Canadian Crossing

Canadian ads from winter 2021 NHL Center Ice free preview

This look at the Canadian ads in the slightly smaller window of the NHL Center Ice free preview in early 2021 is a snapshot of a snapshot.

Coffee was a dominant force. We got a return visit from Jon Hamm and Skip the Dishes. COVID-19 is a force in the ads, thanks to the government of Canada.

As an expert on advertising, never a big fan of telling your customers that you screwed up. Domino's pizza had to do that because its product was so terrible. Customers may say ads are fake because they make a product to be better than it is but the truth sets no one free.

Tim Hortons tell us that the dark roast coffee is now good because for so long, the dark roast coffee was terrible. While I am an expert on advertising, the same can't be said for coffee. So maybe Tim Hortons is finally right. Or not.

A&W is so proud of its coffee that the restaurant chain was offering the coffee for free. The coffee could be a factor since people are still going to these places to get a quick coffee safely from the drive-thru window. A good time to promote the coffee as opposed to burgers and fries.

Calling things "fake" while may be true is a bit overdone. Then again, using the "fake" element to show how real your product is, well, that can work. Haven't had Pinty's bacon but the product looks a lot better than bacon that is technically real bacon. If nothing else, Pinty's would get a second glance in the bacon section.

We have loved the Jon Hamm Skip the Dishes ads. Silly with moments of clever. Then the newest ads came out. Sounds like someone said, "Keep the actors but make the spots not clever."

This newest ad shows Hamm getting a cake burger. Hamm and his assistant go through a philosophical extension on whether the cake is made of burgers or cake to look like a burger. You could argue "too clever" or "too boring." Bring back the old team.

Didn't want to put in a Zoom ad or bring back the annoying white guy who says a Big Mac with bacon isn't a Big Mac. Changed my mind because these guys work well with Zoom and a reminder that the United States claims to love its bacon but doesn't have a Big Mac with bacon. McDonald's Canada is more creative than the U.S. version.

Canadian ads from fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview

Canadian political ads from fall 2019 NHL Center Ice free preview

CanadianCrossing.com advertising coverage

The final ads come from the government of Canada. The first is about the COVID-19 alert app. The app helps inform people who might be at risk, a concept the United States is woefully behind on having. The second ad is a nice visual that if we are patient and follow the guidelines, we can return to a relatively normal world.

video credits: the advertisers themselves

Shining a light on our Indigenous coverage

We want to do a better job of covering the Indigenous world within Canada for CanadianCrossing.com. We start out with a couple of stories that slipped through the cracks from earlier this year. Then we have a big announcement at the end.

Come learn with me? I’ve signed up for a (free) course through the University of Alberta called Indigenous Canada. 12 lessons that explore Indigenous histories and contemporary issues from an Indigenous perspective.

This little video explains it all. Sign up via link in my bio! pic.twitter.com/LccboMO8X2

— dan levy (@danjlevy) August 18, 2020

We have been intrigued as to how much Indigenous issues come out in Canada (unlike the United States where the Indigenous population is truly invisible) yet most Canadians don't seem as interested in learning more about their Indigenous neighbours.

Dan Levy, who is a rather famous Canadian these days, spent part of his COVID-19 pandemic isolation time to take a free 13-week online course on Indigenous history and issues at the University of Alberta. Levy's fame likely drew people into taking the course with him, though they were likely curious on their own.

Levy encouraged people to come along for the ride. He wanted them to make donations to the program, offering to match all donations up to $25,000. Levy did donate to the program since the fundraising goal was reached.

Searching for a good lobster roll in Nova Scotia

Celebrating advantages of the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market

CanadianCrossing.com Nova Scotia coverage

The R v Marshall 1999 Supreme Court of Canada ruling upheld the Halifax Treaties. The Mi'kmaq were allowed to make a "moderate livelihood" in lobster fishing. Despite the court's ruling, no one established what exactly that meant.

Earlier this year, the Mi'kmaq, after 21 years of indecision, set out to lobster fishing mainly in Saulnierville and Middle West Pubnico, Nova Scotia.

