Bradley Hit a Wall

Wall’s question during a Western Canadian & American meeting came in a direct address to President Obama.  The question that he made was which president within history has ever had Canada’s interest at heart.  My guess is that he would say Ronald Reagan.  Since he's had a particular fascination with the former President Reagan, whose relationship with Prime Minister Brian Mulroney was a particular source of pride.  In fact, some of Wall's closest political colleagues and advisers argue to this day that Reagan was America's greatest president because it was Reagan's emphasis on massive, debt-accumulating military spending that bankrupted the communist states and ended the biggest threat to the globe from potential nuclear war.  The theory is interesting and has some validity, but it ignores the fact that the threat to world peace didn't exactly end as predicted, and that debt-plagued Reaganomics has had serious implications for the American and global economies ever since.  For Canada and Saskatchewan, the outcome of Reaganomics included a recession that made our oil less profitable and increased U.S. protectionism in the 1980s that produced massive tariffs on softwood lumber exports, uranium, and potash.  It is with this perspective that we should explore a remark Wall made in Saskatoon on Monday about President Barack Obama at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region Summit.  People think in this country, perhaps they do, that the Obama administration is good for Canada... The facts say something else.  Clearly, the premier could and should have been wiser with his words to reporters, especially since his tone can so easily be interpreted as injecting a personal bias into the democratic affairs of Canada's biggest trading partner.  That said Wall’s slights hardly constitute an international etiquette.

There is no doubt that Wall was playing to his audience of right-wing American and Canadian political and business types at the conference held in Saskatoon.  His actual PNWER speech was considerably more diplomatic and made the point that a premier should make.  Yet I would surmise Ottawa, Canada's capital had Wall's phones and staff given a cordial Canadian kick in the behind.  There are trade irritants between our countries.  Canada-U.S. relations may not be the worst in decades.  A claim by former Mulroney chief-of-staff and Canadian ambassador to the U.S., Derek Burney, which even Wall disputed Monday.  However, it also would be nonsense to suggest, as current U.S. ambassador to Canada David Jacobson did, that relations have never been better.  Which they have but in the recent years, there has been more progress between Prime Minister Harper and President Obama.  Whether it's been trade challenges against the former Canadian Wheat Board, or the George W. Bush administration's mostly politically motivated response to the discovery of BSE in Canada, to the embarrassment of protectionist U.S. farm bills under every U.S. administration or those 1980s tariffs, Canadian politicians have spent decades struggling with protectionism by U.S. federal and state legislators.

The "Obama Protectionism" to which Wall refers seems more of the same.  In that vein, the premier acknowledged that the Keystone XL pipeline delays are likely a temporary condition related to U.S. election year politics.  This doesn't mean that Wall isn't legitimately frustrated by American environmentalists' misguided view of "Dirty Canadian Oil," or that Obama's “Buy American Rule” in the most recent U.S. stimulus package isn't unfair to Canadian suppliers.  However, is this something unexpected or unusual?  In addition, does it make Obama bad for Canada or worse than any other recent American president?  It's at this point that Wall's argument lacks any historical perspective.  Exactly what constitutes a good American president for Canada is unclear.  However, one would think it would involve a U.S. leader making the world more peaceful, allowing trade and avoiding the kind of protectionism that makes commerce more difficult.  Perhaps Obama's record is hit and misses on both fronts, but that puts him on par with most of his predecessors in the White House.  It certainly doesn't prove that the Obama’s administration is any worse for Canada than any other U.S. administration that Wall might find more appealing politically.  

Yet Brad Wall hardly handled it in a more diplomatic manner.  He came out intentionally as the word is that he will be running for the next Prime Minister of Canada.

 

Interview by James Gormley with Brad Wall attached in mp3

 

 

 

Attachment: Premier Wall joins John Gormley Live to talk PNWER.mp3

Question of the Day - Monday, April 25th, 2011

~ Question of the Day ~

Do you believe that Americas wealthiest handled there money in the same manner as Canadians?

Yes

 

 3

No

 

 5

Your Extended Comments

 

 4

There are differences as well as great similarity between Canada and the United States. Over the past week, there were several polls going on with fiscal matters and the relationship between the United States and Canada. I often find that there are comparable as well as there are differences. It's what we inherit within our countries.

Some shall laugh but I have often reinforced this by way of making mention that I was raised in America and the two countries which I consider as being home are within these two. Of recent online there were several questions which were asked on both American and Canadian sites. Predominantly those which were of a good quality and of the likes that gave for much to think about.

Hence I thought I would ask friends and friends of friends this one question as there are several sites which do have a Question of the day segment to them. This morning there was something that brought about this one thought or question. I shall retain your submission & once I feel that it's come to it's conclusion I shall then open up and show without names as to what were the answers and percentages within.

