The Free Range Child

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I still have visions of my youngest daughter running around the backyard of a property I once owned North of Orangeville. I would lose sight of her once in a while, between climbing to the top of the red pines to the north of our house, or searching for elves in their undergrowth.

One day I lost sight of her completely. We had a small above ground pool in the backyard, and I ran out to do a safety check. There she was, laying under the stairs to the pool, gently stroking the neck of a garter snake who was hypnotized by her. I left quietly.

On another occasion, I looked out on the back porch where we had a hummingbird feeder. I watched for fifteen minutes while she patiently waited with her hand outstretched under the feeding tube. Finally a hummingbird landed on her finger. She watched close up as it fed from the nectar and her smile was like a thousand Christmas mornings.

Today she lives in British Columbia with her husband and two beautiful grandchildren. She keeps them close to the wild and sacred spaces, hiking the trails, exploring the watersheds, releasing the salmon fry, and simply loving all of the life around them. They are free range children, maybe the last of a childhood immersed in nature.

Today we hear all kinds of experts tout the health and wellness benefits of keeping children in close contact with natural systems. But the easy way out is to hand them an electronic drug like a cell phone or an iPad. Will we inherit the Ecozoic or the Technozoic Era?

At least I know these grandchildren will have had their earliest years immersed in the natural world. If I leave behind any kind of a legacy, this is it.

The way I see it.

UK, France, Canada Full Joint Statement on Gaza

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“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable. Yesterday’s announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is wholly inadequate. We call on the Israeli Government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. This must include engaging with the UN to ensure a return to delivery of aid in line with humanitarian principles. We call on Hamas to release immediately the remaining hostages they have so cruelly held since 7 October 2023.

The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law. We condemn the abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli Government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate. Permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law.

Israel suffered a heinous attack on October 7. We have always supported Israel’s right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate.

We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.

We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank. Israel must halt settlements which are illegal and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.  We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions.

We strongly support the efforts led by the United States, Qatar and Egypt to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. It is a ceasefire, the release of all remaining hostages and a long-term political solution that offer the best hope of ending the agony of the hostages and their families, alleviating the suffering of civilians in Gaza, ending Hamas’ control of Gaza and achieving a pathway to a two-state solution, consistent with the goals of the 18 June conference in New York co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France. These negotiations need to succeed, and we must all work towards the implementation of a two-state solution, which is the only way to bring long-lasting peace and security that both Israelis and Palestinians deserve, and ensure long-term stability in the region.

We will continue to work with the Palestinian Authority, regional partners, Israel and the United States to finalise consensus on arrangements for Gaza’s future, building on the Arab plan. We affirm the important role of the High-level Two-State Solution Conference at the UN in June in building international consensus around this aim. And we are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end.”

Offensive is in the Mind of the Beholder

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In my days of being provocative as a speaker on environmental issues, I once took the stage wearing a hooded sweatshirt that had emblazoned on its back “UNF*CK the PLANET”. When I finished my keynote, one attendee remarked to me that they found that logo offensive. “Really?” I replied. “What I find offensive is continued habitat alteration, loss of biodiversity, chemical pollution, and accelerated climate change.”

No response.

Recently I pondered that same response when I read criticism about Canada joining the UK and France in condemning the blockage of aid to starving Palestinians. Their statement said: “We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions, If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”

Yeah, what I find offensive is not Canada’s response. What I find offensive is the deliberate starvation of 14,000 children. I find that  really f*cking offensive.

The way I see it.

Blood Money, Dark Money and Plutocrats

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October 2, 2018. US based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashogi, a critic of the Saudi government, was attacked in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as he went to finalize his marriage papers. It was later revealed that he had been murdered and dismembered. A team of fifteen Saudi agents, operating under the orders of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, carried out the assassination. Shortly after the brutal murder, Trump’s Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin has a meeting with the Crown Prince.

 

May 13, 2025, Crown Prince  Mohammed bin Salman greets President Donald Trump with an elaborate welcoming ceremony usually reserved for kings. Trump, in turn, signs off on the largest defense sales agreement in history worth $142 billion as part of a series of bilateral deals with the Saudis worth $600 billion in investments.

 

In 2012, Chrystia Freeland wrote the brilliant non-fiction novel Plutocrats: the Rise of the New Global Super Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else. In 2016, Jane Mayer wrote an insightful non-fiction novel called Dark Money: the Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right.

On July 27, 2024, campaigning Donald Trump told a group of supporters in Florida that they wouldn’t have to vote again if they elected him President, “You won’t have to do it anymore, It’ll be fixed. It’ll be fine; you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians.”

Way back in 1986, Canadian songwriter Bruce Cockburn wrote “Call It Democracy”, a scathing indictment of international greed controlled by the high rollers. It starts off with the verse: “Padded with power here they come, International loan sharks backed by the guns, Of market hungry military profiteers, Whose word is a swamp and whose brow is smeared, With the blood of the poor.” Give it a listen with 2025 in mind.

We can’t say we weren’t warned. The way I see it.

*****

  • cartoon by Chris Dywanski
  • Image from the news.com.pk

Lisa Post does NOT Need Strong Mayor Powers

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by Skid Crease and Patti Foley, originally published in Just Sayin’ Caledon, May 9/25

***

Lisa Post is the Mayor of Orangeville. Lisa Post believes in consensus building, the strengths of her team, and the integrity of responsible democracy. Lisa Post does NOT want to be a Strong Mayor, a title that was foisted upon her, without consultation, by the provincial government.

Mayor Post expressed her concerns in a letter to Premier Rob Ford and Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, describing what she feels are the negative impacts of Strong Mayor Powers (SMP) on both the democratic process and staff morale.

As confusing as it sounds, the way Bill 3: Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act is written, Mayor Post had to use SMP in order to not use them. She has signed five Mayoral Decisions to delegate certain authorities in order to effectively keep them in the hands of Council, staff, and committees, so that the democratic process is restored.

I asked the Mayor what was the tipping point that inspired such a bold move. She replied, “I pride myself on my ability to build consensus in those times when things are contentious. Our team works best when everyone’s voices and ideas can be represented in policy discussions and decisions.”

Mayor Post had observed other municipalities where the SMP had been abused, and Councils were afraid as they watched their positions of responsibility reduced and, in some cases, removed.

The SMP disempowered both Council and community. Town staff were also afraid, wondering who would be fired next as they watched experienced senior staff gracelessly swept out the door to be replaced by the Strong Mayor’s single source choices.

This simply went against everything in which she believed. Lisa had seen teamwork and consensus building in action back when she was a new councillor on a team of seven under the leadership of then Mayor Sandy Brown. When the pandemic hit, they quickly started online meetings and kept the process of governance going as smoothly as possible. Since the pandemic, in this current term of Council, there have been numerous examples of where consensus building has worked for the betterment of the community.

In 2022 Lisa Post ran for Mayor and won. She values and respects the responsibility that comes with that role. I asked if she felt she would ever regret giving up those Strong Mayor Powers and she responded immediately: “I don’t need Strong Mayor Powers. What I need is a strong community with a strong voice, and I need Council to feel like they are a part of our democracy and that their decisions are respected. Strong Mayor Powers won’t help us build a strong community – If the province wants to help us, the best way they can is with reliable and sustainable investments in infrastructure, homelessness prevention, and transit.”

Additionally, on Monday, May 12th, Mayor Post is bringing a motion to Council: item 14.1 on the agenda, to formally request that the Province of Ontario rescind the ‘Strong Mayors Legislation’ in its entirety and should the legislation not be repealed, that the Province immediately remove the Town of Orangeville from the list of municipalities designated under the Strong Mayor Powers framework. That motion, if approved by Council, will be sent to the Province as well as to all 444 municipalities as well as to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities for their support and endorsement.

The letter to the Province has been sent, the Mayor’s Motion will be discussed, and Orangeville Council, together as a team, will decide their future.

As it should be.

The way I see it.

_______________

*image from You Tube