#long gone saskatchewan

[battle-of-alberta]

Did you know that Alberta and Saskatchewan were once originally going to be one province named Buffalo?

for the purposes of this ask we are ignoring that Buffalo has become a bit of a buzzword for right wing western separatist parties :T; I wouldn't say it was "originally" going to be a combined province, it was just an idea that the wealthy and powerful ranchers across the southern districts really liked because it would help fuel their dream of turning the entire thing into grazing land for cattle.

Maddy did originally live in the district of Assiniboia and was sort of added to Alberta at the last minute, which is why she wasn't paying any attention to the battle to become capital of Alberta at all. Nowadays, the city of Lloydminster is the "closest" to Saskatchewan by virtue of literally being the only city in the country to span two provinces. There is a mural there to celebrate the 2005 centennial of the two provinces called Buffalo Twins.

We may not live together (as central Canada was too afraid of our potential combined awesomeness... surely) but our neighbour to the east is always borrowing our stuff anyways. Like our tendency towards austerity cuts, or Edmonton's entire lacrosse team >:'T tsk!

[scotianostra]

On 17th August 2010 Bill Millin, piper to Lord Lovat at D Day, died, aged 88.

Born on 14th July 1922 Saskatchewan, Canada to a father of Scottish origin who moved the family to Canada but returned to Glasgow as a policeman when William was three. He grew up and went to school in the Shettleston are of the city. He joined the Territorial Army in Fort William, where his family had moved, and played in the pipe bands of the Highland Light Infantry and the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders before volunteering as a commando and training with Lovat at Achnacarry along with French, Dutch, Belgian, Polish, Norwegian, and Czechoslovakian troops.

Lord Lovat had appointed his personal piper during commando training at Achnacarry, and was the only man during the D Day landing who wore a kilt – it was the same Cameron tartan kilt his father had worn in Flanders during World War I – and he was armed only with his pipes and the sgian-dubh sheathed inside his kilt-hose on the right side.

Taken from accounts of 6th June 1944 on Sword Beach Normandy.

Bill began his apparently suicidal serenade immediately upon jumping from the ramp of the landing craft into the icy water on D Day. As the Cameron tartan of his kilt floated to the surface he struck up with Hieland Laddie. He continued even as the man behind him was hit, dropped into the sea and sank.Once ashore Millin did not run, but walked up and down the beach, blasting out a series of tunes. After Hieland Laddie, Lovat, the commander of 1st Special Service Brigade (1 SSB), raised his voice above the crackle of gunfire and the crump of mortar, and asked for another. Millin strode up and down the water’s edge playing The Road to the Isles.

Bodies of the fallen were drifting to and fro in the surf. Soldiers were trying to dig in and, when they heard the pipes, many of them waved and cheered — although one came up to Millin and called him a “mad bastard”.His worst moments were when he was among the wounded. They wanted medical help and were shocked to see this figure strolling up and down playing the bagpipes. To feel so helpless, Millin said afterwards, was horrifying. For many other soldiers, however, the piper provided a unique boost to morale. “I shall never forget hearing the skirl of Bill Millin’s pipes,” said one, Tom Duncan, many years later. “It is hard to describe the impact it had. It gave us a great lift and increased our determination. As well as the pride we felt, it reminded us of home and why we were there fighting for our lives and those of our loved ones.”

When the brigade moved off, Millin was with the group that attacked the rear of Ouistreham. After the capture of the town, he went with Lovat towards Bénouville, piping along the road.

They were very exposed, and were shot at by snipers from across the canal. Millin stopped playing. Everyone threw themselves flat on the ground — apart from Lovat, who went down on one knee. When one of the snipers scrambled down a tree and dived into a cornfield, Lovat stalked him and shot him. He then sent two men into the corn to look for him and they came back with the corpse. “Right, Piper,” said Lovat, “start the pipes again.”

At Bénouville, where they again came under fire, the CO of 6 Commando asked Millin to play them down the main street. He suggested that Millin should run, but the piper insisted on walking and, as he played Blue Bonnets Over the Border, the commandos followed.

When they came to the crossing which later became known as Pegasus Bridge, troops on the other side signalled frantically that it was under sniper fire. Lovat ordered Millin to shoulder his bagpipes and play the commandos over. “It seemed like a very long bridge,” Millin said afterwards.

The pipes were damaged by shrapnel later that day, but remained playable. Millin was surprised not to have been shot, and he mentioned this to some Germans who had been taken prisoner.They said that they had not shot at him because they thought he had gone off his head.

The pictures shows Millin playing at Edinburgh Castle in 2001, on Sword beach, 1994 and his statue there which was unveiled in 2013.

[heylittlestellbird]

♡

Got the idea from @nats-comet

Untied at last

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

Summary: Mischa and Talia Meet in person for the first time

୨୧ Talia's POV ୨୧

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵

How did I end up in Uranium City, Saskatchewan? Well, It's complicated at most. Due to the damned war in my home country of Ukraine, I had to flee. I had to leave behind everything I knew to start my life in Warsaw, Poland. and I don't even know an ounce of Polish! But luckily I knew that my internet fiancé, Mischa was living in Canada. About a week ago I texted him asking if I could come live with him, and surprisingly he said yes! I was over the moon! As soon as I heard him give me the green light, Immediately started packing, I was going to meet my the love of my life in person in two days!

The day finally came, June 19th. I was in the Warsaw Chopin Airport, checking all of my information like my passport, boarding pass, ID, and just making sure that I didn't leave anything back at my hotel. I texted Mischa that Saturday morning

Моя любов, я в аеропорту. До зустрічі! (My love, i'm at the airport. see you soon!)

My phone dinged with a notification, it was from Mischa. I read the text, and that simple message put butterflies into my stomach

Я люблю тебе Талія, до скорої зустрічі (I love you talia, see you soon)

In my mind I was basically jumping up and down, I just can't believe i'm going to see him in person! I'm so happy! after one last text, I hopped on the plane. I had already gone through TSA, bag checking, and I even bought some cologne for Mischa at Warsaw's duty free.

The flight felt like an eternity, I was just so anxious and so excited to see Mischa. I mean we had face timed before, but that was nothing compared to being able to hug, kiss and embrace him. To kill time I just closed my eyes and I just fell asleep, dreaming of him.

A plane announcement woke me up "Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to Uranium City Saskatchewan, the current time is 3:15 AM." I was shocked, I had slept the whole time!? No way! but i was overjoyed that the hard part was already over! After we all hopped off of the plane, I was a little annoyed. I couldn't see Mischa yet because I had to go through customs, damnit! how much longer do I have to wait to see mischa!? Luckily for me, I didn't have to wait long, the officer looked at me and he began to ask me questions.

"What's your name?"

"Natalia Muruska Bolinska."

"Why are you visiting Canada?"

"Because my boyfriend lives here and i'm moving in with him"

Where will you be staying?

"my boyfriend's apartment."

Who will you be visiting?

"My boyfriend, Mischa Bachinski."

Because of my honesty, the officer gave me a VISA on my passport. Finally, it was done. when I got out of customs and into the main hall, I saw a familiar face. It was him! I lost my composure and I ran, throwing myself into his arms. Mischa smiled at me wiping my tears of joy away with his thumb.

"MISCHA!" I exclaimed, smiling as I felt truly happy for the first time since fleeing Ukraine. I kissed his cheek, giggling.

"TALIA!" He said in a truly happy tone, as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. "You're real, you're really here!" He said, crying tears of Joy

Finally after ages, his dark green eyes looked into my almond brown eyes, I smiled, hugging him tightly like I didn't wanna let go.

"You're just as beautiful as I thought you were." Mischa said, putting a strand of my brown hair behind my ear.

I smiled, feeling this warm, fuzzy, feeling inside. And that was just what I thought it was, just pure, and honest love for him.

