ST. JOHN’S, NL. FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2006. The annual mid-summer gathering of the Canadian provincial premiers and territorial leaders (a.k.a. “The Council of the Federation“) provided some slight relief from the troubles of the Middle East, for any resident Canadian citizens still paying attention. The provincial and territorial leaders failed to solve the problem of “fiscal imbalance” in […]

The cold, cruel reality of the troubled global village that dampened the holiday mood in northern North America last summer was the terrorist bombing of the London subway system (on July 7, 2005). This year it’s the Israeli-Hezbollah mini-war in Lebanon (which began on July 12, 2006).The mini-war itself seems to open up very sobering […]

Canadians watching the beginnings of what the hyperbolic right is calling World War III (or IV) on US TV have a right to be a bit puzzled by the news that there are only an “estimated 25,000 Americans … in Lebanon.” According to the local media in Canada, “officials estimate that at least 50,000 Canadians” […]

Some will ask why? During the second full week of July 2006 both Trudeau brothers were in the Canadian news. Justin is about to start a new acting career. And Alexandre is going to become a father (having first met the mother in question through his new sister-in-law, Sophie Gregoire). Others will say that paid […]

HONEY HARBOUR, ON. Nothing is supposed to happen up here in the summer. But of course it does. This can even be a good time to sneak through somewhat strange messages in the news. So Canadian federal finance minister Jim Flaherty has announced that a mysterious international financial watchdog called the Egmont Group will be […]

The news from Mexico that some have been waiting for since the evening of this past Sunday, July 2 finally arrived in the late afternoon of Thursday, July 6. With all 41 million votes apparently now properly counted, Felipe Calderon of the conservative National Action Party has 35.88%. Lopez Obrador of the left-wing Democratic Revolution […]

On Canada Day a young man’s thoughts – or woman’s of course – turn to … well, Canada. And Canada, the late Robertson Davies used to tell anyone who might be listening is “the kind of country you worry about.” On Canada Day 2006 it seems wisest to concentrate on Canada in its deepest and […]