The reaction from non-Indigenous fishers was swift and vicious. Traps were taken in the water. A lobster pound was burned to the ground. The RCMP officers would stand there and not respond to the destruction.

The non-Indigenous fishers argued that the Mi'kmaq fishing would lead to overfishing. That argument proved quite weak, given how few boats the Mi'kmaq had compared to the commercial fishers.

A lobster boycott developed to support the Mi'kmaq in their efforts.

The kicker to the story that you might not have seen coming is that Mi’kmaq communities the Membertou and Miawpukek First Nations bought Nova Scotia-based Clearwater Seafoods in a deal worth $1 billion Canadian.

The Mi'kmaq had these rights for generations; those rights were validated in 1999 by the Supreme Court of Canada. They finally tried to take advantage of those inherent rights and were subject to violence and racism.

We talk about buying fair trade for chocolate; there should be something along the lines of fair trade lobster as well.

Montréal chef Chuck Hughes travels north to learn more about Indigenous food traditions in Chuck and the First Peoples' Kitchen. The show premiered this fall on APTN.

Hughes is the host yet he is there to learn from the people who doing the cooking.

Hughes has experience with food television in Canada and the United States. His warm and humble nature is helpful in these parts of Canada that most Canadians know very little of first hand.

The show is available in English and French. The first season had 13 episodes. This would be a great show to have in the United States.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian TV coverage

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

The Trudeau Government has introduced Bill C-10 to amend the Broadcasting Act to require broadcasters to fund Indigenous productions and provide content in Indigenous languages. The current act mentions Indigenous programming but doesn't require them.

While we have seen a number of Indigenous films, the TV offerings have been limited to shows such as Mohawk Girls and Trickster.

Little Mosque on the Prairie showcased Muslim characters. People need to see themselves on screen in films and television.

Mohawk Girls ran on OMNI Television and APTN during its run. The CBC showed the program this past summer and is available to Canadians on CBC Gem.

Canadian Museum of Human Rights needs a CEO who really understands human rights

Canadian film review: Angry Inuk

CanadianCrossing.com Indigenous coverage

We are launching a category on the right side of the blog for our Indigenous coverage.

Years ago, the question would occasionally come up: Is Canada a racist country? Your humble narrator didn't really have a sense of that back then. The English and French. White people and Indigenous people. Those were rather obvious. My standard answer was that there was racism but more subtle than what we have seen in the United States.

Now, we know a lot more about racism in Canada than we knew back then. Most of what your humble narrator has learned about the Indigenous population has been through Canadian films as well as visiting the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. That curiosity led to podcasts on topics, including racism, police conduct, clean water, food costs and food insecurity, and missing girls and women.

We talked about promoting Indigenous travel in our Thanksgiving 2020 notebook. That is a good way to learn about their culture. Understanding and curiosity is only the beginning of a better relationship between the Indigenous population and settlers from other parts of the world within Canada.

Twitter capture: @danjlevy
photo credit: me; Chuck and the First Peoples' Kitchen/APTN

Canadian film review: Nose To Tail

If you read the late Anthony Bourdain, you would gather that the cooking areas in restaurants are toxic environments. Nose to Tail gives us that world perhaps only slightly exaggerated.

Daniel (Aaron Abrams) oozes toxic. Daniel has toxic reactions to everything and everyone. Chloe (Lara Jean Chorostecki), Daniel’s part-time girlfriend/front of the house, staggers back and forth between confronting him and holding back.

Nose to Tail takes place over about 24 hours where several elements fall into place to make Daniel as angry and toxic as he has been. He is worried about the potential investors coming by the restaurant on a day where things slowly go wrong around him. How far will Daniel go with his anger and toxicity.

