Lebanon since March 1978
Strength: 11,330 total, including:
Strength: 11,330 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 10,440
o
Troops:
10,440
·
Civilian
personnel: 890
o
International
civilians: 284
o
Local
civilians: 606
Fatalities:
308
In Abyei,
Sudan since June 2011
Strength: 4,303 total, including:
Strength: 4,303 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 4,094
o
Troops:
3,946
o
Military
observers: 119
o
Police:
29
·
Civilian
personnel: 185
o
International
civilians: 127
o
Local
civilians: 58
·
UN
Volunteers: 24
Fatalities:
19
In South
Sudan since July 2011
Strength: 14,735 total, including:
Strength: 14,735 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 12,350
o
Troops:
11,127
o
Military
observers: 178
o
Police:
1,045
·
Civilian
personnel: 1,982
o
International
civilians: 794
o
Local
civilians: 1,188
·
UN
Volunteers: 403
Fatalities:
35
In Côte
d'Ivoire since April 2004
Strength: 8,300 total, including:
Strength: 8,300 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 7,137
o
Troops:
5,464
o
Military
observers: 177
o
Police:
1,496
·
Civilian
personnel: 1,013
o
International
civilians: 328
o
Local
civilians: 685
·
UN
Volunteers: 150
Fatalities:
134
In Kosovo
since June 1999
Strength: 365 total, including:
Strength: 365 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 15
o
Military
observers: 8
o
Police: 7
·
Civilian
personnel: 325
o
International
civilians: 107
o
Local
civilians: 218
·
UN
Volunteers: 25
Fatalities:
55
In
Liberia since September 2003
Strength: 7,298 total, including:
Strength: 7,298 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 5,871
o
Troops:
4,296
o
Military
observers: 125
o
Police:
1,450
·
Civilian
personnel: 1,236
o
International
civilians: 383
o
Local
civilians: 853
·
UN
Volunteers: 191
Fatalities:
190
In India
and Pakistan since January 1949
Strength: 112 total, including:
Strength: 112 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 42
o
Military
observers: 42
·
Civilian
personnel: 70
o
International
civilians: 23
o
Local
civilians: 47
Fatalities:
11
Appropriation
(biennium 2014-2015): $19,647,100
In Middle
East since May 1948
Strength: 374 total, including:
Strength: 374 total, including:
·
Uniformed
personnel: 147
o
Military
observers: 147
·
Civilian
personnel: 227
o
International
civilians: 88
o
Local
civilians: 139
Fatalities:
50
Appropriation
(biennium 2014 - 2015): $74,291,900
----
Coalition Military Fatalities By Year
Year
|
US
|
UK
|
Other
|
Total
|
2001
|
12
|
0
|
0
|
12
|
2002
|
49
|
3
|
18
|
70
|
2003
|
48
|
0
|
10
|
58
|
2004
|
52
|
1
|
7
|
60
|
2005
|
99
|
1
|
31
|
131
|
2006
|
98
|
39
|
54
|
191
|
2007
|
117
|
42
|
73
|
232
|
2008
|
155
|
51
|
89
|
295
|
2009
|
317
|
108
|
96
|
521
|
2010
|
499
|
103
|
109
|
711
|
2011
|
418
|
46
|
102
|
566
|
2012
|
310
|
44
|
48
|
402
|
2013
|
127
|
9
|
25
|
161
|
2014
|
55
|
6
|
14
|
75
|
2015
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
Total
|
2360
|
453
|
677
|
3490
|
U.S. Fatalities in and around Afghanistan
Country of Death
|
Fatalities
|
Afghanistan
|
2153
|
At Sea
|
1
|
Bahrain
|
2
|
Germany
(from wounds in theatre)
|
35
|
Indonesia
|
1
|
Jordan
|
1
|
Kuwait
|
5
|
Not
reported yet
|
1
|
Pakistan
|
15
|
Qatar
|
3
|
Southwest
Asia
|
2
|
USA (from
wounds in theatre)
|
41
|
Uzbekistan
|
1
|
Total
|
2261
|
IED Fatalities
Period
|
IED
|
Total
|
Pct
|
2001
|
0
|
4
|
0.00
|
2002
|
4
|
25
|
16.00
|
2003
|
3
|
26
|
11.54
|
2004
|
12
|
27
|
44.44
|
2005
|
20
|
73
|
27.40
|
2006
|
41
|
130
|
31.54
|
2007
|
78
|
184
|
42.39
|
2008
|
152
|
263
|
57.79
|
2009
|
275
|
451
|
60.98
|
2010
|
368
|
630
|
58.41
|
2011
|
252
|
492
|
51.22
|
2012
|
132
|
312
|
42.31
|
2013
|
52
|
118
|
44.07
|
2014
|
12
|
47
|
25.53
|
2015
|
0
|
3
|
0.00
|
Fatalities By Country
Click graph to view
details
Country
|
Total
|
1
|
|
41
|
|
1
|
|
158
|
|
10
|
|
43
|
|
9
|
|
2
|
|
86
|
|
27
|
|
54
|
|
7
|
|
48
|
|
2
|
|
3
|
|
1
|
|
18
|
|
25
|
|
11
|
|
10
|
|
40
|
|
2
|
|
21
|
|
3
|
|
1
|
|
34
|
|
5
|
|
14
|
|
453
|
|
2360
|
|
Total
|
3490
|
------------
Abdulazeez was the third Jordanian-Palestinian to attack US military personnel in six years
---
And in my humble opinion...
Kid Rock has no plans to
remove the Confederate flag from his shows. He says "Please tell the
people protesting to kiss my..."
Does this change your opinion of him? Yes or No
Does this change your opinion of him? Yes or No
THAT'S OUR KID
ROCK.... hey assholes...Kid Rock flew the American flag when not one artist of
the USA gave a sheeeeeet.... and The Flag of the South has been in all his
shows for years..... and when u visit Afghanistan and Iraq each and every
f**king year since 2001..... to hug and love our troops.... then u try and face
1 billion global country fans.... who are born and raised and in4life
country.... just don't go there.... just don't..... millions of old people who
are intelligent and education and study and read and absorb... know when press
hijacking bullshit and political setups are razing a beautiful nation and
beautiful people. USA has over 37 MILLION STARVING... 17 MILLION HOMELESS....
and u use this sheeet.... we'll stick with Kid Rock... he was born with a
country soul... and our troops matter... hugs and love from old momma nova in
Canada... God bless our troops cause that's how I roll.... do NOT use Kid
Rock.... because country music will eat u 4 breakfast b4 ..... they have their
tea and coffee.... u can count on that... and ya know it... imho
COMMENT: already posted on beloved kid rock here... and my friends ask for more
comment.... so..imho.... u know... am Canadian... and Roman Catholic... and in
Nova Scotia (French heritage) the Acadians went through a horrific Expulsion by
the British.... so the Acadian
flag is very dear of many like me... I just had to think.... what if this was
about the Acadian flag... or the British Flag (we are part of the British
Empire/Commonwealth ) which is so ingrained in2 us seniors.... what if it was
about Queen Elizabeth II our Queen of State - and actually we had 2 suffer
through this horribly (the protests and screams 2 leave our Commonwealth) about
3 different times in my old life time... and it hurt... but the Queen's Picture
is still on my fridge and my prayer table ... and like millions and millions of
us.... our Canada includes all of us (and we still belong 2 the Commonwealth)..
and admire all of our history-BECAUSE MY FATHER'S FAMILY came 2
Canada...Newfoundland as fisher in 1632 2 nothing... and had nothing but their
bare hands, the Bible and a dream. So ... I think of Hank, Waylon, Hank Jr. SO
I'M GOING 2 SHARE MY ANSWER IN THIS WAY.... The Conversation with Hank Jr. and
Waylon- Hank Jr. wearing the Confederate Hat of the Southland... and Waylon the
Union hat of the North.... and the Grand Ole Opry.... right in the heartland of
the beautiful magnificent South.... and this old Canadian... supporting our
American troops said it on myspace then 2007-2008... and say it now...
bluegrass... country... the southland... identifies truly the Good Ole USA...
and history matters... all of it... because how can u be who u are in greatness
on this day... without the bricks that built your nation... and hey.... I see
the USA still recognizes the British flag... so that's my story... and i'm
sticking 2 it. EDITED: and God Forbid - what if this were our glorious French
Quebec flag? Which we almost did!! Enjoy
The Conversation- with Waylon and Hank Jr- on Hank Williams...
hugs and love and God bless our troops and yours
AND... THE GOOD
SHEEEEEET FOR OUR CANADA...
