All things Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

[Haggis]

Looks like they’re back to arriving in Ottawa on a weekend.

I’m still not sure what they think they’ll “shut down”? A traffic jam in the largely empty downtown core on a weekend will have zero impact on the mechanisms of government. Best they’ll achieve is cause further hassle to the already struggling businesses in the Byward Market and on Bank and Elgin.

I see this as an ideal opportunity for downtown Ottawa businesses to cater to the truck junkies and all those fans of "Heavy Rescue 401" and "Highway Thru Hell". Hold some Chrome Plate dinner specials, Trucker takeouts etc.

 

[Good2Golf]

Back in the early 90's (about the same time the "Warrior Program" was born) the CAF adopted the BMI as a broad brush messure of fitness. I was one of the "fit fat" caught in the BMI net. I scored Silver at least during the Warrior years but couldn't get promoted with a BMI over 27 until a MO signed off on me.

Yup. Classic case of near-blind adherence to a poorly thought out rule-of-thumb. A friend in flight school was a professional body builder before joining the CAF. He was 5’8” and 250lbs - BMI of 37+ but he had only 4% body fat. The Flt Surg told him that he was bound by policy to tell him that he had to work to reduce his BMI…he stood up, turned around and semi-curled the examination table up to chest height, then put it down and sat back down in front the the Flt Surgeon. Long pause…”Okay, I’ll process an exemption for your file.”

 

[mariomike]

Looks like they’re back to arriving in Ottawa on a weekend.

Mercy sakes alive, looks like we got us a connnvoyyyy!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Looks like they’re back to arriving in Ottawa on a weekend.

I’m still not sure what they think they’ll “shut down”? A traffic jam in the largely empty downtown core on a weekend will have zero impact on the mechanisms of government. Best they’ll achieve is cause further hassle to the already struggling businesses in the Byward Market and on Bank and Elgin.

Or you can all quit guessing. All the info on the donations and co-ordination is all on their website.

HOME | Canada Unity

We are a humanitarian organization that brings people together. Canada Unity bases it's foundations on community.

canada-unity.com

 

[brihard]

Or you can all quit guessing. All the info on the donations and co-ordination is all on their website.

HOME | Canada Unity

We are a humanitarian organization that brings people together. Canada Unity bases it's foundations on community.

canada-unity.com

You’re seeing something I’m not then, because the website is both super slow and thin on content. If this is what they’re counting on to articulate what they actually hope to achieve, that doesn’t bode well.

Regardless of which day of the week they show up (though everything I’m seeing says Saturday the 29th), clogging downtown Ottawa with trucks for a relatively brief period will be an amusing tantrum but not much else. If they think they’ll meaningfully interfere with the mechanisms of government, or influence government policy, they’re deluded.

I do look forward to hearing about what happens with the fundraiser proceeds.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

You’re seeing something I’m not then, because the website is both super slow and thin on content. If this is what they’re counting on to articulate what they actually hope to achieve, that doesn’t bode well.

Regardless of which day of the week they show up (though everything I’m seeing says Saturday the 29th), clogging downtown Ottawa with trucks for a relatively brief period will be an amusing tantrum but not much else. If they think they’ll meaningfully interfere with the mechanisms of government, or influence government policy, they’re deluded.

I do look forward to hearing about what happens with the fundraiser proceeds.

Yes, you're missing it. Everything is there. Claim forms (per the million dollars), timings, routes, etc. The organizers have stated, as opposed to your view of a day long inconvenience, they are going nowhere. They are in this, apparently, for as long as it takes to get trudeau to respond. The website has been fine for two weeks. Perhaps, regular people are taking notice and bogging it down to find out what's going on. Actually checking, before throwing shade at it.

 

[dimsum]

I do look forward to hearing about what happens with the fundraiser proceeds.

Me too. Popcorn is ready.

If would be shocked if there wasn't a future article saying those truckers got taken...um...for a ride.

 

[kev994]

Yup. Classic case of near-blind adherence to a poorly thought out rule-of-thumb. A friend in flight school was a professional body builder before joining the CAF. He was 5’8” and 250lbs - BMI of 37+ but he had only 4% body fat. The Flt Surg told him that he was bound by policy to tell him that he had to work to reduce his BMI…he stood up, turned around and semi-curled the examination table up to chest height, then put it down and sat back down in front the the Flt Surgeon. Long pause…”Okay, I’ll process an exemption for your file.”

USCG has weight standards, they start with BMI, they do some weird calculations with your neck; apparently if you have a thick neck they subtract some numbers. If you fail that they used to use the fat measure pinchers but I think they stopped doing that, then there’s a water displacement test. Anyway, long story, same problem, they end up with these super fit body builders getting caught up in the system that hasn’t accounted for their body type.

 

[PMedMoe]

So, is the Freedom Convoy going to protest in the U.S. as well? Even if they manage to get vaccine mandates changed here in Canada, they will still need to be vaccinated to cross the border.

Canadians now have to be fully vaccinated to cross the U.S. land border - "Those wishing to enter the U.S., whether for essential or non-essential reasons, will need to show proof of vaccination.

 

[kev994]

So, is the Freedom Convoy going to protest in the U.S. as well? Even if they manage to get vaccine mandates changed here in Canada, they will still need to be vaccinated to cross the border.

Canadians now have to be fully vaccinated to cross the U.S. land border - "Those wishing to enter the U.S., whether for essential or non-essential reasons, will need to show proof of vaccination.

That’s going to be pretty hard to do from this side of the border.

 

[brihard]

Yes, you're missing it. Everything is there. Claim forms (per the million dollars), timings, routes, etc. The organizers have stated, as opposed to your view of a day long inconvenience, they are going nowhere. They are in this, apparently, for as long as it takes to get trudeau to respond. The website has been fine for two weeks. Perhaps, regular people are taking notice and bogging it down to find out what's going on. Actually checking, before throwing shade at it.

shrug could be. The site was totally bogged down for me, I wasn’t going to burn more time.

I believe your hope in this is misplaced. There is nothing in the considerable history of protests in Ottawa to suggest this will change anything. My understanding is trucks are expensive to maintain and insure, and rent/mortgages don’t pay themselves. Donations will only carry them so long if they get anything like the turnout they want to claim.

The familiar pattern in Ottawa is a lot of people show up for a day or two, most go home, and a few malcontents camp out somewhere. That will likely prove consistent with the need of most of these people to take paying loads. If they think they’ll be allowed to leave trucks clogging up downtown indefinitely, they’re out of touch with reality. Ottawa Police doesn’t play that way.

 

[brihard]

So, is the Freedom Convoy going to protest in the U.S. as well? Even if they manage to get vaccine mandates changed here in Canada, they will still need to be vaccinated to cross the border.

Canadians now have to be fully vaccinated to cross the U.S. land border - "Those wishing to enter the U.S., whether for essential or non-essential reasons, will need to show proof of vaccination.

Shhh! You’re not supposed to say the quiet part out loud, Moe. This is entirely a Trudeau thing, just ask the truckers.

 

[mariomike]

Canadian Trucking Alliance condemns trucker protests

A federation representing truckers across Canada has denounced a series of planned protests against the federal government's cross-border travel vaccine mandate, arguing such demonstrations aren't a safe or effective way of resisting the policy.

www.ctvnews.ca

Canadian Trucking Alliance Statement to Those Engaged in Road/Border Protests - Canadian Trucking Alliance

cantruck.ca

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) does not support and strongly disapproves of any protests on public roadways, highways, and bridges.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

shrug could be. The site was totally bogged down for me, I wasn’t going to burn more time.

I believe your hope in this is misplaced. There is nothing in the considerable history of protests in Ottawa to suggest this will change anything. My understanding is trucks are expensive to maintain and insure, and rent/mortgages don’t pay themselves. Donations will only carry them so long if they get anything like the turnout they want to claim.

The familiar pattern in Ottawa is a lot of people show up for a day or two, most go home, and a few malcontents camp out somewhere. That will likely prove consistent with the need of most of these people to take paying loads. If they think they’ll be allowed to leave trucks clogging up downtown indefinitely, they’re out of touch with reality. Ottawa Police doesn’t play that way.

You've been coming at me from the wrong angle all along. All I have been doing is reporting what I see. I don't live in Ottawa. So I really don't care at all what happens to commuters. I'm also not jaded enough to think trudeau will even look at it. I am extremely well versed in trucks and mayhem, living in the busiest cross border town in North America. I simply post the info I see on their website. Have all the opinions you want, but I really have no dog in this fight, other than wishing them well for exercising their rights. Whether you believe what I post or not, is immaterial to me. You don't want to spend time and research it before giving your opinion? Go for it. All I am doing is posting what they are doing, from their website.. Not arguing about it.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

And another well spoken piece from Neil Oliver

 

[Jarnhamar]

Ottawa better hope the comet Rea-M doesn't pass by while all those trucks are in town. Especially if there's a truck that looks like this:

 

[Haggis]

Ottawa better hope the comet Rea-M doesn't pass by while all those trucks are in town. Especially if there's a truck that looks like this:

View attachment 68220

Rhea-M is in June. We're safe....this time.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Rhea-M is in June. We're safe....this time.

You had to go and say it?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Not too surprising...

New study shows higher incidence of violent crime in poor Vancouver neighbourhoods, theft in wealthier ones​

A new study co-authored by Simon Fraser University researchers has found a rise in violent crime in Vancouver's poorer neighbourhoods during the pandemic, while wealthier areas saw a small uptick in theft-related crimes.

"During the pandemic we found that overall, crime tends to increase more in marginalized areas within the city," said professor Martin Andresen in a statement.

Andresen and co-author Tarah Hodgkinson of Wilfrid Laurier University found that between March 1, 2020 and Feb. 28, 2021, arson, assault, robbery and weapon-related offences increased in the downtown core, as well as in the neighbourhoods of Strathcona and Mount Pleasant.

Meanwhile, the average monthly number of theft incidents went down in all of Vancouver.

The central business district downtown and surrounding areas saw a decrease in theft of vehicle and theft from vehicle crimes, according to the study.

Andresen says this can be attributed to the fact that many businesses were closed during parts of the pandemic and employees had to work from home.

"For the people who ended up living in Vancouver and working downtown, they were no longer downtown which is where a lot of these crimes happened normally," he said.

However, more affluent neighbourhoods, like Kerrisdale, Dunbar-Southlands and West Point Grey saw a slight increase in theft-related incidents.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sfu-study-vancouver-crime-impacts-1.6323902

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Rhea-M is in June. We're safe....this time.

Don't Look Up

Don't Look Up (2021) - IMDb

Don't Look Up: Directed by Adam McKay. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett. Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.

www.imdb.com