Out for a walk in Kanata, hubby and I found an injured chickadee on a local sidewalk. Bird loversthat we are, we brought it home and found out that although it could not fly it was able to hop around. We were referred to the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre which supports the conservation of wild birds, whether they are threatened, at risk, injured, or endangered.
Dedicated to the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of injured, ill, or orphaned wild birds with the goal of releasing them back into their natural habitat…
Licensed under the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and federal Migratory Bird Regulations, our permits allow us to care for various bird species, including those that are protected. We believe that each life saved is a small victory for its species.
Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre
Funding
Bird lovers in the Ottawa Valley community have been the primary source of funding since the center was originally founded in 1981. Currently the largest wild bird rehabilitation centre in Eastern Ontario, this registered charity relies on the generosity of financial supporters and volunteers. The centre cares for over 4000 birds per year with a current estimated total of 125,000 birds from 175 species rehabilitated.
You can also support the centre by scheduling a hands-on presentation for your group or classroom. Cost is $100 per one-hour session with sessions geared to the age or interest of each group. Contact JAA@wildbirdcarecentre.org to schedule a presentation. Also available to teachers and leaders (for a small donation to the centre) are additional activity outlines.
Education days are also scheduled in various community spaces, to join one visit the centre’s Facebook Page.
Our little chickadee couldn’t fly but he sure made himself at home, hopping from room to room in our home. He first escaped from the cardboard box we prepared for him in our garage. Then we moved him to a pet carrier our son had left at our place but he managed to escape it too, twice, even though I covered up the obviously large enough holes with a blanket the second time. After phoning a hotline for information on where we could take him, we put him in a small cardboard box (with holes for ventilation of course) and taped the top closed. The next thing we knew, he had pushed open the taped lid and escaped again to hop around our dining room and kitchen. After reinforcing the tape on the box, we put him in our windowless (dark) powder room so he would settle down (as instructed). That worked. He stayed there all night until we were able to take him to the Ottawa Valley Wild Bird Care Centre the next day.
We nicknamed him Houdini. I have been told to email the center in a few days to find out how Houdini fared.
When my youngest son left Ottawa for Victoria in British Columbia late last summer, I promised to visit. This past weekend I had the pleasure of fulfilling that promise.
British Columbia is the most western province of Canada with Victoria, located off the mainland at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, the capital city. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, BC is not just beautiful but absolutely stunning. As I have only previously been to BC (never left the Vancouver airport) en route to Hawaii, this was an exciting adventure.
This next set of pictures provides a perspective on the geography of the area.
British Columbia, mainland and islands
Weather
The weather forecast was not great, not a whole lot warmer in this area of British Columbia than Ottawa. Although there is much less snow here, just a few patches visible, (especially in the higher altitudes) left over from last weekend’s storm. You can probably tell how cool it was from all the layers I’m wearing in all the pictures. That was my greatest challenge, packing for the probability of rain, wind, and chilly temperatures.
Flair Airlines
The discounts available when flying with Flair airlines are awesome. That’s if you can travel light. A small carry-on, dressed in layers of clothing (especially rain gear and warm sweaters that take up so much room in a bag), pockets loaded with snacks, and I’m ready to fly.
Flair only flies to Vancouver (sometimes direct to Victoria, more on that later) on certain days of the week, so you cannot be too picky on your flight dates. Thursday to Tuesday worked for me.
Another stipulation for the reduced rate is that you must check-in online and print or download your boarding pass prior to arriving at the airport. This saves time for the traveler (you head straight to security and your gate) as well as reduces the impact on airport staff.
You could choose to take more luggage, select your seat, and have airport staff check you in but you would be required to pay extra for those options.
Local Transportation
Although Flair flies direct from Ottawa to Victoria during the summer months, this time of year it only does so to Vancouver. This meant I had to take a ferry between mainland Vancouver and Victoria on Vancouver Island. That was an adventure in itself. The views were spectacular though, especially with my personal tour guide at my side.
BC Ferries
We also took advantage of the efficient bus and train systems. A tap of a credit card will get you on the bus in Victoria, and either the train or more buses in Vancouver. From my son’s apartment, we hopped on a bus to the ferry terminal, then another bus on the Vancouver side to the train station to head downtown or to the airport. Although it sounds complicated, it wasn’t, even for those (me included) used to driving a car everywhere.
