blueblood

Are left-handed people superior? No, they're different. That's all. But we don't have to stand on our head to "protect the interests" of the left-hand minority. Acknowledgment of Quebec's individuality is taking Trudeauism to an extreme, despite Mr. Trudeau's likely opposition to what Harper has said. This 'cultural mosiac' is about the biggest failure, it's created fractured communites and cities and tension between groups. Creating a defined cultural mosiac on the largest scale yet is surely to be met with the same apprehension and tension as the 'defined' Lebanese or Muslim communties, for example, within some Canadian cities It's too bad Quebec is like that, they have such great Hydro potential and could soak the states for it, but they'd rather spend their money on culture and their as you would put it "Socialist Paradise" apparently investing isn't their strong point.

Newfoundland's oil industry is much younger than Alberta's and, unlike Alberta's, is based at sea. Land based oil extends benefits to citizens more readily that sea-based. Newfoundland is starting to benefit from its oil industry they will get richer as a result. Saskatchewan's oil industry will vault Saskatchewan to "have" province by the next evaluation. The province is doing much better but having said that, their economy is not a diverse as Alberta's. I don't think that means they are dirt poor though. Saskatchewan also has a lot of skids that don't pay taxes and live below the poverty line living on social assistance, they'll need to fix that before they'll be as good as Alberta

Who's "some guy from the "Golden Horseshoe" you are talking about? And when it comes to Federal policy and Federal spending, Ontario has been paying out free money to the rest of Canada consistently and constantly going back to WW1. Of all Federal policy programs, I see Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces as the primary 'target' of a majority of Federal spending and policy programs going back to the 1960's. Ontario constantly pays billions of $$ for everyone else's schools and hospitals. Alberta has thankfully joined this most exclusive club in Canada - BC dropped out of the club about twenty-five years ago and has never looked back. Sure Toronto has economic power, but it is the power of the marketplace. Ottawa panders to politics and Toronto has always been politically weak in Ottawa. Toronto's mass transit system is the least subsidised public transit service in North America! And I don't recall seeing any Federal financed construction of ANYTHING in the Golden Horseshoe in the last twenty years... Theres more to policy than spending, I'm talking about laws (Long gun registry, Plant breeders rights, etc.)and the general "direction" of the government, (the CWB for example, why are Ontarians and Quebecers exempt from it when the prairie provinces have to be in it). It's one of those things you have to live out here to experience for yourself. Ontario also receives a lot of our natural resources, has a manufacturing base dating for over 100 years, all from Fed. policy, why won't the feds spread it out? It won't cost much to do it. Truly the gov't should cut off the "welfare" spending and invest in industry + crown corporations all over Canada and let the provinces get back on track. Last time I checked the Prairie provinces are doing pretty well in the books compared to Ontario and Quebec. Accept that the ROC is different than the toronto area and should be left to our own devices and we'll be better off.

I worry about Jesus kids, who will one day grow and become Jesus voters, a helluva lot more than I worry about suicide bombers. I'm from Alberta fer chrissakes. Oh sure, the methods may be different, but the ends are still repulsive. As anoher observation, I sure wonder about just how peaceful radical Chrsitians really are, given their embrace of violent rhetoric and imagery. They are just as scary as the followers of Lenin, both sides of the extreme scare me.

This shows how insecure some people in some provinces are. Alberta is screaming on one side, Quebec on another, NFLD on third, everyone complaining about not getting enough attention like little kids. The only province where nobody complains about ROC is Ontario. Because Ontarians are secure enough to not whine about not getting enough attention. Nobody in Ontario is looking down on you, but you think they are because they don't talk about you all the time. Well, Ontario provides the big chuck of equalization payments to other provinces. We give money to Atlantic Canada, to Quebec, etc. and what we get in return is hate because we don't give enough. Ontarians are arrogant, Ontarians are this and that. Well, that's very kind of you. Now I feel that we should cut off all financial support to ROC and leave you alone with your hate. So Ontario MP's calling Prairie provinces Redneck, how their values are Canadian values and the values that people in the majority of the prairie provinces aren't canadian values isn't arrogant? When western Canada is Tory Blue, Ontario is Red, and Quebec is teal on election night shows that there is a problem. The hate comes from some guy from the "Golden Horseshoe" having a policy that only works in that area and the rest gets the shaft, since Canada is this divided, Ottawa has two options, relinquish power to provinces or take into account other areas when making FEDERAL policy. I'd say go for it cut all financial support to ROC, you can leave us with our hate, oil, grain, hydro, lumber, etc.

