Canada’s Plural Culture

Tim Hortons makes damn good coffee, as my girlfriend and I discovered this summer in Calgary. They also produce some of the goofiest, sappiest ads I have ever seen. In one, a teenager enthralls his parents with the story of how his Tim Horton’s travel-mug enabled him to make oodles of friends while touring Europe. In a heart-rending conclusion, made all the more difficult to see through tear-soaked eyes, his letter ends with, “And Dad, don’t forget to get me my double-double before you come to pick me up at the airport.” [A double-double, for the uninitiated, is a cup of coffee with two creams and sugars each.] A billboard reads, “True Patriotism” above a cup of black Tim Horton’s coffee.

Tim Horton’s, it would seem, is now attaching itself to the corporate advertisement strategy of Molson Canadian. Both now appeal in their ads to an erstwhile pan-Canadian nationalism; a joyous dream of bureaucrats and federal Liberals, a profound puzzlement for any Canadian living outside the Golden Horseshoe. Why do you drink Molson beer, you early-20s hipster? “Because, I am Canadian!” Why are you now (presumably the next morning) drinking a double-double out of a Big Tim mug? “Because, I’m showing true patriotism!”

All of this breast-beating about being Canadian and what it is that Canadians do necessarily means that a pan-Canadian culture actually does exist. But of course such a mythical creature does not exist. Canada is a plural country, divided in its culture across regional lines. I have known this for some time, but only upon returning to Vancouver and heading out to get a coffee did I realize the extent of it. Sarahbellum has done a magnificent job of outlining regional coffee divergence in Canada. Some excerpts:
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Ontario government looks to outlaw pitbull ownership

In the wake of another pitbull attack, the Ontario attorney general has begun informal consultations on solutions to the alleged problem of private pitbull ownership, including a province-wide ban.

Just in case Ontarian drones have not learnt their lesson yet, the message is clear: government meddling is good for you. If there’s a problem, don’t worry, we’ll just expand the dominion of government to “solve” it.

I have an alternative solution. When someone is attacked by a pitbull, let them sue the owner for punitive damages. Once pitbull owners are looking at million-dollar lawsuits we will see the incidence of pitbull ownership decrease sharply, as if by magic for those who aren’t familiar with the free market. It is quite a radical solution, because it hinges on property rights and personal freedom rather than statist neo-totalitarianism, so I’m sure the government won’t be interested.

Ontario considering ban on pit bulls

Ontario’s attorney general wants a provincial solution to vicious pit bull attacks by year’s end and said Tuesday he’s started informal consultations to find out what to do with the animals.

“It’s time to have a provincewide debate about whether or not there’s any place in Ontario for pit bulls,” Michael Bryant said in an interview.

Ontario has more power troubles in store

Apparently, the Pickering power station I mentioned before is running into problems. All four reactors have problems with pressure tubes which will necessitate their being taken out of service this year, rather than in three years time. The reactors contribute about 10% of Ontario’s peak demand.

Ontario’s real challenge is state-run business. Everywhere this has been tried, it has been a travesty. The problem now is that the government has created such a huge mess out of the power industry that it now represents a liability rather than an opportunity to the free market.

Ontario faces electricity ‘challenge’

Ontario residents face a new squeeze on their electricity resources because of problems at the Pickering B nuclear generating plant, one of the major sources of electricity in the province.

Kerry Daughters Get Boos and Cooper Speaks Out

And you thought MTV viewers were a bunch of “Bush Haters,” well it appears that might not be the case,

From the moment Alexandra and Vanessa [Kerry] started speaking, the boos outweighed anything close to cheers,” according to the Drudge Report.

Another website, juiceenewsdaily.com stated: “At one point one of the daughters even held her finger to her mouth in an effort to ’shush’ the rowdy crowd. The boos only grew louder when the daughters suggested that the best choice for a president in this year’s election should be their father.”

In an equally entertaining moment, Alice Cooper weighs in with his opinion on rockers lending support to politicians,

“If you’re listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you’re a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we’re morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal.”

“Besides,” he continued, “when I read the list of people who are supporting Kerry, if I wasn’t already a Bush supporter, I would have immediately switched. Linda Ronstadt? Don Henley? Geez, that’s a good reason right there to vote for Bush.”

International Olympic Committee to Canada: more government funds for sport

IOC President Jacques Rogge said that he would visit Canada to lobby the government for increased spending on sports before 2010, in response to the disappointing performance of Canadian athletes.

As if the Canadian government needs any more excuses to waste other people’s money. Next up: the sacrifice of our economic well-being to a vainglorious athletic wild goose chase. The medals should be made of pyrite.

‘The world discovered a new Greece’

As the Olympic Games came to a close yesterday with a spectacular and joyous ceremony but a disappointing finish for Canada, the head of the International Olympic Committee pledged to visit Canada to urge governments to increase funding for sport.

McGuinty still enthusiastic for photo radar

No surprises that the Ontario Liberal government is still very enthusiastic about yet another way to shake-down innocent citizens for cash. That’s all photo radar amounts to.

Speed limits are nothing more than hidden taxes. There is no moral or ethical imperative behind a speed limit, nor is it a true expedient to saving human life. If life was truly priceless, we wouldn’t drive at all - enough people are still killed on the roads even with the limits we have. The speed limit is a decree by the government to the effect of “thou shalt drive at 50kph or less, because we said so” and should you violate this decree, your rightful property will be expropriated from you by government agents.

Ontario reconsiders photo radar

Premier Dalton McGuinty refused to rule out the return of photo radar to Ontario highways Wednesday, prompting his old nemesis Mike Harris to call the electronic surveillance “nothing but a cash grab.”

One day after giving towns and cities the right to install traffic cameras at local intersections, McGuinty said he would also consider letting them use photo radar to help reduce speeding on city streets.

Goodbye John Kerry: No Contest Election

It may be raving but it certainly is accurate. Varifrank tells it the way it is about John Kerry

Farewell John Kerry!

Let’s take a look at the score so far. Kerry, who decided for some reason beyond the comprehension of a simpleton like me, has decided that the most important thing to run his campaign on is 4 months of service in Vietnam 35 years ago.

Here you are, with a 15% polling tailwind from the press reduced to Michael Moore street theatre with Max Cleland doing your dirty work in front of the cameras.

There is no President in modern memory who is so universally hated than George W. Bush, and yet, you’ve never polled outside of the margin of error. Now, the polls are going against you, and by my measurement, its going to get worse, not better from here. Bush is a marathon runner and you are a country club golf cart riding, two caddy golfer. As long as you continue to bring your B game to an A game park, you and your party are going to look fools. At some point, you will begin to see you allies in your party and the press make you the pinata at this party. They will not take the heat for your loss, they will tie a can around your neck and toss you out into the exercise yard for the guards to shoot at. Everyone loves a winner, but no one can stand a loser.

My sentiments exactly.

Parrish Calls Americans Idiots

Carolyn Parrish is at it again, she’s bound and determined to make her voice heard when it comes to our neighbors to the south. The only problem is, she’s got nothing but anti-American vitriol to spew,

Outspoken Canadian Legislator Calls U.S. ‘Idiots’

Canadian Member of Parliament Carolyn Parrish had said she hated “damned Americans” and called them bastards in the run-up to the Iraq war. She found a new moniker, idiots, on Wednesday in discussing the planned U.S. missile defense system.

“We are not joining the coalition of the idiots. We are joining the coalition of the wise,” the Liberal legislator told a small group of demonstrators.

Parrish then begged reporters not to use the remarks: “Please guys don’t put that on tape,” she said. “I already got into trouble once…. Really, please, I’ve had enough trouble.”

That last part is about as pathetic as her previous statements about Americans. If Prime Minister Paul Martin, and Canadians, are actually serious about mending the tattered and abused relations between Canada and the United States, then we should accept nothing less than her resignation.

Alberta: More Money Than Brains?

With oil edging closer to the $50 a barrel mark, commentators, politicians and economists are busy speculating the potential windfall for the Alberta government.

‘Obscene’ oil revenue predicted for Alberta

“The revised revenue forecast will be in excess of $8 billion,” Smith said of a provincial update expected by month-end, adding a $5-billion surplus “is not impossible.”

More importantly, significantly higher long-term prices set the stage for Alberta to have resource revenue as high as $13.5 billion a year from oil alone, as oilsands developments reach so-called pay-out status, whereby royalties rise to 25 per cent of net revenue from one per cent of gross.

It will be interesting to see how the Alberta government manages itself in this post-debt era of high resource revenues. I think some would argue that the true test of a government isn’t whether they can balance a budget or sustain positive economic growth - although some provinces who’ve had difficulty doing both may argue otherwise - but rather how you perform after you’ve managed to slay the debt and you suddenly find the government coffers in surplus. Arguing for fiscal restraint in the face of massive deficits and economic collapse is in many ways far easier than arguing for fiscal restraint in the face of massive surpluses and economic prosperity.

The real worry for Albertans is the government not heeding the advice of the fiscal conservatives and will go on a spending spree not seen since the Lougheed days. Premier Lougheed, spurred by the enormous surpluses of the late 70’s OPEC crisis, spent and spent till there was nothing left except a blotted bureaucracy, a massive debt, and hospital in every community that bothered to ask for one.

The urge to spend will be enormous, but individual prosperity will only be achieved through equitable tax breaks and increased investment in sustainable infrastructure.

Toronto homeless: Gimme, gimme, gimme

A group of 20 homeless people living under a bridge in Toronto are demanding regular garbage pickup and a portable toilet, at taxpayer expense. Apparently, these people feel that by merely gracing Toronto with their presence they are entitled to free services. Joe Dale, the 18-year-old self-proclaimed Mayor of Shantytown, says that “this is our home and we’re taking a stand … We are as much part of this city as anybody else. We have as much right to be respected.”

Of course, they aren’t as much part of this city as anybody else. “Anybody else” generally pays taxes and contributes to the city, rather than leeching off it like a parasite.

Well, I find that regular garbage pickup and toilets usually come with these new-fangled things called “houses” and “apartments.” Sure, these houses and apartments cost what we call “money”, but that’s OK, because when you enter this institution called “work” you get given “money” to pay for your “house” where you will find your toilet and garbage pick-up - when you are prepared to earn it, like the rest of us.

I also dislike the use of the word “homeless.” We used to have a far better word for these people: “bums.” Funnily enough, whenever “homeless” people commit crimes, which they do frequently, they suddenly become “transients” and “drifters.” Credit must go to Thomas Sowell for raising that point, but it deserves to be repeated. Language manipulation has become an insidious tool of social engineers.

Homeless chutzpah

There was a time, not that long ago, when people believed they should earn their privileges. No more, it seems. At least, no more among a special class of people — some specific youth, and leftists in general — who believe they are entitled to dip into the general taxpayer’s pockets because, well, because they’re entitled to.

Take the case of a rag-tag group of about 20 young people squatting on public lands under a busy bridge not far from Toronto’s celebrated SkyDome, for example.

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