Soldier's Soldier....
he was such a Nato hero in Afghanistan.... our Canadian troops adored him....
and everyday Afghans respected and trusted him...as did Afghan troops.... WHEN
HE BELLOWED OUT 2009 Afghanistan-Top CAN. soldier lashes out at Afghan
elders-TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR COUNTRY -
October 4, 2009 (We so love our Canadian troops- land, air and sea)
Rising Frustration; Demands information on roadside bombs
Defence Minister Peter MacKay says he stands behind his top general in Afghanistan, who warned Afghans yesterday that Canada is going to halt development unless he starts getting information from the locals about who is planting roadside bombs that are maiming and killing Canadians.
Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, commander of the Canadian troops, lashed out at elders in a Kandahar village after one of his soldiers was injured in a bomb explosion, saying that he wanted to start seeing some "serious co-operation" from the beneficiaries of Canadian aid.
"If we keep blowing up on the roads I'm going to stop doing development," Gen. Vance told a meeting he hastily convened with village elders in Deh-e-Bagh in the district of Dand, according to news reports. "If we stop doing development in Dand, I believe Afghanistan and Kandahar is a project that cannot be saved."
He also reportedly mused about whether it was "worth another Canadian life" if the situation didn't immediately change.
Mr. MacKay said he understands Gen. Vance's frustration and the Minister concurred that the co-operation of villagers is essential to the ability of Canadians to deliver development and programs, such as immunizing children and building schools.
"Do I think that our security is directly linked to development? Absolutely, and I think perhaps the way in which Gen. Vance has expressed it is indicative of the frustration that he was feeling and certainly the trauma that one would feel after being bombed on the road," Mr. MacKay said on Parliament Hill.
"There is a connection between our ability to deliver and the security and co-operation we require from local Afghans."
Mr. MacKay dismissed the prospect that Gen. Vance was issuing an ultimatum, saying that his message was more "help us to help you."
NDP defence critic Jack Harris, however, said that Gen. Vance's outburst was "a very surprising reaction from a general who is supposedly trying to win the hearts and minds of the people he is trying to protect in Afghanistan."
Mr. Harris said that identifying Taliban insurgents and giving Canadians advance warning of bomb attacks would not be easy in the complicated politics of Afghanistan.
"To try to simplify the matter by saying, 'You tell us who the Taliban are or we're walking out of here,' is basically throwing up his hands and saying we don't know how to solve this problem, we don't know how to fight this war," Mr. Harris said.
TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT / johnny paycheck - And Brig. Gen. Vance and Nato troops.... you tell em all in Afghanistan.... fight for the aid and development we give you and build for you- don't let the talibans destroy your lives like this- or we should just leave.... and tell Nato, politicians and all.... to take this job and shove it!!!!!!- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIMcVxm5BSQ
October 4, 2009 (We so love our Canadian troops- land, air and sea)
Rising Frustration; Demands information on roadside bombs
Defence Minister Peter MacKay says he stands behind his top general in Afghanistan, who warned Afghans yesterday that Canada is going to halt development unless he starts getting information from the locals about who is planting roadside bombs that are maiming and killing Canadians.
Brigadier-General Jonathan Vance, commander of the Canadian troops, lashed out at elders in a Kandahar village after one of his soldiers was injured in a bomb explosion, saying that he wanted to start seeing some "serious co-operation" from the beneficiaries of Canadian aid.
"If we keep blowing up on the roads I'm going to stop doing development," Gen. Vance told a meeting he hastily convened with village elders in Deh-e-Bagh in the district of Dand, according to news reports. "If we stop doing development in Dand, I believe Afghanistan and Kandahar is a project that cannot be saved."
He also reportedly mused about whether it was "worth another Canadian life" if the situation didn't immediately change.
Mr. MacKay said he understands Gen. Vance's frustration and the Minister concurred that the co-operation of villagers is essential to the ability of Canadians to deliver development and programs, such as immunizing children and building schools.
