Dust is everywhere, gravel and sand
Remnants of the winter, like it they hang on too long.
Potholes and ruts, souvenirs of frost and
Reminders of maintenance put off.
The magpies are here
Grass competing with small remainders of snow
Always the dust
The familiar rattle of a diesel, the whine of a turbocharger
Rattles from truck and trailer as they pass over the ubiquitous rail lines
The trees are still bare
Rail engines call out in the distance
The grey roads are brown with dust
Trucks are everywhere
Pick-ups and ‘hot shots’
The big pickers and oilfield trucks, massive with their cranes and
Heavy front axles
Tractors with every possible type of trailer, especially flatbeds
Yards are still wet, and mud is still the order of the day.
Equipment overflows, as material waits for the ground to firm up enough
To support the weight of the great trucks.
Spring in the gateway to Alberta’s oil country,
A sunny day, as I sit in my truck on the side of 66th Avenue.
And so much dust.
-Edmonton, Alberta
April 23, 2003
authentic. intelligent. conservative.
Thursday 12 May 2005
Wednesday 11 May 2005
Birch
Common in transition areas from
coniferous to deciduous
noted for bark
birch bark canoes
birch bark pants
etc
bark like paper
leaves moving in the breeze
the entire tree moves
more like a branch,
its trunk so thin
a walking stick for a giant
Edmonton, May 24, 2003
coniferous to deciduous
noted for bark
birch bark canoes
birch bark pants
etc
bark like paper
leaves moving in the breeze
the entire tree moves
more like a branch,
its trunk so thin
a walking stick for a giant
Edmonton, May 24, 2003
Monday 9 May 2005
Walking Through West Edmonton Mall
Efficiently designed
To take away your money.
A “Gourmet World” sign
Over the fast food court
And two of everything
To take away your money.
A “Gourmet World” sign
Over the fast food court
And two of everything
Saturday 7 May 2005
60 Years ago today
As I contemplate the meaning of V-E Day, some thoughts.
Sixty years ago today, Grand -Admiral Karl Doenitz, interim leader of the remains of Nazi Germany, surrendered to the Allies, marking the end of hostilities in Europe. It was declared by Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, that the next day, May 8th, would be celebrated as Victory in Europe, or VE, day. Amongst the armies was one not often heard of today, the First Canadian Army, which accepted the surrender of Nazi forces in the Netherlands and north-western Germany.
While the war continued in the Pacific, the Canadian government began the process of demobilizing a massive part of the Canadian forces in Europe. The ground forces included two corps, five divisions, two of them armoured, and independent armoured brigades. The Royal Canadian Air Forces (RCAF) in Europe included #6 Bomber Group, part of the Commonwealth's Bomber Command, and numerous squadrons of fighter and ground attack aircraft, all state of the art for their time (at the end of the war, the fourth largest air force in the world). The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) included four-hundred warships and auxiliary vessels, more than today's United States Navy, amongst them aircraft carriers, cruisers, powerful Tribal class as well as other destroyers, and literally hundreds of frigates, corvettes, and other escort vessels (the third largest navy in the world, at wars end).
The war wasn't over in the Pacific, and so the government of the day made the decision to allow for the demobilization of any personnel conscripted during the previous years, and make the force to be sent to the Pacific theatre an all-volunteer force. But this force would still be huge by modern standards. Some reports indicate the plan was for a Commonwealth force, under the codename Tiger, to include Canadian, British, Australian, New Zealander, and Indian forces. The air contingents biggest part was to be Canadian, while Canada's ground contingent would amount to an armoured corps. The RCN contribution was to be sixty vessels, essentially the most modern and powerful part of the navy, including two or more fleet aircraft-carriers, two or more cruisers, twenty-plus destroyers, and the balance consisting of escort frigates and support ships. My grandfather was to be part of it, except they found out he was underage before he shipped out, and by then the nuclear bomb had melted the delusional hopes of Japan's leadership, ending the war all together. My other grandfather came home, after almost six years in Europe, in 1945.
As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of VE Day tomorrow, let us not forget the magnitude of the effort, and sacrifice, of Canadians during the Second World War. As powerful as our British, American and Russian allies were, Canada, a nation of 11 million people, was at wars end, the fourth greatest military power in the world.
To our veterans, and to those who didn't return, thank you.
And to my fellow Canadians today, we must always strive to live up to the gift they have given to us.
Happy 60th V-E Day.
Sincerely,
James P
Sixty years ago today, Grand -Admiral Karl Doenitz, interim leader of the remains of Nazi Germany, surrendered to the Allies, marking the end of hostilities in Europe. It was declared by Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, that the next day, May 8th, would be celebrated as Victory in Europe, or VE, day. Amongst the armies was one not often heard of today, the First Canadian Army, which accepted the surrender of Nazi forces in the Netherlands and north-western Germany.
While the war continued in the Pacific, the Canadian government began the process of demobilizing a massive part of the Canadian forces in Europe. The ground forces included two corps, five divisions, two of them armoured, and independent armoured brigades. The Royal Canadian Air Forces (RCAF) in Europe included #6 Bomber Group, part of the Commonwealth's Bomber Command, and numerous squadrons of fighter and ground attack aircraft, all state of the art for their time (at the end of the war, the fourth largest air force in the world). The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) included four-hundred warships and auxiliary vessels, more than today's United States Navy, amongst them aircraft carriers, cruisers, powerful Tribal class as well as other destroyers, and literally hundreds of frigates, corvettes, and other escort vessels (the third largest navy in the world, at wars end).
The war wasn't over in the Pacific, and so the government of the day made the decision to allow for the demobilization of any personnel conscripted during the previous years, and make the force to be sent to the Pacific theatre an all-volunteer force. But this force would still be huge by modern standards. Some reports indicate the plan was for a Commonwealth force, under the codename Tiger, to include Canadian, British, Australian, New Zealander, and Indian forces. The air contingents biggest part was to be Canadian, while Canada's ground contingent would amount to an armoured corps. The RCN contribution was to be sixty vessels, essentially the most modern and powerful part of the navy, including two or more fleet aircraft-carriers, two or more cruisers, twenty-plus destroyers, and the balance consisting of escort frigates and support ships. My grandfather was to be part of it, except they found out he was underage before he shipped out, and by then the nuclear bomb had melted the delusional hopes of Japan's leadership, ending the war all together. My other grandfather came home, after almost six years in Europe, in 1945.
As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of VE Day tomorrow, let us not forget the magnitude of the effort, and sacrifice, of Canadians during the Second World War. As powerful as our British, American and Russian allies were, Canada, a nation of 11 million people, was at wars end, the fourth greatest military power in the world.
To our veterans, and to those who didn't return, thank you.
And to my fellow Canadians today, we must always strive to live up to the gift they have given to us.
Happy 60th V-E Day.
Sincerely,
James P
Friday 6 May 2005
The Game
A board layed upon a stool,
They face each other over it.
Even between friends, tension.
Cowboys and Indians
A Canadian motif to a game of the world.
Well, a north American motif
An unwitting metaphor for part of Canadian history
But no Mountie.
The game proceeds
a contest of wills between cats
Lions or tigers
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
POUNCE!
And a piece is lost
And you are riveted
“Check” is called
and suddenly one player fights for his life
he seeks a way out
like a general he must extricate his army
But what can he do
Who must he sacrifice
The other moves in…
May 24, 2003
Sherwood Park, Alta.
I wrote this while watching a game of chess at a barbecue in this rural suburb of Edmonton, in a house that is better described as a lodge.
They face each other over it.
Even between friends, tension.
Cowboys and Indians
A Canadian motif to a game of the world.
Well, a north American motif
An unwitting metaphor for part of Canadian history
But no Mountie.
The game proceeds
a contest of wills between cats
Lions or tigers
Nothing
Nothing
Nothing
POUNCE!
And a piece is lost
And you are riveted
“Check” is called
and suddenly one player fights for his life
he seeks a way out
like a general he must extricate his army
But what can he do
Who must he sacrifice
The other moves in…
May 24, 2003
Sherwood Park, Alta.
I wrote this while watching a game of chess at a barbecue in this rural suburb of Edmonton, in a house that is better described as a lodge.
Ontario's High-Octane Auto Industry Looks to "Floor It!"
A headline on CTV Newsnet Friday night, and its accompanying story on Sympatico's website (both part of Bell Globemedia) highlighted the growing strength of Ontario's auto industry. Ontario now produces more cars and light trucks than any other province or state. And more may be coming. Toyota is looking to build a new plant in North America, and apparently southwestern Ontario, specifically the city of Woodstock, is at the top of the list of potential sites. This would seem rather logical in light of the presence of their other Canadian plant in Brantford, a short drive away, as it would open the door to greater logistical efficiencies.
Another reason for optimism is the newfound willingness of the provincial and federal governments to offer serious cash incentives to companies looking to locate or expand facilities. This has apparently helped move Ford and GM to expand their production facilities in the province, with GM in particular making a major investment which could see vehicles designed from the ground up at their Oshawa headquarters.
Now, as a general (no pun intended) rule I dislike corporate welfare. While the argument is often made that the jobs produced wouldn't come here otherwise, there is reason to believe that they might indeed. The CTV/Sympatico article points to the financial benefits to companies locating here, specifically the presence of a healthcare system paid for from the public purse, when healthcare costs in the US are in large part responsible for the poor financial situations of the big three North American automakers.
Having said all that, there could be a use for these subsidies. They would make sense if they were used to leverage more out of an automaker than otherwise possible. Set the GM deal as the standard - no government money without design and other ancillary facilities on top of any assembly plant. The presence of design facilities provides Canadians with an opportunity to build an auto industry with a real sense of Canadian needs and wants. The net benefit to the Ontario and Canadian economies would increase dramatically, making for a real payoff, versus an imaginary one otherwise.
Lets use government subsidies as the lever that will move the automotive world.
Sincerely,
James P
Another reason for optimism is the newfound willingness of the provincial and federal governments to offer serious cash incentives to companies looking to locate or expand facilities. This has apparently helped move Ford and GM to expand their production facilities in the province, with GM in particular making a major investment which could see vehicles designed from the ground up at their Oshawa headquarters.
Now, as a general (no pun intended) rule I dislike corporate welfare. While the argument is often made that the jobs produced wouldn't come here otherwise, there is reason to believe that they might indeed. The CTV/Sympatico article points to the financial benefits to companies locating here, specifically the presence of a healthcare system paid for from the public purse, when healthcare costs in the US are in large part responsible for the poor financial situations of the big three North American automakers.
Having said all that, there could be a use for these subsidies. They would make sense if they were used to leverage more out of an automaker than otherwise possible. Set the GM deal as the standard - no government money without design and other ancillary facilities on top of any assembly plant. The presence of design facilities provides Canadians with an opportunity to build an auto industry with a real sense of Canadian needs and wants. The net benefit to the Ontario and Canadian economies would increase dramatically, making for a real payoff, versus an imaginary one otherwise.
Lets use government subsidies as the lever that will move the automotive world.
Sincerely,
James P
Forklifts
Scurrying about,
Beeping angrily at all
who block their paths
Strong as ants
But more like aphids
Feeding the ants
The great trucks lining up to load
Edmonton
May 26, 2003
I wrote this while waiting to pick up a load of lumber at the Weyerhauser yard in Edmonton. The contrasts in size and attitude can be quite interesting.
Beeping angrily at all
who block their paths
Strong as ants
But more like aphids
Feeding the ants
The great trucks lining up to load
Edmonton
May 26, 2003
I wrote this while waiting to pick up a load of lumber at the Weyerhauser yard in Edmonton. The contrasts in size and attitude can be quite interesting.
Welcome to ContactPatch - Where the rubber meets the road
Since this is a new blog, I figure I ought to provide some explanation as to what I aim to do here. This will allow those who come here to easily discern whether they're interested or not. This blog will generally focus on providing a new take (hopefully) on what's going on in the world. Primarily, it will focus on what St. Augustine called the two cities - the city of God and the city of man, or in other words, the realms of faith and politics (using the latter, in particular, rather loosely).
I would expect that many, if not most, of the people who might read this will be looking to be informed, and as such would want to know what bias I bring to the table. Well, let me start by saying that I will always try to distinguish between fact and opinion, unlike, say, the CBC or Globe and Mail. But I admit my personal ideas, and hence opinions, lean towards the political right (although a good idea is a good idea, regardless of its progenitor).
I always encourage any individual to consider carefully all available sources of information on their way to forming opinions - but your presence here surely indicates a sharp intellect which would already know this.
Finally, I promise that this site will always be as accurate as possible, avoiding errors of silence and inaction as well as those of action. To refrain from calling a good man good can be as bad as calling calling him a liar.
I hope you enjoy this site and benefit from it. Always interested in hearing your thoughts.
Sincerely,
James P
I would expect that many, if not most, of the people who might read this will be looking to be informed, and as such would want to know what bias I bring to the table. Well, let me start by saying that I will always try to distinguish between fact and opinion, unlike, say, the CBC or Globe and Mail. But I admit my personal ideas, and hence opinions, lean towards the political right (although a good idea is a good idea, regardless of its progenitor).
I always encourage any individual to consider carefully all available sources of information on their way to forming opinions - but your presence here surely indicates a sharp intellect which would already know this.
Finally, I promise that this site will always be as accurate as possible, avoiding errors of silence and inaction as well as those of action. To refrain from calling a good man good can be as bad as calling calling him a liar.
I hope you enjoy this site and benefit from it. Always interested in hearing your thoughts.
Sincerely,
James P
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