Political Musings

No! to the “Golden Shield” scheme

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Did we hear about this on July 15? There certainly was no hullabaloo in the media about it. That was nearly a month ago. We can’t let this decision pass unnoticed!

Fellow Canadians, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment.

The Liberal government has informed the United States that it has resolved its internal issues regarding the signing of Donald Trump’s “Golden Shield” missile initiative.

This message was delivered on July 15 in Colorado, when Defence Minister David McGuinty told U.S. General Gregory Guillot, his American counterpart, that Carney had “removed all restrictions on air and missile defence of Canada.”

This is way bigger than Carney caving on the Digital Sales Tax. Or his musings about cancelling the Online News Act that has pissed off Facebook. Or even dialling back the counter tariffs imposed by former Prime Minister Trudeau.

This move sends the ultimate signal of weakness and represents a serious repudiation of Canada’s longstanding position on airborne missile defence.

This cannot be allowed to stand. [Charlie Angus: Charlie Angus / The Resistance
A Message to Mark Carney: Shut Down the Golden Shield Scheme Now]

Seems to me this move deserves attention. I can’t imagine a majority of Canadians would be OK with this:

Since the threat to our nation began, Canadians have shown an unprecedented level of solidarity. The PM has been given a strong mandate because Canadians are determined to hold the line.

He will seriously undermine this support if he thinks he can placate Trump on something as fundamental as the sovereignty of Canadian airspace.

The blowback will be intense.

My advice to the Prime Minister: Not a single dime, Mark. Not a single dime. You asked for a mandate to defend us with your Elbows Up. We gave you that. But do not think you can placate the gangster.

My message to my fellow Canadians: Let’s shut this idiocy down before it gains any more traction. The PM needs to hear from you.

I urge you to use your voice. Tell him that he does not have a mandate to go along with Trump’s missile control of our skies.

Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2
mailto:mark.carney@parl.gc.ca
Fax: 613-941-6900

It’s time to write to Carney letting him know he doesn’t have my support on this move to placate trump!

Here’s my letter:

Mr. Carney,

It seems I missed the announcement that on July 15 Defense Minister David McGuinty informed US General Gregory Guillot you had “removed all restrictions on air and missile defence of Canada.”

I was more than a little uncomfortable when you caved on the Digital Sales Tax – I understood you were trying to create conditions that might lead to a favourable trump tariff pullback, but that move was pointless – no reduction in tariffs, no new trade deal by whatever moving deadline trump’s whim broadcasted. (It also doesn’t look as if Canada can look forward to a reasonable renegotiation of UMSCA / NAFTA if trump’s and your comments are anything to judge by.)

I kept quiet, giving you the benefit of the doubt on having inside information I wasn’t privy to that influenced your decision. Seems I was wrong. You, and Canadians, got taken for a ride on that one. Par for the course with trump! You must know by now trump lies – he’s a manipulator – his word is worthless.

Now I learn about the removing of restrictions on air and missile defence of Canada. Sorry, but you didn’t make such a move on my behalf. I don’t support giving trump and his minions unlimited drone, satellite and plane access to fly over Canadian sovereign territory – that move is folly. You can’t seriously believe the American forces would be engaged in such activity to protect us!

Right now, the US is our biggest threat!

Instead of spending billions to pay for trump’s Golden Shield scheme, we should be taking lessons from the Ukrainians – building our own drone factories, strengthening our own mobile defence systems, increasing production of ammunition and other supplies for ourselves and to help supply Ukraine (against both Putin and trump).

I hope your “decision” was a Canadian ploy (comparable to the UK, Japan, and the EU) promising a big deal but having no intention of spending a single nickel (we no longer have Canadian pennies) on the project. But if that was the case, you’d better wink in our direction, letting us Canadians in on the game.

Are you hearing us? We will support you when you stand up to trump. But know we are ready to push back when you try to placate that wannabe dictator.

We Canadians are determined to stand strong against trump! Whether that means sustaining, even intensifying, the boycott on US agricultural and manufactured goods, refusing to travel to the US, refusing to become the 51st state. It definitely means not giving in to bullying regarding trump’s fantastical “Golden Shield” scheme.

Just sharing my thoughts with you before I take to the street with my sign:

Shut Down The Idiocy!
No US Drones over Canada!

Sincerely
Judith Newman

Sign the No Golden Shield petition to show your concern.

