The Maple Leaf Lounge

[Owain Taggart]

And Parry Sound 33 still burns, having grown even more:
https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/as-ontario-burns-ontario-calls-for-more-help

 

[Marc]

so the tories are going to keep their anti-abortion stance.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tasker-conservative-policy-convention-1.4798918

If they cared as much about the kids after they were born as before they were born we'd all be better off.

 

[TheSeeker]

They voted to keep their stance of not reopening the abortion debate.

In an interview with The Canadian Press earlier in the day, Scheer said he would not bring in any legislation to reopen divisive issues such as abortion, even if a majority of members had voted in favour of the resolution.

"I've made it very clear that, as prime minister, I will not reopen that debate. I will not introduce legislation to reopen divisive issues or to reopen issues that have already been settled by previous governments," he said.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/polit...ate-as-tories-vote-to-uphold-policy-1.4067935

 

[Owain Taggart]

In other news, the fire ban has been lifted in Northern Ontario. It had been going on since early July. The only ones still in place are west of Thunder Bay to the Manitoba border and north of Red Lake.

 

[Marc]

In other news, the fire ban has been lifted in Northern Ontario. It had been going on since early July. The only ones still in place are west of Thunder Bay to the Manitoba border and north of Red Lake.

So people can go out and have their fires until some arsehole triggers another massive fire (said on Global News last night that hundreds of the fires in BC were started by human actions). The ban should have stayed in place.

 

[Owain Taggart]

So people can go out and have their fires until some arsehole triggers another massive fire (said on Global News last night that hundreds of the fires in BC were started by human actions). The ban should have stayed in place.

Yeah, agreed. I mean, given how long these have already been going on for, I think it's only right that they should have extended them until they're all taken care of.

 

[Owain Taggart]

So, local elections are heating up. Signs all over the place. At a corner near me, I just had to take a picture.

 

[Avro Arrow]

So, it's after midnight (at least here, anyway), so cannabis is officially legal!

I have a confession: I have never used cannabis, in any form. And have no desire to start, even if it is legal... much the same as I have absolutely no desire to take up smoking the similarly-legal tobacco. So this is pretty much a non-event for me.

What about you, though? Are you a recreational user who now no longer has to worry about arrest? Are you a non-user, who is tempted to give it a try now that it is legal? Any thoughts about the legal/political/social ramifications?

Also, not cannabis-related, but just in case you haven't seen this yet: CUPW has given strike notice to Canada Post. They are saying that rotating strikes will begin on Monday if they can't come to an agreement. The union has said that they are planning rotating strikes, rather than a general strike, because they want to put pressure on CP without impacting the public. Just wanted to let you know.

 

[Marc]

So, it's after midnight (at least here, anyway), so cannabis is officially legal!

I have a confession: I have never used cannabis, in any form. And have no desire to start, even if it is legal... much the same as I have absolutely no desire to take up smoking the similarly-legal tobacco. So this is pretty much a non-event for me.

What about you, though? Are you a recreational user who now no longer has to worry about arrest? Are you a non-user, who is tempted to give it a try now that it is legal? Any thoughts about the legal/political/social ramifications?

don't care if it's legal or not but can the media please shut the fuck up about it.

and all this handwring and agy-bargy over what level of impairment should be illegal is stupid. Simply set a zero limit.

So, it's after midnight (at least here, anyway), so cannabis is officially legal!

Also, not cannabis-related, but just in case you haven't seen this yet: CUPW has given strike notice to Canada Post. They are saying that rotating strikes will begin on Monday if they can't come to an agreement. The union has said that they are planning rotating strikes, rather than a general strike, because they want to put pressure on CP without impacting the public. Just wanted to let you know.

I have some sympathy for the postal workers but not much. Yes it's hard job but not one they always do properly especially when it comes to things like parcels where they are often more likely to simply card it than see if some-one's home. Then there's the one who left a parcel for my wife yesterday (a book). Didn't buzz up to the apartment to let her know it was here but simply stuck it in the mailbox. Problem is when the door was open to allow access to all mailboxes it went in fine, trying to get it out when only our mailbox door could be open resulted in ripping and tearing of the packaging. thankfully the book was in cardboard sleeve so it didn't get damaged.

In Australia, mailboxes are at the end of the driveway so the postie going down the footpath (used to ride a motor scooter but gather they are going to e-bikes) could just stop and deliver the mail. While the scooter or e-bike wouldn't be a good move in Winter I've often wondered how much easier it would be for mail carriers if the boxes were next to the footpath. Can see benefits in the winter because then they aren't having to go up to people's doors to drop the mail when the paths might not have been cleaned or salted properly.

The staff in the Canada Post outlets also get paid more than those who work them Post Offices in the pharmacies and have been known to send customers to the non-corporate locations to avoid doing things like moneygrams which doesn't sit well (I've had this from staff in non-corporate locations while there on a professional basis).

