Tag Archives: Ottawa

Transportation

Over Half Canadians Opposed To Fed’s Unaffordable 2035 Ban On Gas Powered Cars

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Over Half of Canadians Oppose Fed’s Plan to Ban Sale of Conventional Vehicles by 2035: Poll
An electric vehicle is seen being charged in Ottawa on on July 13, 2022. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

More than half of Canadians DO NOT support the federal government’s mandate to require all new cars sold in Canada to be electric by 2035, a recent Ipsos poll finds.

Canadians across the country are “a lot more hesitant to ban conventional cars than their elected representatives in Ottawa are,” said Krystle Wittevrongel, research director at the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), in a news release on Oct. 3.

“They have legitimate concerns, most notably with the cost of those cars, and federal and provincial politicians should take note.”

The online poll, conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the MEI, surveyed 1,190 Canadians aged 18 and over between Sept. 18 and 22. Among the participants overall, 55 percent said they disagree with Ottawa’s decision to ban the sale of conventional vehicles by 2035 and mandate all new cars be electric or zero-emissions.

“In every region surveyed, a larger number of respondents were against the ban than in favour of it,” MEI said in the news release. According to the poll, the proportion of those against the ban was noticeably higher in Western Canada, at 63 percent, followed by the Atlantic provinces at 58 percent. In Ontario, 51 percent were against, and in Quebec, 48 percent were against.

In all, only 40 percent nationwide agreed with the federal mandate.

‘Lukewarm Attitude’

Just 1 in 10 Canadians own an electric vehicle (EV), the poll said. Among those who don’t, less than one-quarter (24 percent) said their next car would be electric.

Fewer Canadians Willing to Buy Electric Vehicles: Federal Research

ANALYSIS: ‘Bumpy Road’ Ahead as Canada Moves Toward 2035 EV Goals

A research report released by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) in March this year suggests a trend similar to that of the Ipsos poll’s findings. The report indicated that only 36 percent of Canadians had considered buying an EV in 2024—down from 51 percent in 2022.

“Survey results reveal that Canadians hold mixed views on ZEVs [Zero-Emission Vehicles] and continue to have a general lack of knowledge about these vehicles,” said the report by EKOS Research Associate, which was commissioned by NRCan to conduct the online survey of 3,459 Canadians from Jan. 17 to Feb. 7.

The MEI cited a number of key reasons for “this lukewarm attitude” in adopting EVs, including high cost (70 percent), lack of charging infrastructure (66 percent), and reduced performance in Canada’s cold climate (64 percent).

Canada’s shift from gas-powered vehicles to EVs is guided by federal and provincial policies aimed at zero-emission transportation. The federal mandate requires all new light-duty vehicles, which include passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks, sold by 2035 to be zero-emission—with interim targets of 20 percent by 2026 and 60 percent by 2030.

Some provincial policies, such as those in Quebec, are even stricter, including a planned ban on all gas-powered vehicles and used gas engines by 2035.

‘Unrealistic’

The MEI survey indicated that two-thirds of respondents (66 percent) said the mandate’s timeline is “unrealistic,” with only 26 percent saying Ottawa’s plan is realistic.

In addition, 76 percent of Canadians say the federal government’s environmental impact assessment process used for energy projects takes too long, with only 9 percent taking the opposite view, according to the survey.

A study by the Fraser Institute in March said that achieving Ottawa’s EV goal could increase Canada’s demand for electricity by 15.3 percent and require the equivalent of 10 new mega hydro dams or 13 large natural gas plants to be built within the next 11 years.

“For context, once Canada’s vehicle fleet is fully electric, it will require 10 new mega hydro dams (capable of producing 1,100 megawatts) nationwide, which is the size of British Columbia’s new Site C dam. It took approximately 10 years to plan and pass environmental regulations, and an additional decade to build. To date, Site C is expected to cost $16 billion,” said the think tank in a March 14 news release.

On April 25, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada since 2020 has attracted more than $46 billion cad in investments for projects to manufacture EVs and EV batteries and battery components. A Parliamentary Budget Officer report published July 18 said Ottawa and the provinces have jointly promised $52.5 billion cad in government support from Oct. 8, 2020, to April 25, 2024, which included tax credits, production subsidies, and capital investment for construction and other support.

On July 26, a company slated to build a major rechargeable battery manufacturing plant in Ontario announced that it would halt the project due to declining demand for EVs.