Silence Is Not An Option

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I’m trying to get a feel for how I can best participate in our current political world. I’m an outsider to the US mess. I keep an eye on the war in Ukraine, on the horrific destruction in Gaza, watchful of China’s moves on Taiwan and the suppression of liberty in Hong Kong. There’s chaos everywhere.

It takes me back to a Kingston Trio song from the early 60s:

Details different, situation the same (SNAFU)!

I realized recently I can no longer fight on the palisades; but I’m still good at reading stuff from all over the map and building a bigger picture. That’s what I’m finding myself doing at the moment.

Today, I’ll share a few things I’ve read you might find helpful / interesting, too.

Alex Himelfarb’s recent contribution to Pledge For Canada is a must-read, I think. He’s explaining the historical connections we have as a federation and the role taxes play in keeping a nation together. He ends with:

To build a more resilient, less dependent – democratic – Canada, we will need to rebuild our collective toolkit, find a new solidarity across our differences, and rediscover the common good. We will need government strong enough to harness the market and democracy strong enough to harness government. 

What We Owe Each Other describes Canada’s equalization policy and how it operates. It’s a good refresher for all of us, including Albertans. There’s also this tidbit that clarifies provincial contribution to the national economy (in case you think Alberta contributes the most – it doesn’t).

Corey Hogan has written a useful piece about three myths underpinning the Alberta separation movement: Three Alberta Separation Myths.

The next several months could be a dangerous time for Alberta. It does not take a majority of Albertans voting to separate to severely damage our home – serious talk alone will be sufficient.

Consider the example of Quebec in the 1970s: companies moved from Montreal to Toronto to escape political uncertainty. This was despite the fact that corporate taxes were lower in Quebec than Ontario at that time.

Putting so much political risk into the equation will more than undo any other Alberta Advantage we create. It’s incumbent on all of us to tread carefully. Now is a time for cool heads and facts.

There are also the Treaties which govern much of the land in Alberta! It could be argued most of the province is controlled by those treaties and the First Nations Peoples will determines what happens there. (Tried tracking down the source, unsuccessful.)

One other quick link to “The Truth About 51st State Supporters“:

when a Canadian proudly declares they support Trump over any Canadian leader, what they’re really saying is:

✔️ They would rather see this country controlled by a foreign dictator than governed by Canadians.

✔️ They support the rise of authoritarianism over the principles of democracy.

✔️ They would rather burn this country to the ground than see a government they don’t like in power.

That’s not patriotism. That’s treasonous thinking.

I’ll end today with an incredibly moving piece by Victor Kravchuk – a “Ukrainian living through war”.

Let me ask you something:

If tomorrow you woke up and your country was being erased, not just by missiles, but by hate. If you saw strangers online spreading that your story no longer mattered, that your pain was inconvenient, that your survival was a political annoyance…

Wouldn’t you want someone to write you back?

Wouldn’t you want someone, somewhere, to care enough to keep your voice alive?

That’s why I’m still here. 

And that’s why you, reading this right now, are part of something I’ll never be able to measure.

Gotta step away from my computer and get on with life.

It’s a gorgeous warm, sunny day here in NS. Dandelions everywhere. Magnolias and azaleas in bloom. You can see the leaves growing on a day like this.

I have to head out for a walk – to feel connected to it all.

Resisting at 82… Realizing I’m too old to march!

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Ramona Grigg (an elderly American woman – my age) raised some important questions today for people enraged by the trump regime’s clear efforts to install a dictatorship in the US. 

If Speaking Truth to Power is Heroism in America, We’re in More Trouble Than We Know.

If it’s becoming brave to demand our constitutional rights, the need for resistance is NOW.

RAMONA GRIGG

MAY 09, 2025

Toward the end she says:

I’m not going to end this by attempting to come up with solutions, … other than to stress the ‘keep on fighting’ part. How we fight works on a day-to-day, minute-by-minute judgement call: what does this fresh hell require of me?

This right here is what I’m doing. It’s what I have the energy and the skills for. Praise you for what you’re doing! Whatever it is, it’s better than doing nothing. And maybe together we’re building a force formidable enough to make a difference.

“It’s what I have the energy and the skills for….” that jumped out at me.