 

[TheSeeker]

I haven't touched the stuff in over 15 years. I was only a casual smoker and I stopped when I went for a higher security clearance.

If I could somehow manage to unload my kids for the night I'd be interested in giving it a try gain, but it is by no means a pressing concern for me. I am glad it's legal now though.

 

[Timewalker]

So, it's after midnight (at least here, anyway), so cannabis is officially legal!

I have a confession: I have never used cannabis, in any form. And have no desire to start, even if it is legal... much the same as I have absolutely no desire to take up smoking the similarly-legal tobacco. So this is pretty much a non-event for me.

What about you, though? Are you a recreational user who now no longer has to worry about arrest? Are you a non-user, who is tempted to give it a try now that it is legal? Any thoughts about the legal/political/social ramifications?

This is one of the reasons I did NOT vote Liberal in 2015. This is going to be one hell of a headache.

Thank goodness I live in an apartment building owned by a company that decided not to allow cannabis to be either smoked on the premises or grown on the premises.

Also, not cannabis-related, but just in case you haven't seen this yet: CUPW has given strike notice to Canada Post. They are saying that rotating strikes will begin on Monday if they can't come to an agreement. The union has said that they are planning rotating strikes, rather than a general strike, because they want to put pressure on CP without impacting the public. Just wanted to let you know.

I've been hearing about it for weeks, from the businesses I order from online. They've been lining up alternative carriers/couriers.

 

[Owain Taggart]

I have a confession: I have never used cannabis, in any form. And have no desire to start, even if it is legal... much the same as I have absolutely no desire to take up smoking the similarly-legal tobacco. So this is pretty much a non-event for me.

Yeah, same here. Although I think it will be interesting to see if I notice any differences in the city. Interestingly though, it's still not legal to smoke it in public spaces in Ontario as that requires a separate legislation. But it makes me wonder how many people are going to totally misunderstand that. I suspect it's going to catch a whole lot of people unawares.

And Ontario parks have said it's fine to smoke it around campfires, but not like it stopped anyone before.

 

[Marc]

Yeah, same here. Although I think it will be interesting to see if I notice any differences in the city. Interestingly though, it's still not legal to smoke it in public spaces in Ontario as that requires a separate legislation. But it makes me wonder how many people are going to totally misunderstand that. I suspect it's going to catch a whole lot of people unawares.

like most smokers they probably won't give a toss what the law says.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I've been hearing about it for weeks, from the businesses I order from online. They've been lining up alternative carriers/couriers.

Yes, me too. I think they've been in a legal strike position since late September, but they haven't actually given strike notice until now.

Hopefully they get this worked out before it escalates to a general strike.

Interestingly though, it's still not legal to smoke it in public spaces in Ontario as that requires a separate legislation.

It is now! Bill 36 passed sometime around 5:00 pm Eastern today.

 

[Owain Taggart]

It is now! Bill 36 passed sometime around 5:00 pm Eastern today.

Oh ok! Have to admit, they were rather quick on that, so good on Ford Last I had heard, they were going to try to get it passed today, but until you posted, I hadn't heard since I was out of town.

 

[TorontoTrekker]

don't care if it's legal or not but can the media please shut the fuck up about it.

Exactly. I buy the Globe and Mail every weekday, and for the last month or so it's been nothing but pot this and weed that, and every other ad is for a cannabis company. Even the business section has been about 50% articles about cannabis legalization.

I've taken to referring to the paper as the "Dope and Mail" over the last week or so.

 

[Timewalker]

Exactly. I buy the Globe and Mail every weekday, and for the last month or so it's been nothing but pot this and weed that, and every other ad is for a cannabis company. Even the business section has been about 50% articles about cannabis legalization.

I've taken to referring to the paper as the "Dope and Mail" over the last week or so.

The CBC has become infested with "everything you need to know about (some aspect of) pot/weed."

At least the Girl Scouts got some benefit from it. One of the Scouts in Edmonton was out selling cookies and her father got the idea that maybe the people in the lineup outside a cannabis store would like to buy some cookies.

She sold out of everything right there (she was accompanied by her father and they did not enter the store).

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think the reason it's taken this long for pot to be legalized, is that nobody can remember where they left the petitions.

(yes, I stole that joke from George Carlin, so . )

 

[TheSeeker]

A village in New Brunswick put up a "straight pride" flag, but it was taken down a day later after a huge outcry. Rightfully so.

Link

 

[Owain Taggart]

So, there's been trouble with online voting, haha. Go figure. There was an issue with the online server used for polling yesterday for the municipal elections. It just up and crashed from having too much demand. They've extended the voting to today as a result. To me this shows that we're not quite there yet, and that we shouldn't rely on a single method. I much preferred the option we had last time around which was a hybrid paper/electronic system.