"oh yeah, I got you these." Mischa smiled, handing me a bouquet of gorgeous red roses, my favorite flowers.

"My love, you didn't have to get me anything!" I giggled, smiling at him

"But I just had too!! Talia You deserve the world, princess and i'm going to make sure you get the proper trearment

"c'mon Talia, let's go get your bags and then i'll take you home." Mischa smirked, taking my hand"

"Let's go, loverboy." I smirked back and I felt happy knowing that we were finally together as I started walking to the garage, suitcase handles in my hands.

He paused, turning me around to face him I was confused, but then I knew damn well what he was gonna do.

" я тебе люблю (I love you), Talia.."

"я тебе теж люблю (I love you too), Mischa..."

Something just came over me and I gave him the most passionate kiss ever, we were finally united for good.

[fleurcareil]

Central Saskatchewan: Great Sand Hills, Sask. Landing and Manitou Beach

Driving from Alberta into Saskatchewan was immediately clear from the road condition; similar to driving from the Netherlands into Belgium, the way my car suddenly started rattling left no doubt I had crossed the border! 😂 The convoy of cars that I had been keeping up with also suddenly dissipated, so I was all alone on a crappy road in the middle of nowhere while dark clouds were brewing on the horizon - welcome to Saskatchewan! 🙃

Driving here (on older roads, they do also have top-notch new asphalt) gives the sensation of being drunk on a rolling boat 😝, constantly going up & down from left to right... there's actually no potholes but I'm guessing the asphalt's ability to withstand the cold winter might make it more ellastic so that it sags all over the place... on some stretches my head shaked so hard, I felt like a bobblehead! 🤣 (less good for my stomach though)

When I finally made a right turn after 245 km on the same road out of Drumheller, it was as I had suspected on a gravel road; I was now squarely back on the Prairies! 🤩 The gravel roads are in good condition (although the Manitoba ones are even better), but the loose gravel does mean I need to be more focused to stay in the tracks, so it's tiring and slower.

I didn't take many pictures of the scenery as it's exactly the same as when I drove westward through the province 😁 (albeit that was a more southern route than now on my return), so please check out my earlier blog if you're curious how the Prairies looks like, basically one field after another. I did include below pic of what-I-presume is a blooming wheat field, as it looked really golden! ☺

My first stop in Saskatchewan was at the Great Sand Hills near Spectre, where the cowboy way of life is idolized in a pretty stone mural and an arch of old (mostly falling apart) boots.

The sand hills are a remnant of glacial lake deposits, similar to the Spirit Sands I had hiked in southwest Manitoba. Where this used to be a vast expanse of moving sand dunes, most are now stabilized due to vegetation, so there's only a few truly sandy ones left over (which are expected to be gone by the end of the century). Despite them not being so high as I had expected - when driving along the flat fields, I had already been wondering why I didn't see them miles away - the reserve protects a small island of native prairie ecosystem in the middle of farmland so that makes them valuable just as they are!

During a little hike through the dunes, the only thing you could hear was the wind rustling through the bushes and the bellowing of cattle 😀 which was very relaxing until a cow family suddenly came directly my way! The male was looking at me while advancing towards me so not knowing what to expect, I backed off... turned out they really just wanted to walk over to another patch of grass behind me, so off they went over the dune. 😁

An hour further east, I checked in at Saskatchewan Landing provincial park on Lake Diefenbaker for a two-night stay. The lake is a massive 225km-long (almost as long as the Netherlandsb is wide! 😮) hydro reservoir that feels like an oasis after descending from the grasslands plateau, as it's green & lush with vegetation. It explained all the boat trailers I had seen driving on the dusty prairie roads which had felt really odd! 😅

I had wanted to capture the sunset but ended up talking at length to a Canadian-Belgian couple who recognized my accent 😀, so I missed the pretty pink colours but instead I did see a mesmerizing full moon! It had just been a few days that India had landed on the moon so it was special to consider that there's now a piece of that country so far away (I congratulated my Indian friends)! ☺

The next day, I had planned and indeed did absolutely nothing all day!! 🎉 As you'll have figured out by now, this is not something I do often (last time was at Kouchibouguac in New Brunswick over 2 months ago), but it was supposed to be a real summery hot day so was excited about getting to the beach.... it turned out to be only 22 degrees, cloudy and with a lot of wind so my beach-bumming did not completely work out as I had hoped 🤨 but still had a glorious day of basically sitting at the campsite, sitting at the beach (with clothes on) and then back to sitting at the campsite 😂

On the way to the beach though (a 2k drive to the other side of the lake), I had to pay my respects ofcourse to an old bison rubbing stone, and also checked out the viewpoint which really shows how the lake creates this green ribbon in an otherwise yellow-brown landscape, aka an oasis!

Having had such a long lazy day (including eating a delicious raspberry cheesecake icecream 🤗), I already had all the veggies prepped for roasting on the fire by 6pm (which is very early as I usually only set up camp by 7) but it felt a waste to start the fire when it was still light, so I ended up having a late dinner after all 😅. Over my beers, I came up with the idea that I could create my own cozy "virtual fireplace" video that I can play on my laptop on cold winter days... what do you think?!? 🤣🤣

The next day, the air felt different and when I walked over to the lake to watch the sunrise, it was confirmed; the smoke was back and the sun was really struggling to break through 😒. Too much wind to paddle so I left early hoping that things might be better elsewhere.

Same scenery as the day before 😜 (never boring though!), but I did capture one more "golden field" as example of the absolute nothingness... in a way, Labrador and the Prairies have this flat, monotone landscape in common despite their widely different geography, climate and ecosystems; that of Labrador is a sea of trees and here it's a sea of fields... In contrast, Québec, Ontario, BC and the other provinces have a much more varied landscape of ocean, lakes, mountains, forest AND fields.

When driving, the road oftentimes looked black from insects which I wasn't sure what they were (not flies luckily! 😅), until the gentleman at the gas station explained while cleaning my windows, that they're crickets eating grasshopper eggs... as it had been a dry summer, there were lots of grasshoppers and as a result the crickets had a bumper year, great example of prey-predator cycles! PS. Unfortunately a few miles after the gas station, there was a lengthy stretch of roadwork & gravel detours, so that meant RIP for my short-lived clean windows...

I found a few days later a cricket who had hitchhiked in my trunk, so he/she was quickly booted out when I saw it - I had already searched for whatever culprit snacked on my paper towel and was relieved it wasn't a mouse 😜.

The gas station was in the town of Outlook, and I must admit it took me a while to remember why it sounded so familiar... just shows how 3.5 months off work can undo a lifelong of using Microsoft email! 😅

But the real reason I took the picture of the sign was that for a long while these signs had perplexed me... when I had driven westbound into Saskatchewan from Manitoba the signs appeared, all with a "1" behind a name, and confusing them with city boundary ones that are typical in Europe it seemed as if each village was being numbered, e.g. Outlook 1, Outlook 2... which seemed such an odd thing to do (but Québec does have similarly numbered hydro dams & associated villages, e.g. Manic 1 to 5)! Only what must have been at the 20th sign or so, I realized that it indicated the next village 1km away 🤣🤣🤣 it took me a while to realize there was never going to be an Outlook 2... what can I say... my brain is also on a break!! 😅

Lastly, when driving around, the dry summer that the gas station guy had talked about was apparent in either completely or partially dry fens, the little ponds that dot the landscape and are a source of water for the farmers... the dried fens have different colours than the surrounding fields (white of salt or green for younger vegetation) which gave pretty visuals.

Having left early, I arrived just after noon at Manitou Beach which has as unique feature an extremely salty lake, 3 times the salt content of seawater, so that it's aptly referred to as Canada's Dead Sea! 😃 I had to try it ofcourse, and yes, swimming was basically impossible in the disgustingly salty water as each time I tried to go underwater, it would just push me up 😲... a really weird experience! Once I started to dry, my arms and legs turned white from the salt deposits so luckily there was a shower on the beach to rinse it off. It's a groundwater fed lake that through evaporation results in high salt concentrations, which are attributed to cure a whole list of diseases... as I tend to be covered in cuts and bruises, it was almost painful as the salt would sting all open wounds!

