Halifax is ready to celebrate World Interfaith Harmony Week
If you’ve ever driven past a beautiful temple, church or mosque and wished you could see the inside, this might be your chance.
Sacred spaces across Halifax are opening their doors to the public as part of World Interfaith Harmony Week, which runs Feb. 1-7.Interfaith Harmony Halifax co-ordinator Kim MacAulay says it’s natural to be curious about other faiths and cultures.
“This week gives you permission to walk into a building like the Ummah Mosque and see what it looks like inside — and meet people who are really happy to see you,” says MacAulay. “You can go to a meeting of the Quakers, Jewish Shabbat, a Hindu Puja — which is a ritual worship — or attend a Shambhala open house and take part in mindfulness meditation.”
Most of the events are held during the group’s regular meeting times. Though visitors are almost always permitted at most sacred spaces, MacAulay says this week is different because everyone will be expecting brand-new visitors and making an extra effort.
“They’ll be helping newcomers feel welcome in a community that may feel a bit different,” says MacAulay, who also co-ordinates Mount Saint Vincent University’s Interfaith Peace and Friendship Centre and co-directs the Waves of Compassion Association. “Most will either be providing a light refreshment or potentially a meal.”
The Interfaith Harmony Halifax site includes dates, times and locations for all of the week’s events. There’s even a downloadable guide to visiting sacred spaces so you know what to expect, including specifics like whether you’ll be removing your footwear or should be wearing a headscarf.
It was H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan who proposed the idea of World Interfaith Harmony Week back in 2010, and it’s been observed annually since 2011 — taking place during the first week of February.
The purpose of World Interfaith Harmony Week is to “spread harmony through promoting love of God, the good, and love of the neighbour.”
MacAulay says that wording was carefully crafted in order to include people of all faiths, and all people of goodwill with no declared faith or spiritual tradition.
There have been more than 900 World Interfaith Harmony Week events over the last several years, but Halifax was recognized with an award for the city’s participation last year. MacAulay says it was very exciting to receive the prize from the king, who hands out only three each year.
“We really dove in headfirst from the beginning, starting with a whole week of events rather than just one event,” explains MacAulay.
She credits the local Baha’i community for stepping forward and suggesting they stop celebrating World Religion Day so everyone could focus on the larger initiative of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
This year, Halifax’s lineup includes eight days of events that MacAulay calls “chances to meet our neighbours.” She says it’s by learning about different cultures and religions that we become more comfortable with people who don’t share our personal beliefs.
Sunday, Feb. 5, will include a Celebration of World Interfaith Harmony starting at 2:30 p.m. at Mount Saint Vincent University’s Rosaria Student Centre. MacAulay says it will be a chance to bring everyone together in one space and promises to be both “meaningful” and “lively.”
With our United States neighbours experiencing troubling times, MacAulay says now it’s more important than ever to embrace other cultures and spread kindness.
“People are really seeing the deep importance of interfaith harmony because of what’s being reflected back to us in a very stark way,” says MacAulay. “We’re living in a diverse world and this is all about being good neighbours — getting to know each other and helping to create a more welcoming, safe community.”
Visit ihhalifax.ca/home/events for a full list of events and locations for World Interfaith Harmony Week.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/halifaxcitizen/1434439-halifax-is-ready-to-celebrate-world-interfaith-harmony-week
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Pope Francis’ Condolences for Victims of Terrorist
Attack on Mosque in Québec, Canada
‘The Holy Father once more strongly condemns violence
that engenders such suffering, and implores of God the gift of mutual respect
and peace’
The following is the Vatican-provided text of the Pope’s
message of condolences for the victims of the terrorist attack that took place
late yesterday evening in a mosque in Québec City in Canada. The telegram
condemning the shooting which shot six people dead last night at the city’s
Quebec Islamic Cultural Center was sent by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro
Parolin, on the Pope’s behalf, to Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix, Archbishop
of Québec. The attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism by police:
***
Upon learning of the attack in Québec in a prayer room of the Islamic
Cultural Centre, claiming numerous victims, His Holiness Pope Francis commends
to the mercy of God those who lost their lives, and joins in prayer in the
suffering of their loved ones. He expresses his deepest sympathy to the injured
and their families, and to all those involved in the relief efforts, asking the
Lord to bring them comfort and consolation in their ordeal.
The Holy Father once more strongly condemns violence that engenders
such suffering, and implores of God the gift of mutual respect and peace. He
invokes the comfort of divine blessings upon the families concerned and those
affected by this tragedy, and upon all Quebeckers.
[Original Text: French] [Vatican-provided translation]
***
Below is a statement released by
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue on the attack in Québec:
“The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has learned with
deep sadness and indignation of the brutal attack against Muslim faithful while
in prayer in Québec City, in their place of worship.
This meaningless gesture has violated the sanctity of human life, and
the respect due to a community in prayer and their place of worship.
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue strongly condemns
this act of unprecedented violence, and wishes to convey its fullest solidarity
with the Muslims of Canada, assuring them of fervent prayers for the victims
and their families.”
[Courtesy of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious
Dialogue]
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Glorious new youngbloods – incredible art – God is just thrilled I bet...IRAQ IS A CHANGING BACK
Beautifying Baghdad: Colouring in a city of walls
- 30 January 2017
- From the section Middle East
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Afgan women marched and voted in the millions and millions in the face of the worst cruelty of taliban and horrific weather.... the youth and oldies and ladies yelled at the press..... WE WANT U TO TELL THE WORLD THAT THE FOREIGN TROOPS AND OURS DID NOT DIE IN VAIN... history will record it as such.... that's what freedom and basic human rights and dignity means in the hard part of the world.... AND lookee here... :)
Top Taliban recruiter arrested in Afghanistan
ANI - Tuesday 31st January, 2017
Kabul
[Afghanistan], Jan. 30 (ANI): A top Taliban leader in charge of
recruiting members for the group has been arrested during an operation
by the Afghan Police Forces.The Ministry of Interior (MoI)
said the detained Taliban leader has been identified as Abdullah and was
held from the vicinity of Khanabad district in northern Kunduz
province, reports Khaama News.
Another senior Taliban leader identified as Abdul Wakil was also arrested during the same operation, MoI said, adding that an automatic rifle was confiscated from the detained militants.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.
Menwhile, the group leader of the Taliban in Zabul province, Mawlavi Hamid, was killed in a blast triggered by a premature explosion in this province.
Zabul is among the relatively volatile provinces in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in some of its districts. Militants believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group have reportedly shifted to this province in a bid to expand their insurgency in some restive districts. (ANI)
Another senior Taliban leader identified as Abdul Wakil was also arrested during the same operation, MoI said, adding that an automatic rifle was confiscated from the detained militants.
The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.
Menwhile, the group leader of the Taliban in Zabul province, Mawlavi Hamid, was killed in a blast triggered by a premature explosion in this province.
Zabul is among the relatively volatile provinces in southern Afghanistan where the Taliban insurgents are actively operating in some of its districts. Militants believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group have reportedly shifted to this province in a bid to expand their insurgency in some restive districts. (ANI)
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Mental illness does not discriminate. But sometimes people do.
Imagine a world where we view mental health and physical health through the same lens — a world where we give both our mental health and our physical health the same attention and importance.If you have a pain in your stomach that won’t relieve itself, you go to the doctor because you want to get better. If you want to stay physically healthy and have more energy, you go to the gym and eat well to keep yourself fit. Imagine a world where if we felt depressed, anxious, or were struggling mentally, it would be just as natural to seek help. A world where we feel training our mental fitness is as important as the time we spend at the gym. There is no reason that caring for our mental health should be seen any differently than eating healthy, exercising, or any other aspect of our wellness.
Mental illness is not a choice, just as having the flu or a cold is not a choice. It just is. We can all reduce the stigma of mental illness by realizing it is not the result of an individual’s shortcomings or moral weakness. It can happen to anyone at any time in their lives. And when it does, we need to feel safe and encouraged to seek help.
Unfortunately, stigma and self-stigma stops many individuals from disclosing and addressing the issue. The stigma and discrimination around mental illness are widespread. They cause feelings of shame, inadequacy, and hopelessness and often present a roadblock to individuals seeking help. Getting help is more than okay — it is important, respectable, courageous, and necessary. We can help end the stigma by showing acceptance, support, and respect for mental health issues and those who address them in their lives.
Stigma isn’t an easy issue to tackle, and we alone can’t change the world, but we can reflect on our own attitudes and behaviours that may further stigmatize someone struggling with a mental health concern. When you learn of someone’s mental health issue, be cautious not to jump to conclusions about what their diagnoses means.
Get the facts about their diagnoses and what it means for them and your interactions with them. See them as human beings, not a label or a stereotype. People with mental health concerns make valuable and important contributions to society. Their health problems are just one part of who they are.
Choose your words carefully. Do not use derogatory language in reference to their mental illness. Most of all treat people with mental health concerns with dignity and respect. Consider how you’d like others to act toward you if you were in the same situation. Let your actions be a first step in moving toward a world where mental fitness and physical fitness are equally as important and valid.
Bell Let’s Talk Day is January 25th. Bell Let’s Talk is an initiative that is committed to reducing stigma and bringing awareness to issues surrounding Mental Health. You can help! Join the conversation around mental illness and take part in Bell Let’s Talk activities by using #BellLetsTalk or visit: https://www.facebook.com/BellLetsTalk.
