Busy with personal life but also here at the paper with writing and photos of course. For now I think I'll post my second latest column I wrote along with a few random photos I've taken lately. (And I'll post some more photos and my latest column tomorrow or so . . . )
Here are a couple of photos from Shelley, Rachael and Sophie's visit in March. These were taken at the Othello Tunnels.
And then here is my column on the federal budget from our March 23 paper. Now the headline about sarcasm will make sense:
Simply A Musing
By Paul J. Henderson
phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
I listened with interest to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's budget speech on Monday . . . OK, I didn't actually listen (I mean, who did?) but I read some of the transcripts and news stories after the fact.
I was particularly interested in how he pointed out that Canada is one of the most beautiful places on Earth "from the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the rugged shores of Newfoundland and Labrador."
Ahhh, yes. How true. From the stark beauty of the high arctic to the flowing golden wheat of the Prairies to the wind-swept crags of the Canadian Shield to the crashing seas of the Atlantic Coast, Canada is one beautiful place.
In fact, I'd say it is so beautiful that we in British Columbia should really be considered a part of this country. Come to think of it, I thought we already were, but surely one of the most important politicians in Ottawa knows more than I do about geography.
Those of us who live between the Rocky Mountains and the west coast of Vancouver Island live in a pretty beautiful place, so I think we should make the move to try to join up with this Canada place. If we were part of Canada maybe Flaherty would have included us a little more in his speech, eh?
(I hear "eh?" is what they say in Canada, roughly translated as "don't ya think?")
Instead of separation from Canada as proposed by certain elements in Quebec—and certain wackier elements in Alberta—we here in British Columbia should stand up and demand that we become a part of this Canada. Let's join, not separate!
From the slopes of the Kootenays to the rain forests of Haida Gwaii to the oil fields of Fort Nelson to the condominiums of Vancouver, we have lots to offer and I really think we should join Canada.
Certainly there is much beauty and value in this part of the world west of the Rocky Mountains even though it isn't a part of Canada, and I'm sure the Canadians would be ecstatic to include British Columbia in their country.
We already offer up the 4th highest GDP in the country, and send billions of dollars in tax revenues to Ottawa. Our more than four million people would push the population of Canada over 30 million, not to mention how much tidier the maps would be in a Canada that included British Columbia. Already photographs of British Columbia are disproportionately represented in calendars of Canada the world over so let's just join up.
Golly, things are so beautiful here west of the Rockies I would suggest we could even create a tourism industry drawing people from all over the world to this region to the west of Canada.
I'll bet if Asian and European tourists who already come to Canada by the droves knew that beautiful British Columbia were part of Canada they might cross the Rockies and come visit. They might like the smoked salmon and stuffed moose available at the Vancouver airport, if only we could be a part of this great country.
In fact, I think that's such a good economic proposal, I'll package it up and send it off to Mr. Flaherty for his consideration right away .
And I think I'll throw in a map too so he knows where we are.
