Tag: economy

Canadian Pipelines: Do you Support Them?

Canadian Pipelines
~ Loreeebee ~ 3 Comments

The Canadian pipelines debate has been discussed from coast to coast for several years now. Rumours and speculation of who supports them and who is holding them back (and why) are rampant. Apparently, these pipelines that transport climate-changing fossil fuels are financially lucrative, job-producing investments elsewhere in the world, but not in Canada.

Pierre Poilievre takes Mark Carney to Task

I heard this exchange recently; I personally love how perseverant Poilievre is on the basic question regarding the pipelines. Do you support them or don’t you? The Canadian pipelines I mean, not the foreign ones. You could also interpret this as do you support improving the Canadian economy or is the economy of other countries more important?

Who is Mark Carney and What does he Think of Canadian Pipelines?

On his resume, Mark Carney has an impressive list of accomplishments and accolades. Governor of the Bank of Canada as well as the Bank of England, several international offices of Goldman Sachs, Canada’s department of finance, the financial stability board (FSB) of G20 countries, and most recently Brookfield Asset Management.

While Governor of the Bank of England, Carney was the chief opponent of Brexit. He tried to convince everyone that the UK economy would suffer a negative impact.

More recently (spring 2021) Carney scrambled to defend Brookfield Asset Management’s significant holdings of “carbon neutral” fossil fuels. In short, he manipulated his accounting to downplay (hide) a carbon footprint of 5,200 tons of carbon dioxide. What does carbon neutral mean to you? I admittedly don’t know that much, but I’m willing to bet that many tons of carbon dioxide are nowhere near neutral.

Hearing him dithering in this video, he (unflatteringly) sounds like his Liberal boss, our Prime Minister. Do as I say, not as I do comes to mind.

Who is Pierre Poilievre and What is his Stance?

Well, his opinion and support or loyalty are much more obvious. This video and other forms of social media display his stance on crucial issues. Considered the political opposition’s bulldog to many, Pierre Poilievre is a Conservative member of parliament (MP) representing the Carleton suburb of Ottawa. With a Bachelor of Arts and some commerce courses under his belt, his own modest description of himself says it all:

“a political junkie with a passion for public debating and a special interest in international relations”

Perhaps Poilievre is not as polished or successful (career-wise) as Mark Carney. Yet. He (Pierre) is definitely more articulate and fun to listen to. His debating skills are legendary within the house of commons. I, for one, love his doggedness. Is that a word? Maybe perseverent is better.

As Shadow Minister of Finance, it is, appropriately, his job to hold our Finance Minister (and Deputy Prime Minister) Chrystia Freeland accountable. Recently though, Poilievre announced a higher ambition, with intentions of running for the Conservative leadership, en route to the goal of becoming our next Prime Minister. If a drama teacher can do it, a self-acclaimed political junkie and well-spoken, if somewhat annoying, bulldog can too. The level of annoyance depends purely on which side of the debate you represent. He is one of those guys you want on your team instead of playing against him.

If you don’t yet know of Pierre Poilievre, you will soon.

Canadian Pipelines
Canadian Pipelines

photo credit: Wikipedia

Gardens4me and Gardens4u

~ Loreeebee ~ 11 Comments

I am so excited!  Ontario’s premier Doug Ford has announced landscapers can start back to work starting today, May 4th.  That means Gardens4u is officially open for the season.  While I was waiting for this to happen (the re-opening) I worked (with the help of my hubby) exclusively on my own gardens.  They are probably in the best shape they have ever been this early in the season, except maybe for the spring my son got married. When my gardens and pond were all cleaned up, and ready for summer, I got extra creative and painted a Gardens4me sign on the gateway to my gardens.

Gardens4me

It has been a long time coming, but I am grateful we landscapers are included in the first step of reopening the economy that is getting decimated by COVID-19. That means Gardens4me will have to step aside so I can now concentrate on Gardens4u.

At least one month later than usual, hopefully, I can breeze through spring maintenance and cleanup, moving on to planting and designing gardens and containers.

I have been keeping up with my planks in preparation for this day, now if Mother Nature would only cooperate, all would be good. At least in my relatively covid-free bubble.

Made in Canada

made in Canada
~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

When the dust settles, we must plan ahead to ensure we are better prepared for a health and economic disaster like the one we are currently dealing with.  Hopefully, the powers that be in our country are realizing that we must manufacture more at home, with incentives to produce and buy locally.  Dependent on the kindness and generosity of others is not recommended when the chips are on the table, and the world is reeling.  Unfortunately, discovering who you can and cannot rely on for help is often a bitter pill to swallow.

This may seem like a drastic statement, coming from someone like me who tends to support and see the best in others regardless of who they are and where they live.  Self-preservation takes over at some point though, especially when we are seeing acts of greed and unsanitary practices that are adversely affecting the whole world.

Everyone knows COVID-19 started in the wet markets of China. The disgustingly unsanitary practice of selling “fresh” meat on the streets has to stop.  If you agree, please sign this petition.  How many viruses are we going to let take over the world before something is done to prevent them at their source?

What can we do at the grassroots level?  We can start by paying more attention to the origin of the items we purchase.  From food to clothing to PPE (personal protective equipment) to household items, our Canadian standards for all of these things are much stricter, something we take for granted.

Do your due diligence, and look for the made-in-Canada labels!  You could not miss the label on the stainless steel set of pots and pans I recently purchased.  Sometimes though, you have to look a bit harder, but all products (for import and export) must be labeled with their origin.  Not “packaged by,” or “assembled in”, but “product of” or “made in.”  Even products sold online have their “country of origin” listed, somewhere.  You can even google the information.  For example, recently I looked up “canned mushrooms made in Canada” and found out they are available at some Canadian Tire stores and my local Canadian Super Store.

This COVID-19 virus should be a wake-up call heard around the world. From a Canadian standpoint, our economy should be able to rely on us manufacturing and consuming Canadian products as much as possible.  You should have the same concerns about supporting your local and federal economy where ever you live.  Globally, the health of all of us may depend on it.