If you would like to learn more about Mental Fitness consider signing up for Health Promotion’s Mental Fitness and Suicide Awareness Workshop. The next workshop is scheduled to run February 8. For more information contact us at 780-973-4011 ext. 6146, HealthPromotionEdmonton@forces.gc.ca, or check us out at www.CAFconnection.ca.
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Pope Francis is leading a huge, quiet revolution in the church
Francis wants a church where debate leads to a discernment of teaching and practice
Cardinal
Kasper has had some interesting things to say about what is going on in the
Catholic Church under the papacy of Francis. In particular he commented that
the 2016 Apostolic Exhortation The
Joy of Love “doesn’t change anything of church doctrine or canon
law– but it changes everything”.
Kasper
is clearly excited by what is happening, but what does he mean by a statement
like that?
And
why are others so dismayed by what is going on? One thinks of the 45 scholars
and clerics, including several bishops, who last summer signed a letter to the
pope in which they identified 19 different passages in The Joy of Love that appeared
to conflict with Catholic teaching.
In
November, four cardinals sent Francis what is called a “dubium”, a formal query
concerning current church teaching and discipline related to the same document,
a direct challenge to the pope which has been repudiated by Cardinal Mueller,
head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.
It
seems to me that what is going on here is that Francis is proposing a paradigm
shift in our model of church that, in effect, reverses the status quo of the
past millennium and returns, with appropriate adjustments for our age, to a
first millennium model.
Contentious issues
This
is huge, a “quiet revolution”, which, strategically, has the potential to
unlock many concrete issues of contention within the church.
Francis
has spelled out the meaning of this shift in his October 17th, 2015, address
during the Synod of Bishops to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
institution of the synod.
In
this address, he reminds us that synodality has biblical roots – a walking
together, along the road of discipleship with Jesus, of laity, pastors, the
Bishop of Rome. Synodality, he affirms, is a legacy of the Second Vatican
Council and is the pathway “that God expects from the church in the third
millennium”.
At
its centre is the notion of the church as the people of God, the baptised
faithful with their infallible “supernatural sense of faith” (LG, 12). This sensus fidei prevents any
rigid separation between the teaching and learning church, so that the baptised
have a role in discerning “the new ways that the Lord is revealing to the
church”.
Francis
goes on to spell out that this vision of synodality is something that must gain
traction at all levels: local, intermediate and universal. In other words, it
is not enough to have occasional formal synods of bishops in Rome.
Rather,
at parish and diocesan level, at Episcopal Conference level, and in that
sharing of governance and teaching at Vatican level, Francis wants a church in
which open debate, with appropriate institutional channels, leads to a discernment
of teaching and practice appropriate for mission in our times.
The
ramifications of this approach are enormous. In particular it would seem likely
that many so-called neuralgic issues of current church polity (often to do with
sexuality and gender) will, over time, be addressed by this synodal, discerning
approach, in which due weight is given to the “sense of the faithful”.
Polemic against inequality
This
is by no means a simple capitulation to the “spirit of the age”. His dream of a
“poor church for the poor”, his excoriating critique of the dominant economic
model and his care for “our common home”, his constant polemic against
inequality, all testify to the enduring counter-cultural aspect of the synodal
church that he envisages.
So,
what to do – what should Catholics in Ireland do? Concretely, it seems to me,
we should be demanding of our bishops that – like the Bishop of Limerick – they
convoke diocesan synods, leading to a national synod, with outreach to the
alienated and disaffected, to young people, as well as the faithful in the
pews.
Groups
such as the Association of Catholic Priests and the Association of Catholics in
Ireland have been calling for these developments for some time now.
As
a step in that direction, why not ask for a very inclusive approach to the
upcoming (August 2018) World Meeting of Families, during which a papal visit is
possible?
We
were all, in principle at least, consulted about the Synod of Bishops on the
Family: why are we not being consulted equally generously about the upcoming
event in Dublin?
Fr
Gerry O’Hanlon, former provincial of the Jesuits in Ireland, is a theologian
and author of books such as Theology
in the Public Square and A
New Vision for the Catholic Church. He is social theologian with
the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/pope-francis-is-leading-a-huge-quiet-revolution-in-the-church-1.2957105
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Our sapphire queen: Elizabeth II to celebrate 65 years on the throne next week
THE Queen becomes the first monarch in British history to celebrate a sapphire jubilee when she marks 65 years on the throne next week.
The record-breaking monarch, 90, will reach the
milestone on February 6.
However, there are no plans for a public celebration and sources
suggest the Queen will spend the day in “quiet reflection” at
Sandringham.
Although it is a happy occasion, the day provides a poignant reminder
to the Queen of the sudden loss of her beloved father and predecessor King
George VI.
His death on February 6 1952 hurried the 25-year-old Queen to the
throne.
Five years ago the Queen became only the second monarch, after Queen
Victoria, to reach 60 years on the throne.
That achievement was widely celebrated, with a 1,000 strong flotilla including
Dunkirk ships and dragon boats parading down the River Thames to mark her
Golden Jubilee.
The Queen also opened up the Palace gardens to thousands of picnickers,
who were presented with special Jubilee hampers.
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Margaret Wente
Canada is not the Donald Trump opposition party
QUOTE:
So what should we do? Probably nothing. What our government
– and Canadians – need to keep in mind is that Canada is not the opposition
party, and Mr. Trump’s not our president. Whatever Mr. Trudeau may feel in his
heart, his priority is to protect our interests, not signal our virtues.
Their trade policies, by contrast, are very much our business, and call for vigorous engagement. We need to grasp the difference. We also need to grasp that lecturing a belligerent administration from our moral high horse will not help us achieve our other objectives – even if it makes our government more popular than ever.
As for the media, more thought and less heat might help. Mr. Trump’s new immigration rules are not the Holocaust. Resettling the few thousand refugees rejected by Mr. Trump will do nothing to address the world’s larger refugee problem, which is overwhelming.
Meantime, we should remind ourselves that opposition is not a strategy. The best way to preserve our values is to stay cool, collected and resolved. Emotional tweets are for the other guy, not us.
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Veterans Protest Travel Ban, Saying It Hurts Interpreters
·
By julie
watson, associated press
U.S.
combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan say they are outraged at the
temporary ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries that has
blocked visas for Iraqi interpreters who risked their lives to help American
troops on the battlefield.
Thousands of veterans have signed petitions. One soldier says he has bought
a plane ticket for his Afghan translator in case that country is added to the
list of banned nations.
Many veterans say they feel betrayed by the executive order signed by
President Donald Trump on Friday that also suspends the admission of all
refugees to the U.S. for 120 days and all Syrian refugees indefinitely.
They say the fight feels personal because they gave their word to people
who aided American troops that the United States would protect them and their
families.
"This administration just made me a liar in a very significant way,
and I'm not willing to accept this," said Iraq and Afghanistan combat
veteran Michael Breen, president and CEO of the Truman National
Security Project, a Washington-based nonprofit think tank.
The Pentagon is compiling the names of Iraqis who have supported U.S. and
coalition personnel to help exempt them from the 90-day immigration ban.
The list will include those who have tangibly demonstrated their commitment
to supporting U.S. forces, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said.
It will contain several categories of people, such as translators, drivers and
Iraqi forces who may be training in the U.S.
California Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter,
a combat Marine veteran who endorsed Trump's presidential campaign, sent the
president a bipartisan letter signed by other lawmakers who served in the
military, expressing support for the exemption list.
"Doing so would send a strong signal to those who show such immense
courage to advance U.S. security interests at a risk to their own safety, as
well as the many veterans and warfighters who've relied on the service of these
individuals for their own protection and to accomplish their objectives,"
the letter states.
His spokesman, Joe Kasper, said Hunter supports the intent of the travel
ban but questions how it was executed.
Veterans who have been aiding translators say it would be difficult to get
everyone on the list.
What's more, they say the ban sends a message to Iraqi soldiers and other
Muslims fighting insurgents that the United States does not want them.
"Not only is this executive order a death sentence for Iraqis and
Afghans who have served faithfully alongside U.S. troops, but it feels like a
death sentence for our service members who are in the Middle East,"
said former Army Capt. Matt Zeller, who runs the nonprofit No One Left Behind,
an organization working to get interpreters from Iraq and Afghanistan to the
United States.
"I'm only alive because my Afghan Muslim translator saved my life by
killing two Taliban fighters who were about to kill me in battle," he
said.
Zeller said that's why he grabbed the American flag that flew over his base
in Afghanistan and waved it outside the White House this weekend, joining
thousands of protesters who demanded an immediate end to the travel ban.
Afghanistan is not among the seven countries on the ban list, but suspension
of the refugee program is affecting Afghan translators who have been given
special immigrant visas for helping U.S. troops.
Zeller said two Afghan translators have had their flights cancelled since
Friday's order. The interpreters waited for years to get the visas, going
through a lengthy vetting process, he said.
Army Capt. Matthew Ball said his interpreter, Qismat Amin, who has been
living in hiding after getting threats from Taliban and Islamic state fighters,
got his visa Sunday, after nearly four years of interviews. Ball bought him a
$1,000 plane ticket to San Francisco and plans to meet him at the airport with
an attorney.