It struck home and I felt compelled to message her:

Hey Ramona, keep up the “Shouting”! I realized recently that my days to actively participate in a physical protest at the US consulate in Halifax, or our city hall square, or on our waterfront are over! I no longer have the physical stamina to find a spot to park my car, walk to the protest with my sign, and stand around for even so much as an hour! I just can’t do it. No pretending any more. I think that’s part of what’s been immobilizing me – keeping me from being able to sew anything, to create anything. But, like you, I can still write coherently. Which I’m doing even though my audience is small and shows no signs of growing larger! Oh, well. I do what I can. Keep doing what you can, girl!

I’m frustrated by my declining physical capacity! I have no trouble getting around the grocery store, walking from my car to the change room at the pool three mornings a week, being physically active enough to do all the stuff I do in a day, in a week. What I can’t do any more is any extended walking – my knees and back have become cranky and push back when I overextend myself. I have to accept I’m not going to be able to participate in whatever the next protest is, or even the energy to instigate and organize one.

I wish I had a magic wand that would make my writing / shouting visible. I wish I knew what it would take to get a gazillion subscribers to read and converse with what I’m thinking. I have to accept there’s no reason to be noticed. I’m not some well known TV personality who’s jumped over to Substack and found an instant following. Not a well known academic or writer, or political figure who’s already attracted attention. Just carrying on, putting what I’m thinking out there when I have something to say.

I also know shouting publicly makes it likely I would be stopped at the US border where I to attempt a visit the US. Good thing that’s not on my agenda any time soon.

That brings me to Rachael Gilmour’s video today.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-163223839

I watch Rachel Gilmour’s commentary, but I don’t as a rule pass it on. This one is a doozy! She’s calling out the CPC for an email they sent out using serious falsehoods about the three automatic recounts happening from the election (because the results were very close) calling them “rigging” from Liberals!

This looks like how PP’s “cooperation” on a united Canada is going to play out. More stupid lying and confrontation. Too bad.

Please check out what Gilmore has to say – she’s right about how recounts happen in a Canadian election! Nothing to do with the party, directly. All overseen by a judge. Thank goodness there are actual paper ballots to recount!

And this is my today’s contribution to the Resistance conversation!

A Warning From Charlie Angus

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Charlie Angus sounded an alarm this morning – those of us who voted for an independent, more self-sufficient Canada need to heed it.

I know what you were thinking: the election is over, Canada will negotiate a new deal with Trump, and life will return to normal.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s not how it’s going to play out.

In a world of gangster leaders like Trump and Putin, Canada’s repudiation of the MAGA march just won’t stand. The authoritarian, anti-democratic “project” has been years in the making. It’s been driven by the likes of Bannon and Hungary’s Victor Orban — and they aren’t going to let Canada stand tall as a model of liberal democracy.

The online platforms are already gearing up with BOT farms disrupting online conversations. It’s all about undermining both Carney and Canada.

He goes on:

On the domestic front, there is no way the Conservatives will give Carney the grace period needed to build trust with the public. The Maple MAGA machine will do everything it can to undermine Carney. 

Just watch.

He ends with:

In the MAGA world it is unacceptable that Canada is seen as a symbol of the resilience of liberal democracy.

In the coming months, it will not just be the new Prime Minister who is put to the test. Canada, our shared values and nationhood, will be tested as well.

I know we will rise to the challenge, but only if we can identify the toxic playbook being used by Maple MAGA and the far right.

Here’s my reply when I restacked his message:

Thanks Charlie for sounding the alarm. I think I’d have come to the realization myself eventually, but better I should get here sooner.

I believe we need the resistance you’re building right now more than ever. We Canadians need to keep pushing back against Maple MAGA, trump MAGA, and Russian efforts to bring Canada to heel.

We need to keep those protests going – both to support American efforts to resist trump, but also to make complacent Canadians aware of the bumpy future we also face – not from our Liberal government, so much, as from Poilievre and Conservative efforts.

What Canada needs at the moment is a strong collaboration of politicians and citizens to work through the problems we face. I was hoping PP losing his seat might send a message that Canada needs a different approach from him. I wasn’t hopeful he could actually bring that; I was pretty sure he had but one song. But I was holding my breath allowing him the possibility of actually putting Canada first.

I can see from your piece, my hope is naive. You’re right. The attacks have already started. We need to build our resistance as quickly as possible so we can fight back in support of our independence, our autonomy.

We need to be alert for every opportunity to rally – at the moment it’s quiet out there. But as soon as the distractions and stonewalling start up (I suppose that will come with the opening of parliament), we better be ready with our signs. 

