England does it again, this time not choosing to "leave" but forced to "leave". In another "surprise" result with all eyes of the world on them and on France's territory, England hosts another shocker with a worse result than the Leafs collapse to the Bruins, only for the fact it was on the world stage.
With so many fans from Iceland in France enjoying this historic moment, it was also a noteable and perfect day if you were an Icelandic burglar or Nordic B&E expert.
Picking up from my brief Toronto stay, I left my downtown Air BnB condo this morning, not bright but definitely early (5:30 am). I walked across to the Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ) by way of a newly constructed underground tunnel up to the departure level, where curiously security is split among US/Sudbury/Timmins...and the rest of Porter's destinations. After security, all passengers are welcomed to a selection of free coffee, tea, biscuits/cookies that already elevates Porter's status compared to all other regional and national airlines along with an ample and comparable lounge. The flight was a pleasant one with only nine passengers on board the bright and clean interior of the Q400 with a friendly flight attendant from Motherwell, Scotland.
Once arrived in Montréal, after about an hour flight, I took the fixed price ($40) cab downtown to meet my good friend Mark in order to drop my luggage at his office. The traffic was non existent as I discovered that most Montrealais have left town as the St. Jean Baptiste holiday was on a Friday, yielding a long weekend.
Once luggage free, I enjoyed an early morning coffee with Mark (who's sleeping pattern that Thursday night, like many debt and bond professionals around the world, had been impacted by the unexpected result of the Brexit referendum). I then wandered from the Rene Lévesque Blvd office tower to Old Montreal, a 20 minutes jaunt. While there I discovered I was a week early for, of all things, a poutine festival! After processing my future loss, I walked up and down the main Boulevard and explored the odd quay. With some amazement and curiousity, what can only be described as a "zip line jungle gym" caught my eye. A series of wooden constructed obstacles and netting a couple to a few stories in the air all the while being hooked (sometimes suspended) to an unattachable cable, that was challenging for both kids and adults. Also in Old Montreal, several one day tour options on cruise ships and charters were available including a pontoon style touring boat, which would have been very appropriate for the hot and sunny weather that blessed this long week end in Québec.
I headed back for lunch with Mark (fading away) at Trios Brasseurs on rue St. Catherine, a real institution in Montreal, for a right sized portion of grilled chicken and pico de gallo sandwich along with a refreshing blonde ale. Again to my surprise (most likely due to a lot of people leaving the city for the weekend) without any delay we were seated on the patio at a selected shady table.
Due to already being on rue St Catherine it was easy to watch the St. Jean Baptiste parade during lunch as well as after. There were some obvious themes due to the blue and white colours of the Québec flag (gymnasts, dancers, choirs) but some not so obvious groups, actually bordering "random". Including a massive green and white moose sculpture and an impeccably dressed Falun Dafa marching band.
After receiving the texted signal from Mark that the bond markets were basically closed until Monday (to pick up the financial impacts up from there), we drove to his house, sitting in the backyard for the afternoon when serenity broke and the toys, activities and environment of a cute, talkative and rambunctious four-year old and a quieter one-year old trying to figure out his legs work, took over into the early evening.
Later, was a stop at the Bremner, an unidentified Chuck Hughes restaurant (if you're a fan of Canadian food TV shows) located in a basement on rue St. Paul. An eclectic place where we enjoyed a table in the back which was slightly brighter being open to the street. Just as eclectic was the menu with various fish based choices and appetizers. The wine list was quite extensive including some curious and unknown wines on the shorter wine by-the glass menu. Bien mangé.
The next day I awakened to the aroma of the healthiest, flourless, oatmeal chocolate chip cookes. Although as I understand a somewhat later start due to the little ones sleeping past the normal 6:30 am, Meranda managed to fire up this amazing concoction. To top that off, breakfast was served with a load of toasted quintessential Montreal bagels and believe it or not, cream cheese with bacon and maple syrup. Incroyable.