"The ban is terrible. It's terrible for what it says about our
country. It's terrible for what it says to our allies who we fight with
overseas. It's terrible for what it does to real people, struggling to flee
terrorism in their home countries, who now have nowhere to go," said Ball,
who now serves in the Reserves.
Amin, who talked to The Associated Press by phone, said he had mixed
feelings.
"I feel kind of hesitant to be honest," he said. "I'm
hopeful it's going to be OK. I've never been out of my country, so I don't know
the rules, and I've been watching the news. I'm a Muslim, and there are
different stories saying the United States is banning Muslims, banning
immigrants. I'm immigrant plus I'm Muslim, so I don't know."
"I'm very excited at the moment right now and kind of terrified,"
he said.
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Leaders from business and government get their sea legs on 48-hour navy experience
By Ryan MelansonEight civilian leaders from a diverse set of public and private sector backgrounds were the latest to get a once-in-a-lifetime experience with the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Canadian Leaders at Sea (CLaS) program, travelling more than 400 nautical miles from Halifax to Boston, Mass., as guests aboard Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ville de Québec.
After a tour of key Canadian Forces Base Halifax sites to contextualize the experience, the group set sail at 4 p.m. on November 30, 2016, accompanied by Commodore Craig Baines, Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic, and immediately began a jam-packed schedule designed to show off the modernized frigate in as many ways as possible.
They spent time on the bridge as the ship performed high-speed manoeuvres in rough weather, toured the inner workings of the vessel through the engine and auxiliary machine rooms, got a crash-course in combat systems engineering, and even learned about the life of logistics officers, the “most exciting” job on board, according to Lieutenant-Commander Robert Cyr. They ate in each mess, bunked alongside sailors, and saw almost every inch of the vessel during the trip. The many improvements made through the Halifax-class modernization process were also highlighted, like the new Combat Management System, Integrated Control System and navigation radars.
There were plenty of hands-on experiences for the guests as well. On their first night on board, they took to the flight deck in the darkness to fire off smoke grenades and parachute rocket flares used in search-and-rescue scenarios, and the second day at sea brought even more hands-on excitement through small arms training and firing. After an extensive safety briefing and one-on-one instruction, each participant fired rounds from a 9mm pistol and the C7A2 automatic rifle at targets set up on the flight deck, and they also each shot one of the ship’s .50 caliber machine guns.
While there was a bit of lighthearted excitement leading up to the shoot, the seriousness of the weapons used by the RCN and Canadian Armed Forces was made paramount.
“It makes you stop and appreciate the firepower that they have on board, and that this can be a dangerous job,” said CLaS guest Sandra Hassan, Assistant Deputy Minister Compensation and Labour Relations with the Treasury Board Secretariat.
During a damage control presentation, the civilians were able to test out the fire extinguishers and spray the fire hose off the flight deck while suited up in full gear, but they also watched as the crew went through a training scenario, with the attack team heading to a smoke-filled section of the ship and others tending to a simulated casualty with advanced first-aid procedures.
Fires are one of the most common dangers in a warship, explained Lieutenant (Navy) Eric Bertrand. Every member of the crew receives training, and exercises are done often to ensure sailors are ready to respond.
“Damage control is something we take very seriously, because fires do happen. But when incidents occur in our navy or around the world, we’re able to learn from that and change the way we do business to get better,” he said.
Needless to say, the group was out of their element if comparing life on the frigate to their own workplaces, but some could still draw comparisons, like Honorary Navy Captain Tom Paddon. As the Chairman and former President and CEO of Baffinland Iron Mines Corp, HCapt(N) Paddon was familiar with the idea of caring for workers who are away from their homes and families.
“Of course it’s still difficult to compare, but for the drivers of supporting people in a non-local environment, there are a lot of similarities. We have to feed them, we have to heat everything, treat our water and sewer, bring all the supplies in, bring people back and forth. You’re basically running a town, and it happens to be in the shape of a ship,” he said.
Through two full nights in Ville de Québec, guests also had the chance to experience downtime at sea, spending time in the mess as sailors socialized, shared stories from their careers, or simply relaxed by watching a movie or live sports from the satellite entertainment on board. And with no wireless internet and limited communications of any kind, some guests said they quite enjoyed the rare chance to unplug for a few days.
“It’s almost like being on vacation,” joked Pierre Le Fevre, advisor to the CEO at Via Rail.
But the seriousness of the work done by RCN crews, and the often dangerous nature of that work, wasn’t lost on any of the CLaS guests. With an Honorary Captain (Navy) and a former Honorary Royal Canadian Air Force Colonel on board, as well as experienced government employees, discussions about the business of the RCN and the challenges of operating a globally deployable navy were frequent and well informed. The visitors quizzed Ville de Québec’s command team and Cmdre Baines on topics like Arctic sovereignty, Russian aggression, the South China Sea, and the RCN’s plan for dealing with current capability gaps.
Upon arriving in Boston on December 2, the guests had a final luncheon with Cmdre Baines and the ship’s Captain Commander Guillaume LaFrance, where they expressed their gratitude for the immersive trip to sea and talked about how they can use what they learned and experienced to act as ambassadors for the RCN in the future.
Cdr LaFrance left the group with a message on the basics of the navy business that are sometimes lost on the public: defence of Canada and North America, and contributions to international missions as an honest and trusted broker.
“By us existing and working here and abroad, ensuring those problems that exist don’t percolate back to Canada, it can be more difficult for people to appreciate what’s being done,” he said.
Kelly Block, a Member of Parliament since 2008 for the Saskatchewan riding of Carlton Trail–Eagle Creek, said she was grateful she could free up her Ottawa schedule enough to make it aboard. She said any parliamentarian could benefit from the experience, and she’ll be strongly promoting the CLaS program as an option for her colleagues in the future.
“Actually being on the ship and being able to experience some of what goes on, it provides me with a much stronger resolution to do what I need to do as a Member of Parliament to support our men and women and make sure they have everything they need. I’ve always felt strongly about that, but this has reinforced for me what a valuable asset we have,” she said.
The RCN plans to continue taking civilian leaders to sea with the CLaS program in coming years, and planning for the first 2017 engagements has already begun.
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Fighter jet journey
By Chris Thatcher
Ask Captain Thegne Rathbone about becoming a fighter
pilot and you can feel his excitement. For one, the smile rarely leaves his
face. “I have it within fingertip reach,” he says. “I’ve got eight months of
training left and then I can call myself a fighter pilot.”
Sitting in a small conference room at 419 Tactical
Fighter Training Squadron, Captain Rathbone is no more than a short walk across
the runway from 410 Tactical Fighter (Operational Training) Squadron at 4 Wing
Cold Lake, Alberta, the introductory step into a CF-188 Hornet and the final
stop in a lengthy but rewarding training process before being assigned to an
operational fighter squadron.
“The F-18 is a twin-engine, after-burning, munitions
dropping aircraft – what more do you want to give a 25-year-old to play with?”
he asks as he opens his log book to Skies for a brief look at his journey to
jet fighter status.
Maybe it’s the movies; maybe it’s a family member;
maybe it’s just an early fascination with flying. But regardless of how young
pilots come to crave the thrill, it’s a pull that often proves
irresistible.
Becoming a fighter pilot in the Royal Canadian Air
Force, however, is not for the impatient.
Although Captain Rathbone arrived at this point in
his eight years with the RCAF about as quickly as any prospective pilot could,
the training process is the longest and most challenging of all of the pilot
training programs, involving more than 400 flying hours and 180-plus hours in a
simulator.
Before the autumn of 2015, he had shot through the
four phases of the development program with barely a few days or weeks between
each. But with operations over Iraq and Syria pulling many CF-188 instructor
pilots away from training, and limiting the number of aircraft available for
students, as well as changes to manning requirements at 401 and 409 Tactical
Fighter Squadrons as they undergo a division into two distinct units, the
captain found himself in a holding pattern.
A self-confessed “flying mooch” who jumped into extra
flights, even in the backseat, at every opportunity, he has continued to absorb
as much as he can from the veteran instructor pilots at 419 Squadron as he
awaits the call.
And it’s a move that can’t come soon enough. Becoming
a pilot has been his dream since an early age. He joined the Forces in July
2008 at the age of 18 and, over the next four years, completed basic training and
earned a Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Royal Military
College in Kingston, Ontario.
From there, it was off to 3 Canadian Forces Flying
Training School in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, for the first phase of pilot
training. He took his preliminary flight in the fall of 2012 on the Grob 120-A,
an elementary trainer operated by Allied Wings under the Contracted Flight
Training and Support Program. Over three months, he flew 16.8 hours in the
small prop plane, more than the course syllabus of 12, by nabbing extra flights
whenever weather delayed the training.
By January 2013, he had landed at 2 Canadian Forces
Flying Training School in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, for Phase Two, also known as
the first phase of NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC), a three-part
program that begins by sorting the fighter pilots from their multi-engine and
helicopter colleagues. Many may arrive with ambitions for one aircraft, but
within months it is often apparent where they will fit best, Captain Rathbone
observes.
For him, the thrill of his solo proficiency check on
the CT-156 Harvard II turboprop was a memorable moment.
“They gave me a 1,100 shaft horsepower aircraft,
fully aerobatic, to go play with,” he says, amazed that he was flying solo with
just 34 hours of military flying time. “That gets the adrenaline going.”
