We Still Have a Government, Right?: Canadian Politics 2020

xpost More concern about the number of Ottawans driving for a day trip to Kingston, including dinner in a sitdown restaurant before heading back to our locked-down city. It'd odd that Kingston would actually want to risk that situation, esp when the Muskoka area clearly does not.

Yeah, I thought the Premier's phrasing was funny but you're right that there could be a credible risk there.

You might be surprised how far some city goers would travel just to shop or do “stuff”. If rural opens first, my money would be on places like Wasaga, Prince Edward County, and Grand Bend being more problematic than Kingston, but all are far from Toronto, and anything along major routes is going to get busy. Even as is, with lack of public toilets basically the only thing limiting travel, I’ve been kinda shocked by others from my town that are routinely driving to Costco in Guelph and beyond just for something to do.

Haha, OK, fair enough. Of late, I hardly go anywhere (even pre-quarantine) but I can see it.

Speaking of which: https://globalnews.ca/news/6919518/coronavirus-doug-ford-cottage/?fbclid=IwAR097zyIhpPJ02wy5_NQHN9gUesNL6EJ84jIEQ9mUg7f6f2y3QgQdvM8Tkg

By contrast, this guy had no choice but to resign: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/may/05/uk-coronavirus-adviser-prof-neil-ferguson-resigns-after-breaking-lockdown-rules

and they were both just checking the plumbing

It’s like when Zac and I tell the kids that there will be no more treats so late at night, put them to bed, then we bust out a bottle of wine and a pack of butter tarts.

As baldy hypocritical as this is, I find myself not particularly bothered by it, wholly because he continues to proceed cautiously as premier. (I was questioning him yesterday for moving too cautiously, but I'd rather he err on that side.)

Haha Trudeau did this too?: https://www.google.com/amp/s/globalnews.ca/news/6815936/coronavirus-justin-trudeau-andrew-scheer-easter-travel/amp/

I had to laugh when "Doug Ford admits daughters visited his home on the weekend" came up on last night's CBC news ticker; that would have sounded so weird as a scandal a few months ago.

This story got by rather low key last week. Good! But also lol.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6911676/ontario-licence-plate-redesign-2/

Ha, those new plates were ridiculously illegible whenever I saw one in the wild.

Now even The Guardian has an article about how awful the situation is in Montreal:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/13/coronavirus-montreal-canada-hit-hard

Do think the ethical implications of only those with means being able to stay safe should be cause for some re-evaluation of blanket self isolation measures. Now that most lower risk populations have isolated enough to reduce the chance of being transmitters, it seems wrong to have another group of people continue to take on the risk for them. In terms of procuring essentials at least.

It was the Victoria Day long weekend here--tomorrow is a major step towards reopening across Ontario. Not restaurants or schools or gyms, but I think any store is okay for curbside now; not sure if there is a loosening of in-store restrictions for some stores also. The daily cases look pretty good for the last couple of weeks, but who knows.

yeah lots of ppl sharing that article, but imo it's not all the policy response. i feel like montreal just got dealt a tough hand, blasted on multiple fronts by (i) late spring break (ii) proximity to NY (iii) snowbirds in NY/FL all coming home (iv) more travel from Europe. seems like Legault went all-in on lockdown an social distancing and i also give him props for backing down on re-opening schools given the numbers weren't right. the nursings homes stuff is awful; my friend's grandmother died of covid in one in Monteal Nord, after every single person on her floor got it. sad too because due to lack of centralized quarantine options even after everyone else had tested positive she had no choice but to stay there and wait to get it

No surprise, but the right call. (Still think the delay served no purpose, unless they sincerely thought they had a chance to resume.)

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/i-m-just-not-going-to-risk-it-ontario-students-will-not-return-to-school-until-september-1.4944536

I don't know what they do in September. Cutting class sizes is close to impossible, because they just had a big labour dispute over that. They can continue online, but I doubt anybody would be happy with that. In any event, that's what they have to focus their attention on immediately, rather than pointlessly going back in June.

Here in BC they are reopening in June, but students will attend on a part-time optional basis. I don't understand how it can be safe for teachers, and some parents will be pressured to return to work by employers: https://globalnews.ca/news/6959148/keep-schools-closed-bc-petition-coronavirus/

The optional June opening will help a lot of parents, I sympathize with and get that. But, as you say, it puts teachers in harm's way, and as to what will actually be accomplished--it's hard enough getting grade-school kids to learn in June in a normal year--not much, I'd say, from personal experience. (My June program my last few years before retirement: "Look, just do these couple of things that I need for your report card, then we'll go outside or watch a movie.")

How practical do you think it might be for them to continue putting all the core assignments and materials into the online system alongside regular instruction in September? If it’s not a logistical nightmare, I can see that helping things continue as seamlessly as possible if students are expected to temporarily drop out of the class whenever a member of their household falls ill. (That’s not policy yet afaik but would make sense)

They'll probably need to do both, yeah. I'm a little removed from it all now, so I don't know how much online participation teachers are getting, either because of accessibility or apathy. I'm sure it varies from place to place and board to board. I do have a feeling that any teacher who had been contemplating pre-COVID working beyond their early retirement date will be getting out immediately (some may even take a pension hit and get out before their eligible date).

I sometimes forget this actually affects me too. I'll have to decide whether I go back to supplying in the fall. I don't need to do it, but I love going back to my old school, and the extra money's great. I'm heavily leaning in the direction of yes, but I'll have to see where things are at then.

