[JGHali]

Otherwise I think the only industries we're over weight in, in terms of natural resources would be in fisheries, largely in Atlantic Canada.

I would like to see moves their to allow modern fleets and not simply stick to nostalgic owner-operated boats with a fish processing plant in every outport.

Executing that latter shift would require buyouts, relaxed regulation of some sort, but also investment to help wind down some no longer sustainable outports, and to help bail out provinces under a perpetual debt swamp.

That last one could be messy, but it is necessary, I think, the future of that region.

Hmm, 1950 called, it wants its impression of the fishery back. "Modern fleets" are the sort of thing that helped cause the cod stock to collapse #moratorium. Otherwise, at least in NL, "resettlement" has been a thing for decades now, and population has progressively consolidated on the northeast Avalon around St John's and in a few other centres. NL is more about the offshore now, Labrador mines, and, of course, the colossal mistake that is Muskrat Falls.

 

[lenaitch]

Lastly on this one. It's incredibly frustrating how professions are governed in Canada. We're a country of 37 million. Why the hell do we need ten professional associations for each profession? Yes, it's provincially governed. By I don't see why the feds can't cajole the bigger professions (engineering, law, medicine) to establish national professional associations/colleges, like accountants have done in Canada. I want to see the feds jump into this one even if it pisses off the provinces.

Somebody once defined Canada as a country held together by bribes. A problem with many attempts by Ottawa to bring some manner of provincial jurisdiction under a common umbrella, or at least a common set of rules is that, if the provinces agree, they do so with their hands out. 'Stop meddling in our affairs but where's our money'. Quebec wrote the book on it but the names of most others are on the library card.

 

[kEiThZ]

Somebody once defined Canada as a country held together by bribes. A problem with many attempts by Ottawa to bring some manner of provincial jurisdiction under a common umbrella, or at least a common set of rules is that, if the provinces agree, they do so with their hands out. 'Stop meddling in our affairs but where's our money'. Quebec wrote the book on it but the names of most others are on the library card.

Indeed. But this is an area where the feds can do this with direct inducements, getting around the provinces to some extent. “Here’s the framework. Here’s the national standards. Meet them and you qualify for federal funds. Miss them and we’ll cut every single federal grant you get.”

 

[Videodrome]

https://globalnews.ca/news/4827607/facebook-comments-killing-trudeau-canadian-yellow-vests/

This is the crowd that the CPC is egging on with their right wing populist nonsense.

 

[Northern Light]

Hmm, 1950 called, it wants its impression of the fishery back. "Modern fleets" are the sort of thing that helped cause the cod stock to collapse #moratorium. Otherwise, at least in NL, "resettlement" has been a thing for decades now, and population has progressively consolidated on the northeast Avalon around St John's and in a few other centres. NL is more about the offshore now, Labrador mines, and, of course, the colossal mistake that is Muskrat Falls.

As a committed environmentalist, something I think is known about me here, you don't think I would advocate harm to our oceans, I hope.

The cod stocks were harmed by overfished, both domestic and foreign and by bottom-trawling. I did not and would not support that.

What I would support is moving Atlantic fisheries into the same regulatory framework as Pacific fisheries.

That means allowing ownership of multiple boats by one person, rather than owner-operated requirements.

This is more cost-efficient, it allows successful operators to expand and thus improves productivity, it also increases availability of capital and sophistication of operators.

I do not, however, favour bottom-trawling or over-fishing.

Yes, the outports in NL have been materially reduced, but let me tell you there are still way too many. They are a big drag on the NL budget, as they require roads, schools, port maintenance etc.

There is a need for further consolidation.

That is also not true just of NL but of New Brunswick as well, and to a lesser degree Nova Scotia.

When you look at per capita costs for delivering schools, hospitals etc. they are higher in Atlantic Canada, and this is because there are more small facilities, all of which require certain basics.

I'm advocating the shutdown and complete removal of non-viable communities.

Its one of 2-3 key things that could be done to help the Maritimes modernize and be more competitive.

