Canadian Crossing

Canadian notebook: Newfoundland time is not the crime

As we enter the slow time of the year, a few stories slipped through the cracks. We thought this would be a good time to share them. The first two are about the unconventional stories that make Canada unique. The last story is a sad indictment of where journalism, especially in Canada, has gone.

The charm of Newfoundland time is being on the half-hour, the only spot in North America that isn't on the hour. What I didn't realize until I was in St. John's is that Labrador is 30 minutes behind Newfoundland, on the same time zone as the Maritimes.

I found out this detail by a bus ad for Republic of Doyle, the CBC show shot in St. John's. The fine print pointed out that the show aired in Labrador at 9 pm as opposed to the larger print noting a 9:30 pm starting time.

Turns out that instead of Newfoundland being the outlier, Labrador is the one not following the rules.

James McLeod, a reporter for The Telegram in St. John's who reported the story, said to CBC Radio One's As It Happens, "For the last 82 years, there's been a law on the books that formally says what the standard time in Newfoundland and Labrador is. And at no point in that history has the government gotten around to acknowledging that most of Labrador doesn't observe the same time as Newfoundland."

Newfoundland and Quebec had a border dispute over Labrador long before the province joined Canada. The British ruled in 1927 that what is now Labrador is part of Newfoundland.

As you can tell from this picture, there is a section of southeastern Labrador that follows along with Newfoundland similar to a variety of regions, including Lloydminster, Saskatchewan keeping the same time as Lloydminster, Alberta as opposed to the rest of Saskatchewan.

The longitude of Labrador lines up with its Maritmes cousins in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Labrador's neighbour Quebec lies to its west and south; that province lies within the Eastern Time Zone. Labrador also shares a time zone with far eastern Quebec, defined as east of 63 degrees west longitude.

The places where you can be naked are limited. Your own home is a really good example, though you are encouraged to draw the blinds or drapes. Nudity is allowed in bathrooms though with some limitations and decorum.

Changing rooms seem to be the only bastion of pseudo public nudity that remains. But not in Brossard, QC on Montréal's South Shore.

The city banned nudity in municipal sports facilities in response to citizen complaints. You can change into a bathing suit in a toilet stall but you have to shower in your bathing suit when you are done swimming.

The city said the new rule is not a bylaw so no fines are being handed out. Brossard aquatic activities director Eric Leuenberger said recurring complaints have revolved around people saying, "I don't want my son to be in front of naked women."

One more example that French-Canadian is not French.

The city is building a new aquatic complex with an universal locker room. That transition to a unisex changing area might have been the motivation but the transition would be easier inside the new structure. The new structure would ideally have more room than the limited space inside a toilet stall to do the task with some grace.

Relaxed nudity would make Canadian films stand out

Women allowed to go topless in Ontario, not all of Canada

It's been a while since I was 6, but there usually is an age limit where boys can't follow their mothers into the changing room. Then again, I think nudity is a healthy thing.

TorStar Corp. (think Toronto Star) and Postmedia Network Inc. (National Post, a lot of major city dailies) are giant newspaper companies. These days, large newspaper companies often own smaller papers, especially papers with long histories.

Large newspaper companies are also shutting down a lot of papers, not necessarily because they are losing money but because they don't make enough money. So there would be no surprise if TorStar Corp. and Postmedia Network Inc. randomly closed newspapers. How they did close a bunch of newspapers would have made Ebeneezer Scrooge so proud.

The companies traded a bunch of newspapers to each other for $0 and then proceeded to announce the closing of most of those papers. Scrooge indeed.

Postmedia says the company will close 21 of the 22 acquired community newspapers as well as the Metro Winnipeg and Metro Ottawa free dailies. Torstar will close 3 of the 7 daily newspapers in Ontario and all 8 community newspapers. The company will also close 24Hours Toronto and 24Hours Vancouver.

Postmedia newspaper cuts mean even fewer Canada journalism voices

CanadianCrossing.com journalism coverage

Postmedia acquisitions that will close: Belleville News; Brant News; Central Hastings News; Frontenac Gazette; Kanata Kourier-Standard; Kingston Heritage; Meaford Express; Metro Ottawa; Metro Winnipeg; Nepean/Barrhaven News; Norfolk News; Orleans News; Ottawa East News; Ottawa South News; Ottawa West News; Our London; Quinte West News; St. Lawrence News; St. Mary’s Journal-Argus (and the St. Mary’s Weekender); St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News; Stittsville News; Stratford City Gazette; and West Carleton Review.

