I’m trying not to be a gloomy gus, but isn’t this going to allow more of those bad teenage drivers to get their licences faster, then hop behind the wheel, pump up their radios or boom boxes up, dash in and out of highway traffic as if it’s a maze all the while trying to actually see how fast their vehicle will go? Yes, I know not every teenager or young adult is a bad driver, but my husband and I have heard and seen enough boom box drivers pass by our house and every time it’s a young male with no brains or courtesy. We’ve also had cars whiz by us at top speed on the QEW with a young girl behind the wheel bopping and weaving in and out of each lane, with no turn signals on, as if she were the only one on the highway. So forgive me if I’m really not in favour of this promise. My husband and I have also witnessed a young man, drunk out of his skull, whiz by our house in his pick-up truck after hitting another car up the road backing out of his drive, continuing half on the road and half on the side right into our neighbours mailbox and ending back-side up in a ditch. Once the police arrived they arrested this idiot and then retrieved his poor shaken up Black Lab dog from the passenger side. Just imagine what that poor dog must have been feeling. God, I hope this guy doesn’t get his dog back or even his licence for that matter!!

Getting your driver’s licence faster and easier is certainly going to put more coffers into Premier McGinty’s treasury, but it’s doing nothing for our new drivers. The young adults of today have lost respect and maturity in this society and I truly believe that getting a driver’s licence should be a privilege and an honour. Applying for a driver’s licence should be a well-rounded experience where respect and responsibility should be drilled into everyones’ brains. Maybe I’m getting older and have seen too many careless accidents in my lifetime that I’m getting cynical but I’m sure I’m not the only person who thinks this way.

As a young person my father began teaching me to drive and then I was sent to a driving school. When I wanted to buy my first car I had to get a part-time job to earn the money and I was never allowed to drive my parents’ car unless it was doing something for them, like running an errand. After finally buying my first car – a 1953 Chevy – I was proud and knew that it was all mine. This was something that I earned myself and no one could take that away from me. From that period on I’ve had to work for everything that I wanted while under my parents’ roof. Too many of today’s kids get the keys to their parents’ car(s) and don’t understand or respect that privilege. I’m thinking it’s time we took a step back and take a more adult look at how we allow licensed drivers on our roads.

The Working Families Group (on behalf of Premier McGinty, I’m sure!!) has also been running attack ads against Tim Hudak stating that Mr. Hudak has an agenda that hurts working families. Are they serious!!! Did they do their research??? Do they not get it that working families have seen their hydro and other utility bills rise since Mr. McGinty took power. Have they heard the huge debates and complaints about these wind turbines that Mr. McGinty is hell bent on installing?? Have they not read about the hospital closures and the huge problems that have now fallen upon the Niagara Region?? Do they not remember the EHealth scandal and the law suits that are beginning in order for those over-paid employees to make even more money?? Where were these guys when the Ontario Lottery Corporation was being taken for a ride?? Were these guys given extra HST rebates to have them say such things??

Mr. McGinty’s government has done me nor my husband any favours. He’s tried to bribe us with HST rebates, he’s given us an insulting 10% break on our hydro bill that still continues to rise despite our best efforts to reduce it – including purchasing a new air-conditioner that is 40% more efficient and at a time when we couldn’t afford it – but still seeing other utility bills rise to grab any savings we’ve made in other areas. I’m sick and tired of this entire Liberal government and the most disgusting part is that I initially voted for this man. I learned my lesson quickly and tried to boot him out on his second term, but alas not enough Ontarians had quite seen the light. This is now the time for each and everyone of us to let Mr. McGinty know that his time is up, he’s done all the damage he can, and his environmental agenda is costing taxpayers too much money. If Mr. McGinty wants our votes again then he’s going to have to be honest, up-front and clean up the messes he’s created – and above-all quit insulting our intelligence!!

If you read between the lines, the Liberals are actually saying that there’s an upcoming election and we think we’ll hold off on this one until we get elected and then we’ll hit homeowners with both barrels. They’ve lied before and I’m thinking this is going to be another one of those little surprises that will crop up should they get back into power.

