Government hints at boosting Canada’s military spending

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[FJAG]

Trying to find a night school course for welding for my daughter, there is nothing. Only trade related full time course. Night schools used to offer a variety of Hobby workshop courses.

I was mentioning to my daughter and her family about the various shop classes available to us in the ST&T programs in high school in Ontario. I'm told that there's hardly any of that in existence anymore.

OTOH, I see that there is now a mandatory Gd 9 and 10 credit requirement in "Technology and Skilled Trades" which is starting this year. It ain't nothin' like my old auto shop; metal shop; wood shop; electric shop; etc etc shop courses we had.

 

[JLB50]

I was mentioning to my daughter and her family about the various shop classes available to us in the ST&T programs in high school in Ontario. I'm told that there's hardly any of that in existence anymore.

OTOH, I see that there is now a mandatory Gd 9 and 10 credit requirement in "Technology and Skilled Trades" which is starting this year. It ain't nothin' like my old auto shop; metal shop; wood shop; electric shop; etc etc shop courses we had.

Sad.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I was mentioning to my daughter and her family about the various shop classes available to us in the ST&T programs in high school in Ontario. I'm told that there's hardly any of that in existence anymore.

OTOH, I see that there is now a mandatory Gd 9 and 10 credit requirement in "Technology and Skilled Trades" which is starting this year. It ain't nothin' like my old auto shop; metal shop; wood shop; electric shop; etc etc shop courses we had.

"Metal working" in Grade 11 is basically making jewellery

 

[lenaitch]

FYI

Mechanics' institute - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They were also thought to be revolutionary hot beds. In Toronto they were associated with the Methodists, Egerton Ryerson, William Lyon Mackenzie and the Upper Canada Rebellion.

They were offsprings of the Andersonian of Glasgow.



Education for the masses for a fee.

I guess I should have been more specific and said history of community colleges 'here'. I'm not familiar with the other provinces but community colleges only go back to 1965 when Bill Davis was the MofEd (Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology). There were one or two existing 'trade school'. George Brown College started out as the Provincial Institute of Trades under the MofL. When it became a 'college', a buddy's father was the founding president.

Although AI and other technologies are playing increasing roles in our lives, I think far too much attention is being taken away from the traditional trades.

AI ain't gonna build a house (awaits the claims that houses can be 3D printed or something).

Trying to find a night school course for welding for my daughter, there is nothing. Only trade related full time course. Night schools used to offer a variety of Hobby workshop courses.

No funding plus trying to get trade folks willing to do it. I took a non-credit small engines course just for fun. The instructor ran his own shop during the day. Faculty unions go nuts.

I was mentioning to my daughter and her family about the various shop classes available to us in the ST&T programs in high school in Ontario. I'm told that there's hardly any of that in existence anymore.

My high school was kinda the flagship for the Board. We had a pool, a computer (massive, punch card thing) and an entire shop wing; wood, metal, auto, electrical, electronics, machine and architectural drafting, HVAC and construction (might have missed one of two). Our teachers were all from the trades and I think they did a summer 'teaching' course. I'd hate to see what became of that space.

 

[Kirkhill]

AI ain't gonna build a house (awaits the claims that houses can be 3D printed or something).

- You asked.

3D Printed House | Canada's #1 Printed House Contractor |

3D printed houses for 3 storey residential and commercial builds. Big commercial projects now possible in Canada. Build with us now!

printerra.ca

 

[Kirkhill]

Chain-yanking aside, 3D printing is just another tool for the trades.

 

[Kirkhill]

Sorry, but thank you @lenaitch.

Great digression you sent me off on. It's all your fault.

A CMHC Multi Family Residence project - 3D Printing in Essex County (Leamington).

 

[Kirkhill]

Back on track.

I don't know if anyone else has posted this CBC video.

It matches with this one

.....

What is remarkable, after what we have heard and put up with for the last decade or two, is the cast of characters and the words coming out of their mouths. You'd think they were born-again Albertans.

 

[RangerRay]

Since we’re talking about housing, NIMBYism, etc. …

Here’s an excellent podcast with Bari Weiss, Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. They’re “liberals” who are critical of how blue states became places where nothing gets built, whether it’s housing, transit, energy infrastructure…you name it. They lay it at the feet of Democratic states and municipalities that function like the DMV with restrictive zone laws and regulations, and NIMBYs with too much sway on their councils for their numbers. They say that Democrats have to adopt an “abundance agenda” to unstuck everything. They say the people are seeing how Democratic states and municipalities not functioning and voting with their feet.