On my walk back to the campground, I admired the various wood carvings that were on display from a contest a few weeks ago... at it's an annual competition, the village is full of wood carvings including random ones of chimpansees, Belle & the Beast etc... there must be a theme each year?? This year it seemed related to Canadian nature (although not sure the stingray and turtle live here, maybe on BC's coast).

I really enjoyed the floating so I returned to the salty water, but then at the spa where it was heated, even better! 🤗 someone mentioned to me they come here every winter... if I would live nearby and had -40C winters, I would sign up for a membership in a heartbeat! There's noodles (as used in aquarobics) to help you balance in a vertical direction as the feet want to float up all the time 😜, or you can just lie back with your head onto a noodles and float away... Divine!

Topped off the evening with a cheeseburger & onion rings from the food stand on the beach and then a campfire with a s'more... oh la la, it feels so good spoiling yourself 🤩

Wildlife: 7 gophers, 1 deer, 1000+ crickets

SUPs: none

Hikes: one at Great Sand Hills

Distance driven from last map: 1,668km

[sparkypantaloons]

Dick isn't sure what it is that wakes him. That first prick of sweat on the back of his neck, that comes with the sun's steady climb, or the sudden chorus of insects, that starts with night's retreat.

One moment he had been gone, eyes and mind dark, body cool and limp. The next he had felt the dry earth beneath his skin, the too warm sky pressing down on his back.

He sits up, squints. Listens to the song of tiny wings that welcome the morning. Tries to remember the night before.

There had been patrol, in Gotham. A clear sky, warm air. Nightwing had been with Spoiler and Robin and-

The memory stops. Cut off by the nothing that comes next. Hours, or was it days this time, that have slipped through Dick's fingers, whilst he's been gone.

He tries to swallow. His throat is so dry it sticks. There's still sand and stone and dust on his face, down his suit from where he's been lying in the dirt.

He needs to go.

He stands up, knees aching. Dusts himself off as he does. He skin is starting to sweat beneath the kevlar. His comms are dead.

He's in the middle of a prairie. Rolling flats and cracked earth. Dry grasses silent in the still air. A long way from Gotham.

Dick clears his throat, tries to swallow again. His lips crack when he opens his mouth, a sting of blood against the dust.

"Kon." He says quietly. Then waits.

The teenager arrives at the two minute mark.

"Sorry," he says, before Dick can speak. "I was with Jon, I needed to-"

"'S okay." Dick says quietly. And it is. Kon doesn't owe him this, after all. "Where are we?" He asks.

Kon rubs the back of his neck. "Saskatchewan."

Dick's eyes widen. "How long-"

"Not long." Kon assures him. "No alarm has been raised and-" He pauses, squints. Listening, Dick knows. "They're all asleep, nobody's worried."

Dick nods, holds an arm out to Kon. "Thanks, Conner."

Kon slips under Dick's arm. Wraps his own around the older man's waist. "I told you. You don't need to keep thanking me."

Dick's reply is lost to gravity as they rise into the sky. Make their way back across the continent, to Gotham.

~

The first time it had happened, Dick had called for Clark. The first time he'd woken with a broken arm and blood seeping out of his ears, closer to New York than Gotham.

It had been snowing. There'd been a fight with Freeze and then... it had been snowing, Dick was freezing, hypothermic and delirious, two hundred miles from home and no idea why.

The second and third time he'd been able to call Bruce or Alfred. Call in for a pick up that wasn't quite such an emergency. It had been Philadelphia the second time. Taylor's Island the third. A tiny community on the edge of a Maryland nature reserve.

He had been Dick that third time, not Nightwing, had played it off as rich kid misadventure. Though he was far from still a kid and had never been known as too much of a partier.

The fourth time he stopped calling for help. A tingle of unease at the back of his skull. Bruce would worry. Alfred would fuss. And they'd all look at him a little differently...

Instead he amended his contingencies. Added key items to his gear; extras that would allow him to orient himself, get himself home when he woke.

Then he found himself in the Atacama Desert. Sunburnt and freezing, as the Milk Way slowly crawled across the sky. He must have been lying under the sun for hours. Unprotected, exposed. Alone.

He had thought about calling Clark then. But if Bruce wasn't there then Bruce didn't know. Dick wanted to keep it that way.

He couldn't say why.

There were the Titans, who would keep his confidence if he asked. Young Justice too, but the thought of Tim's face, of the younger man's inevitable determination to solve yet another problem that wasn't his own, made Dick's stomach turn.

But maybe...

He had called for Kon-el on a whim. Unsure if the younger Super would even hear him. If he would come if he did.

That first time, Kon had shown at the five minute mark. Slowly sinking out of the sky, shucking off his jacket and wrapping it around Dick's shaking shoulders.

"I need a favour." Dick had said, lips blue and cracked.

"No shit." Kon had replied.

Stood in Dick's Bludhaven apartment an hour later, fingers wrapped around a steaming mug of hot chocolate, Kon had asked-

"Why did you call me? Not big blue?"

Dick stared into his own mug, let the sweet, warm smell wash over his face. "Clark will want to fix this."

"And you don't?" Kon raised an eyebrow.

"I want to fix it myself. Not have the Justice League turn me into an experiment."

Kon had frowned. "Do you know what happened?"

Maybe Dick did. The tingling at the back of his skull was one of unease, but familiarity too. Of something long forgotten, a memory fuzzed around the edges, too small to quite grasp.

"I need you not to tell Tim." Dick had said. "Not to tell anyone."

Kon had paused a moment. Considered Dick, lips cracked and thin, shoulders too narrow in the worn leather jacket, as he waited for the younger man's answer.

"Sure." He had said eventually. "It's not like it'll happen again."

Dick had called him from the same spot in the desert less than a week later.

[novumtimes]

Albertas record-breaking wildfire season: A look back

By the end of the 2023 wildfire season in Alberta, 1,088 wildfires had burned more than 2.2 million hectares of land. According to the province, the first wildfire of note was near Evansburg, a hamlet an hour west of Edmonton, on April 30. That was the date the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) received its first notice for fire resources for the season, which was exceptionally early according to its standards. By May 6, Alberta had declared a state of emergency. According to Alberta Wildfire, 48 communities across the province were affected with more than 38, 000 Albertans forced out of their homes. Alexandria Jones with CIFFC says the agency had never been busier than it was in 2023, receiving requests for resources not just in Alberta, but across the country, as wildfires raged in all provinces and territories. The Canadian National Fire Database states more than 7,100 wildfires burned more than 17 million hectares of land, 10 times the previous record set in 1989. “CIFFC goes up to a level five national preparedness level, and that means that we’re pulling in international resources, and the demand on CIFFC is high to get resource across the country,” said Jones. “And so last year, we saw upwards of 5,500 international resources come into the country from all across the world, including Mexico, Costa Rica, Portugal, Australia, the United States and more.” Natural Resources Canada attributed the unprecedented wildfire season to several environmental factors, including early snowmelt, and drought conditions in Western and Eastern Canada. Furthermore, it says the mean temperature in the country between May and October was 2.2 C warmer than normal, creating ripe conditions for extreme wildfires. Dr. Mike Flannigan, a professor of wildland fire at the Thompson River City University in Kamloops, B.C., says the world is warming and with increasing temperatures, there will be more fires. “As it gets warmer, the atmosphere gets more efficient at sucking moisture out of the forest fuels so that they’re drier,” he said. This year, the wildfire season is already in full swing. Firefighters are battling two major blazes near Fort Nelson, B.C., and Fort McMurray forcing thousands of people out of their homes. In Alberta, the wildfires season was declared about 12 weeks earlier than last year. Drought conditions and dozens of carry-over fires from 2023, which are blazes that lay dormant during the winter months, contributed to a premature start. “These have woken up now that the snow is gone and we had some warm, dry, windy weather last week. And these fires grew, and that’s not what typically happens. Normally, we don’t see these fires grow in size. So we’re off to a very active start, particularly in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan,” said Flannigan. However, despite the earlier wildfire season, Alberta Fire says 500, 000 hectares of land was scorched around this time last year, compared to 30, 000 hectares this year. Officials say at this point, they can’t predict how the wildfire season will evolve in 2024, but are preparing for what could be a challenging season. In an email to CTV News, they said, “we have increased staffing levels to prepare for a potentially busy wildfire season by hiring an additional 100 firefighters.” While rain and cooler weather in both the Fort Nelson and Fort McMurray areas have reduced the wildfire risk, it doesn’t mean the communities are out of the woods, said Dr. Flannigan. “We will need lots of rain over a long period of time to get out of this. So we’re in a cooler, showery period for the next seven days in this part of the world, but once it warms up, we’re ready to burn in a couple days and things could flare up.” Source link via The Novum Times