The transit system is so inexpensive, efficient, and accessible here that my son doesn’t need to own a car, saving on gas, insurance, parking, and upkeep, not to mention the price of the vehicle itself. When a car is needed, Uber and Lyft as well as Turo are available too.
Walking Tours of Victoria
Victoria is small enough (population 400K) that walking tours are an efficient way to take in the charm and scenery.
While my son worked on Friday and Monday, my (clothing) layers and I walked down to the waterfront, only a few blocks away from his apartment building. Beautiful British Columbia (the slogan on the car license plates) does not even begin to describe the views between Vancouver Island and the mainland.
I walked my way through James Bay (the neighborhood my son lives in), Fishermen’s Wharf, and the Breakwater District as well as the opposite direction following the waterfront on Dallas Street, all the way to Victoria’s Mile 0.
Although much of Fisherman’s Wharf was closed for the season, I was able to wander around admiring the floating houses and shops. Boat tours are open for tours of the waterfront.
Floating B&B Floating housesPossible sightings on boat tours
I love the quaint, you-guessed-it, Victorian architecture in this neighbourhood. Even the most modern buildings blend well into the theme.
You can tell the lumber industry is huge here, with logs washed up everywhere. The massive fir, hemlock, and red cedar trees are also a clue. I guess the longer growing season and lots of rain helps.
Western red cedarTowering hemlock
The neighbourhoods of Victoria also include cute boutiques, gift shops, cafes, and dining options like Floyd’s Diner, which I nicknamed Pink Floyd’s for obvious reasons…
We also discovered Victoria’s best spot for my favourite cusisine at Indian Aroma, located at 612 Fisgard Street in the downtown area.
Driving Tours of Victoria
My son had already visited lots of the tourist spots in Vancouver and Victoria so made a great tour guide. He also has a much better sense of direction than I do. When you are on an island (surrounded by water) under cloudy skies (no visible sun to provide a clue) orientation is even more difficult. I’m sticking to that excuse.
With his work week completed, we rented a car through Turo and headed on several driving tours of the island. Friday evening we headed down the coast to the Saanich area and up to the summit of Mount Douglas for a spectacular, 360-degree view of Victoria and the surrounding area…
This next picture is of a five-foot-tall stone compass at the summit of the mountain depicting the distances and directions to various landmarks. The darker, bronze-coloured areas represent water, while the lighter areas represent the land. The left, bottom edge of the lowest X near the center touches the point of land we were standing on. The landmarks are listed around the perimeter with their distances away in kilometers. For example, the city of Vancouver was 85 kilometers away towards eight o’clock, and Seattle was 120 kilometers away towards one o’clock. Very cool!
We had hoped to watch the sunset from that vantage point but it was much too cloudy. Instead, we drove back down the mountain, parked the car, and walked around downtown Victoria…
Legislative Assembly of BC
We had also hoped to visit Burchard Gardens (Victoria) and Stanley Park (Vancouver) but both are in off-season mode, so will have to wait for a summertime visit.
Beaches
Saturday we drove northwest for a few hours to explore Sombrio and Mystic beaches. Both involved trekking (light hiking) through forests and hillsides to the beaches below.
The trail to Sombrio beach was an easy walk, a surfers’ dream, with a spectacular “hidden waterfall” tucked into the lush greenery edging a rocky shoreline (nicknamed green rock beach by me) at the bottom of the trail.
surfers at Sombrio BeachSombrio Beach Waterfall
The trek to Mystic beach was a more arduous hike, the limit for my arthritis-weakened hip, but also incredibly gorgeous for nature lovers. The trail started off inconspicuous (level and fairly smooth) progressing to steeper, rougher terrain with several footbridges and a terrifying (for this chicken) suspension bridge. The sign at the parking lot indicated a 2 km hike (no big deal) but 4 km (return) of scrambling over gnarled tree roots as well as up and down tons of stone or wooden stairs was more challenging than it sounded. Well worth it though! Let’s just say I was happy to see the parking lot.
I did it!!
Downtown Vancouver
Early Sunday morning we hopped on a bus to the ferry between Victoria and Vancouver, then another bus in Vancouver to the train station. An inexpensive day pass purchased there allowed us to get on and off the train at points of interest throughout the city.