"Do I think that our security is directly linked to development? Absolutely, and I think perhaps the way in which Gen. Vance has expressed it is indicative of the frustration that he was feeling and certainly the trauma that one would feel after being bombed on the road," Mr. MacKay said on Parliament Hill.
"There is a connection between our ability to deliver and the security and co-operation we require from local Afghans."
Mr. MacKay dismissed the prospect that Gen. Vance was issuing an ultimatum, saying that his message was more "help us to help you."
NDP defence critic Jack Harris, however, said that Gen. Vance's outburst was "a very surprising reaction from a general who is supposedly trying to win the hearts and minds of the people he is trying to protect in Afghanistan."
Mr. Harris said that identifying Taliban insurgents and giving Canadians advance warning of bomb attacks would not be easy in the complicated politics of Afghanistan.
"To try to simplify the matter by saying, 'You tell us who the Taliban are or we're walking out of here,' is basically throwing up his hands and saying we don't know how to solve this problem, we don't know how to fight this war," Mr. Harris said.
TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT / johnny paycheck - And Brig. Gen. Vance and Nato troops.... you tell em all in Afghanistan.... fight for the aid and development we give you and build for you- don't let the talibans destroy your lives like this- or we should just leave.... and tell Nato, politicians and all.... to take this job and shove it!!!!!!- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIMcVxm5BSQ
----
---- 21 things they never tell you
about poor countries
FEBRUARY 24, 2014
tags: development, poverty
Prompted by Bill Gates’s annual letter and
the response from
the Overseas Development Institute I thought I’d list some of the things that
in my experience seem to be less understood about poor countries. (I wanted to
list 23 things like Ha-Joon Chang on capitalism but
I couldn’t think of another two). I use the word poor on purpose because
although the word risks sounding patronising or dismissive, euphemisms like
developing and less-developed can be worse. Thoughts are welcome.
1.
Poverty is the rule, not the exception. For most people life just isn’t as
good as it is for you and I, the comfortable people from a country rich enough
to allow us the literacy, time and Internet access to read blogs written by
well-meaning left liberals. Poverty-as-rule-not -exception is difficult to bend
our minds around because we tend to base our views about the world on direct
experience. If people around us seem mostly well-fed and content, then why
shouldn’t everybody else be?
Although things are improving, a huge chunk of the world’s
population remain poor. Nearly a fifth of humans, 1.29 billion, are
considered extremely poor .
In effect the equivalent of every man, woman and child in Europe, the United
States and the Middle East scrape by on 75 British pence a day adjusted for the
cost of living in each country. About a third of the world lives on less than
$2 a day. The poorest half of the world – 3.5 billion people – own only 0.71% of
the world’s wealth between them.
A billion people live in chronic hunger. Nearly a third of
all children are chronically malnourished, which unless addressed before the
age of two often leaves them stunted and mentally impaired. A sixth of
the world’s adults can’t read or write and many more have only rudimentary
literacy. Sub-Saharan Africa has only two doctors for every 10,000 people,
which is partly why on average its inhabitants live to an average age of 56.
Rather than a term like “developing” to describe these
people and countries, the travel writer Dervla Murphy’s phrase “majority world” is
more accurate.
2. Most
countries aren’t well-off. The following graph using World Bank datashows
that most countries have a relatively low level of national income per capita.
120 nations earn less per person than the world average. When you reach an
income per capita of about US$20,000, about half that of the UK, there’s a big
jump. Bermudan national income per person is US$104,590, 455 times that of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
National
income per capita, US$
[NB. Not all country labels fit on the vertical graph.]
3.
More poor people live in Asia than in Africa. Everybody seems to be wittering on
about the Asian Century these days – and Asian development has been miraculous.
But about 69% of Indians live on less than US$2 per day: 850 million people. A
third of Chinese, 400 million, remain similarly poor despite the country’s
amazing success in reducing poverty. Together those two countries contain more
poor people than there are Africans.
4. The
distinction between “developed” and “developing” countries is
meaningless. What’s Brazil
got to do with Liberia? Not much, apart from an Atlantic coast. One is a
newly-industrialising behemoth with an average income near the world average.
