As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Pardon my French [Canadian Politics Thread]

11213151718100

Posts

  • NosfNosf Registered User regular
    'Among them: his predecessor Andrew Scheer, who will serve as infrastructure critic'

    Fuck seriously? Can he not just go back to selling insurance without a license?

  • DeciusDecius I'm old! I'm fat! I'M BLUE!Registered User regular
    edited September 2020
    I do look forward to pointing out the idelogical disconnect when my fellow Albertans rant about "something something PM from Quebec" while supporting O'Toole. Uh folks, he's from Montreal, oh and Chrystia Freeland is from Peace River. Lets not bring pluck that old chestnut of birthplace politics, cause it's asinine at the federal level.

    Decius on
    camo_sig2.png
    I never finish anyth
  • Al_watAl_wat Registered User regular
    edited September 2020
    And O'Toole is the MP for a GTA riding, you know.... Westerners "favourite" region

    Al_wat on
  • NosfNosf Registered User regular
    '200 staff, students at 5 French Catholic schools told to isolate'

    Off to a roaring start.

  • ShadowBladeShadowBlade Registered User regular
    edited September 2020
    Nosf wrote: »
    '200 staff, students at 5 French Catholic schools told to isolate'

    Off to a roaring start.

    Where? Link?

    Google is my friend...
    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vera-etches-back-to-school-1.5715040

    ShadowBlade on
    This world needs a new philosophy. No more, "Could be worse..." I say SHOULD BE BETTER!
  • darkmayodarkmayo Registered User regular
    Hey all its been awhile since I posted some UCP/Alberta Health Services bullshit but we just found this nugget of trash.

    https://www.alberta.ca/physician-resource-planning.aspx

    "Bill 21, the Ensuring Fiscal Sustainability Act, 2019 adjusts billing systems to start matching new physician supply with demand starting April 1, 2022.

    New physicians will only be able to bill the government for delivering insured services if they practice in locations with an identified need. This will include rural and remote areas, as well as underserved urban areas.

    This does not mean new physicians will only be able to work in rural communities. New physicians will be matched where health services are needed – including urban areas.

    The changes will not apply to existing physicians."


    So in short, if you dont have your practice ID yet (which you end up getting in your final year of residency) you will not be able to bill for services unless you also practice in a location with an "identified need" (no clarification on what this actually means)

    So even though you matched your CaRMS spot to where you wanted and are now in the residency program for that cities specialty (AKA Calgary - Psychiatry, Edmonton - Internal Medicine etc) once you are done your residence you have to do work in one of these identified need locations or you cant get paid for any work you do in the City you matched to.

    For those not in the know CaRMS is the Canadian Residency Matching Service. When you are going through med school you usually start that in your last year and you usually interview with various residency programs all over Canada. Then when all the interviews are done you rank them with 1 being your first choice and so on. You dont put programs on your list if you have no intention or desire to live their as when you get matched that is your program.. or you turn it down and maybe get matched somewhere later... maybe.

    for example.. when my wife did CaRMS, she ranked Calgary Psychiatry 1, with other options being Vancouver and Edmonton Psych and Calgary Family Practice being her last option. If we hadn't matched Calgary Psych it was a good bet that we would have moved to where ever she matched.. it was stressful as fuck and we are lucky she got her spot (I think her year had 8 slots for Psychiatry) CaRMS pretty much determines where you likely will be working for the forseeable future and you tend to plan to put down roots etc.

    Now if she was still a resident AHS would say, well no Doctor we need you to work out in X doing psych there, not Calgary and if you do decide to just work in Calgary you will not get paid. I cant think of any career where you are forced to work somewhere else.

    if you were a med student just starting that process would you want to match to anything in Alberta if you were forced to work where you did not want to work, why would you rank any Alberta program at all. If you were a doctor planning to move to Alberta would you rethink that choice as you apply for an Alberta practice ID. Its short sighted and all it will do is drive more doctors away from this province.

    Most doctors we know have an escape plan or are already in the process of leaving Alberta, if my wife had been practicing a little longer we would be gone already, but we have to wait until we save up before we can get out (with some caveats.. I am sure the UCP could do something that would force us to leave immediately, just sell our shit, rent a place in BC and start over.)

    Switch SW-6182-1526-0041
  • Gnome-InterruptusGnome-Interruptus Registered User regular
    I’m just thrown by the idea that the UCP thinks that providing insured services to Albertans but in the wrong location means that the provider should be unable to bill the insurer.

    Clearly there was a need, and the need was fulfilled. The UCP is just trying to backdoor make it so every practice has a wait list with no vacancies so they can reduce the number of doctors in Alberta while claiming that it isnt what they are doing.

