ARTEN FALLS FIRST NATION, ONT.–Children sprint into the school gym to feast on the grapes, apples and oranges laid out on long tables – the first fresh fruit they’ve seen in months.
The fruit, all 90 kilos of it, is a gift to the 300 people living in this impoverished, fly-in-only reserve from Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle.
He’s flown to Marten Falls, where the water is not clean enough to drink, on a diplomatic mission to soothe tensions among the Indians, government and mining companies over the proposed development of the Ring of Fire.
The Ring is a massive, 5,120-square-kilometre area of pristine wilderness that happens to be on Marten Falls’ traditional land and is said to hold one of the richest ore deposits in the world.
The buzz around the potential jackpot has prospectors jockeying for position as everyone lines up to stake their claim in this modern-day gold rush.
Premier Dalton McGuinty is eyeing the haul as a way to lift Ontario’s lagging economy and historic $21.3-billion deficit. In fact, this week’s budget signalled that Queen’s Park will appoint a Ring of Fire co-ordinator.
Mining giants are so ecstatic over initial exploration results that they have staked out nearly 31,000 claims in the past seven or so years.
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Notes:
I have screamed to anyone who has bothered to listen for what seems to be many years now that contemplating the Canadian national debt (if you understand the true value of this country) is like thinking about a .10 cent mortgage on a million dollar house. I have also been highly critical of politicians who can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time for being fixated on taxing an aging population “unto the grave” when nothing of the kind is necessary.
Canada is the North American “Saudi Arabia” of natural resources. We have it all…huge farmlands, abundant natural resources including water…the potential to build fish farms which will in future feed the world. There is no limit to what we can do other than those we impose on ourselves.
And we are “filthy rich”.
This story is a case in point (many other discoveries to be found in future). The bottom line is that native land claims (read control of resources or legal blackmail) and “Greenie” worries about damage to the environment have held Canada back for decades and will continue to do so unless we all rise up in “righteous anger” and change the picture so that we all stop “looking at the mansion on the hill” and make the decision to get this “tax monkey” off our backs.
We claim that “mansion”.
This article I first read yesterday but I’ve been following the story for some time now and it boggles my mind.
Natives?
What natives?
Cut each member of the communities concerned a cheque for a million bucks (around 1.5 billion by my estimate) and “bobs your uncle”. They can all bugger off to wherever they want to go and live happily ever after. Meanwhile Canada can get up off it’s sorry butt and start to make things happen.
“Streets paved with gold everywhere” and all that because we can do it if we have the will. I just continue to shake my head at the utter stupidity of what is going on across this country as our politicians lead us around by the nose. Actually, lawyers who bullshit us all continually and maintain their hold over us with “weasily words”.
We can do better and we should because there is no need for the lies we are being pandered by Suzuki and crowd.
We also need to look at our environmental laws and rewrite as required so that we neuter the “greenies”.
That should be a happening thing because as we all know now on this site “climate change” is pure bullshit and the panderer’s of the lies are after our wallets (I explained that to my family yesterday and my future son-in-law walked away scratching his head). I noted that it doesn’t matter much to me what happens in future (I’m 66) “but if you haven’t been following what is going on and are buying into ideas like ‘Earth Night’ you should be worried because you will be paying taxes I haven’t even begun to contemplate in the years ahead as the clowns that continue to pander the lie get their way.”
“It’s your future, not mine. Think about it.”
There is no need at all for Canada to take this trail because truly it is all “bullshit” and our youth should be told the truth. Canada is filthy rich and the only people profiting are Liberals, the NDP and the Bloc as they pander their lies day in and day out. Harper should start to make real change and if “nobodies” object they can call an election on exactly that point.
Time to wean Canada off the tit and get back to what we do best.
Making money and everyone a “millionaire”.
Not just lawyers and politicians.
And here’s a final point. I feel lawyers should be excluded from running for office because they have a major conflict of interest in that they all have their sorry “mitts” into our wallets “all the time” and disregarding all the excuses they pander…they are no more trustworthy than police officers…if you want to go that route.
Just thinking as I contemplate “officers of the court” and probably I should just shut my big mouth.
Point: Sarah is not wrong. She is just far ahead of the curve and we in Canada all need to hear her. She is telling Americans what I have known up here “in the Great White North” for decades.
“Americans” are also “filthy rich” and lawers are depriving them of their inheritance. Our cousins are in the same boat and it’s time for the “lawyer bullshit” to end.
My view: “Lawyers” should be excluded from office. They can consult with lawmakers…nothing else.
We can all do better and there is no need for this.
Call me angry as I think about all the lies pandered by those we used to trust most (lawyers) as they bankrupt us and boggle our minds.
Time to wake up.
I am NOT going there anymore.
Please Jack, stop beating around the bush and tell us what you really think. ; – ))
I just can’t visualize this country without excessive taxation, lawyers, environmentalists and left wing politicians, all of them lining their own pockets at the public trough.
You talk of cutting the natives a cheque for a million dollars each. I think if you calculated the amounts dispersed to them over the years it adds up to more than that, unfortunately most of it has ended up in the hands of non-native band administrators, lawyers and corrupt native leaders. We just forgot to tell them to bugger off.
I’m sure that attitudes will change now that our southern cousins have seen fit to elect “The Chosen One” (sarcasm off)
Thanks Don. I need a heads up once in awhile and I do have a big mouth but I appreciate the comment.
I was just letting off steam.