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"TWO GIVEN LONG TERM FOR THEFT," North Bay Nugget. December 14, 1942. Page 9. ---- Five Years in Penitentiary for Entering Stores at Englehart ---- Haileybury, Dec. 14 - Convicted here Saturday by Magistrate Atkinson on two charges of breaking and entering Englehart stores in the early hours of November 25, Emile Dumais [TOP] and Robert Chauvette [BOTTOM], both with prison records and both out of St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary a few months, were sentenced to five years in Portsmouth penitentiary. Five other counts, four of them. similar in nature to those in which they were found guilty and the other one of being in illegal possession of house-breaking instruments, were not pressed by the crown.

Druggist Lauded After sentencing accused, the magistrate congratulated John Litster, Englehart druggist, on the part he had played in the case. Mr. Litster told the court how he had gone downstairs from his apartment after hearing sounds in his store below, and recognizing one man as Chauvette and noticing the other, who wore a handkerchief across the lower part of his face, and wearing a brown windbreaker similar to those in which accused were dressed in court, and of accompanying Provincial Constable Walker in search of the car in which the men escaped.

Thirty-one fountain pens, a similar number of pencils and a quantity of cigarettes were taken from the Litster store, and these were found later by Constables McDonald and Ainsley of the Kirkland Lake detachment of the O.P.P. in a dry creek bed not far from where the car in which Chauvette and Dumals were driving had stopped shortly before the officers arrested the pair.

[AL: Dumais had served a single previous term in the St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary in Laval. He was 21, single, French Canadian, a construction worker in Rouyn, Quebec, where he lived. He was convict #7159 at Kingston Penitentiary and worked in an construction workcrew outside the walls. In March 1944 he was transferred to Manitoba Penitentiary, and participated in a protest later that year against this transfer. He was released by parole in 1946. Chauvette had also served a single previous term in the St. Vincent de Paul Penitentiary in Laval, as well as four terms in the Montreal Jail. He was 21, single, French Canadian, a construction worker as well on the same crew as Dumais, and from Lakenik, Quebec. Interestingly, he was removed to Quebec for a 'religious profanation trial' and given a consecutive six month term! He fought his conviction but his appeal was dismissed in January 1943. He was convict #7223 and worked in a few different workshops at Kingston Penitentiary. He was transferred with Dumais in 1944, becoming inmate #4286 at Saskatchewan Penitentiary. He took part in a strike in the tailor shop in August 1944 at that prison. He was eventually released in 1947.]

[loiswolf]

Day 30 June 28 Vermillion-Lloydminster 65km

Just a short one today. I’ve been pushing out over 100kms a day now for over a week and this town seemed a good place to stop and have a short one.

First stop today was back to the bike shop to leave my bear spray for Aaron. The shop doesn’t open until 11 so I just left it at the door. I’m sick of carrying it and I’m pretty sure I won’t need it. Aaron said he would be able to give it someone. Seemed like a better idea than throwing it in the bin.

I’m also not missing those shoes. There seems to be a lot of things in my panniers ( warm clothes) that I won’t need again so I’m thinking of posting them home.

So after I jettisoned the bear spray I went to look for the bakery the motel girl told me about. Nope , not open either. I was completely out of roadside snacks so I had to go back to the supermarket. It’s hard to buy something small in the bakery section so I chose a 6 pack of small donuts. With these safely stashed in the backpack I took a shortcut up to the highway.

As usual the shortcut involved a short stretch of dirt road, but not too much.

I’m on the highway now. It’s quite busy but there is a good shoulder and it’s mostly smooth. There appears to be no alternative anyway.

The views from the road weren’t too bad

but I felt like I was doing a lot of slow uphill cycling again.

The horses here are very friendly and always come up to the fence rather than run away like all the other animals do. Except the bears….they just keep doing whatever they were doing.

Again I had scoped out a place for morning tea. Again I picked a winner!

It was another gorgeous little town called Kitscoty. I wish these places had accommodation that appeared online because I would much rather stay in a quaint little place like this than a big highway town like I’m in tonight.

First I went into a little bakery. They didn’t have coffee so they directed me across the road to another place. They did have freshly baked cinnamon scrolls so I promised to come back and get one before I left town.

The shop across the road was really lovely. I chose a macadamia cookie and a choc chip muffin to go with my coffee.

The cookie was almost as good as one of mine and the muffin was freshly baked and just delicious. The people in these towns are always friendly and the lovely Angie was no exception.

It took a while to get through my large coffee then wander around the shop which had a huge variety of goods. Eventually I crossed back over the road to buy a cinnamon scroll and some bagels from Heather…also a lovely friendly lady.

My roadside snack deficit was back in credit as I cycled back to the Highway with a backpack full of goodies.

Only just over 20kms to go. What an easy day! It rolled by pretty quickly. Maybe I was getting some downhill after all the effort I put in earlier. Lloydminister appears to be a huge city but it’s just spread out for several kilometres along the highway. The traffic was very heavy so I had to dodge on and off the road. Lloydminster’s claim to fame is that it is a border town.

Yes, I’m in Saskatchewan. It was still early so I stopped just before my Airbnb at Tim Hortons and enjoyed that cinnamon scroll with a cold drink.

I’m a little bit over these generic motels so I thought I’d try an Airbnb today. It’s ok but my host has gone out and the air conditioning is really cold. I’m sitting here in a jumper and long pants on a hot summers day.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

316 of 2023

Unique Words and Uniquely Spelled Words [True or False]