In a news release at the time, Umicore Rechargeable Battery Materials Canada Inc. said it was taking “immediate action” to address a “recent significant slowdown in short- and medium-term EV growth projections affecting its activities.”

For The Silo, Isaac Teo with contribution from the Canadian Press.

Isaac Teo
Politics

Basic Living Standard Arithmetic For Ottawa And All Governments

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September , 2024

To: Canadians concerned about prosperity 
From: Don Wright 
Date: September 4, 2024
Re: Some Basic Living Standard Arithmetic for Governments

Governments often talk about “creating jobs,” but what they really do is choose some jobs at the expense of others. With their myriad spending, taxing and regulatory decisions, all governments try to direct job growth to different sectors – public or private, services or goods, resources or non-resources, and so on.

We all hope governments choose wisely.

It would help if they started paying more explicit attention to one factor: The impact of their decisions on Canadians’ standard of living.

A country’s standard of living is largely determined by the wages and net government revenue its tradeable goods and services sector can pay while remaining competitive against international competitors. If a company or sector is uncompetitive, it will have to either lower its wages, pay less tax or go out of business. These pressures on companies are never-ending. They determine both the wages a sector can afford to pay, and, through the interconnectedness of labour markets, average wages across the economy.

Some industries are so productive they can pay relatively high wages and significant taxes and yet remain competitive.

Industries that aren’t as productive can only pay lower wages and less tax.

Governments whose policies have the effect of moving labour from one sector to another had better pay attention to such facts.

Canadians may not like it but many of the country’s best-paying and most tax-rich jobs are found in natural resources. I was head of British Columbia’s public service. For most of B.C.’s history the province’s economic base has been dominated by natural resource industries – forestry, mining, oil and gas, agriculture and fishing. For a variety of reasons, these industries face strong political headwinds. Many groups press to constrain them and diversify away from them. The alternatives proposed include technology, film and tourism.

A few years ago, I asked officials in the province’s finance ministry to assess the relative performance of these different industries along the two key dimensions of average wages and net government revenue. In 2019-20 B.C. spent approximately $11,700 per citizen. Half the population was employed that year. So, to “break even” (i.e., have a balanced budget), the province had to collect $23,400 per employed person. If you look at things this way, each industry’s “profit” or “loss” is simply its revenue per employee less $23,400.

No such calculation will be exact, of course.

Several assumptions have to be made to get to an average “profit” or “loss” per employee. But, with that caveat, the numbers the officials brought back were telling. The industry with the biggest return to the province was oil and gas, at $35,500 per employee. Forestry was next, at $32,900. Then mining, at $14,900, and technology, though only at $900.

By this measure of profit and loss, however, film was a money loser, at -$13,400, and so was tourism, at -$6,900.

The negative numbers for the film industry reflect the very significant subsidies that B.C. (like many other provinces) provides to this sector. The negative number for the tourism sector primarily reflects low average wages per employee, which translate into relatively low personal income tax, sales tax and other taxes paid by employees.

These “profit or loss” numbers are not in any way a judgment about workers in these sectors. People find the best employment available to them in the labour market. Relative demands in that market are determined by many factors, none of which workers control. That said, if governments consciously move resources from the “profit” industries to the “loss” industries, they had better be aware of the consequences for wages, taxes and the overall standard of living.

The numbers I’ve cited were for a single year in British Columbia. The same analysis for other provinces or for Canada as a whole would likely produce different numbers – though I’d be surprised if the overall pattern were much different. Voters will draw their own conclusions about the impact on British Columbians’ standard of living from constraining the resource industries and promoting other industries instead.

Unfortunately, this type of analysis is rarely done when Canadian governments make decisions about what types of jobs they want to give preference to through their taxation, spending and regulatory decisions. They should do more of it. Ultimately, if [they] care about Canadians’ standard of living, governments need to start paying attention to the basic arithmetic of that standard of living.

Don Wright, senior fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute and senior counsel at Global Public Affairs, previously served as deputy minister to B.C.’s premier, cabinet secretary and head of the public service.

Sci-Tech

Feds False News Checker Tool To Use AI- At Risk Of Language & Political Bias

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Ottawa-Funded Misinformation Detection Tool to Rely on Artificial Intelligence

Ottawa-Funded Misinformation Detection Tool to Rely on Artificial Intelligence
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge speaks to reporters on Parliament Hill after Bell Media announces job cuts, in Ottawa on Feb. 8, 2024. (The Canadian Press/Patrick Doyle)

A new federally funded tool being developed with the aim of helping Canadians detect online misinformation will rely on artificial intelligence (AI), Ottawa has announced.