Another surprise will (I’m guessing) be the continued installation of those wind turbines. If the Liberals have their way all of Ontario will be dotted with these things in the not so distant future. From what I understand there are an awful lot of homeowners screaming about these turbines being placed fairly close to their homes and have been wreaking havoc on their health and well-being. If you’re one of those lucky suckers that have agreed to put a turbine in your back yard, then I’m sure you can’t talk about it due to the confidentiality agreement you’ve signed. Ergo – if those suckers are bugging the hell of you, you can’t say a word – even if it’s to warn other homeowners.

Continuing on with the surprises – the Liberals have also consented to extensions for installation of Smart Meters for certain regions, such as Windsor, which is nice of them, but what about those people that already have Smart Meters installed and are trying their best to abide by the cost-cutting times.  This is one area where I really feel sorry for working people. The cost-cutting times on the Smart Meters certainly don’t leave working people with families much time on weekends to enjoy that family time together. Poor Mom is doing laundry Saturday morning and getting caught up on housework while poor Dad is outside (when the weather’s good) trying to get caught up on mowing the lawn, washing the car and any other maintenance required around the house. No time for kids and certainly no time to relax ’cause they’re literally “on the clock”. It’s also a known fact that whatever costs you might save with the Smart Meters will certainly be taken away again with the rising cost of hydro.

In my opinion it’s a done deal that if the Liberals return to power, and with Dalton McGinty being obsessed about environmental issues, we’ll soon see the implementation of the Home Efficiency Audit, the installation of more Wind Turbines and Smart Meters. It’s very admirable that Premier McGinty has environmental issues as a major priority, but he soon forgets that not everyone in this Province is making the wages and benefits that he and his cabinet ministers are. Some pensioners are struggling just to put food on the table and it’s not fair that they have to worry about what time of day to do their laundry, whether that wind turbine down the road is going to wreak havoc on their health and then have to pay $300.00 or more for an audit should they wish to sell their home and move into a seniors’ residence. Ontario is Canada’s largest province and with its huge and varied population not everyone can keep up with the “Jones”. Some of these issues are important but at the same time should be phased in over time and the public should be given fair warning of what’s about to happen. The more the public knows the better off they can prepare.

If Dalton wants to be obsessed about issues, then fix the Hospital situation, dismantle the Local Health Integrated Network and save mega bucks on wages, benefits and bonuses, rethink the HST on certain items and above all, be a little more honest and up front with issues that come forward. Don’t insult our intelligence by thinking if you sneak something through the back door, no one will notice.

Ontario will be going to the polls again this year and I, for one, am really looking forward to this election. Despite the fact that I’ve probably voted Liberal most of my life – especially liking the leader – I have, at times, voted Conservative. I was one of those teenagers that had idealism in my mind, the right to all things fair and equal and as I can remember the Liberal party of the time had the right stuff. Yes, I admit to being a “Trudeaumaniac”. Naturally, the more education I received the more knowledge I gained and was able to weigh the pros and cons of each political party especially when it pertained to the economy, health care, jobs and all those other ‘adult’ things. Taking economics in high school was one of the best things I ever did. To this day I remember lessons learned regarding the “trickle down theory”, the role of each political party, managing a budget and Canada’s presence on the world stage. Things have changed since my years in economics class, but the theories are still there.

Ever since Dalton McGinty became our esteemed Premier I’ve been totally frustrated. To this day I still remember  his words “Read my lips, no new taxes” and his breaking of that promise very soon after being elected. I’m the kind of person you don’t lie to!! I detest lies to the nth degree unless it’s to spare someone hurt feelings or the like. If you have to make promises then be absolutely sure you can keep them, especially when it comes to running a political party and affecting millions of lives that are depending on those promises. Mr. McGinty has, in my opinion, lied on several occasions, made promises he couldn’t keep and has, in the end, affected our personal pocketbooks and budgets in a large way. He’s also made major mistakes when it comes to the Hospitals in this Province and other health care matters. I happen to live in the Fort Erie area and remember the battles of our Mayor and other good folks who fought so valiantly to keep our Emergency Department open. I’ve also had to use the Emergency Department and was extremely impressed with the staff and how I was treated. I fully understand why the local citizens group fought the Provincial Government and am glad they at least won the little concessions that they did. Even our poor Mayor managed to get into a scuffle with the local security people who were making sure things were being removed from the Hospital’s emergency department on the “QT”. Why the secrecy??