Port of Vancouver Surrey BC in the distanceCanada PlaceNorth Vancouver
Stops included sushi for lunch on Cambrie Street and happy hour followed by dinner at Granville Island…
The setting sun escorted us back to the ferry for the return trip to Victoria. This was the only sunset I saw on this trip, thanks to the cloudy skies.
Landscaping
As usual, when I travel anywhere, I always take note of the surrounding landscape. Spring has sprung here in Victoria with beautiful signs everywhere I looked..
crocusheathercreeping phloxdaffodilsornamental cabbages and pansiesprimulaheatherforsythia blossomsa grass-free front yard
Recap
At this moment I am sitting in the Vancouver airport, waiting (impatiently) for my return flight to Ottawa, and recapping my long weekend adventure.
I lucked out with the weather; other than a few sprinkles, the forecasted rain held off. The temperature was a bit chilly, especially with the constant wind, but overall quite nice for touring.
I loved my visit to Victoria and Vancouver, hope to repeat it again soon!
Are you in favour of forgiving student loans? Joe Biden is trying to do just that in the USA. That means Justin Trudeau won’t be far behind if Biden gets his way, especially with federal elections looming (2024 for the US, 2025 in Canada). Is this move a bid to win votes?
The Advantages of Forgiving Student Loans
The advantages are somewhat obvious, especially to those eligible for the program. Paying off (or at least reducing) the massive debt owed by students will certainly boost their economic status.
The Disadvantages
A Divisive Move?
Some feel this move will be divisive, just what any country does not need right now. The students (or former students) whose decisions on what degree to aim for and where to go were based solely on their economic status.
I am one of those. I would have loved to go to university to pursue a career in accounting or teaching. I could not afford it, nor could my parents afford to help out. As the fifth of six children in our family, I was only eligible for a small student loan and no grant. Instead of following my dreams at an out-of-town university (there was not one in the small town I grew up in) I lived at home and went to our community college. I still barely managed to afford this choice, with a student loan to pay off as a graduation gift.
Did these facts make me work harder to achieve my diploma in medical laboratory technology? They sure did. Does that mean I don’t see the need to help some students deserving of forgiving student loans? No, but I would like to see lots of conditions so two steps forwards don’t result in four steps backward for the economy, inflation rate, healthcare, and so on.
There could also be some stimulating impact, as the debt cancellation could free up borrowers’ cash flow, and the additional spending may create more tax revenue.
However, at the same time, this is also likely to be inflationary.
A key concern about the debt forgiveness program is its inflationary impact in an environment where inflation has been persistently elevated for over a year.
Shifting the Burden to Taxpayers
The Conservative argument is that forgiving student loans would simply (and unfairly) shift the debt from the students to their federal government. And we all know taxpayers pay for government debt. Unfortunately, when money gets funneled into one program, other programs suffer. So, students like myself that struggled to pay for their own education will now pay taxes so others do not have to pay for theirs.
Biden’s Proposal for American Students
Biden’s proposal says borrowers with an annual income of up to $125,000 or households with a combined income of up to $250,000 are eligible to apply for $10,000 to reduce their current student debt. However, those currently with an outstanding debt of less than $10,000 will only get reimbursed for whatever their balance is. According to the Congressional Budget Office, up to 43 million applicants will qualify for at least partially forgiving student loans.
The Canadian Version
In Canada, the National Student Loans Service Center (NSLSC) implemented its own version for forgiving student loans. Sort of. They, from April 2021 to March 31, 2023, eliminated the interest accrued on student loans. However, any interest accumulated before that date is still owed. This interest elimination was recently extended permanently after April of 2023.
In November of 2022, some Canadian provinces lowered maximum payments to 10% of household income from 20% and changed their zero payment income thresholds. To apply for their Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), log into your NSLSC account. So far, only students from New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan are eligible. Hopefully, other provinces will follow suit.
Conclusions
I believe, and I realize this may sound selfish, that the majority of our taxes should be for improving the core services our citizens rely on. Stuff like roads and infrastructure, garbage collection, snow removal, and especially our flailing healthcare system.
Since graduation years ago, we (hubby and I) paid lots of tax dollars to raise three now self-sufficient children in a comfortable lifestyle. We chose to have three children because we believed that if we worked hard we could afford to feed, clothe, protect, entertain, and yes, educate them.
Of course, like most other citizens, we continue to pay taxes too.
Now seniors, we have reached the age where affordable, efficient, and available healthcare is more of a priority to us than forgiving student loans.
