# The great, ongoing Canadian current events and politics thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059 "2011-05-16T03:05:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 40
**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:** [November 28, 2011, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/783 "2011-11-28T12:10:52Z")
Glad to hear that you’re okay, **Spoons** and all the other AlbertaDopers! ---
**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:** [November 28, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/784 "2011-11-28T19:16:04Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Holy crap, what a windstorm! Downtown Calgary was actually closed today > [@Spoons](#): > > Of course, if the wind changed, it might have been a different story. And who says there is no excitement in cow country. Glad you are both OK. ---
**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:** [November 29, 2011, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/785 "2011-11-29T06:34:56Z")
I’ve seen some video of the fire on the outskirts of Lethbridge - I don’t have the words to describe how violent the winds were blowing it, and how scary that looked. I think we get the idea living in cities that we’re immune to a lot of disaster, but if that fire had gotten into Lethbridge proper with that wind, I don’t know how the fire department could have contained it. So, I guess I’ve lived through my first “hurricane” now (we had Category 1 level winds). 🙂 ---
**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:** [November 29, 2011, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/786 "2011-11-29T07:00:02Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’ve seen some video of the fire on the outskirts of Lethbridge - I don’t have the words to describe how violent the winds were blowing it, and how scary that looked. I think we get the idea living in cities that we’re immune to a lot of disaster, but if that fire had gotten into Lethbridge proper with that wind, I don’t know how the fire department could have contained it. > > So, I guess I’ve lived through my first “hurricane” now (we had Category 1 level winds). 🙂 For those of us living in the City (as small as it is), there was really no danger. There was no evacuation order, though there was an “Alert.” The wind came from the west, which pretty much protected the South and North Sides thanks to the coulees. Us Westsiders were at risk, and we were on alert, but the LFD looked after that. We were OK. Phew! Thank you, LFD! ---
**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:** [November 29, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/787 "2011-11-29T21:15:34Z")
[This report](http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/28/lufthansa-flight-makes-dramatic-landing-in-149kmh-calgary-windstorm/) from the National Post showed some scary video of a plane landing. I loved the tweets from Mayor Naheed Nenshi. ---
**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:** [November 29, 2011, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/788 "2011-11-29T21:34:55Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > [This report](http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/28/lufthansa-flight-makes-dramatic-landing-in-149kmh-calgary-windstorm/) from the National Post showed some scary video of a plane landing. :eek: Meanwhile, the camera people were _out there on the prairie_ in those winds… > [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I loved the tweets from Mayor Naheed Nenshi. Can we have your mayor? Pleeeeeease? :: big puppy eyes look :: ---
**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:** [November 29, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/789 "2011-11-29T21:51:02Z")
That plane landing pretty much much settles the Calgary v. Edmonton question. Now we have proof that people prefer to crab into Calgary at significant risk rather than have to spend a night in Edmonton. That video linked to another Calgary video of a woman complaining about being blocked by an SUV that had slowed down in front of her on the highway. The SUV moved over, so she then accelerated to pass a couple of transports, only to be blocked again when one of them was [blown over](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kK23GtMEJ4&NR=1). I suppose her being that dim opens up the Calgary v. Edmonton question all over again. [Semi flips because of wind Calgary AB. Comment and Subscribe - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kK23GtMEJ4&NR=1) ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/790 "2011-11-29T23:14:36Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > That plane landing pretty much much settles the Calgary v. Edmonton question. Now we have proof that people prefer to crab into Calgary at significant risk rather than have to spend a night in Edmonton. 😃 I’m not so sure the pilots were “fighting for control” in that plane - looks more like a typical controlled cross-wind landing to me. It didn’t even make the [CADORS](http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/cadors-screaq/rpt.aspx?lang=eng&rpttype=national&rptdte=2011-11-28)(although there were several missed approaches, all much smaller planes (A319, B737, CRJs, Embraers), due to the winds - CADORS 2011C4343 ). Interesting video, despite the sensationalist headline. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/791 "2011-12-03T06:38:25Z")
Ok, [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_in_Quebec)is just weird to me… “However, though Quebec has a separate government headed by the Queen, as a province, Quebec is not itself a kingdom.” So strange that I don’t recall ever hearing that _technically_ Québec’s monarchy is separate from Canada’s. I don’t really have an opinion on it, other than “huh really?” and “if the ROC wonders why (if?) the Monarchy comes to Québec more often (does it?), that _might_ explain it.” The odd things you discover late on a Friday night when your husband is watching the end of a crappy movie while you text your sister about news on her dying dog. 😛 ☹ WFT-FML. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/792 "2011-12-03T06:44:08Z")
Further [reading](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_in_Ontario)is making me think that I completely misunderstood that. Now I think I need to a)sober up and b) get some sleep. 🙂 ---
**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:** [December 3, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/793 "2011-12-03T18:04:28Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > \ > > Can we have your mayor? Pleeeeeease? > :: big puppy eyes look :: You can have **Le Ministre’s** mayor, not ours. 🙂 On a somewhat-related note, I’m afraid Nenshi isn’t going to run for mayor again because he’ll be too tired of fighting the old-guard idiots on the city council that residents inexplicably keep re-electing. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/794 "2011-12-03T18:59:39Z")
This Rob Ford / Toronto Star thing is ridiculous. It’s claimed that when told about the start of the Iran-Iraq War, Henry Kissinger said “It’s a shame they can’t both lose.” I feel much the same way about this ridiculous tiff. Ford is acting like a monumental jackass - actually, a more accurate statement would be that he is eliminating any remaining doubt that he is a monumental jackass - while the Star has been using its position and twisting the facts to attack Ford more or less incessantly for two years and is, in the worst tradition of the media, forgetting that they themselves aren’t an interesting story. ---
**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:** [December 4, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/795 "2011-12-04T01:40:58Z")
Ya. The Toronto Star: The official newspaper of the Liberal party. OK, sorry, they endorsed the NDP last election. The media in Canada is so left-leaning that … damn I wish I had a good pun here, but I don’t… ---
**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2011, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/796 "2011-12-04T03:51:51Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The media in Canada is so left-leaning that … …if the Conservative hurricane from the West stops blowing, they’ll fall down. 😛 (not a pun, but what the hell) ---
**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:** [December 5, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/797 "2011-12-05T16:21:19Z")
I don’t find any of the media in Canada biased toward the left wing. Right wingers are forever telling me that The Star and the CBC are too far left, but I just take that as a sign that those people are so far right they’re off the road and into the ditch. 🙂 Seriously, though - when you say ‘the media’, that implies ‘all of them’ to me and I just can’t agree with that. The Globe is left? The Post? The Sun? CTV? Global? SunTV? Nope, can’t see it, myself - I think there’s plenty of right-wing biased media outlets; so many that the centre seems left to some folks. ---
**Author:** ![Critical\_Mass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Critical\_Mass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical_Mass)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/798 "2011-12-05T16:49:04Z")
I find the CBC to be more Liberal than left. Any Canadian media that skews right generally isn’t anything I rely on for reporting with integrity. I think much of the remaining media has a left bias. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/799 "2011-12-05T17:40:33Z")
What’s that joke? “Reality has a left-wing bias”? 😃 I haven’t really noticed a major bias in any direction from any given newspaper, but then again I tend to read articles at semi-random as they show up on Google News and I tend to read more than one on any given topic in search of additional details, so I guess my information sources must even out to something somewhat neutral. I _have_ noticed that any article whatsoever involving alleged failures/errors/problems with the Conservative party immediately leads to comments by Conservative supporters along the lines of “OMG the MEDIA hate the Conservatives they are the government let them do whatever they want!!!11one1!!!” while the same doesn’t quite seem to happen from supporters of other political parties. It’s like some commentators - and this is the public, not “the media” remember - seem to have a goal of spreading the _story_ that the media is biased, but that doesn’t actually make it true. The Conservatives form the current government, so naturally their actions will be under heavier scrutiny; that’s not persecution, it’s just the way media work. The same was actually true when other parties were in power, it’s just (IMHO) that the way in which the public discusses the news has changed (and comment boards have become more popular recently, which means that that additional source of “information” wasn’t in play when the Liberals were in power). I want the media to tear into politicians and corporations who are doing things wrong. Life isn’t all sunshine and roses and I want to know when my political leaders are lying to me, when they are misspending money, when they are spewing nonsense, just as much as I want to know when they are doing things right. Ignoring unpleasant facts doesn’t make those facts disappear, no matter how many exclamation marks people use in their online news comment rants! ---
**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:** [December 5, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/800 "2011-12-05T18:08:12Z")
The ‘comments’ section of any newspaper or TV outlet makes me very happy that the SDMB is so stringent about trolls and sock puppets. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/801 "2011-12-05T18:33:07Z")
Oh, I agree, even though it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure to read them. So many posters are just so freaking _stupid_, it’s almost funny. ---
**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:** [December 5, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059/802 "2011-12-05T18:48:29Z")
I read an article from [Macleans magazine on Mike Holmes](http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/12/13/the-holmes-complex/), and I was actually pleasantly surprised at the level of conversation that was going on in the comments section. I agree about the comments in local newspapers, though. Sheesh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059.md?page=39) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-canadian-current-events-and-politics-thread/582059.md?page=41)