    Alternatively there is some regulatory capture here with some existing private clinics that want to limit the possibility of competition by having the government mandate where new clinics can open.

    steam_sig.png
    MWO: Adamski
  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    So, can we close the border to American wildfire smoke? That'd be great thanks.

    :so_raven:
  • RichyRichy Registered User regular
    Aline Chrétien has died yesterday at her home :cry:

    sig.gif
  • CanadianWolverineCanadianWolverine Registered User regular
    Richy wrote: »
    Aline Chrétien has died yesterday at her home :cry:

    Is that the same lady that fended off an intruder that got past the RCMP protective detail?

    steam_sig.png
  • mrondeaumrondeau Montréal, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Richy wrote: »
    Aline Chrétien has died yesterday at her home :cry:

    Is that the same lady that fended off an intruder that got past the RCMP protective detail?

    That’s her, yes. She’s also the reason Chrétien did not retire as initially planned. She did not appreciate Martin and co circling around the PM office like vultures. Ironic, since she was the one insisting on Jean retiring in the first place.

  • RichyRichy Registered User regular
    Richy wrote: »
    Aline Chrétien has died yesterday at her home :cry:

    Is that the same lady that fended off an intruder that got past the RCMP protective detail?

    Yes, that's her.

    sig.gif
  • OmnomnomPancakeOmnomnomPancake Registered User regular
    edited September 2020
    New Brunswick had an election yesterday, and the Conservatives received a majority mandate after numerous minorities. As per usual in our wonderful nation, FPTP fucked people out of actual democracy, and 39% of the vote's enough to get you years of dictating terms.

    Acting as a COVID test-case, the election went off well. Huge increase to early-voting, lots of distanced lines, etc. There are significant challenges to having an election in a Canadian winter in an urban riding that a failed Throne Speech might conjure, but good to see a maritime provincial election can at least be conducted in a non-disastrous way.


    In Ontario fuckery:

    Newly elected leaders give their ministers mandate letters (largely expressing their desired agenda goals) that are made public. Trudea's 2019 ones are available here, for instance: https://pm.gc.ca/en/mandate-letters

    Well, Ford really wants to keep the ones he sent private. Thankfully, a 3-person appeals court has determined that it was reasonable for CBC to request a disclosure of their contents, and for the Ontario Privacy Commissioner rightly shit on them.
    "There is no persuasive evidence or argument before me that disclosure [of the letters] would give rise to a chilling effect on cabinet deliberations," said Beamish in his 2019 ruling.

    "To a great extent, the mandate letters bear a close resemblance to the detailed policy platforms often produced by political parties during election campaigns."

    The office of the IPC told CBC News it can't comment on the government's decision to appeal again because the matter is still before the courts. But in a statement, the IPC said "Ontario's FOI laws are based on the principle that every person has a right to access government information.

    "This right exists to ensure the public has the information it needs to participate meaningfully in the democratic process, and that politicians and bureaucrats remain accountable."

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ford-government-mandate-letters-court-of-appeal-1.5723231


    So 17K in legal fees ordered to be re-paid by the Government, and who knows how much other labour/tax payer money to keep these things that are routinely made public and are kind of like trite little messaging object for incoming government but also massively important metaphors for transparency coolcoolcool.

    OmnomnomPancake on
  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    It seem to be becoming likely the NDP are going to do the same thing here in BC and call an early election in order to go from Minoroty to Majority.

    I don't see any other election outcome here being likely. The BC Liberals seem a bit of a non-entity right now.

    :so_raven:
  • ShadowenShadowen Snores in the morning LoserdomRegistered User regular
    So wait, legal fees...being repaid by the government...to the CBC?

    ...Well I guess it keeps the money circulating.

  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    Not really. It's fees paid to CBC lawyers, which may or may not even be in house vs a hired legal firm

    This is more about which part of the government pays the expense

    Phyphor on
  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    *looks at thread title*

    *searches last two pages*

    Wait, what happened to Mountain Equipment Co-op?

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    This happened to MEC
    The board of directors for Mountain Equipment Co-op, Canada's largest consumer co-operative, says it has unanimously approved a deal for a private investor to acquire MEC's assets, including the majority of its retail stores.

    The Los Angeles-based Kingswood Capital Management is buying the outdoor goods retailer through the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) — legislation that allows financially troubled companies to restructure. Financial details of the transaction weren't disclosed.

    Last year, the retailer detailed financial problems caused by slow sales, inventory backups, supply chain problems and ever-increasing online competition. The retailer lost $11.487 million in 2019 on sales of $462 million, according to financial statements audited by KPMG and posted on MEC's website.

    MEC said the acquisition is necessary to ensure a future for the retailer and that its financial struggles had been exacerbated by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Ah. I can't say I was a regular buyer there, but if I needed a backpack or was pondering picking up some climbing gear, they came to mind. Hopefully the vultures don't pick it down to the bone too quickly, but I guess I should keep a lookout for some steep sales or something.

    I was just surprised to see a new thread title and absolutely no discourse on the topic. My gut instinct was that it was about some person with the same initials who had died.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited September 2020
    Forar wrote: »
    Ah. I can't say I was a regular buyer there, but if I needed a backpack or was pondering picking up some climbing gear, they came to mind. Hopefully the vultures don't pick it down to the bone too quickly, but I guess I should keep a lookout for some steep sales or something.

    I was just surprised to see a new thread title and absolutely no discourse on the topic. My gut instinct was that it was about some person with the same initials who had died.

    I assumed they were Mrs. Chrétien's initials.

    Even though her first name was Aline.

    Fencingsax on
  • SteelhawkSteelhawk Registered User regular
    I tried to shop at MEC once at the fancy downtown Toronto store about 20 years ago, found out I needed to be a member and noped out of there. I gotta pay for the privileged to shop here? Fuck you says 21yo me.

    Flash forwards 20 years, and the wife and M-i-L are at Costco every gawddamn week.

  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    I had a similar reaction, but paid the fee.

    Of course, it was something like $5, and I think that was a one time thing for life.

    Contrasted with Costco's annual fee, yeah, that's kinda funny.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    It was a one-time $5 fee. They had good stuff, my go-to for outdoorsy type things

  • BouwsTBouwsT Wanna come to a super soft birthday party? Registered User regular
    Phyphor wrote: »
    It was a one-time $5 fee. They had good stuff, my go-to for outdoorsy type things

    Their customer service was second to none, bought my wife a Sat phone from their online store, it showed up as an open box. No questions, just new one shipped out immediately, and a return label for the original. Disappointing news.

    Between you and me, Peggy, I smoked this Juul and it did UNTHINKABLE things to my mind and body...
  • ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Years ago the strap on my beloved Bag of Holding from Thinkgeek broke. I made it work as best I could (zipties filled in for a while), but eventually I just needed to get an actual strap. Went to MEC, found an anti-theft one for way more than I wanted to spend, asked a guy in the store, and he said he'd go look into it.

    Took him a while, but he eventually came back with a strap and just gave it to me for free. Apparently it's not entirely uncommon for people to buy a bag they don't want a shoulder strap for, so they just leave it behind. Those were getting collected by the staff in the back, and apparently it wasn't a big deal to pass it along.

    It was a small thing, but it certainly reinforced a bit of loyalty for the rare occasion I wanted to shop for something they carried.

    Said Bag of Holding is still being carried to this day, with that strap on it (I got the new strap in 2017, day of the Women's March, actually), though it's in dire need of replacement at this point. Outright wearing through the canvas on the back.

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"

    :so_raven:
  • mrondeaumrondeau Montréal, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"
    Well, if you sell more stuff to more people now, you can get more money now, and the long term impact is someone else’s problem. It’s not like compagnies should exist to provide a service and improve general welfare.

  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    mrondeau wrote: »
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"
    Well, if you sell more stuff to more people now, you can get more money now, and the long term impact is someone else’s problem. It’s not like compagnies should exist to provide a service and improve general welfare.

    The C in MEC stands for Co-operative. Providing a service to its members is exactly that a co-op is supposed to do!

    :so_raven:
  • mrondeaumrondeau Montréal, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Corvus wrote: »
    mrondeau wrote: »
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"
    Well, if you sell more stuff to more people now, you can get more money now, and the long term impact is someone else’s problem. It’s not like compagnies should exist to provide a service and improve general welfare.

    The C in MEC stands for Co-operative. Providing a service to its members is exactly that a co-op is supposed to do!
    Details like that are for people who don’t want bonuses today.
    Desjardins is a coop too. They are basically indistinguishable from a regular for-profit bank.

  • RichyRichy Registered User regular
    mrondeau wrote: »
    Corvus wrote: »
    mrondeau wrote: »
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"
    Well, if you sell more stuff to more people now, you can get more money now, and the long term impact is someone else’s problem. It’s not like compagnies should exist to provide a service and improve general welfare.

    The C in MEC stands for Co-operative. Providing a service to its members is exactly that a co-op is supposed to do!
    Details like that are for people who don’t want bonuses today.
    Desjardins is a coop too. They are basically indistinguishable from a regular for-profit bank.

    Desjardins pays out dividends, regular banks don't. That's about it AFAIK.

    sig.gif
  • PhyphorPhyphor Building Planet Busters Tasting FruitRegistered User regular
    Richy wrote: »
    mrondeau wrote: »
    Corvus wrote: »
    mrondeau wrote: »
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"
    Well, if you sell more stuff to more people now, you can get more money now, and the long term impact is someone else’s problem. It’s not like compagnies should exist to provide a service and improve general welfare.

