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 I'm savouring some freedom now that the move is underway and we're actually in transit. The apartment was packed and moved with much less incident than we'd feared but the week leading up to it was absolutely exhausting, though. We struck out on the road yesterday and landed in Miramichi. Today was the first full day of several we have planned before continuing on to Ontario mid-week. I'm looking at a clean slate for old hobbies now. For the first time in ages I grabbed the camera to go out and capture some fresh shots, such as the one above which shows sunset, looking out across the road from my folks' place. Labels: New Brunswick
posted by Ian at 10:21 PM -
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Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia
Honest, I'll be blogging again soon as things settle. It's been a busy month. I've already spilled the news on my Halifax section but it's fair to post something here too since this is now, for certain, my primary blog. We're carpet baggin' again, this time to Mississauga. We'll be vacating our apartment this weekend, spending a few days in my hometown of Miramichi, New Brunswick, and then it's off to Upper Canada by midweek. My new job starts the following Monday. At least I hear the fishing is good these days. Labels: employment, Mississauga, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Toronto
posted by Ian at 10:45 PM -
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 Not long ago, the New Brunswick government launched a program to lure young herring chokers back to the Picture Province with the slogan: "Be Here Now", done up with periods separating the words to make it look like a hip and happening IP address, which apparently appeals to young people and blinds them to the fact this whole campaign is being done in lieu of actually creating jobs for them to return to, or helping young N.B. workers to attain a liveable wage.
Judging by a photo from the Torontoist's "Daily Photo", at least one displaced New Brunswicker must have gotten the message, though I'm not sure that person is planning to move back. (Click the link or the photo for the full caption.)Labels: economy, employment, New Brunswick, Toronto
posted by Ian at 11:49 AM -
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The Family Herald and Weekly Star, September 30, 1942We're actually visiting in New Brunswick today. The plan had been to come up at Easter but weather that weekend led to us postponing. The trip was worth the wait, however, as far as interesting finds go. You see, my aunt is in the process of renovating my grandparents' house, which had been built by my great grandfather. It's nearing its centennial, though there's some debate as to exactly when that will be. One of the first work projects was to clean out the attic and in so doing, we discovered a number of old newspapers and magazines. They included such titles as the " Family Herald and Weekly Star" and the magazine " Country Gentleman" with issue dates going back eighty years in some cases. The Country Gentleman magazines that I have seen are very interesting in that many are from 1928, just before the big crash. Most of you who know me are aware that I firmly believe in the parallels between then and now. In 1928 people borrowed wads of cash to buy stocks in the belief that stocks never lose value, while in 2008 they've done the same with real estate under equally incorrect assumptions. Over the next little while, I'll be very curious to look at the scans and page photos that I am busily taking right now. But, this is a Canadian blog and Country Gentleman appears to have been published out of the United States. That doesn't preclude my interest, but in the case of the Family Herald and Weekly Star, it was published out of Montreal. Virtually every ad and story in it covers Canadian issue, products, companies, etc. save for a lot of the war coverage. Many of these issues date to the early 1940s. 
Illustration from the above issue.Now that leads to the second carpentry project which was the replacing of carpeting. We now know that the carpet dated to the early 1960s. Such a timeframe was suspected, since my great grandmother was alive to enjoy it, but newspapers that were found under the carpet, once it was lifted, proved that it was laid down around April of 1963. There are several issues of the Saint John and Moncton papers, made especially fascinating for some of you political bloggers out there in that they coincided with a provincial election. So, I've been busy taking photos of the pages. They're too big to scan quickly and I have a lot to go through. Even now, I am going to have to leave behind one very promising bundled from the attic. I've captured as much as I can and will attempt to clean the copies up as best I can, with my eye on periodically publishing them here for your entertainment. I hope you enjoy them. Labels: Canadiana, media, Montreal, New Brunswick, nostalgia
posted by Ian at 11:13 PM -
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I was very interested to read a Canadian Press story today in the Toronto Star entitled, "Atlantic Region Ponders Uranium Comeback". With so many mill and mine closures over recent years, the prospect of starting up a new industry should be a godsend, especially one in which the commodity's price has risen to ten times its previous value over the last few short years. With the move to limit greenhouse gases, Nuclear power is back in vogue. Furthermore, with so many reactors in the states due for fuel replacement over the next few years and even New Brunswick toying with a second reactor of their own, the province must be on cloud nine with the possibilities.
