A Repudiation of Treehugger's Fort Mac article: What's really going on up there?

Fort Mac, aerial view

I've known Treehugger has been going downhill for awhile.  Like most on-line venues, as it has become successful, its voracious appetite for content has relaxed its criteria for journalism to near vaporous levels and has embraced a more mainstream outlook.  Shopping green and personal choices has become more of a focus than global change or activism.  Only to be expected, really, though I still looked forward to perusing its pages, since I assumed there was some degree of quality control.

That has all changed this week.  Hidden in the Design and "Green Architecture" section was an article about which I have some degree of knowledge, and this didn't agree with any of it.  In a curious piece on the construction of the Fort Mac airport lay a entire plethora of completely mistaken or misleading embeds on the Albertan and Canadian economy, labour, governance, and environmental standards.  It is rather subversive in its bizarrely unprovable statements presented as fact, which seemed to be designed to present a completely fictitious picture of Western Canada.  Why?  Well, the image they paint is far more in line with the Harper propaganda machine that it is with the reality on the ground, down to using identical language, in fact.  Think this appalling greenwash is a coincidence?  Think again.  The key words for the search on this 'article' are Alberta | Green Building | Tar Sands.  On an article about designing an airport with wood?  They apparently remembered to use the term 'tarsands' for searches...

Article is here: Fort McMurray Airport Is The Largest Cross Laminated Timber Building In North America

My comment was still there as of this writing, but no one has cared to refute it yet.  Though some voted it down...  If anyone can find anything inaccurate in what I wrote, please let me know!  I, at least, prefer to present the truth, rather than live in ignorance...

(Don't just take my word for it.  Here's a Rolling Stone article from someone who went deep into the tar sands culture in Fort Mac.)

I'll reprint most of my comments I left on Treehugger here.  I'll leave out some of the sarcasm.  You're welcome.

There are no such thing as oil sands. It's a greenwash, or at least a neocon framing, and is of very recent origin. Before mining, the correct terms are bituminous sands or bituminous earth (some of it isn't sand), though using those can be tiresome, so tarsands is acceptable, though slightly less accurate. (As to what's in those pipelines, it's here.) Oilsands as a term isn't even close. NPO's who use "oilsands" are in the clear. Those that don't have their funding removed and are labeled eco-terrorists. Just by putting that in your opening, you prove the article's bias and lack of accuracy.

The Mountain Pine Beetle is indeed working it's way through the trees, but it isn't the forests. Because it grows so quickly, the areas that are clear cut and then replanted by the timber companies companies choose the Lodgepole Pine almost exclusively, to the tune of 95%. It is the Lodgepole Pine that is particularly vulnerable to the Beetle, so the forests themselves aren't being nearly as hard hit as these tree farms.  It is these 'replanted' areas are the most devastated, not living healthy forests. It's much harder for the bugs to jump trees from different species, doncha know... Explain to me why they *still* keep planting Lodgepole Pine and devastating our remaining areas? Maybe they want the dead beetle wood for this "stronger than steel" product...

I guarantee you that workers do not fly home to the Maritimes after their "shifts". Unless you mean after months on the job.  Then it's more of a much needed vacation. It costs more to fly to Newfoundland from Edmonton than it does to fly to Europe, even though airplanes that travel to Europe stop at the Gander, NF airport to refuel - a point that makes my Newfie husband's blood boil, actually. The standard joke is that Fort Mac is the third largest city in Newfoundland, but the image of rig pigs leading the high life and jet setting over to the Rock for the weekend is more than laughable. The real need for that airport was for the executives, consultants, and other 1%ers who fly in to make their monthly contribution and inspection, and then fly out again as fast as they can. People are dying of horrible cancers up there. Wouldn't want to stay too long.. Oh, and they ship up foreign indentured workers, too, so they really had to lobby for the behemoth of an airport. Otherwise, they'd all have to drive up the Highway of Death to get there..

Fort Mac isn't really a town, either. It's a city of over 60,000 people, without counting the camps. And no one does. In fact, the facilities in the city specifically do not take into account the hundreds of work camps surrounding the area, which are then built with the bare minimums in mind. Estimates, and that's really all there are, suggest up to 30,000 men and women are working in these compounds in the woods. When they come into town on the weekends, exhausted and bored, there is utter chaos. And don't get me started on the tales of one of the greatest drug trades in Western Canada, and its subsequent addiction problems.  I mean, what else are you going to do in a cramped hole in the bush?

One of the best belly laughs is this phrase. "Ninety-three percent of the timberland in BC and Alberta is Crown land, and almost all of it is certified sustainably managed. " I would love to know how this is even credible, given that forestry management is almost entirely the purveyance of the companies now that Harper has slashed the government positions to mere fantasy. It was bad before, but now many of those departments have literally ceased to exist. Some have suggested it is a deliberate Harper ploy to facilitate Chinese ownership of Canadian forests. Yes, it's Crown land, but all that means is that the government has the right to lease out the land for a few dollars on the acre and let a company have it's way with it. The companies almost own the land, but don't have to pay any real taxes or many royalties, and they can order people off it or have them arrested, even if they are activists or native and claim the land in historical documents. Especially then. That wasn't the way Crown land was originally designed, of course. It was supposed to be held in trust by the government for the people, with no one owning it, everyone welcome, and managed for future generations. There is still a homestead law in effect that allows an individual to claim a certain amount of Crown land if they meet certain criteria. Clearly, it's not supposed to be given wholesale to transnationals for their own use, for a mere pittance...

There is also no mention of exactly what toxic material this magical glue is made of. One can only assume that something that can create "strong panels of almost any size, and is fire resistant as it is designed to char, which acts as a fireproofing. It can replace concrete and steel in apartment buildings, offices and now, airports" is certainly a petrochemical miracle, and not of the traditional starch or hoof variety...

I used to refer many articles from Treehugger to my audience, but this is one of the most eye-popping, glaring propaganda masquerading as journalism I have ever seen. If your contributor got paid for this, assuming he isn't just a agent of the Harper Resource management office, I'd ask for my money back.

For further reading on what's really going on, instead of the greenwashing propaganda:

"But in addition to simply destroying natural habitat, oil companies may now be involved in directly killing off wildlife in the area, according to a new report."

http://www.vancouverobserver.com/sustainability/2012/02/14/killing-fields-oil-sands-developments-casualties-fort-mcmurray-alberta

A treaty signed in 1899 enshrined First Nations' right to practice traditional life, and is now being used for a legal challenge to Shell Oil’s mining of tar sands.

http://www.alternet.org/world/big-oil-vs-native-community-canadas-first-nations-challenges-shells-plan-mine-tar-sands

This is the pattern for most resource "boom" areas, but esp. the oil sector.
"Trafficking of Native women begins after influx of oil workers"
http://fatalsincerity.com/2013/04/09/trafficking-of-native-women-begins-in-fracking-towns-after-influx-of-oil-workers/

Elizabeth May's 1st Official EverGreen Visit

Tuesday, April 10th

Canceling some of her less urgent appointments, Elizabeth May rushed on a plane (she prefers train, of course) to give our candidates in the Alberta election a Green boost.  We got the spend the entire day with her, and crammed in as many events as we could without getting unreasonable... 

 

Breakfast: 10:30 AM

Many of our Calgary members took time out of their work and campaigns to make it up North to enjoy a delicious brunch hosted by our new friends at Absolutely Edibles.  Known for their vegan and vegetarian selections, all our members were able to enjoy a hearty and healthy start to their day.  Many of us were only meeting in person for the first time, and it was a joyous meeting of the minds and celebration of all we have achieved in these past few months.  More pics here:

Vegetarian BBQ at EGS: 12:30 PM

No time to slow down, though...  Michael Kalmanovitch, owner of Earth's General Store, our local go-to community location for all things green, offered to host a BBQ for our leader and our supporters  Gratefully accepted, we all gathered at EGS for more munchies and much talk.  Elizabeth was interviewed by CBC inside, and then we had speeches outdoors.  There were sooo many reporters there to talk to us all.  It's always gratifying to see such a vigorous interest in an election.  One might even say brisk, too, but it IS April...  More photos here:

Scrum: 3:30 PM

After a quick break to catch up on her correspondence and other requirements, it was off to catch any of the media who hadn't been able to meet up with us yet.  Global met us at the ArtsBarns, and we had long and detailed interviews.  After Elizabeth May came our candidate for the Senate, Elizabeth Johannson, the only woman on the Senate ballot.  Speaking for the EverGreen MLA candidates, Dari Lynn took the stage and eloquently presented our solutions, gave her reasons why she was running for the Greens and why youth should support us.  More coffee and beverages (campaigns run mostly on coffee), and we were all able to get caught up on each other's lives and efforts.  More pictures here:

Lecture sponsored by the U of A Greens: 5:00 PM

Off to the U of A for the final event of the evening.  Speaking primarily to youth but also urgently to all Canadians, Elizabeth's message of the hidden dangers of the latest, and most dangerous, Harper budget was not lost on the crowd.  The funding cuts, complete elimination of programs, and its obvious ideological agenda makes it one of the most frightening pieces to ever come out of almost any federal government in living memory.  She detailed some of the most egregious parts and broke it down to explain what it really meant for different departments and for our culture, climate, and environment as a whole. It was a difficult note to end on, but a necessary one.  It was a call to arms for the Greens, the activists, and the public, and as always, I felt deeply privileged to be able to represent the Greens and witness first-hand this kind of honesty and passion.  More pictures here:

It was all over too soon, and we had to say good-bye to Elizabeth once again.  It is always an honour when I am called upon to organize her events and make her stay as useful and pleasant as possible.  It was a joy to see her again, and connect more personally with some of the most progressive activists in the province.

(Catch up on some of the rest of EverGreen campaign on this blog post)

Provincial Campaign - 2012

I was asked to speak at the Robo-call rally.

We're off and running again!   Without even finishing all the paperwork, the campaign is in full swing.  This year, as an EverGreen candidate, I am representing the citizens of Edmonton-Beverly Clareview, which is in my federal riding of Edmonton East.  Beverly is a bastion of Green signs every election, and it does my heart good that support for Green values is being displayed so proudly.

March 31

Robo-call Rally:

My daughter, and Dari, who is running for the EverGreens in Edmonton Highlands.

We were going to bring all the kids to the rally, since our usual child-care provider, my husband, had his own Very Important plans.  He was going to go to his first auction, the River Valley Cycle sell-off, but when he got there, the place was already packed and he couldn't register.  So his sad face meant that we could go mostly child-free.  (If you knew my son, you'd know that was a big boost to our participation...)  I, did, however, take my 10yo daughter, who hasn't been to a rally in recent memory.  (When she was younger, I told her they were parades.  And some of them were...)  She had a great time, giving out EverGreen fliers and holding her sign, like a lone guard standing against the siege.

There she is; on the roof.

Before our march to Canada Place, I spoke about how the Global Greens movement is made of concerned citizens and activists around the world, almost entirely volunteer, who are learning how the system works so we understand where the changes need to be made. I have never yet met a politician in the Greens. If they were, you can bet they wouldn't consider us a good career move... And yet, it's some of the best activist work I have ever done. If it seems that issues only make it to papers during elections, it's also one of the only times the press hands you a mic. Some of the select people who are invited to use it are candidates. So as a candidate or party spokesperson, we can bring up the vital concerns and problems we all know exist in our province and the provable solutions that have worked around the world, which Greens in other places have already seen implemented.

The movement is so empowering and compelling that is spreading everywhere. So many of us are getting elected in different countries, and one of the first efforts, for those states that don't yet have it, is Proportional Representation. We are making a real difference in the global community and in global politics. It is a joy and honour to help empower our citizens and activist movements, and I'm even more thrilled that my daughter got to join me this time. She's old enough now to understand my work and hear my speeches without being bored by all the 'grown up stuff', so I hope I can start introducing her to more of the incredibly motivated and empowered activists in the Greens. Like all Greens, I see my children leading the movements that are bringing the coming changes to the world..  'Course, some of them are right.

March 31/April 1

The Journal already asked for our thoughts.  For those who missed the riding profile, here are my answers. 

My first three priorities, since I was only allowed to pick three, would be:

1) Restore funding in key areas at least back to the percentage of pre-Klein levels: primary education, public health care, post-secondary school, and social assistance programs, including child services, disability, and welfare.

2) Expand our petroleum industry royalty program so that it is on par with other democratic countries, and is no longer comparable only with totalitarian regimes.

3) Put Alberta back on track as a world energy leader with research and industry designed to meet the needs of the emerging post-carbon dependant world. 

Green is neither right nor left. We are the only voices speaking to the future, with an entire global community speaking with us. We look at the long term; for the prosperity of the present to the generations of Albertans that will come after us. We are the only Party connected to a global network of progressive thinkers and we present solutions and ideas that have been tested and proven all over the world. I am deeply proud to raise the dialog beyond the current pandering and rhetoric to truly consider what role Alberta will play in the global future. Live Green. Be Green. For if we are to have one, it is the future for all of us.

April 10

Elizabeth with most of the EverGreens

I spent the next week in a flurry of organizing for Elizabeth May, who cancelled some of her less urgent appointments and rushed to help us out in the provincial campaign.  It took a great deal of time, but the day ended up being nicely filled, with much attention from the media and supporters.  I go into detail on this blog post dedicated to her visit.

 

April 13

Ethno-cultural Communities Election forum

Sponsored by the Edmonton Multi-Cultural Coalition and the Somali Media Society of Alberta, I was privileged to represent the EverGreens in cross-riding forum.  It was very well-attended, and as it was my first forum of the campaign, I was thrilled to see so many people come out and show their interest in the election.  The time-keeper was uncompromising, and really kept us all on target, down to cutting off some of the candidates who were more verbose than the rules allocated.  It's always hard to try to answer questions in more than a cursory manner when you have only 1.5 min, and not simply deliver a pat response, but we all did our best.  Our efforts seemed to be appreciated, as we applauded the audience exercising their right to speak up and grill their potential representatives to their satisfaction.  Well, I was heartened by it, at least...  I'm not sure about what the other candidates thought...

April 16

Wrecking Ball 2012

Of course Dari and I always dress up for parties...

Always entertaining, and more than a little bit gritty, the Wrecking Ball is an evening of arts and politics, designed to excite interest in the election and generate a space where candidates and the public can interact more vigorously. 

From the promo: "Join Edmonton’s arts & culture community for a one-night cabaret where arts and politics collide! Wrecking Ball Alberta is an opportunity for you to witness first class Albertan performance, and join patrons, artists and politicians in a lively discussion about our shared vision for Alberta.

Some of the EverGreen candidates

Candidates from all parties are invited. Interested candidates will be provided the opportunity to address the audience for two minutes each, after which candidates are invited to participate in a brief moderated forum... Following the performances and forum, all Wrecking Ball Alberta guests are invited to tip a glass and continue the conversation!"

Beat/Street poets.  Lots of finger snapping going on..

I couldn't get pics of the dancer; only of people who didn't move much.
My camera sucks...

Don't move, don't move...  There!  Got it!  Mostly...

David Parker, one of our founding and continuous Greens

Green Party shirts look so much better with a corset...

Matt Levicki; our EverGreen in Fort Mac

Presented this time at the ARTery, I was thrilled to be part of the Wrecking Ball for the federal campaign and speedily cleared my schedule for this one. So, it turns out, did alot of other Greens. Turns out we were the majority of candidates there, too, with about a half dozen of us, along with a couple NDP, a PC, and a Wild Rose. I was first up of the candidates to speak, and started off mentioning that the last time I was up on that stage I was performing for the Sexual Assault Centre gala, and that did it. It totally set the tone for almost all the other candidates, most of whom nearly tripped over themselves trying to outdo each other's Arts credentials. I felt rather guilty afterward. I really wasn't trying to whip out my professional arts background. That really WAS the first thing that leaped to my mind!

The rest of us needn't have gotten too worked up, though. Nearly all the questions for the Wild Rose candidate, and although all were very polite, no one was buying the answers. Especially the climate denial, which was made absolutely clear once again. I'm not quite sure how they found that many climate deniers to fill their slate, or if they made it a requirement, but this guy was true to the script, and the audience  roasted him in a 'lake of fire' for it.

April 19

Candidate Forum Edmonton/Beverly Clareview

Sponsored by the Candora Society at Abbotsfield Mall, this is the only forum I know of specifically related to the riding. Due to certain candidates' petty bickering about procedures, including one who objected to providing the audience with information regarding which powers fell under municipal, provincial, and federal jurisdiction, it was nearly canceled entirely. (I'm not telling who, but you can guess which one didn't approve of increased knowledge for the citizens...)  The best bit was the Liberal candidate, Chris Heward, sided with the Wild Rose candidate in accusing the forum sponsors of accepting bribes by not rejecting the pastries sent by the NDP for the after-snacks.  Seriously.  Dudes, just admit you didn't want to go and leave it at that, okay?  The bizarre accusations of pastry manipulation in politics just makes you look petty as well as stupid.  He later dismissed me as a candidate and woman by Tweeting that when he showed up near the end there was a "girl talking about stadiums" and "NDP bias".  I'm sure all of the citizens who showed up to hear his policies appreciated his firm stance on baked goods.    

In the end, only three showed up. The Liberal and Wild Rose rep didn't bother to send their regrets. So I went up against the NDP and incumbent PC for nearly two hours. The questions were grueling, and the time keeper wasn't nearly as stringent as many other forums, allowing candidates to roll right over the hostess.  The NDP candidate kept repeating that he's an English teacher, and that it somehow excuses his love of the sound of his own voice. I, as a coloratura soprano, presumably don't, since I didn't go over time... Maybe it's just manners.  As for bias, I managed to record the question part of the forum and any normal person would be impressed by how much effort the organizers took to keep it fair and balanced.  Far more effort than Mr. Chris Heward took, obviously.  Podcast here:

I won't even begin to go into the PC's answers, but I have rarely been so moved to speak not-nice things to someone in a forum before (except, it turns out, the later Arts forum).  It wasn't even outright pandering and not directly answering questions.  It was the actual misinformation or selective information that really made my blood boil.  Yes, sir.  They brought us the question of literacy again, sir, since you didn't answer it the first three times.  And still you say that your government is committed to education.  How do you explain, then, that we have one of the highest adult illiteracy rates in the country, one of the highest post-secondary debt-loads, and your government has been in power for over four decades?  When will this commitment to education finally start?  Since many of the people who were children under your government when it first started STILL can't read functionally?  I kept myself under control with difficulty, but without letting him get away with it as much as he was hoping for...  There is something horrible about a person who is trying to keep his job by doing as little as possible.  'Course, compared to the Liberal and Wild Rose candidates, he at least made slightly more of an effort...

April 20

PACE Edmonton Arts Forum

Excluding the very opening remarks, this podcast contains the entire forum at the Prince of Wales armory, including the now-infamous Doug Main meltdown.  Remember, he's a spokesperson for the Wild Rose, not even a candidate, like the rest of us are.  The cowbell sounds when we go over the time limit, which is a rather fun way to do it.  The most interesting bits occur near the middle of the forum, and it just gets more eye-brow raising as it goes on...

April 21

Clean the Ravine

Group hug!

My husband wins most of a bike.

EverGreen candidate Chris Vallee put together the annual Clean the Ravine and this year's lottery winner was Kennedale Ravine, which was in my riding.  As well as organizing volunteers and equipment, as well as providing snacks, he knocked on neighborhood doors to see who was home that morning and wanted to join us!  In an unusual turn of events, my children happening to staying with their grandma that day, and so my husband rode with me to the ravine.  An avid car-free cyclist and river valley trail user, he has always wanted to give back and participate in one of the many clean up projects.  So instead of heading off to the rest of his errands, he stayed to help.  And got a bit of a bonus for his trouble!  It was a rare treat for me, since he usually supports me by taking care of children more frequently during elections and very much eshews the role of "political spouse", so I was thrilled to have him along this time.

April 22

Earth Day

Of course the Greens were out in full force; in both our federal and provincial modes.  The place was packed, as usual, and I spent nearly the entire day setting up and staffing the booth, answering questions for eager Greenies or Greens-to-be.  My daughter came with me, and was a trooper the entire time.  I managed to get pics of most of the other booths and participants, and the weather more than co-operated.  A great time was had by all!

April 23

Voting Day After Party

We met up at Bistro India, a family run business in a two story historical house in the middle of downtown.  They couldn't have been more accommodating to our party and our children.  It was fine Indian cuisine in a relaxed and tasteful atmosphere.  We took over the entire upper floor and the kids ran around with naan in hand.  The TV was all ours and we spent the night sharing stories and our community vision for the future of the province.  Many sighed with relief that the polls about the majority Wild Rose government were completely out of wack.

Our EverGreen senatorial candidate and the only woman on the ballot.

David Parker reads the offical letter of congrats and thank you from our interm leader Larry Ashmore.

This was my fifth campaign where I had the honour to represent the Greens, and it was the most intense yet; which give me great hope.  The last provincial election was nearly comatose, with no debates, and almost no interest.  I was thrilled to see so many Albertans stand up to demand change and take an active role in their democracy.  I didn't expect it in this election, but the train has left the station now, and it's coming.  The era of PC is over, and whether the New Order will be Wild Rose or Green is up to the next four years, and the newly engaged public, to decide. 

Organic in Edmonton: Cheap! Readily Available Local Food Sources & Natural Cleaners

One of the local stores I count on for retail supplies.

I am often asked how we can afford to eat so organically on about $50 per person per week, or $800 a month for a family of four.  (With purchased lunches and the occasional pizza delivery, it's a bit closer to $1000, but those do add up...)  As a Global Peasant, it is not only possible, but we eat like kings!  As it were..

Though the list of suppliers and individual foods in the second half of this post was written specifically with Edmonton in mind, there are many immediate actions you can do every day to increase the quality and nutrition of your food, while still lowering the cost. I go into just a few here.

Pre-prepared foods are of course the most expensive with all their value added.  If you have little time during the week, learning how to prepare meals yourself to store for later consumption will save you up to half your food budget, depending on how much you rely on them.  So most of the items suggested here will be fresh, frozen, canned or prepared organic food that you can use as ingredients in meals to store for the rest of the week.

For a refresher course on what third party organically certified means, what you should be looking for, and why, see my blog post on the subject.

Don't forget:  In Europe, and many other places in the world, food shopping is done throughout the week, not twice a month for a $500 bill.  More frequent, less expensive, small bundle shopping means that you can take your bike or walk, rather than stuff your car to bursting.  It also means that you can get fresher food more often, instead of prepared foods that can survive a month's storage.  Shopping more often can lead to a smaller food bill, fresher food, and more exercise.  It's really worth changing habits for, and far more in the spirit of the Global Peasant.

You may notice a lack of candies, desserts, snacks, prepared meals, organic and fair trade teas, or spices in my listings here.  That's not because we don't use them; it's because we make so many things in the Abbey StillRoom ourselves!  And often what we can't make, we order wholesale.  We are always expanding our operation, our sources, and what products we can order. Yes, we are always happy to include extra for others, and we are now have our own direct-to-home wholesale organic co-op.

You'll also notice a lack of meat and dairy products.  Peasants the world over have rarely eaten flesh, except for feast days.  Meat is expensive!  Even the cheap cuts. Which is only fair when a creature sacrifices its life and the lives of all its future descendants for your consumption.  It costs alot to raise those animals, you know, and after you kill them, they don't make any more.  So it's rather wasteful. You'll find that you can reduce your food budget sometimes by half if you limit or cut out your meat consumption.  And then when you do purchase it, you can afford to get the very best organically grown food for yourself and your family.  The animals lead better lives, and you don't get hormones and antibiotics, with the added bonus of a far superior flavour.  It will also help you appreciate it more.

Organic food does not in fact have to be more expensive. It is a myth perpetuated by some health food or whole food stores, and other kinds of grocers; sometimes to gouge their customers, sometimes to discourage or discredit organics, sometimes just because the people bringing them in don't know how to price grocery items. (Here's a hint: basic food stuffs shouldn't have the same markup as supplements and clothing.) For those of you who want to increase your organic consumption and help support the rise of organic foods, practices, and sustainability, as well as decrease your food spending, here are some ways to do it in Edmonton.

Old Strathcona and Downtown Farmer's Markets:

Only open on Saturdays from 8 AM to 3 PM, these are some of the largest gatherings for local and inexpensive food.  I don't feel like we have fresh food in the house if we don't go to visit them every week.  We are totally car-free, but we get our bikes, panniers, and trailers down there as a matter of course for our weekly food supply.  In winter, it's a bit more of a trial, but that's what backpacks are made for... From the lowly potato to free range meat and eggs to unusual eggplant, fresh honey and exotic mushrooms, fresh and local food abounds.  Not every vendor is organic, though, so do check.  (The hydroponic people aren't technically organic, since hydroponic can't be, but they are as close as you can get, and their produce is exquisite!) There really is a very palatable difference in farm fresh, grain fed, free range eggs from the ones in the supermarket.  Not only are they better for you, they are better for the chickens themselves.  So come early.  They sell out fast...

Save-On:

A division of Overwaitea Foods out of BC, they came naturally to the integrated organic scene early, and have many organic foods hidden amongst their conventional offerings.  Though each Save-on can order any of the items that any other does, it is a choice of the mangers to bring certain products in.  Soy sauce, organic chocolate, tinned organic tomato paste... Your best best is to check the bulk bins first.  I love the organic popcorn, cashews, and fair trade organic chocolate coated almonds.  Remember: prepared foods and treats are always more expensive, so purchase sparingly.  But be sure to look for the organic broccoli, tofu, and even organic tortellini, burritos, and rice cream in the frozen section.  Since each Save-on is different, check with your local store and ask to have your favourites included.  My local Save-on is the source of this current list. Save-on is one of the retailers that boosts the price on organic foodstuffs for no good reason that I can see, other than to perpetuate the myth that it has to cost more, or to discourage consumption.  I know this because I have a pretty good idea how much they are paying wholesale for those items, and there is no need for them to retail for that much, especially when small health food stores sell the exact same items for less.  So watch what you buy!  Spectrum oils, which I love, are about 25% more expensive at Save-on than Safeway, so don't do all your shopping in one place!  They draw you in with the great organic taco chips, salsa and snacks, but get you with the oil and soya sauce.

Safeway:

Again, my local Safeway is the one I source. Your mileage may vary in your neighbourhood. It still pisses me off, though.  The latest trend of Safeway is to create their own third party certified organic line, the "O" brand certified by QAI, which is comparable in price to conventional.  In some cases, cheaper! However, each Safeway manager still chooses what customers they want, and my local Safeway has decided that our neighbourhood doesn't want that uppity stuff, and they are slowly removing organic from my shelves.  So I have to complain to the national phone line again, soon...  Organic pasta, oils, and other staples are some of the cheapest in the city, but like Save-on, you have to watch the prices and select only those items that are worth it to get from this retailer.  They will often have fresh produce, but at my local Safeway, their "always fresh" guarantee doesn't apply to organic.  Rummaging through the piles of rotting food to get to the new ones at the bottom makes me feel like an organic raccoon.  I'm sure they are hoping that we all just go away...

Earth's General Store:

Since the demise of giant version of Organic Roots, this is the best place to get all of the items you couldn't find anywhere else.  He's expanded, and now has a much bigger store on the other side of Calgary Trail.  And so convenient!  You can see the store first thing as you come out of the bike trail in the Mill Creek Ravine!  His food staples tend to be on the pricey side, so we usually just get our treats there, but it's our main source of toiletries and cleaners, so we still visit at least once a month.  Be prepared to stay for the literature and community connections!  You'll go in for organic ginger but hang out for the sustainable housing lecture...

Polar Bear Health:

One of my other stops for vital toiletries and cleaners, Polar Bear offers all it's products, including sale items, for 10% off to members. They never gouge, even on their supplements. Not really large enough for everyday food and beverage (sigh), they have a good selection of cosmetics, soaps, and other necessities that, including the discount, are the cheapest retail in the city.  Start talking to the friendly, wise staff and you may never get out of there!  One of the few independent health food stores left in the city, they value and invest in knowledge, and are certainly worth the trip.

Italian Centre:

Limited selection, but they are bringing in more organic food locally and from Europe all the time, and it's the cheapest of its kind in the city.  Tomato paste and sauces, vinegars, olive and speciality oils, pastas, and many are gluten free!  Independently owned, they are far more responsive to order requests than more grocers, so let them know what you need.

Our Organic Shopping List:

To give you some idea of how this all works and how we can take such good care of our family on such little money, here's most of our organic staples, presented according to type, with sources in abbreviation, and general frequency.  I won't include the prices, unless they are off the top of my head, 'cause that seems like way too much like work.

Weekly:

potatoes - FM, EGS if we miss the FM that week
sweet peppers - FM, Safeway has them every few months but from Mexico.  I usually pass...
eggplant - FM.  I'm surprised how much a staple this has become.  I never used to like it, but we have at least one eggplant dish a week now.  No eggplant in the fridge makes me sad...
tofu - Safeway, Save-On. Safeway only has the organic in pressed, which isn't our preference.  Save-On often has the softer version.  If you can't find organic tofu, make do without.  Soybeans are notorious for GMO contamination, and there is much to indicate that even small amounts are hazardous to your health. Organic Roots used to have fresh, locally made organic tofu.  Sigh...
onions, green onions - FM, Safeway.  I need them for nearly everything I cook.
apple juice - Safeway, frozen at Save-On. We still dilute this for our 3yo, which is great, because he goes though alot of it...
garlic - Safeway, FM.  Fresh. Though they are rarely at the Market..
mushrooms - Downtown FM for exotics, Safeway for local button, white, portabella.  The mushroom guy downtown is my husband's new best friend...
carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, celery - Safeway, Save-On, FM in season.


Monthly necessities or indulgences:

organic, fair trade coffee - Safeway, Save-On, EGS.  It's everywhere these days, so there really is no excuse not to look for it.  There is almost no difference in price, but do watch out for greenwashing with less-than-credible labels like Rainforest Alliance.  EGS freshly roasts it own organic, fair trade coffee, so I occasionally splurge...
soya milk - Safeway.  So Nice is one of the only brands that is certified organic, and therefore GMO free, but there are others.  Yes, I do have organic soya milk lattes every morning, thank you, and at about 10% of the price at a coffee bar...
cane sugar - Safeway, Save-On, EGS.  Save-On carries the organic, fair trade from Cocoa Camino in the bulk bins and in bags, but if you must, Safeway has two organic brands, though not fair trade...  When organic, cane sugar is a whole food, so don't be shy with it!
olive oil - Safeway.  Save-On also carries Spectrum oils, my personal favourite, since they are organic and cold-pressed, but they are much more expensive there. Now that Safeway's O brand is comparable in price with conventional, I usually just get that one.
basmati and jasmine rice - Safeway, cheapest in the bulk bins at Save-On.  I still can't get into brown rice, but there is nothing to compete with the smell of organic rice. Like organic flour, organic rice needs more moisture to cook properly, so don't forget to compensate.  Lundberg's Nutru-Farmed used to be the best you could get at both those stores, but now the true certified organics are in.  However, my husband picked this one up instead of our usual Lundberg, and I admit that I have had a conversion.  Safeway's O brand is literally the best basmati I have ever worked with.  The. Best. Ever.  It's obviously a very specific species, with a nutty smell, and each grain just falls apart from all the others.  My cooking has gone to the next level with this one...
hot peppers - FM.  I just don't bother anywhere else.  They aren't fresh or local enough...
eggs - FM, Safeway, Save-On.  Organic, free range. My husband loves them, and tries to get to Strathcona as soon as he can to get them, since they sell out so fast.  I still use them very rarely in baking and cooking that I just can't substitute for, but they kind of ooge me out.
tamari/soya sauce - Save-on, EGS. If you can't find a real, traditional brewed tamari or soya sauce, Asian Family will do in a pinch.  Why they don't make it more prominent on the label is beyond me, but their Light and Dark Soya sauces are made with organic soybeans.
dried pasta - Safeway, Save-On, EGS, IC.  Almost the same price as conventional, and so easy to find.
cream - Save-On.  My husband has to have cream for his tea, and organic makes me feel so much better about it...
peanut butter - Safeway, Save-On.  They have organic brands, but all have sea salt added, which isn't to our taste.  I'm not too worried about GMO's with peanuts so we get the "natural" kinds, which are just ground peanuts.
spinach - Safeway, FM.  Fresh in baby spinach leaves and frozen in chopped form.  Great for so many dishes!
peas - Safeway, frozen.  Shelled.
ketchup - Safeway, Save-On.  The latter doesn't carry the Muir Glen anymore, which is the next best thing to homemade, but the other house brands will do, even if they are a bit sweet...
edemame - Safeway, frozen. Soy beans in their shells.  Steam without defrosting, and shell as you eat them similar to fresh peas. Mmm...
taco chips, salsa - Save-On. Their in-house brand or my favourite from Que Pasa (BC.) Corn, like soy, is particularly contaminated with GMO, so if you can't find certified organic corn snacks, go without.  The risk just isn't worth it.
sesame oil - Safeway. Unrefined, low heat, from Spectrum.
canned chickpeas, kidney, and other beans - Safeway, Save-on.  It's terribly lazy, but soaking beans overnight means that you have to cook them the next day, and I just don't plan well enough for that.  Even if you can find dried organic beans to soak...  These are all ready to go, and cook in minutes! 
bananas - Safeway.  Bananas are one of the Dirty Dozen: a fruit that is highly contaminated with pesticides and herbicides when conventionally grown, so we don't get them unless we can buy organic.  We will often pick them up if Safeway is carrying them when we pop by...
strawberries, grapes, apples - Safeway, Save-On.  Usually in much nastier shape than their conventional counterparts, they are still worth the effort to sort through for the value of the extra vits and minerals, not to mention not ingesting the undesirable chemicals..
cheese - Safeway.  Since there are ethical parameters for animals required in organic certifications, I feel better supporting organic cheese.  But I sometimes wish I didn't like it so much...
corn flakes, corn pops - Safeway.  Not really, of course. Those are Kellogg's brand names.  The organic versions from Nature's Path are much tastier, more nutritious, and don't give you the cuts on the top of your mouth.  We all fight over 'em...
chocolate - EGS, Save-On.  Fair trade, organic. Eatin' and bakin'.  My husband has standing orders to get it whenever he stops in places that carry it.  The baking chocolate I use to make vegan truffles.  When it lasts long enough...
cocoa - Save-On, EGS. Fair trade, organic. Cocoa Camino, naturally.  Remember that you will need less of this in your recipes than conventional cocoa, since it's much richer and stronger.
chocolate chips - Save-On, Safeway, EGS.  Cocoa Camino makes great fair trade, organic, dairy free chocolate chips, but if I can't get there, the organic ones from Safeway will do...
icing sugar, light / dark brown sugar - EGS, Save-On.  Fair trade, organic.  Cocoa Camino makes everything...
tomatoes - FM. Hydroponic.  Almost as cheap as wholesale.  The only limit is how much you can carry!
honey - FM. It's so cheap by the pound, we can cook with it!  And make mead! Many of the local apiaries will even fill up your old containers for a bit off the price.  Don't forget to put some into a smaller container for daily use, and remember that it crystallizes after awhile.  Just reheat in small batches and it melts back to liquid. 3 pounds is about $20.
popcorn - microwave bags at Safeway, bulk bins at Save-On.  I prefer the loose in bulk bins, of course, for my old fashioned hot air popper.  It's so cheap!  You'll get used to making it every night again. Get lots.
tomato paste, tomato sauce, canned chopped tomatoes- Save-On, IC.  I'm making lots of my own pasta sauces now, and the cans make it much more convenient.  But I still buy pre-made pasta sauce in jars, in case I'm really short on time.  And I can re-use the jars...
pasta sauce - Safeway, Save-On, IC.  Local Prairie Harvest is so tasty, and there is no place cheaper for it than the Italian Centre.  Just wish they'd carry more of these organic pastas again...
wheat flour - Safeway (Sunny Boy: unbleached and whole grain, from Alberta), FM.  Organic wheat flour, even white, needs more water than conventional in recipes, possibly due to the higher mineral and vitamin content, so keep that in mind when you use it.
grape juice - Safeway, frozen at Save-On.  It's so strong that we dilute it for everyone in the house.  Lasts a week.
lemon concentrate - Safeway, Save-On, EGS.  From Santa Cruz.  You can use less, since it's extra potent, but with none of that weird aftertaste..
ginger - EGS. Fresh.
oatmeal - Save-On bulk bins.  Regular and instant.  Cheap as dirt.  Cheaper, these days...
maple syrup - Safeway, Save-On, Strathcona FM.
balsamic vinegar - Safeway, IC.
fresh pasta - Strathcona FM. Not many organic selections, but still fresh and locally made.
chocolate syrup - EGS.  When I don't make it myself, this is very nice to have on hand.  One of my favourites from Santa Cruz.
pearl barley, lentils - Save-On bulk bins, PB
mung beans - PB.  For growing your own organic bean sprouts!


Infrequent or In-Season Purchases:

coconut - PB. Shredded, non-sulfured.
molasses, rice syrup - EGS
vanilla extract - EGS.  Fair trade, organic. Giant bottle for $24.
baking powder - Save-On. Also has no alum.
rice wine vinegar - EGS. Really what our Asian sauces was missing.  No substitute.
peas, corn, turnips - FM. Fresh, in shell or in husk.  Nothing like it.
waffles - Save-On. Frozen. When I don't make them to freeze myself, we'll occasionally treat ourselves to these ones. But not too often, because of the gougy retail price. Again, from Nature's Path.
crackers - Save-On. My kids still love those things, and although the price is too high for where they are selling them, I will still pick them up sometimes.
cashews - Save-On bulk bins. Roasted or non-, whole or in pieces.  Still too pricey, but my husband loves them, especially in mushroom dishes.
licorice - Save-On, PB. Sticks or pieces.  The best licorice candy you will ever put in your mouth. Ever. I need to learn how to make it this good, but until I do, I'll just have to lust after Panda...
yogurt - Safeway. Nearly all store bought yogurt is just a tasty pudding, and doesn't you any good at all.  Organic contains live bacterial cultures, so I can use it for leavening, esp. in naan.
sour cream - Safeway, Save-On. Since organic has ethical standards for animal treatment, it's worth the few extra pennies to help them out, while also not consuming antibiotics and hormones...
sesame butter - Save-On, EGS. Main ingredient for tahini sauce, can also usually be used just like peanut butter for those with peanut allergies, and very high in calcium!
Patel's Indian prepared pouches - Save-on.  I admit it.  This is one of the only prepared meals I indulge in, but I really have to stop myself buying as many or as often as I want.  Microwavable in 2 min, stove for 3-5. No refrigeration needed. Even their conventional versions just contain... food.  Real spices.  No soyabean oil. No preservatives.  And tastes better than most restaurants!  Prepared foods always cost more than we think, though, so you'll have to exert some discipline to keep them only for emergencies, or you'll be tempted to live on them.  I use them when guests come over and I don't have time to make more than a few dishes, or with some pita bread after a hard day and I can't cook, or traveling and can't find food easily...  Things like that.  Mmmmm.... I know you`re looking at me, Channa Masala. Oh, yes you are...


Natural Cleaners, Toiletries:

Toilet paper - Safeway, Save-on.  Save-on has it's own brand of recycled, unbleached, and Safeway carries two.  Woohoo!  Unless it says recycled, it's not. It's virgin wood cut down just for fibre just to make paper products like your TP.  There is absolutely no excuse for not using recycled paper, and you can't possibly bitch about forest destruction if you use anything else.  Since you are wiping your ass with virgin rainforest...
Borax - Safeway, EGS. I can't clean if there isn't any borax in the house.  It disinfects with very hot water as well as bleach, without the nastiness; it softens water for whiter laundry, deodorises, and kills any bugs or eggs like fleas, tics, bedbugs, and there is no better scratchless cleanser for tubs, porcelain and chrome.  I use it in my handwashing to disinfect my wood utensils. Only dissolves in warm or hot water, so don't use it in your cold wash!
White wine vinegar - Handy Bakery, Superstore. Not organic. I don't encourage the use of the lab-created vinegars for so many reasons, so even in cleaning, I'll use only the real brewed vinegars.  Less harsh, too.
Hydrogen peroxide - PB. Not the woosy, expensive, small version you get at pharmacies, this industrial strength version (over 30%) is lab quality.  It will kill just about anything, and bubble like mad doing it.  And the bugs don't build up a resistance, either!  It's so much fun!  I put it in my delicate laundry to disinfect and deodorize, I dilute it and add it to the orange cleanser to make a truly fine cleaning cocktail that disinfects, degreases, whitens, and is completely non-toxic.  Don't let that fool you into complacency, though.  Strong H202 will eat through your skin, so always dilute, wear gloves, and rinse or wipe the surface thoroughly after cleaning.  Left-over residue can be potent enough to irritate the skin.
orange cleaner - EGS, though some Save-Ons might still have it.  It's concentrated, so it will last you awhile.  Cleans and smells great, with no fumes or allergens.  Doesn't smell like orange: it IS orange, made from the rind.  I wouldn't recommend eating it, though...
Big jug of Dr. Bronner's liquid soap - PB, refillable at EGS.  Organic, all natural, biodegradable. You can dilute it for hand soap, making it anti-bac with the addition of a small amount of GSE, you can use it for shaving soap or laundry or washing floors in a pinch...  It's highly recommended for your delicates, wools and silks!  Exactly the same stuff as those "speciality" soaps, only less toxic. It's an all in one cleaner, and buying the big jug means I don't purchase soap for about six months. ~ $70 for the largest jug.  Smaller quantities are much less and can last months.
GSE - PB.  Organic grapefruit seed extract.  Anti-bac, anti-viral, anti-fungal, preservative. Highly concentrated, it has some advantages over tea tree oil.  I use it in my liquid hand soap mix for disinfecting as well as keeping it available for pimples, boils, and other hard-to-cure skin conditions.
Shampoo, conditioner - EGS, PB.  I can't make either of those myself yet, so I still just pick them up.  Avalon is my current favourite, despite the smear campaign that USDA Organic tried to create about their organic certification.
oral hygiene products - PB, EGS.  Fluoride free, sugar free, SLS free toothpaste; natural bristle, biodegradable, or changeable head toothbrushes...  There are far more choices available to you than the same boxes, different names you see at your pharmacy...
Laundry detergent, dishwasher powder, dish soap - EGS, Vitamin Farm downtown in an emergency. All from Biovert (Quebec) or Ecover.  They clean better than all conventional chemical products I've tried, and they are both biodegradable, sustainably made, non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, phosphate-free, and mostly organic.  The Seventh Generation and NatureClean versions I won't use now even when I'm desperate.  They just don't work very well.
toilet cleaner, BBQ cleaner - EGS.  The first goes without saying.  The second works great on baked-on carbon and grease on stoves, without the fumes or toxins.  For those, I will use the NatureClean versions, but only because I haven't been able to find another brand locally.


This is not even close to everything that's available in Edmonton, since it's just our family's usual organic purchases, but it does give you some idea of how you can fit your personal preferences into the inexpensive, organic life.  If you're still not sure, or if you're really keen and want to save more on your budget while eating better than you ever have before, we offer very reasonable classes on the subject, or the slightly more expensive one-on-one personal expertise, helping you relearn how to shop the organic and healthy way.  It will save you so much money in long run, you'll wonder what to do with it all.  Or why you ever spent that much on that other stuff in the first place...

Public / Private Health Care

Instead of podcasting my speech, I put it on YouTube with pics from the event for visual interest.

I was invited as a rep from the Green Party to the political panel of the forum on public health care on Sept. 18, 2011. None of the other invited parties attended, so the panel was cancelled. This topic, however, is one of my specialties, and the Greens are committed to an increase in democracy and public participation, so I spent my Sunday afternoon helping out anyway. I even worked the PowerPoint presentation of the keynote speaker, Diana Gibson, Research Director from the Parkland Institute.

Private health care already exists and always has in Canada. We are talking about two different public processes here, and the governments, both federal and provincial, deliberately obfuscate the two whenever they are trying to cut more funding in pursuit of their agenda and "free market" fantasies. 1) One is the creation, equipping, staffing, maintenance, and funding of public facilities like most hospitals, some clinics and even fewer research areas. 2) The other is the direct paying of taxpayer bills for medical care: i.e. public insurance. Everything else is privately owned. Everything. So whenever the Right starts talking about two tier or private health care, pretending we should have that conversation, it's only to decrease public and increase private further. There are therefore two ways they can do that, and usually do. One is to decrease the funding of the public facilities, like closing hospitals, public clinics, reducing staff and increasing hours, like any employer who wants to cut costs, and decreasing maintenance, letting equipment get older before replacing it for example. The other is to "de-list" services that are covered by the province's public insurance.

Ralph Klein, Premier of Alberta, did both. He closed and actually blew up hospitals, turned brand new hospitals into "extended care clinics", cut staff across the board, increased hours, and shut down nearly every mental health facility in the province. So naturally, those professionals fled to seek employment elsewhere if they could. Some went to other provinces, some switched to private practice, and some went to the States. As for public insurance, every so often, a new list came out that took away more and more services that used to be covered under public health insurance. We used to be able to get an eye exam every year, then every two, and now it's not covered at all. Same with certain surgeries, then even ambulance trips. If you don't want to have to pay for those out of your own pocket, now you have to pay separately for private insurance to cover those expenses, on top of the premiums he forced us all to pay for public insurance, despite the fact that it's illegal under the Canada Health Act, since it affects universal accessibility and portability. But people still need those services, and to pay for them. So many more private clinics opened up all over the province. Soon they were getting permission to do procedures they never were allowed to do before and which were originally under the purveyance of the government public facilities, but we have such long waiting lists in those places, doncha know, and this will help open up beds for those who really need it. So now these clinics are doing day surgery for knees and hip replacements. Or cataracts. I mean, it's crazy. And the public insurance of the province pays for it, since it medically necessary and they can't get it done in a timely manner in the public hospitals, so the private company pockets the money. And it costs twice as much! According the Parkland Institute, Albertans already pay the highest out of pocket cost for health care services in the country! So the province and its citizens are still paying, and paying more than anyone else, but the illusion is created that government can't afford to maintain the public facilities, and that private can do it better, offering "choice". Like we're shopping for a new heart like we need a new pair of shoes.

Private ownership and profit has always been a part of health care in this country, operating in conjunction with the public facilities the government maintains, the public insurance owned by the provinces, and private insurance. Family doctors, dentists, orthodontists, cosmetic specialists... They are all private companies, usually owned by the doctors themselves or in partnership. The labs used to be government owned in Alberta until Klein privatized them, too. So when you go to your family doctor, if you can find one, or a clinic or need lab work, the province pays for the visit to the private company, unless that visit is no longer covered for some reason. Then your private insurer pays. Unless you don't have one. Then you pay out of pocket.

Current practice is that the public health insurance plan pays for any procedure that is medically necessary and can't be done in a reasonably accessible public hospital or clinic. If you can't get the heart surgery you need in your province, the government will pay to ship you somewhere else in the country and then pay for the procedure. So the more cuts to public health care, the more private takes over. So instead they get the government money for the procedures. With increased procedures in private, it helps make the argument for more cuts to public, since we don't want duplication of services or anything... And the wheel goes on. That's how it's worked in all the countries that have toyed with a public/private system, and most are switching back to a more public balance.

With the long waiting lists and public facilities shutting down all over the country, to get treatment in a timely manner, some patients are going to where they can get their treatment, paying the bills, and asking to be reimbursed later. That sometimes doesn't happen, if the government don't agree that you needed to go *there* to get *that*. These aren't the rich, either. Just people who hold BBQ's or put up their houses for collateral so they or their families can get treatment. It's already happening here. Creating an even greater system where this can degrade further is the tide we have to stem. Renewing our commitment to care, facilities, staff, equipment, and patients means giving back the funding to public health care, removing the muscling in of private in those areas, and the balance will again shift to an efficient, sustainable, equitable system across the entire country, and that used to be the envy of the world.

The rich will always head to Mexico to get their valves massaged or whatever. It's a status symbol. They always have. But before the cuts to public health care, all the treatments they actually needed were available in a timely manner, by professional, caring, healthy staff, in the finest of facilities with the best of equipment. So they were seen as a bit of nutters and weren't recompensed. They certainly didn't have to fly to the States for basic heart surgery...

The States have already tried for-profit health care. Not only is it an abomination and a complete failure, they have some of the highest costs and worst care per capita in the developed world. 60% of all bankruptcies in the States are directly related to medical bills.

Investors, not doctors, suddenly make the calls about patient care, equipment, staff, and facilities. The brightest and the best of medical practitioners leave for private practice because they can get better pay. We saw that happen in Alberta with the Klein Kuts. Hundreds of practitioners fled, leaving only the most dedicated or those who had difficulty getting jobs elsewhere staying here in the public system, with pay cuts and huge hour increases. Expensive diagnostic machines cease to be lifesavers and become moneymakers. After all, ya gotta pay for 'em... So they are used on those who can afford them, whether they need the procedure or not, and those who need it but can't afford it can wait for the charity of a public system. This isn't "House", you know, where he doesn't seem to care who pays... You think increasing private care will help take the strain off the public system? Not a chance. Since there are so many new clinics making money off people's pain and desperation and suffering, it's just all the more reason to cut it further, leaving public health care a desiccated husk that even rats won't gnaw on.

None of this has anything to do with "standards", of course. Those are different regulations that all facilities, public or private, have to follow according to the law, both federal and provincial. There's alot of leeway, though, and many things aren't covered that should be. The doctors and other professionals are licensed by the provincial government, but on the advice of the independent College of Physicians and Surgeons or other professional groups whose job they have taken it upon themselves to decree what is required for their profession. Usually those are in conjunction, and the government doesn't deviate from those recommendations unless it has an agenda it wants to follow. It certainly didn't hear a thing when it de-listed from public insurance many of the services that the College considered "vital", like ambulance rides, and it ignored pleas for the children's hospital, which took more than 20 years to build and is now a charity hospital linked to a University hospital that's gets much of its funding through raffles.

We have always had a public/private system. We always will have one. There have been fat farms and other clinics operating outside the public system. It's a matter of degree. Allowing more private, even regulated and having a "base standard of care", means a degradation of those same services in the public system. In this new myth of "private can do better", or "private costs us less", the new private clinics and services suck the talent and patients away from the crumbling public system, leaving a dangerous, intolerable mess that can only be cured by, you guessed it, more private health care.

Injecting money back into the public system means less staff attrition, more recruitment, better facilities, and less tax revenues flowing to States. There is no possible way a facility that is required to make a profit can provide services as cheaply as a government. They can't buy in the same bulk, they can't actually outbid a government on wages if that government actually cares to pay their people enough, it can't get the same deals on equipment, and a government isn't even required to break even, much less make a profit. In a government system, services can be provided at a much greater efficiency, with greater safety, and with only patient care and workplace security in mind. In for-profits, just imagine the mishmash of insurance providers, coverage, and the hundreds of staff required just for processing all that paperwork. In the public system, mistakes or problems that happen in one centre can quickly be dealt with and new regulations and procedures passed on all across the country in days, rather than going unnoticed in an avalanche of private facilities. It all comes down to who is going to get paid, and who is doing the paying. Someone is going to provide the drugs, the procedures, the facilities, and the staff. It's all a matter of who do you want to get the money. Private for-profit companies, who are designed to make money specifically off of their patient's suffering, not necessarily relieving it, or diverting that money directly back into the public purse and a government who at least theoretically is more concerned with getting the citizenry productive again?

It's gone beyond an obscene and flagrant disregard for the Canada Health Act, universality and public health care. We've always had a two tier system, and now they are just getting out the bone cutter to start hacking the corpse of public health care to more easily transportable bits. Easier to smoke on the BBQ, doncha know...