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Monday, November 28, 2005

Alan Hill for Halifax West

The Halifax West NDP Riding Association will be holding a nomination meeting on 4 December 2005. The meeting will take place at the Rockingham United Church Hall - 12 Flamingo Drive from 7-9PMRunning for the Nomination is ALAN HILL

Yay Alan!

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Rural left to Rot

I hate Petro-Can.
I also hate Scotia Bank and Irving.
But mostly, I hate Petro-Can.

I've been trying to articulate why exactly for a week or so now. But it's difficult. My reasoning is in part quite personal, and my inability to articulate my argument leaves me feeling particularly vulnerable to criticism I probably won't handle very well or very maturely.
...I guess that's sort of a disclaimer.
Now you know.

We had two gas stations last winter in my hometown of Canning, and soon we'll have none.
The two stations co-existed in the small town for nearly 35 years.
I wasn't surprised that Irving decided to remove their pumps last year.
I'm willing to acknowledge that two gas stations was probably more than the town could handle given the ridiculous price of gas. And most people favoured Petro-Can as it was.
But now, Petro-Can has also decided to remove their pumps.



Dear Mr. Cruikshank (and all you Canning goobers) ,

Thanks for spending the extra money for so many years to cover your rural delivery cost. We realise you probably thought it would help ensure your gas station would stay in Canning, but frankly, we like big and you're small.

-Petro-Canada

Crap, there I go being immature.

Seriously though, I understand energy is a complicated issue. I really do. I don't pretend to know the first thing about big business or economy. But I do know that (I start swinging from banisters when I read this) this is an unfair statement:




Petro-Canada
Investing in Communities
Our Country, Our Future

Our Social Vision
Being a successful company means more than generating profit. Making a difference in the communities where we live and work is also important to us. Our social vision focuses on the development of talent, expertise and innovation through education. We also provide strong support to address fundamental community issues such as poverty, child hunger, family violence and homelessness.


and


Petro-Canada has played an active role in Canadian communities for 28 years. We know that we must continually earn Canadians' support, so we work hard to invest and participate in the communities where we operate and live across the country


The best way to address issues such as poverty, child hunger and homelesness isn't in writing a letter to a small town business owner underlining your desire to generate greater profits than his business is able to generate. It's not in abandoning a community where the economy primarily depends on incoming tourism and travel. And dear God knows its certainly isn't in removing the pumps in the middle of winter so that rural residents will have to travel 27 kms to get gasoline.
No.. the best way to address these issues is to show the community the same sort of loyalty it showed you. We didn't all fill up at the Co-Op a few towns over, even though at the time, with travel included, it would have saved us a few bucks. We didn't take our gas jugs to the city with us when we went and get an extra cheap fill. And we continued to recommend that our tourists fill up in Canning instead of in Windsor, although really... they had plenty of gas to make it.



Canning was also without a bank a few years back. Scotia-Bank sent a similar letter to its Canning branch informing them of their desire to relocate to a bigger town.. New Minas (yee-haw) . The bank and its machines were gone in a few months.
Fortunately the Village Commission approached the Credit-Union which was more than willing to support a small town such as Canning. (And Mrs. Newcomb could continue with her routine)

My hope is we'll be able to make similar arrangements with a gas company... although my family has called me naive.

I don't know what else there is to say, except thanks to Frank Corbett for at least mentioning it.

HALIFAX, THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2005

Fifty-ninth General Assembly


MR. CORBETT: But, Mr. Speaker, since I'm not getting the straight
goods from that minister, I'm going to go right to the Premier. Mr. Ken
Cruickshank in Canning, owner of Canning Motors, has been told by his
supplier, PetroCan, that as of December this year, they will not supply him
with petroleum products anymore. He's going out of business, as people in
Inverness County have, in Pictou County, and now we see retailers in threat
in places like Canso. Mr. Premier, why are you sitting by, seeing consumers
hurt by this and retailers hurt by this? Why don't you do the right thing,
do what your own backbencher said, bring in price regulation?



Petro-Can = Bad
Canning = Pain
Frank = Good
Media = Bored
Price Regulation = Logical
Amanda = Sad-Crazy-Angry

Thursday, November 17, 2005

As the saying goes, I suppose

Last night I had a peculiar dream that Mr.Huskilson and Mr. Sobey(Rob?)were dragging a dead horse down the sidewalk of Barrington street.

I expect this is in part due to the recent (horrible) accident involving my neighbors horse back home, as well as listening to CTV while falling asleep.

And while I woke up partly horrified I was also slightly amused at myself for being so unknowingly clever...

Friday, November 11, 2005

Two minutes of Silence (and I think)

To my Grampy (Chief Warrant Officer Woodworth) for 33 years served including a NATO tour in Germany,

To my Father (M. Corporal Woodworth) for 20 years served and peacekeeping tours in Cyprus and Golan Heights,

To my Uncle (Lieutenant-Colonel Woodworth, 1st Commanding Officer of the CER) for tours in Cambodia and Afghanistan,

To my Cousin Marty (Sargent Steeves) for peacekeeping tours in Bosnia and Afghanistan and with best wishes on your CFB Suffield posting,

To my Great Uncle (Gunner Kynock) for his time in the Alonquin Regiment (and later the 3rd Batallion of the Canadian Guards) and the Bombadier Artillery.