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge said on July 29 that Ottawa is providing almost $300,000 cad to researchers at Université de Montréal (UdeM) to develop the tool.

“Polls confirm that most Canadians are very concerned about the rise of mis- and disinformation,” St-Onge wrote on social media. “We’re fighting for Canadians to get the facts” by supporting the university’s independent project, she added.

Canadian Heritage says the project will develop a website and web browser extension dedicated to detecting misinformation.

The department says the project will use large AI language models capable of detecting misinformation across different languages in various formats such as text or video, and contained within different sources of information.

“This technology will help implement effective behavioral nudges to mitigate the proliferation of ‘fake news’ stories in online communities,” says Canadian Heritage.

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OpenAI, Google DeepMind Employees Warn of ‘Serious Risks’ Posed by AI Technology

OpenAI, Google DeepMind Employees Warn of ‘Serious Risks’ Posed by AI Technology

With the browser extension, users will be notified if they come across potential misinformation, which the department says will reduce the likelihood of the content being shared.

Project lead and UdeM professor Jean-François Godbout said in an email that the tool will rely mostly on AI-based systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

“The system uses mostly a large language model, such as ChatGPT, to verify the validity of a proposition or a statement by relying on its corpus (the data which served for its training),” Godbout wrote in French.

The political science professor added the system will also be able to consult “distinct and reliable external sources.” After considering all the information, the system will produce an evaluation to determine whether the content is true or false, he said, while qualifying its degree of certainty.

Godbout said the reasoning for the decision will be provided to the user, along with the references that were relied upon, and that in some cases the system could say there’s insufficient information to make a judgment.

Asked about concerns that the detection model could be tainted by AI shortcomings such as bias, Godbout said his previous research has demonstrated his sources are “not significantly ideologically biased.”

“That said, our system should rely on a variety of sources, and we continue to explore working with diversified and balanced sources,” he said. “We realize that generative AI models have their limits, but we believe they can be used to help Canadians obtain better information.”

The professor said that the fundamental research behind the project was conducted before receiving the federal grant, which only supports the development of a web application.

Bias Concerns

The reliance on AI to determine what is true or false could have some pitfalls, with large language models being criticized for having political biases.

Such concerns about the neutrality of AI have been raised by billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X and its AI chatbot Grok.

British and Brazilian researchers from the University of East Anglia published a study in January that sought to measure ChatGPT’s political bias.

“We find robust evidence that ChatGPT presents a significant and systematic political bias toward the Democrats in the US, Lula in Brazil, and the Labour Party in the UK,” they wrote. Researchers said there are real concerns that ChatGPT and other large language models in general can “extend or even amplify the existing challenges involving political processes posed by the Internet and social media.”

OpenAI says ChatGPT is “not free from biases and stereotypes, so users and educators should carefully review its content.”

Misinformation and Disinformation

The federal government’s initiatives to tackle misinformation and disinformation have been multifaceted.

The funds provided to the Université de Montréal are part of a larger program to shape online information, the Digital Citizen Initiative. The program supports researchers and civil society organizations that promote a “healthy information ecosystem,” according to Canadian Heritage.

The Liberal government has also passed major bills, such as C-11 and C-18, which impact the information environment.

Bill C-11 has revamped the Broadcasting Act, creating rules for the production and discoverability of Canadian content and giving increased regulatory powers to the CRTC over online content.

Bill C-18 created the obligation for large online platforms to share revenues with news organizations for the display of links. This legislation was promoted by then-Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez as a tool to strengthen news media in a “time of greater mistrust and disinformation.”

These two pieces of legislation were followed by Bill C-63 in February to enact the Online Harms Act. Along with seeking to better protect children online, it would create steep penalties for saying things deemed hateful on the web.

There is some confusion about what the latest initiative with UdeM specifically targets. Canadian Heritage says the project aims to counter misinformation, whereas the university says it’s aimed at disinformation. The two concepts are often used in the same sentence when officials signal an intent to crack down on content they deem inappropriate, but a key characteristic distinguishes the two.

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security defines misinformation as “false information that is not intended to cause harm”—which means it could have been posted inadvertently.

Meanwhile, the Centre defines disinformation as being “intended to manipulate, cause damage and guide people, organizations and countries in the wrong direction.” It can be crafted by sophisticated foreign state actors seeking to gain politically.

Minister St-Onge’s office has not responded to a request for clarification as of this posts publication.