The 70 flying-hour course, which includes about 40
hours in the simulator, takes pilots through “clearhood” or basic aircraft
handling, instrument flying, low-level navigation (240 knots at 200 feet)
[444.48 kilometres/hour at 61 metres] and formation flying. “It is
nerve-wracking at first, being that close,” he says, “but it is very rewarding
once it clicks.”
With 97 flight hours under his belt, Captain Rathbone
was selected to the jet fighter program and just a week later, in September
2013, he entered phase three (phase two of NFTC).
The four-month course of 80 flying hours (plus 17 in
the simulator), still on the CT-156 Harvard II at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, follows a
similar but more advanced syllabus to phase two, introducing composite missions
that integrate the specific aspects of the previous course into a single
flight.
On January 20, 2014, a day he recalls with some
pride, Captain Rathbone received his pilot’s wings. It was barely 15 months
since he’d entered pilot training, but he had 178 hours of military flying time
and was keen to move ahead.
A few weeks later, he was settling into the cockpit
of a CT-155 Hawk. The three-month transition course in Moose Jaw qualifies
students in the jet-engine aircraft before they make the flight north to 4 Wing
and phase four, the fighter lead-in training (FLIT) program at 419 Squadron.
“You do all the same basic manoeuvres you did in
phase two, but now you are doing it on a jet and you are expected to learn in a
much shorter time frame,” he says. “That was the first jet aircraft experience
ever, and that’s fun.” With 247 flying hours in his log book, 55 on the Hawk,
he began “the best course I have ever been on and one of the most fun times of
my life.”
Phase four, a five-month course that upped the ante
in every aspect of his flying, gradually turned into a 10-month program as
dismal weather wiped away most of December, January and February. But by May
2015, Captain Rathbone had accumulated the necessary flying hours (94, in his
case, and 32 in the simulator) to pass.
He now had 347 hours and was itching to fly the
CF-188 Hornet. But 410 Squadron wasn’t ready.
While waiting, he has “mooched” his way onto training
flights and was among the first students to go through a tactical refresher
course, a new program designed to keep future fighter pilots proficient in
tactical procedures. “They were non-graded missions, so you were treated more
as an adult pilot, less as a student,” he explains. “The shots were yours to
call in the air. I learned a lot on that refresher course.”
He has also made good use of the simulator, though
he’s quick to caution that while it’s “a great tool, sims can never replace
actual flying time in an aircraft.”
If the aim of the pilot training program, and
especially the FLIT course, is to instill basic fighter skills and hone core
competencies such as situational awareness and decision-making in dynamic
environments, Captain Rathbone believes the program has prepared him well. The training
program at 410 Squadron may be another 60 flight hours, but that’s the final
reward.
“I feel comfortable going into 410,” he says. “There
is always that little excitement and nerves of a new aircraft. It has been a
lot of long days, but they prepare you well. It’s a rewarding experience all
through.”
Editor’s note: Since this article was written,
Captain Rathbone has graduated from his course, and is now with 401 Tactical
Fighter Squadron at Cold Lake.
Chris Thatcher is a freelance writer specializing in
defence, security and technology issues. This article originally appeared in
the September/October 2016 edition of Skies magazine. It is translated and reproduced
with the permission of the author and the publisher.
-------------
Centuries of Soldiers -- Annapolis Royal's Fort Anne milestone celebrated
ANNAPOLIS ROYAL - Centuries of soldiers rested a bit easier on Friday.
Their courage, their sacrifice, their suffering, their worth re-affirmed and
their old fort celebrated.
Fort Anne. A foothold in North America 388 years ago.
Named and renamed since the first version was built in 1629. Thirteen battles,
seven occupations. The French and the English.
So much history.
On Jan. 27, 2017 Annapolis Royal council chambers was
packed to standing room only. Residents leaned in from the hallway trying to
catch a glimpse of proceedings around the council table. The men put their top
hats on the table. The women wore their fancy millinery marvels of 100 years
ago.
It may have been 2017, but 100 years earlier on Jan.
24, 1917 a similar council meeting was held as Fort Anne became Canada’s first
National Historic Site. Friday’s re-enactment of that meeting followed Town
Crier Peter Davies’ proclamation of Fort Anne Day as signed by Annapolis Royal
Mayor William MacDonald. The mayor also raised the Red Ensign and joined in as
council and crowd sang God Save the King. The monarch in question was King
George 5.
Advertisement
No matter how
insignificant the events related to the birth of our country may seem, compared
with the world-wide happenings of today, and no matter how stupendous or
far-reaching they may be, still no event can ever transcend in the minds of
true Canadians, the romance of our early history. Judge Alfred William Savary
The Meeting
Parks Canada’s Lillian Stewart narrated from a podium
as the council re-enactment unfolded.
“When the Garrison withdrew from the old Fort in
1854, the site saw many uses prior to it becoming a ‘Dominion Park,’ and today
as we mark Fort Anne’s official birthday we will travel back and forth in time
to capture some of these recollections, and stories in Fort Anne’s evolution
from garrisoned fort to National Historic Site marking its 100th
birthday,” she said.
As the re-enactment began, MacDonald reviewed a
request sent to Ottawa by the Garrison Commission and received the letter
sharing the results of the request to have Fort Anne designated a national
park.
On Dec. 12, 1916, the town had sent their own letter
to J.B. Harkin, Department of the Interior, Dominion Parks Branch.
“Mr. Harkin. I beg to submit herewith a memorandum in
connection with the suggestion to proclaim the site of old Fort Annapolis, Nova
Scotia, a Dominion Park,” the letter began. “Mr. Loftus Morton Fortier,
Inspector of Immigration Agencies for the Maritime Provinces, accompanied the
undersigned to the site and otherwise assisted very materially in procuring
information and arranging for interviews with interested citizens of Annapolis
Royal.”
Awaits Expression
A heavy snowfall interfered with their efforts but
Fortier was satisfied.
“Enough was seen however to convince one that if a start
is to be made in preserving the historic sites of the Dominion as National
Historic Parks, no better commencement could be made than at Fort Royal,” the
letter continued. “The site which consists of some thirty acres, possessing
relics of the old fort, and situated at the confluence of the rivers Annapolis
and L’Equille (Allains) commands a magnificent view of the Basin, pregnant with
early Canadian History and which but awaits material expression in such a
conservation scheme as proposed.”
The mayor heard from the gallery, and from the board
of trade, the Garrison Commission, Judge Alfred William Savary, and councilors
themselves.
As the First World War was being waged across the
Atlantic, it was Savary – a member of Canada’s first and second Parliaments,
who may have best expressed the value of preserving the fort.
“Today we seem to be standing at the threshold of a
new chapter in Canadian History, and with the momentous events now transpiring
in Europe, the incidents of the past are likely to be lost sight of unless they
are kept in mind by something tangible and expressive of our nationhood,” he
said. “No matter how insignificant the events related to the birth of our
country may seem, compared with the world-wide happenings of today, and no
matter how stupendous or far-reaching they may be, still no event can ever
transcend in the minds of true Canadians, the romance of our early history.
“Annapolis Royal seemed to be the focal point for
many decades of the struggles associated with the birth of the Dominion of
Canada, from which struggles eventually were evolved those intermingling forces
of French, English, Indian and later American elements which are shaping the
destinies of our race on this continent.”
Other Uses
When the Garrison withdrew in 1854, Fort Anne became
variously a school, multi-family dwelling, and the site of Queen Victoria’s
Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1897. That latter event is said to have sparked
the Department of Militia and Defence to take action at Fort Anne.
It should be noted that the federal government of
1917 didn’t actually ‘surrender’ the fort. According to the Jan. 24, 1917 Order
in Council establishing Fort Anne as a Dominion Park, if the land should be
required for military purposes, “its use and control shall revert to the
Department of Militia and Defence.”
After Stewart read the Order in Council, Town Crier
Davies led council, dignitaries, and residents to the Officers’ Quarters where
renovations have been under way. They viewed story boards that depicted the
completely revamped historic displays that will be in place by June.
------------
Canadian Army
About the Army
The Canadian Army is the land component of the Canadian Armed Forces and is its largest element.The Canadian Army protects Canadians and their interests in a number of important ways.
Find out more about the Canadian Army.
2nd Canadian Division - Quebec
3rd Canadian Division - West
4th Canadian Division - Ontario
5th Canadian Division - Atlantic
Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre
Canadian Rangers
------------------
-------------
14 Wing Greenwood to host international air show
GREENWOOD - The skies
above 14 Wing will become a venue for a world-class air show in August.
The Atlantic Canada International Air Show is coming to 14 Wing Greenwood
Aug. 26-27.“We're now celebrating our 75th anniversary and we get to celebrate it with a world-class air show,” said CFB Greenwood Wing Commander Col. Patrick Thauberger at an announcement event hosted in the base headquarters building Jan. 27.
Representatives of the Nova Scotia International Air Show Association participated in the announcement and confirmed that the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron (Snowbirds) and CF-18 Hornets will perform at the event.
The show will feature several types of aircraft, and include interactive exhibits as well as exciting demonstrations. The concrete details will be confirmed closer to the show date as work continues to book performers and guest speakers.
Air Show Atlantic executive director Colin Stephenson said he anticipates the show will bring about 10,000 people to Greenwood throughout the weekend.
“We'll have folks coming from far and wide to see the Snowbirds fly,” he said, later noting that the CF-18 Hornets will also be a significant draw.
“This is their premier front line fighter for Canada.”
The organizers are seeking funding from all three levels of government in order to offset some of the costs associated with hosting the air show that, estimates predict, could result in more than $2 million in economic spinoffs.
“The fans will have a lot to look forward to,” said Stephenson.
Learn more about the upcoming event by visiting www.airshowatlantic.ca.
http://www.novanewsnow.com/community/2017/1/27/14-wing-greenwood-to-host-international-air-show.html
----------
Canada’s Road to Nationhood
Ottawa, ON - January 27, 2017This year is the 100-year Commemoration of the WWI Battle of Vimy Ridge. Canada entered the Great War as a colony and by its end, was on the road to nationhood.
To many Canadians, Vimy Ridge is the battleground where Canada came of age as a nation. During four days in April 1917, Canadian troops did what no others had done before – they took Vimy Ridge – and from there to the end of WWI, Canada never lost a fight.
After Vimy, there was the Battle of Hill 70 (Aug. 15-25) where the Canadian Corps went up against five divisions of the German 6th Army, the third Battle of Ypres and Passchendaele (Oct-Nov), and numerous other smaller engagements. In each action, our troops prevailed.
Although Newfoundland didn’t enter Confederation until 1949, Canadians and Newfoundlanders were joined in purpose in WWI. After suffering severe losses at Beaumont-Hamel on July 1, 1916, the Newfoundland Regiment fought valiantly throughout 1917 and distinguished itself at Le Transloy 100-years ago today (Jan 27), at Sailly-Saillisel (Mar 2-3) and at Monchy-le-Preux (Apr 14) among others. By the end of the year, King George V bestowed upon the Regiment the title ‘Royal’ – an award that no other British Regiment earned during WWI.
This year, I want to pay tribute to that time and I hope you will join me in honouring this defining era of our history. As Veterans, let us recognize the sacrifices of those who served before us and of their families. Let us also pay tribute to and share the stories of our 24 WWI Victoria Cross winners. Subscribe to get our blogs emailed to you or follow us on Facebook and Twitter as we post the photos and biographies of the Victoria Cross recipients throughout the year, and links to additional information on their stories of courage.
So let’s begin at Le Transloy where at 5:30 AM the Allied artillery opened fire signaling the commencement of the battle and the Newfoundland Regiment joined the foray…
Guy Parent
-------
The first female brigadier-general in the Canadian
Armed Forces. A retired master seaman who served for more than 20 years, was
subsequently diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and now has a
service dog. A retired lieutenant-colonel who served for more than 30 years,
including a stint in Afghanistan. And a pair of Second World War veterans who
met and married with her coming to Canada as a war bride. These are but four of
the stories associated with a series of photographs featuring hands and maple
leaves which are now on display in the Alumni Association Gallery at the
Diefenbunker Museum in Carp.
They are part of the From Hand to Hand
photo exhibition launched at the Diefenbunker on Jan. 27 to begin the museum’s
year of celebrations for Canada’s 150th anniversary this year.
The photos are all the work of Ottawa artist Valerie
Noftle who spent six months in 2016 working with the 13 veterans whose hands
and stories are featured in this From Hand to Hand photo
series. This includes veterans who have served Canada from the Second World War
to Afghanistan.
They all shared time with photographer Noftle over photo shoots and coffee,
resulting in this exhibition honouring them as those who have served.
And these photos, besides hanging in the gallery at the
Diefenbunker, have also been used for a 2017 calendar which is now available at
the Diefenbunker’s Cold War store. For every calendar sold, a $10 donation will
be made to “Support Our Troops,” the official charity of the Canadian Forces
community, with the funds designated to help combat homelessness among
veterans. More than 350 homeless veterans have been identified in the Ottawa
area alone.
Valerie Noftle’s interest in photography began with her
first photo shoot in 1993 which happened to be at a Leonard Cohen concert in
London, Ont. She now works full time out of her Ottawa studio with her work
having been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions since 1998.
Among those at the launch ceremony for this From
Hand to Hand photo exhibition at the Diefenbunker on Jan. 27 were
Kanata-Carleton MP Karen McCrimmon, herself a veteran and currently the
parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Transport, a new position she holds
after being the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and
Associate Minister of National Defence for the past 13 months;
Carleton-Mississippi Mills MPP Jack MacLaren; and Kanata North Coun. Marianne
Wilkinson.
After the launch ceremony, the dignitaries and others
at the event toured the Diefenbunker’s Alumni Association Gallery in which the
photos are now hanging. The exhibition will continue until July 30 of this
year.
One of the photographs on display features the hands of
Brigadier-General (retired) Sheila Hellstrom who in 1987 was the first woman in
Canada to attain the rank of brigadier-general.
Indeed, the Elmvale Acres resident noted at the Jan. 27
launch event which she attended that it was 30 years ago to that very day that
the announcement had been made about her achieving the rank.
A native of Lunenburg, N.S., Hellstrom had joined the
Royal Canadian Air Force personnel administration branch in 1954, going on to
serve for 36 years.
Another of the photos features not only the hands of
Mater Seaman (retired) Larry Beattie, but also shows his service dog Banjo.
Beattie joined the Royal Canadian Navy in 1978, serving
the country from coast to toast for more than 20 years. Suffering from clinical
depression, he was medically released and subsequently diagnosed with Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
He has been working for the RCMP lately, but is
retiring in March so that he can spend more time at his Vankleek Hill property.
The visit to the photo gallery turned personal for MP
McCrimmon as one of the photos on display features the hands of
Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Rita LePage with whom the MP served in Afghanistan
when they were both posted there.
LePage had joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1984,
serving for more than 30 years. She joined as a supply technician, was
commissioned as a logistics officer in 1986, was reclassified to public affairs
in 1991 and was medically released in 2014.
Another of the photos on display shows two pairs of
hands which are the hands of husband and wife Second World War veterans,
Brigadier-General (retired) Jack V. Watts and Corporal (retired) Norma Watts.
They met when Jack was sent overseas in the Second World War, eventually
marrying with Norma coming to Canada as a war bride. She had been a corporal in
Britain while Jack was a young Canadian airman.
Watts joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940,
going on to serve in four different squadrons over Europe and Africa. He
completed 106 operations, earning a number of distinctions. He went on to
attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Defence College and served with
both the Canadian Commercial Corporation and External Affairs.
The Diefenbunker is a four-storey, 100,000 square foot
underground bunker built between 1959 and 1961. During the Cold War, it was
intended to shelter up to 535 Canadian government officials and military
officers in the event of a nuclear war. It served as Canadian Forces Station
Carp until 1994 and is now a national historic site. The 34.5 hectare site was
acquired by the former Township of West Carleton in 1996.
Today the underground bunker is the home of the
Diefenbunker Cold War Museum, a not-for-profit museum.
The Diefenbunker Museum is located at 3929 Carp Road in
Carp. Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with admission costs being $14 plus
HST for adults, $13 plus HST for seniors, $10 plus HST for students and $8 plus
HST for youth. Children five and under are admitted free. Parking is free.
The first female brigadier-general in the Canadian Armed Forces. ... veterans who have served Canada
from the Second World War to Afghanistan.
------------------------
EU court says asylum can be denied those with terror links
BRUSSELS — Europe's top court says an asylum request
can be rejected if the person seeking protection has links to a terrorist
group.
The case concerns Moroccan national Mostafa Lounani,
who was jailed for six years in Belgium for helping to make forged documents as
part of a network sending volunteer jihadis to Iraq.
Lounani applied for refugee status because he feared
persecution if he were sent back to Morocco because of his prison sentence.
But the European Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that
even if someone doesn't commit or support terrorist acts asylum can be denied
for helping to recruit, organize or equip foreign fighters.
The court said that Lounani provided logistical
support to a group with an international dimension and that such acts can
justify exclusion from refugee status.
------
Ex-general and Liberal U.S. point man urges 'calm' in dealing with Trump
By: Mike Blanchfield The Canadian Press Published on Tue
Jan 31 2017
OTTAWA — One of the Trudeau government's top
guns on dealing with Donald Trump — retired general Andrew Leslie —
says former U.S. president Barack Obama issued more executive orders in
his first days in power than the current White House occupant.
Leslie, who was appointed earlier this month as
parliamentary secretary to the foreign minister, offered
that piece of U.S. presidential trivia on Tuesday as he
evoked the stiff-upper-lip British approach to dealing with
adversity.
"All of us have to stay calm and carry on. We
will make sure that we take care of our interests — security, trade, a
whole host of others — while defending our values," he said.
Leslie commanded the Canadian army during the
bloodiest combat phase of the war in Afghanistan and
that war experience helped spur Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
to raise him to his current position to boost ties with the new
U.S. administration, which includes a number of former military commanders.
They include two retired marine generals in key
jobs, James Mattis at defence and John Kelly in homeland
security. Trump's national security adviser is retired army general
Michael Flynn.
Leslie said those ties helped Canada get quick
answers on Saturday from Washington after Trump's executive order barring
citizens of seven countries, including Syria, from entering the United States
caused widespread uncertainty.
And he stressed that working constructively with the
new administration is "the wisest approach" in
defending Canada's interests — not publicly disagreeing with Trump.
