With a book in hand...

"Said the river:  imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going...."

This quote by the poet Mary Oliver bookends this story which takes place in England during the years 1939 to 1962.  The central date is March 1960.

In 1939 a mum sends her two daughters to the country for protection from the anticipated German bombers. The elder, Hazel (14) often cares for Flora (5). She weaves elaborate stories about an imaginary world that only the two share. One day Flora falls asleep on a blanket by the river; Hazel goes to a nearby tree to visit a friend.  When she returns, Flora is gone.  Despite a massive search, Flora is never found.  For Hazel, how long can she hope?  Now comes March, 1960...

An intriguing story with many unexpected twists and a satisfying ending. 

- Jackie Potters, csj Associate

Header Image: Unsplash/Dan Dumitriu

The Sport and Prey of Capitalists

The front cover of the 2019 book by the brilliant journalist, Linda McQuaig, captures in six words and one picture the theme of her latest work, an exposé of the blatant betrayals the Canadian people have endured at the hands of their own governments.  The words SPORT and PREY above the dying Canada goose plummeting to earth, its feathers trailing behind it, encapsulate a century of greed, arrogance, and robbery of our nation’s public institutions.

The phrase “the sport and prey of Capitalists” was coined by James P. Whitney, Premier of Ontario in 1905. He was expressing his wish that the Hydro system in Ontario forever remain in the hands of the citizens and not fall victim to privatization.

McQuaig introduces her examination of 20th-century institutions transferred from public to private hands with this story of the scandalous current case of the Canadian Infrastructure Bank promised by Justin Trudeau following his election in 2015.

The Prime Minister’s team to head up the creation of the bank was led by Bill Morneau, former Canadian finance minister, who chose for his advisors several Wall Street profiteers anxious to lend their millions to a project that would bring them ample returns. Consequently, the plan presented to Parliament for approval was molded to fit the dream of the private investors for significant returns.  The original plan to borrow from “the people’s bank” the Bank of Canada, at a modest rate was replaced by one that suited the greed of a small team of avaricious millionaires from the United States. Thus, Canadian citizens will be required to pay unnecessary millions for their own roads and bridges while a few investors proceed to, as Kevin Page, the first parliamentary budget officer, declared, “rob us blind”. (p.30)

Following this example from our own time and place, McQuaig plunges into the scandalous historical details of some of the worst deals done by prime ministers and premiers against the best interests of the citizenry. The sale of the Connaught Laboratories,  and the privatization of Hwy. 407 are two examples.  

The give-away of Alberta’s oil for the most meager of royalties, combined with the Alberta government’s deference to Big Oil, resulted in massive losses for Alberta’s citizens who owned the resource but were denied the profits.

McQuaig compares successive Alberta governments to the national government of Norway that insisted that the oil in Norway’s territories belonged to the Norwegian people, not the big oil companies. “…Norwegians have managed to save up about one trillion dollars more in their rainy-day fund than Alberta.” (pg. 198)

Thankfully, when the reader has turned the last page of chapter seven, now scandalized and outraged, she or he will find that Linda McQuaig sings the praises of “the common”, which Canadians know, have experienced, and are good at. In most of her examples of Canadians being sold out, the institutions in question were being well run, were self-sustaining, and sometimes made a profit for the people. Once in private hands, it was the share-holders that mattered. The workers and the general public mattered not a whit, as we all witnessed at the closing of Sears Canada on December 18, 2017.

The author's last words are to urge us who care to practice the courage of the Norwegians who realized early on that even if a corporation left because it didn’t like how the government defended its citizens, it couldn’t take the oil with it.

Reviewed by Joan Tinkess

Our guest blogger, Joan Tinkess, is an avid book club participant of nonfiction. Her years of empowering women’s groups in the Dominican Republic broadened her local and worldview.

For a deeper dive, and some interviews with the author

A Book Review

Roses are Difficult Here, by W.O. Mitchell

The reader is invited into the town of Shelby, Alberta, a small town in the foothills near the Southern border of the province.   Throughout the novel, the land itself almost becomes a character; life here is difficult with extremes of weather especially freezing temperatures, snow, hail, burning heat, drought and plagues of insects from time to time.  The local ranchers and farmers often walk close to disaster. 

The story is told through the eyes of Matt Stanley, publisher, editor, and lone writer of the Shelby Chronicle.  He introduces us to many of the town’s inhabitants, each with their own foibles.  Indeed combined they are an interesting group of humanity.  There are class distinctions, some folk with earned respect, and others who battle for leadership among the many organizations that make up the life of Shelby.  As always there are those on the bottom.  Here it is Rory Napoleon and his family; his job is to empty septic beds and haul garbage.

Life in the town changes when a university sociologist, Dr. June Melquist, comes to Shelby to put it under a microscope as a ‘typical’ example of a Western small town.  As Matt introduces her to his many neighbours and friends, she ‘interviews’ more and more of the townspeople, making no distinction between narrative, fable, and gossip.  The weaknesses of so many are held to ridicule after she leaves and her book is published.  Apparently the townspeople were a great disappointment having no leadership, culture nor tolerance. 

The strength of the novel lies in its people whom we meet in different situations and see interact with each other.  I enjoyed dusting this off the shelf and rereading it.

- Jackie Potters, an Associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph