A New Year - Endings, Beginnings, and Other Things...

Here we are at the beginning of another year - out with the old, in with the new, a time to look back and to look forward at what's going to be.

It's nice to be back back writing and a quick look back at 2015 tells me it was  pretty good year, everyone happy and healthy and despite an ever increasingly crazy and angry World, my corner of it is pretty good, happy, warm, and safe.

The biggest event for me from the past year was our federal election in October - with the majority win of the Trudeau-led Liberals bringing fresh air and vitality into the political scene, I feel more Canadian than I have in years. The previous Harper government was doing its utmost to create an American presidency in Canada and thankfully they didn't succeed. Interestingly enough with the defeat of the provincial Conservative government in Newfoundland and Labrador by the Liberals, there is now not one single conservative government at the provincial level (although the Saskatchewan Party and premier Brad Wall are definitely conservative in philosophy) - the broom swept well. It will be interesting to see where Canada is at the end of 2016...

As 2016 unfolds I'm looking forward to less of a Winter than last year (not sure it can get worse - there can't be that much snow left!!), better organizing my time to do things - read, blog, exercise and be happy :-) (these aren't resolutions, but an attempt to be better at doing what makes me happy). I want to spend more time with my dog Max, who is such an amazing, loving, giving animal and deserves that from me, with close friends and family, and all in all focus on enjoying life!!

Here are some of the other events that I'll be watching in 2016:

• The presidential election in the US - election night is 8 November, my birthday - not sure if that is a present or not - feels more like watching the decline of the American Empire - specially if Donald Trump is a legitimate candidate...
• Summer Olympics in Brazil - maybe the last big Olympics? Venues not finished or scaled back, and enough pollution to be a serious health hazard - I hope it goes well and all are safe
• Chaos in the World - refugees, terrorism, ISIL, will be interesting to see where we are at the end of the year - all I know is that the World is fundamentally changed

And then there is the biggest event of the year, my 60th birthday - bring on those senior discounts!!

Hmmmm...

The Joys Of Modern Air Travel...

As I write this, I am sitting in the Maple Leaf Lounge at the Ottawa airport awaiting my flight to Halifax which departs in about 90 minutes (I was in Ottawa fro Christmas). I've already been here for 60 minutes, taking heed of the Transport Canada and Air Canada warnings to arrive three hours before my flight due to the new travels rules in place as a result of the aborted terrorist bombing in Detroit.

I have absolutely no issues at all with the new regulations (except for the one saying nobody could get out of their seat in the last hour of a US bound flight - luckily cooler heads prevailed - that one could have gotten messy...). I just find it somewhat ironic that it was a failed attack and yet seems to have had the desired result of increased delays and inconveniences.

I must compliment the security staff here at the Ottawa airport - they were friendly, courteous and professional - I can only imagine how hard that must have been to do with all of the reported delays of the last few days - it's the front line folks who take the abuse. Today there were few delays getting through security even though I was randomly selected to be patted down, so here I am spending 2.5 hours waiting for my plane (old military habits die hard - I spent a lot of years at military air terminals two hours ahead of departure and that was for flying on Yukons and Hercs!!...). All I can say is if you travel regularly by air these days and you do not have lounge privileges, GET THEM!, it's the only way to travel these days.

So wherever you may be off to, safe travels and get to the airport early. I'm off to have a free cup of tea. Hmmm...

My Virtual Cross-Canada Trek 2009 - Montreal and Beyond...

It's been a crazy weather year, like summer hasn't really started yet - lots of wet and rain and fog with the odd sunny day tossed in as a teaser of a summer that hasn't shown up yet.

My cross-Canada trek continues - I'm about 100 KM east of Ottawa - in fact at one point I thought my virtual and real selves might have met his week as I am actually in Ottawa right now, but heading home tomorrow. Just as well - wouldn't want to be messing about with that whole space-time continuum thing anyway :-).

Montreal is one of my favourite cities in the World. I lived in Montreal many years ago and love it every time I go back. It's city full of life, and culture, and always something to do, and the food is amazing. From Dunn's for cheesecake to Schwartz's for smoked meat, you never need go hungry in Montreal (and both are MUST stops during any trip to Montreal). Old Montreal is an amzing collection of restaurants, boutiques, and artisans - a very cool place. If you like vibrant, mult-cultural cities with lost to do and see - head for Montreal.

Hard to believe I'm almost 1400 KMs into my yomp across Canada - next stop is Ottawa, then up over Northern Ontario for Sudbury and Thunder Bay. Now if only the weather would cooperate and allow summer to start...