Created by joybucket

You've purchased something from a mall kiosk. You like the name Rhiannon. You've gone kayaking on a lake. 🛶 You've gone kayaking on a river. 🛶 You own a kayak. 🛶 It's been a long time since you've last kayaked, and you'd love to go again. 🛶 You enjoyed kayaking. 🛶 You like the Japanese name Kaori. You've met someone named Naomi. You enjoy renaissance festivals. You've been to Utah. You've been to Saskatchewan. There is a shop in your town called Serendipity. You've met someone named Saoirse. You have a grandma named Lois. You like avocado toast. 🥑 You'd never heard of avocado toast before until you heard YouTubers say they liked it. You've been to Azerbaijan. 🇦🇿 You've been to Uzbekistan. 🇺🇿 You've been to Guyana. 🇬🇾 You shopped at Aeropostale when you were in high school. You own something from Abercrombie & Fitch. You've walked through Abercrombie & Fitch, but you've never purchased anything from there, because they're too expensive. You've heard Aeropostale pronounced different ways. You've wondered what the correct pronunciation of Aeropostale was. You've wondered why the word "aardvark" has two A's next to each other. (ever heard of Dutch and Afrikaans language, though? Long vowels are normal here) You've not sure if you've ever seen an aardvark in person. Your bra size is bigger than your mom's. You think broccoli tastes good in soup, pasta, and cheesy rice. 🥦 You went to high school with an Ashley, an Ashleigh, and an Ashli. You've been friends with an Emily and an Emilee, Emilie, Emeli, Emile, Emmaleigh, or Emma Leigh. You like the name Brogan for a girl. You feel like your life has consisted of one big catastrophe after another. One of your favorite worship leaders is Charity Gayle. 🎶 You like the name Skylar. You have your bed catawampus in your room. 🛏 [Catawampus= positioned diagonally] You own a lava lamp. You can think of at least one song you like by Christina Aguilera. You've owned an album by Christina Aguilera. 💿 You've made a dreamcatcher. You've driven down an Avondale Road. You own a pair of galaxy print leggings. You like the name Alexa. You don't think you've ever met anyone named Siri. You've been to Papa New Guinea. 🇬🇳 (isn’t it “Papua”, though?) You've been to Guam. 🇬🇺 You've been to Ethiopia. 🇪🇹 You like the name Brynn better than Lynn, because it's unique. You've met someone named Gardenia. You've met someone named Gloria. You like the name Veronica. You're claustrophobic. You've been put under anesthesia for a procedure. You like the names Chloe, Carlotta, and Carmen. You went to school with a Simone. You've read the book of Ecclesiastes. 📖 You've spun a dreidel. You've looked through a kaleidoscope. There is a gazebo in your backyard. You like garbanzo beans. You've been to Kalamazoo, Michigan. You've played a kazoo. You own something made of bamboo. You're feeling bamboozled at the moment. You know the meaning of the word "ecclesia." You know the meaning of the word "acquiescence." You listened to Evanescence as a teenager. (I still do) You like eggnog. You've wondered why so many medications start with a Z. 💊 You take Zofran. 💊 You take Zoloft. 💊 You take Zyrtec. 💊 You remember learning about Count von Zinzendorf in school, and you thought he had a funny name. You've tried escargot. 🐌 You've been to Zimbabwe. 🇿🇼 You've been to Botswana. 🇧🇼 You've been to Guinea-Bissau. 🇬🇼 You've played the oboe. You've met someone with the last name Odorzynski. You like the name Cheyenne. You've met someone named Shariah. You love the name Bianca. You've been to Cincinnati, Ohio. You went to school with a Suzy. You own a pair of Lularoe leggings. You think Lularoe is a scam. You like the name Azteca. You've been to Venezuela. 🇻🇪 You learned Venezuelan history in school. 🇻🇪 You know what a shaman is. You've met someone who claimed to be a shaman. You've played the shofar. You like flamingos. 🦩 You're wearing a fluorescent color right now. You like the smell of potpourri. You've mixed together your own potpourri. You like the name Felicity. You've played with a ouija board. You've seen the aurora borealis. You've been to Australia. 🇦🇺 You've rocked a baby to sleep while singing a lullaby. You've owned a gecko or iguana. 🦎 You've been to Israel. 🇮🇱 You like the name Spencer. You've worn a fedora. You've attended a university as a student. 🏫 You own a varsity jacket. You've seen a real live jaguar in person. 🐆 You've met someone named Tatum. You know someone who pronounces "February" funny. (probably every Dutch person lol) You feel that so far your life has been a complete fiasco. You have asthma. You've watched Jeopardy. You think you'd rather be a contestant on Family Feud than you would be a contestant on Jeopardy. You like zucchini bread. You've tried guava. You'd like to try guava, because you think you'd like it. You were born before the start of the new millennium. You were born in the new millennium. You have to pay mortgage payments on your house. 🏡 You like jacaranda trees. You were born on a Wednesday. You're taking this survey on a Wednesday. You frequently take medicine for nausea. 💊 You've recently eaten a bologna sandwich. 🥪 You like the color fuchsia. You've met someone named Loralei. You've vacationed on an island. 🏝 You've been to Chicago, Illinois. 🏙 You've been to Iowa. You've been to Ohio. You've called someone a nincompoop. You've had pneumonia. You've experienced anaphylaxis. You frequently feel flabbergasted and flummoxed. You've heard the name Aislinn pronounced different ways. You like the name Brigitta. You've recently done something scandalous. You've been an exchange student in a foreign country. You've recently experienced a calamity. You've recently received an epiphany. You've been called a wild hooligan. You've met someone named Esther. You've joined a sorority. You've gone to a Presbyterian church. ⛪️ You've gone to an Episcopalian church. ⛪️ You've tried papaya. Your parents nicknamed the neighbors "the buffoons." You like jalapeños. 🌶 You've worn a sombrero. You've tried kumquat. You've been feeling lackadaisical lately. You spend a lot of time lollygagging. You're often scatterbrained. You've explored the Amazon rainforest. You thought this survey was unique.

[userumbrelladigitalmarketing]

How does Digital Marketing Help your Businesses?

Digital marketing is far less expensive than other conventional marketing strategies. This is a sophisticated, modern world. You must embrace digitization if you want your firm to succeed in the current digital world. It is preferable to invest in a seasoned digital marketing firm if you are a novice.

The days of advertising goods and services in newspapers, pamphlets, and other media are long gone. The manner that marketing is done has entirely changed because of digital marketing. It is a potent and economical strategy to outperform your company in the digital age. Actually, businesses today require digital marketing! Digital marketing is crucial for all businesses, no matter how big, small, or in between.

This is a sophisticated, modern world. You must embrace digitization if you want your firm to flourish in the current digital world. It is preferable to invest in a seasoned digital marketing firm if you are a novice. Are you trying to find a seasoned digital marketing firm? User Umbrella is The best Digital Marketing Company in Saskatchewan, which offers services that are focused on promoting your brand online.

Let's examine a few advantages of digital marketing:

Cost-Saving Marketing Method

One of the biggest advantages of digital marketing is how affordable it is! You'll only spend what's necessary in this place. Traditional marketing comes at a heavy price. Large corporations can afford to invest in advertising on the radio, television, newspaper, and other media. Small and medium-sized businesses might not make as many investments as big enterprises, nevertheless. On the other hand, digital marketing levels the playing field for all firms. Digital marketing is far less expensive than other conventional marketing techniques.

If you wish to run Google Ads, for instance, you may choose your budget based on the requirements and needs of your business. Spending extra money is not necessary. What a beautiful thing! You are free to spend any sum of money.

Measurable Digital Marketing

If you are spending money on a marketing strategy, you must also be looking for results. The effectiveness of conventional marketing cannot be quantified. On the other hand, digital marketing allows for complete measurement. The digital marketing strategy can be fully measured. You can track everything in digital marketing, from paid advertising to search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing (SMM). Every campaign is trackable and measurable. You may monitor the effectiveness of your marketing activities with the aid of a number of tools. Google Analytics is one of the most used programs. You can do this to monitor website traffic. This includes demographics, conversions, clicks, and more.

Enables you to connect with potential clients

The main concern for firms is generating leads. Reaching the correct audience, or those who are interested in your goods or services is necessary to generate leads. Using digital marketing, you can connect with potential clients.

The targeted audience is very challenging to contact in traditional marketing. Justifying the price is quite difficult!

However, you can reach the correct audience and win their business through digital marketing. The audience can be targeted in accordance with factors like interest, gender, age, and others.

So, why are you waiting for investing in digital marketing?

It’s time to invest in Digital Marketing Services in Saskatchewan.

[craftygal65]

Pharmacist-led walk-in clinic opens in Edmonton area

Chris Chacon

Pharmacist-led walk in clinic

Image of ribbon cutting of new Pharmacist-led walk in clinic in Fort Saskatchewan. Chris Chacon/Global News

People in the Edmonton area now have another option when it comes to finding health care. A pharmacist led walk-in clinic opened it’s doors Friday to patients in Fort Saskatchewan.

