Well today is Canada Day, the 149th anniversary of our independence from Britain. While the American separation from Britain, which is celebrated on the 4th of July annually, was a bloody one, such was not the case for Canada. The British North American Act, which was "…passed by the British Parliament, created Canada as a new, domestically self-governing federation, consisting of the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, on July 1, 1867." Perhaps the Americans taught the British a lesson — don't mess with the colonials — which meant no revolt. Around my community of Port Moody, BC, we are celebrating Golden Spike Days which mark the completion of the trans Canada railway in Craigellachie, BC. The actual western terminus is Port Moody. During construction in the 1870's and 1880's, one section started in Port Moody working east, while the largest section started in Montréal and worked west. It was on the 20th of July in 1871 that the Colony of British Columbia joined Canada, and it was the promise of a railroad and money that motivated them. Eastern Canada was afraid that BC would join the US so they really sweetened the money component. Even now we hear little rumbings that the west coast, or more accurately, the territories west of the Rocky Mountains in both Canada and the US should form their own country potentially named Cascadia. If you'd like to read a bit more, check out Building the Trans-Canada Railroad. Thanks to the Napster (Lona) for the emoticon, a Mountie stetson and a moose, both very evocative of Canada.
Short Takes
CBC — Among the thousands of people gathered on Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada Day, some were there for the very first time, celebrating the start of a new life in Canada.
The Toubehs — mother Wejdan, daughter Aziza, 11, and sons Wessam, 17, and Ward, 22 — have been in Canada since December after fleeing Syria's civil war.
Their father, a welder, did not make it to Canada. He was killed in an industrial accident while working in Lebanon as the family waited to gain refuge.
When I see the negativity in the US that surrounds refugees, I will read this story to remind myself that the whole world is not like that. We have a choice to embrace people in need, or not. I will embrace my neighbours! I rejoice with this family and the others that have escaped war and uncertainty for a new life in Canada. I was very happy to see PM Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, meeting with the Toubeh family at the Parliament Hill Canada Day celebrations. This is a new start for the Toubehs after so much tragedy. Trudeau is correct when he said to diverse crowd: "This is who we are. This is what we believe in. This is Canada!"
Foreign Policy — The first time Yiech Pur Biel boarded a plane, in 2005, it was to escape the war-torn corner of southern Sudan where he grew up. He has lived in a refugee camp in northwestern Kenya ever since. If all goes as planned, the second time he boards a plane, in just a few weeks, it will be to make history. Biel is slated to compete in the 800-meter track and field event at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as a member of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team.
In the face of unprecedented global displacement as a result of war, despotism, and poverty, the famously apolitical International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made an unprecedented political statement. It has created a team of 10 refugee-athletes from Syria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia who will compete not just for individual Olympic glory, but for the dignity of the world’s 65.3 million displaced people. Their very presence in Rio is a call for peace in war-torn nations and acceptance of refugees elsewhere in the world. …
“It saved my life,” Biel said of Kakuma. “Most of the people, when they’re being called a refugee, they feel ashamed.” But he says the refugee camp not only saved his life; it helped him become who he is today — a high school graduate who is about to compete against the world’s best sprinters in Rio.
“Where I’ve reached now, it’s because of being a refugee,” he said. …
For his part, Biel is most interested in calling attention to the experiences that he and his new teammates share in common — both what they have had to sacrifice and what they still hope to achieve. “We shall meet as refugees, the 10 of us,” he said, ahead of the games. “We become one team. We are the eyes of the refugees.”
Please, make a point of reading the entire article. It is truly inspirational. My ESL student, Lucia, is a refugee from South Sudan. She and her husband fled South Sudan to a refugee camp in Uganda where her two oldest children were born. After 7 years in the camp under extremely difficult circumstances, a pregnant Lucia, her husband and two children were accepted to come to Canada as refugees.
Lucia has nothing to do with this Olympic team, but they share something — HOPE! … and a dream!
CBC — A new GMO labelling law in Vermont is sending ripples through the North American food industry.
Starting July 1, processed foods sold in the state that contain genetically engineered ingredients must say so on the label.