Looking back over the past several years I’m also reminded of the very uncomfortable scandals Mr. McGinty’s government has been caught doing. The EHealth affair, the OLG affair, the unwanted wind turbines and others that all pertained to misuse of power, civil servants caught with their hands in the till and costing Ontario taxpayers millions of dollars that could have gone to better use. The funds may be small compared to budgetary requirements but in my household every penny counts and my accounts are balanced every month.

We now find ourselves in the beginnings of election campaigns. We’ll hear from Mr. McGinty that Mr. Hudak is making promises he won’t be able to afford, that he’s probably ill advised and more. I’m hoping that Premier McGinty will come to the realization that he did the very same when he first came onto the scene. I still, in fact, remember that he went off somewhere for training on how to act, speak and handle himself during his campaign and being Premier, should he win. You can still spot some of that “attitude” when he speaks to the press and how he conducts himself in public. I keep getting vibes this man can’t be trusted and it all comes down to how he acts in public. He acts like he’s been “trained”.

When Mr. Hudak came onto the scene, he became a breath of fresh air. He’s natural, friendly, family oriented, and comes from a very small town with honest, hard-working people that appreciate each and every dollar they make and where those dollars go to. The Town of Fort Erie has struggled in the past, doesn’t always get the attention it deserves from the powers that be in order to maintain and upgrade vital services, roadworks and the odd new business venture that could increase the tax base. What Fort Erie gets, Fort Erie citizens appreciate and even the little adjoining Village of Ridgeway contributes to the best of its abilities.

I’m not necessarily advocating that everyone vote for Mr. Hudak and the Conservative party in the upcoming election, but I am advocating that each and every one of us should weigh the pros and cons of each party, understand what they are, in fact, promising and above all, remember what’s happened in the past. Have things in this Province really turned around, is your household budget better off than it was four or five years ago, are you getting the proper health care attention you need and can you get to a health care facility in good time? I myself truly believe that you’ll come up with some surprising answers and hopefully realize that it is time for a change. Sometimes things can get a little stagnant when left with the status quo.

These are two options I’ve been waiting for with bated breadth.  Being retired and just barely making ends meet, hubby and I have been dying to grab a few beers and walk about the Gay Pride Parade and join in the festivities. God bless the gays for making such strides towards equal rights – the Ontario Liberals are allowing them to drink like the rest of us.  I’m sure they’ll be dancing in the streets over this one.  If all goes well we could all then head on over to the Danforth food festival, via the union-busted transit drivers, and eat and drink until we drop dead from sheer exhaustion. We’ll rest in peace knowing our families will dutifully pay the HST on our funeral services!! I suppose I should mention, however, that I’ve never used Toronto transit, probably never will and I’m only allowed to drink in strict moderation because I’m a transplant patient. And yes, I understand I’m not the only one in the Province and that these little goodies will certainly make a select few very happy. I would hazard a guess that the Gay community would have preferred something a little more substantial than drinking in the streets!!

I understand why Dalton is dangling these carrots in front of Torontonians. Toronto is a huge voting bloc for the Liberal party, and as usual everyone in Government thinks Toronto is the only populated city in the Province. I, for one, wish to remind such politicians that there are millions of other people living around and outside Toronto’s city limits – from the Manitoba and Quebec borders to the shores of Lakes Erie and Huron – and leading very fulfilling lives. We’re an intelligent bunch. We try to shop at local retailers, go for drives and weekend trips around this beautiful Province, try our damnedest to pay our property taxes and utility bills to keep the roof over our heads, and yet we get ignored on a regular basis. Is it something we said?

I’d be remiss if I failed to mention that Fort Erie did get an influx of money – albeit from the Federal Conservatives – to expand and renovate the Old Fort at the end of Dominion Road. An historical site well visited by tourists, and in need of an updated visitor’s centre with gift shop and ice cream parlour. I’m sure the dear citizens of this lovely Town could have found more immediate uses for those dollars, but I digress, that’s a separate fight between them and the Feds.

Toronto has also been declared the raccoon capital of North America, according to a CBC show. I feel for them as I know what damage those little critters can do. Perhaps Dalton can dig deep down and find enough coffers to relocate those pesky cuties to the rest of the Province. After all, there’s no one “out there”.

Somehow Mr. McGinty has continuously failed to recognize the needs and wants of other Ontarians. Of course, he’s not been the only Premier to do so. Past Premiers have catered to Toronto because of its size, it’s voting power and it’s constant whining that it can’t balance it’s budget because it has no money. Welcome to our world!!

If Dalton wants to dangle carrots in hopes of getting re-elected he should do an about face. If he starts to tell the truth, make no more false promises, stop this runaway train of higher utility bills, stop bullying citizens regarding wind turbines, disband those rogues that are destroying our Hospitals, take the Caledonia issue seriously, and above all, respect our intelligence, then maybe the rest of us will take a second look. I realize he has a mission to accomplish before he gets kicked out, but he’s only making it easier on the rest of us to give him that extra “push”.

I’m thinking Tim Hudak is an intelligent man, or else he wouldn’t be where he is today. Of course he is – he’s a Fort Erie man!! Pack your bags, son, you may be headed to Toronto!! Just don’t insult us when you get there, please!

The Leisureplex was filling up fast when we arrived – little guys in their hockey gear with their moms and dads in one end of the building – and everyone else in the other end. There were so many people streaming into the building that the organizers had to scramble for more chairs, which was a good thing. As there are a couple of contentious issues at hand in this area – our local hospital, the Nascar-like racetrack that’s coming and a new multi-story condo complex on the Bay Beach lands – everyone in town wanted to know who was going to fix what and how were they going to do it. A couple of issues (the hospital and racetrack) are pretty much now etched in stone and probably can’t be undone, but there are still a lot of major concerns about protecting the Bay Beach area in Crystal Beach. Signs dot the landscape throughout this area to “Keep Bay Beach Public” and emotions are running high as to who’s going to win this argument. Is the new condo complex going to detract from the quaint cottages that it will sit amongst, is it going to eventually exclude locals from enjoying a day out on a beautiful public beach or is it going to one day just become part of the local landscape? Being a “newbie” in town I’m not sure of all of the arguments, but from this Town Hall meeting I certainly understood the gist of the matter – a hell of a lot of people don’t want this sucker built!!!

The meeting progressed with good decorum and was certainly well-organized. Each and every candidate – Mayor, Councilman/woman, Regional Council and School Trustee – were given their allotted time to voice their opinions, express their concerns and answer questions previously handed in to them. Every now and again cheers, jeers, boos and loud applause would erupt from the audience and for a few seconds interrupt whatever discussion was taking place. I was soon getting the drift that the local residents take their municipal politics very seriously, that they were not all happy with the status quo and that somehow someone was going to take the fall for their unhappiness regarding certain issues. This was impressive. It was finally nice to see a community passionate enough to get involved and voice their opinions and concerns to whatever politician was within ear shot. I was also getting the drift that the voting turnout would be a good one, which is exceptional in municipal politics. I’ve discovered throughout my voting years that an awful lot of folks get complacent about the local issues surrounding them and somehow they feel their opinions don’t count. Most times they’re probably right, but of late there’s been a new wind blowing and I think some of it has drifted up from the U.S. and the sudden dissatisfaction with any and all politicians. People have had enough of false promises, being lied to, over-spending, fingers in the coffers and most of all, being taxed to death. When will it all end!!

With a better understanding of the issues, along with a chance to put a face to those running for office and what they stood for, Nat and I left the meeting both feeling pretty confident of who we were going to vote for. It was just as well, as one of the candidates certainly had his “own” agenda and opinions which weren’t necessarily “of the norm“, shall we say!!!  I suppose there’s usually one in every election and it always makes for good fodder!! We also felt better about how we wanted our local community to take shape and what direction we wanted it to take. As a result we marked our ballots in one of the early polling stations and went about the rest of our day knowing we had at least voiced our opinions in a democratic way. We now sit and wait for election day to see if we were in the minority or majority.

