Of course, proponents of Harpernomics continue to trumpet the fundamental advantages that continue to lend favor to the Canadian economy. One: housing starts and real estate prices remain high on this side of the border, and Canadian lending practices have prevented a similar sub-prime housing crisis from developing in Canada.  Of course, with Banks hoarding money and unwilling to lend much more than bus fare, these new houses will be so empty that they risk becoming a national fire hazard. In an odd turn of events, securing a mortgage in Canada today can now take longer than the average wait time for a hip replacement.

Two: Canadian companies remain far healthier and better capitalized than their American counterparts. True, although as 90% of our country’s exports flow south, the Canadian economy decidedly moves in tandem with that of (as quoted by a colorful former Prime Minister) its elephantine bedtime partner. The favors bestowed upon Canada from this intimate relationship are sure to subside, as our nocturnal partner has seemingly fallen out of bed, broken its arm, and cracked its head open on the edge of the nightstand.

As recently as Friday, a government report in Canada revealed job creation numbers ten times higher than expected, momentarily bolstering the spirits of Bay street traders. But in the absence of an ensuing rally, the short-lived flash of optimism was again replaced by the macabre ideology of the times: sell no matter what. In a desperate attempt to regain liquidity amid the carnage, traders will soon contemplate auctioning the watches off their arms, as well as intimate back massages, and tickets to their children’s Thanksgiving school plays.

Of course, it is to be expected that provincial delegations would uphold the economy and their plans for its resuscitation front and centre in their agendas for the upcoming first ministers meeting. In the recent English language debate, federal opposition leaders tore into the Prime Minister much like wolves tear into a piece of chunky Alberta beef—after his failure to offer any new ideas or policies which might stabilize the ailing economy.

Oddly, however,  ost delegations failed to even mention what could be the worst economic collapse since the great depression, let alone propose solutions. As usual, most griped for more monetary kickbacks from Ottawa. Meltdown or no meltdown, it’s provincial politics as usual for most delegations. Nova Scotia whined about equalization, BC pined away (no pun intended) about their beetle infestation, and PEI demanded twelve wind turbines per capita to be placed at every street corner in downtown Charlottetown. Oh, and those up in Yellowknife want to become a province. Um, okay.. whatever.

It was only the Federal delegation, along with Quebec and Alberta, which directly addressed what has become the most salient issue this election campaign. New Brunswick preferred to fight tooth and nail over its deposits of Potash—undaunted by the recent collapse in the fertilizer industry and analysts pessimistic outlook for once unassailable potash prices. Nunavut is calling for immediate and “very expensive” aid programs to combat the effects of climate change in the Territory—sure to be a sound investment that ameliorates conditions for the territory’s seventeen permanent residents and its host of polar bears and sled dogs. Iqaluit’s recent troubles with massive ice chunks breaking off its arctic selves could surely be remedied using a much more cost effective team of Inuit carpenters with the help of a sturdy hammer and some scotch tape. Nunavut might equally ask for provincial status, as it alone can most effectively threaten to separate should its demands not be met—by detaching itself completely and floating away into the Arctic.

Canadians are scared. Should the crisis worsen, jobs will be lost, growth with come to a standstill, and the country will be thrown quite possibly into another great depression. Of course, since so few of us were around back then, we really cannot fathom how profound the effects of an economic meltdown are on everyday life. Mainstay issues in Canada such as health care reform and the environment are salient only in rich, developed countries, which can afford to debate trivialities in these areas thanks to robust economic growth. Those in the 1930’s were hardly fretting over the loss of a few trees in BC, or the wait times at Toronto General.  These issues, however important, must be temporarily put on the backburner and leaders must focus their efforts on what inevitably keeps everything going: it’s the economy, stupid.

This is no time for Saskatchewan to rehash the niceties of the equalization formula. It is no time for Alberta to whimper incessantly about Senate reform. After billions of dollars of investment, Ontario’s newly educated workforce (that is, formerly unemployed GM workers) might just be picking apples in Niagara Falls should the carnage on Bay Street continue. The provinces must come up with a cohesive, effective plan to shelter their economies as much as possible from the global financial turmoil. Besides, a little bit of global warming would be kind of nice up here in the frigid North. The silver lining is that we’ll all be a bit warmer as we sleep in the alleys behind our foreclosed former houses.

And if that doesn’t appeal, may I suggest using your last few twoonies to take a trip to beautiful Prince Edward Island, which is nagging Ottawa for funding to revitalize its Tourism industry. And should the sheer beauty of the land of Green Gables fail to alleviate your woes, there’s always the option of taking a suicidal leap off one of their brand new wind turbines.