Torstar acquisitions that will close: 24 Hours Toronto; 24 Hours Vancouver; Barrie Examiner; Bradford Times; Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin; Fort Erie Times; Innisfil Examiner; Inport News (Port Colborne); Niagara Advance; Northumberland Today; Orillia Packet & Times; Pelham News; Thorold Niagara News.

The major free dailies closing is also designed to reduce competition for the large newspaper companies in that category.

Journalism is suffering but particularly in Canada thanks to misguided management practices.

photos credit: Educational Technology Clearinghouse - University of South Florida; me; The Telegram; Sabrina Marandola/CBC; Stratford Gazette

Dildo, Newfoundland gets The New York Times treatment

Newfoundland has been isolated on so many levels, even after joining Canada in 1949. So the quaint names of small towns has largely been ignored outside the province. The New York Times had a bit of fun with the tiny village of Dildo, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Dildo is on the east coast of Trinity Bay about 60 kilometres west of St. John's. The fishing village has about 1,200 people. You can take Route 2 out of downtown St. John's until you hit the Trans-Canada Highway and head west. Once you hit the Route 80/Trinity Road and Route 81 interchange, you drive north on Route 80.

You go through South Dildo to get to Dildo. The article highlights other unusual names such as Come By Chance, Spread Eagle Island, and Ass Rock, though somehow left out South Dildo.

The article mentions the annual celebration of Dildo Days, this year from July 27-31.

Canadian notebook: Newfoundland and Labrador developing anti-book reputation

Newfoundland is a mysterious, majestic vacation escape

Eating seal meat does not get Don Cherry's seal of approval

The source of the names of some of these villages might be more innocent. The article notes locals have several theories, including an archaic term for nautical gear. There is likely a tongue in cheek element to some of the names, but the names were given in long ago times in a land that is truly remote.

In my travels in Newfoundland, I didn't get anywhere near Dildo. I did make it to Witless Bay, which could spark laughter more than giggling. Then again, I lived over 2 years a couple of miles from Climax, Michigan, so I know where some of those jokes can go.

Newfoundland gets raw deal from The New York Times

This story was a lot more fun than the last time I noted coverage of Newfoundland in The New York Times. The newspaper ran a story from Swedish travel writer Karl Ove Knausgaard that focused on obesity in far northern Newfoundland. While St. John's is as far east as the province and the continent goes, much of Newfoundland lies to the north and west of St. John's and Dildo.

I was in St. John's and the surrounding area in the middle of summer and didn't notice any particular leaning toward obesity. I did learn that the climate and soil make growing fruits and vegetables more difficult and that doesn't help the cause.

Newfoundland is a beautiful area full of quaint villages with very friendly people. Just try not to laugh too much at the names as you enter the village limits.

map credit: Google

Justin Trudeau helping Canada's image on style and substance

When the world discovered who Rob Ford was, his reign gave the world a bad impression of Toronto, even if the majority of those who voted didn't vote for Ford. The world definitely thinks more of Canada since Justin Trudeau was elected in October in part because of the image of Trudeau.

Tom Mulcair lost the anti-Stephen Harper vote to Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau in October. Mulcair won't be around to lead the NDP in the next federal election after the party voted to search for a new leader.

If Mulcair had won in October, would he have made this kind of impact on Canada in the world?

Politics is a lot more than impressions, especially from outside the country. But the world looked at Barack Obama and the United States in a different light than the previous reign in that country. Let's look at the evidence about Trudeau and Canada.

Trudeau as a feminist

"There's lots of things you can do to be a better feminist as a man but here's a simple one: don't interrupt women, and notice every time women get interrupted in conversation," via a Snapchat video.

That was from last week via Generation Y Not. Trudeau was asked to explain to men how to be better feminists in 10 or fewer seconds. 

"How are you training your sons to be focused on women's rights and women's opportunities the way you're focused on telling your daughter that she can be anything?," Trudeau said. "That for me was a really important wake-up."

That video of Trudeau came at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January and smashed through the Twitterverse.

"We shouldn't be afraid to use the word feminist. Men and women should use it to describe themselves whenever they want."

This came on the heels of having women make up half of his cabinet "because it's 2015." Hillary Clinton promised last week that if elected U.S. president, she would make sure that half her cabinet were women.

Having a leader who cares about the impact of women in society isn't always a given. Having a leader who is male and is such an ardent feminist shapes a country's attitude and, hopefully, policy.

"Please, please, run for president."

Justin Trudeau was in New York City on United Nations business. At the Mile End deli, Trudeau was approached by 2 guys begging him for run for U.S. president. Toward the end, the men went to their knees in their begging attempt.

Trudeau pointed out that he wasn't born in the U.S., though the guys noted that Calgary-born Ted Cruz is running for president.

Trudeau told them: "I don't know if you noticed, but I actually have a job, and it's a pretty good one."

The guys were likely pranksters but the lasting image is Americans telling the Canadian prime minister that he is better than the presidential candidates.

Explaining quantum computing

Justin Trudeau was in Waterloo, Ontario to promote the Liberal government allocating $50 million over five years to the Perimeter Institute, a leader in research into theoretical physics.

Trudeau took a question from a reporter as an opportunity to explain the difference between regular computers and the potential of quantum computing. The prime minister explained the binary setup of regular computers as being 1 or 0 but noted that things could be a particle and a wave at the same time, quantum computing could have more information in each byte.

We don't expect our world leaders to be computer nerds, but understanding the potential and being able to explain that potential to a non-nerd audience was wonderful to watch.

Trudeau knows yoga

Justin Trudeau is doing the Mayurasana yoga pose, otherwise known as the peacock pose, in this 2013 photo from Ottawa photographer Gregory Kolz. Trudeau's wife Sophie has taught yoga and his father also had his picture taken in a peacock pose in the Northwest Territories in 1970.

Being prime minster involves a lot of stress, and to know enough yoga to pull off such an advanced pose is likely an asset in his life.

GQ and TIME Influential

Justin Trudeau made the list of TIME's 100 most influential people. Trudeau's stance on climate change gives him an edge for the list over Stephen Harper. Lorne Michaels wrote up the nomination.

"Though I live in New York, Canadians are Canadians wherever they live. It’s the way we look at the world, which to us seems perfectly reasonable and right.

In many ways Canada is no longer the country I grew up in, but when I hear Justin Trudeau talk, it sounds like my Canada again. Bold, clear as a bell and progressive."

The GQ cover (above) isn't available in the literal sense. The magazine's explanation involves the potential for too many Canadians, following after Drake and Ryan Reynolds. Fortunately, GQ makes up for that by pointing out Trudeau's accomplishments. Yet GQ points out that the "reason we've hopped on the Trudeau train (that presumably runs on maple syrup) is that the politician dresses better than any other world leader. It's what earned him a place on our Most Stylish Men Alive Right Now list."

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photo credit: CBC News: Twitter/Stephen Ward; Twitter/GregKolz; GQ magazine
video credit: YouTube/AJ+; Global News

Postmedia newspaper cuts mean even fewer Canada journalism voices

When Postmedia bought Sun Media's newspapers in October 2014, the ownership consolidation of Canadian newspapers became significantly tighter in a shrinking media universe north of the 49th parallel.

“This investment by Postmedia is a strong endorsement of the future of the Canadian newspaper industry and made-in-Canada journalism,” said Rod Phillips, Postmedia Chair of the Board, in a press release. “We are excited to be the custodians of many of Canada’s best known and trusted media brands, now and in the future.”

The future only lasted 16 months as Postmedia announced that the main print outlets in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Ottawa would merge into a single newsroom in those cities. While there would visibly be 2 papers in each market, the news would be the same, except for style points for the Sun papers' tabloid format.

The changes do not apply in Toronto where the National Post and Toronto Sun have separate newsrooms.

Postmedia isn't known for its ethical editorial philosophy. The company reportedly forced its papers to endorse Stephen Harper in the last federal election. And the company's clever share structure barely hides the fact that the company finances are controlled by U.S. hedge funds. 

Newspapers have thrived with competition, however wafer-thin that might have been. To have no daily competition in the nation's capital, along with the 3 largest media markets west of Toronto, is a sin against journalism.

While the last shift in Canadian media is appalling, the universe wasn't in good shape. Outside of Toronto and the French publications in Quebec, there has been little competition for some time. The Globe and Mail and the National Post act as national newspapers, but their focus is mostly Toronto.

The Montréal Gazette, also owned by Postmedia, has been the only English language newspaper in Quebec's largest city for some time. The competition has been on the French side with La Presse, Le Journal de Montréal, and Le Devoir. However, since January 1, La Presse is only available in print on Saturday.

For our U.S. readers, we should explain that the traditional "Sunday" newspaper comes out on Saturdays in Canada. Most newspapers in Canada do not have a physical Sunday paper more out of tradition, but printing 6 days a week does reduce costs versus U.S. newspapers.  

Canadian newspaper troubles don't begin and end with Postmedia. The (Halifax) Chronicle-Herald, Canada's largest independent newspaper, gave layoff notices to striking workers last week with some jobs outsourced to Toronto.

Canadian news perspective features more freedom than U.S. news

'New' CBC News Network a lesser cable news channel

Canada PM Stephen Harper says he prefers watching U.S. news

Metro and 24 Hours have had various success with free daily weekday papers in major Canadian cities. The ease in getting one during the morning commute makes the papers a tempting option, even if their value reflects their cost: free.

For the casual news observer, the free papers feel like "news."

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Toronto offers a competitive news market: The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, and the Toronto Sun. The latter 2 are considered very conservative though on different planes (National Post, highbrow; Toronto Sun, lowbrow). The first 2 newspapers are less conservative: The Globe and Mail is centre-right (its bizarre 2015 Conservative Party endorsement notwithstanding) while the Toronto Star is the only major English-language paper that could be considered left of centre.

Nuances such as editorial approach aren't even on the horizon elsewhere in the country, outside of the French papers in Montréal. The Canwest papers, then bought by Postmedia, and the Sun Media papers were generally conservative, slightly less so in Vancouver.

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One major news source that has suffered in ratings and financing of late is the CBC/Radio-Canada. Reduced journalism in print in Canada hasn't always been replaced on TV and radio by the public broadcaster. Several markets have seen reductions in local supper hour newscasts. 

News is relatively cheap to produce, so cutting local news time is a really bad sign. Even with increased funding, CBC may not be able to afford to put that money into news gathering.

CTV and Global produce national newscasts. CBC News Network and CTV News Channel carry news on cable, though as we've noted in the past, the old CBC Newsworld was so much better.

"The National" remains a very strong nightly newscast. But even the best TV news benefits from the strong in-depth reporting that newspapers can provide. And Canada doesn't have that many strong papers left.

CBC Radio One delivers news, analysis, and commentary on a very high level. Listeners can access the stations in their local markets, through smartphone apps, and even on satellite radio while in their cars.

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The fact that the Sun News Network failed is actually not a bad sign in terms of the state of Canadian journalism. While the right-wing venture tried to model itself after the Fox equivalent, Canadians have a much higher appreciation for news outlets that are factually accurate than let's say, some elements in the United States.

But as we've noted, conservative news consumers still have the vast majority of the daily newspapers and the National Post, among other outlets.

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Macleans is the top national newsmagazine though this form of news has also suffered from readership declines. Canada's History, formerly known as The Beaver, is another top newsmagazine outlet.

Unfortunately, there is no Canadian equivalent of Slate, Salon, or The Daily Beast above the 49th parallel.

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There are smaller outlets, free weeklys, and other alternative sources of journalism, especially in larger cities. As someone who reads a lot of Canadian news to serve my readers at CanadianCrossing.com, I find some great quality outlets but suffer from a lack of quantity options, especially outside the major cities.

As a journalist and love of Canada, I worry about how Canadians get their news. The 2015 federal election was filled with small news stories about the previous government that factored into people making knowledgeable choices on who to vote for on October 19. The same applies to the many provincial elections we've covered in the last few years.

Democracies flourish with rich, robust journalism. Canada should be a rich, robust democracy with the journalism to back that up.

Even in these troubled times for journalism, major cities such as Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Ottawa can support and deserve 2 strong independent newspapers, not a weak newspaper pretending to be 2 newspapers.

photo credit: Vancouver Sun/Postmedia

Canada's hip level doesn't need approval from The New York Times

"My predecessor wanted you to know Canada for its resources," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "I want you to know Canadians for our resourcefulness."

The remaking of the image of Canada's world presence from the last federal election is supposed to be about policy, not appearances. But we're finding that Canada's image transition is a bit of both.

"Export, baby, export" was Stephen Harper's variation of Sarah Palin's "drill." Trudeau is smart to play up all kinds of energy options, not just for the world's perception, but the low price of oil and the oil eggs in one basket is hurting Canada's economy right now.

The shift in the climate change approach by the new prime minister is part of why Canada is suddenly … hip, to quote from The New York Times.

Justin Trudeau — "the muscular, blue-eyed, social-media-savvy son of the former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau" — isn't the only Canadian who is hip these days, according to this The New York Times style article last week. What, no love for his hair?

With the Rise of Justin Trudeau, Canada Is Suddenly … Hip? (The New York Times)

Trudeau had dinner with Leonardo DiCaprio in Davos in part to reassure the actor that climate change was coming to Canada. DiCaprio speaks up often on environmental issues, though his take on linking climate change to Chinook winds was extremely odd. DiCaprio filmed part of his latest film The Revenant in Canada and is the odds-on favourite to win the Oscar next month. Having dinner with Leonardo DiCaprio will increase your hip quotient.

Xavier Dolan and Sarah Polley — 2 of my favourite Canadian filmmakers are on the "hip" list. People in the know do know who Dolan is, but fashion editors don't know because "(H)is obscurity may have something to do with the fact that he is from Canada, the country that gave the world ice hockey, the snow blower and Labatt beer."

Gee, I thought people didn't know Dolan because his films are deep and are in French with subtitles. Hopefully, those who are discovering Dolan with his new French film and American film will go back and reflect on his Quebecois masterpieces.

Sarah Polley "who makes films of subtle power" makes the list though Polley "does not produce work that is meant to comfort." The latter praise is not limited to Polley but applies to other Canadian artists, such as Grimes, the Weeknd, and Sarah Nicole Prickett. Take This Waltz fits that compliment but may also be why this film is severely undervalued in the marketplace. Even more surprising that Polley is mentioned since she has virtually dropped off the scene since Stories We Tell.

The article has brief profiles for Canadians making the hip cut, though the profiles are sometimes as breezy as a spring dress.

• The Weeknd gets mentioned without noting that he is up for an Oscar in February, though the Oscars nod for Rachel McAdams was noted.
• Nice to promote Samantha Bee's new TBS show, though its attempt to "rescue late night from the doldrums of male domination that have plagued it since Fox gave Joan Rivers the heave-ho" leaves out Chelsea Handler.
• Dolan's bio mentions the Jury Prize at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, but not a single film he has done. However, we do learn that Dolan saw Titanic, directed by Canadian James Cameron, more than 100 times. Sarah Polley's bio was straightforward about her directorial history.
• Drake, Ryan Gosling, and Justin Bieber are all on the list.

The article salutes Canada's "sultans of cool in the past" — Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and "the coolest cat in a hat," Leonard Cohen.

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Being more hip comes at a time where Canada is getting more visitors, especially from the United States. Visits of U.S. residents to Canada reached 3.24 million in July 2015, the highest for the month since July 2008.

Where to visit Canada in 2016

The low Canadian dollar has a great deal to increased tourism, but you can't impress someone unless they comes to visit. With warmer weather not that far away and the dollar continuing to fall, tourism to Canada this summer should be well above normal.

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Molly Parker is one of my favourite Canadian actresses because she is talented but also because she is cool. We have certainly written about many cool Canadian women over the years, usually around Valentine's Day.  

Seeing the multiple layers of beauty of famous Canadian women

Cool is not always hip, but cool usually means being comfortable with who you are and not worrying about what the rest of the world thinks about you. The phrase "cool center" is one I've used before, but definitely fits. 

Sarah Polley turned down the lead role in Almost Famous because she knew she wasn't the right person for the role. The New York Times article mentions that Rachel McAdams declined to appear "nude" on a Vanity Fair cover. Being who they are was more important to these actresses.

That makes them cool, which is hip in my book.

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Canadians have had to be resourceful in terms of dealing with the image of the country under Stephen Harper and the reality of the economy. Putting all your economy in a basket isn't cool. Being resourceful is cool.

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We know mistakes happen all too well, but some of that Canadian coolness doesn't always apply to actual Canadians. The original version of The New York Times article identified Gilda Radner and Andrea Martin as Canadian. They aren't Canadian but definitely honoree Canadians and extremely funny. They were funny even before they got to Canada but we hope Canada played its part in their humour.

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photo credit: Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press via The Associated Press

'Bob from Calgary' praises Canada, gets top honour for most popular The New York Times comment

"I enjoy one of the free-est countries on earth. Our business freedoms are as extensive as the USA. We are free to hunt and own guns (aside from assault weapons and who needs those anyways). IN fact, I have lived in the USA and I have to say, I can't see any freedoms there that we don't have here."

This excerpt from "Bob from Calgary" is from the most popular comment ever made on The New York Times Web site.

The commenter turns out to be from Edmonton: Robert Summers: an urban planning professor at the University of Alberta.

The comment was in response to a Paul Krugman 2010 op-ed on wealth inequality. "Bob" tells The New York Times readers about the advantages of living in Canada without a significant hike in taxes — "2% more" according to Summers.

He lists several attributes that are better in Canada: good public schools, universal health care, modernizing infrastructure, maternity/paternity leave, public universities, governance including a strong banking system, and true freedoms.

"I am glad that my tax dollars don't go to perverse things like trying to stop gay people from getting married or raising children together — what a waste."

In 2010, Canada had same-gender marriage with little concern from its citizens. The U.S. struggled with that notion before the U.S. Supreme Court decision. As we've seen with Kim Davis in Kentucky and the recent situation in Alabama, taxpayer money is still being spent on those kicking and screaming for the right to discriminate.

Though Canada struggles with infrastructure issues in 2016, new prime minister Justin Trudeau successfully campaigned on strengthening infrastructure. Barack Obama could have done more with strengthening infrastructure, especially when the Dems controlled the House of Representatives.

Canada's stable banking regulations fodder for Daily Show

The Daily Show did a segment on the excellent banking system in Canada. Sad that Americans get to find out cool things about Canada from comedy shows and comments on newspaper Web sites.

Summers got some publicity from The New York Times list of comments and a follow-up article from The Globe and Mail. Most urban planning professors don't get the spotlight too often, but "Bob from Calgary" proved to be a great ambassador for why Canada is a cool place with some real advantages.

To read the entire comment and the original Paul Krugman column, click here.

Our 2015 Canadian election coverage comprehensive guide

"Good people, women and men, have died in two world wars. One of the freedoms is to vote. And we don't vote enough. Your vote might change the whole thing. So don't be lazy. If these guys can give their lives for the freedom to vote, you get out and vote like good Canadians."-- Don Cherry, Coach's Corner, October 17

Welcome to Election Day 2015 in Canada. The federal election will be for 338 ridings, a new Canada record. From that vote, the party that wins the most seats gets the first chance of forming government.

Voting goes by time zone for polling hours. In the Maritimes, you vote from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm, local time. In Quebec and Ontario in the Eastern time zone, your hours are from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm. In the part of Ontario in Central time and Manitoba, you vote from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm. Saskatchewan votes from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. The Mountain time zone areas also vote from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm. Finally, parts of Canada in the Pacific time zone vote from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Full results will be available at 10 pm Eastern, 11:30 pm in Newfoundland.

C-SPAN2 will have a simulcast of CBC news coverage starting at 6:30 pm Eastern.

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We offer no predictions as to how tonight will go. If you are looking for a sign, The Globe and Mail endorsement is brighter than the Batsignal. The endorsement extends to the Conservative Party but not Stephen Harper.

The newspaper likes what the Conservatives have done with the economy but not anything else. The endorsement criticizes the Liberals and the NDP for having economic proposals similar to the Conservatives.

By the newspaper's logic, Canadians could have economic proposals similar to what's been done yet do things better in other areas. But that won't happen with the Conservative Party. Yet that is where the endorsement went.

This is why we here at CanadianCrossing.com will never do a political endorsement of any kind.

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If you zoned out during the longest campaign most Canadians will remember, or if you just discovered that Canada is having a rather significant election thanks to the Internet, bienvenue and welcome.

I was sitting in a lounge in a hostel in downtown Halifax when Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the announcement that the campaign was starting. That was the last day I was in Canada.

Even without being on Canadian soil, I tried as much as I could to capture the essence of this campaign. If I didn't have a pesky day job to consider and a non-Canadian vacation, I could have spent even more time on covering the election.