To my Great Grampy who served in the West Novies and was killed in Italy during WWII,

To my good friend Dominique who is currently serving in CFB Coldlake,

And to all the men and women who have served time in the Canadian Forces,

Thank You.

Grampy

The Canadian Guards
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
1 Combat Engineer Regiment
West Nova Scotia Regiment
441 Squadron

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

No checkmate But still a good move

It's like watching a game of chess, you expect the next move to be dramatic and risky but instead it just makes so much sense.

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Thoughts from the Left

Just wanted to point out the addition of NDP policy wonk and mathematician Alan Hill's blog. :)
This comes after a fantastic evening with John Dunsworth, the federal and provincial YND, and a few politically charged movies.
Cheers to all and yay for conventions.

Friday, November 04, 2005

I shouldn't be surprised


The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to reject a final attempt to protect Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling.


Bastards.

If it weren't for this
you'd have ruined my day

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Kimberly Clark called on Kleercutting

Nearly 200 different actions, events and demonstrations against Kimberly-Clark are occurring right now across Canada and the USA as part of the International Day of Action to Save the Boreal Forest.

Today's "day of action" prompted me to investigate (Like I'm a detective or something) paper companies forestry practices within Canada, although I quickly discovered this was no an easy endeavor.The truth about Kimberly-Clark's practices and the affects their manufacturing is having on the Boreal forest is difficult to find amongst the overwhelming propaganda from both the company and environmental lobbyists. There is still much uncertainty about what forestry practices are in fact environmentally friendly and what does indeed go on and I doubt I've barely even touched the issues as of yet. Of course, I'll continue to try and make some sense of it.


Kleenex, one of the most popular brands of tissue products in the world,
contributes to the destruction of ancient forests. Its manufacturer, the
Kimberly-Clark corporation, has been unwilling to improve its practices,
continuing to rely on paper and pulp made from clearcut ancient forest
including North America's Boreal forest. Kimberly-Clark clears these ancient
forests, essential in fighting climate change and providing home to wildlife
like caribou, wolves, eagles and bears,into products that are flushed down
the toilet or thrown away. -Greenpeace

KLEENEX Facial Tissue is made from 100 per cent virgin fibre and contains no recycled fibre. Virgin fibre is used in our tissue because it provides the superior
softness consumers expect from a premium facial tissue product. -Kleenex Website


Since less than 19 per cent of the pulp Kimberly-Clark uses for its disposable tissue products (toilet paper, facial tissue, napkins and paper towels) comes from recycled sources, I can't help but feel as though Greenpeace and the NRDC are quite justified to ask that K-C immediately stop purchasing virgin fibre from endangered forests.
As well as:


  • Drastically increase the amount of recycled fibre that they use for all their tissue products including Kleenex brand toilet paper, facial tissue and napkins
  • Only buy virgin fibre from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) eco-certified forests. The FSC is the only guarantee that forests are managed sustainably.



Of course this dosen't apply just to K.C. In fact all of the major pulp and paper manufacturers that I was able to find (primarily within the Maritimes) use similarily little amounts of recycled fibre. Companies such as J.D. Irving, President's Choice and Neenah Paper.

In fact, looking at the J.D. Irving company, it has been praised and simultaneously under fire for its forestry practices for many years now.

The company owns 3.5 million acres (1.4 million hectares) of timberland in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Maine. It manages 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of publicly-owned Crown land in the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

J.D. Irving has been noted for its reforestation and sustainable forestry practice primarily by the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests.

From 1957 to 1999, Irving planted 500 million trees. Each year, staff plant more than 10 million provincial seedlings on Crown land. On the company's private land, they annually plant 15 to 20 million softwood seedlings, using seed grown in company nurseries. Since 1980, foresters at the company nursery in Sussex have been developing seed sources that improve the trees' economic traits, including growth rate, straightness and disease resistance, while maintaining their genetic diversity.

And while tree planting is an admirable practice, it is important to note that the trees being planted are seedlings and are not equal to the 120 year old trees that are being clearcut. Because wildlife are dependent upon old growth forest ecosystems for nesting and/or foraging habitat, it is necessary to protect extensive areas of intact old-growth forests. Destructive business practices leave behind a barren landsacpe that no longer supports wildlife species.

75% of
old growth forests are left unprotected from logging and other forms of development.
Admittedly operations are more precisely planned and more mechanized, with fewer people in the woods. Forest workers are leaving a softer footprint on the land they harvest.


J.D. Irving, Limited is responsible for sustainable management and stewardship
of two New Brunswick Crown Licenses as well as our own company's freehold. We
manage these forest lands for the renewable growth of wood, water quality and
fish habitat, as well as wildlife habitat, and biodiversity. We do this with
input from science based environmental groups and scientists who specialize in
research about the Acadian forest ecosystem. Every year our environmental
performance on the ground is evaluated by third party scientists based on more
than 75 key criteria. Learning to improve our forest management means we also
invest about two million dollars in ecosystem research.


However, in the eyes of many other environmental organisations this is not enough. A quick glance at the Greenpeace Shopper's Guide and it does not take long to discover that Irving's Majesta and Royale brand products are still deemed non-forest friendly.

All of this is to say, I suppose, that days such as this are important reminders to consider what sorts of practices companies are engaging in and if we truly feel they are appropriate and environmentally responsible.