Editorial
A4 A4 www.grandforksgazette.ca www.grandforksgazette.ca
iNSIGHT
Wednesday, Wednesday, February February 19, 19, 2014 2014 Grand Grand Forks Forks Gazette Gazette
your news view
Not to be missed
L
ife imitating art, and in turn, imitating art. The 2014 Travelling World Community Film Festival is a soul cleansing cinematic trip into a deeper consciousness of the human condition, a cup of compassion and a slice of awareness in confusing times. Hosted by the No Boundaries Film Club for the ninth year in a row at the Grand Forks Secondary School auditorium this weekend, Feb. 21-23, the festival is touted as an international social issues film festival. That may sound like a load of broccoli, but not only is the festival good for you and your soul, it does offer cinematic charm. In delivering on the intent to foster social change, the quality and pure entertainment value of the films do not suffer. With 17 films in all on the program over three days, the range and depth of the productions are designed to inspire and help build a global community vision, focused on conscious social change film and media. Like the meanings of the messages they deliver, the films are not intended to sell anything, but to give people a view of the world they might never have had before. And, for a $20 weekend pass, it’s a view you shouldn’t pass on.
Do not resist; go north and hide second opinion
YOUR THOUGHTS?
editor@grandforksgazette.ca
SUBMISSION GUIdElINES Submissions for community news can be dropped off at the newspaper between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, or emailed to editor@grandforksgazette.ca. Please ensure time sensitive material is sent in at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled event. Photos for the community pages can be taken by the charitable organization receiving the donation, though a Grand Forks Gazette photographer is available for individual contributions greater than $1,000 and corporate donations greater than $5,000. Submissions to the community pages will be published in as timely a manner as possible. Every effort will be made to ensure the publication of all contributions, as space allows. If you have questions, please call 442-2191.
FOllOW US:
Facebook at /grandforksgazette Twitter @Grandforksgazette online at www.grandforksgazette.ca
T
JIM HOlTZ
he rain that came last week to California may have averted the beginning of a mass exodus to Canada. According to Richmond writer Giles Slade in his 2013 book, American Exodus: Climate Change and the Coming Flight for Survival, the changing climate in North America will inevitably create such horrible droughts that Americans and Mexicans by the hundreds of thousands will swarm into Canada, and there is nothing we can do about it. Thank goodness Mother Nature has temporarily postponed the exodus. Of course, Slade’s book is only one of a number of warnings about
our neighbours to the south. Others have written that the need for water in California and elsewhere in the U.S. will create a reason for military invasion of Canada. Then there are those who say that increased gun violence, genetically modified food, class/race warfare, and/or fear of the zombie apocalypse will send Americans scurrying across our border, bringing with them all the Yankee propensities and characteristics that we love: celebrity worship, unlimited political campaign contributions and cheap cheese, among others. There would of course be a few benefits of such an invasion. Gullible foreign workers would no longer fall victim to vicious human traffickers. The Snakeheads and Coyotes who sell vulnerable men and women into virtual slavery would find themselves out of business.
American and Mexican workers already work for almost nothing and therefore there would be no need to smuggle in cheaper labour into Canada. A related benefit for all the free enterprise conservatives would be the validation of their most deeply held belief. That is: The free market system, if allowed to work without restraint, leads to massive increases in wealth. Not for everyone, of course, but for the most worthy, a group that is easy to identify since in modern society one’s degree of worthiness corresponds almost exactly with the degree of extravagance with which one displays one’s wealth. Slade’s solution for Canadians is not to resist, but to go north and hide. Find a place to move the family and leave the south to the invaders. In this he sounds like
HOW TO REACH US
THE FINE PRINT The The Gazette Gazette reserves reserves the the right right to to refuse refuse any any advertising. advertising. The The Gazette Gazette shall shall not not be be responsible responsible for for any any damage damage arising arising from from error error in in any any advertisement, advertisement, beyond beyond the the cost cost of of space space occupied occupied by by the the alleged alleged error. error. In In the the event event of of an an error, error, that that portion portion of of the the advertising advertising space space occupied occupied by by the the erroneous erroneous item, item, together together with with reasonable reasonable allowance allowance for for signature, signature, will will not not be be charged charged for for and and shall shall be be printed printed once once – – the the advertiser advertiser should should alert alert The The Gazette Gazette of of the the error error as as quickly quickly as as possible. possible. Should Should the the balance balance of of the the advertisement advertisement be be reprinted, reprinted, at at the the discretion discretion of of the the customer, customer, the the balance balance shall shall be be paid paid for for at at the the applicable applicable rate. rate. Where Where errors errors occur, occur, The The Gazette Gazette or or its its advertisers advertisers shall shall not not be be liable. liable. Advertising Advertising constitutes constitutes an an offer offer to to sell sell which which may may be be withwithdrawn drawn at at any any time. time.
many U.S. politicians in the 1840s who wanted to annex almost all of what is now B.C to the United States under the concept of Manifest Destiny. “Fifty-four forty or fight!” was their cry, meaning that they wanted everything south of the 54° 40’ parallel or roughly Burns Lake. Lucky for us, the British didn’t give in. My neighbours homesteaded in Burns Lake 25 years ago; they tell me it’s nicer here. A better solution would be to build an eight-lane super highway from Washington to Alaska with government subsidized fast food outlets every 10 miles and no exits until it reached Fairbanks. Pay Oprah’s network and Entertainment Tonight to advertise it, and, voilá, the invasion of Canada instantly becomes Sarah Palin’s problem. Jim Holtz is a Boundarybased writer.
Published Published every every Wednesday Wednesday
7330 7330 Second Second Street, Street, P.O. P.O. Box Box 700, 700, Grand Grand Forks, Forks, B.C. B.C. V0H V0H 1H0 1H0 Canada Canada Post Post Agreement Agreement #40069240 #40069240
Circulation Circulation Coordinator: Coordinator: Darlainea Darlainea Redlack Redlack Production Production Manager: Manager: Della Della Mallette Mallette Production Production Tech: Tech: Dustin Dustin Lacroix Lacroix
Advertising Reporter: Editor: Advertising Reporter: Editor: Representative: Craig Timothy Representative: Craig Timothy Chris Lindsay Schafer Chris Hammett Hammett Lindsay Schafer All rights reserved. Contents copyright by The All rights reserved. Contents copyright by The Grand Grand Forks Forks Gazette. Gazette. Any Any reproduction reproduction of of material material contained contained in in this this publication publication in in whole whole or or in in part written consent consent of of the the publisher. publisher. part is is forbidden forbidden without without the the express express written
Publisher: Publisher: Chuck Chuck Bennett Bennett
MAin: 250-442-2191, 250-442-2191, FAX: FAX: 1-866-897-0678 1-866-897-0678 MAIN: eMAiL: EMAIL: Publisher Publisher publisher@grandforksgazette.ca publisher@grandforksgazette.ca Classified Classified Advertising Advertising classifieds@grandforksgazette.ca classifieds@grandforksgazette.ca Display Display Advertising Advertising advertising@grandforksgazette.ca advertising@grandforksgazette.ca editor Editor editor@grandforksgazette.ca editor@grandforksgazette.ca Circulation Circulation circulation@grandforksgazette.ca circulation@grandforksgazette.ca The The Grand Grand Forks Forks Gazette, Gazette, aa division division of of Black Black Press, Press, and and aa member member of: of: