A man who wanted to join the protests in Canada’s capital over mask mandates called in a bomb threat so police would waste their time chasing it, authorities said, but he called the wrong Ottawa — a village in Ohio.

The man, a 20-year-old from Akron, Ohio, called the Putnam county sheriff’s office twice Monday, said sheriff’s Capt Brad Brubaker.

The first time he made a bomb threat, and then in a second call he said he had been shot, Brubaker said. That’s when the man found out he was talking with someone in Ohio.

“He wasn’t paying attention and just called the first number he found,” Brubaker told The Lima News. “He said he was mad about mask mandates.”

The sheriff’s office said it would ask the county prosecutor to consider charges against the man. (...)

Hilarious!

Enjoyed this one from brittlestar too:

 Steely_D wrote:

These graphics show just how much record-breaking rain hit southern B.C. recently - CBC


What are atmospheric rivers, and how are they affecting the B.C. floods? - CBC


For a misleading view, take a look at this CBC news article:  Why are the B.C. floods so bad? Blame the wildfires, at least in part



The Coquihalla River tore through the bridge supporting the 4-lane (and very economically important) Coquihalla Highway just upstream/east of Hope, BC like it was cardboard.   I know the river and the location really well and never would have imagined such an event in a 200-year time period.  

 R_P wrote:

Heck, Winnipeg is on it's second statue of Riel by the Legislature. They both were crap imo but at least the Metis were consulted about the current one

Louis Riel?  Re-evaluate?   Huh!?!!   

OK, maybe my situation was special.  I grew up in a materially comfortable suburb of Ottawa.   Riel was already treated as a Canadian hero back in the 1960s and 1970s.

Along with other notables such a Sir John A. MacDonald — one of the drunk fathers of confederation, and Norman Bethune, the hard partying doctor from Montreal who died working with Chairman Mao.  

Prime minister William Lyon MacKenzie King (first half of the 20th century) is fondly remembered by some Canadians for holding seances with "Leonardo da Vinci, Wilfrid Laurier, his dead mother, his grandfather, and several of his dead dogs, as well as the spirit of the late President Roosevelt." (wiki-page)

Americans revere Great Men.  Canadians revere weird characters, often with severe substance abuse issues.   Quebec has a different set of heroes though Riel and Bethune are admired by many.  Canadian FNs will ultimately develop their own heroes.  

The Indigenous Rebel Who Took the Fight to White Settlers
As colonists spread across North America, Louis Riel took up arms — and was demonized in Canada’s history books. After 150 years, it’s time to reevaluate his legacy.

 R_P wrote:


“They simply still don’t get it,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last month about how the military deals with sexual assault and misconduct.

Yup.  Same can be said about the corrupt behaviour of senior officers and retired senior officers who continue to work for the military.

Let there be light.

 R_P wrote:

But that will be bad for military discipline. #snark

Canada Turns Over Military Sexual Assault Cases to Civilian Courts
With the military’s leadership in crisis, a new defense minister adopted a recommendation to remove prosecutorial authority for sexual misconduct cases from the armed forces.

How tracking grizzly bears is helping veterans find way back from trauma

Interesting Guardian piece.  I have spent a lot of time in the bush but actually learned a thing or two in this article. 

3 strikes and you're outed: Brian Pallister makes another inflammatory comment about Indigenous relations
Brian Pallister's latest gaffe — and reluctance to acknowledge it — further illustrates his unusual leadership

Mr. Pallister is the premier of the province of Manitoba which has one of  Canada's largest indigenous populations in proportional terms.

Pallister does a nice justification of 'killing and taking', i.e., colonialism.  Any similarity between premier Pallister and political leaders in other countries is pure coincidence.   Besides, Canadians are 'nice'.    Too polite to say anything and very good at forgetting quickly.

 Proclivities wrote:
Better guess than mine.  I have not seen one of those Toyota Corona station wagons on the road in a long time.  Seem to recall they were vulnerable to rust.

 westslope wrote:

I think it's a Toyota Corona station wagon - maybe a different year than this one:

Thanks procliv and L8.   Perhaps I should have keyed in on the 4 doors. The vehicle could be a Volvo. 

 westslope wrote:
Ummm...maybe as a Matchbox car up in one of the windows?

Nothing on that street looks remotely like an Avanti.

 Proclivities wrote: 
No Avanti that I can see. Not even a Studebaker...

 westslope wrote:
Possibly - I'm not sure what kind of car that station wagon is (maybe a Renault?); there's probably someone around here who could identify it.  DaveInVA would know, but he's not around anymore.  Those photos were kind of intriguing.