Happy Birthday Canada!! Canada Day 2009

Happy 142nd Birthday Canada!! You may be a young nation, perhaps barely a teenager, but you are still the best place to live in the World. May you have the greatest of days wherever you may be - East, North, West, or South... It is July, so one of the two days of summer should be appearing shortly (of course we don't really have summer in Canada - just two seasons - Winter and Construction - ask any Canadian driver that :-)). As Canadians it is our national heritage and birth right to complain about the weather, so here is something to help you cool down if your part of the country is having one of the those days of summer today (actually with Global warming, I think we are up to four days of summer):



I can feel the snow and sleet and freezing rain already (now where did I put my boots and parka? Hmmm...). Despite our complaints about the weather being too hot, too cold (must be all that oatmeal we eat) it really is just right, "it's a dry cold" (I'm sorry -40C is cold wet or dry), or "just wait 10 minutes it'll change" (from wet and miserable to truly rotten :-)), Canada is still the best place to live - wide open spaces, beautiful scenery, a social support network, complete with its good and bad, multiculturalism, a democracy that believes in and supports basic rights, and so, so, much more....

I'd like to send a special Canada Day Happy Birthday!! to all the members of our military, especially those in harms way in Afghanistan and other spots around the world - thank you so much for what you do for all of us every day. Shakespeare was right - you truly are a "Band of Brothers", true heroes, and I am so proud to have served with you...



Now speaking of the weather, it's pouring here today, so it looks like fireworks are out, so for all of my fellow Maritimers and for anyone else with gray skies and low ceilings, here are some Canada Day fireworks from Ottawa, Our Nation's Capital:



Happy Canada Day to all Canadians wherever you may be...

(Canada_Flag_Sunset from Cynergy Diva)

My Virtual Cross-Canada Trek 2009 - Bienvenue Au Ville de Quebec

Now 929 KMs from home, just passing by Quebec City. Quebec City is on eof the oldest in Canada - full of great sites, sounds, and tastes, including La Citadelle, regimental home of the legendary Vandoos - Le Royal 22e Regiment of the Canadian Army.

As the weather gets better I'm making greater daily progress as I keep walking across Canada. Next major destination is Montreal, a mere 272 KMs down Autoroute 20. I prefer the scenery along the South shore of the St.Lawrence River to that of Autoroute 40 and the North Shore.

The trek continues...

My Virtual Cross-Canada Trek 2009 - I'm in Truro!!

Well took me a month, and I'm behind schedule, but I'm in Truro Nova Scotia about 103 KM from Halifax. I'm blaming my slow progress on the weather and all of the salt and slush along Highway 102. I'll need to pick up the pace if I'm to celebrate New Years Eve in Vancouver...

My Virtual Cross-Canada Trek 2009

This past year (after all we're one day into 2009, so that would make 2008 this past year), we had a walking challenge at the college - each group picked a destination off a map and then our accumulated walking totals went towards the distance to our destination. I ended up walking 978 KMs in 2008 that I actually recorded on a pedometer. I got to thinking that it's something I wanted to continue for 2009, but on a larger scale - so here it is - in 2009 I will virtually walk from Halifax to Vancouver, a distance of 4443 Kms according to WikiAnswers.

I'll update the map periodically with my progress. We're in the middle of a New Year's Day blizzard here on the East Coast today, so I'm off to a slow start - my walking today will be of the indoor type. I'm just a little worried about dodging rush hour traffic in Montreal and Toronto, and that trek up the Rockies is goingto be a killer! Wish me luck...

The Joys Of Winter Travel Or Have We Left Yet?...

As a Canadian, it is my primal right to complain about the weather, and being able to complain not only about the weather, but travelling and weather is the perfect storm.

One of the joys of living on the East Coast is that there is always weather to complain about - we are on the frequent flyer plan of most of the weather that heads this way - storms blowing their way across Canada have this lovely way of connecting with storms sliding up the Atlantic Coast of the the U.S. and holding family reunions over our heads. Not so bad in the summer, just some great bouts of rain and the occasional hurricane, but it is in winter when we truly get to exercise our weather complaining genes - bad weather and travel together - who could ask for anything more?

Now travel, particularly air travel, and particularly this time of year, can be an adventure in Canada. For the purposes of the airlines, Toronto is the center of the universe (this is not an acknowledgement on my part of this fact, just an explanation of the airlines reality), so if the Pearson International Airport is storm-stayed, then air travel across the country is affected. This past week, Pearson has been a mess due to a swath of storms blowing their way through Ontario. On top of that Vancouver has gotten snow and cold tempeartures causing delays there too (and introducing residents of the Wet Coast to the frozen variety of their normal weather), so the result was all sorts of delays - and boy is that good for the real official Canadian sport - weather complaining. I made it here to Ottawa for the Holidays, but even then there were delays because planes couldn't get from Toronto to Halifax to fly other places (and two hours after I landed in Ottawa a storm blew through paralyzing air travel in Eastern Canada). Speaking to friens travelling later during the day, the delays set in and the complaining began...

The other main travel types in Canada are car and train - car is an adventure due to road conditions, and well, rail travel just isn't what it used to be - so that means you meet most of the happiest complaining Canadians in airports across the country - like one of my co-workers who finally got to their warm-weather Christmas destination after three days of trying to get to Toronto, or the family from Vancouver who spent 5 days flying home to Maritimes - the good news is they all eventually made it to where they were going, complaining all the way...