Still, there is a lot here to go over. Hope you enjoy reading these notebook stories. If you live in Canada, go vote today. Here is our coverage:

What the 2015 Canadian federal election means to CBC and other arts funding

2015 Canadian election: Advance voting significantly up from 2011

2015 Canadian election: Mourning the lost English language debate

2015 Canadian election: How debating looks and sounds like in French

2015 Canadian election: Wayne Gretzky, Donald Sutherland should debate

2015 Canadian election: Economy debate on tap

Canadian election 2015: Stephen Harper and 5 Questions

Canadian election 2015: Conservative supporter lashes out

Canadian election 2015: Wyatt Scott and his goose

Canadian election 2015: Debating about debates

Canadian election 2015: Rogers/MacLean's Canadian election debate leads off debate season

Canadian election 2015: Stephen Harper calls very early election

Orphan Black Season 3 wrapup: Hoping Delphine will return

Now that we are safe from potential spoilers of the end of Season 3 of Orphan Black, the potential loss of Delphine feels particularly sad.

Season 3 brought the certain death of Paul, who at times was definitely against the sisters but at times, tried to help out Sarah in particular (thinking for awhile that she was Beth Childs). The producers made sure to us all that Paul was definitely dead.

Delphine was told by Doctor Nealon that she would not live out the night. And Delphine took that very seriously, trying to make amends to Shay and, of course, one final kiss with Cosima.

Being shot once in the stomach could spell death for a character. But when you are shot in the final episode of a season and you aren't truly blown apart, there is a door hanging open.

Co-creator John Fawcett doesn't think the door is that open. This is what he said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:

"I know this will be upsetting to many fans but the story in our minds has always been a tragic love story. Listen, I didn't want to say one way or the other. For us, I believe this is a horrible thing that had to happen. And I know that it's hard and I know that it's emotional and I know there are going to be a lot of people out there going “WHY?!?” But trust me, this was a necessary move to make. And it's necessary in Cosima's story and it's necessary going forward in subsequent seasons — in season 4 and season 5."

What is unsaid in that interview and the fact that Delphine wasn't there for a big chunk of Season 3 is that Evelyne Brochu is a rather busy actress. Brochu stars in the CBC drama "X Company" and that show has been renewed for Season 2. The actress is also in high demand in films, having done films such as "Cafe de Flore"; "Inch'Allah"; and "Tom at the Farm."

• 'Orphan Black' returns for Season 3 on Saturday

• My Canadian Valentines 2015

We had to wonder when Delphine starts out in the first episode of Season 3 and announces that is leaving for awhile. Delphine tries to play it cool in the scene where she says goodbye to Cosima but her anguish and tears after the door is shut brought tears to us as viewers.

Despite some odd turns and initial distrust, Delphine keeps referring back to the idea of vowing to protect all the sisters, not just Cosima. Clearly, this is done as a sacrifice to her romantic feelings for Cosima.

Later in Season 3, Delphine says to Cosima that "she is French" and understands Cosima taking on a lover. We also see Delphine threaten Shay with a razor blade when she thinks Shay turned against Cosima and his sisters over the copy of "The Island of Doctor Moreau."

Here are some particular reasons why the (potential) loss of Delphine is so sad.

• Delphine ran plenty of interference against those who want to bring harm to the sisters. Whatever you might have thought of Cophine (Cosima and Delphine) or Coshay (Cosima and Shay), Delphine was fighting the good fight and she is an ally you don't want to lose.
• Cosima and Delphine were an amazing ideal couple: go back to Season 1 to see that magic. Even Fawcett admitted that "You can still feel those embers burning between Cosima and Delphine." Could Cosima and Shay have that magic? Coshay fans see the potential. However, true intimacy comes from sharing secrets, and we all that Cosima can't share a lot with Shay about her background. Delphine knows Cosima's secrets and still loves her.
• Delphine brought a French Canadian sensibility to a Canadian TV show in a Canadian TV industry that is mostly separate based on language. Delphine speaks English just fine but with a Quebecois accent. We even see that element come up as part of her character that shows up in among other things, denying jealousy, as we noted earlier. Between Delphine and Megan Draper from "Mad Men," Evelyne Brochu and Jessica Paré gave English Canadians and "Americans" a flavor of Quebecois, a joie de vivre from French Canada, rarely seen on the screen by those audiences.

Ksenia Solo is a lovely actress in portraying Shay and we wish nothing but the best for Shay and Cosima in future seasons. Perhaps the two can develop a trust about Cosima's path and health issues. But it won't be like Cosima and Delphine.