I'm often amazed at how often people call Ontarians arrogant in a post where they also go off on how other provinces, ie. Nfld is all unemployed people. Ontario isn't arrogant, they just don't care about places at the other end of the country that they don't ever hear about. They don't even care about Caledonia, and that's like two hours away. [Edited to add: You're probably no different. Do you think about Burkina Faso a lot ?] You're projecting your own ideas of region and identity on people who live in a completely different culture. Southern Ontario is just work and family and that's it. The province is just a place to live. Every person i've talked to from Ontario has come off arrogant, and being as NFLD has a sky high unemployment rate, I'm not being mean, I'm making an observation. It's the fact that they just don't care about other places at the end of this country that's the problem, that's what is behind federal policy for the last 30 years, and that's why there is a unity problem -> too much power concentrated on a tiny area of Canada which results in policies that benefit it and at times screw the rest over. It's ridiculous for MPs from Toronto to pass laws concerning agriculture or long guns, both of which Toronto doesn't have. I'm not saying they should pander to us or to Quebec, just accept that we are in fact different and to take that into account when passing laws and making FEDERAL policy (not ontario policy)

Im reminded of the South Park Movie where they sing Blame Canada exept in the post above you can pretty much sub-in blame Ontario. Wow Blueblood... you truly are genius. You have ontario all figured out don't you. Ontario Conspires to kill western farmers with big pointy sticks... ohh yeah we also collectively fart into the wind to gas out the pesky quebecers. Ohh yeah and we are responsible for the putting the Newfies on a big isolated island without hopes of any real meaningful economic development. It was us who gave PEI the potato... One day we will reintroduce the potatoe famine in that province too. We send all our stoners to BC to flood that province with incoherant hippy ramblings. well you get the idea. I am JoeONTARIO and I... AM.... AN ....OPRESSOR! /sarcasm Yes blame ontario... blueblood your a real winner. I would like to thank you for proving my point, I'm blaming arrogance and from your response you seem to have a bit of it, for shame.

Im fine with the government recognizing Quebec as a nation within Canada, the are different no ifs ands or buts about it. But what about Newfoundland, theyre different too but you don't hear them bitching about it (except for the fact that they're all unemployed). There is also a cultural divide between urban and rural Canada too which I believe is as bad a problem (urban people looking down their nose at us). I believe that the arrogance of Southern Ontario is a large part of the problem, it's their way or the highway and if your not with them your against them. They insist that we feed them while farmers go broke, they want our oil for cheap, all the tax dollars should be spent there, if you speak a different language your out of luck. Another example is gun control, in Southern Ontario it is a great idea they have high crime and are packed like sardines, but in the Country we don't have any serious crime (the odd grow op and drunk driving are the worst) so it appears that we are being punished for something we didn't do. Without the arrogance of Southern Ontario, there wouldn't be no BQ, no Reform party. can you blame southern ontario for being arrogant, I can't thats where most of the people therefore most of the seats are. can you blame quebec and the west for being pissed off, no they're getting screwed. can you blame someone for being pissed at ottawa for bending over backwards to quebec, no, just because a province is different does not mean its better. The quicker that those who look down their nose at others stop that, the quicker our national unity problem is solved, and if they can't do that then more power must be given to the provinces to handle their affairs.