The other is one of the world’s poorest, emerging from war. Yet both are
officially considered developing. China, Turkey, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico and
India are all big and relatively dynamic even if they also contain a lot of
poor people. Millions of people in those countries live just like Europeans,
and the emergence of these nations is one of the biggest reasons why poverty
will continue to drop in the coming decades. Yet plenty countries also called
developing are being left behind. I count 41 supposedly developing nations
which in 2012 on some criterion had real incomes that were lower than a decade
earlier. They’re probably better described as undeveloping.
5.
Lying on the beach in Thailand or Gambia doesn’t tell you much about
poverty. We still don’t
know as much as we should about poverty and we try to ignore poor people. Most
people’s experience of the global poor is the waiter at their table or the pool
attendant, the ones lucky enough to have jobs. Only by direct experience and
immersion in local circumstances is it possible to have a vague inkling of what
it might be like to be genuinely destitute. There’s no obligation on
holidaymakers to go wandering around in slums, but anybody who claims knowledge
about deprivation should experience or observe it first-hand for themselves,
ideally for a long time.
6.
Our main tool for understanding poor countries – mainstream economics – is
woefully inadequate and all about the rich world. A sample of 76,000 economics journal
articles published between 1985 and 2005 shows that
more papers were published about the United States than on Europe, Asia, Latin
America, the Middle East and Africa combined. Like I said in this blog post,
that’s as ridiculous as if biologists researched only flowers, or physicists
only outer space. It’s no wonder that the mainstream model of human beings
bears no resemblance to most people on the planet. Economists start from the
assumption that humans are individualistic, utility-maximising and strictly
rational in a narrow sense. Actually many people are communitarian, social,
non-calculating, uncertain about the future and often act according to
sentiment or whim. Mainstream economics allows no theory of power or politics
and can’t see the world economy as a system.
7.
The economic statistics on poor countries are awful. Which undermines my first four
points. As Morten Jerven says in his book Poor Numbers:
How We Are Misled By African Development Statistics And What To Do About It,
“the most basic metric of development, GDP, should not be treated as an
objective number but rather as a number that is a product of a process in which
a range of arbitrary and controversial assumptions are made.” Jerven finds that
the discrepancy between different GDP estimates is up to a half in some cases.
This supports my experience from working in the least developed countries,
where statistics offices are usually underfunded and don’t have the resources to
collect data often or well enough.
There’s a kind of false scientism: foreign academic
economists spend ages refining complicated econometric models despite the raw
material being rubbish. In the absence of good numbers, the only immediate
alternative is to live in a country, to use good theory and to rely where
necessary on case studies and even anecdote.
8.
We need somewhere to make our T-shirts. The global development story is all about how wonderful it
would be if we could end poverty. But the current economic system relies on
cheapness. Capitalism functions partly via its ability to maintain low wages.
Why has global inflation been so low over the past decade or more? Partly, the
China effect, whereby the opening up of huge untapped labour markets meant that
whole Western industries could outsource their manufacturing and that new local
manufacturers could emerge. China’s rural poor keep Foxconn workers on their
toes – if you don’t like assembling iPhones at US$18 for a 10-hour day (much
higher than it used to be) 1000 people are waiting to take your place.
Nairobi’s Kibera slum-dwellers and rural poor keep wages
low by functioning as a reserve army of labour willing to work for peanuts. In
Haiti garment manufacturers recently argued that a minimum wage rise to the
equivalent of five dollars a day would kill their business. Wikileaks published documents
showing that the United States government earlier fought to cap daily pay at
three dollars. The country’s only major export industry is clothing destined
for the United States.
It’d be worth paying a lot more for our t-shirts if it
meant that the people who made them had decent lives. An increase in demand via
higher wages would support economic growth. But it’s also naïve to think that
western consumers would pay much more for their t-shirts or that businesses
would tolerate big wage hikes.
9.
Inequality matters at least as much as poverty. A report from Oxfam last month pointed out
that 85 people, about as many as would fit on a double-decker bus, own as much
wealth as the bottom half of the world’s population.
The Spirit Level by
Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson shows that equality is good for everyone.
Redistribution reduces poverty and makes life better for the rich in the form
of less crime, better education and a more cohesive society. Global
inequality is getting worse, not better. If we don’t radically reduce
inequality the poor will eat us, so aid isn’t an option, and it’s not about the
rich world “saving” the poor. It’s essential for everyone.
10.
Africa isn’t a country. Although
sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is still much smaller than Britain’s, some
Africans are fat, go to the supermarket and drive cars. Many are very poor. The
rise of the African middle class is one of the most under-reported stories of
our times. If people in the UK think about the continent at all they think of
the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s. Partly this is the fault of the major news
media, which have cut back on foreign coverage so much that all they report on
is Big Events – a bomb, a famine, a war. Reporters who occasionally fly in from
abroad miss the cumulative series of small happenings that amount to a trend.
To show only negative TV stories about Africa smears the whole continent. The
Central African Republic isn’t Botswana, which isn’t Namibia. Within countries
the divide between urban and rural populations is increasingly stark.
11.
Not all poor countries are corrupt. Corruption tends to be more obvious in some poor countries
because the police aren’t very good, the rule of law isn’t established and
small-scale bribery may have become entrenched, but a country isn’t necessarily
poor because the wealth has all been stolen. All sorts of other more important
reasons explain poverty, like political instability, bad economic policy,
colonial history, an over-reliance on tropical commodities, distance from major
markets, being landlocked and poor health and education.
Relatively uncorrupt poor countries I’ve worked in or on
include Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Samoa, Tonga, the Federated States of
Micronesia, Bhutan, Cape Verde and Mauritius. Arguably a good hundred others
are less corrupt than when the United States or Britain were industrialising.
In the UK until the early 1800s it was perfectly normal for
ministers to ‘borrow’ their departmental funds for personal profit. Until
1870, appointments of high-ranking civil servants in Britain were made on the
basis of patronage rather than merit. The British government chief whip was
actually called thepatronage
secretary of the Treasury because distributing patronage was
his main job. (h/t M. Ibrahim)
This was at a time when Britain became the first superpower.
Arguably the banking industry and its takeover of American
and European governments represents a far bigger and more dangerous form of
corruption than even the bribery and political theft that blights the likes of
Nigeria. In the US and UK lobbying is a multi-billion dollar business which
subverts the democratic process. From 2008 onwards , encouraged by lobbyists,
the UK government committed to spending a staggering trillion pounds on
the bank bailout, which is about ten years’ worth of National Health
Service funding. It wasn’t as obvious as baksheesh but it amounted to the same
thing only on a vastly larger scale. One academic estimates that by the end of
2012 the UK bailout had cost the taxpayer up to 13% of one year’s economic
production.
Corruption doesn’t necessarily cause poverty: that’s like
blaming poor countries for their own failures. In some cases quite the reverse
can be true. Some people argue that corruption has helped national politicians
align their interests with that of their country. Indonesia’s President Suharto
understood that if he generated wealth there’d be more to steal, so he
installed a team of technocrats whose sole job it was to grow the economy;
immoral but effective.
12.
Money doesn’t make you happy. Up to about US$75,000 a year it does – and most people
aren’t anywhere near that level – but beyond that it doesn’t have any effect,
according to Nobel prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman. “The four
basic needs: food, housing, clothes and medicine must be cheap and easy for
everybody. That’s civilisation”, says Jon
Jandai, a farmer from northeast Thailand. I’d add primary, secondary and
tertiary education, too.
13.
Poor countries can learn from the mistakes of the rich on the environment and
life satisfaction. Lower income
countries have leapfrogged some technologies. For example many will never
install fixed telephone lines because mobile coverage is so good. Vast numbers
of people will never touch a PC, doing all their computing on a smartphone or
tablet.
The governments of poor countries should be more
adventurous, leapfrogging ideologies too. Some proponents of economic growth
argue that environmental sustainability and a focus on happiness will handicap
poverty reduction. But it could enable some countries to prioritise the
important things in life. Endless growth is impossible and undesirable.