Nick Banerd, The Seditious Times

Path, originally uploaded by the origin of shoeism. ]]> http://echenblog.wordpress.com/?p=158 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:02:49 +0000 Alan Echenberg http://echenblog.fr.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/election-night-cheat-sheet-for-political-junkies/ Will tonight's federal election result in more of the same or are we in for a surprise or two? Here's a cheat sheet on the tightest local races, which are likely to decide the election. Clip, save, place next to your chips, beer and TV remote, and consult as results pour in from east to west:

Atlantic Canada

Newfoundland and Labrador: The big question here is how effective Premier Danny Williams' Anyone But Conservative campaign has been. The Conservatives went into this election holding three of the province's seven seats -- St. John's East, St. John's South - Mt. Pearl, and Avalon -- and are in danger of losing all three: Two to the Liberals and St. John's East to the NDP's star candidate, Jack Harris, the party's former provincial leader.

Prince Edward Island: The Island's four ridings have not gone anything but Liberal for 20 years. The Conservatives seem to think they have enough of a shot in the riding of Egmont, which takes in the city of Summerside and the western part of PEI, that Prime Minister Stephen Harper made PEI the first stop in his big final-day cross-country push yesterday. The Liberals are running former PEI Premier Keith Milligan there against the Tory candidate Gail Shea, a former provincial cabinet minister.

Nova Scotia: No riding here has garnered more interest than Central Nova, where Green Party leader Elizabeth May is trying to topple Defence Minister Peter MacKay. If she succeeds, it will be one of the top stories of the election. Elsewhere, former Conservative MP Bill Casey will try to hold onto Cumberland - Colchester - Musquodoboit Valley as an independent candidate, and the NDP hopes to add to its two N.S. seats (Halifax and Sackville-Eastern Shore) by poaching Dartmouth-Cole Harbour from the Libs and South Shore - St. Margaret's from the Tories.

New Brunswick: The Liberals tend to dominate in the northern half of this province (with the exception of the NDP stronghold of Acadie-Bathurst). and the Tories tend to dominate in the southern half, leaving a trio of adjoining swing ridings in central and western New Brunswick worth watching: Fredericton, Tobique - Mactaquaq and Madawaska - Restigouche.

Quebec

Montreal / Laval : The Conservatives are not a factor anywhere in the metropolis, where the Liberals still hold on to their core Quebec vote. There are four races to watch here, all in traditional Liberal ridings the Grits hope to retake from opponents. In Papineau, Ahuntsic and Jeanne-Le-Ber, those opponents are Bloc MPs. Papineau Liberal candidate Justin Trudeau hopes to become the third son-of-a-Prime-Minister in Canadian history to sit as an MP (trivia points to anyone who can name the other two). In Outremont, the Liberals hope to unseat NDP incumbent Thomas Mulcair, who won the seat in a byelection. If Mulcair holds on, it will be the first time in history that an NDP candidate won a Quebec seat in a general election.

Quebec City / Northeastern Quebec: These are the areas where the Conservatives made their great breakthroughs in the last election - breakthroughs they hoped to build on this time around. Instead, an erratic campaign has them hoping to preserve what they already had. Their seats on the south shore of the Saint-Laurent, across from Quebec City, seem safe, but several in the provincial capital and in Saguenay-Lac Saint Jean are in danger of swinging back to the Bloc. These ridings include Beauport-Limoilou, Charlesbourg-Haute-Saint-Charles, Louis-Hébert, Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean, and the Jonquière-Alma riding of cabinet minister Jean-Pierre Blackburn. The only safe Conservative seat north of the river seems to be Louis-Saint-Laurent, held by Heritage Minister Josée Verner.

Elsewhere: It's all safe Bloc seats, including Vaudreuil-Soulanges, where previously unelected cabinet minister Michael Fortier is expected to remain unelected. The only exceptions are the three Outaouais ridings, across the river from Ottawa. Hull-Aylmer is the only remaining safe-ish Liberal seat outside of Montreal. Pontiac will continue to be held by Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon if the other three major parties continue to split the vote. And in Gatineau, NDP candidate Francoise Boivin hopes to win back the seat she lost to the Bloc as a Liberal incumbent last time around.

Ontario

Toronto: The biggest Liberal bastion in the country. A couple of tight NDP-Liberal races worth watching are in Parkdale - High Park, where former Liberal leadership candidate Gerard Kennedy hopes to win back his old provincial riding from incumbent New Democrat Peggy Nash, and Beaches-East York, which former NDP MPP Marilyn Churley will once again try to win away from longtime Liberal MP Maria Minna.

The 905: The region surrounding Toronto where many elections get decided. Many interesting races to watch here. In the eastern part of the 905 semi-circle, Oshawa always hosts tight three-way races. Farther west, the Conservatives hope to retake Newmarket-Aurora now that Belinda Stronach has left politics and Halton, now that incumbent Garth Turner has left their party and become a Liberal. Similarly, the Liberals hope to retake Mississauga-Streetsville from Grit-turned-Tory Wajid Khan. Conservatives also have a chance in several other ridings that have gone Liberal for years: Mississauga-Erindale, Mississauga South, and Oakville. In the Hamilton-Niagara region, the Liberals hope to retake Hamilton East - Stoney Creek from the NDP and St. Catherines from the Tories. And look for a close three-way race in Welland.

Southwestern Ontario: The two closest races in this region are likely to be in Brant and London West, where Liberal incumbents defend their seats against Conservative challengers.

Eastern and Northern Ontario: Incumbents seem pretty safe in Eastern Ontario. The closest race in this region is likely to be Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, where Dan Boudria attempts to win back his father Don's old riding, won by the Conservatives in 2008. The NDP has high hopes in the north, where New Democratic candidates have their eyes on a number of seats the Liberals won last time around, including Algoma - Manitoulin - Kapuskasing, Kenora, Nickel Belt, Thunder Bay - Rainy River and Thunder Bay - Superior North. Also worth watching is Parry Sound - Muskoka, which cabinet minister Tony Clement won last time in the closest race in the country.

Prairie Provinces

Manitoba: The Liberal's three incumbent MPs in the province were all fighting tough battles in this election. The NDP hopes to grab Churchill, the Tories hope to win Saint-Boniface and Winnipeg South-Centre. If the Libs have any chance to regain an old seat, it will be in Winnipeg South, won by the Tories last time.

Saskatchewan: Ralph Goodale's one Liberal seat in this province is probably safe, as are most of the other Conservative seats in the province, with the exception of Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar and Palliser, former NDP seats that party hopes to win back, and Desenthé-Missinippi-Churchill RIver, which Progressive-Conservative-turned-Liberal David Orchard hopes to win after being denied the nomination by Stéphane Dion in a recent byelection.

Alberta: The easiest province to pick should go all-Tory all-the-time. The two ridings where there could be longshot upsets are Edmonton-Strathcona, which the NDP often wins provincially and where it has the best (longshot) chance in he province, and Calgary Northeast, where a divisive nomination race resulted in one Conservative running as an independent against the official party candidate, with a (longshot) chance at splitting the vote.

British Columbia and the North

Vancouver Island: Three races to watch here: Esquimault-Juan de Fuca, where Liberal incumbent Keith Martin is in a three-way race, Vancouver Island North, which the Tories hope to take back from the NDP, and Saanich - Gulf Islands, where cabinet minister Gary Lunn faces an unexpectedly strong challenge from the Liberals, after the NDP candidate was forced to withdraw from the race.

Greater Vancouver: Many interesting races here. Liberal incumbents face strong Tory challenges in Richmond, Newton-North Delta, North Vancouver and Vancouver-Quadra, and the Liberals and NDP are in a tough race in Vancouver Kingsway, most recently held by Liberal-turned-Tory-turned-retired-cabinet-minister David Emerson. Two other ridings worth watching are West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country, which the Conservatives hope to win back from Liberal-turned-Green Blair Wilson, and Surrey North, once held by the late Chuck Cadman. Cadman's widow Dona is running for the Tories in a riding won in 2006 by the NDP.

Elsewhere in B.C.: Many safe Tory and NDP seats all over rural British Columbia. The one exception may be Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, which the NDP hopes to poach from the Conservatives.

The Arctic Territories: Yukon is a safe Liberal seat, Western Arctic is a safe NDP seat, but Nunavut may be tossup, which explains why so many leaders have visited Iqaluit lately.

Tune in tonight, and keep this guide handy...

We had a wonderful time, again this year, at my sister's cottage. This year there were even more of us attending the festivities, and we had a great party! We also had Way Too Much Food! I took the following picture, out the car window, on our way there. I wondered if Kelly might be somewhere on the opposite ridge.

Last year, at this time, my husband was not at all well. This year is a marked contrast. It is an understatement to say that we are all very Thankful, for his recovery from two, yes two, diseases. His strength and courage has been remarkable. I'm grateful for him every day!!