During the election which is going on up here I do appreciate your mention. It's not to create dissension - actually to the contrary. So I hope you don't mind if I do ask and request answer. I would hope that there is a good cross section of answers from people from United States of America, Canada and even democratic countries from abroad.This is not a political question it's a question which gives an idea on how people see things from their own corner of the world.  I truly assure this is not a big deal, it's leading into something.

I truly appreciate your participation especially to all those which are friends as well as others and I would appreciate if this stay within that realm of respect. I do hope you may afford me a moment of your time.

Hence, this Monday's - QUESTION OF THE DAY

 

Canada and U.S. Meeting of Today.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama declared today that they are working towards a 'new vision' for the Canadian American border that will boost trade between the two countries. One, which will create more jobs but their primary concern, was discussion on security on the border. I was amazed to learn that a predominant amount of the government within America and nearly all of the people, which reside in United States didn’t know that. Now that blew me away to be honest.

Canada is the number one foreign supplier of energy to the United States. Most think it's the Middle East yet Canada is the top supplier of natural gas, uranium, and potash and has the largest amount of natural resources within the World.

For some reason I have this feeling that many don’t know much about Canada yet they do know about there distant relatives but they really are not attune to what Canada is especially when you see that so many don’t realize what is provided between the two largest bilateral trading partners within the entire world. Did you know that Canada was the largest supplier of natural resources?

I have always had a keen thought on these two countries and where they are as well as where they are going too. I don’t see them as being competing countries I see them as to large countries – two not of a exact same kind but two that are side by side.

This Rex Murphy is a very intelligent person up here and I thought I would place a link to his commentary on the recent security reports claimed. I feel that these two countries make for the great team and are great neighbours, neighbors. Do I think much will change yes I think that there will be some more measures put into place with regards to terrorism as has and is always being done. So all in all these two countries do have so much in common but seemingly it's rather different when one right next to the other has no clue of the other. But that is just my thought. Yet many do on both side of the 49th.

http://www.cbc.ca/thenational/indepthanalysis/rexmurphy/story/2011/02/03/thenational-rexmurphy-020311.html

Each Day Teaches us Something

It was a great day today as went out garage to some garage sales and then with a friend we headed downtown to one of two major markets that take place on the weekend.  The morning was nice as it’s starting to get warmer. My friends went their way and I went my own. I met some very interesting people as within the market there are people that are from the city that are selling there jams, odds and ends, and then there are people that are from other countries that have the most interesting things that one can buy.

 

I was looking for a place to get a coffee and ended inviting me to sit down.  We talked about this city and where I was from.  Seems that is always the case – but we talked about what Edmonton is about and how it’s grown so rapidly over the past few years. As well we spoke on how the city does not really have a theme to it – but we both came to a agreement that an extensive undertaking of the city to do a major extension of the “LRT”, which is the subway here that only services a fraction of the inner city but is in the midst of a rapid expansion ongoing day and night to all areas – which would extend to the suburbs much like the one in NYC. It’s a very spread out city here and we both agreed that coupled with bring a new Arena downtown, which is something that would extend out to different things as Edmonton is a city that has always been considered secondary to Calgary.

 

Included within our discussion we talked about oil. You never hear about it, but right now this is the largest reserve of oil. Back in the 70’s in a briefing in the United States from a close relations (if I can place it that way), the province of Saskatchewan was seen as the largest reserve of Oil and one that was to be looked upon as a reserve that would be there as the timing was right during the oil crisis of the 70's.  Somehow the governments or the people in power put a halt to it and continued to be the largest purchaser of Oil from Suadi Arabia. I don't know why any country would wish to pay the prices while there are reserves that could be much less costly.

 

Alberta has always been and up and down economy based on oil, but where the greatest amount of oil sits is in a province side by side to Alberta. Literally.

Right now Saskatchewan has diamond mines, potash, and it’s just going into drilling in a manner that has not been seen before. I guess that is why it’s the fastest growing place in Canada right now.

 

So often I will periodically watch the news – in particular CNN. And they will speak on so many areas with regards to oil and where they are finding it but the largest commodity is right here and you would think when a nation wishes to become less reliant to the Saudi’s for oil, they would actually mention Canada. For some reason they don’t perhaps Lou Dobbs has his own agenda aside of reporting. But the fact of the matter is that all the oil companies are here from Canada, United States, and China.  Now I know we have to conserve – but when it comes down to it. We don’t really do we?  The only city where I ever did see a majority of people commute was in NYC.

