Working Hard to Safeguard Paddling Assets for All Canadians

All about Whitewater

All about Whitewater
A Blog about River Preservation and the need to protect our free flowing whitewater resources

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Federal court decision surprisingly calls a spade a spade

"The omnibus bills, C-38 and C-45, made a series of amendments to the Fisheries Act, Species at Risk Act, Navigable Waters Protection Act and Canadian Environmental Assessment Act among many others.
Under the old Navigable Waters Protection Act, any project affecting a waterway large enough to carry a canoe was subject to federal review. Under the new Navigation Protection Act, only the Athabasca and Peace rivers are protected in Mikisew Cree territory. Changes to the Fisheries Act mean the act now only protects fish, not fish habitat."

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/touch/story.html?id=10670742
  • There is a substantial rift within the ranks of the environmentalists at this point: the main issues:
     1. SLAAP suits againt environmentalist groups
  • 2. Canada Revenue Agency Audits of Non Profitable Group Status expenditures on policy based actions
  •   3. The government labeling environmental groups as Radical Environmentalists, or Extremist Environmental Groups
  • 4. The blatant disregard for fact based research/policy in formulating Harper Government policy
  • 5.The need to be perceived as cooperative while getting hosed.
    6. It has never been harder to be an environmentalist - these are dark days indeed.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Year end 2014 - predictions for the coming year "I've seen the future, and it is murder"

People will continue to get the government they deserve
Me

The rich will get richer the poor will get poorer
Me

Printing of money to pay their debts will destroy the economies of those governments that have chosen to do so.
Me

That sound you hear when drinking a milk shake with a straw and you hit bottom?  that is the sound of fracking. It is a sound of the future.
Me

Canada will be adversely affected by its decision to engage ISIS.
Me

Tar Sands company will go bankrupt in 2015.
Me

Petroleum industry suppliers willgo bankrupt in 2015.
Me





Current Events Forecast future trends
Gerald Celente

I don't know how the third world war will be fought, but the fourth will be with sticks and stones: Albert Einstein



You don't need to be a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing:
Bob Dyan



Leonard Cohen
"The Future"

Give me back my broken night 
my mirrored room, my secret life 
it's lonely here, 
there's no one left to torture 
Give me absolute control 
over every living soul 
And lie beside me, baby, 
that's an order! 
Give me crack and anal sex 
Take the only tree that's left 
and stuff it up the hole 
in your culture 
Give me back the Berlin wall 
give me Stalin and St Paul 
I've seen the future, brother: 
it is murder. 

Things are going to slide, slide in all directions 
Won't be nothing 
Nothing you can measure anymore 
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world 
has crossed the threshold 
and it has overturned 
the order of the soul 
When they said REPENT REPENT 
I wonder what they meant 
When they said REPENT REPENT 
I wonder what they meant 
When they said REPENT REPENT 
I wonder what they meant 

You don't know me from the wind 
you never will, you never did 
I'm the little jew 
who wrote the Bible 
I've seen the nations rise and fall 
I've heard their stories, heard them all 
but love's the only engine of survival 
Your servant here, he has been told 
to say it clear, to say it cold: 
It's over, it ain't going 
any further 
And now the wheels of heaven stop 
you feel the devil's riding crop 
Get ready for the future: 
it is murder 

Things are going to slide ... 

There'll be the breaking of the ancient 
western code 
Your private life will suddenly explode 
There'll be phantoms 
There'll be fires on the road 
and the white man dancing 
You'll see a woman 
hanging upside down 
her features covered by her fallen gown 
and all the lousy little poets 
coming round 
tryin' to sound like Charlie Manson 
and the white man dancin' 

Give me back the Berlin wall 
Give me Stalin and St Paul 
Give me Christ 
or give me Hiroshima 
Destroy another fetus now 
We don't like children anyhow 
I've seen the future, baby: 
it is murder 

Things are going to slide ... 

When they said REPENT REPENT ...

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Fascinating documentary on the origins of ISIS (the Independent State of Iraq and Syria)

To the victor go the spoils. History is written by the victorious. Where did ISIS come from and where is it going?
 

 What are we doing over there with our jets and soldiers? How does this impact our freedom and nation? As I understand it, the government is working with its NATO partners to reduce the "capabilities" of ISIS. My problem is that they were unsuccessful with their boots on the ground approach in IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN, so what makes the decision makers believe their "air only" approach will be effective?

More importantly is the development curve:

Americans under the WMD excuse depose Hussein - a SUNNI
Americans insert Malaki, an intolerant SHIA
SUNNI rebels flea to Syria and rebrand as ISSIS
ISSIS returns to IRAQ in force with extreme ruthlessness and tactical superiority

Oops.



Thursday, September 18, 2014

Crusades? Everything old is new again....

What is the struggle in Iraq and Syria about. Power, Glory, God: One thing is certain, the arguments used to support the US and its allies are applicable to the US and its allies, says Gerald Celente. Gerald is emphatic about his opinions and while I don't agree with everything he said, or the manner in which he says it, in general, I tend to agree that foreign entanglements will not help and could possibly hurt. But we may have reached a tipping point here. Hitler had to be stopped. Can the same be said about ISIS? Probably.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Gerald Celente on USA Watchdog raises the bar on insight into Israelis/Palestinian conflict

Gerald, the trends forecaster clearly states that if Lebanon gets involved: WW3 will ensue. Hezbollah defeated the Israelis that last time around.
This is about as lively a discussion as you can get, with most of the major points of argument covered.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Environmental Music: Saving the Environment: Envrionmental Consciousness: Pave Paradise - Feather Fur and FIN

Here is a collection of videos that have been done by various artists to crystalize their concerns about the environment, knowing, that words alone seldom have the impact of poetry or song to embed the human mind with consternation.

To start:.... Danny Michel: Feather Fur and Fin
The message: every little critter, feather fur and fin, she cried for everything, every piece of litter, every little sin




Joni Mitchel: the classic "They Paved Paradise" Big Yellow Taxi


The message:  "don't it always seem to go ... that you don't know what you've got... til its gone!"