One of the things that’s made the protests in the US effective, particularly with regard to the deportations, has been the advance organizing done by community groups who have been in a position to jump into action as soon as someone in the community has been rounded up. People have predetermined what roles they would play, who would call the lawyers, who would bring out the signs, who would make calls, who would sent emails. Within hours, protests have arrived at the right places and they’ve been able to interfere with the disappearing of community members. We need similar advance planning. 

I haven’t found that group of friends who will march with me. I know, I just need to start by calling one or two people to plan for what’s coming….

The election is over. Now what?

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That’s David Suzuki’s headline from the piece linked below. 

Climate issues disappeared during our election. Building energy independence, self-sufficiency, expansion of pipelines were the “big” ideas. The costs of sustaining our reliance on fossil fuels were nowhere to be found. 

OK, so we understood the “enemy” we were fighting was US expansionism, Canadian annexation, trump’s threatening the destruction of our economy. Except for our determined Green Party, the other leaders were focused on the economic realities facing us. We accepted that.

But the election is over. Now what? 

We can’t lose sight of the overarching threat that ignoring climate issues presents us. We can’t forget about the economic and social costs of increasingly destructive heat domes, violent storms, wildfires, floods, droughts, migrating disease threats, habitat loss, and on and on. We can’t pretend these threats don’t matter – they impact everything else in our lives.

We need to keep discussion about these serious issues alive; we need to place them at the forefront of all decision-making going forward.

The tough conversation is, of course, what balance can we, must we, strike between sustained use of fossil fuels and changing over to clean energy resources. That conversation threatens Canadian unity! 

Both Alberta and Quebec claim they feel exploited/hard done by/undermined/ignored by the rest of the country. Alberta is threatening to vote for separation.

Nevertheless, we’ve got to find a way to talk about these tough issues in a civil manner. We’ve got to drop the bombast and hostility and name calling and threats in order to solve what are existential problems!

I am holding my breath, hoping this election has sent a message to our politicians about how they MUST conduct themselves! We’ve sent them to Ottawa to solve serious problems! They damn well better get to work and stop with the name calling and other stupidity we’ve seen for far too long! Our parliamentary system may be confrontational by design. Right now, I believe, all parties must cooperate to resolve the many grave issues we’re facing.

I suppose, in the global scheme of things, Canada’s contribution to climate change is relatively small, but that’s no reason for not putting climate issues at the centre of all our political decisions. There are a number of tipping points to be concerned about: the mass death of coral reefs, the abrupt thawing of the permafrost, collapse of the Greenland ice sheet, breakup of west Antarctic ice, sudden shift in the West African monsoon, loss of Amazon rainforest, shutdown of Atlantic currents. Any one of these impending scenarios could have catastrophic consequences for all life on earth.

The thawing of the permafrost is of particular concern to Canada since most of our north is frozen and increased thawing is causing major difficulties for northern communities (not to mention the release of astronomical amounts of methane into the atmosphere). But even more than that we are experiencing drought on the prairies, heat domes in the west, more severe storms affecting the Atlantic provinces, wildfires in many parts of the country, unexpected flooding following torrential rainfall everywhere – we’ve experienced all of these disaster events during the past decade. We should all be concerned. 

(From Suzuki’s piece this morning):

This election was in large part about countering threats from our neighbours to the south — neighbours we once thought we could rely on but who have turned against us in efforts to weaken our economy and come after our resources. Let’s hope our new government is up to the challenge. Part of that will be showing there are better ways.

During the election campaign, the fossil fuel industry and its political supporters used the tensions between the U.S. and Canada to argue for ramping up the industry — to build more pipelines and oil and gas infrastructure. The ostensible justification is that doing so will make Canada more energy independent. It’s a bogus argument, given that pipelines and oil and gas infrastructure don’t get built overnight.

If we truly wanted to become energy independent, we would focus on the most cost-effective and efficient energy: renewable energy from wind, solar, geothermal and energy storage. We need a clean-powered, connected electricity gridthat facilitates interprovincial transmission. That would give us independence not only from the U.S. but from the multinational oil companies that seek only to enrich their owners, executives and shareholders.

The election is over. Now what? 

Our election may be over, but our work is just beginning.

I agree!

Collaboration – NOT Confrontation!

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I just hung up from a long conversation with a good friend. A day has passed since the Canadian federal election. She wanted to know what my take was on the outcome. I’ve had a couple of days to think about that.

