Happy Canadian Thanksgiving 2024. Hope you are enjoying your time with friends and family. If you are alone, take some time for a walk and a good meal, maybe not in that order.
Here are some brief updates (this is a holiday, after all) on where we are:
There’s now a Suicide Crisis Helpline in Canada. You can call it for free anytime, from anywhere. 9-8-8.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) October 10, 2024
Please share. We never know who needs it. #WorldMentalHealthDay
The United States has had 9-8-8 as an option for awhile. Now Canada has this option. Having to remember a complex phone number is difficult enough so 9-8-8 is a lot easier to follow. Your humble narrator has called the number in the States and found the people very helpful.
There should be no shame in calling this number. Sometimes you need an ear to listen. World Mental Health Day was last Thursday yet we need to think about mental health every day.
2024 British Columbia election preview
2024 New Brunswick election preview
2024 Saskatchewan election preview
Autumn has been busy with 3 provincial elections that will end later this month. British Columbia (October 19), New Brunswick (October 21), and Saskatchewan (October 28) are in intense political races. Well, Saskatchewan is never that intense about politics.
This feels like the ugliest race in British Columbia history. Well, recent history at least. The province is definitely missing its centrist party in this battle.
Blaine Higgs blew off a debate in New Brunswick. Never a good sign, especially from an incumbent. By the way, I go after any politician that is afraid to debate, especially an incumbent. Don't be afraid to say what you will do for the people you serve.
Saskatchewan is experimenting with a 6-day voting window: October 22-28 excluding October 27 (Sunday). Turnout in the province was at 78% in the 1980s and 52% of late. Would be fun to see this provincial election with an active and large turnout.
Your humble narrator has already voted in the U.S. election, which is after these provincial elections.
We will have wrapup coverage on all 3 races though that won't be as strong, given our responsibilities in Windsor. We are only human.
2024 Canadian politics preview
CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage
We are aware of the no confidence motions filed by the Conservatives in the House of Commons. Jagmeet Singh (NDP) stirred a hornet's nest by voiding the supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals. The Bloc Quebecois is suddenly more relevant in negotiations to keep the minority government afloat. Let's hope this is not a 2024 issue.
Meanwhile, Canada has the beginnings of pharmacare, the idea of prescriptions, including birth control, be covered under the single payer health care system in Canada. Many single payer systems in the world (e.g., NHS in the United Kingdom) cover medicines but Canada does not … until now.
As much as Justin Trudeau might or wants to take credit for pharmacare in Canada, we know Jagmeet Singh and the NDP are why the Liberals pushed through pharmacare.
CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage
As we are reducing our NHL coverage, we want to cover more about Canadian journalism and its relationship to Canadian society. We speak of Canadian stories in the film and television worlds. There are Canadian stories in the real world, many of whom get lost in the American hedge fund dominance of a lot of those outlets and the real threat to CBC News from right-wing politicians.
We are aiming for another Canadian journalism notebook this week (no guarantees).
Canadian Thanksgiving 2021: Slightly more thankful
Canadian Thanksgiving 2020: Trying to remain thankful
Reflections on Canadian Thanksgiving 2018
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving 2017
Some of us remember when the CFL would have a Thanksgiving doubleheader. Imagine if Saturday's BC game in Regina was the second half of a doubleheader to be played today.
Ottawa at Montréal has been the de facto Thanksgiving game of late. The CFL had the audacity to go from a Thanksgiving doubleheader in 2018 to zero (0) games in 2019. There was an all-East doubleheader in 2021. The West had a game in 2018 (Edmonton at Saskatchewan) and 2014 (Winnipeg at Edmonton).
Western Canada celebrates Labour Day as well as Thanksgiving. They should be included. At least we should be thankful we get 1 game on Thanksgiving.
TSN (Canada) and CBS Sports Network (United States) have the coverage from Molson Stadium at 1 pm Eastern.
2024 CFL Week 19 preview
2024-2025 NHL preview: Cutting back significantly on our NHL coverage
The debut of Monday Night Hockey is tonight on Amazon Prime Video in Canada. Sidney Crosby and his Pittsburgh Penguins are in Montréal, a city where Crosby usually does well.
We will have more on this in a future NHL notebook. The NHL Center Ice free preview is still running in the United States. Americans can catch these Monday Night Hockey games, subject to local blackouts, via ESPN+.
2024 TIFF wrapup
2024 TIFF preview
2024 TIFF Canadian film preview
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
Canadians can explore their own country through the magic of Canadian film. Well, Canadian films that reflect Canadian stories within Canada. Can be a good way to celebrate family, whether blood or by choice, Happy Thanksgiving.
photo credit: me
Twitter capture: @JustinTrudeau
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