Daniel is afraid of technology aka blogs as well as food trucks. He considered himself old-school but not in the ways of presenting food with his ultra-tiny portions. The restaurant is full every night yet the place is losing money. The restaurant has been around for 10 years, longer than a lot of restaurants, yet no one would put up with his crap for longer than 6 weeks.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Abrams does well by Daniel, giving him a tiny bit of humanity in what is otherwise a monster. The only person who Daniel is nice to is his sommelier Steven (Salvatore Antonio). Daniel treats Chloe as badly as any of his employees, which seems unlikely given they are supposedly in a relationship.

Daniel can't even hold back the anger in trying to get a high school friend (Ennis Esmer) to invest in his restaurant.

Chorostecki, whom we loved in X Company, holds her own, the diplomatic to the jackass who gives as well as she receives.

Jesse Zigelstein, as writer/director in his debut, gives us an intimate setting for the film. The film is mostly inside a restaurant, in the back of the restaurant, and then briefly onto College Street in Toronto to the food truck across the street. The film is not well-lit but in a good way. You are in tight corners with intimacy with a culinary monster, good and bad.

The script is tight and flows like someone who has worked in restaurants. Daniel's dressing down of the servers on how to interpret the menu deserves simultaneous applause and disgust.

Zigelstein has very small parts for most in the film: exceptions are Keith (Brandon McKnight), the sous chef who smartly leaves for a much better offer, and Angela (Genevieve Kang), who Chloe insists Daniel utilise to replace Keith.

You do wonder how people stay with someone that bad for a long time. Fortunately for the audience, they only have to know Daniel for around 80 minutes.

The film is intense and intimate. If you are a highly sensitive person, you might want to skip this film. Otherwise, watch it to see someone worse than you (hopefully).

Nose to Tail is available on Crave in Canada.

video credit: YouTube/1091 Pictures
photo credit: Nose to Tail film

Transplant makes U.S. debut on NBC

Following a successful first season on @CTV, @TransplantCTV premieres Sept. 1 on NBC. Season 1 encores in simulcast Tuesdays at 10 pm ET/PT on CTV. For more information, visit @thelede_ca: https://t.co/jLoITlDaUc #Transplant pic.twitter.com/FfGSVkqDRx

— CTV Communications (@CTV_PR) August 12, 2020

We mentioned the Canadian TV shows making their debut on U.S. over-the-air television. We figured the debuts would come when the traditional fall season begins.

Coroner made its debut on August 5 on the CW. The CW also added Fridge Wars via the CBC. Now, NBC is launching the CTV show Transplant before Labour Day, airing tonight at 10 pm Eastern/Pacific.

Our initial concerns about whether all the episodes would air doesn't seem to be an issue now.

Unlike shows created to run in both countries, Coroner definitely has Canadian elements in the series. The show is made for the CW, though that isn't always a compliment. You have to suspend reality as Jenny is more crime-fighter than coroner, her "perfect" boyfriend who lives in the forest, the mystery gambling problem from her dead husband that forces them into a smaller house. The black dog part might eventually be relevant. The 3rd and 4th episodes are a 2-parter, highly rare to have so soon into a new drama.

Jenny Cooper is so illuminating that everyone and everything revolves around her. The show isn't bad just, well, made for the CW even though the agreement came recently.

Serinda Swan, who portrays Jenny Cooper, has guest starred on a couple of CW shows about a decade ago: Smallville and Supernatural.

Morwyn Brebner, who developed Coroner for television, also was a creator and producer of Rookie Blue and Saving Hope, shows that crossed over into the United States.

Fridge Wars from CBC to air on the CW

Fridge Wars has some cool elements and some very bad habits. Emma Hunter is well-suited and really seems like she is having fun (or she is a better actor than we realise). Hunter is good with the families. The chefs throw shade against each other in a fun way. The second-half challenge is gimmicky but works well most of the time.

You do lose track of what happened with the first family with the second family is on TV. The premise of using only what is in the refrigerator — the point of the show — doesn't last too long. A chef in one episode is making homemade wonton wrappers with ingredients that clearly aren't from the refrigerator. In another episode, the chefs use a specific snack food mentioned by name. Both chefs used that snack food. In the episode with the wonton wrappers, both chefs specifically mentioned a particular kitchen brand mixer.