“I think its wonderful, I think its going to help so many people,” said Sylvia Viczko, who was visiting the store.

Read more: A first for Alberta: Superstore opens pharmacist-led health clinic in Lethbridge

Loblaws opened its first pharmacist-based clinic inside a ‘Superstore in Lethbridge back in June.

This one opened inside a *Shoppers Drug Mart in Fort Saskatchewan’s West Park Plaza.

The clinic works similarly to any other walk-in clinic, except instead of seeing a doctor you speak with a pharmacist who assess your symptoms.

“That ranges from treating things like minor ailments — like if you have a bladder infection, you don’t want to be sitting in the emergency for a number of hours, save that spot for somebody who has a more complex issue — to things like managing your diseases like hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes and stuff like that,” Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacist and owner, Rajan Bharadia said.

A pharmacist can only treat minor illnesses or injuries and anyone needing more serious medical care still needs to go to a hospital. Pharmacists are also able to prescribe and renew certain medications without the need of having to see a doctor.

“If you don’t have a regular doctor in Fort Saskatchewan you, cannot get into the walk-in clinics the same day or you have to go to Sherwood Park,” Viczko said.

Read more: ‘I urge you to get the flu shot’: Alberta mom whose daughter was intubated in ICU

It’s a much-needed alternative, Viczko said, for the city and surrounding communities.

“I have gone to emergency for something that I don’t feel is emergency care, but that’s the only option I have,” Viczko said.

The city’s mayor said she would like to see more open up.

‘We’re hearing from citizens all over the province that they can’t get in to see a doctor, the walk-in clinics are fully booked, go to emergency and they wait 10 hours. That’s not acceptable,” Mayor of Fort Saskatchewan Gale Katchur said.

Read more: Alberta’s health-care problems decades in the making

“Even if it’s not something we can deal with under our scope of practice, what we can do is direct you where to go. Also, maybe communicate with your other health-care providers and that circle of care to help you get care quicker,” Bharadia said.

An option Bharadia said he’s happy to help provide, given the challenges facing our healthcare system.

‘I think that is fabulous, it’s long overdue,” Viczko said.

What about Nurse Practitioners? They’re really under utilized. I have a nurse practitioner who I adore. She’s helped with some of the most difficult times during hospital stays.

[trevorubck614]

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[allbeendonebefore]

Hey hapo what's with the sea of blue in sask and Alberta during the election like did Sheer make that good of an impression on Sask voters??? NDP is option??

sea of blue you say? obviously we created our own blue sea since we’re not allowed access to tidewater JKJKJKJK

this is a really complicated question and I’m trying to think about how best to explain it. my feelings on the issue are very mixed because i feel like i have a foot or a hand in several camps like some convoluted twister game. it’s something that a lot of identity and emotion is tied up in for a lot of people and it’s rooted very firmly in inequalities that have existed for over a century and get expressed differently in different regions. It’s something that I grew up saturated in and I’ve done a lot of reading about (and of course there’s always more on my reading list) but I’ll try and highlight a few reasons that I’ve been musing about so as not to be too overwhelming. 

it’s something that is really hard to explain to people from outside the province because we’re quick to be written off (sometimes rightfully so, others not) but it’s something that’s equally hard to explain to people inside the province. As I said it’s something we’re all saturated in, we are born into it or we grow up in it and it’s really hard to confront a lot of things surrounding it. And I definitely have my own biases and background and relation to this issue and I must stress that as furious as I am with people in large groups making dumb ass decisions, I can’t be angry at individuals because I get a lot of why this happens even though I find it personally misguided or ignorant at best and actively harmful, selfish, and self-sabotaging at worst. But when I explain this I hope it makes sense why for a lot of people it feels like the only option.

And my last preface is that I am speaking from an Alberta perspective, if my followers in Saskatchewan want to add on to this please feel free. I’m glossing over a lot here because I’m trying to keep this short and understandable… but when have I ever done that lol.

Yeah, it got long.

so why does the west go conservative. it’s not scheer, and if you remember harper you’ll remember personality is never high on our list of priorities. [insert gif of harper explaining how he too is a human who watches netflix here] 

1. History 

To sum up two hundred years: Alberta and Saskatchewan were never equal partners in confederation with other provinces. They were purchased and carved up by the Canadian government which then imposed the two party system on the provinces, which prior had consensus government which (i believe) was similar to how NWT and Nunavut continue to operate. They were not given the rights to their own resources until decades after joining confederation. They were given Liberal governments because the Liberals were and are considered the “natural” governing party of Canada, and while Saskatchewan has flopped between Liberal and Conservative governments like many eastern provinces, Alberta has always had a radical streak and has NEVER re-elected an unseated party in its history. And no, I don’t consider the UCP a continuation of the previous 4 decades of conservative rule, even though they imagine themselves to be the inheritors of that legacy. 

Fast forward to the direct impacts: in the 70s, world events that severely impacted oil production caused Eastern Canada to absolutely panic and force Alberta and Saskatchewan (yet again) into providing discounts on their production to soften the blow in Ontario and Quebec of rising prices, forbidding them to sell for a profit to the United States. This included both oil products and potash, hugely lucrative products in AB and SK. It was a continuation of Eastern Canada imagining and treating the prairies as property, as chattel, where provinces like Quebec and BC would never be asked to undersell to benefit the rest of the country. 

The current federal conservative party is an amalgamation of reactions to this situation and related ones: the Progressive party (which was a complete misnomer) originated in Manitoba, the Reform party emerged from what I understand as the “first wave” of western separatism, and even though Reform was defeated federally it is still a direct ancestor to Stephen Harper and by extension Andrew Scheer. Harper’s policies are the natural product of decades of conservative governments dating back to Preston and Earnest Manning’s Social Credit party in Alberta.

That said, people from both inside and outside the provinces completely misunderstand Harper’s (and Kenney’s) “Western-ness” or “Albertan-ness”. Both of them ran on western issues and appear to speak up for western interests, but those issues and interests only go as far as the CEOs of the oil companies are concerned, not the working class in the industry. Harper and Kenney actively undermined the equalization formula for the west and had the gall to campaign on striking a good deal for the west. Federal politicians do not have to ever strike a good deal for the west, they will ALWAYS prioritize voters in Ontario and Quebec so long as our voting system remains this way. 

2. Identity

My next point in the long agonizing question of Why This is a sensitive one. In Alberta we have my parent’s generation who were voting age at the toppling of Social Credit by Lougheed’s Conservatives. For Alberta this was a monumental shift in taking no shit from Ottawa that people still look back on. Lougheed was a hero for demanding a fair price from Canada for Alberta, and he was incredibly concerned with managing the resource and the profits wisely. While conservative governments were natural and long standing in eastern Canada, this was the first time they had taken power in Alberta and they made a dramatic and revolutionary impression, which is not a thing that conservative governments are usually known to do. 

My parent’s generation remembers this time of intense prosperity. My parent’s generation raised their children in this boom-bust cycle and my parent’s generation watched as Lougheed’s heritage fund was spent out from under us. I grew up under Ralph Klein’s government- intensely popular for a premier and who’s legacy was as powerful as Lougheed’s, but incredibly polarizing. He gave $300 to every man, woman and child in the province (except my fam because we had just moved back and didn’t have residency, lol) which was memorable if irresponsible. But it was men like Klein who had the charisma and the presence to make people really take pride in the industry, to worship the boom-bust, and to consider all problems solved. Klein did not give a shit about the part of Alberta I grew up in, and friends who lived in the far north of the province fared even worse. It’s absolutely no wonder that the Edmonton area consistently votes “against” the rest of the province when we were left isolated and broken during the bust of the 90s and ignored repeatedly in the mid to late 2000s. 

