Snow and steam

I remember the winter of 1963. School was closed for time when the outside toilets froze up. We thawed our 1/3 pint bottles of milk around the stove in our classroom.

On 1 February, 1963, Geoffrey Jones began filming "Snow" which was to win 14 major awards and an Oscar nomination in 1965. Jones was already working on a film for the British Railways Board when he had the idea of making a film contrasting the comfort of the passengers with the efforts of the workmen to keep the trains running during this abnormal winter.

The footage we see is mostly from the Western Region. There is also a tantalising glimpse of a Somerset and Dorset freight train as well as some archive pre-WW II shots of Jubilee class locomotive 'Barbados'.

The state of journalism in Canada?

National Post columnist Don Martin wrote at length about the mistakes made by the Green Party in the last election. None of this is news, and pales into insignificance alongside his remark that he, and possibly other reporters in Ottawa, could not name another Green candidate.

I could excuse this ignorance if it came from Joe Public, but not from a journalist. Surely they should keep themselves better informed than this? It doesn't take long on the internet to find out who the candidates are, who the deputy leader is, or to answer most other questions that an inquiring mind might ask. Has Mr Martin already forgotten the name Blair Wilson? And does he live in one of the few ridings that didn't run a Green candidate?

If this really is indicative of the intelligence of the people in the media whose job it is to keep the public informed, then Canada is in real trouble.

Picnic in the Forest

Picnic in the Forest happens tomorrow, October 18, 11am-2pm. It is hosted by Friends of Redtail Society to launch their campaign to save forest lands from industrial clear cutting.

Redtail Nature Awareness is a nature retreat and experiential education centre located in a semi-wilderness region of northern Nova Scotia, Canada. It offers year round camps for youth and nature retreats for adults that help participants explore the richness, mystery and sacredness that is inherent in nature.

Friends of Redtail Society have concluded negotiations to purchase land comprising approximately 313 acres near Scotsburn, Pictou County that had been slated for clear cut. To complete this purchase the Society has until December 2009 to raise upwards of $250,000. For more information please call (902) 485-4688



Google Map. 400 MacBeth Road

Fair Votes

Once again an election has shown just how broken our voting system is.

• Turnout hits an all-time low of 59.1%.
• The only major party to persuade more people to vote for them than in the previous election was the Green Party, yet they won no seats. The Conservatives got 168,737 fewer votes and gained 19 seats. The NDP got 72,522 fewer seats and gained 8 seats.
• There were numerous calls for tactical voting and vote swapping to prevent a Conservative majority.

FairVote.ca campaigns for change to the electoral reform. Join today!

Liberals and CAW endorse Elizabeth May in Central Nova

On Tuesday, prominent Central Nova Liberals endorsed Elizabeth May. Senator Jim Cowan said "The country needs her. Stephane Dion needs her, and I ask you to do your part."

On Wednesday, CAW announced today that the union is throwing its support behind Green Party leader Elizabeth May in the Central Nova riding, as a part of the CAW's strategic voting approach.

Remember, You Have A Choice:

Vote for visionaries

Green Party spokesperson Angela Reid talking about the need to vote for candidates and parties with a vision of the future.