Residential Schools – The Shame Canadians Really Aren’t Sorry For

Robert-Falcon Ouellette is in the process of introducing the Indian Residential School Genocide and Reconciliation Memorial Day Act in the House of Commons. Not everyone likes this idea of having a day each year to “dredge up” or “dwell” on something that’s, you know, like, over and done with.

I’d guess that most people feel that way, actually.

And there is a wide variety of ways for naysayers to tell us why the Residential Schools Outrage doesn’t need to keep being brought up:

• “It was a different time, and I wasn’t around for it, and we need to move on, already, jeez…”
• “My family is from India/Russia/Paraguay/Equestria so I don’t see why it has anything to do with us or any other New Canadians”
• “It was the churches who did it, not the government. Blame the churchies for it. (and Praise Sagan/Hitchens/The Flying Spaghetti Monster, while we’re at it)”
• “Those aboriginals already get free money all the friggin time, man, so it’s not like they need some new form of handout and/or pat on the back”

But one of the newer ones I’ve seen, which I think is a much more clever way for someone to delude themselves, is this one:

“This was years ago, it’s in the past, and the First Peoples have not only survived, but thrived. And that’s what I choose to celebrate.”

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Current and Upcoming Issues – Nov 22-28, 2009

1. I’m really surprised: why is it that the only bloggers who are really concerned about Manitoba Hydro seem to be The Black Rod and myself?  From the PUB reports, I’m convinced that Hydro’s future viability is at risk.  Why aren’t we hearing more about this?
2. Sport Manitoba’s plans for the Smart Bag Co. building is a big story that hasn’t yet returned to the public eye… Galston mentioned it a while back, and I’ve heard a few other murmurs here and there.  I’ve found no official news from Sport Manitoba, or anything in upcoming city council meetings.  If Phase I is supposed to be complete in Dec 2009, I imagine Phase II must be a “done deal”.  Will Sport Manitoba keep the history intact?
3. Stubble burning is a big issue, and I’ve heard that it’s unnecessary and that it can’t be helped.  Hopefully over the next few days I’ll find out where the truth lies.  I do know that it’s made for a pile of sick Manitobans these past few weeks, including me.
4. Crime is out of control in Winnipeg; whether or not the number of crimes or their severity has increased from the past, I know that something must be done.  I’m hoping to come up with my own point of view on this, which may or may not coincide with the view of our provincial and federal Liberal parties.
5. I’ve made peace with the Seasons of Tuxedo.  In my opinion, there are far bigger issues in Winnipeg, and I accept that residents and leadership of this city and province feel that the vast amount of new retail on Kenaston is worth the expected commercial decline in other areas (I personally wonder if it will scuttle the Creswin plan for The Elms).  It’s not like I expected Ikea to move into a building downtown (sorry Mr. Nobody), and the victims of any retail drought will probably be other suburban malls; they lived by the sword when they slashed the downtown storefronts, so it’s somewhat poetic for them if they die by the sword.  As far as the name of the new shopping mecca: I am not a marketing specialist, so obviously my taste in names lacks judgement.  Accordingly, this blog has been renamed “Seasons of Regan” to coincide with this powerful new trend.

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