Lookin' good!!! ;)

Let Me Run opened the evening at Rutgers University's Cook Campus Center. The band's songs were brightly accented by a winding lead guitar, cutting through and overpowering the band's otherwise simple progressions and rhythms. Strong vocals and big hooks add to the punch, and it's hard not to recommend checking the band out live. The same can't be said for their demo EP, handed out for free after their set; in the studio, they unfortunately don't come off with the same aggression and tight sound, and it's instantly forgettable. Hopefully their upcoming album on XOXO Records (former home of The Gaslight Anthem) is well-focused and potent, because the four-piece certainly shows talent and unexplored potential.

The King Left took the stage soon after, their sound quite different from that of Let Me Run. Inspired by the latest wave of throwback British indie bands, The King Left showcased musical talent and ability but ultimately proved to be too boring. Exciting songs suffered from excessive repetition without introducing anything worthwhile during the drawn out instrumentals. The band has toured with the likes of We Are Scientists, Secret Machines, and Tokyo Police Club; certainly their sound is comparable, but it is ultimately much less refined and not as appealing. Like Let Me Run, however, the band is young and shows much promise.

Introduced to the blue-collar punk-rock quartet last New Year's Eve, I had the greatest expectations for The Gaslight Anthem. In a thus far docile crowd lurked at least fifty-dedicated Gaslight fans; they came to dance, ready to sing every one of frontman Brian Fallon's lyrics. "Mary, this station is playing every sad song, I remember like we were alive" were his first words (from The '59 Sound's first track, "Great Expectations"), and the crowd was immediately hooked.

The band wears their New Jersey influences proud, drawing from Bruce Springsteen to The Bouncing Souls, with stops on board with other influential artists across the map (and century) including Alkaline Trio and Otis Redding. The integration and synergy between rock legends and underground punk has never sounded so authentic, meaningful, or pure. By the time the band begins "Miles Davis and the Cool" (a nod to yet another of the band's influences), a glance around the audience reveals a unifying thought on the minds of every new listener:

There's something reassuringly familiar about The Gaslight Anthem, but at the same time it is incredibly new and exciting. No one dared look away during the band's near two hour performance that spanned across their three release discography. The band played extremely well, with tight guitars and a solid rhythm section holding the band's sound in place while Fallon sang his heart out. The vocals were mixed a bit low, and the room's sound left much to be desired, but it hardly detracted from a band that clicked so well through their twenty song set:

Great Expectations
Wooderson
Casanova, Baby!
We Came to Dance
I’da Call You Woody, Joe
Angry Johnny On the Radio
The ‘59 Sound
Film Noir
Señor and the Queen
Old White Lincoln
Miles Davis & the Cool
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
1930
Say I Won’t (Recognize)
The Backseat
The Patient Ferris Wheel
The Navesink Banks
Drive
I Coulda Been a Contender

Throughout the set Fallon told tales of the band's recent trip to Australia, describing a fortune-teller who would tell the band fortunes for a nominal fee--but not the band's fortunes, merely the fortunes of strangers in other parts of the country. Anecdotes like these filled the evening, the band joking with the crowd like the room was filled with old friends.

The band will open for Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, and Thrice for a fall tour, completing what could possibly be the best four-band lineup of 2008. If their performance at Rutgers is any indication, expect the band to hold their own on that monster bill of proven veterans.

Barring an almost miraculous shift of public opinion the Conservatives appear set to win enough seats in the Commons to form another minority government. It will probably be a minority government with less seats, because of the economic turbulence in the air. However, Harper has already said that if that happens, he will take it as a mandate from voters to do as he sees fit. This does not sound good to Canadian voters and he should have used different language. It makes him look uncaring and indifferent to the voters. Ironically, that attitude towards Canadians, although leadership like, makes him look bad in the public eye. So this leaves the opposition parties with two choices. They can either bring down the government or cowardly do nothing.

For those who do not understand let me explain what will probably happen.

1. Harper will win a minority government with less seats.
2. The combined seats of the Liberals and NDP will probably be more than the Conservatives.
3. Since Harper wins the Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, will ask the Prime Minister if he can form a viable government.
4. Seeing that Harper believes he can, due to arrogance or simple survival, will say "yes"
   
5. Based on percentage the Conservatives will not (most likely) have most of the popular vote - however changing the system is of voting is probably a debate for another day
   
6. Now this is where it gets interesting.
7. There will be a confidence motion in the House (Parliament)
8. They will be defeated, which will require the Prime Minister to hand in his resignation
9. The Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, will then ask Dion (probably), if he can form the next government.
10. He will, of course, say "yes".
11. That yes is pending that he is in a coalition government.