"The government has been working very carefully,
very quietly, with a variety of advisers in the White House ... I think that
proved its value over the weekend," Leslie told reporters.
Leslie also refused to be drawn in to criticizing
Trump's travel ban.
"Now that I am getting much better briefed on
the issue, president Obama actually issued more executive orders and
memorandums in his first week than President Trump," he said,
offering no other details.
Newly appointed International Trade Minister
Francois-Philippe Champagne said closed borders are "not the Canadian
way" and that the assurances Canada received that dual nationals would not
be barred from the U.S. are key to maintaining strong trade links.
"We have about 400,000 people crossing the
border every day," he said. "So obviously, free flow of people
between our countries is essential. I'm grateful we could clarify that
very quickly."
With Trump wanting to renegotiate the North American
Free Trade Agreement — or possibly scrap it — Trudeau's office said Tuesday the
prime minister had a phone conversation on Monday with Mexican
President Enrique Pena Nieto in which they discussed trade, job creation and
competitiveness across the continent.
The call came after Pena Nieto abruptly
cancelled a planned visit to Washington this week following Trump's
insistence that Mexico will pay for his proposed border wall.
The statement from Trudeau's office called North
America "one of the most successful economic regions in the world."
It said Trudeau and Pena Nieto look forward to
continuing their "regular discussions" on those matters.
Pena Nieto also expressed his condolences over
the weekend attack on a mosque in Quebec City that killed six men and injured
19, saying Mexico stood in solidarity with Canadians, Trudeau's
office said.
The statement said the two leaders also
reaffirmed that religious tolerance, diversity and pluralism are values shared
by both their countries.
----------
For every poor and
hard put single mom in the world.... this is when.... no matter how hard life
was.... you raised em right..... #BornACrime inspires the world from poverty
and race, creed, religion and so on... it’s a masterpiece in it’s brilliant
simplicity – from #MadibaBET’s South Africa.... #BlackHistoryMonth... and folks
we all deserve to laught and chuckle and cry and scream in anguish.... your
library will let you borrow a copy... I bought mine for a treasure gift for this
old single momma...
Born A Crime by
Trevor Noah
Book review by Steve Bennett
Trevor Noah’s rise through the international comedy circuit to
become host of The Daily Show has been swift. And it’s an ascent that seems all
the more unlikely given his upbringing in the townships of South Africa, from a
background sometimes so poor that the family would live on eating
caterpillars.
This makes Born A Crime intrinsically more fascinating than most
celebrity memoirs, as it gives a real glimpse into an abject world most of his
fans will never experience. There are no showbusiness anecdotes here, nor is it
gag-packed – although there are some hilarious tales driven by his peculiar
circumstances, such as one almost unbelievably awkward teenage date or the
misadventures of a dance crew he used to hang out with.
Noah was born ‘coloured’ under the terminology of apartheid;
evidence that his parents had broken the laws against ‘mixed-race’
relationships. His father was Swiss, his mother Xhosa, which meant he never
quite fitted into a nation so fiercely divided on race lines. The blacks
thought him white, and treated him with unearned deference and curiosity, the
whites thought him black, and looked down upon him.
He was brought up by his mother, Patricia, a fiercely religious
woman, originally in a very modest Soweto home. But he landed a place at an
expensive private Catholic school, thanks to a bursary, where he began to see
the divisions in his country for the first time as he returned to poverty every
night. Young Trevor countered the feelings of being an outsider by picking up a
lot of languages, which able to make friends across the tribes, and by becoming
something of a joker, no threat to anyone. That’s really the only
acknowledgement of the seeds being sown for his future career.
While this is a personal memoir, Noah skilfully uses his stories
to highlight the appalling calculated absurdity of apartheid, not just the
brutality of a police state, but the mechanism designed to set almost men
against each other. It was a system that classed Chinese people as black but
Japanese people as white. Corrosively, Noah writes: ‘It convinced every group
that it was because of the other race that you weren’t getting into the club.’
Society also brainwashed people to think they were lesser citizens.
Apartheid started to be dismantled when he was small, although
its consequences would not vanish overnight… as well as creating new problems
as the slave labour force were given their freedom: but no jobs or money.
By far the most dominant force in Trevor’s life was his mother,
a determined woman full of independence and fight. She would not accept
any designation because of her colour or her gender. In the black townships she
was seen as the ‘whore’ who had a white man’s child, so worked her way towards
a better life in coloured communities. As far as her son was concerned, she was
a fierce disciplinarian, who doled out tough love, for she knew if her son was
to be disciplined by the police, it would be a different matter.
His stepfather was to be a different prospect, though, and he’d
inflict domestic violence with impunity from police who’d blame the victim for
provocation.
The unwritten message amid the stories that flit between the
harrowing and the amusement found within the ghettosis is the wasted potential,
with millions people given no prospects of escape. It is remarkable that Noah
found his way through – even though he was not immune to the petty criminality
that was a way of life, just to survive.
He started with a little shoplifting (and burning a white
family’s house down, though that was accident rather than arson). As a teenager
he started pirating CDs, which became a lucrative business, and then became a
DJ in street parties, part of a life always on the hustle, trying to turn 10
rand into 20. The occasional encounter with the cops became the norm, although
one more serious run-in almost escalated to the point that could have sucked Trevor Noah into an entirely
different existence. And the book ends with an incident that shocks to the
core.
Taken together, all these fascinating stories make Born A Crime
a compelling and honest insight into everyday life for millions of people in
society with no real hope, even after the oppressive, racist regime crumbled.
Noah’s prose moves nimbly between the entertaining, the enlightening and the
shocking as he portrays this world without seeking pity. He simply wants to
tell things as he remembers them, which he does with charm, wit and insight.
------------------
Military
clears streets, delivers aid for New Brunswick ice storm victims
The soldiers cleaned debris from streets, went
door-to-door to check on residents, and delivered needed items as the region
recovers.
After a devastating ice storm that
left many without power in northeastern New Brunswick, Canadian Forces troops
went door to door helping with the recovery. Maj. Turmel Chiasson says units
are "excited" to help in the community.(The Canadian Press)
LAMEQUE, N.B.— Troops went door-to-door Monday,
helping northeastern New Brunswick recover from a devastating ice storm that
has been linked to two deaths and almost three dozen hospitalizations from
carbon monoxide poisoning.
The soldiers cleaned debris from streets, went
door-to-door to check on residents, and delivered needed items as the region
recovers from a storm that has now prompted a delay in the provincial budget.
“They are making some significant gains in very
difficult conditions . . . But we understand there are people going through a
tough time,” Premier Brian Gallant told a briefing Monday. The budget scheduled
for Tuesday is now delayed until Feb. 7.
Early in the day, dark green military vehicles from
Canadian Forces Base Gagetown crossed a bridge onto Lameque island, where
soldiers set up a base in a school and then fanned out to ice-coated
communities where power crews are still attempting to restore electricity lost
in Wednesday’s storm.
New
Brunswick is recovering from an ice storm that has been linked to two deaths
and almost three dozen hospitalizations from carbon monoxide poisoning. (Diane
Doiron)
Major Turmel Chiasson said the units have trained
extensively for disaster scenarios, but for many of the younger soldiers it’s
their first real-life experience responding to an ice storm.
New
Brunswick is recovering from an ice storm that has been linked to two deaths
and almost three dozen hospitalizations from carbon monoxide poisoning. (Diane
Doiron)
Major Turmel Chiasson said the units have trained
extensively for disaster scenarios, but for many of the younger soldiers it’s
their first real-life experience responding to an ice storm.
Workers
tended to downed power lines in Escuminac, N.B. on Friday. (Diane Doiron)
One group of soldiers went to the small village of
Sainte-Marie-Saint Raphael, on the eastern coast of Lameque island, and knocked
on doors, at one point assisting an elderly woman with limited mobility to
clean out her freezer.
They ensured no one was using propane burners or open
flames indoors, and checked whether any essentials were needed.
Most residents had generators, and relatively few
asked for additional assistance.
“So far everyone has been very friendly, very open
with their houses,” said Bombardier Jurica Mioc of the 4th Artillery Regiment,
who was among soldiers knocking on doors in Sainte-Marie-Saint-Raphael.
“We’ve been invited in for food three or four times
already. Everyone’s been amazing so far. Really high spirits for the situation
that’s going on.”
Gallant said the number of people without electricity
has fallen from 150,000 last Wednesday, to less than 20,000 by noon Monday, and
it was expected that with 380 repair crews on the ground that the majority of
customers will have power restored by the end of the day.
Antoine Mazerolle collected water in a ditch to help flush
his toilet at home in Pointe-Sapin, N.B. on Saturday. (Diane Doiron)
“There are some families that will have a few days
without power,” Gallant said.
Meanwhile, hospitals continued to assist people who
succumbed to carbon monoxide fumes as some residents resorted to generators or
barbecues to supply power and heat.
As of Monday afternoon, 33 people had been treated for
exposure to the gas.
In the small community of St. Leolin on the Acadian
Peninsula, Mayor Mathieu Chayer said the community of about 700 people has its
power back, but is grieving the loss of an elderly resident.
He said many people in the town knew 74-year-old
Lorraine Clement, who RCMP said passed away on Thursday as a generator was in
her garage.