Nope. This is New Brunswick.
"Still, he [Robert Krienke, president of Tripple Uranium Resources] admits that recent public meetings in New Brunswick have made it clear there is growing opposition to anything that hints at a revival of uranium prospecting.
"It's been geared towards a mob that wants to lynch you because you're in exploration," he says.
The mining industry has taken note, with some stock analysts warning there is a history of community opposition blocking even the brightest of prospects." Maybe the New Brunswick government should consider marketing to change that image that people have of the province, instead of spending $200,000 to add a third colour to the province's logo.
New Brunswickers, more than most, know that you have to be willing and available to work in order to qualify for unemployment insurance, elsewise it's cut off. Perhaps the goverment should extend the policy to transfer payments when an entire province develops this culture averse to bettering itself. I know that's a huge generalization but it's more oft than not the case and it seems firms from away have already caught on to the fact that New Brunswick is not a province that is employer-friendly.
Keep holding out for tourists to come and spend their money, despite the shrinking U.S. economy and price of petrol making road trips less common. It matters not; New Brunswick is certainly a place that needs to be seen to be believed.
The new slogan to go with the freshly-painted logo is simply "Be" in New Brunswick. That's 100 grand per letter. I can come up with one better. Instead of just "Be"ing in New Brunswick, how about trying to "Do" something. It's the same number of letters so you lazy-asses in Fredericton won't get any worse a case of writer's cramp.
Reposted from LATENIGHT Miramichi.Labels: Atlantic, economy, natural resources, New Brunswick
posted by Ian at 11:08 AM -
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Quilting at King's Landing, near Fredericton, NBCanadian Heritage, unveiled 2009's Culture Capitals of Canada. They will be Trois-Rivières, Quebec; Coquitlam and Whistler, British Columbia; and Fredericton and Caraquet, New Brunswick. Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages made the speech in Trois-Rivières, yesterday. The municipalities selected are eligible to receive funding to support and boost culture in their area. In total, $4.25 million is awarded. Trois-Rivières, which was chosen in the "municipality with a population over 125 000" could receive $2 million, while Coquitlam (with its population between 50,000 and 125,000) could get $750,000 in funding. The other municipalities, with populations under 50,000, could get a half-million dollars each. The current title-holders, for 2008, include Surrey and Nanaimo, British Columbia; Morden, Manitoba; and Sackville, New Brunswick. Labels: British Columbia, lifestyle, national pride, New Brunswick, Quebec, travel
posted by Ian at 8:32 AM -
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 Batten down the hatches, ration the Ritalin and lock up your M.L.A.s: the infamous New Brunswick blogger, Charles Leblanc, is traveling West on the TransCanada, roadbloggin' as he goes.
Having posted on Sunday that he was leaving New Brunswick for Ontario, he's been a bit cryptic as to what reasons are behind it or for how long he's going. Nonetheless this is clearly a matter of national importance and dire concern, especially if he reaches Parliament Hill and Ottawa, which by all estimations, he could be expected to do within the next 24 hours.
Charles may be the most well known blogger to hail from the Picture Province. He's well noted for his almost guerilla-style ambushes of provincial politicians, his much publicized grudges with bureaucrats, and his six-month-long campout on the grounds of the New Brunswick Legislature to protest Ritalin and demand a study into its effects on children. Also, in 2006, he was arrested during a protest at a conference for Atlantica being held in Saint John. Police aggressively took him into custody and deleted photos from his camera, despite Leblanc being separate from the protesters (clearly shown by CBC footage of the event) and vocally identifying himself as a "Blogger" and not a protester. His trial for obstruction ended in an acquittal and made for a significant stepping stone in establishing the rights of bloggers as credible media sources.
Leblanc has numerous fans and foes who read his blog, Old Maison, each day. No word on if Ottawa is the destination of his travels, but it should be quite a blogging event if he takes his provincial act and goes federal for the fall.