In describing its project to counter disinformation, UdeM said events like the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, the Brexit referendum, and the COVID-19 pandemic have “demonstrated the limits of current methods to detect fake news which have trouble following the volume and rapid evolution of disinformation.” For the Silo, Noe Chartier/ The Epoch Times.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

Earth

Canada Banks Fueling Canada Climate Crisis

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Did you know that Canada’s five biggest banks are among the 20 largest fossil fuel financiers in the world?

Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, they have invested over $900 billion into the fossil fuel industry. This means that your hard-earned dollars are being invested in projects that make it impossible to meet Canada’s climate targets. While not well known, the financial sector is the missing piece in ensuring a climate-safe future.

Last week, the CEOs of Canada’s top 5 banks were in Ottawa testifying about their role in the climate crisis. Environmental Defence was on the front line of this critical moment. We were invited to testify in this important study and use our expertise to advise policy solutions to align our financial system with climate action.

Won’t you help us keep the heat on the banks to take responsibility for their role in the climate crisis?

Canada can only keep a safer climate if finance aligns with climate action, and new rules from the government would help make that happen. And, we are creating public awareness of the issue and mobilizing Canadians to speak up by writing letters and attending rallies- increasing the pressure on the federal government to take action.

At a time when climate-fueled disasters (such as wildfires, droughts and floods) are rising, it’s ludicrous that Canadian banks are allowed to fund oil and gas industries at a rate of over $100 billion per year. We will be watching future proceedings closely. And, we will continue to push the federal government to ensure that Canadian banks are helping, not hindering our climate goals. For The Silo, Alex Walker. Program Manager, Climate Finance for Environmental Defence.

Culture

The Protected Origin And Definition Of Spanish Cheese

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One of my newest cheese loves is not a new cheese at all, but, actually, the traditional cheese of Spain. Manchego is a smaller wheel of Spanish sheep’s milk cheese that just makes the mouth water. It is regulated by Spain under the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), which was granted through the European Union. (in a nutshell, PDO allows for exclusive food/geographical production so for example, in Europe, Parma Ham can only be sold and labelled as Parma Ham if it originated in Parma see link below for more CP ) This means that it must meet specific regulations in order to be called Manchego. It must be made from whole sheep’s milk taken from animals that have grazed in autumn in La Mancha province. Finished cheese must be aged from 60 days to 2 years. The milk must contain at least 6% fat and each stone, or wheel, of cheese must weigh between 2 and 3.5 kg.


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There is a distinctive pattern engraved in the inedible brown rind of the cheese.

Originally, the Manchego curd was hand pressed in plaited esparto grass baskets. The grass was taken from the same fields where the sheep grazed, and  the grass-flowers pressed into the top. Today, however, press moulds are formed using the traditional pattern and the grass baskets have been phased out of production. Still, the traditional zigzag is how you can recognize Manchego at your favourite cheese shop—and always look for the PDO label.

The inside of the cheese, or the paste, is an off-white that hints at golden. As the cheese gets closer to the rind, the colour progresses to more of an umber. Very small pockets of air are produced as the cheese ages and releases co2.

But enough of all this—the important part of Manchego is the taste. It has a wonderful, mellow flavour that is rich and subtle at the same time. There are slight hints of smoke, woody nuts, tobacco, honey and leather, and it finishes with the distinctive taste that only sheep’s milk can give you. Manchego can be served with olives, sundried tomatoes or hearty crusty bread. It pairs easily with a fine Rioja red wine or a fruity sherry—a wonderful way to stay warm on a winter’s evening.

Recently I heard that Manchego, cut in smaller chunks and dipped in honey poured on a plate, makes a fine conclusion to full meal. I tried this desert idea and the flavours of honey and cheese together are just wonderful. The smoky taste that coats the taste buds is a joy.

For the more daring, this traditional dessert of Spanish Manchego and honey also pairs well with a fine Cuban cigar. Enjoy your cheese.

Waaay back in 2007 the “Govinator” raised a few eyebrows at Ottawa’s Westin Hotel. After taking in a Sen’s hockey game, Arnold made an unscheduled stop for a 16$ Partagas Cuban

For the Silo, Scott Jensen.

Supplemental- Protected Designation of Origin Labelling, Terroir and the implications for Ontario agriculture: www.sustainontario.com/2010/05/11/2180/food-processing/protected-designation-of-labelling

Parma Ham and PDO:  www.prosciuttodiparma.com

Arnold enjoys Cuban Cigar while in Ottawa: www.activerain.com/blogsview/114533/-arnie-partakes-in-the-luxury-of-a-fine-cuban-stogie-after-hockey-game-in-ottawa–

Culture

Fun Christmas Party Surprises To Wow Your Guests

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Whether you’re hosting a family Christmas dinner or are planning the office holiday party, your goal is the same: to make it a gathering your guests will always remember. Fun, unexpected surprises are an easy way to delight your co-workers, friends and loved ones. From keepsakes to party themes to the menu, there are plenty of opportunities to get creative and serve up something your guests haven’t experienced at a Christmas party before. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Keepsakes that Keep on Giving

Hosts of a holiday party aren’t usually expected to give their guests gifts, which is one way to surprise partygoers. Ideally, a gift the recipient can use over and over again will remind them of the good times they had at your party. Custom-printed hoodies, sweaters or long-sleeve shirts definitely fit that bill. Once you find a company that offers screen printing in Ottawa for small and large orders alike, you can think up a funny saying, exercise your drawing skills, use digital images or simply commemorate the event with your family or company name. Your guests will have unique, comfy hoodies or sweaters to wear at the party and something to remember you by whenever it gets chilly for years to come.

Keep in mind, however, that regardless of what you gift your guests, it’s all in the presentation. A fun way to gift custom sweaters, or any other gift this holiday season, is in a personalized DIY gift bag. Making them can be a fun and creative activity for you and the kids to experience that involves them in the gifting-giving and helps them practice their crafting skills. 

Fun Christmas Dinner/Party Themes & Activities

Here are a few non-traditional Holiday party themes and activities that you can use to add a little variety to your annual dinner or get-together.

Outdoor Christmas Party Activities

Yes, Ottawa winters can get painfully cold outside in the wind. But there are also plenty of sunny winter days that are perfect for ice skating, tobogganing, a bonfire or building snow castles using sand & snow castle-building kits. Just be sure to have backup activities planned in case the weather doesn’t cooperate on the day of your party.

Photo by Nikita Vinogradov via Pexels

Karaoke, Movie and/or Game Night Christmas Party

If frozen toes, fingers and noses would interfere with the joy of an outdoor Christmas party, or your brood is just not the outdoorsy type, you can combine your Christmas party with one of your favourite nights of the week (or month) – karaoke, game or movie night. 

Unlike the impromptu sing-alongs, games of charades or traditional gatherings around the TV for a classic Christmas film, plan your holiday party as a night of full-on:

  • Board games. If your family and friends are board gamers, you already know that they’ve come a long way since the days of Scrabble, Monopoly, Snakes & Ladders, etc. They’re better than ever at teaching players of all ages critical thinking skills like logic, strategy and planning. Many newer games also incorporate teamwork, with players working together to beat the game itself. There are also numerous games based on popular movie franchises and streamable series, which can make a board game an exciting pastime that ties into a Movie/TV-themed party.
  • Movie or Binge-TV Night Christmas Party. Films and TV shows provide an infinite number of themes to help you plan an outside-of-the-box Christmas dinner party. You can base your party on a tried-and-true family favourite, the latest global smash hit or a movie or TV show that fits a pre-determined theme.
  • Karaoke Competition Christmas. If you have a family filled with aspiring pop stars or better-than-average shower soloists, you can plan a karaoke party of Christmas/holiday songs or curate a playlist based on the theme of your party. You can really spice things up by making it a competition with plenty of prizes for all the participants.

Christmas Pageant Dinner and a Show

If your party will have a significant number of kids (of any age) who like to put on a show, consider sending out scripts, holding rehearsals, and turning your home or party room into a dinner theatre. Costumes can be readily thrifted or thrown together, and if you really want to go all out, backgrounds and curtain frames can be assembled easily enough by enthusiastic DIYers. Don’t forget to have a proper video camera set up on a tripod so you’ll always have the recording to enjoy with (and at the expense of) the cast.

Alternate Holiday Dinner Menu Items

Your holiday dinner menu can be influenced by your party theme, it can be based on modern takes of classic Christmas dishes, or you can simply add random non-traditional dishes like the ones below.

Holiday Taco Night

Taco night is generally a fan favourite, so why not give the people what they want? You might have to use burrito shells depending on your meat of choice, but don’t be afraid to get creative and consider the following options:

  • Fish. Fish tacos are a popular choice taco choice, but when was the last time you had fish tacos at a Christmas party? Also, you can use fish sticks if you’re looking for a convenient, easy-to-prepare meat filling.
  • Steak or ribs. Try braising or marinating them in pomegranate juice with a hint of cinnamon and/or chile pepper to spice things up a little. As an added bonus, both pomegranate and cinnamon are recommended to strengthen your immune system and help you fight off colds and flus.
  • Turkey. The line between a taco and a wrap can get a little blurry here, but whatever you call them, using traditional turkey accompaniments, corn, cranberries, potatoes, gravy, mac & cheese, etc., make delicious toppings.

Christmas Jambalaya

Not much can hit the spot as well as a hearty helping of jambalaya can on a cold holiday dinner night. Really, the only rules to a jambalaya are that your ingrediants taste good with Cajun spices and that it’s all cooked together. Whether you go with Christmas dinner ingredients, New Orleans-inspired flavours or some type of fusion, a big pot can satisfy a lot of people.

Homemade Holiday Donuts

Puddings, pies, cakes and cupcakes are understandable go-to choices for Christmas dinner desserts, but homemade donuts with a holiday twist can ignite some excited chatter when they make their way to the dessert table. Feeling overly patriotic? Try maple glazed donuts topped with candied bacon crumble for a taste that’s both distinctly holiday and Canadian.

For the Silo, Jeg Duaso. Featured image:  by Nicole Michalou via Pexels

Culture

Can Another Ottawa Residence Win Canada’s Best Garden Street?

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Congratulations! Russell Avenue in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood is the winner of the Canada’s Best Garden Street contest.
Russell Avenue in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill
neighbourhood is the winner of the Canada’s Best Garden Street contest.

Toronto, ON Garden Days – The month of June hosts Canada’s three-day celebration of gardens and gardening. There are loads of Garden Days official activities scheduled across the country, and almost every province has a Flagship Event for you to enjoy. It’s the perfect time to get dirty in one’s own garden, visit a nearby public garden or spend some time in a local garden center.

You’ll be in great company
If you’re planning travelling around the province or across Canada this Summer, be sure to visit a few of the many public gardens that we’re becoming world renowned for.  Dr. Richard Benfield, author of ‘Garden Tourism’ estimates that annually there are 6 million garden tourists in Canada.

And the winner is . . .

On the occasion of our upcoming National Garden Day, Friday, June 13, the Canadian Garden Council is pleased to announce the winner of the Garden Days’ ‘Best Garden Street’ Contest which celebrates the contribution that public and/or private gardens have made to the quality of life on individual streets and neighbourhoods.  The winner of $1000 worth of Marks’ Choice Lawn and Garden products from Home Hardware, and the bragging rights to be named ‘Canada’s Best Garden Street’ is: Mary Moreland, Russell Avenue, Ottawa.

Garden Days spokesperson, Mark Cullen, recently said, “The partnership between the hand of man and Mother Nature has produced some of the highest quality green spaces and gardens in Canada and on earth.  Garden Days, a new idea that’s all about this successful collaboration, has been sown on fertile soil.  I have no doubt that the ideas and principles behind the concept will sprout and grow into national significance.  And the sooner the better.”
This coming weekend join in the national celebration of everything that the Garden contributes the quality of all our lives.

Garden Days are a family affair. Photo: Pierre Boucher
Garden Days are a family affair. Photo: Pierre Boucher

Organized by the Canadian Garden Council, and kicked off with National Garden Day, always the Friday before Father’s Day, Garden Days is a three-day celebration of gardens and gardening.  The program’s objective is to draw attention to Canada’s garden culture, history and innovations and to underscore the importance of public and private gardens, the values of home gardening and the promotion of environmental stewardship. For the Silo, Courtney Charette.

Reviews

World First Magnet Operated Coin From Canada Mint

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OTTAWA, June, 2018 / CNW/ – The Mint continues to tap in to its creativity and innovation to further unleash the potential of coin manufacturing and transform the coin collecting experience.  Such is the case with the 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Antique Carousel and several other head-turning coins in the June 2018 numismatic catalogue.

In a world-first, the Mint’s Research & Development team has meticulously created a 6 oz. silver coin featuring a miniature, functional carousel that rotates with the help of a magnet.  This timeless attraction at countless Canadian carnivals and fairs is the crowning piece of artist Calder Moore’s design, selectively plated in gold, much like the gilded carousels of the past.  Even the horses move up and down on this dazzling creation which is limited to a world-wide mintage of only 1,000.

