Shiny New Things

 

Despite our professed admiration for things that have withstood the test of time (heritage buildings, old literature and traditional values come to mind), it is undeniable that there is much allure to be found in the new as well. We marvel at innovative architecture, science and engineering, to name but three. And that is often all to the good; otherwise we would simply be mired in the past. 

However,  sometimes we can be blinded by the sheen of shiny new things and fail to appreciate the many costs that accrue in throwing out the old and embracing the new.

Such is the case with the Doug Ford government's plan to redevelop Ontario Place in the image of a tawdry but expensive spa, a development that has both  profound financial (think $600 million taxpayers' dollars to build an underground parking lot), aesthetic and environmental costs. Many protests have occurred opposing this development, and now an insider has emerged to voice his concern.

A prominent landscape architect, known for designing Trillium and Tommy Thompson parks, has walked away from the redevelopment of Ontario Place, citing his opposition to clearing hundreds of trees to make way for a private spa and waterpark on Toronto’s waterfront.

After it became clear he couldn’t influence plans from the inside, Walter Kehm told the Star he could no longer be tied to a project that threatens a decades-old wildlife habitat, likening his professional commitment to protect nature to a doctor’s Hippocratic oath: “Do no harm.”

Earlier this fall, the former director of the University of Guelph’s school of landscape architecture resigned as a senior principal at Toronto-based LANDinc, one of two firms under contract to help design and construct the “public realm” of Ontario Place.

Kehm voices concern about the less-obvious destruction involved in this construction.

In more than half a century, “the 800 trees on the West Island have developed their own ecological niche,” he said. “We’re talking about more than the trees. We’re talking about a home for all the species that live there.”

Refreshingly, this expert  is able to consider something other than the bottom line.

Kehm said he had repeatedly advocated to preserve the trees on the West Island, as part of his broader vision for a forested Toronto waterfront, including during a meeting near the end of last summer.

The “big vision” for Toronto’s waterfront that Kehm had fought for, one he’s dubbed the “Emerald Necklace,” takes inspiration from a connected chain of parks that runs through Boston.

In the midst of a mental health crisis — on top of a changing climate — he stressed the importance of not only protecting “urban forests,” such as the one found on West Island, but also creating more opportunities for Torontonians to harness nature’s therapeutic benefits. 

In the world of quick profits and secret, sleazy backroom deals that characterize the Ford government, a public expression of integrity is both rare and welcome. I therefore leave the final world to Kehm:

“Nature is calming for the soul,” he reasoned. “You don’t need a spa for that. You need trees.”

 

 

 

Such Elequence!

This took place at a school board meeting in Virginia. The rest is self-explanatory.

I'm Getting Tired

The woes of the world are wearing me down. I therefore choose to change channels completely today and focus on comedy, one of the few escapes this world permits almost everyone.

There are five comedians whose work I have revered for many years. At the top of the pantheon is George Carlin, whose clips I have featured more than once on this blog. The other four are as follows: Albert Brooks, Gary Shandling, Larry David and Jerry Seinfield. The absurdity of their observational and conceptual humour may not appeal to everyone, but in this fractured world, you have to find relief where you can.

There is a new documentary on Crave called Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. Here is a clip from it:

Enjoy, and forget the rest of the world, if only for a brief time.

If You Are Of A Certain Age

 ... you will get this, the latest from Moudakis.

About That Free Speech Thing

Increasingly, it seems that free speech and freedom of expression are contingent upon whether the powers that be approve of your views. Recent events surrounding the Israel-Gaza war underscore that reality.

Close to home, Humber College has expressed 'regret'  over a recent incident where a student was removed from campus for his views. 

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Dozens of students organized a walkout at Humber College in Toronto on Tuesday after one student was removed from campus for putting up stickers of the Palestinian flag amid heightened tensions on many Canadian university campuses.

Hani Alaf, a Syrian-Canadian postgraduate student, says he plastered about a dozen stickers around Humber's Lakeshore campus last Tuesday. The stickers depicted the Palestinian flag and read "Boycott Israeli Apartheid."

Two days later, he was sitting in class when a staff member of Humber's public safety department approached him and asked him to leave campus and not return, he says.

"[I was told] that I have been accused of spreading hate speech, of spreading antisemitic rhetoric and of desecrating and vandalizing property," Alaf told CBC Toronto.

Told that he would be arrested should he return. Hence the student walkout, and now that the incident has been held up to the sanitizing rays of public scrutiny,  the college has expressed its regrets and he can return to campus.

And slightly farther afield, there is the great exception American Republicans are taking with Palestinian-American House Democrat Rashida Tlaib, who has tried to emphasize the humanity of victims on both sides. To their shame, a number of her fellow Democrats voted for the censure, the final count being 234-188 in favour of her censure.

But she is not prepared to accept this:

In remarks on the House floor, Tlaib defended her criticism of the country and urged lawmakers to join in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

“I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib said. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”

She also said she had condemned the Hamas attacks on Israeli citizens several times.

Finally, across the  pond, English PM Rishi Sunak has no tolerance for a pro-Palestinian protest on Armistice Day, one that the Met Commissioner, Mark Rowley refuses to block:

Rishi Sunak has vowed to hold the Metropolitan police commissioner, Mark Rowley, “accountable” for his defiance of demands for a ban on a pro-Palestinian march in London planned for Armistice Day.

Downing Street would not say whether the government would overrule the Met’s decision.

Asked whether it would intervene, the official said: “The Met are operationally independent and obviously the focus on the discussion today is about their approach. It is a poignant weekend of remembrance where people from across the UK come together. Planning a march to coincide with that which, based on previous marches, may include incidents of expressing racial hatred, for which there were a number of arrests last weekend, would be provocative and disrespectful.”

Sterling examples of free speech and freedom of expression, something we are always told are legacies of those who fought and died in both world wars, seem no longer the tradition when dealing with Pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Irony, anyone?

 

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Repost: Sometimes, All You Can Do Is Feed The Birds

Let's face it: life is grim these days, the Israeli-Hamas war but another reminder of our collective inhumanity, not just in the perpetration of evil acts of destruction but also in the very debate about whether a ceasefire in the killing of Gazans should be considered. with over 10,000 Palestinians dead thus far, that the question has become a huge heated topic of debate perhaps tells us a great deal about how far we have sunk. I am reminded of a term that was often used on the television series Law and Order: depraved indifference.

Additionally, given the rapidly deteriorating conditions of the world politically,  environmentally, socially and just about every other way one can think of, rather that simply disengaging in life, and hiding in our caves. is there a solution that is realistic and eminently doable.?

Over a year ago, I posted something about my personal philosophy that perhaps provides a partial solution, at least for me. Here is that post:

For many years, there was a popular saying that everyone seemed to know: "Think globally, act locally." Basically, it was a call to consider the global environmental implications in every decision we make. Not a bad sentiment, but I find myself living by something quite different in these latter days of my life.

In my backyard, which is perpetually sun-challenged, I have an array of drought-resistant perennials ranging from Hostas to Black-eyed Susans to Purple Coneflowers. Unfortunately, I have never had any luck with my Milkweed efforts, but at least the 'garden' offers something for pollinators.

Also in the backyard I keep a birdbath and two bird feeders, both of which I replenish regularly. Seeing the birds come and the bees collecting pollen offers me a small measure of comfort in these dark days. Because, when you think about it, sometimes all you can do is feed the birds.

The above  essentially encapsulates what has become my philosophy of life. Recognizing that the big issues like war, famine, drought, massive climate change, to name but four, have little likelihood of remediation, I was forced to change my outlook in order to keep even a semblance of hope and positivity.

Feeding the birds both literally and metaphorically allows me to maintain my humanity. Metaphorically, it means doing some good, usually locally, where I can. Such acts do not have a world-shaking impact but perhaps might make someone else's life just a little bit better or at least reduce their suffering in a small way.

I will not bore you with details of how I try to practise this philosophy, but opportunities to help abound: community refrigerators, hot-meal programs, volunteering, foodbanks, mentoring, helping a neigbour, providing a sympathetic ear to someone in distress,  just being present for another, etc.. Each of us, in our way, in our own communities, can help to "feed the birds." 

In my life, I have much to be thankful for. I accept the goodness in my life with gratitude, knowing that days of grace are guaranteed to no one, nor are they really ever merited. As grateful as I am, if I can do even a little to show monetary/emotional support for individuals who are suffering, I feel called to do so.

We sometimes really do underestimate what a kind word, a sympathetic voice, a show of support or a small donation can achieve in someone's life.

Nearer My God To Thee

As the Benighted States of Amerika lurches ever-closer to a full-blown theocracy with the election of Mike Johnson as House Speaker, a timely reminder: be careful what you wish for:

Amen.