Category: Uncategorized

DEPLETED COUNCIL CENSURES TWO MEMBERS

I’m a private citizen and, as such, am not shackled by the self-serving conditions of any so-called Code of Conduct as drawn up by the very class of people who wish to perform their collective duty in the shadows and remain impervious to outside observation and commentary.

As with most of what I have thus-far witnessed in municipal politics, we have a group of professionals who have the ability and the capacity, even the willingness, to draw up a set of rules that protects themselves from any meaningful scrutiny or complaint.  They can set up a procedural regime that cloaks them from any criticism that may arise from their own handling, or even mishandling of a file, or a project within their area of jurisdictional responsibility.

I’m all in favour of professional respect and professional confidence.  I know the full, yet often idealistic value of consensus.  And I have seen governments and legislatures at work.  Respect and confidence are two pillars that work with others to support the onerous, yet necessary, weight of democracy, local or otherwise.

But, does Council really speak with one voice?  Can Council truly speak with one voice?  For example, do they speak with one voice when Strong Mayor powers are employed, overriding the voices of everyone else in the room?

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MA-TE-WAY IS DONE. EXCEPT FOR HAVING TO PAY FOR IT

If you were looking for blood in the water, or a pound of flesh, then you’re likely a little on the disappointed side.

The Ma-Te-Way issue, the one where a construction project not just doubled, but essentially tripled in cost?  It’s now officially closed, in all aspects, nothing more to be seen here, everybody move along.

And if you were looking for criminal culpability, put those desires away too, because the OPP has now announced that there will be no criminal charges levied against any of the actors involved in the biggest financial imbroglio to ever wash up on the banks of the mighty Bonnechere.

It’s done.

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TERRORISM WITH A WHITE FACE

They were young, male, and unforgivably stupid, which works both ways, one way against us and the other for.

The downside is that every man-jack of these idiots were acting service members of the Canadian Armed Forces, all of them infantry soldiers.  These are the boneheads who fight for our country, at least when the time comes, and as long as it doesn’t offend their ideological beliefs.  They are professional soldiers, although the use of the term professional is entirely undeserved.

The upside is the fact that every one of these losers is a card-carrying idiot-stick, and so extremely easy to discover, reveal, and as of yesterday, arrest.

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JULY 1st IS MEMORIAL DAY IN NEWFOUNDLAND

It was all over in fifteen minutes.

When Canadians celebrate Canada Day tomorrow, they’ll be commemorating the birth of a nation, cobbled together in a process known as Confederation, a coming-together of former British colonies to form one, single, and united nation that would grow into what it is today one of the pre-eminent countries of the world.  It all started officially on July 1, 1867.

Newfoundland was a British colony as well, but didn’t elect to join the others to become part of the new Dominion of Canada.  They didn’t join the rest of us until 1949, becoming  a fully functioning province of that dominion.

It’s Canada Day in Newfoundland as well on July 1, but it’s not known as that.  In fact, the day is known as Memorial Day, and instead of a day of celebration, it’s a day commemorating the greatest tragedy ever to befall the province known as “The Rock.”  A tragedy that took place on July 1, 1916, at a place called Beaumont-Hamel.

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CARLSON AND CRUZ. TUCKER AND TED.

Two giants of the American right, although the word “giant” is generous.

Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson, together in Cruz’s office, having a back and forth discussion among friends involving America’s role on the world stage.

A coming together of brothers, like-minded and unified in their allegiance to Donald Trump, where Cruz says “I talked to to the president on Sunday,” and Carlson later says “I talked to him last night.”

A DANGEROUS WOMAN GETS MORE DANGEROUS

Alberta lost around 5,600 people to Covid-19 during the epidemic that swept the world five years ago.  That’s close to 12% of the national total, not bad for a province with just about 10% of the national population.

It’s not clear what those numbers would have looked like had many Albertans not picked up their Covid vaccinations while in the heat of the battle, despite being citizens of Canada’s most vaccine-resistant province, although Saskatchewan has emerged as a bit of whack-job as well when it comes to common sense and vaccines. Alberta, after all, is the province that chased away Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the province’s chief Medical Officer of Health.

Alberta, as you may already know, exists fully a century behind the rest of us when it comes to a lot of the important stuff.  As proud as they are of themselves as being the Texas of the North, that distinction only really applies to oil patches, cowboy hats, and an innate ability or inclination to just simply get everything wrong when it comes to their attitude around a lot of the important stuff, like the environment, or the basic stuff surrounding life and death.  And sadly, many in that province would rather die than admit they were wrong about something.

Totally in keeping with both herself and the hatchet-job government she leads, Premier Danielle Smith has announced that, henceforth, Covid vaccinations of the future will be available only if you pay for them, and not as a result of the government providing them.  The Alberta government estimates that the shots will cost around $110/dose, but Smith and her cronies will escape public discontent since everyone will blame it on the Trudeau Liberals.  Or the Carney Liberals.  Or any Liberals, really.

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FLOODING ON HAIG

Just imagine.

A house that’s been there for decades, right here in Renfrew.  Property taxes paid diligently and on time, same thing with the water bill.  Never, ever, in all that time, has there ever had a problem with water in the basement.  Never.

Along comes the year 2023, and the Town of Renfrew has undertaken to pave the road outside this home.  It’s absolutely thrilling.  The street the house is on, Haig Avenue, hasn’t been a safe coffee-drinking road in a long time with all the hills, valleys, and moguls.  But now, the town in going to put down some fresh asphalt, sprucing up the entire neighbourhood, and likely having a positive impact on property values. 

Honestly, what’s not to like?

The engineering, that’s what.

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INDISPENSABLE? INDEFENSIBLE?

The first thing I noticed was the seating plan. 

As a former teacher, changes to seating plans were almost traumatic events for students since they had no idea what neighbourhood of the classroom they may be calling their new home, and, of course, had no idea of who their new neighbours might be.  No matter the intent behind the seating shift, it was inevitable that some students would be delighted by the change, with others less so.  And the major determining factor as to whether you were a “winner” or a “loser” was entirely social, and having to do with friends, or possibly a lack thereof.

I tuned in to the Renfrew Town Council live-feed after-the-fact, viewing it this morning rather than putting myself through the whole death by a thousand cuts experience you get when you attend in person.  And the first thing I noticed was what I call the head table, the one where the big cheeses sit, the mayor — Head of Council — the CAO, and the Clerk.

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MAYOR WRITES THE PREMIER OVER SMP

Things can  happen fast in River City.

I wrote a story a couple of days ago lamenting, once again, the granting of Strong Mayor powers to the mayor of Renfrew, Tom Sidney.  I further lamented the dearth of a legitimate critical media locally that could offer some oversight and accountability to the whole thing.  I mean, if it has to be (SMP or Strong Mayor Power) then we should at least have some form of robust and critically diligent media in place to keep everyone honest.  It looked as though we were destined for the SMP, but not so much for the critical media.

Forty-eight hours go by.  I go to North Bay, then on to Sudbury.  I write a story about bears.  I return to Renfrew, go online because it’s Tuesday, and I know Town Council is going to be meeting Tuesday night, so I kind of want to get the skinny on what may be happening by taking a peek at the agenda.

That’s where I found it, page 116 to be exact, right there in the middle of the haystack, as if it were no big deal at all.

It was a letter from the mayor to the Premier of Ontario, Doug Ford.

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