I have a deep seated and extreme resentment for Ralph Klein’s government and it’s not because I missed out on my 300 Ralph Bucks or because I don’t have connections to the industry, it’s because I grew up with a deep seated fear that I wouldn’t be able to complete my education or that if I got sick something horrible would happen. I was legitimately terrified I would not be able to make it to secondary school because of the cuts his government made on rural schools, and for friends of mine who were not as lucky and well supported as I was, it was even worse. I won’t drag their personal stories onto the internet to make my point, but know 

But the point of this all is that the people alive today who vote are people who remember this time of prosperity, of fighting Ottawa, and of relative ‘freedom’ from taxation and so on and so forth are constantly trying to hold onto that time. The kids in my generation who I went to school with did not have to graduate high school - my school had a 70% drop out rate because people would go straight to the patch or into a related industry. In Alberta, every industry is a related industry. There is not an aspect of living in Alberta that the patch doesn’t touch. This is hard to understand for people outside the province. It was actual culture shock to me to come to Ontario where funders of schools and businesses are families that date back to confederation rather than Enbridge or Suncor. 

Moreover, the people who work in the patch do an incredibly difficult and dangerous job for incredible amounts of money and it’s no wonder they are so valourized. The people who work in the patch are more dependent on the companies than they are on the government. During the fire of 2016, it may have been the government providing evacuation stations, but it was the companies who got people out. Working class people feel seriously undervalued and are obviously seriously defensive about the industry for real, concrete reasons. 

The past four decades have shaped generations of people in this way. This is not something easily reversed. Voting conservative is almost inextricable from Albertan identity and it’s impossible to explain concisely. We all grow up with the same arguments and talking points, we are all imbued with anger and defensive remarks from birth, and to people outside the province our arguments can sound rehearsed to the point of sounding cult-like. Stop Using Plastic If You Don’t Like It. Stop Driving and Flying. Stop Importing from Dictatorships. Stop Being a Hypocrite. They are easy, simple mantras to absolve anyone related to the industry (which is everyone) of any guilt because they don’t have to be a hypocrite if they just embrace the reality. There is no room for any critical thought in this identity, there is no room for discussion, there is nothing beyond Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and Don’t Ever Criticize What Keeps Everything Running. It’s normal and natural to feel upset when people who don’t grow up with this line of thinking find it strange.

3. Alienation

So why doesn’t our valourization of the working class translate directly into NDP votes? Why does Rachel Notley become vilified for speaking and acting as Peter Lougheed did in the 1970s? Why do we continue voting conservative and say thank you when they betray us and kick us in the balls every single time? Why do we cover up our oh-so-shameful history of birthing the CCF/NDP out of the desperation and destitution of the Great Depression? 

As I’ve been saying it’s complicated, but it’s also really simple. No federal party ever speaks to us. Not a single one. The conservatives barely have to because they know our identity as conservative dates back to before a time when we even had a provincial upper-case Conservative government ourselves. Scheer can parade up and down parliament hill with his appeals to free speech and his pro life base and his white supremacist dogwhistles all he likes because he knows keeping Alberta and Saskatchewan “happy” (read: angry) is easy. This is a man who said himself that he doesn’t need ‘indian votes’ to win and he certainly was far more worried about keeping Doug Ford out of the spotlight during his campaign and pissing off Ontario than he was about us, and premier kenney spent all his time in office campaigning for scheer instead of running the goddamn province, including preparing us for an emergency. And we lap it up while screaming bloody murder if rachel notley is not personally handing out waterbottles on the side of the highway of death. 

No party, not even the conservatives, truly speaks to Albertans. We get hated on constantly by the rest of the country because we appear to be full of climate change deniers, but even the CEO of SUNCOR condemns deniers and politicians who cater to them. A lot of Albertans do acknowledge climate change is a reality despite how we’re painted, but because of the misunderstanding we feel directed at us constantly we tend to react badly and would rather hole up in our bunkers and let the rest of the country freeze in the dark - or melt in the sun as it were. No party speaks to working class rural people. No party makes the attempt to speak to people who are still only grappling with already outdated terminology like “global warming” while they are shoveling snow in August or September. No party is talking about actual grievances that working class people in Alberta face, such as long hours away from home and family or intense isolation that leads to addiction and death, that matter more to people than seemingly hypothetical change in climate that happens Elsewhere, not Here. Parties need to start coming up with concrete solutions that will make the inevitable transition more than just necessary but inclusive and beneficial. No one wants to feel like they have to start from scratch, no one wants to worry about what to do or how it will help. We aren’t used to thinking about solving problems, and we keep putting it on the next generation while we make it even harder for them.  

The more we are criticized the more militaristic the vocabulary becomes, and that’s why we provincially voted for a war room and tax cuts while taking the money from school lunch programs. We rest on our laurels of having the lowest child poverty rate in the country while stealing money from children and blaming their parents for them going hungry. It’s abominable. And a lot of us realize it. And a lot of us still feel as if we have no choice. A lot of progressive voices get drowned out in stifling silence and any change feels like an existential threat. We got ourselves into this mess, but we all need to work together to get out of it. And that means listening to the strongest opposition we’ve had in nearly a half century. That means being grown ups and sitting at the table with the rest of the country. That means fighting the gut reaction to sputter out talking points you were taught to say because it meant protecting your family. That also means that we need to be listened to in return without smugness or patronizing attitudes from politicians or the rest of the country. 

If you want us to switch to alternative energy, you all need to step up and start helping us do that. As long as we feel as if it’s being imposed on us we will struggle and we will fight, but it’s exactly why it’s so important to change the tone of the conversation. Listen to us. Help us. Make us feel like we’re part of the country. Give us the tools we need to be better. Encourage us to be leaders in the energy industry because we love being the best and thrive off healthy competition. Appeal to real, concrete issues for working class people with real concrete solutions. 

yeah. uh. [places mic shakily back on the stand] peace im going to bed, fight me or whatever. 

[hyperboreanhapocanthosaurus]

BRAD WALL IS RETIRING???? COULD THIS BE THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR THE SASK PARTY... PLEase

[scotianostra]

On 17th August 2010 Bill Millin, piper to Lord Lovat at D Day, died, aged 88.

Born on 14 July 1922 Saskatchewan, Canada  to a father of Scottish origin who moved the family to Canada but returned to Glasgow as a policeman when William was three. He grew up and went to school in the Shettleston are of the city.   He joined the Territorial Army in Fort William, where his family had moved, and played in the pipe bands of the Highland Light Infantry and the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders before volunteering as a commando and training with Lovat at Achnacarry along with French, Dutch, Belgian, Polish, Norwegian, and Czechoslovakian troops.

Lord Lovat had appointed his personal piper during commando training at Achnacarry, and was the only man during the D Day landing who wore a kilt – it was the same Cameron tartan kilt his father had worn in Flanders during World War I – and he was armed only with his pipes and the sgian-dubh sheathed inside his kilt-hose on the right side.

Taken from accounts of  6th June 1944 on Sword Beach Normandy.

Bill began his apparently suicidal serenade immediately upon jumping from the ramp of the landing craft into the icy water on D Day. As the Cameron tartan of his kilt floated to the surface he struck up with Hieland Laddie. He continued even as the man behind him was hit, dropped into the sea and sank.Once ashore Millin did not run, but walked up and down the beach, blasting out a series of tunes. After Hieland Laddie, Lovat, the commander of 1st Special Service Brigade (1 SSB), raised his voice above the crackle of gunfire and the crump of mortar, and asked for another. Millin strode up and down the water’s edge playing The Road to the Isles.

Bodies of the fallen were drifting to and fro in the surf. Soldiers were trying to dig in and, when they heard the pipes, many of them waved and cheered — although one came up to Millin and called him a “mad bastard”.His worst moments were when he was among the wounded. They wanted medical help and were shocked to see this figure strolling up and down playing the bagpipes. To feel so helpless, Millin said afterwards, was horrifying. For many other soldiers, however, the piper provided a unique boost to morale. “I shall never forget hearing the skirl of Bill Millin’s pipes,” said one, Tom Duncan, many years later. “It is hard to describe the impact it had. It gave us a great lift and increased our determination. As well as the pride we felt, it reminded us of home and why we were there fighting for our lives and those of our loved ones.”

