The saga/history/thoughts of two gay partners and their 4-footed child picking up stakes in the US and immigrating to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Compliments of yesterday's Vancouver Sun, here's a review of the Dixie Chicks' sold out concert at GM Place here in Vancouver Wednesday night. Wish I could have been there, but at least I will get to see their documentary "Shut Up & Sing" while I'm here. Needless to say, it is playing in a very limited engagement back home in BushLand - one showing at a local film festival. Actually, I'm amazed that it's getting that much exposure . . . .
Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines drew cheers for saying its was a night to celebrate in the United States.
Stiletto-stompin’ Dixie Chicks --
'Not Ready to Make Nice'
Amy O'Brian Vancouver SunThursday, November 09, 2006 CREDIT: Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun
The Dixie Chicks were feeling feisty Wednesday night.
Playing to a sold-out crowd at GM Place the same day it was declared the Democrats had won a complete victory in the U.S. midterm elections, the high-energy trio was in a fast-fiddlin’, stiletto-stompin’, good-time kind of mood.
Not that the politically outspoken trio is ever boring, but they really seemed to want to kick up some dirt Wednesday night and celebrate the day they’d been eagerly -- and publicly -- anticipating for nearly four years.
After working the packed-to-the-rafters crowd into a frenzy with Goodbye Earl (a wickedly murderous tale about a woman who poisons the man who abuses her), frontwoman Natalie Maines lathered up fans by telling them they were the best yet on the band’s North American tour.
Then she speculated why the crowd of 10,000 or so was in such good spirits.
“I get the feeling it’s one of two things,” she said. “It’s either free beer night or you’re glad [U.S. Defence Secretary] Donald Rumsfeld resigned. Finally, a reason to celebrate in the United States.”
The audience, which had immediately fallen silent when Maines began to speak, screamed and hollered in agreement. Women could be seen all over the stadium wearing various home-made versions of anti-Bush T-shirts. And the largest response of the night was to the stubborn belt-it-out hit, Not Ready to Make Nice, which clearly references the band’s ongoing disagreement with Bush and his decision to invade Iraq.
At one point towards the end of the show, Maines pointed into the floor-section of the audience and asked: “I was wondering if this girl in the FUGB shirt knew this girl in the FUGB shirt. Do you two know each other?”
Then, playing dumb in a delightful way, she said, “I like your shirt. What does it mean?”
Of course, Maines, and band mates Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, have likely heard every George W. Bush joke or put-down out there since they ignited a fiery controversy back in 2003 when Maines told a British audience that the band was ashamed that Bush is from Texas -- their home state. The subsequent backlash included radio stations pulling Dixie Chicks songs from the airwaves, certain fans withdrawing their support of the band, and even the odd death threat.
But the controversy also earned them new fans who were not only drawn to the music, but the band’s politics.
It was hard to determine Wednesday night who was from the newer crop of supporters and who had been there since the beginning -- since the band was made popular by songs such as Wide Open Spaces, Sin Wagon and Ready to Run (all of which were played to the loud delight of the audience). Ready to Run was the final song of the band’s three-song encore and its fast-paced, rock ‘n’ roll sound had Maines proving that she doesn’t tire easily. In what appeared to be five-inch black heels, the small-framed singer beat her tambourine, turned her back to the audience and stomped and shook her way to the end of the song -- and the end of the two-hour show -- with a fervour she seemed delighted to finally release.
Banjo plucker Robison and her fiddle-playing sister Martie Maguire were equally energetic and engaging throughout the concert, while the nine-piece band was perfectly tight in its support of the star performers.
The band played their remarkably beautiful and melancholy version of Stevie Nicks’ Landslide, which had the mostly female audience putting arms around each other and swaying gently to the melody.
But the love-in took a dramatic turn when the band launched into Not Ready to Make Nice. Women turned to each other and belted the lyrics into one another’s faces. The middle-aged woman next to me started aggressively punching an invisible someone or something in front of her. And it seemed as though nearly every single person in that audience had hollered that song out to themselves in the car or shower at some point because everyone seemed to know every word.
There were a few quieter moments with Lullaby and Easy Silence -- two beautiful tracks from the band’s most recent album, Taking the Long Way.
There were no dramatic special effects or visuals. There was no political backlash or violence during the show. The Dixie Chicks simply put on a really good not-too-country show that seemed to leave everyone happy (and even prompted one fan to hand Maines a single yellow rose of friendship as she was walking off stage).
My first thought upon hearing of mr. bush firing "rummy" was: "He lied to us!" Glenn Greenwald (compliments of "Crooks and Liars") does an excellent job of detailing this event.
When will the general public demand more of their elected "leaders"?
The President’s casual admission of lying
By: Glenn Greenwald on Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 at 3:04 PM - PST
At his Press Conference today, President Bush expressly admitted that he lied last week when he said that Donald Rumsfeld would remain Defense Secretary for the next two years (only to announce today that Rumsfeld is being replaced). When the President was asked about this discrepency, he simply admitted that "the reason why is I didn't want to inject a major decision about this war in the final days of a campaign. And so the only way to answer that question and to get you on to another question was to give you that answer."
That the President would so brazenly lie is not, of course, surprising (although the lie was so glaring that even conservatives James Joyner and Byron York objected to it). But what is surprising, and encouraging (although it should be commonplace), is that the Washington Post is more or less calling this what it is:
Asked about that comment, Bush said he made it because "I didn't want to inject a major decision about this war in the final days of a campaign," Bush said. He appeared to acknowledge having misled reporters, saying, "And so the only way to answer that question and to get you onto another question was to give you that answer."
He added later, "Win or lose, Bob Gates was going to become the nominee."
The phrase "misled reporters" in this passage should have been replaced with "misled the nation," since that is what the President actually did. What possible justification is there for the President to definitively assure the country that Rumsfeld is staying when he was actively in the process of replacing him? That a major election is about to be held is a reason which compels disclosure of such an important matter, not which justifies its dishonest concealment.
We've become so accustomed to being lied to in this manner by our political leaders that the President can just casually admit to this (just like he can casually admit to breaking the law), and it causes only the most minor of controversies, if that.
So, after spending most of yesterday in transit from Florida to our future home in the West End I was tired last night. Three flights through Houston, Portland and then on to Vancouver had taken their toll. Can't complain much, though, as it was a Continental frequent flyer "freebie" . . . .
So went to bed early - 9:00 pm local time, 11:00 pm our time in Florida . . . . Rolled over this morning and checked the bedside clock which read 5:36 am. Not bad, I thought, that's an hour longer than I would have slept if I were in Florida so I get up to greet the day. Flip on the TV and there's not much on this early . . . . Crank up the laptop and surf for about an hour . . . . It's still extremely dark out . . . . . Finally figure out that the bedside clock was still registering Daylight Time rather than the new and improved Standard Time. You got it: I got up at my regular rising time in Florida which just happened to be 4:36 am local time . . . . . .Arggggh!!
Looks like the Tories are going to review Canadian dual citizenship and it's rights/obligations.
Why does this not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling???
Ottawa reviewing rules of dual citizenship: Solberg Tuesday, November 7, 2006 | 1:56 PM ET - CBC News
Ottawa is reviewing the rules governing dual citizenship and whether Canadians living abroad should qualify for social programs when they return, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Monte Solberg confirmed Tuesday.
The review comes in the aftermath of the mass evacuation of 15,000 Canadians from Lebanon last summer during the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. Many of those Canadians hold dual citizenship and some have since returned to Lebanon.
The move cost the government tens of millions of dollars. Speaking to a House committee on immigration, Solberg said it raised questions about the rights of citizens who hold dual citizenship and don't live in the country.
"If we're in a situation where somebody's absent, isn't paying taxes but is going to be using our social programs down the road, I think Canadians would feel that that is unfair," Solberg said. Benefits and obligations
He said the response from Canadians after the Lebanon evacuation is that citizenship conveys both benefits and obligations.
"Canadians want to know that citizenship means something, that we are not just a port in the storm," he said.
An estimated 90 countries now permit dual citizenship, including the United States and most of Europe.
Canada changed its laws 30 years ago to allow Canadians to hold passports from another country.
Since then two parliamentary committees have recommended the practice be reviewed.
"Canadians are concerned about the issue of dual citizenship which is why the government has a responsibility to review the current system," Solberg said.
According to the latest figures from Statistics Canada, more than half a million Canadians are dual citizens.
We've all been there - checking periodically on our application status on e-CAS. As today is the one-year anniversary of CIC receiving our completed application, I thought it was appropriate to check in. Alas, the information revealed is unchanged. Damn!!
Permanent Residence Application(s)
Applicant : West End Bound
Permanent Residence Application Status: In Process
On a more positive note, now that it has been one full year perhaps we will hear something - anything - soon. The endless waiting for any type of correspondence from CIC is frustrating. One wonders how many applications are in the queue ahead of ours . . . . Ten, one hundred, thousands?
Another more positive note is that tomorrow I leave for three weeks in Vancouver. Yeah, I know it's not the best time of the year to go north, but just being in our future home enjoying the city and our friends there will be great. Unfortunately, "drf" is remaining in Florida with the Baby JoJo - I'm sure she will enjoy being with her Daddy rather than her buds at the Doggy Day Spa. So, the next few posts will be originating from The West End of Vancouver . . . . I like the sound of that!
Oh yeah, today is also the election in the US - Let's hope a lot of the rascals are thrown out!
Another good reason to move north of the 49th Parallel . . . .
Canadians’ privacy protection near top of list
Study puts Canada second only to Germany in ranking of 37 countries surveyed on privacy and surveillance
BY KATIE FRETLAND Associated Press and Canadian Press
LONDON — Germany and Canada are the best defenders of privacy, and Malaysia and China the worst, an international rights group said in a report released Wednesday. Britain was rated as an endemic surveillance society, at No. 33, just above Russia and Singapore on a ranking of 37 countries’ privacy protections by London-based Privacy International. The United States did only slightly better, at No. 30, ranked between Israel and Thailand, with few safeguards and widespread surveillance, the group said. The study ranks countries on various privacy-related issues. These include whether they have a written constitution with specific mention of privacy, the use of identity cards and biometrics, electronic surveillance including closed-circuit TV cameras, interception of communication, access of lawenforcement agencies to private data, surveillance of travel and financial transactions, and global leadership in promoting privacy. On a scale of one to five, Canada scored three or higher in all categories. Canada received the highest ranking of five for its legal limits on the keeping of private data. It scored four in constitutional and statutory protection, privacy enforcement, ID cards and biometrics, leadership in promoting privacy and democratic safeguards. The watchdog organization tracks surveillance and privacy violations by governments and corporations, said director Simon Davies. It studied the reach of governments in their use of video surveillance in private locations, workplace monitoring and identity protection, among other areas. “The aim is not to humiliate the worst-ranking nations, but to demonstrate that it is possible to maintain a healthy respect for privacy within a secure and fully functional democracy,” said Davies. Efforts to quash terrorism have eroded individual privacy protections since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, human rights activists say. Governments around the world have imposed security and immigration legislation that invades people’s private lives, they say. In the U.S., President George W. Bush’s administration has come under fire for its warrantless domestic wiretapping program, which monitors international phone calls and e-mails to or from the United States involving people suspected by the government of having terrorist links. The New York Civil Liberties Union says there has been a staggering increase in surveillance of lawful activities with little concern for the civil liberties implications, said executive director Donna Lieberman. In 1998, the union conducted a survey of video surveillance in Manhattan and found more than 2,300 cameras in use. Last year, a similar study found more than four times that number in just 20 per cent of Manhattan, Lieberman said. S. Arutchelvan, a Malaysian activist based in Kuala Lumpur, said privacy has not been sufficiently protected since the government stepped up efforts over the past five years to track down suspected Islamic militants, dozens of whom have been detained without trial. “We believe there has been encroachment on privacy, such as the tapping of phones and other methods through telecommunications, in the name of fighting terrorism,” Arutchelvan said. Chinese legal activist Xu Zhiyong said strict Internet controls have resulted in fewer protections for Internet users in China. The Communist government has set up an extensive surveillance and filtering system to prevent Chinese people from accessing material considered obscene or politically subversive. Lawyers and academics raised awareness of privacy violations in China after a 2003 incident in which a couple was detained in the northwestern Shaanxi province for possession of pornographic videos. “In the past few years, authorities have been making some positive changes to respect the privacy of individuals,” Xu said. “But when it comes to the Internet, the government feels it must supervise users and that results in less privacy protection.”
Koodoos to the 60 postal workers that took a stand for us!
Another example of the religious wrong's compassion for those of us who don't subscribe to their dogma . . . .
Anti-homosexuality brochure held up at Canada Post Last Updated: Thursday, October 26, 2006 | 4:18 PM PTCBC News
Canada Post says a controversial religious brochure that condemns homosexuality will be delivered to hundreds of homes in East Vancouver, despite the objections of letter carriers.
The 28-page pamphlet is published by a fundamentalist Baptist group based in Ontario, and condemns homosexuality as ungodly, unhealthy and unnatural.
Vancouver mail sorter Andy Henderson was the first person at his postal station to notice the pamphlet and was shocked by what he read.
"The first words I saw when I picked it up were: 'The plague of this 21st Century: the consequences of the sin of homosexuality (AIDS).' "
He and the other postal employees say they consider it hate mail and have refused to handle it.
"You wouldn't be able to find one television station that would accept this ad mail as a 30-second advertising spot," said Henderson. "And yet Canada Post will take it. And their point is, 'If it's legal, we'll deliver it.' "
The man who sent the brochures, Rev. Sterling Clark of Waterdown, Ont., told CBC News he was "disappointed" with the postal workers and asserted he hadn't broken any laws.
Clark said he had a contract with Canada Post and regularly sends brochures to several Canadian cities.
Workers stage protest
Canada Post management told the workers on Wednesday that it's not in the business of censorship, and said the letters would be delivered.
That stance prompted about 60 postal workers at the Canada Post plant in downtown Vancouver to hold a short protest Thursday morning.
"So the employees walked out of this facility because most people are deeply offended by the nature of the literature," said union local president Ken Mooney.
He told CBC News that the workers have since returned to their jobs, waiting to see what management is going to do next.
"I'm now told they're not going to force us to handle this mail. So they've backed off a little bit. So we're just waiting to see how this plays out."
Brochures 'deemed appropriate'
Canada Post spokeswoman Colleen Frick says the company has a contract to deliver the brochure and it will do just that.
She notes that it was "deemed acceptable and appropriate for mailing under the Canada postal guide.
"The criteria is very specific. And if something is not deemed obscene in nature, then the item will be acceptable for mailing. And this particular item was deemed appropriate. So it will be delivered."
The union says management has now indicated that the brochures will be put in envelopes and delivered by management personnel.
Our thanks and appreciation go out to those postal workers that took a stand for equality in our future home. One more reason to look forward to making it our permanent home . . . . Sure hope it's soon!
If you haven't tuned in to CPAC's live coverage of Parliament's Question Period when it's in session you might want to soon. It is broadcast live online normally from 2:00 - 3:00 pm, Eastern Time.
The audio and video coverage in both English and French versions is usually quite entertaining. Today there was quite a bit of back and forth regarding different member's expense reports. Another discussion centered around the Tory Health Minister having no independent verification of the health safety of silicone breast implants - only from those scientists affiliated with the implant manufacturers. (Does this sound ominously like the US pharmaceutical companies drafting the Medicare Prescription Drug Program for the bush administration??) Also, the Opposition continues to press the Tories to set a date for revisiting Same Sex Marriage - no specific date as yet - just a commitment to address the issue "this fall".
It is such a refreshing change from the US Congress' sessions in which members babble on and on to a normally empty chamber. The Canadian version has all member's seats filled and the questions and answers back and forth often times get quite heated. It was in this period last week when Belinda Stronach was allegedly called a "dog" by former boyfriend Peter MacKay.
Today a Liberal MP compared the Tory Treasury Minister to a blowfish which lives off the coast. "He puffs up, changes colour and tries to appear much larger than he really is."
Wonder how "shrub" harper feels about his big brother bush now??
Canada's reputation suffers collateral damage in heated U.S. mid-terms Sheldon Alberts - CanWest News Service Tuesday, October 24, 2006
WASHINGTON - A Republican attack ad stirring controversy in the U.S. mid-term elections does a drive-by smear on Canada, suggesting America's northern neighbour is a do-nothing country on world affairs.
The television ad has sparked denunciations from both the Democratic candidate it targets and the Republican candidate it is designed to help.
Produced by the Republican National Committee, the ''man on the street'' ad features a hefty man wearing suspenders and a ball cap, commenting sarcastically on his view of Democratic foreign policy.
''Let Canada take care of North Korea. They're not busy,'' the man says.
The ad has been airing since Friday in Tennessee, where Republican Senate candidate Bob Corker is challenging Democrat Harold Ford for the seat being vacated by Senator Bill Frist.
The hotly contested race has featured some of the nastiest advertising in the country, largely because it is among a handful of Senate contests likely to determine which party controls Congress after the Nov. 7 election.
Just how Canada got caught up in the mid-term mudslinging remains a mystery. The Republican National Committee did not respond to calls from CanWest News Service.
But the ad fosters stereotypes about Canada's engagement in international affairs that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has tried hard to dispel.
Earlier this year, the Canadian Embassy in Washington mounted an advertising campaign highlighting Canada's role as America's ally in Afghanistan, where 43 Canadians have died since 2002.
David Wilkins, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, voiced outrage in the last federal election campaign when the Liberal party criticized President George W. Bush.
Although the Republican ad's reference to Canada seems almost incidental, it appears already to have backfired because of its overall tone.
Apart from the dig at Canada, it features clips from a bare-shouldered blond who says: ''I met Harold at the Playboy party,'' a reference to the Democrat's attendance at a Super Bowl party hosted by Playboy magazine. ''Harold, call me,'' she whispers into the camera.
In another clip, a man in dressed in a hunter's camouflage says: ''Harold's right. I do have too many guns.''
A spokeswoman for Corker's campaign told CanWest News Service that the Republican candidate has ''condemned the ad, and doesn't think it's an appropriate ad.''
Under U.S. election laws, Corker is not allowed to communicate directly to the Republican national campaign on advertising.
But Tom Ingram, Corker's campaign manager, on Monday sent Tennessee TV stations a direct request asking them to stop airing the ad.
''We are disappointed that the advertisement continues to run and request that station managers across the state strongly consider pulling this advertisement immediately.''
A Republican spokeswoman, Camille Anderson, told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal the party had no plan to remove the ad.
''The RNC stands by this advertisement, and I have no reason to believe that it will not continue to air on television stations across the state,'' Anderson said.
Just another example of how the repuglicans can be trusted . . . . Let's see, there's the softwood lumber deal, the "You need a passport/ You don't need a passport to cross the border" situation, the Canadian citizen sent to Syria by US authorities for imprisonment and torture, etc., etc., etc. Surely Canadians will rethink the Prime Minister's cozying up to these jerks . . . . . Won't they??
If you think the debate over Net Neutrality doesn't affect you, think again. A good review of the situation was broadcast on PBS last week moderated by Bill Moyers. Check out the program here and then contact your Congressperson and Senators to express your views.
We in the blogging community should be particularly concerned if the large telecoms and cable companies begin deciding who gets preferential treatment on the 'Net. When you see how they were promised tax breaks in order to build an infrastructure unsurpassed worldwide and did nothing, it will give you pause. Now the US ranks behind many Asian and European nations in the broadband race due to broken promises by these corporate entities. Guess who is contributing big $$$ to politicians to preserve their monopoly?? You got it: The same corporate entities.
Don't let them get another break at the expense of equal communication opportunities for all . . . . Click on the "Save the Internet" button in our "Links" section to find out how you can help. It's worth your time and effort . . . .
People say not to worry about mr. harper and his Conservative government appointing members of the religious "wrong" to positions in Canadian government. "Canada is not like the US" is the mantra. Well, maybe so, but stuff like this is still disturbing. We have seen the influence of this group here in the States and don't see it declining in the near future.
Beware, Canada . . . . .
From today's Vancouver Sun:
Reid appointment creates stir in Ottawa Heated reaction to installation of former religious group president as political aide BY MIKE SADAVA - CanWest News Service, with files from the Vancouver Sun
B.C. I Few government appointments have created as much of a stir in Ottawa as the naming of B.C.’s Darrel Reid as chief of staff to Environment Minister Rona Ambrose. Acting Liberal Leader Bill Graham called it an “affront to democracy,” editorialists both attacked and defended Reid and even comedian Rick Mercer has ranted about the appointment. Reid served five years as president of the Canadian arm of Focus on the Family, an American-based evangelical group influential with United States President George W. Bush. Until 2004, Reid was the point man for the Langley-based Focus in attacking the federal government and the courts on issues such as abortion, samesex marriage and divorce. He lobbied for more Christian involvement in Canadian politics. There are indications the decision to hire him as Ambrose’s top political aide came more from the office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper than from Ambrose, who is not known as religious. “I heard there was not a whole lot of negotiating on this,” said a well-connected party member from Ambrose’s Spruce Grove riding in Edmonton. Shannon Haggerty, spokeswoman for Ambrose, would not say who made the decision. “The Prime Minister’s Office and the minister have discussed this. These are details I don’t think are necessary to get into.” Elan MacDonald, who ran Ambrose’s election campaign, said Ambrose is a fiscal conservative but not a social conservative. Reid, 48, who is a native of Grande Prairie, Alta., has a PhD in history from Queen’s University and has published academically on Canadian federalism. In the 1990s, he served as then-Reform leader Preston Manning’s head researcher and chief of staff. He failed at two election bids — for Reform in Ontario in 1997, and last winter for the Tories in Richmond, when he lost to Liberal Raymond Chan. Just weeks before Reid won the Conservative nomination in Richmond, a group called DefendMarriage (B.C.) held a rally at Richmond city hall against gay marriage. An e-mail — which began with the salutation “Praise the Lord” — went out to many of those who attended the rally, urging them to become Conservative party members and vote for Reid at the nomination meeting. After Reid won the nomination, the president of the Conservative Party association in the riding, Charlie Horton, quit in protest, charging that the party was “getting dangerously close” to being overtaken by the religious right. Ambrose’s office would not make Reid available for an interview, but he made his views public while with Focus. During a conversation with Focus’s American founder, James Dobson, on a CD that was sold by the organization, Reid said he could run the risk of being incarcerated for opposing same-sex marriage because homosexuals are protected, under the Criminal Code, from hatred as an identifiable group. “Sometimes I have to shake my head that what my parents understood, what the Bible teaches me, has become so obnoxious to some elites and to unelected judges in our country — I just can’t believe where we’re headed, unless God intervenes.”
With the mid-term elections in the US over the horizon and rumblings of a possible spring federal election in our future home, a review of this video is in order. It is vitally important for all voters in any democracy to educate themselves about the issues and candidates. Preferably, they should accomplish this through news sources not influenced by corporate media "spin". (Good luck with that here in the US!!)
Jon Stewart's appearance on CNN's "Crossfire" in October of 2004 was a classic display of his intelligence and his disgust with today's media giants version of "news". Jon does an incredible job of putting the two hosts - Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala - in their place. He describes them and the majority of the US media political "talking heads" as pompous, partisan hacks - which, when you get right down to it, is a very accurate description. We have viewed some evidence of this in viewing Canadian political programs, but not nearly to the extent as in the US. Let's hope this unappealing US trait doesn't follow us north of the 49th Parallel.
Once again, Jeff Black of theHornyRabbit.com Blog chimes in with a great comparison of presidential quotes over the years . . . . The boy is a witty lad - if you'll read just a few posts it will become quite clear that "he attends the same church" we do . . . . Check it out, and make sure you click on the "waiters" link for an excellent show by the Asylum Street Spankers. This is the first time I have been exposed to them, but will definitely check them out further. Very creative and entertaining political satire.