Voting to me is a privilege and honour. I take it very seriously and try my best not to nag people I know that don’t vote. I’m the first one to tell you that if you don’t vote – Municipal, Provincial or Federal – then you have no right to complain about what is happening to your tax dollars, your household budget expenses, your community, your Province or your Country. Period. End of Sentence!!! Good, bad or indifferent it’s the only system we’ve got right now and every one of us should take advantage of democratic process that most countries never get to experience.

With every available option at our disposal, my husband and I have reduced our household expenses to the bare bone. We’ve down-graded from a Bell home phone, internet and cell phone service, we’ve purchased energy efficient appliances when we moved to this new home, I do laundry during non-peak hours, I don’t bake on hot summer days, the heating and air-conditioning are on timers and only run when necessary, we’ve stopped going out to restaurants (except on special occasions), we don’t take daily showers and so on. Naturally, the more we cut costs, it seemed the more our monthly bills rose. This month’s Hydro bill alone rose by $30.00 and that’s without the HST yet. That amount literally used up what we saved on our telephone and internet downgrade! I was now beginning to wonder when it would end and then the HST and ECO tax came into effect. Our boiling points have been reached and with each viewing of the evening news we grew angrier. Tax upon tax seems to be hitting us left and right and no matter how many $300.00 HST cheques Mr. McGinty sends us, it will never cover the rising cost of living we’re now experiencing. We’ve not even been able to take a trip anywhere for the past three years.

After watching the news and both hubby and I expressing even more anger, he turned to me and said “Well, why don’t you write our local rep and let him know?” Being a retired legal secretary, he felt I would be better at expressing our dissatisfaction and could type a lot faster. With that, I sat at our computer, Googled for our local rep’s web site and typed away. I was brief at first but expressed our dissatisfaction at not being able to get ahead and was pleasantly surprised when I received an almost immediate response. I was fully expecting Mr. Craitor to be evasive and possibly passing me off as an angry constituent that never voted. Upon receiving his initial response I replied and gave him some additional background. I tried my best to keep my email short and to the point as I sometimes can get carried away and type on and on and on!! Again, I was surprised with another prompt response and again, I replied with a thank-you.

I have to admit I appreciated Mr. Craitor’s honesty and promptness in his responses. He knew there was nothing he could do immediately for me, but at least he knew how my husband and I felt about yet another tax and hopefully would pass on those concerns to his Superior. We can only pray his words won’t fall on deaf ears!! He also stated that he was not in favour of the HST or the ECO tax, which wasn’t really reassuring, as the deed was done. Hopefully with an election soon to be around the corner, we Ontarians can do something about this Provincial Government and voice our opinions at the ballot box. Despite the fact that I’ve been a long supporter of the Liberal Party, I’m getting older, wiser and more economically challenged!! I truly believe that every party in the next election should have their platforms considered, weighed and mulled over, and their Leaders be accountable for any and all of their words and actions!! We’ve been lied to so many times during the present Liberal Party reign, and I for one have had enough! I also realize that any new party that comes into power won’t be able to change the past – despite any (false) promises they make – but at least we’ll have some fresh air blowing through those hallowed halls of Parliament.

Me thinks Dalton’s done a “runner” – taken off for the wilds of Norther Ontario hiding among the deer, trees and other forest creatures in order to enjoy Mother Nature before the storm hits the fan. By the looks of things there are quite a few folks still in the dark about the HST and exactly where it’s going to hit them. That dear sweet elderly lady who goes to the hair dresser once a week to keep her coif coiffed is going to take a punch, the families out there living from hand to mouth and cutting costs in order to keep their house warm are going to take a punch, the seniors out there that enjoy a round of golf to keep them fit and active are going to take a punch. I could go on and on.

Going through the little booklet so conveniently provided by the Ontario Government is puzzling. I’ve notice that music lessons have no taxes applied (neither GST, PST or subsequently HST). Why is that?? To me music lessons are a luxury and not a necessity like heating your home, getting repairs done to your furnace, or (God forbid) burying a loved one. Who made up this stuff?? Do these people not have lives or at least loved ones that need essential services? No rhyme nor reason!! You also can’t really believe that the price of goods and (possibly) services are eventually going to be reduced? We all know by the time that day arrives, something else is going to add to the cost of goods and the price will either remain the same or increase somewhat. I suppose time will tell, and I’m known to be a positive thinker, despite the fact that dear old Dalton is making it very difficult.

