Clapperton Farm

No visit to the Okanagan or Kettle Valley would be complete without a visit to an old farm: the Clapperton’s was settled in 1905, and is therefore rapidly approaching its century.

This farm is, sadly, for sale. With 100 head of cattle, the family has trouble making a living; this makes me sad to no end and creates a palpable realization that the way our world is operating is slightly screwed up. We’ve got to get this fixed and it starts with paying a fair price for the food you eat.

This cabin was the original home on the farm, although it has long since fallen into disrepair. The Clapperton’s lived here for years; the new house is old, but much younger than this one.

Only one of the two barns pictured below is original; the other is fairly new, and holds most of the large farm equipment.

The old barn - one of them at least - still has remnants of the blacksmith’s shop in it, including the original anvil and pieces of the chimney. Amazing stuff really.

The farm itself is also the home of the Beaverdell Volunteer Fire Department, with Ralph (right) the lead (having spent years fighting fires in the Canadian Forces.) As a result, vintage fire trucks abound. The one below was my favourite - largely on the basis of the badge.

These tanks seem to be everywhere out here: every farm has the same Pacific 66 badge. Remarkably, I’m having trouble finding information about the company online. If you know anything, send me a note.

Welcome Home

Our country got richer today by several people, but only one that I know: welcome Jessica Yngvesson as a Canadian. It’s as much hers as yours now.

Conspiracy theories are really too much fun

Well now, here’s an interesting little situation.

John Manley has turned down Paul Martin’s offer of a Washington posting; no surprise there.

Today, it’s announced that he’s been appointed to chair an enquiry into what can only be described as a management fiasco at Ontario Power Generation.

Now, it just so happens that the appointment was made by Dalton McGuinty.

Dalton’s brother - David - is currently seeking the Liberal nomination in the riding of Ottawa South. As it turns out this riding is currently held by the soon to resign John Manley.

But I’m not saying there’s a connection here.

If this is what it’s like to be Mayor, why would anyone want to be Prime Minister?

I’m trying to dig up reviews of a book called The Ungovernable City: John Lindsay and the Struggle to Save New York City to see if I should buy it, and I stumble across this quote from Lindsay:

This, naturally, leads me to wonder how Larry Campbell has been feeling lately.

Pink hearts, purple moons and lucky clovers!

Since Scott Brison decided he was going to switch to the Liberal party (ostensibly because he thinks that Paul Martin is “The Right Guy For The Job”™, I thought I’d do a little digging into where he’s coming from. Interesting things popping up all over the place.

Here we go:

Auditor General Sheila Fraser recently exposed some of the financial manoeuvres that the Liberal government has been undertaking…Imagine, this Liberal government misleading Canada!…when the government says that it has reduced the debt by so many dollars, this is not exactly the case, because really it’s money from the EI account that is being applied to a different account.”
- November 18, 2002

Scott Brison, the Tory finance critic, agreed. “That is clearly the appearance and, you know, perception is reality. I think this is another example of Paul Martin suffering from an internal conflict of interest between his role as finance minister and his role as Liberal leadership candidate,” Brison said in an interview. “This fails any reasonable ethics test.”
- April 7, 2002

And in a shot a Liberal heir apparent Paul Martin, but perhaps MacKay as well, Brison scorned politicians who “avoid risk and try to avoid saying something that somebody, somewhere might disagree with some part of.”
- January 29, 2003

But really folks - really - this one takes the cake. This is the most precious thing this man has ever said.

“The Minister [Paul Martin] is obviously afraid of Parliament,” said Mr. Brison. “He continually demonstrates this lack of respect for, and in fact, a contempt for Parliament.
“He is hoping to detract and reduce levels of debate around the budget.”
- December 6, 2001

I wonder how Mr. Martin feels about being called “in contempt of Parliament” today? Perhaps he and Mr. Radwanksi could double date?

I’m just so darned cute

Well, the Alliance has voted in favour of a merger with the Tories set to do so tomorrow. It’s a big day.

The picture is me - taken in 1973. Wish I still had that shirt.

Maybe it actually is the Reform Party?

Ha ha. That’s funny.

Gilles Duceppe has called Bloc Quebecois MP Robert Lanctot an “opportunist” for switching sides and joining the governing Liberals.

So what - exactly - would you call the leader of a party that is - by its very definition - a regional protest party participaing in the national government of a country which it is, by definition, bent on destroying.

(And no, the answer is not “The Reform Party”)!

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