My first takeaway is that the Ottawa riding of Carleton said to Poiliever – no thank you. We saw the real you at the “freedom” convoy in Jan/Feb 2022! We remember; not fooled by your election persona. Poilievre lost his seat in Parliament.

The Conservatives didn’t win the most seats. While they gained 24 they fell short of any kind of win. Enough Canadians didn’t trust Poilievre to take the helm. Enough Canadians wanted nothing to do with his confrontational politics – his constantly blaming everybody else for what he called a failed Canada. Enough Canadians couldn’t imagine this one-song candidate as Prime Minister of the country. Enough Canadians sent a message to Poilievre and his Conservative party – we don’t like how you play this game.

You refuse to acknowledge the global climate crisis.
You are blind to our country’s need to find a path toward a fossil-fuel-free future. We need to build energy independence across Canada – using fossil fuels for now perhaps, but simultaneously and collectively we must build a cross country non-carbon energy network.
You don’t seem to understand that going forward any consideration of natural resource extraction/development will have to include Indigenous peoples in any decision-making.
You seem more than willing to jettison foreign aid as an extravagance, yet foreign aid builds friends and allies; helping less fortunate nations provide medical, agricultural, educational resources for their population benefits us, too.
You totally don’t get the important role the CBC plays in our cultural landscape – it can’t be defunded without great cost, particularly to our rural and northern communities.
You say nothing about supporting Ukraine – a beacon in the fight for national freedom from which Canada could learn a lot (we could easily be in the same position were trump to make good on his insistence that Canada become the 51st state!).
You tout “the biggest crackdown on crime” – but ignore the difficult circumstances that nurture criminal activity.
Your view of immigration is blind to the realities that force people to seek refuge from the political violence and climate driven changes where they live.

Fortunately, enough Canadians voted against this Canada.

Enough Canadians supported Carney for the Liberal Party to win the largest number of seats in Parliament – 169 (three short of a majority); but there was skepticism, too. There was enough support for him to become PM, but not enough for the Liberal Party to work unencumbered!

What I think the electorate has said to Parliament is,

“Hey folks! It’s time to collaborate!”

The economic, social and political threats to Canada are great.
We can’t afford the luxury of the constant negative harping about what the government is doing wrong now and in the past.
We’ve drawn a line and said “Work with one another!”

We all agree on the problems we face –
the economic challenges wrought by trump’s tariffs
his threat to our sovereignty
our housing shortage
pathways to a renewable energy future
our healthcare chaos
income inequalities
a balance in immigration
sustainable cities
a stronger federal/provincial working relationship…

We’ve said: “Work together to solve these and other problems.”

And do it as quickly as you possibly can – the future will be upon us before we realize it!



Substack!

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Over the last couple of months I’ve been sucked into that giant whirlpool called Substack. It began when trump first announced impending tariffs on Canada, ridiculing our Prime Minister (“governor”), and declaring Canada would become the 51st state. I couldn’t tear myself away from the train wreck happening in real time.

I found it impossible not to become glued to the “news’ and since the US media (both TV and print) have largely stopped covering and analyzing the “real” news (those institutions have fallen on their faces to accommodate trump) I turned to Substack – the independent writing platform that has drawn many wonderful, serious political writers. Many good Canadian writers have found a home on Substack, as well. I can’t pull myself away from their analyses of what’s going on.

I found myself reading and responding several times a day. I even contributed to the raging discourse. I realized my life has slowly been taken over by the pull of what is very good writing and opinions I feel compelled to respond to.

I have done almost no sewing/quilting/making for the past six weeks! (I have continued knitting most evenings.) I suppose you could say my “creative” energy has gone into writing, but I’m not sure there is anything creative in my commentary.

Let me share some writing I think has merit.

At the top of my list is Charlie Angus. I don’t know how he manages it, but every day there’s a new, interesting, piece about the reality Canada is facing.

His (trump’s) rhetoric towards Canada and his attacks on our national economy have intensified, and the consequences are very real.

What surprised trump is that Canadians don’t take kindly to being treated as the chump who gets thrown into the turnbuckle. We are fighting back hard, and trump didn’t see it coming

Angus has become a prominent cheerleader for Canadian sovereignty.

Next on my list is Timothy Snyder (currently at Yale University but moving to U of T soon).

Take today’s piece – excerpts from his book On Tyranny read by John Lithgow.

1. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.

Lithgow is a wonderful actor. His reading of Snyder’s text is powerful. These lessons are relevant for Canadians, too!