The classic Eagles tune: the last resort Bruck Cockburn takes a turn with "if I had a rocket launcher" The message has to do with those in power and those who are powerless Bruce has combined musicality with message: if a tree falls in the forest... doesn't anybody hear? One of my favorites: Nothing but Flowers with the Talkin' Heads Just because its about the environment and what's "going on" doesn't mean that it has to be preachy or dischordant. David Bowie nails it with Arcade Fire doing "Five Years" The message is that the earth could do away with humankind in short order: its not a given that our spaceship earth will always be here for us. The end of the world as we know it EOTWAWKI is encapsulated in this REM video complete with Hollywood simulation: Its scarey people. The message: Once there were dinosaurs, and once there were people. So millions of people have tuned in and turned on to Pharrell Williams "Happy". If you can't do anything, if you feel powerless in the face of the big machine: well, go along for the ride.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Charles Hugh Smith Makes suggestions for future community building

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjuly14/shelter-storm7-14.html

A BLAST from the past: here's da BOMB

[RCEN EPA Caucus] CBC: Navigation Protection Act: Government braces for court battles over waterways‏





The navigable waters protection act really did not protect navigability... it gave the government the ability to lawfully remove navigability.

But it didn't change the fundamental aspect which is moralistic, not technical or functional.

Canadians slept, but suddenly CBC has raised the matter again, searching for a headline that might have traction: it doesn't and it won't make a difference. The battle was fought and the war was lost.,

The Kipawa river had a navigable sluiceway on it. You could paddle from Kipawa Lake to Lake Temiskaming if you dared. It was a traditional right.

But then the dam refurbishment threatened to take away that wonderful sluice that was the kickoff to the Kipawa River Festival.  

Les amis de la riviere Kipawa took the government to court. At first the justice department said that navigating the dam was illegal, but we showed them it was legal and that the dam itself was illegal. Then they said it wasn't safe. But we had over 40 years of history behind us showing that the dam was in fact safe.

Finally they said that running the world class sluice was not significant.

Then they changed the law.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Military Uniforms: right up there with bread and circuses

Right up there with the Day of Honor, the Harper government has decided that fluff should trump substance.

While our vets do not get the care they need for their injuries we now see that new inignia will be applied to the military uniform  as if it was a band aide for any problems.

Stop Harper.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadian-forces-return-to-old-style-ranks-insignia-costs-millions-1.2679716?cmp=rss

President's Report - 2013 - 2014



Les Amis de la rivière Kipawa
Report of the President
2014 06 21
This will be my last report to the executive and membership of Les Amis (LARK) as president.  If nominated I will not stand, and if elected I will not serve. It is time for some new blood.
Thankfully 2013-14 was a non-eventful year for Les Amis.  At the 2013 AGM a keen group of members joined the executive and advisory group.  While there were not many decisions we did decide to spend $800 on the upgrade of the Hollywood portage trail will have enduring benefit to those who make a better and safer choice for themselves.
A few outstanding items include initiating testing of the water in the Kipawa at the mouth of the river to establish baseline information on water quality.  This is particularly important as there are plans to build a mine on Kipawa Lake.  We must hold developers accountable for any contamination of the river.
Some may say there is pressure to make the Kipawa River Rally “bigger and better”.  My view of this is that like the river there is an ebb and flow, a high and low water mark to Les Amis and the Rally.  This being the 28th Kipawa River Rally I feel that we should continue our traditions.   We should continue to introduce others to the river and foster a community aware of the river’s ecological, natural heritage and recreational values - a community which can be mobilized to act on behalf of the river if and when the need arises.
Coming to the Kipawa River has never been an easy proposition.  Many of the rally attendees travel from afar, none further than the Sorensen’s who come from Orem, Utah, USA to their version of a North Woods paradise.  The high cost of transportation will continue to make this pilgrimage expensive and unique.  Consider how change has come over the years, and how in the beginning rally goers had to hike out to Grand Chute rather that use the  improving road available today.  Who knows what the future holds?  Thank you for your support over the years.
Tabaret

The sky is vast, my blood runs cold, so who will speak for me?
with skin like rock my soul is old, and ancient as the sea
From whence I came the age knows not and source is lost in time
And where I go no end is clear except as ocean's brine
Memories lost pour ever more a wish - a breath exspired
Clock ticks rumbling with the stones within my depths inspired
Measured for a concrete suit and kilojoules of light
overlooked by countless those who'd rather see than fight
Sold for wages and of sin by disembodied drones
Nameless those triumphant boffs of steel and glass - atone!
Could ride my back, explore my ways consume what I have sown
But take not blood away from me from which their life has grown


kayaky

Monday, June 2, 2014

Whatever happened to Adam's Mine? - The Half Life of a Political "Promise" is 60 days!


Naturally from Wikipaedia
In 2003, the Ontario Liberal Party, led by Dalton McGuinty, won the provincial election and on April 5, 2004, provincial Minister of Natural Resources David Ramsay and Minister of the Environment Leona Dombrowsky introduced legislation which revoked all certificates and permits related to the Adams Mine proposal.

This had the effect of permanently killing the 1996 plan.
Charlie Angus, a local musician and author, was one of the community leaders who organized the campaign against the Adams Mine proposal. He subsequently ran for political office, and was elected to Parliament in the 2004 federal election.

Toronto continues to export its trash to Michigan, causing a great deal of controversy for southern Ontario and Michigan communities which endure the transport of waste through their communities. Critics continue to point out that Toronto's exporting plan avoids forcing the city and region to come to terms with the waste its citizens generate, however there appears to be little political will to reduce consumption and bring about a regional waste management strategy which will avoid the necessity to export to distant landfills. The shipping of garbage to Michigan briefly became an issue in the United States presidential election, 2004 when John Kerry, on a campaign stop in Michigan, promised to ban the import of Canadian garbage if he was elected. In September, 2005, the Michigan state legislature voted almost unanimously against accepting Toronto's garbage.