So wherever you are this Holiday Season, or wherever you are going, may you travel safe, and warm, and with only enough complaint to satisfy your Canadian constitution. I know it's not terribly Canadian, but here's hoping your travel is delay and complaint-free and that you and yours have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...

P.S. I sort of cheated - the picture is from "White Juan" the blizzard that hit Halifax in 2004...

Notes From The Brier - Coffee and Curling - I AM Canadian...

One of the joys of living in a culturally mosaic country like Canada is that you are exposed to so many different traditions, events, sights, senses, and sounds that you can lead a very rich life. The downside of living in this culture is when someone asks "what's Canadian?" it's sometimes hard to figure that out - at least until now...

I'm in Winnipeg (or as it is also affectionately know, Winterpeg - when we arrived last week it was -44 C with the wind chill - but it's a "dry cold". Yep - it sure is...cold) with my father attending the Brier - the men's national curling championships - officially know as the Tim Hortons Brier. There are probably no two things more quintessentially Canadian than curling and coffee, particularly in the winter and particularly Tim Hortons coffee. True, coffee did not originate in Canada, nor did curling (like many things it was invented by the Scots which just goes to show you what perpetual bad weather can do for creativity), but we were smart enough to combine the two and turn them into a cultural event of epic proportions.

The line ups this week at the MTS Centre have been longer for the Tim Hortons orders than for the box office and attendance has been great - and it's great for the event - a highly caffeinated audience watching some of the best curling in the world - it's a win win! I've heard as many requests for a "double-double" this week as I've heard "hurry hard" coming from the competitors.

We're having a great time here this week, so the next time someone asks you "what's Canadian?", tell them to get a large double-double at Tim's and head for the local curling club - the essence of Canada. Hmmm...

The Canadian Health Care System Saved My Life...

As Canadians it's our God given right to complain - we complain about the weather, about taxes, about our government or a lack thereof, and particularly about our health care system - too slow, too hard to be seen by a doctor, you name it, we complain about it. depending on who you talk to we either have the best or worst health care system in the world. heck, with this being an election year in the USA, our health care system is getting knocked down there too.

Well, I will never complain about our health care system again, because last week it saved my life. I developed pneumonia nad had exhausted myself trying to breathe - I was later told I was only hours away from REALLY bad trouble. I went to Emergency where you hear of the multi-hour wait, but they triage patients and I was taken in right away. I was quickly assessed and treated and all of the doctors and nurses were absolutely amazing - I received amazing care. It was determined that I needed to be put on a ventilator to give my body rest and I spent two days in ICU, and seven days in hospital all together. I am now at home recovering nicely (I think).

During my whole stay in hospital I was treated incredibly well by the doctors, nurses, therapists, everyone was positive, caring, and obviously loved what they were doing. their compassion and empathy went a long way to helping me heal.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of them - Dr Petrie, Dr. Greene, and all of the Emergency nurses and staff, Dr. Gallager (a wee Scots gentleman - my Mother would have loved him), and all of the staff of the ICU, and all of the nursing staff and doctors (specially Turkie - thank you so much for your caring and gentle manner)on the 8th floor - you are all my angels and life savers - thank you so much.

So this is one Canadian who has one less thing to complain about - we have a health care system that works and is there when it is needed - for that I will be eternally grateful...

Canadian "Piracy" - The Other Side Of The Story

The issues of intellectual property, copyright infringement, and piracy are current hot topics. The media and foreign associations like the MPAA and RIAA, along with the foreign-dominated CRIA, would have you believe that Canada is a haven for copyright thieves and pirates. IP has also become a huge issue in educational circles, an issue that must be addressed as we move forward with Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web - as information use and distribution becomes universal, issues of rights and ownership and how they will be managed will need to be resolved.

Michael Geist is the Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, and is an expert on these subjects. He has produced a great video refuting the industry and media claims that Canada is a huge violator of IP and copyright laws:



It's always important to get the other side of the story and Dr. Geist has done this well. I think that this video should be watched by anyone involved with information, creativity, copyright, or intellectual property so that you understand what is actually happening in Canada, not what foreign governments and industry associations and the media want you know. This is not a simple or easy set of issues to resolve, but it must be resolved by Canada for Canadians, not for and by foreign interests. Hmmm...

I Am Canadian...

With apologies to Molson's Canadian, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day - Canada is 140 today. Despite some of the issues we are having as a nation, Canada is still one of the best places to live in the World. I am very proud to be Canadian - I AM Canadian!!

I'd like to take a moment to thank all of the members of the Canadian Armed Forces, wherever they are, for everything they do. Thanks everyone.

There are celebrations going all all over the nation. Here is the site for celebrations in our nation's capital, Ottawa. Join the party!! Happy Birthday Canada!!

Thanks to Ole Trout for the Canada Day video and thanks to John Hollohan for the music and lyrics: