Canadians pick Pierre Trudeau, Medicare as Number One in online consultation process approved by Harpercons

MJM by Michael Pelzer

Just imagine that you were the prime minister of Canada and had approved a poll, paid for by the taxpayers, to come up with a Top 10 list of our country's greatest heroes, and you and your political party were essentially shut out by the almost 12,000 Canadians who participated.

Well that's the news Stephen Harper and the Harpercon government received recently as the result of an online consultation process over several months, conducted as part of the preparations for Canada's 150th birthday in 2017.

The Canadian Press announcing the results said that "Canadians have handed the Harper government a Top 10 list of the country’s greatest heroes, featuring some of the Conservative party’s greatest adversaries, past and present."

It is unlikely that the results would ever have seen the light of day had the Canadian Press not obtained them under an Access to Information Act request, even though, we, the taxpayers paid for the project.

In answer to a question "Which Canadians have inspired you the most over the past 150 years?" leading the list was none other than Pierre Trudeau, a name which would most assuredly have sent the Harpercons into a fit of rage. The former Liberal prime minister not only made the Top 10, he was Number One.

The rest of the Top 10 list in order were: Marathon of Hope runner Terry Fox; former NDP leader and premier of Saskatchewan Tommy Douglas; former Liberal prime minister Lester B. Pearson; astronaut Chris Hadfield; environmental activist David Suzuki; former NDP leader Jack Layton; Canada's first prime minister, a Conservative, Sir John A. Macdonald; hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and outstanding soldier and recently retired Liberal senator Romeo Dallaire.

To me at least, it looks like a pretty Canadian list, and I was really delighted that Don Cherry did not make the cut. The only Tory was Sir John A. If he was still around, it is highly unlikely he would make it into a Harper cabinet, much less become prime minister leading the Conservative Party as it is constituted today -- Liberal maybe?

Canadian Press reported that the consultation also asked which of Canada’s accomplishments of the last 150 years “make you most proud to be a Canadian?”

The results showed  that medicare topped that list, followed by peacekeeping, then the 1982 Charter of Rights and Freedoms at No. 3.   The  rest in order were: Canada's contribution to World War II; the Canadarm; multiculturalism; contribution to World War I; bilingualism; space exploration, and the Constitution Act of 1982.

Again, although one may switch the preference order of the Top 10, a pretty Canadian type list of what makes us proud to be Canadian, although not exactly the Harpercon view for Canada.

As the Canadian Press story notes for example, the present government has "recently been buffeted by a series of Charter-based losses at the Supreme Court of Canada,  (and) did not mark the 25th anniversary of the Charter in 2007, nor the 30th in 2012."

In 2015, Canadians will judge the Harpercons at the polls. Personally, I am proud to be a Canadian, and generally agree with the Top 10 list of those who inspire me and the accomplishments that make me proud. Thanks to the Canadian Press for obtaining the results of the consultation and making them public. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

North sky turned a reddish orange at night while engine stood ready at station with 'steam up' as Chapleau prepared for 1948 forest fire evacuation

Back in the day when Queen Victoria's birthday was actually celebrated on the 24th of May in Canada, in 1948 it marked the beginning of forest fires that ravaged much of the area near Chapleau, and threatened the community itself.

Following up on the fires that have devastated the town of Slave Lake, Alberta, the Canadian Press carried a story this week on the worst forest fires in Canadian history. Included was the fire commonly called the Mississagi fire of 1948 but as Bill McLeod points out in his book 'The Chapleau Game Preserve: History, Murder and Other Tales', there were actually three fires - Mississagi, South Chapleau and Panet, the latter posing the worst threat to Chapleau.

Canadian Press says that the worst forest fire in Ontario history was the Matheson fire of 1916 in which 244 people were killed.

After reading the Canadian Press story, I googled for more information on the 1948 fires, and came across a feature story from the August 1961 edition of 'Boys' Life'. the publication of the American Boy Scouts. My intention was to simpy use it as the basis for this piece, but after a few reads, realized that much of it was creative non fiction, written by someone who obviously had never visited the area, and was done for an audience of American Boy Scouts.

However, it is a good read and I do refer to some of the article here. I also went to Bill's book for information, and so here we are some 63 years later, on the Victoria Day weekend, being celebrated close to the 24th this year, with a look back to the fires that had an enormous long term impact on Chapleau and area.

Bill McLeod notes that the Mississagi fire was first detected at one p.m. near Rocky Island Lake on May 25, and by the time the first 69 firefighters arrived a day later it had grown to 2,000 acres in size. By May 27, it had jumped the Mississagi River at three points and was being fought by 137 firefighters.

Meanwhile, the South Chapleau fire had started near Flame Lake in Township 8D, and by June 1 had increased to 30,000 acres and was only 12 miles north of Mississagi.

Reflecting all these years later on these two fires stretching roughly along present Highway 129, which at the time, was not completed between Chapleau and Thessalon, Chapleau was threatened as Flame Lake is at Mileage 47, and the fires were eventually joined

However, the danger to the community was to increase even more when a new fire started in Panet Township on June 4, immediately north of the original village of Chapleau.

While the Mississagi, South Chapleau and other fires continued, by June 9, the Panet fire was within four miles of Chapleau.

Reeve B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt told the Sudbury Star that all of the community's firefighting equipment had been tested and was at the ready. Hoses had been attached to every fire hydrant in town, Bill McLeod wrote, adding, "At night, Chapleau residents watched nervously as the north sky turned a reddish orange".

As an historic footnote, Mr. Zufelt was in his first year as Chapleau reeve in 1948 when faced with the possibility of ordering an evacuation. So was T.C. 'Terry' Way-White in 1967. Mr Zufelt did not have have to order it, but Mr. Way-White did.

If an evacuation was necessary empty boxcars were on hand at the CPR station. Keep in mind that in 1948, the CPR was really the only way in and out of Chapleau, and South Chapleau was near Sultan and Nemegos, near the railway line heading east, while the Panet fire was near it going west. The people of Chapleau were faced with a potentially very dangerous situation.

The Chapleau Fire Precaution Group was formed with Arthur Grout as chairman and Fire Chief George Collinson as vice chairman. Four wardens, Adam Andrews, Jim Broomhead, Borden McLeod and Albert Evans, with responsibility for specfic responsibility for sections of town were appointed.

Describing the precautions being taken at Chapleau, the writer of the 'Boys' Life' article says that "the engine stood on a railway siding with steam up, and cars attached."

At one point during the fires, the Ontario government considered seeding the clouds with dry ice and it was undertaken. The 'Boys' Life' article says, "the rain fell, sixty miles away from the fire where it rained out a baseball game". Bill McLeod wrote that shortly after "a drenching downpour partly extinguished a fire near the Swayze River".

Then the rains finally came to Northern Ontario and by June 28, the fires were essentially out, and in their aftermath came a whole new chapter in the history of the Chapleau area with the completion of Highway 129 in 1949, the arrival of new lumber companies, and many other changes in the life and times of this part of Northern Ontario. All stories for another day.

As a sidebar, Doug Greig, who is always so helpful when it comes to providing information, sent me a newspaper clipping announcing that the Ontario Provincial Police had established a detachment at Flame Lake after the fire. Const. D.G Patterson who had served in the RCAF in World War II was the officer posted there. Three lumber mills were in operation undertaking salvage operations. Previously, the one OPP officer from Chapleau had Flame Lake as part of his patrol area.

Thanks to Doug Greig and Bill McLeod and 'Boys' Life' magazine. Happy Victoria Day to all. My email is mj.morris@live.ca

2010 Olympics: stop the spin and focus on athletes

After having Gordon Campbell, the premier of British Columbia tell me on Global TV news this morning about the celebrations being held today across the province and Canada to mark the unveiling of the Olympic torch one year before the Vancouver 2010 Olympics begin, I really tried to get in the mood. On my daily walks I even looked for Cranbrook residents to be celebrating -- you know, cars with Olympic flags on them, horns honking, much like they do after a major hockey victory. Not one did I see! Nada!

By the way for those who don't know, Cranbrook is located in the southeastern corner of British Columbia where we have been told time and again that the Vancouver Olympics are for all British Columbians.

That is something like the Ontario government telling us that Toronto projects would benefit Chapleau in northern Ontario where I used to live. Out here they say that the government's interest ends at Hope (that's the actual name of place, not stolen from the title of Barack Obama's book), while in Ontario it ends at Barrie.

But as usual I digress. I want to get into the Olympic spirit like "all" British Columbians are, indeed like all Canadians are if I believe the junior minister from the Harper government on hand in Whistler today for the Olympic torch celebration. Some of the Olympics events are being held in Whistler which makes sense because they are the Winter Olympics and they have snow there. In Vancouver, who knows! There was also a celebration in Richmond, BC.

I took a virtual tour across Canada checking for reports of celebrations from sea to sea to sea but other than stories in the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail, reportingfromVancouver/Whistler, not much did I find.

Canadian Press struggled with a story on national celebrations, but their reporter was forced to admit that in Halifax something was planned but nobody showed up.

Last night the mayor of Vancouver admitted on the news that nothing big was planned there today. Something about security costs being too high. Speaking of security costs the breaking news today was that costs may have skyrocketed from $175 million to $1 billion for the 2010 games. Tom Clark on his new CTV Newsnet show Power Play tried to get Harper minister Peter Van Loan to come clean but the reply was that negotiations were ongoing. Typical comment.

I am all in favour of the Olympics by the way. But let's focus on the athletes and the games, and stop the spin.

Please feel free to comment or email me at mj.morris@live.ca

Barack Obama gets high approval ratings from Canadians

As Barack Obama assumes office as the 44th president of the United States, two polls show that Canadians overwhelmingly support him.

An EKOS poll done for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation shows that Obama has an 81% percent approval rating among Canadians.

When asked the question: "When watching the excitement surrounding the inauguration of Barack Obama and comparing it to our own political leadership I feel disappointed with our options", 47% of the respondents agreed with the statement.

A Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll revealed that 57% of Canadians believe Obama will exceed expectations as president.

I will give my own views on the polls later, but let's hear from you. Post comments here or send me an email at mj.morris@live.ca

More poll info at http://ctv.ca and http://cbc.ca