The job of the Canadian prime minister ...

The PM speaking to reporters in Calgary after Cabinet. CBC

"It is the job of the Canadian prime minister 

to have a constructive working relationship 

with the President of the United States. 

That's exactly what I intend to do."

Well yes, maybe that's part of it. Working relationships with all our trading  partners, including the US, might be a good idea. But really? 

Shouldn't "the job of the Canadian prime minister" be to look after the interests of Canadians? To uphold the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms? And maybe, just maybe, the job of the Canadian prime minster should be to stand up for Canada in the face of bullies and tyrants. To choose citizens over corporations, the environment over pipelines, truth and reconciliation instead of racism and misogyny.

Perhaps I'm confused, but I always thought my prime minister should stand on guard for Canada. Apparently not.

Justin Trudeau welcomes Keystone XL approval

By Jim Murray. Copyright 2017.

The Elbow Room Cafe ~ great shtick but....

The Elbow Room Cafe has been around a long time. Along Davie Street, but out of the West End, and officially in the high-rise, high rent district. It's a favourite among tourists and some locals too, though why isn't readily apparent.








There are rules posted in the menu, which are more an invitation to be entertained in a certain way. Don't ask for water, get it yourself, We'll bring you your first cup of coffee, after that, get it yourself. Getting crowded: leave. Don't like our choice of language: too bad.

Be prepared for banter from the servers that is rude, crude and sometimes hostile. It's all part of the act, and it works for a once-in-a-while visit. And while it isn't quite elbow-room-crowded, it is pleasantly small and intimate; the better to hear all the conversations.




To keep the locals coming back, the food could be a wee bit better, though the helpings are generous and the flavours possibly from natural sources. What can I say? It's a breakfast place and the reason anyone is here is to see how close the servers can come to being offensive. Underneath the layers of feigned anger and abusiveness, it's all about caring for each other. More or less. Maybe.

 

Great shtick but the food: meh.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2016 by Jim Murray.

Boxing Day Snowfall

On Boxing Day in Canada, many people head to the malls for the annual consumerist ritual of spending money on things they don't really need.
















We decided to go for a walk in the snow as yet another snowstorm blanketed Metro Vancouver and the entire south coast.

Tomorrow it will probably be washed away, but for now, our world is winter-white.


Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2016 by Jim Murray.