Beyond a certain point rich inefficiency is the real
problem. Why do developing countries ape the development paths and economic
structures of the West? We are wage slaves who perform bullshit jobsso that we
can service our mortgages. The advance of the car ruined everyone’s quality of
life so that a minority can sit in air-conditioned metal boxes in jams. Clever
though-leadership in the majority world could lead the way for the rich.
Bhutan’s idea of Gross National Happiness is an example.
14.
The world isn’t overpopulated. There’s plenty of food to go round. World agriculture
produces 17% more calories per person today than it did 30 years ago despite a
70% population increase, due to rising yields, higher farming intensity and
more use of land. The real problems are the system of distribution and
energy use. If the rich world didn’t hog all the food and produce it
inefficiently there’d be enough for everyone.
15. Governments
often do things better than markets. Market fundamentalism is the new global creed, and yet most
countries that developed successfully did it initially via heavy government
intervention. Markets suffer from serious coordination failure. The global
free-flow of capital and trade renders poor countries more vulnerable. As the
United Kingdom has proven, natural monopolies like the railways, post office
and water and electricity utilities are better off in public ownership. In
poorer countries the case for government ownership is even stronger.
16.
Most countries that successfully reduced poverty didn’t directly try to reduce
poverty. They aimed at
economic transformation. A fall in poverty was an indirect result of an
increase in productive capacity. Investment rates and capital accumulation were
high and aimed at enterprise development and technological improvement, as well
as structural change toward developing the non-traditional sectors, including
linkages to agriculture and the wider economy.
This sort of obliquity is what John Kay talks about in
his book of
the same name. If you try to target things directly you often fail.
17.
How rich countries behave is often more important than how much they spend on
aid. The 2008 global
economic crisis, which was caused largely by the financial sector, increased
poverty for hundreds of millions of people. The collapse in international trade
hurt all countries, developing and industrialised. But while the big and
emerging nations might recover, the poorest couldn’t cope. A downturn in
exports can be life-and-death. When European orders stopped coming, Kenyan
flower farm workers simply sat idle. Foreign investment inflows also
dwindled. There is a large group at the global periphery which won’t
rebound for a long time — and for many people, it is already too late.
Nicholas Shaxson’s excellent book Treasure Islands suggests that Transparency International’scorruption
perceptions index has things the wrong way round: we should rank countries
on banking secrecy, not graft. The real economic issue is that rich nations
harbour ill-gotten spoils, not that Charles Taylor foists himself on Liberia.
18.
Just give them the f-ing money,
as Bob Geldof sort-of said. Daily Mail readers seem to think that the world has
already given enough aid, but in reality an enormous amount remains to be done,
as should be clear from points 1 and 9. More aid should be in the form grants
rather than loans. Cash transfers are the best way of delivering some help. For
example the British Department for International Development works with Unicef
and the Kenyan Government in Korogocho, Nairobi, to improve the lives of
orphans and vulnerable children through a cash transfer scheme which gives very
poor families 3000 Kenyan shillings (about £25) every two months for help with
basic household expenses. It cuts out the middleman and it’s been proven
through robust testing to reduce poverty, hunger and inequality.
19. Rich
countries don’t spend much on aid. The amount officially spent on each poor person globally is
US$20 a year, according to the World Bank. The amount has doubled in the last
decade following a dip in the late 1990s. But several opinion polls show that
rich country inhabitants think they’re much more generous than they really are.
Americans think that
their government spends 28% of the budget on aid when it’s really about 1%.
Brits are almost as bad.
The result of this widespread overestimation of generosity is that many people
in rich countries want to cut aid.
20.
Aid works: both
developmental and humanitarian. It’s not widely known that development aid was
instrumental in supporting the growth of Singapore, one of the world’s most
remarkable economic success stories. The United Nations Development Programme
contributed 744 technical assistants from 1950 onwards and spent US$27 million
on development help. In 1960 a visiting UNDP team led by Dutchman Dr Albert
Winsemius, who became a trusted adviser to Lee Kuan Yew until the 1980s, wrote
a report entitled “A proposed industrialisation programme for the State of
Singapore”. This document formed the basis of early development strategy. Other
major aid recipients that now receive very little include Botswana, Morocco,
Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Thailand, Mauritius and
Malaysia. Bill Gates reckons that through a combination of aid and
spontaneous economic development there won’t be any very poor people left by
2035.
