Election Primer for my American friends!

Rick,

Always nice to hear from , what Ed Sullivan (well before your time) referred to as "all you youngsters out there". 

I'm afraid that I'm still watching the old fogies sport of curling.

Actually got up at 5:00 yesterday to watch.

Of course us country folk are early risers anyway.

Canada won silver today, in the unlikely event that you run into some Canadian seniors in Florida, you can now have a conversation piece.

Hope you enjoy a youth full, manly day on the golf course.

Perhaps there is also a paint ball, or off road dirt bike spot nearby, as I understand you young people like those as well.

Up here in the great frozen tundra, we are having an election.

I doubt if you spend enough time here to know how that works so I will try to explain in American terms.

First of all we have a Parliament.

I won't bore you as to how it works, as President, er..., Prime Minister (PM) Harper says, it doesn't work anyway.

Think of it like the House of Representatives, except that President Harper is there.

It would be as if your president sat in the House, but, and here is the big difference, had no accountability to it.

April 3rd Toronto Sun

We also have a Senate, but we don't elect them, they are appointed for life, sort of like union guys with lots of seniority.

Anyway, although we, like you, have fixed terms, we think its more fun to have an election every two years or so, usually in summer, as we have few summer sports.

We have 5 political parties, yes three more than you, unless you count Sarah Palin's "Don't retreat,  RELOAD!"  Alaskans as another party, or species.

The Conservatives are like southern democrats.

Photo: courtesy Anna
of Nepean-Carleton

The Liberals are like California democrats.

The NDP and Greens have no USA equivalent and would be illegal in 27 states.

The Bloc Quebecois is a best explained this way.

Suppose that in 1865 after General Lee surrendered, Lincoln decide to leave the Confederacy intact, and that a hundred and forty six years later, southern secessionists were still being elected to congress.

(I don't see why people think Canadians are boring).

Well there you are. In early May, we will hitch up the dog sleds and head to the polls, except in the odd place where the ice bridges have melted.

Well that's all for now. Cheers from us up north in Perth!

 

No, I did not write the above item. Hubby, ever the spewing font of information, decided to help our of Canadian snowbird friend, Rick, explain the principles of Canadian politics to their winter friends.

We old fogies keep in touch with modern technology. The myth is that we are too busy leaning on our canes to understand technology. Fact is, many of us are having a blast. This election has provided many opportunities for a laugh. Our PM won't debate, the opposition leader wants to... one-on-won. Oopsie, Freudian slip.
Ignatieff accepts Rick Mercer debate offer
Media consortium won't allow the only female party leader, Elizabeth May, debate in the televised debate, despite a fine showing last time, and nearly a million votes. They claim it is because she doesn't have a seat in parliament. Sets back the women's movement 40 years. 

Elizabeth May blocked from TV Debates

We can't vote for the BLOC leader, either. But he still gets national air time. Lots of fodder for people like Rick Mercer!

Rick Mercer, Ice Pilots, Buffalo Air

I like travelling, while staying close to home!
I liked to watch Ice Road Truckers while working out. Then came Ice Pilots.
Now, I would never complain about the weather. Especially, not having yard duty anymore!

Every time I go into a public place people complain, maybe it is the only mutually agreed upon topic of conversation, with politics putting people at odds. Watching this show, as these men and women dig these huge airplanes out of snowbanks, facing -40 temperatures, I shudder. You can spit and it'll freeze before it hits the ground!

Well, good old Rick Mercer visited these guys. He's a trooper, old Ricko. He has the funniest tweets, much of the time. Hitting 40 some of his humour is juvenile to this 50+ blogger, but some of it is funny. He will do anything, apparently. Bungie jumping in a wheel chair, with Rick Hansen, for example. But he features some fantastic Canadians doing what they love to do.

Rick heads to Yellowknife, NWT to fly with the ice pilots of Buffalo Air. Buffalo Air is run  by a quirky, amazing man. Tough as nails, as they say. The language on Ice Pilots is often bleeped.
But, I suppose, when they do what they do, in incredible circumstances, I cannot imagine the life.

Cheez Whiz was selling for $29.39 at the Northern Store in Arctic Bay, Nunavut, this month, after the federal government began phasing out subsidies for hundreds of grocery products. A new program, called Nutrition North, will focus on making healthy and perishable food more affordable in the Arctic. (Submitted by Ron Elliott)

Read more about the cost of groceries here!