What's paying off the debt going to do? that money would be better off being invested in the economy

I look at those leaders there and the word hypocrisy just filles my mind

yah that's one good thing with nintendo, nice simple fun games, i have a PS2 and the newer games get the more complicated they are, has anyone played NHL 07 good lord, I have an easier time programming the sprayer computer, the NHL series peaked at NHL 03. the only games i like are multiplayer games as you can play with your friends, I'm also in agreement with the whole sporting thing, I might also suggest getting him something motorized that he can work on and maintain, it might give him a sense of responsibility, some people find it fun, and he'd learn something valuable.

hmm, an oligarchy of premiers, better than the senate and MPs, we'd save a pile of money. I don't mind socialist policies as long as they are financially sound. I also believe that the silent majority should wake up, catering to special interest groups is killing our country, throwing money at them instead of boosting the economy is going to bite us.

Interesting post, Canada can be governable, barely, if the Liberals didn't have such an abysmal arrogant attitude towards rural Canada, they would not get majorities but huge majorities, but that's not going to happen. My opinion is that this country is too vast and too many different cultures to have only a few parties represent them all. Canada has so-cons, libertarians, liberals, socialists, the french, the prairies, ontario, BC, Newfoundland, and the maritimes and they all need to be represented. I'd almost suggest abolishing political parties and let MP's with their own agendas make up the government and pick the PM the same way they pick the Pope. Knowing that won't happen, I'd say the bloc has to go all they do is bog down parliament and the fact that they can't get much done is a waste of seats, they talk about what's doing best for Quebec not what's best for the country. A major shakedown is in order in Ottawa, I'm not sure what it is, but one needs to happen or we're doomed with this minority parliament partisan politics debacle.

You shit on their environment, don't expect much support from them. What Western values are you talking about anyway? Supporting a bunch of warlords and druglords who execute people for converting from Islam to Christianity? BTW, when the hell is Alberta going to separate from Canada? We are getting fed up with your arrogance and bullshit and your oil is hurting our economy. And finally, Albertans are a bunch of big-mouth, selfish assholes. Get the hell out! Wow, that was deep.... If albertans are like that, i'd like to see what Ontarians and Quebecers are called...

Yah but a lot of that infrastructure will help out Vancouver and area after the Olympics plus with all the tourists about to come, the games should pay for themselves. That sounds like a wise investment.

A cross is not "our tradition" though blueblood, it's a Christian symbol. The term "our" may be true for you, but it's not true for many others. Canadian schools should not promote any religion over another. A cross is a christian symbol, but in this case it can also be interpreted as a symbol of the fallen soldiers. Those kids putting up those pictures with the crosses aren't promoting religion at all. The tradition i'm saying is Rememberance Day, I think that applies to all Canadians. If you think that this is instance is promoting religion and that it shouldn't be promoted in our schools then it would be alright for you to go up to the kid who brought the kirpan to school and say get that thing out of here, that's promoting religion.

How is Nov 11 identified with religion? People of all religions - Christians, Moslems, Sikhs, Hindus, fought in the war. Nov 11 is intended to honor them all. The cross is identified with a particular religion. So? We're not allowed to express our traditions, crosses are a VERY important part of Remembrance day. Good grief it's not like they're pushing religion on anyone, how about some tolerance on the principal's part.

what a joke, what the hell is this Russia? isn't the teacher's/kids right to expression not important. I think old Grapes needs to weigh in on this and straighten us out. This is like the Holiday Tree, this is why more and more I believe we need a PM like Danny Williams who isn't worried about pissing someone off to get the job done. That principal should be canned if not grilled at a school meeting.

The point I was trying to make was that just because a person has an education at a university doesn't mean he automatically gets paid more than someone who doesn't. When I custom spray, i make a hell of a lot more than a computer engineer. Just because a person has an education it doesn't make them automatically more entitled to make more money than someone who doesn't. It also depends on demand for the job and what the job is, but Ms. computer engineer who has qualifications is a hell of a lot more qualified than me in the computer engineering field and should make a hell of a lot more money than me in that particular job. In my opinion brute force and mental ability are just as important as each other in the police force, and both aspects of that should have very high standards, same standards for men and women as to get the best officer for the job. Cops are taught to diffuse situations by reasoning first and if it gets out of hand physical for safety reasons and efficiency.

