# The CanaDoper Café (2012 edition of The great, ongoing Canadian current events and politics thread.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 1, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014 "2012-01-01T03:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 51
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1001 "2012-04-30T19:03:07Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > [Toronto Comic Art Festival is coming up this weekend.](http://torontocomics.com/exhibitors/type/featured-guests/) My 9 year old son is ready to camp out on Friday night so he can meet Bryan Lee O’Malley because Scott Pilgrim is the most awesome thing evah! I just smile and try to remember being that young myself… Thank you for reminding me of this! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1002 "2012-04-30T20:31:39Z")
I am the very model of a modern Gov’nor General I’ll praise the B.N.A. Act when it hits its sesquicenteneral. I look all dignified as hell, despite my countenance youthful; I speak Francois, Inuit, Cree, and even Kwakiutl. I take advice from anyone who holds the Commons’ confidence; In fact in matters of dispute my ass is firmly on the fence. I present Olympic medals to Calliope Ouzouni At death I’ll adorn the dollar coin for I already am quite looney. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1003 "2012-04-30T22:01:10Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I am the very model of a modern Gov’nor General > I’ll praise the B.N.A. Act when it hits its sesquicenteneral. > I look all dignified as hell, despite my countenance youthful; > I speak Francois, Inuit, Cree, and even Kwakiutl. > I take advice from anyone who holds the Commons’ confidence; > In fact in matters of dispute my ass is firmly on the fence. > I present Olympic medals to Calliope Ouzouni > At death I’ll adorn the dollar coin for I already am quite looney. Now, if you can get **Le Ministre** to sing that bad boy and post the video on You Tube for the world to enjoy, you’ll really have something. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1004 "2012-05-02T14:09:05Z")
Just when you think it can’t get any worse, we’re letting [Conrad Black](http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1171210--conrad-black-to-be-let-back-into-canada-report?bn=1) back in to the country. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1005 "2012-05-02T14:29:37Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > Just when you think it can’t get any worse, we’re letting [Conrad Black](http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1171210--conrad-black-to-be-let-back-into-canada-report?bn=1) back in to the country. What, you think he poses some kind of risk to the public or something? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1006 "2012-05-02T15:19:35Z")
He’s no longer a citizen by his own choice, and he’s a convicted criminal. There are translators who in Afghanistan who are likely to be killed for having helped us out, yet they’ve been denied entry into Canada. As far as I’m concerned, Conrad Black can fuck off and die. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1007 "2012-05-02T15:47:11Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > He’s no longer a citizen by his own choice, and he’s a convicted criminal. There are translators who in Afghanistan who are likely to be killed for having helped us out, yet they’ve been denied entry into Canada. As far as I’m concerned, Conrad Black can fuck off and die. Yeah, I’m not too thrilled about him being here either. At the very least, he should have had to wait in the queue. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1008 "2012-05-02T15:54:33Z")
Well, I know the history, obviously. He applied for, and was granted, a one-year temporary resident permit of which over 10,000 are granted yearly for foreign nationals. It’s hardly unprecedented and he’s not going to come and steal your money, probably. There’s something to be said for people serving their time in jail and being able to get on with their life. I’m not defending Black, per se, but I think the story is being blown out of proportion and wishing death on him isn’t really very nice. ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1009 "2012-05-02T16:02:09Z")
Can I just wish that Macleans stop publishing his wife’s drivel? (yes, I know that the obvious answer is just to stop reading it) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1010 "2012-05-02T16:08:24Z")
Well, if they keep publishing it, it keeps encouraging her. Now I have to go look up who Conrad Black’s wife is. 🙂 ETA: Ah, Barbara Amiel. I went and read a bit of a column of hers; yeah, I can live without that. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1011 "2012-05-02T20:40:45Z")
It’s hardly surprising that a criminal (first convicted when in university) who threw away his Canadian citizenship out of greed is allowed to return by a government that calls the Official Opposition Hitler sympathizers and anyone who protests against its citizen-spy bill pedophiles. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1012 "2012-05-02T22:28:10Z")
Apparently it is 45 years today since the Toronto Maple Leafs won a Stanley Cup. Happy Anniversary! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1013 "2012-05-02T22:38:37Z")