They also really need to harmonize certain regulations/labour standards etc, particularly across NS/NB/PEI in order to make it easy for businesses to operate across the different jurisdictions. ( note I would favour raising labour/environ. standards to the highest level in such a move)

They also need to find money to improve connectivity within their region, to the ROC and to the US in order to be more competitive; as well as try to make their cities more appealing to young people. Halifax is coming along nicely, but NB really needs to boost urban living.

 

[TrickyRicky]

On strategic economic direction I agree and have always advocated for Canada to participate in diverse value added competitive industries. However, what if reality is teaching us lessons our hopes blind us to?

What if base resources and housing are where Canadian endeavour and capital are better allocated? Are the industrial bases of Germany or South Korea or the tech bases of Silicon Valley or the Pharmaceutical heartland of Switzerland bastions of future strength or sunset ecosystems being eroded by increasing global competition and eroding margins in the future global order?

On the other hand is Canada’s freedom and living standard in a world exploding with middle-class people and seemingly now becoming more not less autocratic not a safe bet for the housing industry and raw commodities?

 

[Videodrome]

[B]David Akin ??[/B]‏Verified account @[B]davidakin[/B] 5h5 hours ago
More
FINALLY! @justinTrudeau announces by-elections in Burnaby South, Outremont, and York-Simcoe. E-Day is Feb 25. #elxn42

We have a date!

FWIW: Elections Canada said @s_malcolmson officially vacated the federal seat of Nanaimo-Ladysmith as of Jan 7. @JustinTrudeau has until July 6 to set a date for a by-election. http://bit.ly/2QwWgnT

Should have called it with the other three.

 

[lenaitch]

As a committed environmentalist, something I think is known about me here, you don't think I would advocate harm to our oceans, I hope.

The cod stocks were harmed by overfished, both domestic and foreign and by bottom-trawling. I did not and would not support that.

What I would support is moving Atlantic fisheries into the same regulatory framework as Pacific fisheries.

That means allowing ownership of multiple boats by one person, rather than owner-operated requirements.

This is more cost-efficient, it allows successful operators to expand and thus improves productivity, it also increases availability of capital and sophistication of operators.

I do not, however, favour bottom-trawling or over-fishing.

Yes, the outports in NL have been materially reduced, but let me tell you there are still way too many. They are a big drag on the NL budget, as they require roads, schools, port maintenance etc.

There is a need for further consolidation.

That is also not true just of NL but of New Brunswick as well, and to a lesser degree Nova Scotia.

When you look at per capita costs for delivering schools, hospitals etc. they are higher in Atlantic Canada, and this is because there are more small facilities, all of which require certain basics.

I'm advocating the shutdown and complete removal of non-viable communities.

Its one of 2-3 key things that could be done to help the Maritimes modernize and be more competitive.

They also really need to harmonize certain regulations/labour standards etc, particularly across NS/NB/PEI in order to make it easy for businesses to operate across the different jurisdictions. ( note I would favour raising labour/environ. standards to the highest level in such a move)

They also need to find money to improve connectivity within their region, to the ROC and to the US in order to be more competitive; as well as try to make their cities more appealing to young people. Halifax is coming along nicely, but NB really needs to boost urban living.

A country that dictates where we cannot live is the same as a country that dictates where we must live, and is a country I don't want to live in. Canada is more than a a string of megopolis' within local calling distance of the US border.

 

[Northern Light]

A country that dictates where we cannot live is the same as a country that dictates where we must live, and is a country I don't want to live in. Canada is more than a a string of megopolis' within local calling distance of the US border.

With the greatest of respect your assertion that people have a right to expensive public services because they would like to live in a remote area without any inconvenience strikes me as odd.

The equation of depriving someone of said right by way of withdrawing that extreme subsidy with something out of a dictatorship is simply intellectually unreasonable.

No one is suggesting that if you want to own off-the-grid property with well water, nowhere near a school or a hospital that you can't do so.

I can't wrap my head around the notion that one is entitled to public subsidy to live wherever one wishes.

Moreover, if one removes the subsidized services (school, hospital, possibly sewer/water treatment) most people would want to move, but be un-able to sell their properties (which is why you would offer a buy-out)

It is not dictatorial for the government to determine where hospitals, sewers, railways, roads or schools will go. Its normal course of business and happens all the time, in every country of the world.