The debate was finally put to rest on June 17th, 2004 when the Adams Mine Lake Act was passed by a vote of 63 to 18. The Act, signed into law by the Lieutenant Governor, made the mine property strictly off-limits for waste storage. The Act also revoked all existing approvals pertaining to the project. The agreement went a step further and prohbited any legal action to be taken against the Ontario Government as a result of the legislation. This came as bad news to the owner of the Adams Mine property. He was to be compensated for the purchase of the property, associated studies and tests, legal services, property taxes and government approval costs.

Today the mine remains very much the way it was left. Equipment fills the buildings, manuals and books sit on shelves and office equipment is still in place. From http://www.ontarioabandonedplaces.com/adams/adamsmine.asp What are the "Top Ten" Concerns?

1. Contaminated Groundwater
2. Contaminated Surface Water
3. Bad Design
4. Toxins will bioaccumulate.
5. Negative affects on other businesses, such as tourism and farming.
6. Publicly unacceptable.
7. Undermines waste reduction and recycling.
8. Long term monitoring.
9. Ignores Algonquin land rights.
10. Bad land use.
(plus many others under these broad categories)
from http://www.cela.ca/newsevents/backgrounder/background-proposal-turn-adams-mine-garbage-dump Of interest to Community Groups who are addressing projects of this type:
What was done to stop the Adams Mine landfill proposal near Kirkland Lake

The rules governing landfills are strong enough to prevent bad projects, “but the rules, for whatever reason, aren't interpreted correctly.” (Vanhof) “It's your job to make them prove it,”
“You want to make it safe and if stopping it is the only way to make it safe, so be it.” Note: Public opposition killed the first Adams Mine proposal, but the plan was modified and the site was eventually approved, despite continued public outcry. Opponents spent a year monitoring the mine to disprove the landfill proponents assertions in the second proposal, but government officials weren't interested in what they had to say. “The Ministry (of Environment) didn't want to hear anything, basically told us to go away,” The tide turned when landfill opponents in the business community hired an independent expert to conduct a review and critical analysis of hydrogeological (groundwater) investigations related to the proposal.The results caused the decision to approve the site to be reversed so make a stand on groundwater safety.
There were more than 20 groups involved in the Adams Mine fight, from radical environmentalists opposed to the landfill on principle to business, First Nations and seniors groups so it's important to rally as many groups as possible in fighting a landfill. But it's equally important that the groups maintain separate identities, which was key when the business group hired an independent expert in the Adams Mine situation. “Someone who is opposed (to a landfill) in principle is going to have a hard time getting someone to go to bat for them,”.
Having the right experts on board and having the people behind you is key, pointing out that a lack of significant public opposition is taken as tacit approval by landfill proponents.“The companies behind these things gauge the difficulty (of receiving site approval) by how much people are opposed.” When it comes to getting politicians involved in fighting a proposal, elected officials are the voice of the people.“They have to be pushed, all of them,”
Opponents have to “push all the right buttons, if you're going to make it safe.” from http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/2013/09/25/oxford-residents-get-tips-on-fighting-landfill-proposal

Friday, May 30, 2014

Tree Hazzards at Zipper Rapid -


At the recent level of 270 cms (estimated) ZIPPER was awesome!!!\ However, there is also a long tree hanging down into the river left side of Zipper. The tree in Zipper is way up the bank and hangs out into the river. This is not something that can be removed prior to the 2014 rally. The level will most likely go down before the rally and the tree should hopefully be released (if it hasn't already). Picnic rapid also has a tree in it. Paddlers recently tried to remove the tree in Picnic, but the water level was just insane and kept recirculating it back into the hole.... These are the types of hazzards we'll need to inform attendees about in advance of the rally weekend and during as well.

Friday, May 9, 2014

Portugal and truthiness

A recent article in the Guardian indicated that Portugal no longer required a "bailout" because it is being successful raising funds in the bond market. Reality check: "Portugal.. sold €750m of 10-year bonds at an interest rate of 3.5752%, the lowest in eight years, in an auction that was more than three times oversubscribed." Without the ECB ready to write cheques (print Euros) out to repay bondholders in the event Portugal defaulted, that rate would be very much higher. Portugal’s opposition Socialists, ahead in polling for the European parliament ballot and a Portuguese general election next year, did not greet Portugal’s “clean” exit as a success. The result of three years of a punishing adjustment programme, the party said, was “300,000 more unemployed people than originally forecast, a much bigger contraction in the economy than envisaged, public debt above 130 per cent of national output and continuing austerity”. The “troika” of lenders – the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank may very well be skeptical. The past socialist president of portugal has stated: “No matter how much [the government] impoverishes people or steals from their pensions, the state will never be able to pay back what it owes,” he said in a radio interview. “When you can ’t pay, the only solution is not to pay.” The Bank of Portugal said on May 7 in a report that the aggregated core Tier 1 capital ratio in the sector rose to 12.3 percent last year from 11.5 percent in 2012. It was 8.1 percent in 2010, before Lisbon resorted to the bailout that is ending this month. The monetary authority said it had started instructing the banks to sell assets, increase capital or limit dividend distribution. So whats really going on in Portugal: the silence is deafening.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Its springtime: everything is coming up roses! except for Canada's current account

Current account is the differenct between what you buy and what you sell as a nation. Canada is importing goods from other countries. This means that Canada has to go on the open market and buy foreign currency to buy foreign goods. That glut of Canadian dollars forces the value of the Canadian dollar down (its supply and demand in the marketplace. My read of this is that we can expect the value of the Canadian dollar to drop further in the coming days, weeks and months.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

First the Olympics and now this:

Thats our money they are spending for jet fuel, support personnel, armaments, and all the rest. Seriously, if Harper et al are so fixated on going to war with the Russians, they should just go over there and do it themselves. I don't support this, most people I know don't.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Why its hard to get a straight answer to a simple question

Game Theory
Sometimes answering a question directly is a loose-loose situation. "Do you still beat your wife?" If it is true, you loose, if it is false, you lose because you have accepted the premise of the question which is false. The strongest card there is to say that it is a coincidence (in a situation where that’s true) and you’re not going to admit it was true if it is true. Don't try to explain in depth why it wasn’t true. This could be seen to be protesting too much and adds more words to scrutinise and to trip up on. Why give more credence to a damaging accusation, which is damaging even if false. It is sometimes fair enough to refuse to answer a particular question. It should be expected that a person will not answer another’s accusations directly and get into an uncontrollable direct battle of words.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Why Gold?