So, in reality, there is not much we can do other than get a coalition government. Can Jack Layton work with Dion and the Liberals? What would happen if Jack Layton was in opposition instead? It is probably unavoidable. There is the possibility that Stéphane Dion and the Liberals win a minority government. Based on the polls this is unlikely, however who really knows. Based on polling about 1/2 - 1/3 of Canadian voting are making up their minds now over Thanksgiving dinner.

There is really no way to avoid this situation. If Canadians really wanted change or to avoid another election in 18 months, they would have to vote for Jack Layton and the NDP in large numbers or give the Liberals a larger minority. There is the chance that a rout of the Conservatives in Quebec and Ontario would decimate the party enough to avoid this entire situation. However, do not count out the Conservatives. People are taking time to carefully assess their personal situation. Everyone remembers the shift from the NDP in Ontario to the "hard right" of the Mike Harris government. It will definately be an interesting election on October 14th, 2008. Make sure you vote!

By: Andy MJ
a.k.a The G.T.A Patriot

2008-10-02
Citizens Against Carbon Tax
Mr. Charles Vautour
106 Connolly Street
Moncton, NB E1A 3L1

Results from the 2006 New Brunswick provincial election:

DISTRICT: SHEDIAC-CAP-PELÉ

Victor E. Boudreau LIB 5116 56.61% X
Léo Doiron PC 3639 40.26%
Charles Vautour NDP 283 3.13%

(I wonder if he's any relation to former NDP-turned-Progressive Conservative MP Angela Vautour?)

The federal government’s $45 million spending cutbacks at The Department of Canadian Heritage have become a salient issue with French-speaking voters this campaign. As the Prime Minister tries to make inroads among right-leaning ADQ constituencies in the province, the cutbacks have plagued these efforts in perhaps the only province where cultural issues can indeed swing votes.

Quebec provincial leaders condemned the federal actions as “an attack on Quebec’s national sovereignty.” In a press release, the province’s delegation maintained “that culture is the root of [Quebec’s] identity” and called for a complete reevaluation of the distribution and regulation of cultural funding. The province is no stranger to vehemently challenging Ottawa on cultural issues, as the notorious French language Bill 101 lives on with continued high levels of public support.

Canada’s only officially bilingual province, New Brunswick, also denounced the cutbacks, introducing new arts programs intended to counter federal cutbacks. Premier Thea Mercer condemned the federal measures, which would “sorely disfavor” the province, as its population includes by far the largest Acadian community in the country--a community that was until recently a high net benefactor of cultural funding.

Nick Banerd, The Seditious TImes

That’s good advice for The Fascinating World of New Brunswick by Stuart Trueman. The cover is O.K. but not compelling. Inside, though, it’s a different story.

This is a book that provides a profound awakening.

Julie Craig, the 25-year old library manager at the Andrew and Laura McCain Library, was wandering through the Book Room in Halifax when she discovered it. She wasn’t just moved by it. She moved because of it.

“I guess the reason why I was really drawn to this book is because when I first graduated from university I moved to Halifax. I went to that big old book store downtown with walls and walls of books. They have the Maritime section in there and that’s where I found The Fascinating World of New Brunswick.”

Craig had lived in New Brunswick her entire life before the move to Nova Scotia. Almost by chance, she found this gem in Canada’s oldest book store, The Book Room, which closed earlier this year after being open since 1839.

This lucky discovery yielded more than a good read. This book was meant for her at that point and at that time in her life.

“It really intensified my homesickness and I realized at that point that even though I enjoy going other places, trying new things and meeting new people – that sort of thing – New Brunswick is my home. I know no matter where I go I’m going to be back here. That’s what made me decide to move back to New Brunswick.”

If the title isn’t obvious enough, author Stuart Trueman shared Craig’s exuberance for New Brunswick and its people .The co-discoverer of Magnetic Hill traipsed across the province in search of interesting tales from regular folk.

Alfie Thompson was one of them.

At the time of their encounter in the book, Thompson was an 89-year old retired fisherman living alone at Chance Harbour. He spent his days collecting random rocks and debris at low tide, then turned it into art and ornaments. Once he carved a fungus bulge out of a tree into the shape of a pumpkin–and turned it green.

As Trueman describes in the book: “The back yard was a dazzling panorama of ingenuity. On rustic tables were arranged, like giant Easter eggs, large round stones tinted every conceivable hue, mostly with elaborate floral patterns, some with words. Other stones were painted to look like the birds or animals their shapes resembled.”