When the brigade moved off, Millin was with the group that attacked the rear of Ouistreham. After the capture of the town, he went with Lovat towards Bénouville, piping along the road.

They were very exposed, and were shot at by snipers from across the canal. Millin stopped playing. Everyone threw themselves flat on the ground — apart from Lovat, who went down on one knee. When one of the snipers scrambled down a tree and dived into a cornfield, Lovat stalked him and shot him. He then sent two men into the corn to look for him and they came back with the corpse. “Right, Piper,” said Lovat, “start the pipes again.”

At Bénouville, where they again came under fire, the CO of 6 Commando asked Millin to play them down the main street. He suggested that Millin should run, but the piper insisted on walking and, as he played Blue Bonnets Over the Border, the commandos followed.

When they came to the crossing which later became known as Pegasus Bridge, troops on the other side signalled frantically that it was under sniper fire. Lovat ordered Millin to shoulder his bagpipes and play the commandos over. “It seemed like a very long bridge,” Millin said afterwards.

The pipes were damaged by shrapnel later that day, but remained playable. Millin was surprised not to have been shot, and he mentioned this to some Germans who had been taken prisoner.They said that they had not shot at him because they thought he had gone off his head.

The pictures shows Millin playing at Edinburgh Castle in 2001, on Sword beach, 1994 and his statue there which was unveiled in 2013. 

[faunawoodsart]

29 Days (R6S Oc Fic)

!!!CONTENT WARNING!!!

There is talk of decomposition and a description of the smell of decomposition. I will add another warning before that part comes up in case people would still like to read it but do not want to read that specific part. I will also mark the end of that part so people know where to pick back up again.

It had been 29 days… 29 days since a young woman in the area had gone missing within Wood Buffalo National Park. 29 that Elizabeth Schierer, a park ranger at the park, had been on the case. She had been helping local police in searches for the young woman all throughout the park. Her vehicle was found near Parson’s Tower, which was on the Saskatchewan side of the park. It had still been there when Elizabeth drove to the parking lot that was there. The car was tapped off. Elizabeth parked and grabbed the bag she had with her along with a pistol that she put in the holster that was attached to her belt. Quickly opened her car door and slammed it shut due to the rain that poured down. Due to the horrible weather, the police did not continue the search on foot. Elizabeth on the other hand was more than happy to keep the search going, even in the rain. She was determined to find at least some other trace of the woman other than her car. She walked over to the car. It had been there as long as the woman had been missing, or at least when she was reported missing. Elizabeth used her hands to shield her eyes from the rain and she leaned forward to get a better look to see what was inside the car. All of the woman's belongings were still in there: her wallet, her keys, even her coat. No one, usually, leaves these things in their car. Especially their keys. It was almost like the woman had vanished into thin air...But people don’t just vanish into thin air, right? She took a step back and whipped her hand on her pants, taking a deep sigh. Her breath could easily be seen. She turned away from the car and began to walk into the woods. 

There were no hiking trails that were around the tower. So, Elizabeth had to trudge through the brush that covered the forest. Some of it had been pressed down due to the searches that had taken place, but not enough to make a sever difference. Elizabeth kept walking through the forest. It didn’t take very long for the rain to begin to soak her hair nor for the plants around her to do the same to her pants. Being out in the forest alone was eerie. It was quiet…way too quiet. All she could hear was the sound of rain slamming against the leaves and the sound of her own footsteps. Her cold hands clenched her backpack. Her eyes scanned every inch around her, not a spot was left unseen. She had looked in hollowed trees, in small caves, even shining her flashlight down into fox and wolf dens. 

…Nothing…

The area had been searched multiple times before, but Elizabeth had a feeling like she had to keep searching in this exact area. Even though her tired and cold body wanted to stop, her gut kept telling her to keep going. The rain had started to lighten up at this point, but once the rain did so, the fog rolled in. Elizabeth sighed and found a rock to sit on. She took out an extremely detailed map of the area that she had made. She sniffled and whipped her nose on her coat as she sat there looking at the map. She was studying the map when she heard a twig snap. Her head shot up like a scared deer. She quickly stood up, the map falling to the wet ground, and grabbed his pistol. Laying her finger next to the trigger, but not on it. She gulped. She felt her heart race. Her eyes darted around. Another twig snap was heard behind her. She swung around and aimed. She came face to face what was making the noise…

…A deer…

“Thank god…” she mumbled to herself. Lowering her pistol. Her shoulders fell back into a comfortable position. The deer slowly walked away. “Tsk…I was more afraid than that deer was…” Elizabeth bent down to grab her map. She sighed and wiped away as much water as she could, but the map was ruined for the time being. The ink was smeared where she had made notes. She put the map away and looked up at the sky. The rain had finally stopped. She shifted the backpack on her back before she kept walking again. A run-in with a deer wasn’t going to stop her. Seeing that deer made Elizabeth feel less uneasy about the feeling of the forest that day. At least there was something else there with her… 

As it started to get later, Elizabeth turned on her flashlight and started to head back. She had completely lost track of time. The sent of wet dirt and rotting leaves filled the cool air. She walked along the small path she had made herself. Every so often she would stop to take a quick look around…Nothing… Nothing as usual. Elizabeth was starting to question herself. Was she being led on a wild goose chase? Cops had been known to be horrible people and if they were the ones behind the crime, they had an easier time covering it all up. She shook her head. She was getting too tired for this, at least for today. She rubbed her eyes with one of her hands and yawned. The way back seemed to be never-ending. And just like before, it was dead silent. This time there was no rain to accompany her, it was only the sound of her mud-covered boots. She thought about taking an ATV next time, but no. What if she ran over important evidence. She wouldn’t take the chance. She sighed, her breath dancing in the cold air above her.

----------------Content Warning---------------------------------

As she kept walking she stopped dead in her tracks. Her nose scrunched up. She covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve. It reeked! She had walked past this area earlier and it had not smelled like this before. It was like the mix between rotten eggs, feces, rotting garbage, urine, and cheap perfume. Her eyes began to water it was that bad. Curiosity got the best of her. She wanted, no, needed to find out what was producing that smell. The smell clung to the air. As she walked she scanned her flashlight across the area. The sent only got stronger and stronger… As she slowly passed a tree, she lightly tripped over one of its roots. She turned around and shone her flashlight down on the root…

…It was a leg… 

Elizabeth felt her body begin to shake as she slowly panned her flashlight to what was before her. She quickly realized what she stumbled across. Her eyes darted all over the body. It was clear that animals had already started to eat away at her body as the woman’s face was gone and her stomach was clawed open and gutted. Feeling something erupt inside of her stomach, Elizabeth quickly turned away and threw up. Vomit lay on the ground, tears streaming her face. She could barely gain her composure. She grabbed her walkie-talkie and phoned in to tell them what she found and the exact location. It took 30 minutes for another park ranger to arrive along with the police. 30 minutes Elizabeth was left alone with the decaying body of the woman. As much as she wanted to run back to her car, her legs were frozen in place. The area stank. In those 30 minutes, Elizabeth would throw up another three times before only being able to dry heave.

--------------Content Warning Over--------------------------

Once the police and other park ranger came to the scene, the other park ranger escorted Elizabeth back to where her car was parked. She sat down on the curb, staring off into space. The other park ranger gave her a water bottle and tried talking to her, but Elizabeth couldn’t hear him. All that she could see what the decomposing lady every time she blinked… Soon enough it began to rain once more. She stared down at the puddle forming in front of her. Looking at her reflection. 

…29 days… it took 29 days to find her…