The Bank of Canada's total reserve of just over 3 tons or about 0.003 ounces for every Canadian, equals about $5.80 per citizen.  A precious metal asset has an intrinsic value protecting 'wealth'. In the face of insolvency tomorrow, metals offer security.  A central bank alters the money supply by sterilizing its printed (fiat) money by buying or selling assets whenever the money supply is increased or decreased.  That asset is GOLD.

Holding gold by a lender boosts a country's credit rating - why? If a country balks at paying their debts, court orders by the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) could be secured to seize this real asset under stored in their vaults. Not all countries participate in the ICSID!

An insurer, if one can be found, could easily charge 4% of the market value of a stockpile of gold, plus security and shipping charges because moving gold is a problem.  A pirate could seize tons of gold in a single raid. Or a storm could take it to the muddy bottom of the ocean.

The most effective sanction against an 'independent' country is holding their gold reserves until it 'reforms'.

Currently the Government of Canada runs a deficit in part because it is cheap to do so due to low interest rates.  The Bank of Canada is buying Canadian debt. Refraining from buying federal debt now would cause interest rates to rise, potentially threatening Canadian solvency.

Some History:

1935 - 1972 - Canadian currency was directly redeemable for silver, with $1 CAD directly redeemable for silver coinage at a rate of 0.6 troy oz per dollar until 1966, 0.3 troy oz in 1968. Under the Bretton Woods Accord, post 1946, Canada held much of it's Forex reserves in US Dollars at a fixed rate to gold, (until Nixon closed the Gold window in 1971).

Current Events:

China is building up huge amounts of Forex and diversifying it from fiat US dollars into gold and hard assets. 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Kipawa Lake Preservation Society Web Page

Kipawa, Quebec – Recently, the Kipawa Lake Preservation Society launched their website, www.kipawalakepreservationsociety.ca. The purpose of the site is to inform the public of the current threats to the Kipawa watershed. The current focus is on mining and specifically the mining of rare earths and Kipawa Rare Earths Project proposed by a junior mining company, Matamec Explorations Inc. If allowed to proceed this project has the potential to forever change the area and the watershed. Information on potential risks and impacts presented on the website have been thoroughly researched and come from reputable sources such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) as well as Government of Canada reports. Matamec Explorations Inc. published a feasibility report in fall 2013 that identified many potential impacts including: Effects on surface water quality and hydrology Drawdown of groundwater Soil Quality Air Quality Noise and Vibration Loss of vegetation and wetlands Habitat Loss and Alteration Relocation of seasonal camps and cottages Effects on recreational use of area (hunting, fishing, trapping, canoeing) Disturbance to archeological sites Visual modification to the landscape Traffic increases on the Maniwaki Road Potential risk of chemical products being split during transport (from Ontario to Quebec) Modifications to biophysical and social environment The extraction and processing rare earths present a unique set of risks not present with other types of mining. While, Canada has more stringent environmental laws than China (currently the top rare earth producer), Canadian environmental laws were written prior to the existence of rare earth mining. Canadian environmental laws do not address many of the contaminants of concern or place restrictions upon their release into the environment. This project site is located in close proximity to the Kipawa watershed and upstream of important fish spawning habitat, drinking water sources as well as a world renowned tourist destination. This is no place for a toxic open pit rare earth mine. While those in favor of the project argue that rare earths are vital for technology such as smart phones, lap tops, MRIs and cancer treatments it is important to note that the intended use of the majority of the rare earth ores extracted from this project are for the production of hybrid and electric vehicles. These vehicles labelled as ‘green technology’ can hardly be called so when the environmental destruction that occurs during the process of obtaining rare earths is taken into account. The technology already exists to produce hybrid and electric vehicles without the use of rare earth ores and many companies are even making use of recycling rare earth ores discarded from smart phones and other hand held electronic devices in producing their vehicles. It is alarming that this project is receiving support from local and provincial government bodies prior to the completion of environmental impact assessments and without consideration of social acceptability. In 2012, 17 out of 20 mayors of the local municipalities voted in favor of the proposed project. Recently, Matamec announced the financial contribution of 4 million dollars by Ressources Quebec into the project. For more information please visit www.kipawalakepreservationsociety.ca or contact Kipawa Lake Preservation Society P.O. Box 1 Temiscaming, Quebec J0Z 3R0 info@kipawalakepreservationsociety.ca The mission of the Kipawa Lake Preservation Society is to preserve the Kipawa watershed as it is, environmentally healthy and unpolluted, through constant dialogue, education and protective initiatives that involve the local population, general public, government officials and corporations directly or indirectly related to the Kipawa watershed.