Bon Voyage, Charles!Labels: blogging, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, travel
posted by Ian at 9:26 PM -
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Fishing the Northwest Miramichi River, circa 1900-1910.The weather has been so unseasonably warm. The temperature hit the mid-twenties today, even though it's nearing the end of October. It almost puts me in mind of spring, and wistful of doing some fishing instead of spending the day at the office. In a vicarious fashion, here's a photo of New Brunswick fisherman enjoying a day at one of the Miramichi River's fabled salmon pools, near the turn of the century, as photographed by J. Wesley Swan (1859-1913). Looks like they've caught supper. Labels: natural resources, New Brunswick, nostalgia
posted by Ian at 11:25 PM -
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Readers Digest has studied 15 Canadian cities and come up with politeness rankings for the nation. Their finding: Moncton, New Brunswick is the most polite city in Canada. Perhaps it's on account of being from a 'have-not' province and being able to say, "Please Sir, may I have some more..." in both official languages.
Interestingly, the rudest city is also notably bilingual. Ottawa scored that lamentable distinction, the inhabitants of Parliament Hill proving to be an insurmountable handicap in the competition.Labels: Moncton, New Brunswick, offbeat, Ontario, Ottawa
posted by Ian at 7:20 PM -
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There has been some dissension in the ranks, coming out of Fredericton, New Brunswick. Lately, the Fredericton Peace Coalition has taken up the fight against the ubiquitous Yellow Ribbon campaigns in support of the troops stationed overseas, asking people to pull them down to display their displeasure with our involvement in Afghanistan and other conflicts, and it's garnering lots of media attention.
A couple of bloggers, whom I read regularly, are based out of there and happen to be on the spot to cover it. You'll find updated coverage over at Spink About It and of course, since it happens in Fredericton, Charles LeBlanc is there, too. Also in the "City of Stately Elms", check out GypsyBlog or on blogs across the country (like Ranting Owl.) An online poll by NBPolitico on what the Yellow Ribbon means to us, and whether it's the same for everyone.
Tracy Glynn is spokesperson for the Fredericton Peace Coalition. She's regularly active in activism, whether it's protesting our role in Afghanistan, saving the Acadian Forest or writing on any number of subjects, such as at the Dominion. Predictably, this stance has seen her vilified across the right and the mainstream(e.g. Proud To Be Canadian.)
In a way, it's a battle of the bandwagons. Glynn's being portrayed as a squeaky wheel who marches against anything -- and it dilutes her stance on any individual issue. But in the same token, ribbon campaigns seem to be taking over our lives, without really doing anything but "raising awareness" of issues, whatever good that does. Activism and charities have become big business in Canada, selling the perception that one has a social conscious while giving us an excuse not to get involved in other ways that might have more impact. Even yellow ribbons are competing with the "wearing of red" in regard to which is the proper expression of "support for our troops."
So what does "supporting" our troops mean? Does the yellow ribbon/red clothing mean you support the mission in Afghanistan and that they should stay? Does it mean that in the case of a potentially endless and unspecific military action that you want them back home?
I support the troops. I want to see them re-equipped with safer, more modern hardware. I want to see the forces beefed up. I even want to see them on more deployments, such as sending the navy to patrol the Arctic and the establishment of a massive rapid reaction base at C.F.B. Shearwater or C.F.B. Greenwood.
I also want them to stop wasting their time on a godless dustbowl in Central Asia and to come home. Their priority should be to protect Canadian needs and territory, not to try to bring civilization to far away no man's lands while trying to prop up puppet governments that are unable or unwilling to stand on their own unless we bribe them to do it. I'm sure we're benefiting from direct combat experience, from a training perspective, but that's about it (bearing in mind that I do believe there are going to be much larger, unavoidable wars in our near future.)
Even if Afghanistan, by some trick of fate, were to become a prosperous and contributing nation in the world; I'm not going to go there. I'm not going to replace all my Made in China T-shirts with ones Made in Afghanistan when they should be Made in Canada to begin with. Since the Taliban dynamited all the giant Buddha statues, I probably wouldn't even watch an Afghan documentary on the Discovery channel.
Is the Yellow Ribbon there to say, "Keep up the fight!" or does it mean, "Come home safe and soon"? Drop a comment here with your opinion, at one of the fine blogs mentioned above, or go vote in NBPolitico's poll. It's an important issue that we should all clearly express ourselves on.Labels: activism, Afghanistan, Atlantic, National Defence, New Brunswick
posted by Ian at 10:24 AM -
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