Just five more years and they can have a major celebration on making it half a century! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1014 "2012-05-02T23:27:39Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > It’s hardly surprising that a criminal (first convicted when in university) who threw away his Canadian citizenship out of greed is allowed to return by a government that calls the Official Opposition Hitler sympathizers and anyone who protests against its citizen-spy bill pedophiles. I think you meant to post this on the Globe and Mail comments. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1015 "2012-05-02T23:35:03Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > He’s no longer a citizen by his own choice, and he’s a convicted criminal. As was pointed out by more than a few people, we routinely let convicted criminals into the country if they’re actors or athletes, even ones who aren’t Canadian in any way. I don’t see why anyone else should be treated worse. The fact that morons like the people who write for the Toronto Star are calling this “special treatment” when it’s probably not the 1,000th time it’s happened this year just goes to show you whether they’re speaking from an honest position or a partisan agenda. As for his alleged citizenship, or lack thereof, that was total bullshit perpetrated by the Prime Minister of the day over a political grudge. Black was born in Canada, he’s Canadian, and that’s that, as far as I’m concerned; I think it’s absolutely horrendous that the law could ever be used or interpreted to deny a person citizenship, _even if they say they don’t want it anymore._ As far as I’m concerned Black’s “renouncing” of Canadian citizenship is meaningless. I don’t like Conrad Black but this isn’t a goddamned police state. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1016 "2012-05-03T01:34:57Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > As for his alleged citizenship, or lack thereof, that was total bullshit perpetrated by the Prime Minister of the day over a political grudge. Black was born in Canada, he’s Canadian, and that’s that, as far as I’m concerned; I think it’s absolutely horrendous that the law could ever be used or interpreted to deny a person citizenship, _even if they say they don’t want it anymore._ As far as I’m concerned Black’s “renouncing” of Canadian citizenship is meaningless. > > I don’t like Conrad Black but this isn’t a goddamned police state. The procedure [**requires more**](http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/renounce.asp) than a simple statement. It takes a lot of work, and Black did it. No Canadian since [**since the Nickel Resolution in 1917**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickle_Resolution#The_Nickle_Resolution) has been knighted, and Black knew it. However, Tony Blair and the queen (for $ome rea$on) [\*\*ignored \*\*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerage_law) and lorded Black against the Canadian PM’s wishes, Canadian history and precedent. Very tawdry. No surprise with Blair — or Liz, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1017 "2012-05-03T02:10:43Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > The procedure [**requires more**](http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/renounce.asp) than a simple statement. It takes a lot of work, and Black did it. > > No Canadian since [**since the Nickel Resolution in 1917**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickle_Resolution#The_Nickle_Resolution) has been knighted, and Black knew it. > > However, Tony Blair and the queen (for $ome rea$on) [\*\*ignored \*\*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerage_law) and lorded Black against the Canadian PM’s wishes, Canadian history and precedent. > > Very tawdry. No surprise with Blair — or Liz, for that matter. Thank you for quoting a bazillion pages of … I don’t know what. I need to sleep now, after that. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1018 "2012-05-03T03:06:40Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > As far as I’m concerned Black’s “renouncing” of Canadian citizenship is meaningless. > > I don’t like Conrad Black but this isn’t a goddamned police state. I don’t see how permitting a citizen to renounce his citizenship means the state is a police state. Prohibiting a person from renouncing his citizenship, or taking a person’s citizenship away from him, yes, but letting the person renounce his own citizenship, no. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1019 "2012-05-03T04:21:46Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > No Canadian since [**since the Nickel Resolution in 1917**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickle_Resolution#The_Nickle_Resolution) has been knighted, and Black knew it. That’s not true. From around the 1930s on (the Nickle Resolution was ignored by some later governments), no Canadian living in Canada was knighted (AFAIK), but Canadians living in the UK still can be (and are) knighted or ennobled. The Canadian government’s wishes are irrelevant, because as far as the British government is concerned it is now totally and completely foreign. > [@Kenm](#): > > However, Tony Blair and the queen (for $ome rea$on) [\*\*ignored \*\*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peerage_law) and lorded Black against the Canadian PM’s wishes, Canadian history and precedent. Why would the British Prime Minister and the British Queen (the Queen of Canada does not create peerages, so her role in Canada is irrelevant) ask a foreign prime minister about an appointment to the British House of Lords, or respect a foreign government’s precedent? Total independence is a two-way street. However, that’s why I have no sympathy for Conrad Black. He threw away his citizenship because of a purely diplomatic dispute; there were no _legal_ reasons why his peerage couldn’t have gone through, and Chretien had no leg to stand on when he tried to interfere in the governance of a foreign nation. He probably would have gotten his peerage and kept his citizenship had he not been so impatient. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2012, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014/1020 "2012-05-03T04:36:08Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > … but Canadians living in the UK still can be (and are) knighted or ennobled. True enough. See, for example, [Sir George Bain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bain_%28academic%29): > [@](#): > > Sir George Sayers Bain, a Canadian by birth born in Winnipeg and attended Miles MacDonell Collegiate, was President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2004… > > He is a non-executive director of Bombardier Aerospace, Canada Life Group (UK) Ltd, [and] the Canada Life Capital Corporation… He holds nine honorary doctorates **and was knighted in 2001**. Emphasis added. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014.md?page=50) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-canadoper-cafe-2012-edition-of-the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/608014.md?page=52)