Sneaking commercials in a show is worse than sneaking vegetables in a dish. The sneaky ads are bad enough but the fact that the show airs on a public broadcaster is worse. If the CBC went commercial free, these ads wouldn't be allowed within programming.

Canadian presence on 2020 U.S. TV upfronts

U.S. television turns to Canadian TV shows to fill gaps due to COVID-19

We have more hope for Transplant. The idea of Syrian refugees had a much different reaction in Canada than within certain pockets in the United States in real life. Some of those Americans might view Syrian refugees in a country that mostly speaks English as a fiction story rather than reflecting (a bit) about actual refugees in the country next door to them.

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

The oddity of Coroner, Transplant, and other Canadian shows making their way to the United States is that they wouldn't be picked up by a simsub by another Canadian broadcaster, such as CTV, Global, and Citytv. The Canadian rights of Coroner and Fridge Wars rest with CBC and Transplant for CTV. As was noted in the Twitter capture, CTV is going to simsub the NBC feed, even though they are reruns in Canada.

Canadians can catch up on Transplant through the CTV Web site or they can watch the CTV simsub of NBC. The CW is a bit more difficult for Canadians to pick up, depending on their cable lineup. CBC shows are available on CBC Gem.

Would love a U.S. outlet, over-the-air, cable, or streaming to pick up Season 3 of Mary Kills People and Season 3 of Private Eyes. They have been abandoned by their U.S. outlets, Lifetime and Ion Television, respectively.

Twitter capture: @CTV_PR
photo credits: CBC (x2); CTV

Fridge Wars from CBC to air on the CW

Coroner is coming to the CW this fall. There was 18 to Life that was on the CBC and ended up on the CW. Now we have Fridge Wars airing on the CW in the United States.

Fridge Wars reminded me of a cooking show where chefs came into real people's homes and made dishes based on what was in their refrigerator. The premise has been modified where the family's fridge content has been replicated and the chefs compete in a studio. The family judges the food.

Emma Hunter, whom you might recognise from The Beaverton, Mr. D, and her stint as one of the last hosts of the Canadian Screen Awards, is the host. Hunter like she is having fun on the show, though she might be the only one enjoying herself.

We are normally not fans of reality TV shows, especially ones with the word wars in the title, but this one might be some fun. Our love for food, with our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com, and the Canadian elements of the show might prove intriguing.

Canadian presence on 2020 U.S. TV upfronts

U.S. television turns to Canadian TV shows to fill gaps due to COVID-19

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

The CBC ran 6 episodes earlier this year in a pre-pandemic world. Hopefully, the CW will run all 6 episodes. We still can't believe the network bailed so quickly on 18 to Life.

The U.S. debut of Fridge Wars airs Sunday at 8 pm Eastern on the CW. Canadians can stream Season 1 on CBC Gem.

video and photo credit: Fridge Wars/CBC

Celebrating Canada Day 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the tentative agreement of Toronto and Edmonton to be the NHL hub cities.

Today marks the 153rd anniversary of the founding of the Dominion of Canada with Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick aka Canada Day.

Newfoundland and Labrador honours Memorial Day on July 1, going back to 1917 for the loss of approximately 700 soldiers of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment at Beaumont-Hamel during World War I.

Quebec celebrates July 1 as Moving Day.

The Canada Day Daytime Show and Canada Day Evening Show will be broadcast on CPAC, the Canadian Heritage Facebook Page and the Canadian Heritage YouTube page.

CBC will carry Canada Day Together | La Fête du Canada Ensemble with hosts Serena Ryder and Pierre Yves Lord. Performances will include Corneille, The Jerry Cans, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Haviah Mighty, Alexandra Stréliski, and The Sheepdogs. The program runs at 8 pm local time (8:30 pm in most of Newfoundland).

Canada Day is normally filled with outlandish ceremonies. There will be fireworks just not officially.

Canadian travel bubbles could boost tourism within Canada

Where to visit Canada in 2020

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

Those in Atlantic Canada might be spending their Canada Day packing for a trip within the region. The coronavirus travel bubble kicks in Friday for Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. They can travel within the region without any self-isolation.

The areas where I have been in those provinces are so beautiful. A Cape Spear sunrise. Hopewell Rocks when you can explore the ocean floor and then watch 40 feet of water show up. The red sand beaches of Prince Edward Island. Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia is a spot where I want to go.

Manitoba is allowing travelers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Ontario without a 14-day quarantine. 

Canadian sports notebook: Toronto and Edmonton still NHL hub city options

We covered a lot of ongoing sports stories on Monday. The hub city count is down to 4 with Los Angeles reportedly out of the running.

There is a tentative agreement for Toronto and Edmonton to be the NHL hub cities.

Minor league baseball will not have a 2020 season. Sadly, Canada only has a single MLB-affiliated minor league team: Vancouver Canadians of the Class A Northwest League, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Canada Day is traditionally when the NHL free agent frenzy begins. This is a very different Canada Day.

CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage

Wendy Mesley was suspended from hosting The Weekly on June 9 for using the n-word twice in editorial meetings for the show. In one reference, Mesley quoted the title of a 1968 book by Quebec journalist Pierre Vallières that includes the n-word. The rest of the show's season was cancelled June 12.

We generally like Mesley but she was absolutely wrong for what she did. Being a journalist means understanding words and the power that they have. When you are the boss of a TV show, you hold extra power over your employees. The power of words combined with your power makes using such language even worse than a casual conversation in an office.

For the longest time, we knew of the incidents but didn't officially know what word was being used.

I grew up hearing the n-word a lot from white people, some of whom I am related by blood and marriage. I knew as a child not to use that word.

The power of words is knowing when to use those words. Otherwise, you don't. Everyone knows what you mean when you say the n-word.

2019 Canada Day notebook: More delays with edibles

How to celebrate Canada Day 2018

My path down the TIFF Top 10 Canadian films of all time (2017)

The 2020 Junos were scheduled to be in Saskatoon in March. Like the Canadian Screen Awards, the Junos had a virtual awards ceremony. The ceremony ran on Monday night on CBC Gem, CBC Music Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages, as well as CBCMusic.ca/junos.

Celebrating Canada Day 2016

McDonald's Great Canadian Taste Adventure needs more Canadian (2015)

Thoughts about Canada on Canada Day 2014

"There were 19 new cases of the virus in B.C. on Wednesday. Only 15 people in the province of 5.1 million people are currently hospitalized due to COVID-19."

This quote comes from a story from last Thursday on Vancouver taking itself out of the running to be a NHL hub city. Imagine how many hundreds and hundreds of American hospitals that have well more than 15 COVID-19 hospitalisations right now. The 15 number isn't Vancouver or Victoria or Fort St. John or Penticton or Terrace. This is 15 in the entire province.

Those Canadian numbers are amazing compared to the United States, even the good ones.

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

A couple of food-related TV suggestions that takes in the bounty of Canada. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner with David Chang has a chapter on Vancouver with Seth Rogen. Chang and Rogen travel to the Granville Market and Richmond among other places on Netflix. Rogen knows his way around his native Vancouver.

Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations debuted its last episode on Monday from Nova Scotia on Cooking Channel. Andrew Zimmern does the stand up from the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. Yes, I can tell. The episode features lobster, donair, and blueberry grunt from wild blueberries (different from blueberries).

Celebrating Pride with Canadian films and television

Quebecois films to watch on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day 2020

Drive-ins are making a comeback: Here are some Canadian films to show

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

We did have a bit of fun last week spotlighting Canadian film (and television) within categories. You can celebrate Canada without having to go outside or worry about social distancing.

In lieu of sports and politics, we have devoted a lot more space to covering film and film reviews. We like sports and politics but we love writing about film.

Canada milk producers threatened with invasion of cheaper American milk (BalanceofFood.com)

Canada secretly passes heavily flawed CUSMA during the COVID-19 corornavirus pandemic

In a cruel sense of timing, the dreaded CUSMA | USMCA trade deal debuts today. The economic damage from the obnoxious tariff battle switches over to economic damage in a lopsided trade deal. You can get more details in the link above as part of our coverage on the deal.

Deal in place to (finally) lift damaging #steel #aluminum #tariffs on #Canada. Do not let that be a reason to consider ratifying #CUSMA #USMCA https://t.co/Y8mPU8cl8K #cdnpoli #cdntrade

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) May 17, 2019

The debut of the new trade deal also comes on the heels of the threat of aluminum tariffs against Canada, something the new trade deal was agreed upon to avoid the tariffs. Sounds like I am calling Donald Trump untrustworthy and a liar. Yes.

This is one of many reasons why Canada should not have agreed to such a lopsided trade deal.

photo credit: Exclaim.ca
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing

Canadian travel bubbles could boost tourism within Canada

The Maritime provinces as well as Newfoundland and Labrador are looking into a travel bubble. Nunavut and Northwest Territories are planning a travel bubble for themselves.

The idea behind a travel bubble is that Canadians in those areas could cross provincial and territorial borders without the need to quarantine from the pandemic.

I haven't been to a Canadian territory but I have visited the Atlantic provinces in the summertime. I have been in Newfoundland and Labrador in late July, Nova Scotia in August, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island in September. So much seafood, driving without obnoxious billboards, a lot of walking, and tons of water.

A lot of Canadians out west haven't been to this area of Canada. Costs are normally prohibitive even before a pandemic: cheaper to fly to Las Vegas to London then to travel to Halifax or St. John's.

A travel bubble, combined with relatively cheaper gas, allows Canadians from that region to enjoy the splendid beauty of the region without as many tourists as normal. The Bay of Fundy, Peggy's Cove, Cape Spear, the red sand PEI beaches, Cape Breton, Hopewell Rocks, and so many more travel destinations./p>

The Atlantic provinces have been doing really well with COVID-19 with Nova Scotia being the slight outlier. This doesn't obscure the fact that people have suffered and died from the COVID-19 coronavirus. Even though the numbers have been good, provincial premiers want to be sure this is done safely.

I loved the Hockey Day in Canada coverage from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories back in February. Having seen the Iqaluit film made me more excited about seeing the Nunavut capital.   

CanadianCrossing.com New Brunswick coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Nova Scotia coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Prince Edward Island coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Newfoundland and Labrador coverage

CanadianCrossing.com territories coverage

Like Americans, Canadians are allowed to travel freely within their own country. Provinces have stepped up during the pandemic to limit travel in their provinces. British Columbia provincial parks are closed to non-residents. There has been some animosity against cars with Alberta licence plates in B.C.

Those in the 6 other provinces could discover the travel jewels in their own province. Those in Alberta can drive the Icefield Parkway with fewer tourist cars around. British Columbians can explore the interior and Vancouver Island.  

I've been to Regina and had an amazing Saskatoon berry pie. I would love to visit Saskatoon. Winnipeg is truly more fun than you might expect. Ontario and Quebec offer numerous options for those who live there.

Where to visit Canada in 2020

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

We have heard that while land crossings are out for American travelers, some have been able to fly into Canada without issue. They would need to do a 14-day quarantine.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau slightly loosened the U.S.-Canada border last week allowing some family members to cross into Canada, provided they have no sign they might have COVID-19 and no reason to believe they might have caught it. The 14-day quarantine still applies.

Everything we saw last week said the border closing extension will run until the end of July. That could leave August if you want to be hopeful. Don't make plans until the border opens. Even then, you want to be careful. Masks and social distancing are smart, regardless of whether rules are in place.

We had hoped 2020 would bring more Canadian travel adventures from your humble narrator. There is a lot of pain in not being able to see Canada first hand these days.

photo credit: @VisitNovaScotia

Canadian film review: Meat the Future

Meat the Future is a Canadian documentary about cloned meat. The idea is to create meat from animal cells so you don't have the multiple level of costs associated with the harvest of animals.

Since cloned meat is a poignant topic to our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com, we reviewed the film for that audience. Since the film is a Canadian film, we wanted to present the review here to the Canadian Crossing readership. This review is published with complete permission of BalanceofFood.com.

Canadian film review: Meat the Future

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

Meat the Future was scheduled to be a part of the 2020 Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto. The film aired as part of Hot Docs at home on CBC television and the documentary Channel in Canada.

video and photos credit: Meat the Future film

CUSMA passes through U.S. Congress

Today is a federal holiday in the United States with the impeachment trial resuming tomorrow morning.

Even without those elements, the U.S. Congress passing the CUSMA | USMCA still would have little attention. The Senate voted 89-10 last week to approve the deal. The U.S. House passed the legislation 385-41 last month.

NAFTA 2.0, er, USMCA is a nightmarish trade deal for Canada

"Canada's existing cultural exemption is preserved under the new deal. This is in place to protect Canada’s cultural institutions from being bought out by U.S. business interests. Though as we’ve seen, U.S.-based hedge funds dominate control over Postmedia, the largest private newspaper company in Canada, with a reported 98% ownership level by U.S.-based hedge funds."

We go into garish length to say why this is a horrible trade deal for Canada. Victory is being defined as not losing important issues such as Canada's cultural exemption.

U.S. gets more access to Canada on the milk, eggs, chicken, and turkey markets and introduces the artificial growth hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) allowed in American milk but banned for Canadian milk.

Clause 32 deals with any attempt by Canada to negotiate with a “non-market country” (i.e., China) and how Canada would have to keep the United States up to date in obnoxious detail. A cornucopia of petty for the U.S. and against Canada.

Just to be clear, Canada doesn't gain anything of advantage from the United States.

How Justin Trudeau 2.0 will impact Canada-U.S. relations

How the 2018 U.S. midterm elections might affect Canada

Trump threat to withdraw from NAFTA should lead back to original Canada-U.S. free trade agreement

Despite childish threats by Donald Trump, Canada should hold out for a good NAFTA deal

The Trudeau Government has said good things about the trade deal. You have to smile when you are being extorted and sign a trade deal under the threat of bullying. Not an idle threat with the tariffs that came down. Still have a tariff on Canada on softwood lumber, which wasn't solved with NAFTA 2.0.

Canada is the only country that hasn't passed the trade deal. The prime minister has a minority government. The Liberals wouldn't get votes from the NDP and Greens. The Bloc Quebecois aren't likely to support the deal because of Quebec's aluminum industry, dairy industry, or both.

The Conservative Party could help get the trade deal over the threshold. Can't believe we're saying this, but the Conservatives would do Canada a great favour by refusing to accept the deal. Someone would have to translate what a minority government has to confront to Donald Trump.

CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Donald Trump coverage

The Trudeau Government argued against a sunset clause, which could trigger uncertainty in trade. Canada has been living with uncertainty since 2017, which is part of the anguish of signing a bad trade deal. There is a sunset clause in this trade deal: a 16-year sunset clause. The deal is also subject to a review every 6 years. That is a long time to wait to fix a really horrible trade deal.

Parliament is back in session on January 27. Laws and regulations have to be adjusted based on elements in the new trade deal. The Senate will likely take its sweet time, as they are required to do. The new trade deal kicks in 90 days if Canada approves the deal. 

photo credit: Government of Canada

Opening Day (finally) for marijuana edibles in Canada

Only a year and 60 days after Canada introduced legal marijuana, Canada now has legal edibles with the emphasis on legal.

Technically, edibles have been legal since October 17, the one-year anniversary of legal marijuana in Canada. The timelines in the cannabis regulations didn't allow for edibles, extracts, and topicals to be available in that 60-day window.

Canadians might not be able to get them today, even with the legal status, depending on availability.