Another impressive 3D design element can be found on the 2018 $200 Pure Gold Coin – 30th Anniversary of the Silver Maple Leaf.  This 1 oz. gold coin is enhanced by a “high intricacy casting” of a silver maple leaf that literally pops from its reverse proof surface.  In another Mint-first, we have launched the 2018 $250 Fine Silver Coin – Maple Leaf Forever: a one kilo 99.99% pure silver coin, our largest convex coin to date, featuring the artwork of senior Mint engraver Stan Witten.

Finally, two new coin sets stand out as memorable additions to an exciting line-up of classic and unique numismatic products.  The 2018 Fine Silver 3-Coin Set – Beneath Thy Shining Skies features a complex design by artist Rebecca Yanovskaya. Two rectangular coins flank a maple-leaf shaped centrepiece to compose a panoramic tableau that links scenery and famous Canadian landmarks to illustrate the story of our nation and its people.

History takes centre stage on a four-coin set celebrating the “Colonial Currency of the Atlantic Provinces”.  Struck with dies mimicking the wear of well-circulated coins and hand finished with an antique patina, these icons of early Canadian numismatic history are beautifully reproduced in 99.99% pure silver.  In order to bring out the elegant features of each period design, each coin is larger in diameter than its original.

Other collectibles available this month include:

  • The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – First World War Allied Forces: Canada, the first coin in a new series commemorating the contribution of the major Allied forces that brought fighting to an end with the Armistice of November 11, 1918. The design featuring the Canadian cavalry is the work of artist Pandora Young;
  • The $100 Fine Silver Coin – Keepers of Parliament: The Unicorn, the first of a series of 10 oz. silver coins, designed by Patrick Bélanger and showcasing stonework figures watching over the front doors of Parliament;
  • The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Fireworks at the Falls, featuring a Tony Bianco colour illustration of the natural landmark, with a hidden nighttime fireworks scene only visible under black light;
  • The 2018 $500 Pure Gold Coin – Predators of the Wild, an impressive 5 oz. designed by Emily Damstra;
  • The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Zentangle® Art: The Great Horned Owl, designed by Jori Van Der Linde;
  • The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Canadian Canopy: The Maple Leaf, designed by Emily Damstra;
  • The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin Frozen in Ice – Scimitar Sabretooth Cat, designed by Glen Loates;
  • The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon: Strawberry Moon, designed by Frank Polson; and,
  • The crystal-enhanced 2018 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Birthstones: July, featuring a mandala-inspired ruby design by artist Pandora Young.

Mintages, pricing and full background information on each product can be found on the “Shop” tab of www.mint.ca. Coin images can be viewed here.

All of these products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada,
1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca.  Please mention The Silo when contacting. The coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified corporation, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.

 

Culture

Day Marks Another Anniversary Of JFK Assassination

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The Grassy Knoll at Dealey Plaza.
The Grassy Knoll at Dealey Plaza.

2015’s historic JFK 50th assassination Special was a riveting and powerful demonstration of media technology. We co-hosted the CBS feature which “rebroadcast” their original assassination television coverage in real-time, fully and completely. Every detail was reproduced exactly as it was shown on that fateful day- even the interruption of a certain soap opera with the first “bulletin” announcement. Live internet coverage began at 1:38 EDT exactly 50 years to the minute of the initial CBS news broadcasts.

If you have any #JFK thoughts (perhaps you even remember that fateful day)- or if you watch the archived live stream please share your feelings by commenting below at the end of this post. We will respect all requests for anonymity.

In the meantime, you may want to view Newsmax TV documentary: “I killed JFK” claiming to showcase a newly revealed “confessed killer”. In 1978 a US Congressional Investigation into Kennedy’s death determined that there were likely more than one shooter/killer.

RIP JFK CBS coverage

JFK visits Ottawa 1961:

Silo Tweet JFK Ottawa 1961

 

 

@CBSNews live tweeting during this historical rebroadcast event- image:CBS Twitter
@CBSNews live tweeting during this historical rebroadcast event- image:CBS Twitter

 

Supplemental- The United States National Archives Report of the Select Committee on Assassinations of the U.S. House of Representatives
References: I. Findings in the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Culture

Why are Ontario farmland values skyrocketing? Greens: due to development

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Ottawa, ON – Green Party leader and Guelph candidate Mike Schreiner called for the complete protection of prime farmland in Ontario.
“We can’t eat subdivisions, quarries or pipelines,” said Schreiner while attending the Association Municipalities of Ontario Conference
in Ottawa.