Then there’s John Pavlovitz – a former southern Baptist preacher who’s left the fold. What drew me to him was his rejection of what Christianity in the US has become for so many people. His “Dear Jesus, Do I really have to love my Enemies? is a wrenching plea to his god to help him understand his Christian responsibilities.

It was a lot easier to aspire to loving my enemies when they didn’t seem so close, so loud, and so prevalent; when I didn’t have so many daily reminders of just how much loving I’m now required to do.

I now have to love my enemy across the table at family gatherings.
I have to love my enemy on my dear friend’s social media profiles.
I have to love my enemy in my neighbor’s driveway.
I have to love my enemy in the carpool line.
I have to love my enemy at the gym who interrupts my workout with unsolicited opinions.
I have to love my enemy at restaurants who I can overhear in the booth next to me.
I have to love my enemy driving in front of me on the highway.
I have to love my enemy at my former church.
I have to love my enemy at my current church.

Loving my enemies now seems a lot more labor intensive and a lot more complicated than it used to. To be honest, when I see some of the things these people are saying, the hatred they’re perpetuating, and the damage they’re inflicting—I’m not that interested in loving them.

It’s the lists that grab me. As an avowed Jewish atheist I’m an outsider – I’m not party to his Christian angst, but his expression of that angst fascinates me and strengthens my atheist core.

I follow Elizabeth Rybak (A Letter From A Maritimer) – she lives in New Brunswick. I haven’t gone back to her earlier writing, but lately she’s offering an interesting perspective on Canada and the world.

There have always been more kind people than unkind people. There have always been more people who choose to help, who build things, who take care of others, and who work to heal and protect. More people who want to make the world better, safer, and fairer for everyone. And just as meanness and cruelty may spread from one person to another, kindness spreads too. A single act of kindness can set off a ripple that touches so many lives in ways you may never see. And kindness is more powerful than meanness because kindness creates, while cruelty only destroys. Every time you choose kindness, you add something good to the world.

Every single person matters. No matter how small, no matter how quiet, no matter where they come from, every person has something special to offer the world.

Heather Cox Richardson is an historian – her Letters from an American offers a very thoughtful analysis of the latest craziness of the trump regime.

…if we’re going to actually really effect real change in the country, it will require us completely replacing the existing ruling class with another ruling class…. I don’t think there’s sort of a compromise that we’re going to come with the people who currently actually control the country. Unless we overthrow them in some way, we’re going to keep losing.” “We really need to be really ruthless when it comes to the exercise of power,” he said….

Last month, journalist Gil Duran of The Nerd Reich noted that Curtis Yarvin, a thinker popular with the technological elite currently aligned with the religious extremists at Project 2025, laid out a plan in 2022 to gut the U.S. government and replace it with a dictatorship. This would be a “reboot” of the country, Yarvin wrote, and it would require a “full power start,” a reference to restarting a stalled starship by jumping to full power, which risks destroying the ship.

Sure looks like what’s going on!

I’ll end with Postcards From Canada. An idea of Alice Goldbloom – vignettes about Canadians and life in Canada to share with the larger world. Paula Halpern wrote:

I’m not a flag-waving patriot arrogantly declaring Canada to be the best of all countries on Earth. There is no such place. Perhaps it was former Member of Parliament Jack Layton who described this country best, without the hyperbole. In a farewell letter to Canadians just before he died, he wrote simply that “Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world.”

About sums it up.

I encourage you to dip your toes into Substack, but be careful, you can find yourself drowning.

Protest!

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There is a national protest happening in Canada this Monday, March 24!
https://truenorthhq.ca/events/

Halifax Poster (each city has its own)

About

True North HQ is a grassroots movement based in Canada, formed in response to the actions of the current U.S. administration.

The group started on social media in February 2025 and later grew when a few additional members met while gathering outside the US consulate in Toronto on March 4, 2025.  Realizing there was a lack of coordinated action, we decided to team up and fill the gap.

Our goal is to organize and promote events that unite people in peaceful, non-violent protest during this challenging time. We also aim to support others in promoting and organizing similar events in their own communities.

We are a collective of individuals and not affiliated with any political party or other organization.

Guiding Principles

Our movement stands as a unified expression of solidarity and hope, rooted in the shared values of equality, justice and fundamental human rights. As Canadians, we rise to affirm our role as global leaders and defenders of democracy, freedom and unity. 

Together, we transcend opposition and focus on supporting human rights across the globe. We gather not in anger, but in courage and commitment to a brighter and more equitable future. 

Guided by our shared principles, we stand against oppression and authoritarianism. In the face of challenges we remain steadfast in our vision; to be a beacon of unity, freedom and hope for all. 

For folks in the US – a protest is planned for April 5th!

https://handsoff2025.com

WHY WE’RE MOBILIZING

We are facing a national crisis. Our democracy, our livelihoods, and our rights are all on the line as Trump and Musk execute their illegal takeover.

  • They’re dismantling Social Security and Medicare—forcing seniors and disabled Americans to jump through hoops to access the benefits they’ve already paid into.
  • They’re handing trillions to billionaires—while forcing the rest of us to pay higher prices for food, rent, and healthcare.
  • They’re gutting protections for working people—so payday lenders, banks, and credit card companies can scam Americans with zero consequences.
  • They’re assaulting our communities and our rights—targeting veterans, kids, seniors, farmers, immigrants, transgender people, and political opponents.
  • They won’t stop there.

This is not just corruption. This is not just mismanagement. This is a hostile takeover.

So the RESISTANCE is mobilizing! 

We’re past the point where each person can turn away. We can’t just complain. We can’t say “We didn’t think he’d do THIS!”

The time is NOW to show you’re ready to fight back.

I’ve just spent the past hour scrolling through my Substack feed and posting a comment on every entry that had 1K or more viewers! My comment to Canadians:

March on March 24! With a link to the True North website!

My comment to US folks:

March on April 5! With a link to the Hands Off! website!

I will do that again tomorrow and maybe the day after. My role, I think is likely to be to inform people – to make sure people understand what’s at stake; who’s writing stuff we all should read and understand; where and how we can take action. 

Today: I’m letting you know about the national protests.

Tomorrow I’ll write my synopsis of where I think we are and what we can do about it. There are lots of terrific writers sharing their thoughts. I’ll link you to that information and that writing so you, too, understand what’s going on!

Welcome to the RESISTANCE – in Canada and in the US.

What’s At Stake

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Yesterday, an article in the New York Times by Matina Stevie-Gridneff lays out what’s been transpiring over the past two months. To see the extent of the “demands” and the timeline is informative. We all know bits and pieces of the bullying but this piece is a good synopsis; I recommend reading it! (A gift article)

Today is International Women’s Day! Women in Canada have an important role to play in this absurd war we’re engaged in. In a great many families it’s we women who decide how the bulk of our $$$ are spent. We’re in a position to impact the US economy in a significant way based on our purchasing power.

For example, yesterday, I automatically went to Amazon.ca to make a small purchase – I stopped myself. I am refusing to buy from Amazon! I dropped my Washington Post subscription when Bezos kissed trump’s ass. For the moment, I’m hanging on to my subscription to The Atlantic because the reporting/journalism in that publication has substance and refuses to kowtow to the administration. I’m on the fence regarding The New York Times – their opinion writers are still reporting with information that’s important for people to have, but a lot of the other stuff isn’t worth my time; they’re definitely not contributing to the resistance in a significant way.

I was looking for a couple of bras the other day – there are Canadian companies that source their manufacturing from other than the US (it’s pretty difficult finding ones that manage to produce goods in this country). And of course, I check country of origin when grocery shopping. My boycott list is still pretty short, but I know I’ll be adding companies to my “stay-away” list over the next months (maybe years) as I need to shop for other commodities.

Fabric – that’s in interesting category! I’ve been checking country of origin on the fabrics I’ve looked at, as well as whether they come directly to Canada bypassing the US completely. At my local shop, down the street, the fabrics are woven and printed in Asia and come directly into Vancouver (although it’s likely the cotton used is grown in the US). I don’t have to feel guilty making purchases there. Same with the sewing machines and notions – for the most part they bypass the US.

Truth is, I hate shopping! I’ve been an online shopper for a relatively long time. But I can see my shopping habits will have to change as this conflict continues/escalates. Even if the tariffs prove to be short-lived – I don’t believe that’s going to be the case, however – I feel committed to shopping Canadian going forward! I hope you do, too.

From Another Canadian

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It seems more and more of us are using our blogs to express what we’re experiencing these days. Here’s another piece of writing with some good links to why each of us needs to be reading labels and speaking out with our $$$!

Serious “Food” for Thought