Hoping Ford follows through on being the bastard he's threatening to be.

http://www.narcity.com/news/ca/on/ontario-landlords-are-greedy-by-not-wanting-to-give-up-25-of-their-rent-says-ford

The bit that mystifies me is who do those guys think is going to lease their units if their current tenants go under? Commercial properties are bound to become a half vacant wasteland very soon, even in a good case scenario.

ok who's been converting Ford to Maoism

Not that I'll ever be able to afford a house, but:

https://thinkpol.ca/2020/05/19/canada-looking-to-increase-minimum-mortgage-payments-5-10-covid-19-sends-history-household-debt-levels-even-higher/

I was recently thinking I may be able to but yeah I'm not going to be able to afford a downpayment that's 10% of the value of an apartment in Vancouver

We are so thankful now that we bought ten years ago when the market was down, and we bought small. Even so we worry! I have no idea how people who got in high and big are going to manage. I think affordable rentals are finally expected to open up some though, if there’s a silver lining.

Just 10 cases in Halton Hills, where I grew up.

http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/9991867-halton-reports-no-new-covid-19-cases-as-recoveries-climb-in-burlington-oakville-and-milton/

This continues to astound me: there were two cases in St. Marys right at the beginning, around March 12; two months later, according to the local paper today, there hasn't been a single case added.

Semi-pointless update, but I’m noticing a willful return to normal here. The mom sphere is polling each other on whether it’s ok to let their 12 year olds bike to their friends’ houses and the consensus is yes. Saw several neighbours down the street crossing the street to another backyard with booze, so that’s happening too. People are openly complaining about not being able to take small children into garden centres and newly opened stores too (mama bears offended by seeing kids listed on the same line as pets in “no x pls” signs.)

Also took a peek through my fingers at the vitriol soaked conservative relatives online presence and they seem to have no problem simultaneously bitching about planes still landing while also declaring the virus not dangerous enough to have ever required a lockdown.

mama bears offended by seeing kids listed on the same line as pets in “no x pls” signs

This reminded me of my favourite exchange in Albert Brooks' Lost in America, just after Julie Hagerty loses all their money.

Hagerty: "Why are you treating me like an animal?"
Brooks: "I'll explain it to you later."

lol yeah I should add that it was also a *self described* mama “bear” objecting to the implication that her child could be in any way like an animal. I feel truly bad for the retail workers having to deal with such a gauntlet of entitlement.

This isn’t good.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pandemic-covid-coronavirus-canadian-forces-long-term-care-1.5578948

Wu Tang's collaboration with Jim Watson continues: https://exclaim.ca/music/article/wu-tang_clan_and_the_city_of_ottawa_are_building_a_better_tomorrow

Posts on Trinity Bellwoods Park--packed--have shown up on my FB feed four or five times today. I'm just so far removed from that, thankfully.

http://toronto.citynews.ca/2020/05/23/trinity-bellwoods-packed-coronavirus/

I mean, a lineup of four people outside Canadian Tire yesterday--spaced six feet apart--is about the most shocking thing I've seen here all week.

over two weeks without a new positive in Newfoundland. It is very strange watching places reopen quicker than us. We've just been lucky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nloH_akwNWc&feature=youtu.be

Probably inevitable:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/covid19-ontario-gta-coronavirus-new-infections-1.5584693

That's a hard call I wouldn't want to have to make. I wouldn't want tell a store owner where I am--maybe somebody on the verge of going under--that you can't reopen for another month even though there are only two cases in your town. Neither would I want to tell a store owner in Toronto--maybe somebody on the verge of going under--that we're letting the rest of the province reopen, but you've got to stay closed for another month.

Not sure why Canada had such a dramatic spike in deaths yesterday--maybe a delay in reporting? Doesn't really jibe with the fairly consistent decline in cases.

http://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/canada/

completely not shocked by the toronto numbers. I've been all over the city these last few weeks and some areas/hoods are just not bothering with distancing at all now that it's nice out. (my harebrained theory is the arrival of warm weather, especially so long delayed and following a period of quarantine, sets off good feelings that are easy for the brain to mistake as the end of danger.)

maybe a delay in reporting?

Here in Quebec, yes, they added 165 non-tallied deaths that occurred between mid-April and mid-May.

Yeah, in Quebec things are still looking up day by day - we'll see in a week or two what effect the opening up/summer hjiinks/protests have had, though.

I know Trudeau has to walk a tightrope with Trump, but this is disappointing--you can't duck criticism right now.

http://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/george-floyd-protests-06-02-20/h_a127cd3ad18fbe85f37c10d0e30efbbd

Unless he is actually going to do something, I don't really know what 'criticism' would accomplish in itself? Is the idea that he should take leadership to influence more of the global community? Something to be said for turning the focus to racism in Canada itself, although he did so in the vaguest way.

That second part was good, but I just think there's a line where you speak up, consequences or realpolitik or whatever regardless. I think I'm pretty forgiving in most instances, but this is on the other side of that line for me. Or in another words, I don't think it matters if nothing concrete is accomplished.

I actually watched the clip here.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-trump-george-floyd-1.5594918

Watching it, the pause is so wildly exaggerated, I think something clear is conveyed, a reminder that I'm dealing with an infantile powderkeg here and I have to watch my words carefully. So maybe I was a little quick to condemn there.

that's some primo Canadian passive aggressiveness right there

His body language there is my favourite 21s of video.