“The Ontario government must stop destroying prime farmland before it’s too late.”  Only five percent of Ontario’s land mass is suitable for growing food. Less than 0.5% is prime farmland. Yet Ontario is losing approximately 126,000 acres of farmland each year to development.

“People are tired of the Liberal’s bait and switch government that says one thing and does another. The government’s local food act is meaningless if the Liberals fail to protect prime farmland,” added Schreiner. “There will be no local food if the province continues to lose farmland at a rate equal to the size of Toronto each year.”

Farmland under development threat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Green Party is pushing the government to protect prime farmland from development in the new Provincial Policy Statement, which is currently under review. Schreiner is the only political leader to sign the Food and Water First pledge to protect farmland and source water regions. He has challenged other political leaders to sign the pledge.

“Good soil is priceless and must be protected. It is a shame no Liberal, NDP or PC MPP has taken a simple pledge to put food and water first in Ontario,” said GPO deputy leader Kevin O’Donnell. “The Greens will always put food and water first before developers, quarries and pipelines.”    CP

Big rise in per acre value in only 12months. We're not sure why but Norfolk County and Haldimand County farmland values are missing from this chart and we were unable to find those stats anywhere on the RE/MAX farm realty site.
Big rise in per acre value in only 12months. We’re not sure why but Norfolk County and Haldimand County farmland values are missing from this chart and we were unable to find those stats anywhere on the RE/MAX farm realty site.

 

Supplemental- Ontario farmland values are skyrocketing http://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/aboutus/media/flv_spring2013_on_e.asp

RE/MAX Agricultural Real Estate is bonafide- Farm Market Trends- http://www.slideshare.net/SandraDales/remax-market-trends-report-farm-edition-2011

 

 

Culture

The Canadian .CA Registry partners with Swedish company Open DNSSEC AB (svb)

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“Ultimately, governments will be the saviour of the Internet,” said keynote speaker, Dragon’s Den star Robert Herjavec at the 2012 Canadian Internet Forum photo: Scott Parker , The Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA – June 11, 2012 – The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) and the Swedish company OpenDNSSEC AB (svb) are pleased to announce they are partnering on an initiative to make the Internet more safe and secure. CIRA will provide support for the continued development and enhancement of OpenDNSSEC, a free administration tool that uses open source code to simplify the implementation of Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC). DNSSEC is a set of extensions that will significantly improve online security.

“The support from CIRA is valuable to OpenDNSSEC AB in its effort to develop the software. It gives us the opportunity to strengthen the project with Sara Dickinson from the research and development company Sinodun as a project manager,” said Patrik Wallström, Acting President of OpenDNSSEC.

“We are pleased to offer our support to the OpenDNSSEC project,” said Byron Holland, President and Chief Executive Officer of CIRA. “It is through initiatives like this that CIRA can help foster a safe and secure Internet experience for all Canadians.”

OpenDNSSECis being developed in an international co-operation project with several participats: .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation), Kirei, NLnet Labs, Nominet, SIDN, Sinodun Internet Technologies, and SURFnet. The OpenDNSSEC software was released in beta in 2009, and it has undergone significant improvements since that time.

Patrik Wallström, Acting President of OpenDNSSEC photo: Mith Media/The Silo

OpenDNSSEC AB was formed in 2011 to support other top-level domain administrators in their use of the tool to manage Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC). The company develops the software and offers training and support agreements.

More about the software and DNSSEC

OpenDNSSEC simplifies the management of DNSSEC, an extension of the Internet’s open directory service DNS, which prevents Internet and e-mail addresses from being manipulated and ensures that they lead to the right online destination. In OpenDNSSEC, which .SE was involved in the development of, the necessary processes are automated to eliminate the need for manual management.

Under DNSSEC, Internet zones are cryptographically signed. When looking up a domain name, the signature is controlled using a key published by the party responsible for this zone.

OpenDNSSEC is available for free download at: http://www.opendnssec.org.

.SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) is a not-for-profit public-service organization that acts to promote the positive development of the Internet in Sweden. .SE is responsible for the Internet’s Swedish top-level domain, .se, encompassing domain-name registration and administration, as well as the technical operation of the national domain name registry. Proceeds from domain-name registrations are used to support projects that contribute to the Internet development in Sweden, through proprietary operations and the financing of independent projects. Read more at http://www.iis.se.

About CIRA
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority is the member-driven organization that manages Canada’s .CA domain name registry, develops and implements policies that support Canada’s Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally.

Supplemental- http://www.canada.com/business/Nations+must+step+global+rules+Internet+governance+conference+told/6217740/story.html