Similar laws exist in countries across Europe, but for now, genetically modified organisms don't have to be labelled in the rest of the U.S., or in Canada.
David Zuckerman, an organic farmer and Vermont state senator who pushed for the law, said people in his state want to know where their food comes from. The new law will allow them to decide whether or not they want to buy GMO foods.
"With a labelled product, consumers can make that decision," Zuckerman said.
Kudos to Vermont! It would be great if other states and countries would follow suit. However to be sure, the likes of Monsanto and the food conglomerates will oppose such moves solely on the basis that labelling GMO's might interfere with their profits. Of course they won't tell consumers that. Here is another related article.
food & water watch — You’ve heard the controversy about genetically engineered foods (GMOs) and whether they’re safe to eat (and the question of safety is nowhere near settled, despite what the companies that create GMOs would like you to think). But the rest of the story about GMOs is far more complex: for biotech companies, the real purpose of GMOs is power and control over the food supply, and ultimately it’s about profits. The undeniable fact is that GMOs are bad for our environment, our food system, and the people in it.
You can help: tell your members of Congress that you support labeling of GMO foods.
Here are five reasons why everyone should be concerned about genetically engineered foods:
4. GMOs and organics can’t coexist
Trying to keep a farm GMO-free is harder than you might think. Some GMOs don’t stay put where they’re planted. It’s quite common for them to contaminate neighboring farms, or even farms many miles away when pollen from GMO crops drifts on the wind. Seed supplies can be contaminated with GMOs, too. In 2013, an Oregon farmer found GMO wheat in his field – an unapproved crop that hasn’t been field tested since 2005. This is a serious problem for organic farmers, who are not allowed to use GMOs.
Check out the other four points. It should be up to consumers to decide if they are willing to ingest GMO foods, not companies whose sole focus is profit and power.
My Universe —
Trying to get rid of the dawg smell!
Keep your moneygrubbing paws off my stash!
And lastly, the cuteness overload!
10 Responses to “Squatch’s Open Thread — 01/07/2016”
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Thanks for a nice bit of Canadian history, Lynn. I wonder if a nice clean divorce from the mother land rather than a bloody revolt is what led to the differences between America and Canada. Or perhaps it's because Canada's independence came so much later than America's and Britain's influence remained stronger for much longer? Anyway, Canada has done very well after breaking the ties and uniting as one country, even though the suggestion of splitting up again along the language "border" keeps coming up every now and again 😉 So congrats on your 149th birthday, Canada. And looking forward to next year's party.
CBC: "This is who we are. This is what we believe in. This is Canada!" Canada can be very proud of itself. For me it's a showcase to the world of how refugees, who were forced to flee their land, should be made welcome and given a chance to build a new life. But I also liked the addition of a First Nation ceremony to the official protocol, because Canada not only has to welcome new citizens, but has to make amends to how it treated, or rather mistreatred, its indigenous people in the past.
FP: I'm sure I'd never call the IOC " famously apolitical" as the article did, but I think the idea of putting a team together of 10 refugee-athletes from Syria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia is brilliant and so inspiring. I was put off watching the Olympic games years ago when hosting countries started to use the games for political reasons and when commercialism had completely taken over and it had become all about money, like most everything else. But I might watch when these 10 refugees compete in their particular sport, rooting for them though I only know one of them now and only for a little.
CBC and F&WW: Kudos to Vermont for finally making the food industry label GMO ingredients in their products. May many other states AND Canada follow soon. I've never understood why so many Americans are so averse to gun control because they deem it an infringement on their rights, but accept that companies like Monsanto infringe on their right to decide if they want to buy and consume GMO food or not. Must be because the NRA and GMO lobbies are both very powerful and people just accept that.
My Universe: Don't come across that very often: a kitty with cash. Thanks for these three cuties, Lynn.
When I heard PM Trudeau say "This is who we are. This is what we believe in. This is Canada!" with such enthusiasm, I became weepy eyed. This is the country that I envisioned, not that which Harper dragged us into. I love the country that was involved in UN peacekeeping missions like Cyprus, like Rwanda. I love the country that takes in refugees and was involved in the Vietnamese boat people refugee process in my church back in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Great post, Lynn, thank you for the information, and videos.