After the G20 was over it was also apparent why Dalton wasn’t going to show his face in public. I truly believe he doesn’t want to get involved in a political joust with Mr. Harper or even the Mayor of Toronto. Again, me thinks he knows his political future is on the line – bad timing – the HST drawing nigh and the G20 with it’s protestors and resulting property damage. Even prior to the G20 actually arriving in Toronto, Mr. McGinty stated he had every faith in the police and security forces and the protestors had every right to a peaceful demonstration. Shame on you, Mr. McGinty for your naivete. Do you not get international news on your office television?? Or is that a taxpayer expense you think would break the bank? If you did watch the evening news you’d soon discover there are protestors and demonstrators across the globe who are hell bent on destroying public property, have no regard for authority and have a political agenda that makes no sense to any intelligent human being. My heart goes out to those store owners, retailers and even the Police that had to stand amongst those thugs and bear the brunt of their unjustified behaviour. The Police, in my opinion, did what they had to do in order to restore as much calm to Toronto as they could. The whole situation or event could have been worse. Look to those European cities that have been hit in the past. We were somewhat lucky.

Having said all of that, I realize that some protestors received some pretty shoddy treatment by police. I hope they were isolated incidents and there are two sides to the story. If police acted out of line, I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt and think their actions were predicated out of fear. I will admit that I have no sympathy for anyone who was in the midst of this whole affair solely as an onlooker and curious spectator. Fair warning was given to everyone by the police through the media that any unnecessary persons were not welcomed. If they were harassed then too bad, they should have stayed home!

Being a Liberal voter in the past, this next Provincial election is one I’m truly looking forward to. I want Mr. McGinty out of office. Now if we can put our faith and trust in any of the other party leaders we may have an alternative when arriving at the polling station. We trusted Mr. McGinty when he first ran for office – the whole “Read my lips, no new taxes” thing, and we all know that even Tim Hudak and his Conservative Party won’t be able to repeal the HST, but we can at least listen and hopefully someone out there has an alternative or new idea to relieve some of these monthly burdens to a public that is getting older and growing more grey hair by the minute.

With each call received, suddenly there were deals to be had. Bell could offer us a new low rate for a year and they would put together a package we could manage. With each phone call I had to ask where were these packages when we needed them. Suddenly these great deals were available once you decided to cancel their services. We stood our ground, continuously stated our case and with time the phone calls stopped.

And so we begin again. We took the ultimate plunge this month and switched to a cable phone. Again, the savings were there even after the first year, and along with an added bonus – we didn’t have to call Bell ourselves. The cable company would do it for us. With some naivete I didn’t think Bell would begin to hound us again. I truly felt we had stated our case – the recorded phone calls were there to prove it. Why on earth would they try for a second time?

Well, without hesitation Round 2 has begun. We received the first phone call a few days ago and our second call came last night right on cue as we were just sitting down to eat. Once “Bell Canada” showed on the call display, Nat handed the phone over to me. He knew I had the spiel down pat. He knew I had developed a heart of stone at this point, so without blinking an eye I said “Hello”. It was the same thing all over again – you’re a valued customer – you’ve been with Bell for years – we can offer you a better deal for the first year – we can put together a package suitable just to your needs, etc., etc., etc. As if I had turned on my tape machine I quickly responded “where were these deals in the beginning – we have to cut expenses – the HST is going to increase our monthly utility bills – if we’re such valued customers why are you waiting until we leave to give us such good deals”, etc., etc., etc. This time I’ve become even more cold and cut the representative off by not allowing him to continue. Yes, I know he’s just the “call guy”, but he’s the only one I have to vent to!! So, without hesitation I thanked him for his time, that we’ll reconsider Bell if and when the times comes and promptly hang up. My meal was now cold, thank-you very much!!