Investigators have said an autopsy has yet to be
carried out in her death, or in the death of a 62-year-old man who
investigators say died at his home in Petite Riviere de l’ile on Lameque Island
as a generator was running.
Chayer said the incidents leave a lasting impact on the
small, close-knit Acadian towns, which haven’t seen an ice storm this severe
for decades.
“Everybody’s feeling sorrow about it ... She has family
in the town,” he said.
The mayor said an emergency shelter was open in his
town on Wednesday, hours after the storm hit, and that volunteer firefighters
went door-to-door in an effort to check on older residents.
“We can’t have 100-per-cent control of the community,”
he said.
Chayer, a paramedic, said the deaths and
hospitalizations have alerted residents in the region to the risks of running
generators in enclosed spaces.
“I don’t think most of the people before this realized
how deadly carbon monoxide is and how quickly it can kill somebody,” he said.
During his news conference, Gallant said he heard from
doctors that many of the poisoning victims were operating generators in garages
with the door open, not realizing that doesn’t provide sufficient ventilation.
“People will put things that emit carbon monoxide in
garages thinking that if they open the door everything will be OK, but there is
still the potential based on air flows of the emissions still going into their
homes,” said the premier.
Read more about:
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Nearly 3,000 troops from 8 countries participate in military drills in the Black Sea
A total of 2,800 troops from Romania, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Spain, the U.S., Turkey, and Ukraine will participate in the military exercise, according to a statement from the Romanian Naval Forces. They will “implement standard NATO combat procedures against air, submarine and land threats in the Black Sea, on an area of some 80,000 square kilometers.
The Starfleet Command will coordinate the exercise’s sequences, and the King Ferdinand Frigate will lead the maritime group made of a destroyer, four frigates, a submarine, and six aircraft of foreign partners, as well as 11 ships and four aircraft of Romania, according to the statement.
“Organizing and leading the Sea Shield 17 multinational exercise shows that the training system of the Romanian Naval Forces meets the performance standards of NATO, and that the Romanian troops are ready at any moment to fulfill their constitutional missions.”
The NATO SNMG-2 maritime group, composed of Spanish frigate ESPS Hua de Borbon and Canadian frigate HMCS St. John’s will participate in the drills, as well as the United States Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) with the USS Porter destroyer and a research aircraft, the Turkish Naval Forces with a submarine, a P-235 aircraft, and the TCG Fatih frigate, the Bulgarian Naval Forces with the BGS Smeli frigate, and Ukraine and Greece with staff officers.
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Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) help 10-year-old check item off bucket list
By Breanne Brezinski, Public Affairs, 3 Cdn Div
While many families were preparing for the holiday
season by hanging lights, wrapping presents, and enjoying hot cocoa during
sleigh rides, one Edmonton family was facing a devastating situation –
10-year-old Rheanna Trepanier had recently been diagnosed with terminal brain
cancer.
Since learning of her diagnosis on October 31,
Rheanna underwent immediate surgery and then spiralled into a whirlwind cycle
of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. During this time, Rheanna made a
bucket list of activities that her and her family have been swiftly checking
off.
On a brisk winter day in mid-December, members from
Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) were able to fulfill one of
Rheanna’s dreams by taking her for a tank ride.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Lubiniecki of the
Strathcona’s said that it was an honour to be able to participate in this
event.
“I think this story touched so many people on so many
different levels. We had more volunteers to participate in today’s event than
we had positions to fill throughout the day, ” said LCol Lubiniecki.
Rheanna was joined by her mom, aunt, grandmother, and
two siblings for the fun-filled event.
The afternoon started off with a private tour of the
Strathcona’s training center where they were shown a vehicle and weapons
display, as well as tank simulators. From there, the family was given a tank
ride to the Strathcona Mounted Troop Stables for a ceremonial demonstration.
“To be honest, the whole time we were here I forgot
about reality and just had fun,” said Rheanna’s mom, Marissa Trepanier.
“I feel so privileged and so honoured. I never
thought I would have the opportunity to come onto this base and see the stuff
that they showed us,” added Marissa.
J’Lyn Nye, Honorary Colonel of 408 Tactical
Helicopter Squadron, got the ball rolling for this afternoon after being
directed to the bucket list on Facebook. She contacted her connections on the
base and within minutes the visit was approved by Brigadier-General Simon
Hetherington, Commander of 3rd Canadian Division, and Colonel Bill
Fletcher, Commander of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group.
“It was an easy solution for us to just say yes. We
have been fortunate in Edmonton, having moved here from Calgary, in the late
90s, to be welcomed by the Edmonton community.” said LCol
Lubiniecki. “The Afghan years of the Canadian Armed Forces, being
in combat, certainly saw the Edmonton community support the men and women in
uniform. This was an easy opportunity for us to give
something back.”
Rheanna did not say much the entire afternoon but she
had a beaming smile that could put the stars to shame.
The afternoon ended with Rheanna being made an
honorary soldier of Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians). She was given a
framed certificate and a small handmade tank that she said she is going to “put
somewhere safe.”
Marissa said that she has been blown away with the
hospitality that her family has received since Rheanna’s diagnosis.
“It’s special that everybody is coming together to
help Rheanna reach these goals and dreams. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity,”
said Marissa. “I just want to say Thank You; I can’t even express
what this means to us.”
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Defence minister downplays threat to troops in Iraq from Trump immigration order
OTTAWA — Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has expressed
confidence about Canada's mission in Iraq, even as U.S. officials and others
warn that the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant could be
undermined by President Donald Trump's recent immigration ban.
"Great progress is being made and there's no
concern for the security of our troops," Sajjan told reporters on Monday.
"It is a dangerous place, obviously, because we are fighting (ISIL). But
nonetheless really good progress is being made."
Trump signed an executive order Friday barring
citizens from Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim countries from
entering the U.S. for 90 days. He signed another order Saturday directing U.S.
Defence Secretary James Mattis to present a new strategy for fighting ISIL
within 30 days.
The orders come as more than 200 Canadian soldiers
are on the ground in Iraq, where they are helping Kurdish forces fight ISIL.
They also come as Canadian commanders prepare options for the next phase
of the mission, whose current mandate is set to expire in March.
The immigration order has been particularly
controversial, with warnings it will drive a wedge between Iraqi and coalition
forces in the fight against ISIL. There have also been fears that it could help
terrorist groups recruit new members.
Those concerns appeared to get a boost on Monday when
Iraqi parliamentarians asked their government to "retaliate" against
the U.S., though Iraq's foreign ministry instead urged the Trump administration
in a statement to "reconsider this wrong decision."
ISIL and other terrorist organizations have also
taken to social media to celebrate the immigration ban, describing it as proof
of America's hatred toward Muslims.
While federal officials told The Canadian Press they
are watching to see how the immigration ban impacts Canada's mission in Iraq,
Sajjan downplayed any potential concerns, saying he was confident that U.S.
military officials would ensure the impact is minimal.
"When it comes to working with our allies, the coalition
will obviously do their own assessment," he said. "Keep in mind this
coalition is led by a U.S. general and they would have had some already good
consultations to making sure there's no impact on the mission."
U.S. media reports, however, have suggested that
Mattis and American military leaders were kept completely in the dark and not
consulted before the executive order was signed.
Two prominent Republican senators, John McCain and
Lindsey Graham, have come out strongly against the order, warning that the
immigration ban could become "a self-inflicted wound" in the fight
against ISIL and other terrorist groups.
"Our most important allies in the fight against
ISIL are the vast majority of Muslims who reject its apocalyptic ideology of
hatred," the two senators said in a joint statement.
"This executive order sends a signal, intended
or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country. That is why
we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than
improve our security."
Sajjan danced around questions as to whether Trump's
order would incite more people to join ISIL, saying that he plans to discuss
ways to stop terrorist recruiting efforts when he meets Mattis.
Thomas Juneau, an expert on Middle East politics at the
University of Ottawa, said all countries involved in the fight against ISIL are
scrambling to determine whether the immigration ban puts their troops or the
mission in jeopardy.
"Does something like this raise the threat level
for coalition forces in general in Iraq, if only because they're associated
with the U.S.?" he said.
"It's a very difficult question to answer,
especially so early on. But it is certainly one that folks in the Canadian
military and in other members of the coalition are asking themselves with a lot
of anxiety."
— Follow @leeberthiaume on Twitter
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Reports In Arab Media: Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad Is Gravely Ill
In the
last few days, news and rumors have been circulating in the media that Syrian
President Bashar Al-Assad is gravely ill or critically wounded. The rumors –
the credibility of which is unclear, and which were initially posted on social
media – said that one of his bodyguards had made an attempt on his life, or
else that he had suffered a stroke or had a brain tumor. Some also stated Maher
Al-Assad, the president's brother, was filling in for Bashar while he was
receiving treatment.
Reports
to the same effect later appeared in the Arab media, including in a Lebanese
daily close to Assad, as well as in the non-Arab media. It is interesting to
note that many of the Arab press reports on this matter were removed from the
papers' websites shortly after their publication.
The
stream of reports about Assad's health in the Arab media and on social media
led writers on Syrian opposition websites to discuss the issue, and
particularly to speculate on possible scenarios if the news is accurate.
The
Syrian regime and its supporters, for their part, denied the rumors of Assad's
illness, calling them ridiculous lies and stressing that Assad is in excellent
health.
