Page 6 FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2019
IndependentEditorial
INDEPENDENT EDITORIAL
From tears to cheers for MacLeod
Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod has literally gone from the Ministry of Tears to the Ministry of Cheers. That’s the way she is reacting to the recent cabinet shuffle in the Ford Government. The media in Ottawa immediately and unfairly jumped all over MacLeod, headlining her shift in portfolio as a demotion. From talking to other MPPs in Eastern Ontario, MacLeod had far too much on her plate and was spread to thin. We see the shuffle as an opportunity to spread out some of her workload. In June, 2018, MacLeod was named Minister of Community and Social Services, which also included the portfolios of women’s issues, immigration and anti-racism. Earlier this month, it was announced that MacLeod would be changing roles, and has now been named Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. It’s a portfolio she wanted, and it is one she is thrilled to have. “I’m excited to be appointed to the important role of Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport,” MacLeod said in a twitter post shortly after the news broke. “After all, I come from a city of festivals! I especially look forward to raising awareness of Rowan’s Law and presenting Citizenship Awards.” Speaking to reporters at Queens Park shortly after the cabinet shuffle, Ontario Premier Doug Ford praised MacLeod for the work she accomplished under the community and social services portfolio during the Conservatives first year in office. During her time as Minister of Community and Social Services, MacLeod was tasked with some controversial challenges including the autism portfolio. She faced countless protests and even faced threats. MacLeod had to be protected by Ontario Provincial Police for a short period of time. The woman in question for uttering many of the threats has been charged, and is currently in the provincial court system. Still, MacLeod says she’s proud of the work she was able to accomplish throughout the past year, and says she will continue to advocate for women and girls. “Over the past year, I’ve heard from those with lived experiences about how we can best support our province’s children,” she said. “We’re beginning consultations on child welfare, we’re enhancing the Ontario Autism Program and I’ve been proud to stand with LGBT2SQ children and youth.” Those were statements the Premier echoed, saying that the autism portfolio remains a high priority. “I’ve always said autism isn’t the largest file, but it’s the most sensitive and I’m very passionate about it,” he said. “We are going to make sure that we continue on with a great plan that Lisa put in place. We have a committee of over 20 experts now, and I look forward to making sure that we support the parents of children with autism.” Regardless of how we think MacLeod did with her old portfolio, she will shine in her new role. BARRHAVEN
P.O. Box 567 Manotick, Ontario Tel: 613-692-6000 www.barrhavenindependent.ca
The Barrhaven Independent is published by Manotick Messenger Inc. biweekly at P.O. Box 567 in Manotick, Ontario. The Barrhaven Independent is not responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or other material used for publication purposes. Letters will be edited for length, clarity and libellous statements. Display, National and Classified rates are available on request.
Publisher: Jeff Morris Managing Editor: Jeff Morris Advertising and Marketing: Gary Coulombe Photographer: Mike Carroccetto
Phone: 613-692-6000 email: Advertising: advert@bellnet.ca Editor: newsfile@bellnet.ca News/sports: newsfile@bellnet.ca mike.carroccetto@gmail.com
DEADLINE FOR ALL ADVERTISING IS FRIDAY AT 4PM All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by employees of Manotick Messenger Inc. are protected by copyright invested in the publishers of the Barrhaven Independent.
BARRHAVEN INDEPENDENT
A great Canadian toast for Canada Day
Is it just me, or is Canada Day just getting to be bigger and better and more important to everyone as each and every year goes by? Our national pride is growing by leaps and bounds. Right now, as we are still hung over from the celebration of the Toronto Raptors’ championship, it’s at an all time high. Let’s face it. How many Canadians who had never given a flying rat’s arse about basketball for their entire lives were suddenly cheering, drinking, having parties, screaming at the TV when Kyle Lowry is called for a block when it was clearly a charge, and planning to name their next child Kawhi? For me, being Canadian really hit me when I celebrated my first Canada Day living in the U.S. I worked as a brand manager for Pinnacle in Dallas. It was the first Canada Day I celebrated as a U.S. resident, and it made me very aware of why I loved Canada so much. Yes, I loved America, and I loved living and working there, but being Canadian was something that was special. Have you ever thought about the things that we love about being Canadian the most? There are the predictable answers people will give. We’re politer than Americans. I don’t really believe that. Everyone admires Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump is a dangerous idiot. Well, Justin Trudeau has done some idiotic things, too, but at least he’s not dangerous. We have better gun controls than the U.S., and we have lower homicide and incarceration rates than the U.S. We can smoke weed legally and most Americans can’t. Canada allowed and recognized gay marriages when the United States did not. Do you see a pattern here? Discussions of what defines us Canadians are always immediate comparisons to Americans and the United States. I remember falling into that trap when I worked at Pinnacle. Tony Kreich, a good friend and coworker who grew up in San Diego, was chirping me one day about being Canadian. By the way, because so many of us grew up plying hockey and living in a hockey culture, Canadians can chirp with anyone. I was on the phone with Tony, who had dialed my extension. “What have Canadians ever done, anyway?” I gave the answer true Canadian would. “Un, your speaking to me on a phone. The telephone was invested by Alexander Graham Bell, a Canadian.” Tony gave a typical American response. “Oh, big deal. We would have thought of it about 10 minutes later, so who cares?” Since then, I have always thought about cool things about Canada and Canadians – far beyond we have universal health care. It helped me every time I had to act as tour guide when our marketing team came up to Canada for a trade show.
As soon as I would get our rental car, and then explain to everyone how we buy gas per litre and that the speed limit is in kilometres, I would head to Tim Hortons. Greg, who was my boss in Dallas, loved the kilometre discussion. “That was like the best practical joke we ever played on Canada,” he would say, laughing. “Yeah, sure, we’ll switch to the metric system. You guys FROM THE go first and then we’ll follow right behind.” I actually think that’s how it went down. Back then, however, Tim Hortons sold the best by Jeff Morris Nanaimo Bars in Canada. All it took was a Nanaimo Bar, a Coffee Crisp, an Aero bar and a box of Smarties to make them fall in love with Canada. And they hadn’t even tried the ketchup chips or poutine yet. I couldn’t help but be really Canadian and feed them some typical Canadian BS just to yank their chains. “I would take you to Niagara Falls, but they haven’t turned the falls back on yet,” I told them in a March trip. “The falls are still frozen over and shut down for the winter.” And then on the way from Toronto to Montreal, we passed the giant apple on the 401 near Trenton. “This is actually the birthplace of the world’s first apple,” I told them. “The seeds for the tree were developed by a Canadian scientist named Hank Apple.” And they were mesmerized by our coloured money. “The $10 bill is my favourite,” I would tell them. “Gene Wilder is one of the most famous Canadians of all time, so that’s why he’s on the $10 bill.” Gene Wilder is actually from Milwaukee, but to a carload of Texans, Milwaukee was ‘darn near in Canada anyway.’ I told them how 80 per cent of the world’s polar bear population was in Canada. Yet, one of the guys on our team went on to work for Canada Dry’s marketing department in the US. Soon after that, Canada Dry came out with a commercial with penguins lined up on a snowy hill at a Canada Dry ginger ale vending machine. I lost it all over him. “Didn’t you learn anything from me? Penguins are at the South Pole! Canada has the North Pole! Aieee.” On our way back to Texas, I asked my friend Bryan what he liked best about Canada. “The toast,” he said immediately. “Y’all had the best toast I have ever had. If a Canadian restaurant ever opens up in Dallas, I will be the first one in line for the toast.” And he didn’t even vote for Trump. Happy Canada Day!
OTHER SIDE
Letters to the Editor welcome – email to newsfile@bellnet.ca