Passion Power

I have always been interested in social issues.  However, everything is upside down. After enduring a long lasting pandemic, the war in Ukraine is now weighing heavily on people’s hearts.  Addiction and poverty are crippling so many people.  Alcohol deaths and suicide rates are up.   As my interests’ meander in the world I see many markers of a society in peril. We have lost trust in our institutions. I see a lack of appreciation for the progress that’s been made regarding bigotry and racism in Canada. I don’t think an honest person can stand before you today and debate that a gay person or a black or brown person is worse off today than they were three or even four decades ago, yet we have a media culture and government obsessed on it. The virtuous trilogy of diversity, equity and inclusion insist that meritocracy should not and cannot exist because of our racist and discriminating past.   I see a society fixated on gender and race.    May...

Companies are doing a great job rebranding corporate greed as “inflation”.   Take Starbucks for example that says they are forced to raise prices due to inflation and supply chain issues and yet profits went up 31% and they gave their CEO a 39% raise to $20.4 million. A corporation’s sole purpose today is to make money. Never has that fact been more evident than in the grocery business.   I don’t have a problem with the Loblaw executive chairman Galen G. Weston making $4 million dollars a year, but I do have a problem with food going green on my counter and being forced to purchase multiple food items to get a sale price. The same Loblaws that has total assets amounting to $36 Billion and cancelled it’s $2-per-hour pandemic bonuses for frontline staff in stores and warehouses. When I asked the local store owner about these nefarious “multi-sales” he says they are profitable but not popular. He could lose his franchise if he doesn’t follow the rules.   So now we h...

I’m old enough to remember when it was considered impolite to discuss religion, politics, or money outside your home.  Then social media came along and gave everyone a voice.  It’s a new era to navigate.  As my mother-in-law would say, this is not our world anymore.  And while there are trolls being paid to create chaos and discourse on the internet by gaslighting people that take social media seriously not all internet storms are bad.  Twitter has brought public awareness and scrutiny on the ruling class and all their questionable ethics. Take the Ontario conservative long term care minister, Merrilee Fullerton, who dropped the ball in long term care homes is now working with vulnerable children and families as the Ontario minister of family and children services. See what I mean.  The former Canadian conservative Health minister Rona Ambrose now sits on the board of Juul owned by a tobacco corporation, an industry that floods our healthcare system with ch...

It is the little thing that I will miss the most about my Mother.  The Matriarch, the Grandmother, Mom. Thinking that I haven't even thought of yet.  How do you say goodbye to the woman who gave you your life?  I look at the empty chair across from me in the food court. Tears flow, sadness and memories of joy set in.  Mom was there from day one and became my friend without me even realizing it.   She poured her love onto others and was always a soft place to land if you were having a rough day.   Mom fed everyone including the birds.   Even at 87 years old we still ate at her table on a very regular basis. She had more energy than all of us put together.   She raised four of us and if that wasn’t enough, she had her cub pack, choir practice and church. She looked after our grandparents and had part time jobs and a vegetable garden and played euchre with her friends every two weeks for decades. She taught through her example to make the be...

The US reached a stark milestone this month of 100,000 people dying of drug overdoses in one year. That is 275 overdose deaths every day.   In Canada, 20 people die every day from overdose. It is considered immoral in some circles to demand anything from an addict which helps not the addict or the city.   In Michael Shellenberger’s book, San Fransicko, why progressives ruin cities he writes that calling the problem homelessness rather than open air drug scenes you neglect the fundamental problem which is lack of a system and planned strategy for helping people off the streets. The homeless have a life on the streets high on meth, shooting heroine and smoking fentanyl.   No one can coerce them into getting treatment because they don’t want treatment and public intoxication isn’t a crime anymore because they don’t want addicts in jail.   Public officials are finding out quickly that ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away. Shelters have rules and cities shou...

The labour movement has ignited and for the first time in a long time the balance of power has shifted. It’s the great reset and one that I support. Years ago, companies and workers were cooperative alliances. The almighty dollar wasn’t the most important thing. Now it’s dog-eat-dog and every man for himself.  Most working-class people are just trying to put food on the table for their families and sock some away for the future.  Can I do better is not a bad question to ask and in a tight labour market now is the time.   There is burn-out among healthcare and frontline workers, essential workers, and food services and retail.    The pandemic has created a whole host of issues; supply chain disruptions, backs logs and labour shortages to name a few.    Corporations are demanding extra time and effort, something people aren’t necessarily heartened to give. Companies need to sweeten the pie if they wish to keep their employees. The game is stille...

With genuine curiosity I had to google why the Bloc Quebecois leader, Yves-Francois Blanchet was at the federate debate on September 10 th .  He has no intention or desire to be Prime Minister of Canada. I doubt Mr. Blanchet has any interest in unifying Canada and said as much in the debate. I found information on the Meech Lake Accord agreement and understand how and why the Bloc got official party status in 1991. It’s an insult to our democracy to have Mr. Blanchet at the federal debate as he represents one province.   We really don’t need more of what’s good for Quebec.   We need more of what’s good for Canada. Am I the only one?   We must work together across all regions to restore our democracy and unify the country. Candidates at a federal debate should presumably be willing to represent all Canadians.   The last thing Canada needs is self-serving federal leaders speaking on behalf of one province.     Why were people apologetic to Mr. Bl...