Alzheimer’s condemns a once-vibrant woman to a twilight existence
BY MICHAELLE JEAN
OTTAWA — It begins as little more than a whisper, a feeling that something isn’t quite right. That “something” may take the shape of an odd behaviour, disturbing and shocking. I watched as my mother moved slowly into the silence of a long tunnel. I watched as she became lost in confusion and stubbornness. This once-cheerful woman, quick-witted, alert, active, always on the go, became increasingly distracted, losing her train of thought, fixating on the most absurd details. My mother, my bright and vibrant mother, rarely left the house any more, preferring instead to sit alone in the dark, the curtains drawn against the sunlight, caught in a kind of melancholy and weariness. The cause was unclear. There were family issues and other circumstances, including the end of her job resulting from an accident at work, that might have explained her depression. Certainly, there were signs that she was in distress: Seeing one doctor after another, and sometimes several at once. She complained of insomnia, digestive problems, anxiety. She received prescriptions for sleeping pills, anti-depressants and other medications. To that dangerous cocktail she added a mishmash of vitamins and socalled natural products. She lived on the ground floor of a duplex we shared, and I felt completely and utterly helpless as I watched her become mired in a thickening fog, increasingly absent-minded, forgetful, almost obsessively asking me the same question over and over. The light f inally went on when I was interviewing a leading researcher of Alzheimer’s disease for a television program. As he described a typical patient, I saw unfold before me a portrait of my mother. Inside, I was reeling, my mind spinning, which I confided to him once the cameras were shut off. Two weeks later, my mother did a series of tests at the McGill University Centre for Studies in Aging. The diagnosis cut me like a knife. My mother read, her voice choked with emotion, her heart heavy, the label on the bottle of Aricept: “For the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.” Even today, my anguish remains lodged there, in my throat, behind stifled cries and powerless sobs. My mother, a retired psychiatric and geriatric nurse, knew exactly what awaited her. When she stood before a notary to sign her certificate of incapacity, her world, as she knew it, was shattered. From that point on, things progressed relentlessly. From one stage to the next. From denial to aggression, as though it were one last fight, one last attempt to resist — as her very existence, her body, her history and her memory slipped away for good. No more independence, no more privacy, no more choice, not even the freedom to get lost in her pyjamas and slippers on the sidewalk in 25-below weather. She had to suffer the stress and intrusions of her daughter. Me. My mother became my sick child, my dependent child facing an irreversible countdown. She would never stop suffering until reason abandoned her completely. I had to reinvent our relationship over and over. Reconnect through touch, recognize that her body responded to music like a wave on the open sea coming to wash upon the shore. Stay calmly by her side, rock her, lay my body next to hers in her hospital bed, cry on her shoulder and allow her to comfort me with the simple beating of her heart and occasional murmur. My story is but one among thousands shared by adult children who care for a parent living with Alzheimer’s or dementia. It carries a heavy weight of emotion and sadness, but also hope that each of us will continue to love our parent in our own special way. It is something that I wish with all my heart for my daughter to remember of her grandmother: That love, even transformed by this terrible illness, never wanes and, in many ways, makes us stronger. Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean is honorary patron of the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Her 76-yearold mother, Luce Depestre, is a former psychiatric and geriatric nurse who once cared for patients with Alzheimer’s disease; she received her diagnosis 11 years ago. Jean visits her mother regularly at an Ottawa-area nursing home, often with her daughter, Marie-Eden.
For CanWest News Service
JULIE OLIVER/OTTAWA CITIZEN Gov.-Gen. Michaelle Jean cradles her mother and hums along with her favourite music, Puccini, playing on a small CD player in her mother’s nursing home room. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 11 years ago, Jean’s mother is in the latter stages of the disease.
Canada's Governor General has impressed us in the past - even more so now with this heartfelt story about her mother.
Last evening I finally got around to watching the Frontline program "The Lost Year in Iraq" recorded earlier on PBS. It is an EXCELLENT chronology of how the Bush Administration botched the year following the US invasion of Iraq. You can watch it online in segments here. Very well done, as their reports typically are.
While watching the program, remember that L. (Jerry) Paul Bremer is one of the people - along with George Tenet and Gen. Tommy Franks - that our "esteemed" president gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom award to in 2004, and Paul Wolfowitz is now President of the World Bank.
What is rather surprising, though, is that Canadians are not expressing a sense of outrage that their government is apparently turning a blind eye to the practice. Another example of the "bully" of the schoolyard intimidating the rest of the "kids"?
Ah, for the days when cross-border "cooperation" is not so one-sided . . . . . .
B.C. residents smoke most pot in Canada, report says
Daily marijuana use outstripping tobacco, UVic research indicates
BY RICHARD WATTS CanWest News Service
VICTORIA — People in B.C. smoke more marijuana than people in any other province in Canada, according to a study released Wednesday.
“There is more occasional and low-risk cannabis use, more tolerant attitudes, and greater availability in B.C. than in the rest of Canada,” says the study for Addictions Research of B.C. based at the University of Victoria.
“In B.C., cannabis, like alcohol, is now regarded as a ‘normal’ recreational drug.” In fact, daily use among young people in B.C. is outstripping tobacco.
And a majority in B.C. want cannabis decriminalized, says the study.
The study cites estimates that put the value of the cannabis industry in B.C. at as much as $3.64 billion a year.
The study, based on a 2004 Canadian Addiction Survey, said more British Columbians report having used cannabis (53 per cent), than other Canadians (44).
British Columbians also report it is easy to find — 65 per cent, versus only 44 in Canada.
Just one of the many "high" lights of our future home!
The Tories are planning more mischief on the Same Sex Marriage battle.From today's Globe and Mail we have the following excerpt:
Tories split over gay-marriage plan TENILLE BONOGUORE and BILL CURRY AND SCOTT DEVEAU Globe and Mail Update with Canadian Press
OTTAWA - A storm of debate has erupted in Ottawa over the Conservative government's plan to allow public officials to refuse to perform same-sex marriages, with Harper government members lending their voices to the howl of protest.
Politicians on both sides of the floor have spoken out against the planned Defence of Religions Act, which is also designed to protect the free-speech rights of religious leaders and others who criticize homosexual behaviour or refuse to do business with gay-rights organizations.
The legislation would be brought forward if the government loses the motion this fall to reopen the debate on same-sex marriage, which is likely to be defeated by a combination of Opposition and Conservative MPs.
"Isn't this just an attempt to remove sexual orientation as a prohibited ground of discrimination in our country. (The bill is) totally against what was already adopted by this Parliament,"” Liberal interim leader Bill Graham asked during Wednesday's Question Period.
While Mr. Harper reiterated his government's promise to bring a same-sex marriage motion before an open debate in the House, he would not speculate on the nature of the proposed bill.