I truly have no qualms with Bell Canada or her services. This whole affair comes down to the almighty dollar. If Dalton McGinty and his Provincial cronies are going to continuously hit me and my husband in the wallet, then we have to fight back. We have no option but to hit back at other institutions. The only way we can get back at McGinty and his government is to vote him out of office in the next election, but in the meantime the damage is done. Our monthly expenses have taken a major hit and any new government elected into power won’t be able to take that hit back. As soon as we cut one expense the government finds another way to take that little savings back.

Both Nat and I agreed that the new events, like Snowboard Cross, were extremely fun to watch. Exciting and fast-paced, we couldn’t believe how fast those athletes were going and we were glad to see Canadians win the events they did.

We watched the Closing Ceremonies with pride knowing how well the Canadian athletes had done and the record for gold that was broken. We laughed, we smiled and we beamed with pride when those ex-pats, William Shatner, Catherine O’Hara and Michael J. Fox, returned to poke fun at Canadians and Canada. We laughed at the giant beavers, the giant Mounties, the giant Maple Leaves, and the voyageurs and their canoes but still beamed with pride – they were all truly Canadian and uniquely ours’. It was so wonderful to see the Canadian pride and unity in each and everyone of us. It was especially great to know that we can still poke fun at ourselves and let the rest of the World know we’ll welcome them with open arms.

As I have a habit of watching American news after the local and National Canadian News, I would peak in on the American coverage of the Games now and again. They, too, were appreciative of how well we welcomed the World, and understood where we were coming from, along with being over-whelmed by our enthusiasm. Now they, too, understood and could see for themselves our National pride, something that has always bubbled beneath the surface but has never had a showcase (until now) to explode. I especially enjoyed Brian Williams (CTV Canada) and Brian Williams (NBC News U.S.) meeting and exchanging gibs and jabs, along with anchor stations. Another example of our great sense of humour.

Naturally the Canada vs U.S. hockey game was Nat’s favourite moment. I had to hide out in the office from nervousness. I knew it would be an exciting and close game but couldn’t stand the anxiousness of it all. I listened intently from the office while mucking about on the computer – like listening via radio – and when I thought the game was so close to finishing I walked in the room just in time to see the Americans score. Thinking I had jinxed the whole game, I immediately retreated back to the office and waited with bated breath for the outcome. As I said in the beginning – Whew!!!!!!!! I could see Nat’s eyes swell with pride and his voice begin to crack at the final goal by Sydney Crosby. His Scottish pride put aside for the time being, he was now truly Canadian and felt great about it all. Now if the Toronto Maple Leafs could instill that same kind of pride in my husband I think his life would have meaning!! (Well, except for marrying me, of course!!)

As with the Americans and their Super Bowl ads, we were pleased to see the same kind of treatment by the Olympic corporate sponsors. The ads were funny, inventive, cute and above all, intelligent. Bell Canada pulled out all the stops with their little Olympic moments, General Motors poked fun at street hockey and as always, RBC brought out their little man in his bowler hat attempting to do some olympic events. It’s too bad they couldn’t be this creative all year long!!

So, along with the extremely informative “Body” spots put on by CTV, Nat and I both felt the 24-7 Olympic coverage was pretty much bang on. Couldn’t have asked for much more. So congrats CTV for your great coverage of the Games, congrats to all Canadian athletes for their audacity, tenaciousness, courage, and God knows athletic ability, and above all congrats to the Vancouver Olympic Committee for the best show on earth!!!!

My one disappointment was in the press before the actual opening ceremonies. So many newscasters, broadcasters and reporters just had to try and guess who was going to be the final torch bearer. Yes, it was speculated that Wayne Gretzky would do the honours, and yes, he was in fact one of the five Canadians and yes, he lit the outside torch.  But I ask each and every one of he media that “just had to know“, where was the thrill in revealing that secret??? Just goes to show, don’t trust the media if you need them to keep a secret for at least a little while!!! Some of us like to be surprised!! Despite the press not keeping a secret, I still welled up with tears when Wayne appeared in the stadium. He’s just one of our national treasures!!

Being a bigger fan of the Winter Olympics than of the Summer Olympics, I’m looking forward to watching each and every event where possible, especially the womens’ and mens’ hockey, which I’m thinking may be nail-biters. So you go Canada, with every little polite bone in your body and no apologies necessary for whatever the outcome!