tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3 2008-02-21T15:22:42Z Craig MacBride Movable Type 3.33 tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.1021 2008-02-21T15:21:14Z 2008-02-21T15:22:42Z

After two-and-a-half year at The Mississauga News (and nearly five years at Metroland Media Group), and after more than 1,200 stories, I am leaving this place for the last time at 6 p.m. Good bye....

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com After two-and-a-half year at The Mississauga News (and nearly five years at Metroland Media Group), and after more than 1,200 stories, I am leaving this place for the last time at 6 p.m. Good bye. tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.1020 2008-02-20T04:32:53Z 2008-02-20T04:33:26Z

People often talk about how poorly our politicians conduct themselves, how Question Period in the House of Commons or the provincial Legislature is embarrassing to watch. What's remarkable is that they don't understand how insanely childish nearly everyone acts in...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com People often talk about how poorly our politicians conduct themselves, how Question Period in the House of Commons or the provincial Legislature is embarrassing to watch. What's remarkable is that they don't understand how insanely childish nearly everyone acts in such situations. All one needs to do to understand this is attend an open public meeting held by a politician. Tonight, it was a showdown between Ward 2 Peel District School Board Trustee Don Stephens and the parents of students at Lorne Park Secondary School and its feeder schools. Stephens wants to take the extended French program out of Lorne Park and put it in Clarkson Secondary. He wants to do this because enrolment at Clarkson is declining and is expected to continue to do so. Enrolment at Lorne Park is high, and is expected to remain high. This, apparently, is enough to make men threaten one another in front of children. Here's the situation. There's a group of people in a room who all agree that moving the program is a bad idea. One woman expresses a dissenting opinion from the group. A man demands, by yelling and aggressively pointing his finger at her, that she stand up and identify herself, even though no one else in the room, other than the trustee and a school board superintendent, had either stood up or identified themselves. Another man, standing close to the dissenting lady, tells the aggressive pointer that there's no need to point or speak to a lady that way. Aggressive Pointer says something inaudible to the lady's defender, then the lady's defender says to Aggressive Pointer, "You shut your mouth." Wait. It's clear that these are adults, right? Because they are adults, talking about a program that 280 students in the school use. Here's another priceless moment. Stephens mentions that most of the people who live in the area, second and third generation Canadians, are not reproducing with much gusto. Some are only having one child. Some aren't having any. And the houses are too expensive for most new immigrants, who tend to have more children and less money, to move into the area. That's why enrolment is decreasing. Then a lady says, very loudly, loudly enough to drown out all the other loud people speaking at the same time (though I admit I am paraphrasing here), "Are you crazy? I work in social services and new immigrants have four or five children." Then she added, and this is a direct quotation, "Holy schmoly." That's right, she actually said, "Holy schmoly," which, I think, is the silliest thing one can say. It was even sillier, of course, because Stephens, as another parent pointed out to the Holy Schmoly Lady, did qualify his statement by mentioning that he was talking about second and third generation Canadians, not new immigrants, which she would have known had she been listening. Then, of course, there was the parent who worried about Clarkson's test scores, social demographics, and security detail. Because apparently Clarkson Secondary School is the next worse thing to a maximum security prison. The main problem with this meeting, and with every open public meeting held by a politician, is that there were parents there who had creative and well thought out ideas about the situation, but they were largely forgotten when the next questioner, and many questioners, openly accused Stephens of being in the pockets of the rich folk in the Watercolours development, who would be allowed to send their kids to Lorne Park if his boundary change is passed. Maybe Stephens is in those well-lined pockets. How am I to know? But to repeatedly accuse him of being so, based, it appeared, on envy and not evidence, was rude and slanderous. I really just wish there were fewer hot heads at public meetings, that's all I wish. Maybe out west. Just two more work days until I head out west, hoping the PetShopBoys were correct when they sang that "things are peaceful there." tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.1011 2008-02-14T22:34:16Z 2008-02-14T22:47:43Z

PHOTO: Premier Dalton McGuinty stopped by Whiteoaks Public School this morning and stole books from children, pulled them right out of their little, innocent hands. "Video games are the way of the future," he told the children. "Quit wasting...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com PHOTO: Premier Dalton McGuinty stopped by Whiteoaks Public School this morning and stole books from children, pulled them right out of their little, innocent hands. "Video games are the way of the future," he told the children. "Quit wasting your time with this outdated technology." He then muttered, "Paper and ink - this is SO last century." If Dalton could spend his time with only children, he'd be the most liked person in Ontario. That's what I learned this morning when I was at Whiteoaks Public School. He has an unusual connection to children. It's as if they immediately understand him. They like when he's around. Same with our Mississauga South MPP Charles Sousa. He sat and had a convo with two kids at one of those miniature elementary school tables for about 20 minutes. They just talked and talked and had a grand old time. But, the photo ops had to be stopped and the props - err, children - sat quietly and listened as their Premier told them they'd get money for new library staff. Then he made fun of reporters, photographers and cameramen. A French reporter asked McGuinty something in French, and then McGuinty turned to the props and asked if any of them spoke French. None of them appeared to. Then McG said, "What would happen if I didn't speak French? I'd have to work on the other side of the cameras," he said. Yeah, very funny - if he had fewer skills, he wouldn't be able to be Premier, he'd have to settle for the job of a cameraman or reporter. Very funny, indeed, Premier. *** The highlight (paraphrased): Reporter - Do you want to wish Hazel McCallion a happy birthday? McG - (10-second pause, thinking) Reporter - Is that a no? (Laughing from reporters and teachers) McG - (Fearfully) No, no, of course I want to. Does anyone know how old she is? Reporter - 87. McG - Of course I want to wish the mayor the best on this remarkable day. I can only, in my wildest dreams, imagine having such political sex, success. Reporter - (Laughing) Political sex? McG - (Laughing slightly) Political success. Success. *** Also, since we were all in a library, I decided to ask what the favourite books of the politicians were. Kathleen Wynne said Pride and Prejudice, which, I'm told, is a work of genius. When I was forced to read it in high school, I remember it being about a bunch of whiny social climbers who wanted really really badly to get married. Ruth Thompson, who has been a school board trustee since the big bang, said she liked biographies, westerns, and mysteries. And Charles Sousa, our likeable rookie MPP (who, I learned after he did an interview with OMNI TV after the event, speaks Portuguese fluently) said he was in the middle of a great book, World Without End by Ken Follett. "It's escapist," Sousa said. "I read all the political ones and the business books; this one allows me to relax." World Without End is the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, and, according to Amazon.com, "This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas--about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race--the Black Death."]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.1008 2008-02-13T20:52:03Z 2008-02-13T20:53:31Z

Premier Dalton McGuinty is coming to Mississauga tomorrow to fulfill an election promise to pump money into libraries. He's bringing Education Minister Kathleen Wynne with him, as well as rookie Mississauga South MPP Charles Sousa. It's bound to be an...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com Premier Dalton McGuinty is coming to Mississauga tomorrow to fulfill an election promise to pump money into libraries. He's bringing Education Minister Kathleen Wynne with him, as well as rookie Mississauga South MPP Charles Sousa. It's bound to be an exciting morning. tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.1004 2008-02-11T15:51:58Z 2008-02-11T16:04:13Z

Until I board a plane for Vancouver, heading for a new job, and a new life. The day can't arrive soon enough. Starting a new job at a new newspaper will be difficult. Leaving behind everything I've known for the...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com Until I board a plane for Vancouver, heading for a new job, and a new life. The day can't arrive soon enough. Starting a new job at a new newspaper will be difficult. Leaving behind everything I've known for the past 24 years will be difficult. But the weather, it won't be difficult at all. Here, it is -15. There, it is +7. That's a 23-degree difference. Also, I don't imagine, once I arrive in B.C., that I'll have to start my day as I started today, trapped in my one-way street after a man in a Volvo somehow launched the back end of his car onto a three-foot high snowbank while leaving the nose of his car in the middle of the road, blocking the way for everyone else. It took four of us about 10 minutes to heave his car back onto the road, and though we all felt good about helping the guy out, we are all sick of having to push cars. I imagine I've pushed about 12 cars out of immobility and onto the road this winter. Twice, I've had to have my own car pushed by friendly neighbours. This is no way to live. It's difficult to imagine pioneers stopping in what is now the GTA, surviving a winter, and then thinking, 'yeah, it's a good idea to stay here and live.' That was before climate change, too. tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.999 2008-02-07T15:48:23Z 2008-02-07T15:56:21Z

Remember back on Dec. 17, when I wrote at length about how snow storms are good for the soul, that they bring together neighbours and make friends of strangers. I'm not exactly retracting that statement, because on Dec. 17 it...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com back on Dec. 17, when I wrote at length about how snow storms are good for the soul, that they bring together neighbours and make friends of strangers. I'm not exactly retracting that statement, because on Dec. 17 it was true, but now, on Feb. 7, after three snow storms in a week, my soul is reacting with less excitment. After scraping my car out of an igloo this morning, I tried to pull out of my parking spot, which, because I'm in Toronto, was on the street. Unfortunately, I had been plowed in on the street side and the sidewalk side, and both ends of my car were stuck in snow banks. When I tried to pull out, my wheels spun, getting no grip whatsoever. Fortunately, a neighbour was clearing off his car, and he took a break from doing so to push me out. But then he tried to move his car, and it was also stuck. So, after 15 minutes of shovelling and rocking his car back and forth, we finally got it out. It put me about 30 minutes behind schedule, and, unlike the December storm, it made us both nothing but angry. We were not touched by our neighbourly helpfulness. It is, by storm number 264, expected. Now, we're just angry that there was a storm in the first place. My flight out of this deep freeze on Feb. 25 cannot come early enough.]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.997 2008-02-05T21:48:35Z 2008-02-05T21:54:47Z

PHOTO: Prime Minister Stephen Harper shows Mississauga-Streetsville MP Wajid Khan where he'd like to ship him, and how. It's Super Tuesday in the States, and the numbers are coming in. What do the numbers mean? I don't have a...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com PHOTO: Prime Minister Stephen Harper shows Mississauga-Streetsville MP Wajid Khan where he'd like to ship him, and how. It's Super Tuesday in the States, and the numbers are coming in. What do the numbers mean? I don't have a clue. This is too confusing. What I do know is that it was a Super Saturday for our old friend Wajid Khan, the Mississauga-Streetsville MP. After a few months in limbo, Khan was re-admitted to the Conservative Party this past weekend. He pleaded guilty for overspending during the 2004 election campaign. He was fined $500. Breaking the rules does not disqualify one from being a Conservative MP, though, so Khan was taken back. Now, back in blue, after being elected twice in the riding as a Liberal, he will take on Liberal candidate Bonnie Crombie. It is a Liberal riding, as all Mississauga ridings appear to be nowadays, and, unless Harper has an inspired campaign or Dion falls on his face, Mississauga will likely stay red, regardless of who's running. It's definitely worth noting that most voters vote based on the leaders or out of habit. Some vote based on the issues. And others, a very small percentage, vote based on local candidates. However, when local candidates get big in the news, more people vote based on the local candidates. This was seen with shocking clarity during the provincial election, when a whole lot of people in Mississauga South voted against Progressive Conservative Tim Peterson because he had crossed the floor. Peterson wasn't helped by the poor province-wide campaign by John Tory, but one person who helped Peterson door-knock called the canvassing experience "The Walk of Death." Apparently, nearly every single door complained about Tory's faith-based schools funding plan or Peterson's floor-crossing. You can bet that a whole lot of people in Mississauga-Streetsville will be asking about Khan's floor-crossing and his 2004 over-spending. I know it's pretty early to make predictions, but I'd guess that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion would have to be convicted of mass murder during the election campaign before the voters in Mississauga-Streetsville would turn away Crombie. As one source, albeit a Liberal source, said to me, "I think the Conservatives have given up on Mississauga-Streetsville."]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.994 2008-02-04T15:37:06Z 2008-02-04T15:47:08Z

PHOTO: During my vacation to Vancouver in summer 2006, the nicest surprise was the water taxi. It's cute, it's convenient, and it offers up the best views you can possibly imagine. That's right, I'm going west, and I'm staying...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com PHOTO: During my vacation to Vancouver in summer 2006, the nicest surprise was the water taxi. It's cute, it's convenient, and it offers up the best views you can possibly imagine. That's right, I'm going west, and I'm staying there, at least until after the Olympics in 2010. My last day at The Mississauga News is on Feb. 21, so if you want to send me gifts or money, you don't have much time. I leave Ontario on Feb. 25. I will then, once landing in Vancouver with a couple of duffel bags, have six days to buy a new car and a bed. I report to duty at The Surrey Leader and The Peace Arch News on March 3, to begin another leg of this journey through life. This move marks the end of nearly three years at The Mississauga News and five years with Metroland (two of those with my hometown paper, The Oakville Beaver), the company that owns The News and pretty much every other community newspaper in Southern Ontario. Most of all, I'll miss Wajid Khan. ]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.988 2008-01-30T22:47:55Z 2008-01-30T22:50:29Z

Here's a story I wrote for the paper earlier today. It was an interesting discussion. *** Four of the University of Toronto's brightest minds on matters of U.S. politics could only come up with one conclusion at a lunchtime discussion...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com Here's a story I wrote for the paper earlier today. It was an interesting discussion. *** Four of the University of Toronto's brightest minds on matters of U.S. politics could only come up with one conclusion at a lunchtime discussion at the Mississauga campus Wednesday: no one knows who will be running for president. With the primaries and caucuses for the two U.S. political parties concluding with Super Tuesday next week, the two who were meant to be front-runners are fighting for their political lives. In fact one, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who was running to lead the Republican Party into November's election, has already dropped out of the race after a horrendous showing in Florida Tuesday (Jan. 29). On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton, whose nomination to lead the party was once thought of as inevitable, is now fighting, tooth and nail, the young and hyper-charismatic Barack Obama. The professors gathered at the University of Toronto Mississauga to discuss where the races are going, who will eventually win them, and what it all means. Mark Lippincott was the most forthright with the audience of about 100. "The most honest thing I can say is that I don't have the faintest clue what is going on," he said. "This is unprecedented terrain. There's never been a primary and caucus season like this...All of the talking heads, all of the pundits, all of the experts, have no idea what's going on here. They're caught off guard all the time." Even without knowing what's going on, Lippincott couldn't resist making a cautioned prediction. "If you're betting on U.S. politics, bet on the big money," he said, pointing to Clinton for the Democrats and Mitt Romney for the Republicans. Arnd Jurgensen, a professor of foreign policy, isn't surprised Giuliani is out of the race, but thinks it was probably bad for the Republican Party. "Giuliani was going to have a hard time because he's so far out of step with the conservative Republicans," he said. "He's quite clearly on a different page but quite well-positioned to get swing voters in the actual election." To win the nomination, a candidate must swing to the left or right of the political spectrum. To win the presidential election, the two candidates both have to swing back to the middle, explained Jurgensen, and fight it out for the undecided, and for each other's, voters. tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.985 2008-01-30T02:40:51Z 2008-01-30T02:46:01Z

I know it wasn't surprising, but Rudy Guiliani was trounced in Florida tonight. A couple of months ago, had you told someone Guiliani would be out of the race, no one would have believed you. He had money. He had...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com I know it wasn't surprising, but Rudy Guiliani was trounced in Florida tonight. A couple of months ago, had you told someone Guiliani would be out of the race, no one would have believed you. He had money. He had star power. Now he has just 13 per cent of the vote in the state that was supposed to bump him to the top of the Republican pack. It is his own, or his advisers', fault. He didn't even take part in the previous primaries. He was going to win Florida, and build from there to Super Tuesday. I think there might be a saying, some wise words, once uttered about that strategy. Something about eggs and baskets, and if one has multiple eggs one might be well-advised to also have multiple baskets. *I did not make up this saying. It, reportedly, was being used in Florida before Guiliani even lost the primary tonight. tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.981 2008-01-27T22:31:59Z 2008-01-27T22:44:51Z

PHOTO: Tejas Aivalli, vice-president of the Political Science Association at UTM, tries to conceal his anger after losing a game of rock-paper-scissors to Mississauga-Erindale MP Omar Alghabra, who repeatedly cheated by using both hands. "This is how everyone plays...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com PHOTO: Tejas Aivalli, vice-president of the Political Science Association at UTM, tries to conceal his anger after losing a game of rock-paper-scissors to Mississauga-Erindale MP Omar Alghabra, who repeatedly cheated by using both hands. "This is how everyone plays in Ottawa," said Alghabra, unapologetic. I'm just kidding. There was no rock-paper-scissors tournament. Alghabra, who actually made two stops at the University of Toronto Mississauga last week, was on hand to answer questions about Afghanistan, nuclear isotopes, copyright law, post-secondary education tuition, and pretty much everything else. He also mentioned that it was the two-year anniversary (on Wednesday) of him being elected to represent Mississauga-Erindale. That also meant it was the two-year anniversary of Stephen Harper becoming prime minister. Two years is forever with a minority government. Surely Harper's itching for an election, and a chance at the majority. Unless, of course, he's scared he can't secure a majority. Another season, another round of election speculation. MPs return to the House of Commons this week. Police are asking everyone to contain their excitement. ]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.977 2008-01-23T15:26:44Z 2008-01-23T15:33:16Z

PHOTO: Scottish poet Robbie Burns. Burns suppers will be held across Canada on Friday, despite the fact that he's not Canadian. For reasons incomprehensible to at least one reader, us immigrants just won't let go of our history and...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com PHOTO: Scottish poet Robbie Burns. Burns suppers will be held across Canada on Friday, despite the fact that he's not Canadian. For reasons incomprehensible to at least one reader, us immigrants just won't let go of our history and adopt the customs of our new country. Reader D. Rowlison writes: "In letting in so many immigrants over the years, they need to adopt to OUR land - NOT the other way around." (Emphasis in original.) If that's the logic we're going by, then when the British and the French arrived in Canada, instead of importing our own religions and customs, we should have simply conformed to those already followed by the people who lived here, the people we now refer to as the aboriginal people. Also, if D. Rowlison is correct, I, as an immigrant who moved here at the age of one, should leave behind the customs of my old country. I should not, this Friday, drink whisky, eat haggis, and listen to burly men with near-incomprehensible accents recite poetry, all as a part of Robbie Burns Day, celebrating the life and work of the greatest Scottish poet. I apologize to D. Rowlison for my unwillingness to drop Robbie Burns for Al Purdy (though I do love Al Purdy), and for wearing the traditional dress of my people, the kilt, to several events in the past. Us immigrants, I now understand, should certainly have adopted the customs of this land. ]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.972 2008-01-21T16:00:37Z 2008-01-21T16:21:57Z

In my nearly three years at The Mississauga News, I have never received as much mail as I have this weekend, about a story that was published Friday. The story was about the fair representation of Christianity in public schools....

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com Trustee wants more Christianity in schools Peel District School Board trustee Don Stephens wants to know why Christianity isn't getting fair play at local public schools. Stephens, who represents Mississauga's Ward 2, asked staff at a recent Board meeting to look into what he believes is a lack of representation of the Christian faith during Christian holidays. "Although this Board has taken significant steps to recognize the various faiths of students in this regin, there is a gap across numerous schools in regard to the major religion of Canada, which is the Chrsitian faith," said Stephens. He added that in the lead-up to this past Christmas, there was little evidence of the holiday beyond the secular interpretation, featuring Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. "At a number of schools there was minimal, or a total neglect, in representing the Christian faith," he said. Stephens then asked what steps the administration had taken "to ensure that schools understand and represent Christianity in a balanced and fair manner in the schools." Following the meeting, Stephens told The News that he had received calls from half-a-dozen concerned parents. He also saw evidence of a trend during his own visits to schools in his ward, and at his son's school. While the schools celebrate Diwali and Hanukkah and teach all students about the holidays of other faiths, Christianity gets little push from teachers, said Stephens. Staff is looking into the matter and will respond at an upcoming board meeting. All the emails I've received on this story are sane. That might not seem surprising, but, trust me, it is. When a reporter writes about religion, the nutcases come out of the woodwork, many of them blatantly racist. Not this week, though. It might have something to do with the tone Stephens has taken in explaining his concern. He's not blaming anyone, and he's not saying that there is a plot to suppress Christianity. He's just saying that there isn't enough representation of the Christian faith in schools. I don't know if what he says is right or not, but I appreciate how he's saying it, and I appreciate the sanity of the emails. There is only one thing I don't like about the argument. When Stephens presented his concern at a school board meeting earlier this month, he said, "...there is a gap across numerous schools in regard to the major religion of Canada, which is the Christian faith." He is correct; the main religion across the country remains Christianity. But he didn't need to mention it. The fact that it is a religion is enough of an argument. The numbers supporting the religion shouldn't matter. One reader wrote: "This country was founded on the principals (sic) of the Christian Faith (sic) and I believe we are doing all our children a great disservice by not including this teaching in our schools." The reader is correct. Christian principles were part of the country when Canada became Canada. Countries evolve, though, as they should. Canada is no longer a Christian country, though more citizens self-identify as Christians than they do as followers of any other religion. Today it is a country based on the tenets of common sense and enlightened self-interest. I'm not a religious scholar, but it's also worth noting that the rules of all religions I know of appear to be based on common sense and enlightened self-interest. The world would be a better place if religious leaders and their followers would follow those rules (has anyone ever mentioned to George W. Bush that 'thou shalt not kill' is a commandment?). The debate initiated by Stephens is a fair debate to have, and if the Christian faith isn't getting the respect other faiths are getting, the problem should be remedied. But there's no need to talk about Christianity being the dominant faith in Canada, and there's definitely no need to talk about Canada as a Christian country.]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.971 2008-01-21T15:31:08Z 2008-01-21T15:36:42Z

CARTOON: This weekend's Steve Nease cartoon When I worked at The Oakville Beaver for two years, I knew Steve Nease. I even wrote a profile of him once for The Beav, on the occasion of a particularly impressive anniversary...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com CARTOON: This weekend's Steve Nease cartoon When I worked at The Oakville Beaver for two years, I knew Steve Nease. I even wrote a profile of him once for The Beav, on the occasion of a particularly impressive anniversary (though I can't remember what the anniversary was). Even after knowing him, and interviewing him, I have no idea how he does what he does. I suppose you'd have to be a fellow cartoonist to get it. He is brilliant. Not only that, he's consistent. How he manages to be consistently brilliant, I'm not sure. Anyway, this weekend's cartoon (the cartoon above) is perfect, and should be spread as widely as possible.]]> tag:www.mississaugablogs.com,2008:/xmarks//3.967 2008-01-17T19:39:05Z 2008-01-17T19:46:52Z

PHOTO: The flag of British Columbia. See the end of this post for the winners of the flag contest. Our motto: Loyal she began, loyal she remains. Nova Scotia's motto: One defends and the other conquers. I have no...

Craig MacBride www.mississauga.com PHOTO: The flag of British Columbia. See the end of this post for the winners of the flag contest. Our motto: Loyal she began, loyal she remains. Nova Scotia's motto: One defends and the other conquers. I have no idea what they're talking about. Maybe there are only two people in Nova Scotia, and one of them defends and the other conquers. Maybe they're talking about an old-fashioned style of hockey, in which only two players per team take the ice, one of them defending and one attempting to conquer. Prince Edward Island: The small protected by the great. I guess they're the small, and the rest of Canada is the great. That's very gracious of them to acknowledge our role in protecting them in their motto. New Brunswick: Hope Restored This was the prequel to the movie Hope Floats, starring Sandra Bullock. Newfoundland and Labrador: Seek ye first the kingdom of God. And if you don't find it, well, you'll have to settle for the brutal climate of Newfoundland and Labrador. Quebec: Je me souviens (I remember) I'm scared of Quebec, so I'll not make fun of their motto. Manitoba: Glorious and Free Free? I'm sure you could get something for all that land. Alberta: Strong and Free Free? I'm sure you could get something for all that...never mind. British Columbia: Splendour without diminishment Umm...what? Darn hippies. BONUS FEATURE: Flag contest. B.C. wins. I know the flag is a bit busy, but there's a balance to it that I really like. (See above) Saskatchewan's flag, which is simple and beautiful, and pretty much the opposite of B.C.'s flag, gets an honourable mention. (See below) ]]>