The early afternoon involved a walk around Nun's Island (Ile de Soeurs), a suburban and nature oasis not that far from the city. The area is comprised of modern homes, families, a few condo structures and some commercial space. Later the walking continued around Atwater market on a mission for lunch. Atwater market offers the usual selection of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, crafts, etc (in both languages) but also those unique lunches you can tell all your friends about back home (try Satay for a selection of Bun Vapeur with porc braissé, a light but spicy papaya salad and of course the satay sandwiches...yes, sandwiches). Later for me, it was straight for the maple gifts and the canned Québec maple syrup which goes home with me each time.
Across the street we visited an ice cream store, Havre aux Glaces, with a compact but solid selection of ice creams and sorbets that included, of course, the MAPLE crėme brulé for me. Outside was an amusing little jazz band that we watched before strolling along La Chine under the hot afternoon sun before heading back to the comforting shady backyard and a trip to the VIA station.
A fantastic weekend in a city that I don't visit enough along with my good friend, his wife and growing family as company (thanks for the hospitality and accommodation!). "Mark" St. Jean Baptiste in your calendars for next year, it will be a Saturday and another long weekend in Québec.
A la prochaine.
It has been said the Federal Conservatives were in "too long" (which I wholeheartedly disagree with as a voting consideration or strategy). Then lets look at Ontario for a second and hope this does not spread to the Federal level. Otherwise at this rate there won't be anything left to spend on those forecasted +$30B deficits.
As published in the National Post...
"... When a government has been in power as long as the Ontario Liberals, it becomes important to mix things up every now and again, lest the narrative of who-screwed-up-what becomes a little too easy to follow. A cabinet shuffle is arguably the best instrument for muddying that narrative, while at the same time providing a diversion from whatever malignant blemish happens to be currently occupying the opposition’s attention (was it the Liberal’s atrociously received “climate change action plan,” or the investigation into Pan Am executives deleting their computer hard drives?).
Premier Kathleen Wynne delivered this diversion Monday, adding seven new members to make a swollen cabinet of 30. Growing the size of the executive council is another shrewd way to steer the discussion toward one about the composition of the cabinet, rather than taking a tough look at the cabinet members themselves, though a larger cabinet does come with the obvious disadvantage of increasing the likelihood that someone will have his or her eyes closed during the executive council “class photo.”
It goes without saying that the most challenging aspect of a good cabinet shuffle is matching the most capable person to the right ministry. Take, for example, the Treasury Board, which has been assigned to former education minister Liz Sandals. During her three years on the education file, Sandals skilfully finagled “net-zero” deals with teachers’ unions that turned out to not actually be “net-zero;” she oversaw millions of dollars in secret payouts to teachers unions, which were only discovered following an investigation by the Globe and Mail; and she literally ran from reporters when the auditor general revealed that the cost to re-open negotiations with teachers in 2013 was $468 million. Those experiences will indeed come in handy for Sandals’ new role as president of the Treasury Board, which is tasked with “leading the government’s efforts on accountability, openness and modernization.” Bring your running shoes, Liz!
Moving on, former citizenship and immigration minister Michael Chan has moved to the new Ministry of International Trade, less than a week after he defended China’s human rights record following a visit by that country’s foreign minister, who berated a Canadian reporter for asking a question about it. As minister of international trade, Chan will be expected to look past all sorts of human rights abuses to see to Wynne’s $2.5 billion worth of agreements with Beijing, all while telling Chinese media that, “the inner meaning of human rights is very broad.” Indeed, we should all take a moment to ponder whether imprisoning dissidents really is a human rights abuse, or if it’s not actually that bad because, as Chan says, China has come a long way compared to where it used to be.
As for the others: Bob Chiarelli moves from energy to infrastructure, which allows him to build instead of just blow money aimlessly; Glenn Thibeault graduates to minister of energy, with the stench of his contentious Sudbury byelection still trailing behind; and Indira Naidoo-Harris takes over the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) file, to work alongside former Pan Am Games CEO Saad Rafi — under whose watchful eye the Games ran $342 million over budget according to a recent report by the auditor general — and has been rewarded for his competency in his former position with a new role leading the ORPP.
Meanwhile, a few familiar faces remain where they are, including Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Eric Hoskins, who will continue to try to embarrass doctors by spilling their earnings during theatrical press conferences, and Deputy Premier Deb Matthews, who adds “minister responsible for digital government” to her title, which suggests she will be tasked with figuring out those pesky hard drives while removing the “delete” button from executive-level computers. The Liberal government thus offers Ontario the same dysfunctional, scandal-plagued cabinet but arranged in a slightly different order, and a couple more female faces on the executive council to boast about come election time. Hopefully next time the Wynne government plans to stage a diversion, we’ll get more beer options in grocery stores..."
Make a choice and make the right one for all Canadians. The F-35 is the iPhone of the military aircraft world, yet the Liberals want the "unlocked, no contract" phone that will be cheap and cool... for a very short time.
The root cause, even after the Brits and Aussies have committed to the F-35 as a necessary plane for their air forces, how will Canada benefit from the manufacturing, technology and servicing contracts. Canada's defense is based on how a politician can selfishly claim there were jobs created as part of this all important initiative and important go every Canadian - the safety of our borders.
"No decision has been made" means it will be decided for you. Don't drop the ball Liberals. Excerpt below:
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/liberal-government-shrugs-off-lockheed-warning-over-f-35s
"... The Liberal government is brushing off threats from Lockheed Martin that the U.S. aerospace giant could take billions of dollars worth of work elsewhere if Canada doesn’t buy its F-35 stealth fighter.
Lockheed says it is studying whether to block Canadian companies from competing for future contracts associated with the F-35, which could total billions of dollars. The government, however, says whatever decision it makes on a new fighter jet will result in “very significant benefits” to Canada.
The exchange comes after Postmedia reported the government plans to buy a new jet fighter soon. The Liberals say no decision has been made, but it is believed they will purchase a small number of Super Hornets from Lockheed’s rival, Boeing Co., on an “interim” basis to avoid a competition.
Canadian companies have received about $750 million in contracts associated with the F-35 over the past 15 years. Industry Canada estimated in December 2014 that that was just the tip of the iceberg, with the industrial sector standing to benefit from more than $9 billion in work over the life of the program.
Lockheed vice-president Jack Crisler, however, told the Ottawa Citizen that other partner countries are asking why Canada continues to receive work when it hasn’t committed to the stealth fighter. He said the company hasn’t decided to block Canadian companies from competing for future work, “but we’re evaluating it.”
“The good-faith intent … was that Canada will buy aircraft and they will be allowed to participate in the supply chain,” Crisler said. ““There’s not an entitlement to future contracts unless you’re buying aircraft...”
An incredible rags to should have been more riches story. I'm only finding out about some of the details of his earlier life. But amazing how his earlier predicament prepared him as an ideal and well rounded NHL star. From all accounts he was a gentle giant (wrapped in a tough, skilled, full of heart, Canadian hockey player's clothing)
"..If you drive a car, I'll tax the street
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet..."
--The Beatles
GO GREEN!
With aggressive pricing for both, the practice is not illegal, but extortionate...with exception that Stub hub is apparently contributing to charity.
http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/the-tragically-hip-vancouver-ticket-prices-stubhub
Rooted in the days of not only losing to a Conservative majority, but also grasping at such desperate measures as forming a "coalition" with the NDP, similar to a pouty, spoiled child that does not achieve the results he/she merely wants, he/she runs to the parent or teacher to change the rules. I thought this issue was dead after winning a recent majority government. But noooooooooo, Justin is out to pursue even more damage in his 7.5 months in turning Canada into a banana republic.
