I’ve been watching the reports out of Quebec about the family that parents allegedly formed a suicide pact after killing their three children. While the husband died, the wife survived and is now charged with three counts of murder and one of assisted suicide.

Having experienced depression myself, I can understand someone reaching their breaking point. I have to stop short of understanding what drives a person not to have enough of the will to survive to reach for help but it is not impossible to understand that depth of depression.

Try as I might, I just don’t understand is what drives a person(s) to murder their children before taking themselves out. A good friend of mine maintains that suicide is the ultimate act of selfishness but I’m inclined to think that the murder of children and/or spouse first has to top suicide as the ultimate in selfishness. I realize that some might see that as ‘sparing’ them the pain of carrying on but the reality is, it is bloody selfish to deprive others of a life because you can’t handle yours. Read the rest of this entry »

The province of Ontario has moved to ban smoking in cars where children under the age of 16 are present. I have one word for that, FINALLY!!

I banned smoking in my vehicle the day I started driving my first one back when I was 16. I grew up in a home where both parents smoked. My mother wasn’t a very heavy smoker, in fact, I was a teenager before I knew she smoked. Had I paid closer attention, I should have wondered why my father smoked both regular and menthol cigarettes. Read the rest of this entry »

In 2004 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled against Enbridge Gas in a class action suit brought against them over their excessive (and illegal) application of late fees on customers accounts. Enbridge agreed to pay $22million as a settlement after the ruling. Now that seems like the appropriate and responsible move. They likely collected a lot more than that before they were challenged but at least they had to surrender some of that cost.

Now you’d think that would be the end of it, lesson learned, they (and other over charging utilities) would adjust their late fees and get on with life. The shareholders would have to eat some dividends and life would go on. No, that wasn’t the end of the story. Read the rest of this entry »

Waste Diversion Ontario has come up with a plan that should see electronic waste diverted from landfills and into recycling programs. The plan comes with an estimated cost of about $62million which is expected to be financed through fees consumers would pay at the time of purchasing their electronics.

Fees are also being suggested to fund the disposal of old vehicles tires. Although many retailers have been charging $5 / tire for disposal for many years now. Which begs the question, if the government hasn’t been collecting that $5 / tire, who has? If the government does actually impose a disposal fee for tires will retailers then be stopped from collecting the current fee in addition? Read the rest of this entry »

In a move by Harper that appears to be a step toward actually forming a working relationship with the province of Ontario, money previously promised was released to the province by Harper. The $709million is to be used to boost public transit, hire more police and help workers in industries hit by the high dollar. The timing and the language used in the move seems to indicate that maybe Flaherty has been, at least for now, reigned in from his pugnacious attacks on the province and its elected government.

In a statement, Harper echoed that new feel-good tone, which contrasted with Flaherty’s claims that McGuinty is overtaxing Ontario into an economic slowdown.

“I want to congratulate Premier McGuinty and his government for developing programs that will use these federal funds to strengthen the Ontario economy, improve public safety, and expand the public transit system,” Harper said. Read the rest of this entry »

I certainly hope that when the time comes that voters in Flaherty’s riding keep in mind his dumping on Ontario as the federal finance minister. I hope they remember his remarks, made nationally and internationally, that told businesses to stay away from Ontario. I know, in his little partisan mind he thinks he was telling Ontario their only good way to operate. Hate to break it to you Flaherty ol’ boy, just because your buddy Stephen appointed you to the post of finance minister doesn’t make you right.

You may sincerely believe what you espouse, that Ontario needs to lower their corporate tax rates, some economists agree with you although, not all to the extent you claim you are right. You seem to keep forgetting that the people of Ontario rejected you and your colleagues brand of fiscal management in 2003 and again in 2007. Course the rejection in 2007 had more to do with the talking head that beat you for leadership of the provincial Conservatives. Oh right, I almost forgot, your own party didn’t see you as fit to call the shots, so why should the elected government of Ontario? Read the rest of this entry »