Fair Elections Act: Eligibility Smoke Screen for Seven Other Deadly Sins

Fair elections act: 242-page Bill C-23 By Laura Payton, CBC News Posted: Apr 15, 2014 5:00 AM ET| Last Updated: Apr 15, 2014 6:38 AM ET
The vouching issue draws attention away from the other aspects of the bill. This is one of several articles that helps us see through this ruse. I read the Canadian public was not very engaged in the issues around this bill. I do hope that is not true or else we will deserve what we get. One year isn't long enough for the commissioner of Canada Elections to investigate before the records are destroyed. The new rules also don't require companies or parties to keep the list of phone numbers called. The shifting of powers from a non-partisan authority to partisan entities is democratically inappropriate. TRUE electoral reform would involve: like proportional representation, improving ease of voting, reaching out, dealing with voter apathy and non-voters, mandatory voting, improving funding rules, increasing voter education, improving voting procedures, tightening qualifications of candidates, making false campaign promises illegal, no personal attacks, required receipts, accountability
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/03/21/conservatives_keep_electoral_reform_documents_secret.html
In an unusual move, the Privy Council Office has refused to release all but three pages of a 199-page transition binder prepared for Poilievre when he assumed his cabinet post in July 2013. Citing cabinet confidence, the department also heavily censored the three pages they released, including a table of contents with most of the contents blacked out. There is a provision in the bill that the registry and records of automated robocalls will not have to be kept until after the 2015 election. Now, why would the Harper Conservatives put such a provision in the bill? The guy who called the supporters of his opponent, misdirecting them to the wrong polling station and thereby winning the riding, gets to pick the people who, among other things, decide who gets to vote and who doesn't." As has been noted before, many people did not vote *for* the Conservatives, but rather, voted *against* the Liberals. With shenanigans like this, genuine "conservatives" will think twice about re-electing these gangsters. The riding splitting going on in Conservative ridings where you take one riding and divide it into 2 or 4. This is sneaky beyond description. 1: Fair Elections Act 2: Riding splitting In 2012 there were 308 ridings. Harper has split predominately strong Conservative ridings into smaller ones so now in Canada there are 338 ridings increasing his chances of winning again by 30 more seats. This is exactly why no one political party should have the opportunity to make changes to election law without all parties supporting the changes and after due consideration of the opinion of experts in the field. Write your MP, write ALL of the senators in your province and tell them what you think of this bill. Remind them that their job is to ensure that legislation approved by the senate must serve the people of the province they represent and the country as a whole. Remind them that this is the Senate's opportunity to prove its relevance. It is an unexpected and timely opportunity to show Canadians exactly what the original intent of the "house of sober second thought" is all about, and at the same time show us why the Senate is needed in 2014. This type of correspondence is never read by the recipient. A team of employees processes the response according to guidelines and templates. Your MP or senator never sees it. All email addresses can be found at Parliament of Canada. I emailed all conservative M.P's and conservative Senators and copied Mr. Mulcair, Mr. Trudeau and Ms. May. Specifically, that Elections Canada could no longer promote education about democratic voting rights and procedures in the education system. One of the features of the education systems of the advanced Nordic nations - where about 80%-plus voter turnouts is normal - is their emphasis on citizenship education. Also required: basic education about our financial system and financial life planning. With this bill, all records from the 2011 Robocall investigation would be subject to destruction. This is one of the bills primary goals: To destroy existing evidence that could in turn destroy all Conservative legitimacy to govern for years to come. Party appointed election workers, is patronage at the polls.The people at the polls can know who are party members in any riding. If a party member arrives without proper id the worker can easily discreetly let them vote.Just Imagine the winning party getting to select all the people that work at the poll. Supervisor,deputy returning officer, clerks etc. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-losing-ground-grim-polling-numbers-suggest-1.2555858 Challenging the results of the next election based on this bill could take years as we have already witnessed.Missing from this list is the all important and badly needed ability on the part of EC to compel evidence relating to matters being investigated. Also, the Bill would remove the EC investigator out of EC and over to public prosecutions, which is controlled by the Justice Minister. Harper once said we wouldn't recognize Canada when he was through with it...in 1938 another leader said this..."Give me 10 years and you won't recognize Germany again." No power for Elections Canada to compel testimony in an investigation... probably because the first people they would interview if given the power would be persons of interest from the Conservative who declined to be interviewed during the 2011 robocalls investigation... note the Conservative members in the Senate did not advocate for this power Why don't parties have to provide receipts for election expense reimbursements? Ordinary Canadians have to provide receipts to insurance companies, CRA, and businesses in order to get reimbursements or credits. Why are political parties exempt? This just starts them off with a sense of entitlement. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-panel-to-push-for-changes-to-proposed-fair-elections-act-1.2610003 "The new provisions will take effect only on the day Parliament is dissolved and an election begins — as long as this occurs six months after the bill becomes law." http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Robocalls+registry+place+next+federal+election/9737864/story.html We know the legislation removes the investigation power from Elections Canada and brings it under potential political influence in the justice department. We know that the harperites will interfere in routine police operations (High River). Elections in Canada give the illusion that Canada is a democracy when it is not as long as the political system forces party members to follow the party line. Experts are saying that this Act is not compatable with the Charter and will likely be thrown out by the courts when challenged. This act is actually doing some good by waking up Canadians to Harper's not so hidden agenda. Power at all costs. Even Conservative Senators see how insane this bill is and how much Poilievre is acting like a far-right nut and party hack. Committees are needed to draw up and make changes to the Elections Act and consult with the elections experts. The driving motivation behind this bill is revenge on Elections Canada, pure and simple. Revenge as a motive always leads to disaster. The bill requires the Commissioner of Canada Elections and the Director of Public Prosecutions to keep their rulings on complaints about election law violations secret, which will make it impossible for Canadians to know if they have made fair rulings. Elections Canada should have all the power it needs to root out any false or misleading Information.. Such as sending people to the wrong poles or misleading robocalls. Elections Canada should not have to answer to any party and be independent or any Government involvement. Then there is the Notification of investigation .. The law does not have to tell a person that may be doing something wrong.. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/rcmp-investigate-threatening-letter-written-to- poilievre/article17998819/?utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Globe %20Politics&utm_type=text&utm_content=GlobePolitics&utm_campaign=115616201 What has been particularly offensive throughout the debate of the bill is the arrogance and lack of respect displayed by Harper, Poilievre and some Conservative MPs and Senators, towards respected elections experts and witnesses who voiced legitimate concerns regarding the bill. This government's inability and refusal to engage in mature and reasonable debate and its insistence in rushing legislation is very disfunctional behaviour and damaging to Canada. "Fair elections act:
7 things you may not know"
1. Party-appointed election workers The winning candidate of the previous election — the member of Parliament — choose some of the workers at polling stations. The candidate would select the deputy returning officers, central poll supervisors and poll clerks. Clause 20 would allow a returning officer to refuse appointments on "reasonable grounds."
2. New spending loopholes Clause 86 lets political parties spend as much as they want on election fundraising from people who have contributed $20 or more in the last five years using calls, emails or mailouts. Spending caps ensure an even playing field for all candidates so the change favours richer and established parties to the detriment of small and especially newer parties.
3. CEO gag order The bill's clause 7 would allow the Chief Electoral Officer only five topics:
■How to become a candidate.
■How voters can add their names to the voters list or have it corrected.
■How voters can cast ballots.
■How voters can prove their identity and address.
■How voters with disabilities can get into polling stations and mark their ballots. and no longer be able to alert the public to problems during an election or even to work with programs that teach students about civic affairs and how elections work.
4. Notification of investigation The commissioner of Canada Elections — would have to tell people they are being investigated unless that might compromise or hinder the investigation.
5. Using the voter information card Approximately 400,000 Canadians living on reserves, in long-term care or studying at post-secondary institutions used their VICs as proof of address.Bill C-23 would ban that option. Those without a driver's licence may be unable to prove their address. About 250,000 Canadians move during a five-week election campaign, making some IDs out of sync with their addresses for a few weeks.
6. No party spending audits
7. Robocalls gaps Here is another look at it: 1. Take control of ballots allowed and ballots counting. (Party appointed election workers. - To let an MP turn his riding into a fiefdom. ) 2. Enrich CPC coffers and avoid accountability. (New spending rules - to make sure money can control the government. ) 3. Keep corruption secret. (CEO gag order - to stop the independent watchdog from promoting democracy. ) 4. Get early warning of any investigation. (Notification of investigation - to give crooked MPs time to bury the evidence..) 5. Confuse and disenfranchise voters. (No voter ID cards - to stop students, poor people, and anyone who doesn't drive from voting. ) 6. No receipts required from us. Soak the taxpayer. No one can prove it. (No audits - so no one can see how money controls politics. ) 7. Hide all evidence of corruption a.s.a.p. (Robocall gaps) 8. Whatever we do, don't give Elections Canada any useful auditing powers. If it does find something on us, he... » Are you as disgusted by this as I am? Then do something about it. Send a tweet to a Conservative MP in your riding. Get on your Facebook page and tell your friends. Get active because right now our democracy and freedoms are at risk. http://openparliament.ca/politicians/ Keep parties and candidates from tricking voters with false election promises or advertising, and from breaking election promises willy nilly. On the flip side of that, the commissioner of Canada Elections — the person who investigates possible wrongdoing under the Elections Act — would have to tell people being investigated about the probe." This, to me, sounds exactly like what Mr. Mulcair accused Mr. Harper of when he said this is clearly an attempt to cheat on the next election in advance. What possible good could come of warning the party that is under investigation that you are being investigated? Unfortunately for the next government, this is the latest Bill of an ever lengthening list that it will have to devote its efforts towards repealing. Unfortunately for Canadians, we'll have to wait 18 more months before this process can start. Of course this presumes there won't be another Conservative majority.