This is but one story among many chronicling Trueman’s travels through New Brunswick in the 1960s and 70s.

Craig explains that Thompson is not the only one of his kind, either.

“I went to Mount A, and outside of Sackville there’s a guy that does dummies, Andy’s Dummies. This guy, in his yard, he makes dummies,” she said. “It’s so interesting and creative. He doesn’t do it to get rich or anything like that; he just does it for the joy of it.”

She is referring to Andy MacDonald, proprietor of Andy’s Dummy Farm in Port Elgin. Born in Cape Breton, MacDonald shows his dummies to the public even though he is well into his 80s– much like Alfie Thompson in Trueman’s book.

Craig says The Fascinating World of New Brunswick can provide a glimpse into a world that many residents can’t even imagine. It can also give friends and family members who have moved away a little taste of home.

“When you read this book your eyes will open to the different opportunities in the province. If you want to be a creative person and express yourself, there are avenues for that. If you love nature, this is a great place to be,” she says. “I think it would be a great book to send to someone who is away.

“And even if it didn’t make them want to come home, I think it would certainly make them stop and think about the unique character of New Brunswickers and the nature of our province.”

We're settling into our new place well now, and I have a few photos to show you of what's going on. Setting up a new house can take some time, especially when you start with very little, like us! You'll be glad to hear that we are sleeping on a bed, so we're not doing too badly there. We also have a sofa, and even a table and chairs. Next on the list we these very important items:

Unfortunately, I'm already losing 36 games to 7 at air hockey.

We've also put a few curtains up (without bringing the house down!). Here's the living now looking a bit more homely with a few more pieces of furniture:

Ben very impressively got the log fire going on two separate occasions. The smoke alarm only went off 3 times. By the second time of lighting the fire, he was a real pro, but I think we both realized why central heating caught on.

Now for the most exciting piece of news! Meet Rosie:

We adopted her last week from the local SPCA. She's just over 12 weeks old, mega cute and exceptionally cheeky. I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

"I'm so cute, I never do anything naughty"

"I will play with anything in sight!"

She likes to sleep on the stairs:

Cutest little chin:

Just woken up:

In one of two states (asleep or wild):

She's settled in surprisingly well and has really made herself at home. Her favourite hobbies include playing with wires and getting in the bookcase to nibble the books. She especially likes hiding behind the TV to play, and I have already spent a considerable amount of time trying to coax her back out! Needless to say that entry has been blocked now, but I'm sure she'll find her way back in.

In other news, my job is going well and I am enjoying it very much. I'm going to Toronto and Saint John (New Brunswick) later this month, so hopefully Ben and Rosie will be ok on their own! I'm also doing some contract work for another company in my spare time. I'm doing some Search Engine Optimization work (for those who know what that means!), which is fantastic not only for the extra money but also for the experience in doing something that I enjoy.

I have also been going to the local photography club (Photo Fredericton), which has been fun. It's pretty similar to the club I used to go to (Wantage Camera Club - hello to anyone from the club reading this!). We meet every other Tuesday though, rather than every week in Wantage, but they have a range of speakers and competitions like I'm used to. If anyone wants to find out more about the club, this is their website: www.photofredericton.ca.

Well, that's most of the news I think. We'll be back again soon with more updates and undoubtedly some stories of mischief that Rosie been up to.

Take care,
Helen & Ben

P.S. I almost forgot, I took a photo from our bedroom window. This is the view we have:

New Brunswick

WHAT ARE LIBERALS SAYING ABOUT DION’S LEADERSHIP?

More and more Liberals are openly starting to muse about Dion’s leadership.  In fact, even one of Stéphane Dion’s few original caucus supporters is now wondering out loud whether he regrets supporting him.

Charles Hubbard:  “I sometimes say in my mind ‘what if Bob Rae or Michael Ignatieff were leader?’” (New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, October 2, 2008)

The context:

Does [Hubbard] regret his early support for Dion?

"I don't think so," said the low-key Hubbard, a former high school principal. "I sometimes say in my mind 'what if Bob Rae or Michael Ignatieff were leader?'

"But the Conservatives would have done the same thing.

"No matter who it was, they would have run comparable ads."

And, lest ITQ be accused of doing the same thing, here's the story in its entirety:

Miramichi Liberal takes to airwaves to defend Dion

Miramichi Liberal MP Charlie Hubbard has taken to running local radio ads imploring voters to get to know the Stéphane Dion he's known for a decade.

Miramichi Liberal MP Charlie Hubbard has taken out radio spots to urge voters to support party leader Stéphane Dion. "I urge each of you to overcome the negative Conservative advertisements," Hubbard says on radio. "Watch the debate.

