Have you ever had an occasion where you’ve had a bunch of nagging questions running around in your head and you can’t stop wondering, “What’s up with that?”
Well, that’s where I was this week, so I thought I’d throw these questions out there just in case one of you wonderful readers can help me find an answer to some of these questions. Here goes:
For starters, the result of a recent CBC poll suggests nearly 80 per cent of Canadians either strongly or somewhat agree with the statement: “My country is divided between ordinary people and elites.”
I can’t help but wonder, what’s up with that?
First of all, the phrase “ordinary people” always bothers me because, really, aren’t we all “ordinary” at the very basic level? What people are really saying is that there is a major divide between those who can afford to pay to have more luxuries in their lives than many of us who cannot.
I guess that makes these people elite because they have more things than those who are considered ordinary but really, let’s all agree that “ordinary” isn’t the right adjective to use here.
Moving on, I see that Tim Hortons has introduced new cup lids for their hot beverages. What’s up with that?
Personally, I prefer the old lids, mostly because when both of your hands were full, you could use your mouth to hold your cup. Let’s see you try to do that with the new lids. I also find the new lids more difficult to drink from but maybe that’s just me and, even though it may take some time, I’m sure I’ll adjust. After all, I’ve been accused of not liking change.
Really, though, as one of my friends on Facebook suggested, if we all used refillable cups, we wouldn’t have to worry about which lids are on their cups. She makes a valid point and, in the end, that would be much more friendly to the environment.
Cape Breton is abuzz these days over a proposed airport that some want to build near the Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs golf courses in Inverness. According to a CBC report, a group called Build Cape Breton that includes the operators of both golf courses has asked the federal government for a reported $18 million to fund the project. The report also says opponents of the project fear the project will cater to an elite clientele, and likely bankrupt the airport in Port Hawkesbury, which is an hour’s drive from Inverness.
What’s up with that? While no level of government has yet to commit to funding the proposed airport, one can’t help but speculate that the money will be forthcoming, especially in an election year and, in light of that very real possibility, I can’t help but wonder what’s up with that?
If the feds do pony up to support this controversial airport project, then we’d have a good case to argue that they should also help fund the Yarmouth to Maine ferry, a vital economic link not only in this region’s tourism industry, but many other industries, including real estate.
Speaking of elections, how can anyone who lives in Canada not know there’s a federal election coming this October? Again, let me ask, what’s up with that?
For those who don’t know (and yes, there are many who don’t), Canadians will go to the polls on Oct. 21.
At the risk of sounding preachy, may I suggest that you should be more engaged in the matters of this country? After all, our futures depend upon it.
And, even though we aren’t Americans, we should also pay attention to the goings-on south of the border. On that note, I can’t help but ask what’s up with President Donald Trump’s approval actually ticking up a few notches? Seriously? This bears repeating. What’s up with that?
After the past two-and-a-half years of Trump in office, you would think the majority of Americans would be ready to turf him, but apparently not. Go figure.
In news closer to home, Feed Nova Scotia recently released a report that says they helped feed 42,000 Nova Scotians last year. What’s up with that?
To bring it even closer to home, the organization said that in 2018, they provided enough food for 250,000 meals here on the South Shore. Again, what’s up with that?
These are certainly eye-opening statistics but what does that tell us? It tells us that some how, in some way, our system is failing many Nova Scotians. Surely, in this day and age of excessive wealth and wastefulness, we can do better than that. Surely, we can find a way to help those who are struggling.
I’m also wondering what’s up with the increased number of dear kills motorists have seen on Nova Scotian roads over the past year?
I’ll tell you what I think is up with that. I think that the increased clear cutting activity is infringing on the animal’s natural habitat and driving the deer to look for alternate locations. Combine that with thick growths of bushes close to the shoulder of road, along with an exploding dear population, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster and a tragedy waiting to happen. I’ve seen the close calls. Heck, I’ve had close calls, as I’m sure many of you have.
Another thing that has caught my attention in recent weeks is the advent of substitute “food” items. First, it was meatless hamburgers, and now they’re talking about fishless fish burgers. What’s up with that?
Perhaps with a growing worldwide population and shrinking resources, these manufactured foodstuffs will become viable options for future generations.
So that is the view from here this week, and I know you’re probably thinking, what’s up with that?
Vernon Oickle’s column, The View From Here, runs weekly in the South Shore Breaker. He can be reached at [email protected].