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Return on Investment or... Preservation of Capital?

The banks are offering practically nothing for interest, inflation is high for food and energy, housing prices are unaffordable.

Meanwhile the government is printing money to pay its bills.

Stocks are being pumped by market manipulation with all this extra cash and valuations of some firms is well beyond reasonable payback.

What does a reasonable investor do?


Friday, April 4, 2014

Using Bitcoin in Ottawa

Email: info@canadianbitcoins.com Website http://canadianbitcoins.com On Twitter On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Canadianbitcoinscom/574657242610530 Mailing/Office Address: Lightbox Technologies Inc. 21 Concourse Gate. Unit 13, Ottawa, Ontario, K2E 7S4 Phone (Local): 613-369-5009 ext. 11 , Phone (Toll Free): 855-834-4589 ext. 11 1-866-611-7092 ext 105 Office Hours Monday - Friday, 9:30AM-5:30PM EST - close earlier on Fridays. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Statutory Holidays

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Blogger - This blog is about information, not revolution. Learn about money, and its impact on the environment

For every revolution there is an equal and opposite counter revolution.

For all our friends in the Ukraine, the middle east, Thailand and all around the world, before you change the system you had better know what you want and make sure there are enough people that support your views.

Evolution?/Destruction?
Solution - Whats the plan?
Contribution? /Minds that hate?
Institution? Free your mind


You say you want a revolution, Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution, Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out? 

Don't you know it's gonna be, Alright?


You say you've got a real solution, Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution, Well, you know
We are doing what we can
But if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is, brother, you'll have to wait 

Don't you know it's gonna be, Alright? 

You say you'll change the constitution, Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution, Well, you know
You'd better free your mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow 

Don't you know it's gonna be, Alright? 

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Canada's Food supply: another key component of the Harper Government's "Action Plan"

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Hey CSEC? NSA? Would all your "listening" have predicted Russia would invade the Ukraine?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum_on_Security_Assurances http://storify.com/yannikouts/ukraine-after-the-regime-change Where is the UN? Where is NATO? What are the US and UK doing about the agreement they signed and now see the party of the second part saying "screw you!" Hey what about them Olympics? After all is said and done, might appears to be right, who carries the biggest club, has the biggest guns, the best planes, the biggest bombs, the biggest army, the best drones.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

The Kipawa River - Extrordinary Videos

Natural Heritage Kipawa River 2011 Open Boater Kipawa River 2008 Kipawa River 2005 Headwaters: Lake Kipawa

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

What is happening in the Ukraine? They fought authority... authority always wins!

  • Karwacki: is a Ukrainian name, except that my research reveals that my Grandparents were born in Poland and with the border change during the time of the treaty of Riga (1923) their home became Ukrainian territory. I consider myself Polish Ukrainian, covering both bases.

    Is this really an engineered "regional" war? 

  • I've heard that this has to do with a government that has made alliances with RUSSIA in order to fascilitate the sales of natural gas from GAZPROM while a substantial portion of parilament/ and citizens want closer alliances with Europe


  • Peter Karwacki http://www.thedailybeast.com/.../up-to-speed-what-s-going...

    www.thedailybeast.com
    Your cheat sheet to the complex web of money, power, and politics behind Ukraine’s violent protests.

  •  Its not like the average Ukrainian can win in this if their GAS SUPPLY IS TURNED OFF BY RUSSIA. (How likely is that in reality? its happened before!

  •  Why on earth are the average Ukrainians burning tires in Kiev,  Who or what is pushing them for that...?
     Knowing the history of the "USA" and their CIA/NSA penchant for destabilizing governments in order to "server their national interest" my guess is that they are involved in some way and have "engineered" as you have said, these protests. But that is such a conspiratorial point of view, people would dismiss me as "nuts" if I said that.
  • Ukrainians on the West (former Polish teritory) really want to go towards EU. However, Eastern Ukrainians (former Russia) want to go towards Russia.  Janukovich negotiated a deal about joining EU in the future, and when it came to signing, he reneged.
  •  I still don't know what is pushing people to burn tires - do they really feel sincerely that their government has left them out hanging to dry? Imagine what it would take in CANADA for people to get out in -10 weather, in the middle of the night, to protest like this. And further, what is their real alternative? The Ukrainian protesters want the president to resign, they want to persuade him that he has lost the trust and majority of votes, (which is not true), it is felt that there is still majority of Ukrainians in the East that miss the good old days of USSR rule. 

  • What is driving them? Possibly high ideals, the notions of  Solidarnosc, Wałęsa and others but history tells a different story.
  • Janokovich came to the Ukrainians in Novemeber with real bullets. So they stand there. For a third month. It is shocking how little media coverage there is in the US.  What is pushing people to war in Syria, what has pushed people to generalized wars in the Middle East and Northern Africa, to militia wars and guerrillas to the south of the Sahel, to civil unrest.  If this sounds like a movie script: It is! The problem with revolution is that its often the "little guy" that gets crushed. If you take governmental structure away, even a bad one, you are left with Anarchy, and anarchy inevitably leads to death and destruction (maximum entropy)

  • thefreechannelenglisheducation.blogspot.com

  • Since November, several protesters have been taken into Polish hospitals. The opposition leader, also negotiating on the political level with Janukovich was  offered seats in the government, although these were refused!
  • It seemed like the discussions were moving away from the street protests towards civilized dialogue, but it did not happen. The president used power, police, and security forces finally to secure the status quo. 
  • Where is Putin in all this?. 
  • Are the authorities using the umbrella of the olympic games to massacre people. There have been months of kidnapping people from hospitals, cabs, direct killings, using snipers to shoot people on Majdan. Again, shocking, that there had to be a day when 30 people were killed to make the news in Canada.
  • This is really about the 10%/90% problem. I am not a religious man, but I do feel that the christian ethic, the long view, the insisting on business cases over human values /environmental values has lead us down a dangerous path of "no perogies".  History proves that for every "revolution" there is an equal and opposite "counter revolution" People get crushed, and a New World "order" emerges from the ashes. We are seeing history in the making, we are living it. My heart - I feel for the Ukrainians.
  • What happened last night, is that the Ukrainians were very close to having a political deal, they almost had agreement to revert to the 2004 Ukraine constitution, which gave the Ukrainian president less power. They were about to vote, when parliament members related to Janukovich said "no".  So the protesters started their march on the parliament. 
  • This is when the authorities ( remember the I fought authority introduction?) started shooting. But they also started shooting in other Ukraine cities too, which means that they were just looking for an excuse. 

  • My question is" why Ukrainians are fed up?" Their average salary is 405$, 24% below the poverty level, and yet the richest of their rich are billionaires in hard cash. The Ukrainian currency is only good for wrapping fish, and the bureaucracy and corruption makes it very difficult to investment, and have business invest in the Ukraine. A big portion of the country just wants a normal life, but they believe that moving out of the Russian influence will give it to them.405$ per month, to be completely clear all the while the prices of consumer goods are really not low - many items are cheaper when imported from Poland. 
  • Vodka and cigarettes are affordable -GO FIGURE! - historically, its easier to manipulate a drunk mob. 


Canadian Rivers

Canadian Rivers
I speak for river users too!

The Queen is not amused!

The Queen is not amused!
http://www.ispeakforcanadianrivers.ca/

The Damned Dam - 2005 -

The Damned Dam - 2005 -
22nd Annual Kipaw Rally has modest turnout. - 23rd does better

The Ashlu river: it could happen to you

The Ashlu river: it could happen to you

Whitewater Ontario

Whitewater Ontario
Working Hard to Protect Canada's Paddling Resources

Whitewater Ontario - Mission Statement

It is Whitewater Ontario’s mission to support the whitewater paddling community through the promotion, development and growth of the sport in its various disciplines. We accomplish this through the development of events, resources, clubs, and programs for personal and athletic development, regardless of skill level or focus, to ensure a high standard of safety and competency; We advocate safe and environmentally responsible access and use of Ontario’s rivers. Whitewater Ontario is the sport governing body in the province, and represents provincial interests within the national body Whitewater Canada and the Canadian Canoe Association http://www.whitewaterontario.ca/page/mission.asp

Kipawa, Tabaret, and Opemican

Kipawa, Tabaret, and Opemican
If Hydro Quebec is not actively pursuing Tabaret what is that bite out of Opemican for?

Kipawa Dam: After

Kipawa Dam: After
Laniel Dam at 2006 Rally

Where is the Kipawa

Where is the Kipawa
Kipawa flows into lake Temiskamingue, running from Kipawa Lake, under hwy 101 in Quebec

Kipawa Dam

Kipawa Dam
laniel dam at 2004 River Rally

Tabaret is a Bad Idea

About the Kipawa



The best thing paddlers can do to help the cause of the Kipawa:

1. attend the rally and bring others including non paddlers to attend and buy beer and have fun

2. write your MP /MNA and raise the issue and post your objections -1 letter = 200 who didn't write

3. Write Thierry Vandal the CEO of Hydro Quebec strongly opposing the 132 MW standard decrying the use of "diversion" as the most environmentally inappropriate method of power production

4. Write Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec protesting that either the algonquin or the tabaret project will eliminate all other values on the Kipawa River by turning it into a dry gulch.