He calculates that
100 million deaths have been avoided since the drop in child mortality since
1980, the start of the “Child Survival Revolution” that made vaccines and oral
rehydration therapy much more widespread. Total aid, $500 billion, counts money
for vaccines, HIV/AIDS, family planning, and water and sanitation from all
donors. That works out at US$5000 per life saved, which he rightly says
is quite cheap. Hundreds of
millions of people have been immunized against Polio, treated
for TB and given anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS.
21.
Charity sometimes isn’t the best way of tackling poverty.Sometimes it is. Just because a service is provided
freely or from donations doesn’t mean it is better. Often governments are
better-placed to deliver assistance because they have better expertise,
economies of scale and political access. Taxation places a similar burden on everyone
and makes aid revenues more predictable. Sometimes, though, charities have
better access and niche skills. Volunteer organisations often have a long
history in certain locations and they can avoid accusations of political
interference.
==============
ONLY IN CANADA...
ONLY IN CANADA...
| National Post | - |
OTTAWA
- A personal ad featuring convicted killer Luka Rocco Magnotta has been
removed at his request from a matchmaking website for lonely prisoners -
after the site's creator said she received a letter saying he found
what he “was looking for.
==============
Irene Mabe, one of several members of the All Women In Trades Team, begins to demolish the kitchen at Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Halifax on Tuesday. Souls Harbour Rescue Mission was starting their much anticipated kitchen renovation with an all-women demolishing team.Souls Harbour was the grand prize winner of the Aviva Community Fund of $100,000 for a for a new commercialized kitchen, to ‟help serve their 25,000 meals each year to the hungry, homeless and hurting of Halifax. A commercialized kitchen will allow us to increase our every day capacity, as well as cook the holiday dinners for 300 on site."
-----------------
Teachers meet to hail music program for kids
LAURA FRASER STAFF REPORTER
lfraser@herald.ca @laurajanefraser
Their harmony rises over Halifax's Public Gardens, the melding of 175 voices from across the world connected by a string of notes and 35 years of history.
Music teachers from Canada, the United States, Vietnam, Malaysia and more descended upon Halifax this weekend to celebrate an idea that began in Dartmouth and quickly migrated around the globe.
Frances Balodis stands among those in song, the person who originally brought everyone together. Balodis founded Music for Young Children in 1980, beginning her work out of her ‟yellow house" on Somerset Street with her husband, Gunars. Children needed to learn the fundamentals of music at a younger age, she said, and she wanted her own children to be part of that.
That's why her daughter Olivia Riddell became one of the students in that first class of 40, at the tender age of three. ‟I remember sitting and listening as a little girl watching my mother teach," Riddell said. ‟She had colleagues and friends coming over and working late hours in the night." Riddell became the owner of Music for Young Children after her mother retired in 2010. She's now one of 900 teachers from around the world who introduce kids as young as two to music.
At that age, children begin the ‟pre-keyboard program" and can start learning piano at three. By the time they graduate between eight and 10, students can sing, read notes, compose small lines of music and are prepared to write their Grade 1 conservatory exams, Riddell said.
‟It's a perfect age (then) to enter into private lessons for any instrument," she said. ‟Their body is big enough that they can hold a violin, they can hold a guitar, they can sit at a drum set, they can hold a saxophone and anything like that." More than 24,000 students have begun their musical careers using the early-learning method developed by Balodis. And many of them have gone on to work in the music industry, including Halifax singer, actor and pianist Geordie Brown and Lucy Hayes-Davis.
The program has spread throughout Asia, with teachers from afar visiting Halifax for the 35th anniversary conference.
Hye won Yoon said that the earlier students begin learning music, the more they enjoy it.
‟They think about everything more creatively," the South Korean music teacher said.
‟They express their own thinking through music and more positive thinking through music."
-------------------
| MetroNews Canada | - |
CAMPOBELLO
ISLAND, - A young minke whale is safe after being freed from a rope
anchored in waters in the Bay of Fundy off New Brunswick.
-------------------
O Canada...
O Canada...
- Premiers sign nationwide apprentice agreement
-
Canada’s premiers signed a countrywide apprentice mobility agreement Thursday. ... ...
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