The Maple Leaf Lounge

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Avro Arrow, Mar 14, 2018.

  1. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada

    It certainly seems so, and no doubt due to changing temperatures over the last few years. I mean, when I was a kid, not having a Christmas without snow was very rare. It's not so much that I can't understand it, but that my mental image of Christmas is linked so strongly to Christmas with snow that I can't really picture it as anything else. Of course, those in the southern hemisphere are probably thinking we're crazy for thinking about snow associated with Christmas ;)
     
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  2. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2007
    Location:
    In many different universes, simultaneously.
    Thanks. Yes, I'm okay. The store where this happened is the one in the south end of town, and I live in the north end. I wasn't out anywhere, so the first I knew of this was the "breaking news" on the CBC website. At first they didn't specify which Walmart it was. I do live fairly close to the store on the north end of town and it was a relief - if anything about this could be a relief - that it wasn't at "my" store, which is located in a mall; the store where this happened is a standalone, so there wouldn't have been anywhere near as many people.

    The latest from cbc.ca

    (ignore the part about Calgary; we're geographically halfway between Edmonton and Calgary and so we don't rate a separate "local" section on that website)
     
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  3. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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  4. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    So at the moment, we're a nation without a passenger train service.

    I guess I'm glad I don't have any imminent travel plans.
     
  5. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    Cargo isn't moving, either. Hope nobody dies because the medical devices that depend on propane stop working. If that happens, the natives (I don't feel like using the "politically correct" word, since they throw around words like "colonizers" and "invaders") should face legal consequences.

    As far as I'm concerned, the cops should crack down. Just arrest everyone - and charge them - for trespassing and whatever the official crime is for interfering with the lawful movement of goods and people (they're blocking the ports, occupying politicians' offices and the BC Legislature, and wouldn't even let Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland through for her meeting with the BC premier until the cops escorted her (she doesn't normally use security). Dismantle the camps and blockades, both on the rail lines, at the ports, and the intersections and bridges (good luck getting anywhere by bus in some of the busy areas of Vancouver).

    Justin Trudeau needs to get on this. Normally I understand that one of the jobs of a Prime Minister is diplomacy, but while he's gallivanting around Africa, things are in chaos in Canada, partly due to this rail/port/bridge blockade, and partly due to the Canadian citizens quarantined in China and on cruise ships due to the coronavirus situation. Even if he can't personally act, he is not being perceived to be leading the country right now, and that needs to change.

    As for travel... well, my city hasn't had rail travel for decades, since the city relocated the rails from the middle of town out to the county. Every time a fast rail service between Edmonton and Calgary is proposed, that proposal never includes Red Deer. Apparently being between the two larger cities means we're supposed to all drive where we need to go (no Greyhound service here anymore), and if we don't drive, we MUST have family/friends to drive us (excuse me for not having family to drive me around, since they're all dead, how inconsiderate of them).

    Sorry for the rant (okay, not that sorry; it's a relief to say things I can't say on CBC due to their draconian moderation), but there comes a time when it's not enough to be "nice". And I'm tired of seeing all this bullshit on the news and people letting it go on for fear of being perceived as racist. Anyone else engaging in these shenanigans would be arrested thisfast. It's time to stop with the favoritism.

    (and I say this as someone who is pro-environment; I understand the concern about pipelines, but this is exactly the wrong way to mount a protest if they want wholesale sympathy from everyone else)
     
  6. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    Shinning Waters
    Was mentioned early on (but seems to not come up in more recent media coverage) that the elected band leaders were in favour of the pipeline and signed off on it and that the protests are being lead by the hereditary chiefs.

    Sounds like some-one is having a dummy spit because they're being ignored and holding the rest of the country hostage.

    An article in the Toronto Star also mentions that some of the protestors blocking the rail tracks are doing it for the own agenda but piggying back on the Wet'suwet'en protest.
     
    Last edited: Feb 14, 2020
  7. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    It comes up a lot in the media coverage here that the hereditary chiefs are the ones responsible for this, and that some of the elected band leaders have been harassed and threatened for having approved the pipeline. One of them was on the news last night explaining that she thought the only way for her people to get ahead would be with employment opportunities, which would in turn lead to more improvements in the lives of their families and community.

    It seems these hereditary chiefs (even the natives themselves can't agree completely on who gets to call him/herself one) would rather sit around protesting, instead of actually trying something useful to improve their situation.