5. See if you can get other allied groups interested by showing your own interest, ie the Sierra Defense Fund, Earthwild, MEC, and so on.

6. Demand further consultation

7. Currently we are at the point where we need to sway public opinion and raise awareness.

However, if all else fails, don't get mad, simply disrupt, foment, and protest . The Monkey Wrench Gang.

Have you read Edward Abbey?

Important Addresses
CEO,Hydro Québec, 75 boul René Levesque, Montreal, P.Q., H2Z 1A4Caille.andre@hydro.qc.ca



Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Two)

Les Amis de la Riviere Kipawa is poised to use an application to the Federal Court to issue a Writ of Mandamus to ensure the Minster does what he is supposed to do, protect the public's right to navigate the water control structure at Laniel, Quebec using the Navigable Waters Protection Act. (see http://www.kipawariver.ca/)

In the now gutted Navigable Waters Protection Act lay the means by which the Minister of Transport could keep the public right of passage down our great Canadian Heritage, our rivers and streams which are threatened especially by resource corporations and power brokers such as Hydro Quebec.

These powerful entities continue to petition that 'this' river or 'that' stream is not navigable and therefore not protectable.
I don't say that dams and bridges should not be built, only that if they are, historical navigation rights should be considered and preserved by making reasonable accommodations for recreational boaters.

It is the Minister of Transport, in exercising the right to allow or disallow work on or over a navigable waterway is what keeps boats and recreational boaters plying our waterways.

To many recent cases launched in the Federal Court concerning the Navigable Waters Protection Act, most recently the case of the Humber Environment Group of Cornerbrook Newfoundland versus the Cornerbrook Pulp and Paper Company indicates that the important oversight is not being faithfully performed. Have we really come to the point now where we must say "such and such a stream is one foot deep, possessing so many cubic feet per second flow and so on?" The answer to this is... YES!

The honourable Mr. Justice John A. O'Keefe, ruled that it had not been shown that the river was navigable. How convenient was that to the Minister? But either the Minister of Transport acts to protect our rivers and streams as a public right or he does not and that means rivers and streams currently enjoyed by kayakers and canoists.

Enough of the cheating, and double-talk. Canadians! our rivers and streams are our own, lets urge the Minister of Transport and the our government to protect them.

Peter Karwacki

Tabaret is a Bad Idea (Part Three)

10 Reasons WhyTabaret is a Bad Idea1) Tabaret is too big. The station is designed to useevery drop of water available in the Kipawawatershed, but will run at only 44 percent capacity.We believe the Tabaret station is designed to usewater diverted from the Dumoine River into theKipawa watershed in the future. 2) The Tabaret project will eliminate the aquaticecosystem of the Kipawa River.The Tabaret project plan involves the diversion of a16-km section of the Kipawa River from its naturalstreambed into a new man-made outflow from LakeKipawa. 3) Tabaret will leave a large industrial footprint on thelandscape that will impact existing tourismoperations and eliminate future tourism potential. 4) The Tabaret project is an aggressive single-purposedevelopment, designed to maximize powergeneration at the expense of all other uses. 5) River-diversion, such as the Tabaret project, takinglarge amounts of water out of a river’s naturalstreambed and moving it to another place, is verydestructive to the natural environment. 6) The Kipawa River has been designated a protectedgreenspace in the region with severe limitations ondevelopment. This designation recognizes theecological, historical and natural heritage value ofthe river and the importance of protecting it.Tabaret will eliminate that value. 7) If necessary, there are other, smarter and morereasonable options for producing hydro power onthe Kipawa watershed. It is possible to build a lowimpactgenerating station on the Kipawa river, andmanage it as a “run-of-the-river” station, makinguse of natural flows while maintaining other values,with minimal impact on the environment. 8) The Kipawa watershed is a rich natural resource forthe Temiscaming Region, resonably close to largeurban areas, with huge untapped potential fortourism and recreation development in the future.Tabaret will severely reduce this potential. 9) Tabaret provides zero long-term economic benefitfor the region through employment. The plan is forthe station to be completely automated andremotely operated. 10) The Kipawa River is 12,000 years old. The riverwas here thousands of years before any peoplecame to the region. The Tabaret project will change all that.

Problems on a local River?

  • There is more to do as well but you have to do your research and above all, don't give up.
  • IN the meantime prepared a document itemizing the history of navigation of this spot and its recreational value. Use the Kipawa river history of navigation as a guide: see www.kipawariver.ca
  • Under the Ministry of Environment guidelines you have a set period of time to petition the change under the environmental bill of rights, you may have limited time to take this action. But it involves going to court for a judicial review of the decision.
  • 4. contact the ministry of natural resources officials and do the same thing.
  • 3. contact the ministry of the environment and determine if they approved the project
  • 2. determine if the dam was a legal dam, approved under the navigable waters protection act.
  • 1. research the decision and timing of it to determine if an environmental assessment was done.

Minden Ontario

Minden Ontario
Gull River Water control at Horseshoe lake

A History of Navigation on the Kipawa River

Prior to the environmental assessment there was no signage at the Laniel Dam

T-Shirts Area: These are available now!

T-Shirts Area: These are available now!
Send $25 and a stamped self addressed envelop for the Tshirt, and for the bumper sticker, a stamped and self addressed envelope with $5.00 for the bumper sticker to Les Amis de la rivière Kipawa, 80 Ontario St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 1K9 or click the link To purchase a Les Amis "T" contact Doug with the following information: Number of shirts:Sizes: Ship to Address: Method of Payment: cash, cheque and paypal, Shipto address:

Bumper Stickers Now Available

Bumper Stickers Now Available
Get your bumper sticker and show your support for the Kipawa Legal Fund ! - send $5.00 in a Stamped, self addressed envelope to: Peter Karwacki Box 39111, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 7X0