There will be no gummy bears or anything youth-oriented in the edibles. THC-infused drinks are a real option. Health Canada has limited the THC content of cannabis edibles to 10 mg per package.

Having edibles opens up possibilities for tourists and others to enjoy marijuana in public since they bypass the smoking of the product. If you are considering that option, keep in mind that provincial laws and often local laws are in force on public consumption.

If you are new to edibles, less is better than more. We might poke fun at how slow Canada has been on edibles, but each individual should learn how much they can handle.

Having 2.5 mg as an initial dose might be a good place to start. Don't let experts with a higher tolerance steer you otherwise. You can always try a higher dosage as you experiment.

A reminder that 30 mg is the maximum amount you can carry on your person in Canada. Don't bring anything marijuana into the United States from Canada.

2019 Canada Day notebook: More delays with edibles

What marijuana tourism in Ontario will look like on Opening Day

Being in Canada where cannabis is legal but nowhere to be found

Opening Day for legal recreational marijuana in Canada

Marijuana tourists to Ontario will have to wait awhile

Our guide to legal marijuana in Canada

23 consecutive workdays, 7,296km driven and 16 Cannabis Pro stories filed, #CannabisAcrossCanada is now complete.

In year one of post-prohibition Canada, my goal was to learn what went wrong. Here is how to make it right in year two. #Elexn43 #cdnpoli https://t.co/7KEYXw38Kr

— Jameson Berkow (@grassreporter) October 19, 2019

Jameson Berkow from The Globe and Mail traveled across Canada to get a sense on how well or poorly the selling of marijuana depending on where you are in Canada.

We have read some incredible numbers that legal marijuana has not worked out as well in the first year. Those numbers are really problematic for those who invested a lot of time and money in marijuana. The lack of edibles could have a lot to do with those numbers.

The black market will remain strong in Canada, especially in Ontario. Having legal edibles brings in a more casual market that might not have a dealer on speed dial. We might have to wait another year to see how well Canada is really doing with legal marijuana.

The black market could be a larger factor in Quebec since the minimum age will go up from 18 to 21 on January 1. The minimum cannabis age in Canada is 19, except in Alberta where the legal age is 18.  The contrast is more stark since the Quebec drinking age is 18.

What's Tempting: Marijuana edibles (BalanceofFood.com)

Your Guide to Canada's Edible Pot Rules (Front Burner CBC Radio)

Individual states are also taking their own paths to marijuana legalisation. Michigan allowed the sale of recreational marijuana on December 1. On the state's opening day, there were 6 locations in the entire state where you could buy pot: a location each in Evert and Morenci. Evert is southeast of Cadillac in the lower finger part of the state while Morenci is southwest of Ann Arbor so close to the state line you can likely smell Ohio from the parking lot. The other 4 locations are in Ann Arbor with 0 in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing. Battle Creek, Traverse City, Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City combined.

I happened to be in a car going east on Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor on the morning of December 1. The long line was to get into Arbors Wellness on East Liberty Street.

John Sinclair was at the front of that line. Sinclair was given a 9½-10 year prison sentence for giving 2 marijuana joints to an undercover cop in 1969. "They gave him ten for two — what else can the bastards do?" were lyrics from the John Lennon song John Sinclair.

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the state's marijuana statutes and Sinclair was released from prison in December 1971. The star-studded John Sinclair Freedom Rally pretty much led to the annual Hash Bash rally.

The Michigan story is to remind people that not every place is as well organised on marijuana as Alberta or Colorado. Michigan is getting a lot more locations soon, sooner than Ontario did. As a contrast, Michiganders are allowed to keep 10 oz. of marijuana (versus 30 grams on one's person in Canada) at home and grow up to 12 plants (4 in most of Canada, but 0 in Quebec and Manitoba).

Marc Emery is the most prominent Canadian marijuana activist. Emery, Sinclair, and lots of lesser known people fought and made sacrifices with a goal of legal marijuana. Their sacrifices should be noted.

video credit: CBC News
photo credit: me
Twitter capture: @grassreporter