"See the Stéphane Dion that I have worked with in Ottawa for the past decade."

Hubbard feels a special loyalty to Dion - and a palpable frustration that his choice for leader is preferred as best party leader by roughly one in every six or seven voters.

Hubbard, first elected in 1993, was the only Liberal MP in Atlantic Canada to support Dion's 2006 bid for the party leadership.

Well aware how Dion is perceived, Hubbard stands by his man and blames two years of negative advertising by the Conservatives, most of it portraying Dion as weak.

"I think the attack ads have been the most important element in this campaign," said Hubbard.

"Those have had a great influence on people across the country."

Other Conservative ads have focused on one half of Dion's Green Shift - the tax increases on carbon sources, not the income tax breaks or other benefits on offer.

As a result, there's "a great amount of concern about the carbon tax," said Hubbard.

"We as a party maybe haven't done a real good job of explaining it."

As a party, he said, the Liberals have not done enough to persuade Canadians to question Harper's regulations-based climate-change plan, which the Conservatives and government officials have conceded would also drive up fuel costs.

"We also haven't been able to project how the carbon tax on oil and diesel isn't going to hit all at once, it'll be phased in over four years," said Hubbard.

Does he regret his early support for Dion?

"I don't think so," said the low-key Hubbard, a former high school principal. "I sometimes say in my mind 'what if Bob Rae or Michael Ignatieff were leader?'

"But the Conservatives would have done the same thing.

"No matter who it was, they would have run comparable ads."

Hubbard declared his backing for Dion in September 2006, three months before Dion - who got only 18 per cent on the first ballot - was the last man standing at the Montreal Liberal leadership convention.

The only other prominent New Brunswick Liberals to declare for Dion were former regional minister and Moncton-area MP Claudette Bradshaw and senator John Bryden.

Hubbard was attracted by Dion's combination of experience in cabinet, the courage and intelligence he showed in creating the Clarity Act to challenge Quebec separatists and his work as environment minister.

"He had a background of considerable success," said Hubbard.

Dion's awkwardness in English has also generated criticism - for which Hubbard does not blame the Conservatives.

"I'm surprised that's become an issue," said Hubbard.

"I think it berates our generosity to nail a guy because of his second-language skills - they will improve over time."

After months of air time and millions of dollars spent intoning "Stéphane Dion - not a leader, not worth the risk," the Conservative ads have become ingrained in people's minds.

Hubbard has come up with his own smaller-scale analogy as to why they've worked.

"I said to one local businessman, 'how much money would I have to spend advertising that you run a bad business before it would have a devastating effect?'"

Now, with the English-language debate set for nine o'clock tonight, Hubbard is counting on two hours of television to shape a new, favourable impression of Dion.

"All I would hope for is that many Canadians will watch and they would compare what the Conservatives have said about him to what he really is.

"Now, maybe he'll do a terrible job - but I don't think he will.

"And even if he did, at least it would be Stéphane himself, and not the Stéphane Dion the Conservative party has presented to Canadians."

We have a different sort of outdoor adventure on today's show. It's a combination of historical treasure hunt, geocaching and good old fashioned hiking. Gary joins four model railroad and train enthusiasts, Lou McIntyre, Mike Gerrits, Lawrence van der Meer and Bob Henry as they follow the route of an old, abandoned rail line. The Hampton and St. Martins Railroad operated from 1876 to 1940 in southern New Brunswick. Most of the old rail bed still exists and following it turns into an all day adventure.

Also on the show... some comments about 69 year old runner Frank Kelly we featured on DSO-65 and podsafe music from Dave Potts.

Comment Line:  206-600-4557      email:  doingstuffoutdoors@yahoo.ca

Closer to home, the storm system that will be responsible for sending a surge of cooler air into the area starting tomorrow is announcing it's arrival with a good, solid area of showers and thunderstorms ahead of a cold front. Look for this to move through overnight, with some lingering in the morning. Then, the cool air is on!

Kyle is about to become extratropical, satellite imagery show little or no deep convection remaining (NHC)

Hurricane Kyle: Water Vapor satellite image - Frame frozen at 23:45UTC September 28, 2008. Source: SSD/NOAA

Tropical Storm Force Wind Speed Probabilities - 120 Hours

Source: NWS/NHC

• Source: NHC
• Forecaster: Franklin
• Date and Time: Sept 29, 2008 at 00:00UTC

• Hurricane Watch Area: Counties of Digby, Yarmouth,  and Shelburne in southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada.

• Tropical Storm Warning Area: From Stonington Maine eastward to Eastport Maine, southern New Brunswick Canada,  and the remainder of southwestern Nova Scotia.

• Tropical Storm Watch: The remainder of Nova Scotia.

• Current Location: At 00:00 UTC, the center of hurricane kyle was located near latitude 44.0 north, longitude 66.2 west, near the western tip of Nova Scotia just north of Yarmouth, about 150 km south of Saint John.
  

• Category and Wind Speed: Maximum sustained winds are about 120 km/hr with higher
  Gusts.  Kyle is a category 1A  hurricane on the FEWW Hurricane Scale (cat. one on the Saffir-Simpson)
  Scale.  Gradual weakening is forecast over the next 24 hours.  Kyle Is losing tropical characteristics and is expected to become extratropical later this evening.

• Direction: Kyle is moving toward the north at 48 km/hr. A motion toward the north or north-northeast is expected over the next day or so with some decrease in forward speed.  The center of Kyle is expected to pass over New Brunswick tonight.

• Extent: Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 140 km from the center, tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 370 km.
• Estimated minimum central pressure: 985 mb (29.09 inches).

• Storm surge: Tides of 30 to 60 centimeters (1 to 2 feet) above normal, with locally higher levels in the Bay of Fundy, accompanied by large and dangerous battering waves are likely along portions of the coasts of Nova Scotia.
  

• Rainfall: Rainfall totals of 5 to 10 centimeter (2 to 4 inches) with maximum amounts of 15 cm (6 inches) are possible over the extreme eastern portions of Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward island through Monday morning.

Tropical Storm Kyle strengthened into a hurricane off the United States on Saturday as it took aim at New England and Canada's Maritime provinces, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Kyle, which developed as a tropical storm on Thursday, had top sustained winds near 75 mph and was forecast to make landfall near the Maine-New Brunswick border early on Monday.

Kyle was a minimal Category 1 hurricane on the five-step hurricane intensity scale and some additional strengthening was possible over the next 24 hours, the Miami-based hurricane center said.

It said weakening of the storm was expected to begin as early as Sunday, however.

Hurricane Kyle takes aim at New England, Canada

Kyle finally gained tropical storm strength, with sustained winds 45 mph (72 kph), as it moved through the Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas, on a path that could take it to a landfall in Maine or Canada's maritime provinces as a minimal Category 1 hurricane.

The storm was located about 645 miles (1,038 km) south-southwest of Bermuda and was moving to the north at about 8 mph (13 kph), the Miami-based hurricane center said.

The system drenched Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hispaniola for days before moving north into the Atlantic.

Authorities in Puerto Rico said at least four people were killed and scores of homes were flooded.

Forecasters warned people in Bermuda to closely monitor the progress of the storm. Computer models indicated it could reach hurricane strength within a couple of days.

It was the first tropical storm to form in the Atlantic-Caribbean region since Tropical Storm Josephine on Sept. 2, a lengthy lull in what has been a busy and destructive hurricane season so far.

As many as 700 people were killed in impoverished Haiti when four storms, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike, hit the island of Hispaniola in a month.

Gustav and Ike forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and disrupted oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico before slamming ashore in Louisiana and Texas respectively.

Forecasters had predicted the six-month season, which runs through Nov. 30, could produce up to 18 tropical storms and hurricanes.

Long-range forecasts indicated that Kyle would likely move north through the Atlantic well to the west of Bermuda and approach the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step hurricane intensity scale, with winds around 75 mph (120 kph), by Sunday.

Forecasters were also watching a weather system near the North Carolina-South Carolina border that could develop into a cyclone. They said the storm was producing flooding, a heavy surf and strong rip current along parts of the U.S. east coast. (Reporting by Jim Loney, editing by Xavier Briand)

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN2553555520080925?sp=true

The Alberta-based manufacturer, Hygaard Fine Foods, is voluntarily recalling 16 types of sandwiches with best-before dates ranging from Oct. 24 up to and including Nov. 16, though there have been no illnesses linked to the sandwiches.

The products have been distributed across Canada except for Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Listeria can cause the disease listeriosis, which can cause fever, headache, nausea and neck stiffness.

Elderly people and pregnant women, as well as people who have weakened immune systems, are particularly vulnerable.

A countrywide outbreak of listeriosis that has been linked to a massive Maple Leaf Foods recall has claimed the lives of 18 people.

But it's not immediately clear whether the sandwich recall is linked to Maple Leaf.

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iqao4_4kTP1EST-az_gtLMoZnhwQ