    The C in MEC stands for Co-operative. Providing a service to its members is exactly that a co-op is supposed to do!
    Details like that are for people who don’t want bonuses today.
    Desjardins is a coop too. They are basically indistinguishable from a regular for-profit bank.

    Desjardins pays out dividends, regular banks don't. That's about it AFAIK.

    Banks pay out dividends all the time. It's a distinction about who they pay out to

  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"

    Yeah it's been sad to see

    KGMvDLc.jpg?1
  • Gnome-InterruptusGnome-Interruptus Registered User regular
    I mean CoOp gas stations pay out dividends to members, didn’t stop their management from screwing around with the refinery union.

    Management and Shareholders are always shortsighted and greedy, because capital is always easier to relocate than labour.

    steam_sig.png
    MWO: Adamski
  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    Every time I've gone looking at reviews on MEC-brand stuff, it seems like half of them say "the last version of [this product] was better, but since they changed to the new one it's worse"; I know when we were buying kids winter / hiking stuff from there our first kid's snowsuit was better than the "equivalent" model we bought for our second kid a couple of years later.

    (and even with bikes, that's gone downhill -- they used to be a decent place to get parts, but now they switched from having reasonable-and-cheap own-brand (or OEM'ed) stuff to just selling a lot of junk. Look at reviews of the MEC brand inner tubes -- every single one gets barely above 1 star and the reviews basically all say "this is garbage it went flat within 20 seconds / five minutes / before I even finished inflating it". So now that's one less reason I'd go in there in the first place, and one less convenient place to restock on thinggs)

    Heck, I've seen the quality of the clothing that I bought for myself going downhill; trousers that used to be relatively sturdy now pill up almost immediately with whatever new versions they have. And I'll admit this is potentially specific to me, but I have no idea what shape of man their shirts are made for -- I am a skinny guy, "lean" at the most flattering, but somehow their shirts are still way to narrow across the back and shoulders, I can't work out who they're intended to fit.

    I mean, I still go there because they have a lot of stuff and it can be fun to browser, I just don't buy MEC branded stuff any more because I don't think it's much use -- and at this point they're just another big outdoor shop like the rest.

  • Disco11Disco11 Registered User regular
    I have a 15 year old MEC Fall jacket that's been through a lot and still awesome.

    Sad to see it go downhill.

    PSN: Canadian_llama
  • CorvusCorvus . VancouverRegistered User regular
    Disco11 wrote: »
    I have a 15 year old MEC Fall jacket that's been through a lot and still awesome.

    Sad to see it go downhill.

    I still have stuff from MEC I bought in the 90's and 2000's that still works.

    :so_raven:
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"

    How was the business doing up until that point though?

    Plans like "let's try and do something different" can be because the thing they've always been doing is slowly shrinking.

  • djmitchelladjmitchella Registered User regular
    Yeah, the backpack I use for everyday use is one that I found sitting by a dumpster completely undamaged-looking in, I think, 1998; brought it home and was informed that the reason it was sitting by a dumpster, and the cause of the weird smell, was not "dirt". it was skunk. So I googled "get skunk smell out", cleaned it, and it's been fine ever since. (to be fair, it's on its third zipper, and I've had to replace various buckles that I've stood on / etc, but otherwise it's doing fine).

  • Ed GrubermanEd Gruberman Registered User regular
    Here's a Twitter thread from about the demise of MEC. It sounds pretty crappy though I'm sure this is a highly simplified and biased version but definitely seems possible.

    steam_sig.png

    SteamID: edgruberman GOG Galaxy: EdGruberman
  • The Cow KingThe Cow King a island Registered User regular
    had the luxury to thumb through a canadian history book from 1900
    shryke wrote: »
    Corvus wrote: »
    MEC went off the rails several years ago. Their core mission had been to provide affordable, quality, outdoor gear for members. Somehow, some idiots decided that they should try to compete with Lululemon, sport chek, and your local bike store at the same time. Bikes were the only intelligent part of the strategy.

    The quality of their own-brand products had significantly deteriorated, and nothing in the store was very affordable anymore.

    I'm not sure why companies ever listen to idiotic plans that are essentially "let's stop doing what we're good at and people love, and do a bunch of shit other people already do better"

    How was the business doing up until that point though?

    Plans like "let's try and do something different" can be because the thing they've always been doing is slowly shrinking.

    Nope looks like it was taken over by capitalist and run into the ground in a endless pointless profit seeking venture which is well it happens often enough I don't know why people bat so hard against it

    Businesses rarely are allowed to be sustainable they must consistently foster 2% growth endlessly because the free market tells em it has endless growth potential

    Which is fucked up for well many many reasons

    icGJy2C.png
This discussion has been closed.