I'll bite... These pollute much less than oil and are close in efficiency. This helps us farmers out by creating a market for our excess grains. Grain costs a lot of money to grow and we need to cover our costs and make a living. If someone gives me a good price to make biofuels then they get it. I can't just give my grain away I'd go broke. If someone wants to pay me a good price to feed starving people than so be it. I am opposed to it though as this leads to dumping. What right do I have to flood the market of a 3rd world nation putting their small farmers out of business. It's better that we put it into our cars so that we put the market back into synch. and not screw over the guys from other places trying to make it, let the guys from the 3rd world feed the guys from the 3rd world. By the way if people are starving it is really inconsiderate of them to have so many kids, it's not my place to take care of them, if you can't take care of kids keep your legs shut as you do not have the right to bring a new person into a life of squalor.

riiiiggghhhtttt, just how do they toss people in a patrol car, ask them. Also is she to walk around with her gun drawn all the time An attempt at a little humour here. There are many female police officers and they seem to be doing just fine. There has been the odd screw up in the past few years but the male cops screw up too, with a little too much brutality. With brutality, thats a matter of opinion, they're trained it's better to be a defendant than a corpse. Here's a screw up for you, my brother in the RCMP is arresting a guy twice his size, they're indoors so they can't use pepperspray and he doesn't trust a taser. His partner was a female cop who was on the petite side, who obviously didn't meet the physical standards of males. Long story short in the process of arresting him he came out with battle scars and bruised ribs, what did she do NOTHING!!! She should have been in there with him helping out. This is a big basis of my argument, if your going to be arresting a big bruiser like that, you have to meet specs, it's a matter of safety for yourself, partner, and the public.

Standards are standards, I believe in one standard for a particular job. If a guy and a girl are qualifying for 2 teaching positions and the guy has 5 yrs. education and the girl has 7 yrs. she should get paid more than the guy, fair is fair. same goes for lady police officers, if a guy gets a physical score of X in training and the girl gets less than X because of the double standard, (they get the same written exam marks btw) out of fairness she should get paid less because she is LESS QUALIFIED. If she gets score X in training the same as the male, she should get paid the same. BTW I am not saying anyone is weak, I'm saying I hate the double standard. Sorry, driving a truck alongside a tractor or taking a load of grain off the combine on the fly is not more mentally demanding than chucking hay/silage, its like anything else if you do it long enough it gets easier and easier. Like I said if you stooked hay with your brothers enough, you will get stronger its like working out, unless you don't want big arms and a thick torso I wouldn't suggest stooking hay then. Last time I chequed a journeyman for the hydro company makes a hell of a lot more than some flake with a 3 year arts degree. I also don't think women are weak, not at all, I've seen farm girls completely destroy guys from town in arm wrestling. What I do hate is double standards, like in the police force, like it or not in the police force the physical aspect is every bit as important as the mental aspect. One high standard there, if nobody, guy or girl can meet it, they aren't cut out to be a cop, simple. The only women I dislike are those princessy Belinda Stronach types who demand equality but the second something doesn't go their way they piss and moan about it, why in the hell should I respect people like that? If your life was in danger who would you want saving it; a female officer who has the exact same physical skills as her male counterpart or the female officer who is only a female officer because of lower physical standards just so they can get in?

Oh crap, not good for me, i buy a huge quantity of the stuff, that sucks my phone is tapped hahahaha

riiiiggghhhtttt, just how do they toss people in a patrol car, ask them. Also is she to walk around with her gun drawn all the time

5 million bucks to watch a bunch of queers running around paid for by the gov't??? I feel sorry for the poor cancer patients who might die because of this. I can just picture, sorry this hospital has to close 5 million dollars worth of beds because our government believes it is in the best interest of our dying culture to watch queers running around a race track. Arent the roads falling apart in quebec too?