 

Lived in United States nearly as much as in Canada, and if I can mention my own say it would be that Canada is a country that for some reason America does not wish to pay to much attention towards. It seems that the attention is all on the areas that are problematic rather than areas that have resolves. We do live in an economy where we are paying gas at prices that we have never seen before in our life. And it’s not going to go back. Nor are windmills going to resolve this problem. We are a society that has thrived on oil since so far back in time by way of inventors such as Henry Ford, Sigismund Leoni. And we are not like the Europeans where they are less reliant cars, and commute by way of an infrastructure of long standing subways, and will ride bikes more so than we will here.

 

Within 10 years I promise you that oil will be the largest commodity that Canada exports. Trade is a good thing.  Some see it to the contrary but perhaps it’s due to what they don’t know. Or do, but just don’t wish to mention much about it.  Why that is, I don’t know – perhaps they really don’t know.

 

All in all, I don’t think the gentleman’s dog cared much. His name was "Big" and all he cared about was just simple things. However even Big wants to be warm and is reliant to some extent on oil as well. The even dogs of today are different to those of 40 some years ago. I guess we all are spoiled in some way. : )

 

 

Something to think about. Meanwhile it was time for our conversation to end as "Big" had a special errand to make.

Christmas at the Legislation Building

Roll of Honour to those that offered service in World War II. These were people from Alberta that were not in the miltary but offered their professions to aid and support the WWII effort.
I think the date says something to any historians.

The Legislature Building

On March 15, 1906, Alberta’s First Legislature opened its First Session. There was no Legislature Building for members to meet in, so the opening ceremonies were held at Edmonton’s Thistle Roller and Ice Rink just north of Jasper Avenue, after which the Assembly moved to nearby McKay Avenue school.
In these modest surroundings, the members dealt with the first item of business for the new province: deciding on a capital city. Because Edmonton was the centre of Alberta’s newly booming agricultural sector and a Liberal stronghold, it won the honour.
Choosing a site for the building was easy. The high-cliffed bank of the North Saskatchewan River was both physically commanding and historically significant. Here was the site of Fort Edmonton, a major fur trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company, around which the settlement of Edmonton had developed. ~ Beaux Arts Style ~

Alberta’s Legislature Building was designed by provincial architect Allan Merrick Jeffers, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States. He was probably influenced by the state capitol building there, which was in the popular Beaux Arts style. This style is evident in the design of our Legislature Building: the T-shaped floor plan; the building’s entrance, or portico, supported by massive columns; the dome rising above a spacious rotunda.

Materials suitable for the building’s lofty design were shipped to Edmonton: granite from Vancouver Island for the exterior of the first storey, Paskapoo sandstone from the Glenbow quarry near Calgary and sandstone from Ohio for the remaining four storeys, and marble for the interior.
Construction began in 1907, and in September 1912 the Duke of Connaught, Canada’s Governor General, declared the Legislature Building officially open. The interior’s grandeur was obvious from the moment the front doors first opened. The main entrance leads directly into the rotunda, which is encircled by marble columns. Its walls rise from the main floor to the vaulted dome, a distance of 55 metres (180 feet). The rotunda connects the east and west wings of the main floor to the great marble staircase that leads to the Assembly Chamber. The Chamber has its own dome and is lit by stained-glass skylights and about 600 light bulbs.

The Legislature Building has undergone many changes since its 1912 opening. Richard Blakey, provincial architect until 1923, added the dome-within-a-dome you see when you look up from the rotunda. In 1932 palm seeds, a gift from the state of California, were planted in pots in the gallery ringing the interior dome; these are now five large trees peering down at the rotunda's fountain. The fountain itself has come and gone more than once. The first fountain was constructed in 1939 and removed shortly thereafter, while the present one was built in 1959 to commemorate the first official visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The mahogany panels that grace the walls of the Chamber were added in 1987, as was an elegant pale green carpet and new gallery seating.

The building also houses images of our history and political traditions. Inside the rotunda are two bronze statues, one of Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, after whom the province is named, and one of Chief Crowfoot, a Blackfoot Indian leader whose policy of co-operation led to the peaceful settlement of Alberta. Portraits of Premiers and Lieutenant Governors adorn the walls of the third floor, and you can view portraits of Alberta’s Speakers one floor above. Decorative hardwood carvings include coats of arms above the main entrance to the Chamber, above the Speaker’s Chair in the Chamber, and in the Carillon Room on the fifth floor. The building also contains the offices of the Premier, the cabinet and other government members, the Speaker, and the Lieutenant Governor.
Aside of this there are things that have been imported from Virginia from back in history as well the palm trees that are in the very top of the "dome" of the building come from Latin America.