    It just occurred to me that Jody Wilson-Raybould is probably just a teensy bit relieved right now that she isn't in cabinet, because the media would surely have zeroed in on her to help explain this mess and maybe try to mediate... since her riding would be one of those affected.
     
  8. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Northern Ontario, Canada
    Me neither, but then again I haven't traveled via train in more than 20 years. But this highlights just how much trains are still in use across the country, even if passenger travel isn't what it used to be.
     
  9. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    Shinning Waters
    I've used trains a few times over recent years. The ubiquitous Go to Toronto and Via to Belleville (for work) and Kingston.

    The most recent was a trip to Kingston last year which was the first time with my wife on the Via. They still have a bit of work to do on accessibility (though I guess the age of the rolling stock is a factor).

    They should take a lesson from the airlines and get the passenger into a a travel chair before moving them into the carriage. My wife's in a manual wheelchair and it wouldn't fit through the doorway at all on the silver carriages, the green one we could at least get through it and into some seats.
     
  10. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Northern Ontario, Canada
    I'd love to travel more via train, but in Northern Ontario, or more specifically Northeastern Ontario, access just isn't what it used to be.
     
  11. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    I take the train whenever I have to go to Toronto, because why would I want to drive in Toronto??

    Fortunately, I don't have to go all that often. Although I do know some people who traveled there by train just before the cancellation, and are now scrambling to arrange alternate transportation to make sure they're back home for work on Tuesday.
     
  12. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
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    Northern Ontario, Canada
    That makes sense. It's like NYC and the subway. It's not really a city you want to drive in. Even Ottawa recently got its own local train service.
     
  13. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Confederation of Earth
    Really? Cool. Does it go to the airport?
     
  14. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada
    I don't know, but I assume it does. It's still fairly new as it only opened this year. When I was there over Christmas, there was a radio program asking residents what they thought of the new system.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-Train
     
  15. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ I just checked Wikipedia and it says that rail access to the airport will open in 2022. Linky
     
  16. Santaman

    Santaman Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Tyre city
    *sneaks in*:shifty:
    Uh yeah.. besides Unleash the Archers also thanks for Devin Townsend, Oh and I add Alissa White-Gluz to that list as well. ;)
    *sneaks out* :angel:
     
  17. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Northern Ontario, Canada
    What? Wrong thread, Santa! :p
     
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  18. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

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    Canada
    ^ I dunno, if people want to use this thread to thank us for what we bring to the world, it would only be polite to let them! ;)
     
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  19. Miss Lemon

    Miss Lemon Commodore Commodore

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    Feb 14, 2012
    Location:
    In Poirot's office
    If only it would be as easy to travel to your country, as it is to sneak into this thread. :shifty:

    Canada has been on my travel bucket list for ages, and I’m afraid it will stay there for quite a bit longer. :ouch:
     
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  20. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 10, 2005
    Location:
    Confederation of Earth
    I love Canada. I go to Toronto and Montréal every year. Also I went to the Calgary Stampede a few years ago and it was the most fun I've had in ages.

    (Couldn't do it without US border preclearance, though. Whoever invented that, wins three internets.)

    I've been flirting with the idea of going to the winter carnival in Quebec City but I had to put the kibosh on that. I'm not a huge fan of travelling at that time of year, and Jean-Lesage is one of the few Canadian airports that doesn't have border preclearance.

    anyhoo, yeah, I do enjoy the hell out of my frequent trips to Canada. It's clean, and it makes good beer (plus, Tim Hortons has WAY better coffee than Starbucks). And most of my favorite TV shows (Corner Gas, Night Heat*, The Red Green Show) are Canadian as well.

    * Fun urban legend about that show, actually. Even more fun because it's real:
    Night Heat was filmed in Toronto, but is never named as such in the show. Even though it's glaringly obvious to anyone who's spent more than a WEEK there that it is in fact Toronto, they wanted the show to appeal to American viewers as well, so they just never said which city it is. Nobody is ever seen handling money or a flag, the characters work in 'precincts' rather than 'divisions', and American police ranks such as Lieutenant and Captain are used.

    So they go to shoot one scene and, because Canadian cities generally tend to be cleaner than American ones, they had to put down extra trash and graffiti. Then they broke for lunch.

    When they got back, helpful passersby had cleaned up the site on their own! :guffaw:

    Oh, one last thing, Canadian money looks really cool. Just thought I'd put that out there. :cool:
     
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2020