Blame retailers for high Arctic food prices: Aglukkaq

Arctic communities choking on sky-high food prices‎
How privatization will make food less affordable in the North

But back to Ice Pilots! They are well worth the viewing, just to give us some perspective.

1:29

"Buffalo" Joe McBryan, President & Captain

Stubborn, unconventional and unpredictable, this northern aviator built his airline with the world's most unique fleet of WWII aircraft. Joe can ...

by IcePilotsNWT 

Bala Cranberry Festival 2009

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can get to the biggest and best Bala Celebration in Muskoka.

Cranfest, 2008, was a busy year!

Those who know say that this had been the best weather and the best turnout ever for our Cranberry Festival (2008 photos); (2007 photos of the bog).

As the weeks get closer to the Cranberry Festival, Cran Gran in Charge (CGIC) sends out these little elves, Cran Elves, to various communities to let every one know that Cran Fest is approaching.

You can hear them in the window in the morning. These little guy zip around, letting people know, and reminding them to stop their busy city events and come to the country to celebrate the harvest. Now, compared to Christmas this is a low key thing, but it always fine to celebrate the end of one season and the beginning of another.

When we awoke in Ottawa, during our October trip visiting the family, we could hear them.

They were afraid that we might not be back in time.
They probably hitched a ride with us, just for fun.

Ottawans are not very familiar with Cran Fest, unless they travel with family it is a long 6- hour drive back to Muskoka.

For many, those who can take a day off of work after Thanksgiving, they can help celebrate the Autumn Solstice and batten down the cottage hatches to be ready for winter. They pull up boats and put on the boat coats.

People drop everything, and visit cottage country, no hockey, no curling, just a beautiful outdoor celebration of the arts and crafts, as well as the food, and other goods you can buy.

This is the highlight of the Bala year: the Cranberry Festival. We sold 18,000 admission buttons and tons of cranberries in 2008. The profits go to community support: scholarships and bursaries. A good time was had by all: the growers, artisans, visitors, even the motorcyclists who tried to jump the queue (check out the video)! You can take a bus out to the cranberry bog and see what that is like.

You can park at one end of town, and take the Bracebridge trolley and school busses that ferry people up and down the route. Y

ou just must walk, not drive through. With 18,000 last year, it is a slow drive or walk through town!

There are many of all ages who volunteer their time to assist in this fundraiser, and many who protest the entry fee, but they are good causes.

Great young people whom we love and respect.

Then there is the Cran Anne Contest! You know that Anne of Green Gables was written here during L.M. Montgomery's two-week stay in Bala. You have to visit the Bala Museum to see a reproduction of a house of the times. .Bala's L. M. Montgomery Museum

 The ambulance group had a display - Lord knows, what with the accidents and medical issues around here, we adore these folks!

I must go a prepare for the event. All of us in town volunteer, the Cran Elves are no where to be seen as they begin preparations. It is us to us peeps to do the work. The event is a lesson in volunteerism and coordination. All 3 churches organize volunteer lists. Many work hard, all the groups have a booth, or otherwise help out: Shriners, firefighters, etc.
There is a duck race, as a fund raiser, over the falls.

Hope to see you here!






Be sure to check out my earlier video: on dangerous driving, as motorcycles skip around town, ignoring traffic rules. Be careful with the little ones quite excited wandering the streets. Parents, hang on to your kids!

Rick Mercer was here in 2007. That was a hoot.

RMR: Rick and Cranberry Festival
	- 5 min - 25 Mar 2010 - Uploaded by MercerReport Rick gets in the bog. (originally aired: October 16, 2007)

MTM - Rick Mercer in Gravenhurst

For MTM aficionados, I post two videos. The first shows our famous Gravenhurst steamships.
The second is about Canada, for the US MTM readers - to give a better understanding of our fair country! (Tongue in cheek!)

Who could resist that funny man, Rick Mercer?! Gravenhurst is a couple of hours north of Toronto, a half hour south from our place. I go back in time, when the water was open and warm. We had a dinner cruise for our August Anniversary (our 6th!). A cute young thing picked up my husband - I am glad to share! But, here is the CBC Rick Mercer Report video- who knew you could wakeboard behind a steamship?




And just for fun, here Rick explains what Canada is all about. He is a hoot.