The issue here is that the maritime provinces maintain too many services for rural residents in areas with declining populations and where said services are more expensive than they used to be.

That choice is causing financial hardship for the region; subsidizing the few, at the expense of the many.

Reform is not evil, its necessary. It should be applied with compassion, reasonable notice, buy-outs and the like. But it should not be avoided or dragged out, that helps no one.

 

[Northern Light]

Lets go to the facts.

Lets take the number of hospital facilities divided by population for Ontario and each of the Atlantic provinces.

Ontario 32,000 people per hospital
Nova Scotia 21,000 people per hospital
New Brunswick 14,000 people per hospital
PEI is respectable at a fully 38,000 per hospital (no need to cut here)
NL 13500 people per hospital

Let's compare a couple of these by km as well.

To be fair, I'm going to hack off the entire northern 1/2 of Ontario as to leave it in would create a misleading stat.

Ontario, 1 hospital to every 1,100km2
NB 1 hospital to every 1,300km2 (with a tiny fraction of the population)
NS 1 hospital to every 1,000km 2

With NL, I think its only fair to trim some of Labrador as I did with ON as large sections are completely remote and unserved.

Using the same rational as ON

I would arrive at around 1 hospital to every 2000km sq (most of it sparsely populated)

Those numbers simply aren't viable.

To put this in perspective.

If NB reduced its hospitals per capita to the same number as Ontario it would close more than 1/2 its hospitals.

We could reasonably argue that that would excessive.

However, failing to reduce them by a 1/4 would be irresponsible.

https://www.statista.com/statistics...ospital-establishments-in-canada-by-province/

Just to be fully transparent, I know this source does not reflect the number of full-service hospitals and is including other healthcare locations such as urgent care centres and rehab hospitals.

A quick glance at school data shows a similar problem.

Ontario operates roughly one school (elementary, middle or high school) for every 2,900 people in ON

NFLD operates 1 for every 2000.

I couldn't find easy data for the other maritime provinces.

 

[JGHali]

That means allowing ownership of multiple boats by one person, rather than owner-operated requirements.

This is more cost-efficient, it allows successful operators to expand and thus improves productivity, it also increases availability of capital and sophistication of operators.

Suppose you can take that up with the FFAW.

Yes, the outports in NL have been materially reduced, but let me tell you there are still way too many. They are a big drag on the NL budget, as they require roads, schools, port maintenance etc.

There is a need for further consolidation.

[...]

I'm advocating the shutdown and complete removal of non-viable communities.

Which is what the resettlement policy is all about. You can't force people to move really, but I won't say there's not a fair bit entitlement in some of these places.

Lets go to the facts.

Lets take the number of hospital facilities divided by population for Ontario and each of the Atlantic provinces.

Ontario 32,000 people per hospital
Nova Scotia 21,000 people per hospital
New Brunswick 14,000 people per hospital
PEI is respectable at a fully 38,000 per hospital (no need to cut here)
NL 13500 people per hospital

[...]

With NL, I think its only fair to trim some of Labrador as I did with ON as large sections are completely remote and unserved.

Using the same rational as ON

I would arrive at around 1 hospital to every 2000km sq (most of it sparsely populated)

Those numbers simply aren't viable.

Many of these "hospitals" are small GP-run health centres with a few inpatient beds (or attached LTC) and a limited hours ER. Newfoundland - talking about just the island here - has double the area of NS and half the population, and there are big distances between hospitals in particular. The system is also fully regionalized so individual facilities have at most a site manager rather then the bloated executive teams at Ontario hospitals. (No overlapping LHIN bureaucracies either.)

Ontario operates roughly one school (elementary, middle or high school) for every 2,900 people in ON

NFLD operates 1 for every 2000.

I couldn't find easy data for the other maritime provinces.

On the other hand, NL has only one real school board and got rid of sectarian education close to 20 years ago. (Though there is a small French one admittedly.)

 

[Jasmine18]

Looking at polling for the Federal Parties it seems Trudeau popularity is being shaped by gender.

He is very popular with females and not very popular with males.

Now the issue is that in the long term if this continues or if the gap grows wider, the chances of a populist type government taking control federally grows higher because I noticed the general same trendlines in other countries where populists have gotten more popular or actually won power.

I notice this myself that my female friends generally love Trudeau but my male friends think he is a horrible leader.

 

[Northern Light]

Looking at polling for the Federal Parties it seems Trudeau popularity is being shaped by gender.

He is very popular with females and not very popular with males.

Now the issue is that in the long term if this continues or if the gap grows wider, the chances of a populist type government taking control federally grows higher because I noticed the general same trendlines in other countries where populists have gotten more popular or actually won power.
.

I think the impact of that trend would depend on the degree of difference between the sexes.

Worth saying here is women currently vote more than men in national elections in Canada.

There was spread of 2.3 points greater participation rate in the 2015 election and an even larger spread in the election before that.

http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rec/eval/pes2015/vtsa&document=table2&lang=e

That said, its worth noting that 'hate' or simply strong dislike is a more of a driver to turnout than contentment or indifference.

 

[BurlOak]

Liberal Party to pay Speaker's office $500 for use of PM's office for fundraising video

According to House of Commons rules, politicians cannot use parliamentary premises for partisan purposes, such as fundraising.

But last month, the Liberal Party used Trudeau's Centre Block office as the backdrop for a fundraising video that asked supporters to make donations to the party.

It's hard to believe, but Trudeau was found to be breaking the rules again. This is on top of the 5 Ethics Act violations to his name specifically. He really feels that the rules don't apply to him - this is at least the 3rd occurrence I can think of.
It appears that Trudeau (i.e. Liberal Party) decided that $500 is the appropriate punishment, so I am sure the issue will go away.

 

[lenaitch]

Lets go to the facts.

Lets take the number of hospital facilities divided by population for Ontario and each of the Atlantic provinces.

Ontario 32,000 people per hospital
Nova Scotia 21,000 people per hospital
New Brunswick 14,000 people per hospital
PEI is respectable at a fully 38,000 per hospital (no need to cut here)
NL 13500 people per hospital

Let's compare a couple of these by km as well.

To be fair, I'm going to hack off the entire northern 1/2 of Ontario as to leave it in would create a misleading stat.

Ontario, 1 hospital to every 1,100km2
NB 1 hospital to every 1,300km2 (with a tiny fraction of the population)
NS 1 hospital to every 1,000km 2

With NL, I think its only fair to trim some of Labrador as I did with ON as large sections are completely remote and unserved.

Using the same rational as ON

I would arrive at around 1 hospital to every 2000km sq (most of it sparsely populated)

Those numbers simply aren't viable.

To put this in perspective.

If NB reduced its hospitals per capita to the same number as Ontario it would close more than 1/2 its hospitals.

We could reasonably argue that that would excessive.

However, failing to reduce them by a 1/4 would be irresponsible.

https://www.statista.com/statistics...ospital-establishments-in-canada-by-province/

Just to be fully transparent, I know this source does not reflect the number of full-service hospitals and is including other healthcare locations such as urgent care centres and rehab hospitals.

A quick glance at school data shows a similar problem.

Ontario operates roughly one school (elementary, middle or high school) for every 2,900 people in ON

NFLD operates 1 for every 2000.

I couldn't find easy data for the other maritime provinces.

Your numbers may be unassailable, but my personal view stands, notwithstanding. The mining, agricultural, forestry, fisheries and (to a degree) tourism industries are all part of the Canadian economy and originate from these areas of Atlantic Canada and elsewhere. They are also home to many of our military installations.

Perhaps we can envision a letter from a future City or Toronto:

Dear Resident;

We have determined that it is no longer efficient to provide services to single dwellings and, starting immediately, will only provide municipal services to residences that are over six stories. Accordingly, services such as road maintenance, garbage collection and emergency services will no longer be provided to residential neighbourhoods that are predominantly detached single family structures. Thank you for your cooperation.

Silly, I know.

To me, Canada is more than a collection of numbers. Sorry.