A fascinating listen. I love listening to serious people challenge the ideological priors of their own side.

Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson Have a Plan for the Left

Podcast Episode · Honestly with Bari Weiss · 2025-03-18 · 1h 38m

podcasts.apple.com

 

[childs56]

You can disagree all you want. But you'll have to convince others. Take that proposal to a neighbour who isn't very political. See if they think it's enough to let their kid get drafted.

Like I said, for me personally? I value that year for my kid at $100k. And that's just if they are planting trees in Northern Ontario. You tell me they are going to get shot at in Europe involuntarily and the price goes way up.

Lol you think a unskilled needs to be trained person is worth $100,000 a year under any circumstances?
lol that is the funniest thing i heard all day planting trees for $100,000 a year.
I would love to work in your world.

 

[ytz]

Lol you think a unskilled needs to be trained person is worth $100,000 a year under any circumstances?
lol that is the funniest thing i heard all day planting trees for $100,000 a year.
I would love to work in your world.

Your reading comprehension is poor.

I didn't say the work is worth $100k.

I said the time is worth $100k.

A year of life not learning anything productive and not starting a career is expensive. And the effects compound over a lifetime. I expect adequate compensation for that sacrifice. People implicitly understand this. It's why they take internships and apprenticeships where they are underpaid when young.

And hey, we all value our kids differently. Maybe you think yours are worth less. But I don't think mine should be giving up a year, with compounding effects, for less than $100k.

If you think the need for a conscript army is so important, pony up. Just like all the countries who have conscription and often have substantial social benefits for their young people. If you don't want to pay up, I guess the threat didn't really justify conscription that much then?

 

[ueo]

"Metal working" in Grade 11 is basically making jewellery

My Gr11 welding was intro to MIG/TIG on plate steel.

 

[Underway]

This is quite the side track even for Army.ca.... lol

 

[Maxman1]

This is quite the side track even for Army.ca.... lol

"So, my napkin proposal to restructure the Ares..."

 

[Underway]

My emoji response is taking the piss... not actually serious

 

[Kirkhill]

Long article - Short form, Trump's 2x4 has got results.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-21/canada-rushes-to-fund-its-neglected-military-after-trump-threats?embedded-checkout=true

https://archive.ph/k9jsX

Canadians may even be willing to pay a special “Canadian military tax,” former Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz said in February, suggesting 3% on purchases, offset for low-income residents by sales tax relief.
“People pay that tax knowing it’s going straight to the people in uniform and they’ll be proud to pay it. And I think Donald Trump would say: ‘Now that’s a teammate.’”

 

[Brad Sallows]

Your reading comprehension is poor.

I didn't say the work is worth $100k.

I said the time is worth $100k.

Working time is only worth the value of what people will pay for the work. Personal valuations of time are only relevant to how people choose for themselves. For example: do the landscaping, or hire a company and go fishing.

 

[ytz]

Working time is only worth the value of what people will pay for the work. Personal valuations of time are only relevant to how people choose for themselves. For example: do the landscaping, or hire a company and go fishing.

You can judge that value how you want. But I wouldn't be voting for a party pushing conscription if their offer was, "We'll make your kid march around, dig ditches and plant trees for a whole year and pay minimum wage. Nothing else." I will see that as an abuse of my kid's time. And keep in mind, the onus to convince voters this is absolutely needed is on the pro-conscription side. The folks who discuss these fantasies seem to simply dismiss that as an inconvenience.

 

[Brad Sallows]

You can judge that value how you want. But I wouldn't be voting for a party pushing conscription if their offer was, "We'll make your kid march around, dig ditches and plant trees for a whole year and pay minimum wage. Nothing else."

No-one should. That's the point: conscripting people for low-value work (as in: what would people pay to have it done) is pretty close to indentured labour on the autonomy-slavery spectrum.

 

[YZT580]

As I wrote: housing.

We shouldn't lose sight of the single factor that is probably responsible for all of this. If we could correct for that, we'd likely have to admit each generation unambiguously lives better than the one before it.

at the very serious risk of being shelled from great heights I am going to lob this one out: its all women's fault. But truthfully, WW2 put wives out of the home, off the farm and into the job market. 2 incomes in a family at that time provided TVs, clothes dryers, hi fi music and an actual vacation rather than a day at the beach. It didn't take long before the basic dream of an 1100 sq. ft. bungalow or storey and one half gave way to larger dreams. Wives were encouraged to work until we reached the point where it was no longer a choice. Luxuries had become necessities and you have to have 2 incomes or at least one above average one to get by. It isn't the housing per se, but our own greed that has put us in the position we are in now