My Universe: Adorable!
I could not see the first video, but saw the UNHRC's, and signed their petition; wnated to do so as Canadian, but, alas! I will watch Yiech Pur Biele, and cheer him and his team mates on, during the Olympics. I am impressed by that commitee's action!!
I signed the "Food and Water Watch" petition, as well, thanks Lynn.
Cute kitties!
How unfortunate that you could not view the CBC News video. The reaction of this Syrian family to their first Canada Day is very moving, especially the 11 year old girl. Their reaction to the Canadian Air Force fly over was moving — no bombs as they were accustomed.
I hope your Canada Day was wonderful!
CBC – It is so good to see refugees welcomed. It kind of explains why so many who talk about leaving the US as it becomes more fascist cite Canada as a destination (well, except for the 6,000 or so geographically – and politically – challenged who cite Alaska). There are a lot of us who don't want to be surrounded by hate.
Foreign Policy – So nice to see the IOC do something right. I won't start listing all the stuff they have been doing wrong.
CBC II – A vote is scheduled for July 6 on the Roberts/Stabenow bill, which may be the DARKest DARK Act ever proposed. In other words, we now have only 4 days to save 20 years of work. If this bill passes both houses, Vermont's law will be dead in the water. Signatures are still being taken here http://www.gmofreeusa.org/take-action/senate-stop-the-dark-act/ , but there are a number of Senators who voted to limit the debate last week where we have a good chance of convincing them to vote no on the bill. They are: (Republicans voting yes) Ayotte NH, Collins ME, Heller NV, Lee UT (Democrats voting yes) Baldwin WI, Bennet CO, Brown OH, Carper DE, Coons DE, Casey PA, Feinstein CA, King ME, Nelson FL, Shaheen NH (didn't vote on cloture) Durbin D-IL, Manchin D-WV, Warner D-VA (on the fence) Menendez D-NJ. Here's a sample phone script if you are able to call: "I’m calling because I’m outraged by the proposal under the Roberts/Stabenow bill to overturn Vermont’s GMO labeling law. Preempting the democratically decided laws of Vermont and four other states based on this poorly written, discriminatory and ineffective legislation would be a travesty. This is the first ever labeling law that discriminates against the poor, the elderly and rural residents. The bill is so badly written that the FDA issued a report on all the problems. The FDA says it “may be difficult” for ANY GMO food to qualify for labeling under this bill. The FDA also points out numerous instances of poor and vague drafting in the bill that would cause significant confusion in the marketplace and notes a number of areas where the proposed bill conflicts with the FDA’s own regulations. The FDA critique makes it very clear that this is really a non-labeling bill disguised as a labeling bill. At the very least this bill needs significant revision and should be voted down. I urge you to vote NO on the Roberts bill. I will remember your vote when you come up for re-election." Sorry to be a Debbie Downer but I don't want to wait until it is really too late.
Universe – Adorable! Agree, Lona, it's unusual to see a cat with money, but since everything they see belongs to them, if they do get their paws on some, they will guard it as jealously as if it were tuna. Or catnip.
Thanks for the petition JD. Signed
Loved the CUTIES, Lightened my day. Thank God for other species..Mine are all snoozing right now.
Happy Canada Day, a day late. I wish the US would come together and start acting like the "Christian" nation they purport it to be. The shortest verse in the New Testament is "Jesus wept". I am sure if he is looking here, he is weeping all the time.
Foreign Policy: I think this is wonderful, that these atheletes will have the opportunity to be in the Olympics even thought they are displaced.
CBC: I get mail from Food and Water Watch and have signed numerous petitions against gmo's, Monsanto, etc, and for food labeling. The Republicans are going to pass the DARK act, they do not care what their constituents think.
My Universe: Loved all three of these.
I checked the news to see if there was a vote taken today on the DARK Act, but so far nothing. It is a bunch of crap . . . all the GMOs
Thanks everyone!