According to a report in The Globe and Mail on Wednesday, the federal government is floating the idea of a Defence of Religions Act that would protect public officials who refuse to perform same-sex marriages, and church groups that refuse to rent halls to gay couples.
You can see thewhole story here. Sure would be nice if this crowd's poll numbers started to parallel mr. bush's - Straight down, that is!!
Yes, it is alarming a US Congressperson was apparently having inappropriate communication with 16 year old pages, but I think there are far more important issues confronting the nation prior to the election on November 7th . . . .
The revelations about what then National Seurity Advisor and now Secretary of State "Condescending" Rice knew about potential attacks on the US are far more alarming and warrant investigation. Her convenient memory lapses are chronicled here and are symptomatic of a pattern of deceit to uphold her image. Very similar to her shopping for new Ferragamo and Manolo shoes while folks in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina were stranded on rooftops . . . .
"PageGate" doesn't warrant the attention it is getting from the media that the advance notice this woman had which could have protected American lives does. The page scandal affects relatively few people - The Bush Administration's debacles are even today killing US military personnel and innocent civilians. Let's get our priorities in order . . . . .
Jo of The Canadian Wayand I have been having an email discussion regarding the Conservative's plan to reschedule the same sex marriage vote promised by Mr. Harper for later in the parliamentary calendar. The story is discussed in this article in the Globe and Mail.
My feeling is that it may be Harper's way of taking on the "new kid on the block" by scheduling the debate just after the Liberal Party selects their new leader. Sounds like a move directly from the Karl Rove playbook of political dirty tricks.
Of course,by delaying it will also give the radical religious right the opportunity for a few more Sunday preachings against the homos . . .
As I was "stumbling"* around the web today, I came upon this page which is quite clever and very accurate. Hope you think so, too . . . .
*Actually, "stumbling" is an accurate term if you're not familiar with it. It's a Firefox browser extension that lets you pick search options based on your interests and fetches pages that people find useful. It has been a very good tool to find new viewpoints on topics that interest me. Here is where to go to install it.
L-girl of We Move to Canada advises that Mason and Nick of Life Without Borders landed in Canada this morning . . . What great news for them and the rest of us attempting to follow in their footsteps.
Not that this is surprising, but it is still disappointing. Further ties to the southern neighbour is not a good route for our future home to take. More spending on the military, depletion of natural resources, no universal health care, the "with us or against us" foreign policy . . . . These are reasons we're trying to get out of the US, we sure don't want them to follow us up here.
From today's Vancouver Sun:
Conservatives snuggle up to Washington
U.S. ambassador hails a ‘new era of cooperation’
BY MIKE BLANCHFIELDCanWest News Service
OTTAWA — Canada and the United States have entered a “new era” of cooperation, the American ambassador said Tuesday, hours after new federal government documents proclaimed Ottawa’s top foreign policy priority to be “greater collaboration” with Washington. Though Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made strengthening relations with Washington a key part of his international agenda, the relationship was identified as the country’s top foreign policy priority in the government’s spending estimates formally tabled in Parliament on Tuesday. According to the estimates, tabled by Foreign Affairs, that means backing the U.S. in its “indispensable role” in promoting Middle East peace, deepening ties between Canadian and American diplomats abroad, and an attempt “to balance American priorities with traditional Canadian foreign policy” in dealing with major international issues such as Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Iraqi reconstruction. Later in the day, a speech in Ottawa by U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins heralded the onset of a renewed era of stronger ties between the two as he took a thinly veiled swipe at the previous Liberal governments of Paul Martin and Jean Chretien for undermining relations with the Bush administration. “We are truly entering a new era of cooperation where there is a focus on shared responsibilities for dealing with problems — certainly more interested today on fixing the problem rather than fixing the blame,” Wilkins told hundreds of delegates at the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada’s annual meeting.
Checked in on the Burrard Bridge web cam overlooking English Bay this morning . . . Looks like another beautiful day in our future home.
Sure wish we were already there on a permanent basis. Getting kind of envious of Nick/Mason and Gito/Juan's journey this week . . . . . Hopefully the rest of us will be following soon!
This from today's Vancouver Sun . . . What do you think about this proposed change?
For those of you already with PR status, do you plan to maintain US Citizenship upon gaining Canadian Citizenship? Thoughts appreciated . . . . Tories plan review of dual citizenship
Some argue people should lose Canadian status if they are also citizens elsewhere
BY ALLAN WOODS CanWest News Service
OTTAWA — The Conservative government plans to revisit issues surrounding 30-year-old rules allowing people who live abroad to hold dual Canadian citizenship, a senior Conservative has told CanWest News Service. The review of the laws allowing people to carry a Canadian passport along with the citizenship of another country appears to be on a fast-track, particularly after the government began tallying the costs and results of the mass rescue of civilians in Lebanon who held Canadian citizenship during the recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. “I think it’s going to be something that our minister of immigration [Monte Solberg] . . . will be addressing in the future because I think there is some interest as these details become known,” said Conservative caucus chairman Rahim Jaffer, a member of the House of Commons citizenship and immigration committee. Solberg refused requests for an interview and Jaffer did not disclose what other issues relating to dual citizenship could come under review. But Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already expressed his desire to look at changes to the protocol the government follows when helping Canadians leave foreign hotspots. Lesley Harmer, a spokeswoman for Solberg, said “there aren’t any plans” to change laws governing dual citizenship. But Jaffer said a closer look at the issue was already on the government’s fall agenda, and could now happen “within weeks” after the burden of moving Canadian citizens out of the Middle East war zone have come to light. Some 40,000 Canadians were registered with the embassy in Lebanon when the war broke out in July, and Ottawa estimates it spent more than $85 million to bring about 15,000 of them to Canada. Reports suggest 7,000 evacuees have since returned to Lebanon. The movement to revisit dual citizenship is drawing support on both sides of the Commons. “I’ve always questioned dual citizenship, and I’m the former minister,” said Ontario Liberal MP Judy Sgro, a Liberal immigration minister between 2003 and 2005. “We’ve paid all that money to evacuate all those people and now 7,000 of them have gone back.” She added the benefits that come with Canadian citizenship — including pension benefits and assistance from the federal government in times of emergency — are “ripe for exploitation” by those living abroad. Statistics Canada says there are more than four million immigrants who hold dual citizenship with Canada and at least one other country. There are no records for Canadian-born citizens who hold other citizenships. “We need to be loyal to one country as far as your citizenship. Your heart can be where you were born but I think the commitment to Canada has to be strong, and I think dual citizenship weakens that,” Sgro said. Canada changed its laws to allow Canadians to hold passports from two countries in 1977. Advice from two parliamentary committees from the mid-1990s that it was time to revamp citizenship laws were ignored. One of those committees from 1993 suggested permitting dual citizenship reduced the value that goes along with being a Canadian and recommended those who take citizenship with another country should forfeit their Canadian passport.
To those of you unfamiliar with Jeff Black's theHornyRabbit.com blog, today's post is particularly amusing . . . Thought a lighter note after the "pope-poop" was in order . . . . Enjoy!
After my original post hereon "His Idiocy" Pope Benedict, it never occurred to me that I would be posting another tidbit about this nitwit so soon . . . . Who knew the cretin is even more bigoted than once thought?!?!? Please explain why anyone would belong to an organized religion when all of them are led by despicably inept people such as this?
CAIRO, Egypt — An al-Qaida-linked extremist group warned Pope Benedict XVI on Monday that he and the West were "doomed," as protesters raged across the Muslim world to demand more of an apology from the pontiff for his remarks about Islam and violence.
The Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of Sunni Arab extremist groups that includes al-Qaida in Iraq, issued a statement on a Web forum vowing to continue its holy war against the West. The authenticity of the statement could not be independently verified.
The group said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the pope as "the worshipper of the cross" saying "you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (killed by) the sword."
Islam forbids drinking alcohol and requires non-Muslims to pay a head tax to safeguard their lives if conquered by Muslims. They are exempt if they convert to Islam.
In Indian-controlled Kashmir, meanwhile, shops, businesses and schools shut down in response to a strike call by the head of a hard-line Muslim separatist leader to denounce Benedict. For the third day running, people burned tires and shouted "Down with the pope."
Protests also broke out in Iraq, where angry demonstrators burned an effigy of the pope in Basra, and in Indonesia, where more than 100 people rallied in front of the heavily guarded Vatican Embassy in Jakarta, waving banners that said the "Pope is building religion on hatred."
The pope on Sunday said he was "deeply sorry" about the angry reaction to his speech last week in which he cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of Islam's Prophet Muhammad as "evil and inhuman" and referred to spreading Islam "by the sword."
Benedict said the remarks came from a text that didn't reflect his own opinion.
"I hope that this serves to appease hearts and to clarify the true meaning of my address, which in its totality was and is an invitation to frank and sincere dialogue, with great mutual respect," he said during his weekly appearance before pilgrims in Italy.
The statement of regret - the pope's second in two days - helped ease some tensions.
However, State Minister Mehmet Aydin, who oversees the religious affairs in Turkey, said he expected Turkish authorities to cancel the visit if Benedict does not offer a full apology.
"We are expecting the authorities to unilaterally cancel this visit. The pope's coming to Turkey isn't going to foment the uniting of civilizations, but a clash of civilizations," he said.
The secretary-general of the Turkish HUKUK-DER law association submitted a request to the Justice Ministry asking that the pope be arrested upon entering Turkey.
The appeal by Fikret Karabekmez, a former legislator for the banned pro-Islamic Welfare Party, called for Benedict to be tried under several Turkish laws, among them obstruction of freedom of belief, encouraging discrimination based on religion, and inciting religious hatred.
A prosecutor in the ministry will evaluate the request and decide whether to open a case.
Angry reactions also persisted in other corners of the Muslim world, where many demanded more of an apology by the pope than Sunday's statement of regret.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI sent a letter to the Vatican in which he implored Benedict to show "the same respect for Islam that you have for the other religions," Moroccan media reported. Morocco withdrew its ambassador to the Vatican over the weekend.
Even in China, where the government exerts tight controls over religious activities, a top religious official said Benedict had insulted the nation's Muslims.
In the Middle East, where Muslims threw firebombs at seven churches in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the weekend, Christian leaders posted guards outside some churches.
"We are afraid," said Sonia Kobatazi, a Christian Lebanese, after Mass at the Maronite Christian St. George Cathedral in Beirut, Lebanon, where about a dozen policemen carrying automatic weapons stood guard.
And if you still think Muslims are the only radical religious zealots around, check this out and think again.
I'm sure that both jesus and muhammad would be proud of the actions by their representatives on earth . . . . Sshheeesshh, what a crock!!!
If you missed the 9/11 comments by Keith Olbermann here is the transcript and a link to the video is also available. It is a classic and bears everyone watching . . . .
As a postscript: On 9/13/06 Representative John Conyers of Michigan quoted from Keith's commentary in a speech he made on the floor of the House. At least some people are listening . . .
There is a great review of the NDP convention - complete with a link to very professional photos - here posted by Idealistic Pragmatist. She was in attendance representing her riding.
IP did an excellent job recapping the event in Quebec and it is well worth a read for her in-depth analysis of the convention. Great job, IP!
Another reason to ignore these "Holier Than Thou" religious leaders:
Pope criticizes Canada on gay marriage and abortion
Roman Catholic politicians are urged not to sacrifice their personal beliefs to back legislation contrary to their faith
BY ALLISON HANES - National Post
TORONTO — In a toughly worded statement, Pope Benedict XVI Friday singled out Roman Catholic politicians in Canada who voted for gay marriage, urging them not to sacrifice their personal beliefs for the sake of opinion polls and social trends. The Pope repeated his opposition to abortion and gay marriage after a week of meetings with Ontario Catholic bishops. The group, including Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic of Toronto, are wrapping up an ad limina visit to the Vatican — a once-everyfive-years courtesy call where they provide the Pope with a state-of-the-union report on their diocese. “In the name of tolerance, your country has had to endure the folly of the redef inition of spouse, and in the name of freedom of choice it is confronted with the daily destruction of unborn children,” the Pope said. The pontiff touched on the highly sensitive issue of whether Catholic politicians can back legislation allowing practices such as gay marriage and abortion even if they are personally opposed to them. He condemned such behaviour as “false dichotomies.” Same-sex marriage was legalized in Canada after a series of provincial court decisions and the passage last year of a bill in Parliament by a 164-137 margin. But during last winter’s federal election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed to reopen the debate, which in many cases has pitted MPs against the positions of their parties. A vote on whether to revisit the law is scheduled to take place this fall. Gilles Marchildon, executive director of EGALE Canada, a same-sex rights group that pushed hard for the marriage law, said Friday he was not overly surprised by the Pope’s latest comment, since he has expressed his opposition before. It is hard to tell, Marchildon said, how his remarks might influence the next round of the parliamentary debate. “Most politicians are able to be objective and while being informed by their faith, are not shackled by it,” he said. Before his death, Pope Jean Paul II vociferously denounced Canada for its drive to legalize same-sex marriage. Archdiocese of Toronto public relations director Neil McCarthy explained Friday that the Pope’s latest foray into the gay marriage debate came directly in response to issues the visiting Ontario bishops would have raised. He said Catholic bishops from Quebec and the Atlantic provinces also made an ad limina visit to the Vatican earlier this year, eliciting a response from the Pope on other matters of concern in Canada, like unemployment and declining church attendance among young people.
Two months from today - November 7 - will be the one year "anniversary" of Ottawa issuing the Acknowledgment of Receipt for our application.
After that time I will become even more anxious than I already am to receive some sort of correspondence from them. It certainly would be a welcome surprise to hear something before that time, but I'm not holding my breath . . .
To quote an old Southern expression which appears to be quite appropriate in this situation: "You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas."
September 3, 2006
Bush ties leave Harper in bind Poll suggests PM's relationship with U.S. prez hurts popularity
By GREG WESTON, CALGARY SUN, SUN MEDIA
OTTAWA -- A fascinating national opinion survey suggests Stephen Harper and his Conservative government would do well to heed an old political saw about Canada-U.S. relations: Canadians like to see their prime ministers in the White House rose garden, but not in the presidential bedroom.
After seven months of an aggressive Washington courtship, the prime minister has apparently left a significant number of Canadian voters with the impression he is 'twixt the sheets with George W. Bush, and far too close for comfort.
In fact, the poll suggests Harper's perceived love-in with the increasingly unpopular U.S. president is the foremost single cause of what ails the minority Conservative government.
The survey of 1,003 voters was conducted in late August by the premier polling firm SES Research, exclusively for the Sun.
While Harper and his strategists have run the government with the single-minded goal of building towards a majority in the next election, the SES-Sun poll shows the Conservatives' popularity has slipped back to where they started on voting day seven months ago.
The big question, of course, is why? The SES-Sun poll probed voters' likes and dislikes about the Harper government, and what is it that is making fully 45% of voters "uncomfortable" with the mere concept of the Conservatives ruling with a majority in parliament.
While voters said what most impresses them is Harper "keeps his promises" and "gets the job done," what exactly the Conservatives are getting done is the main source of negative reaction.
Topping the list of things voters dislike most about the Harper government is "too close to the U.S.," and the Conservatives' military policies -- presumably Canada's role in the Afghanistan war.
Among those who said they would be uncomfortable with Harper assuming the powers of a majority government, "his policies" were the single largest cause of queasiness.
Put all the data together, and the SES-Sun polls paint a political landscape pocked with major challenges for the Harper government between now and the next election.
First, the war in Afghanistan and, to a lesser degree, Harper's pro-Israel stance on the conflict in Lebanon, are taking a definitive toll on Conservative popularity, particularly in Quebec where the party has tanked since the spring.
Second, the Conservative communications strategy of making the government "all Harper, all the time" has also turned him into the lightning rod for voter discontent.
Asked what they don't like about the Harper government, voters didn't point to Conservative policies, but "his policies."
SES pollster Nik Nanos says the results suggest those who don't like the Harper government are far more passionate than those who do.
"Those who support the Conservatives are saying Harper is doing a good job, he's getting things done so let's give him a chance ... Compared to the previous prime minister (Paul Martin), Harper is seen as the anti-Dithers."
On the flipside, Nanos notes, those who don't like the Harper and/or the Conservatives, REALLY don't like them. "They don't trust them."
The polls point rather clearly to the road ahead for Harper.
For starters, he will be in a lot fewer photo-ops with Bush, and in lot more waving the flag in the far North where our sovereignty is somehow threatened by the Yanks (who, for the record, say they aren't the least bit interested).
But more than anything, Nanos says, the Harper government desperately needs to "change the channel to domestic issues that do not involve the U.S." That means moving public attention away from issues such as softwood lumber, border security, the environment and Kyoto accord, and away from conflicts in the Mideast and Afghanistan.
None of which will be easy: The lumber deal has yet to be finalized; new passport rules for entering the U.S. start to kick in next year; the Conservatives are presenting their alternative to Kyoto this fall; and Afghanistan will continue to be a killing field for Canadian troops.
At the same time, the Conservatives' much-touted "five priorities" barely registered with voters' likes and dislikes in the SES-Sun polls. Nanos says if the Conservatives are smart, they'll latch on to their promised health-care guarantee, an issue that is certainly Canadian and equally un-American.
One way or another, Harper needs to wake up and smell the rose garden.
My personal favorite - for obvious reasons - is the last one . . . .
This day in history:
1939: The lethal combination of German blitzkrieg tactics, French inactivity, and Russian perfidy doomed Poland to swift defeat this day in 1939, when Adolf Hitler invaded the country and sparked World War II.
1985: The wreck of the Titanic was found on the ocean floor at a depth of about 13,000 feet (4,000 metres).
1969: A group of young army officers led by Muammar al-Qaddafi deposed the king and made Libya a republic.
1951: Australia, New Zealand, and the United States signed the ANZUS Pact.
1930: The Young Plan, the second renegotiation of Germany's World War I reparation payments, went into effect.
1923: A great earthquake struck the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area; the death toll from the shock was estimated at 142,800.
1914: The last known passenger pigeon died in the Cincinnati (Ohio) Zoo.
1870: The French army suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Sedan in the Franco-German War.
1864: The Charlottetown Conference, the first of a series of meetings that ultimately led to the formation of the Dominion of Canada, convened at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