The
following are excerpts from some of the reports on Assad's illness that
appeared in the non-Arab and Arab media, and from the articles on the
opposition websites speculating about what happens post-Assad.
French Le
Point Daily: Assad Rumored To Have Been Shot By His Bodyguard
An early report on the state of Assad's health
appeared in the French daily Le Point on January 24, 2017. The daily
reported that, according to rumors circulating on Arab social media, Assad was
shot by his Iranian bodyguard on January 21 and was taken to hospital in
Damascus under heavy guard, and some even claimed he was dead.[1]
Saudi Official
Daily 'Okaz: Assad Has A Brain Tumor Or Has Suffered A Stoke
The Saud daily 'Okaz reported on January
27 that, according to "exclusive information" it had received, Assad
had a brain tumor and was trying unsuccessfully to conceal the visible symptoms
of his disease. Citing "sources," the report noted that, although
Assad had met recently (on January 26) with Amir Abdollahian, an advisor to
Iran's Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani, he had been absent from other major
meetings with decision-makers. Furthermore, he had been undergoing regular
tests at the Al-Shami hospital in Damascus, especially in the recent period,
and his case was being handled by a team of Russian doctors. The sources also
assessed that Assad underwent medical tests in Moscow when he last visited
there. The daily also mentioned that, according to a different unconfirmed
report, Assad has suffered a stroke, adding that the goings-on in the
presidential palace were shrouded in heavy secrecy because it was under the
control of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). [2]
Gulf
Papers Publish And Then Remove Reports About Assad's Illness
Reports on Assad's health situation also appeared
in the Gulf press, only to be removed from the papers' websites after a short
time; it is unclear whether they were removed due to their unconfirmed nature
or for some other reason. On January 27, the Khalij Online news website posted
a report headlined "Has Assad Been Assassinated? Paper Claims His
Bodyguard Shot Him,"[4]
and on the next day the Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas carried a report
headlined "Has Assad Suffered a Stroke or Been Shot by One of his Bodyguards?"
[5]
Both reports were subsequently deleted.
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Oh #SidneyCrosby... love ya both so much...
Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin mesh as teammates
Longtime rivals work together to help Metropolitan Division win All-Star Game
by Tom Gulitti @TomGulittiNHL
/ NHL.com Staff Writer
January
29th, 2017
LOS ANGELES -- For one unforgettable weekend, the rivalry between Pittsburgh
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Washington
Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was pushed to
the back burner.From the NHL100 presented by GEICO at Microsoft Theater on Friday, when they were honored for being among the 100 Greatest NHL Players Presented by Molson Canadian, through the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Staples Center on Sunday, Crosby and Ovechkin were much more like friends than foes.
They even played together and helped the Metropolitan Division win the 3-on-3 tournament by defeating the Atlantic Division 10-6 in the semifinals and edging the Pacific Division 4-3 in the final.
Although dominant with their respective teams since entering the NHL in 2005-06, Crosby and Ovechkin did not dominate in the All-Star tournament. After each scored a goal and an assist in the semifinal, neither had a point in the final.
Regardless, Ovechkin said, "It was fun. I think we had pretty good chances, but we were not that sharp."
Crosby and Ovechkin spent much of the semifinal trying to set each other up. When Crosby backhanded in a feed from Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk for a goal that extended the Metropolitan Division's lead to 7-5, Ovechkin got the secondary assist.
Crosby finally succeeded in setting up Ovechkin for a
tap-in from the right side of the crease with one second left in the second
10-minute half. It wasn't a moment that will go down in NHL All-Star Game
history, but it was a nice memory the two rivals can take home with them.
"I was trying to find him," Crosby said.
"I know how great his shot is. I'm sure he was a little hesitant to use it
in case he hits somebody out here, but it was just trying to make the most of
the opportunity. That's a unique opportunity. Usually, you're playing against
one another."
Crosby and Ovechkin appeared to enjoy interacting
without the pressures that usually come with their meetings. Seemingly tongue
in cheek, Ovechkin said he and Crosby are, "Best friends, how I always
said."
Maybe that's not true, but it is clear there is a great respect between the
two.Backstage at Microsoft Theater on Friday, Crosby and Ovechkin mingled with the legends of the game. In addition to taking photos with likes of Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading scorer and also their coach on the Metropolitan Division team, they posed for one together with Ovechkin's father, Misha, who remarked that the picture would be front page news back in Russia.
They spent more time together at the 2017 Coors Light NHL All-Star Skills Competition on Saturday, chatting between and during events.
"We're here and we love the game," Crosby said. "This was a great experience from Friday until the game [Sunday], so I think we enjoyed ourselves. We didn't have to try to do that. Playing on the same team and just going through the skills and all that stuff, it was kind of just easy for that to happen."
After Gretzky informed them they would play together on Sunday, Crosby and Ovechkin talked strategy to try to figure out the best way to make their one-day on-ice relationship work.
"It's a normal thing," Ovechkin said, "when Gretzky came to us and said we were going to play together. We have to have chemistry and we have to understand how we have to move out there."
Although each was minus-2 in the final, Crosby and Ovechkin did contribute to the victory; with the Metropolitan Division trailing 3-2 and 5:55 remaining, Ovechkin dropped to one knee to block a shot from San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns. Cam Atkinson of the Columbus Blue Jackets scored 52 seconds later to tie the game at 3-3.
Then, Crosby was on the ice in the final minute, after the Pacific Division pulled goaltender Mike Smith, to help preserve the lead.
"We were sacrificing everybody out there, blocking shots, going back and forth, don't give them any way to get the lead," Ovechkin said. "So it was fun playing."
Afterward, Crosby and Ovechkin exchanged sticks. With no regular-season games remaining between the Penguins and the Capitals, they won't meet again this season unless they clash in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If that happens, whatever bonding occurred this weekend will be a distant memory.
"It's just the way these things work," Crosby said. "Everyone is here to have a good time and we all love playing the game, so I think you enjoy yourself here. You can't really think about the next games or things like that. You know that things will pick up and guys will settle into their routine with their teams, but I think everyone tries to have a good time here and interact and have as much fun as they can."
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Russell Wangersky: Killers don’t deserve celebrity
t’s a hard thing to
do, because the first natural human reaction is to ask “Why?”
Advertisement
And then, you start digging deeper.
What could possibly be the motivation for shooting people in the back while they pray at a mosque, as happened in Quebec City on Sunday night? How could this happen? Who could do it?
But I think we have to start looking at the why in a different way, and knock one reason for mass shootings right off of the map.
So often, so very often, mass killings are the result of small people — usually small, petty and frustrated men — with large-calibre, large-magazine weapons.
Often, they are people who are marginalized by society, and seem intent on forcing us to know both their frustrations and their names. “You’ll remember my name — you’ll remember what I did” seems to be entrenched in their actions.
By all means, we should look at the root causes of attacks. We should try to understand what forces of hate cause people to take violent action against strangers or even members of their own families, what their motivations and triggers were, where and how they got access to their weapons and ammunition — above all, what we can change to make such attacks less likely.
Root causes are fine, but let’s get rid of the trees: let’s stop mythologizing murderers.
Heck, other than in the courts, let’s stop naming them altogether.
Two people were detained after a mass shooting at a mosque; as I write this, their roles in the shooting are in flux. Police have said one is a suspect, the other, a witness who has since been released.
But here’s the real story: a university professor was shot down. A shopkeeper and a butcher. Normal, everyday people who you might pass on the street without even a thought, just normal people at worship.
In Quebec City, community leaders did something quickly and powerfully on Monday: they held a news conference, including Muslim leaders, and asked the media to tell the stories of the victims as individuals.
They shouldn’t have to ask.
By all means, let’s hear their stories. Let’s hear about their triumphs and successes, about their worlds and their families and their places in all of that.
Let’s hear that about victims generally. Tell the story about a woman killed by her partner by telling me about her dreams and aspirations and loves. Let me mourn for the loss of her plans and her life. Honestly, I don’t want to see a single story about her killer’s world; that’s a footnote. If he’s still alive, let him rot in anonymity in jail. If he’s dead, let him be both dead and nameless.
I want to know what the world has lost. I want anyone who would think of committing a similar act to realize that what matters to the rest of us is the people who futures have been snuffed out, and the damage that causes to everyone who has been left behind.
Why can’t we identify and mourn valuable, innocent people whose lives have been taken, and leave the identities of their killers on the dust-heap of history?
Myself? I’ve heard far too much already over the years about pathetically small men and their big guns. Let them have the invisibility they truly deserve.
Everyone will know your name? No.
They’ll know that a small and petty person has senselessly taken lives that actually had value.
Russell Wangersky is TC Media’s Atlantic regional columnist. He can be reached at russell.wangersky@tc.tc — Twitter: @Wangersky.
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Canadian Red Cross..
Five
more ways we helped in 2016:
People are continuing to put their lives back together after the
devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray. The overwhelming kindness and support
shown by all Canadians helped an entire community strive towards
recovery.
The damage was extensive and the needs were overwhelming when
Hurricane Matthew tore through the Caribbean. Thanks to your support, we
deployed our emergency field clinic and a team of trained aid workers to
provide immediate medical care and reduce the risk of cholera
outbreaks.
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Again,
thank you for your support in 2016 and for continuing to provide us the
resources to improve even more lives in 2017!
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