With Brochu's schedule, there may be limited room to show Delphine in flashbacks or memories or even a dream sequence. But if that doesn't work out, we will have Seasons 1-3 and some great memories.

photos credit: Orphan Black

Rush gets the long overdue Rolling Stone treatment

Rush, perhaps the single-most recognized Canadian band outside of Canada, has had a long-heralded career worthy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Mass appeal but at the same time, Rush doesn't seek or get the Limelight.

This is the band that went 33 years in between TV appearances in the United States (thank goodness for the Colbert Report). And now, Rush has finally made the cover of the Rolling Stone.

Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart are on the cover of the July 2 edition of the magazine that hits newsstands today.

Rush has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide with 14 platinum records and 24 gold records. The band is celebrating its 40th anniversary. So clearly the band has done "okay" without TV appearances and magazine covers.

"A compromise is what I can never accept." — Neil Peart, drummer, Rush.

Appropriate, given Peart's role as lyricist (and outstanding drummer). This sums up the band Rush: 40 years of doing things the way they want to do.

In the Rolling Stone article, they talk about not wanting to do anything like the Kiss Army or having to do the same rap at every show about how great that city was.

In the live shows, the attention is in the details: Lee is using 26 different vintage basses on this current tour. There are 3 people in the band: often times, bands will tour with more musicians in the background. Rush tours with 3 band members: the 3 people in the band.

Unlike many rock bands that barely hang on, the members of Rush get along. "We're never mean to each other," says Lee, "so if we disagree, we pout. That's sort of the Canadian way. But we did used to love punching Alex when he said something stupid."

They even handled jealousy from other bands like quiet Canadians. There is a story in the Rolling Stone article about Rush being really nice to the Joe Perry Project in terms of soundchecks despite not being treated well by Aerosmith years before.

"Most bands were afraid of Rush," says longtime lighting director Howard Ungerleider. "They were being outplayed, and they hated it."

• Wal-Mart use of Rush's 'Working Man' smothered in irony

• Words is the theme of the inaugural Canadian Dinner Party

• Rush in the 'limelight' after making Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

• 'Suck' is a rock and roll film with vampires, but mostly cameos from cool rock stars

• Rush makes first U.S. appearance in 33 years on U.S. TV

The band members have shown their sense of humour and Canadian-ness over the years. Geddy Lee helped out Bob and Doug McKenzie with Take Off at the height of Rush's career. Alex Lifeson was hilarious as a border guard in Suck. 

Neil Peart is flat out one of the best lyricist in rock and roll history. The drummer isn't usually the "words guy," but try reading Rush lyrics as a poem. If you read Peart's lyrics in poetry class, you shouldn't get any lower grade than an A-.

Having a rock and roll band for more than 40 years and being intact for all that time is unique and special in rock and roll. Peart replaced original drummer John Rutsey before the band's first U.S. tour in 1974 but have been together since.

Amazing success, solid respect from their peers, and yet without the hype and trappings that led other groups to "bigger fame" and worse crashes. Rush after 40 years literally didn't need Rolling Stone to be one of the coolest bands on the planet, but we're glad the magazine finally stepped up and did it right.

Orphan Black returns for Season 3 on Saturday

Sarah Manning, Alison Hendrix, Cosima Niehaus, Rachel Duncan, and Helena are all back for Season 3 of Orphan Black Saturday on BBC America in the United States and Space in Canada.

Tatiana Maslany is back in her many roles — certainly not limited to the roles above.

Orphan Black, Mommy clean up at 3rd Canadian Screen Awards

My Canadian Valentines 2015

We have no spoilers of any kind here; we prefer to be truly surprised. We do know from the last episode of Season 2 that we will see male clones. But we'll let the debut of Season 3 catch us up otherwise.

Orphan Black is strongly Canadian

Even if you've never seen an Orphan Black episode, or you aren't into science fiction, these are well-drawn complicated female characters, many in the same scene, all played by the same actress.

It's a smart show that challenges the viewer with an amazing cast of people surrounding the clones.

Yes, it's Canadian, but I stand here with utter honesty and say, "You have to try out this show."

If you want to start from the beginning, there are 10 episodes in each of the first 2 seasons. DVR or PVR the new episodes and catch up over time.

The New York Times has a beautiful article on Maslany and the show. The Many Faces of Tatiana Maslany speaks to the clones, but the article does a fine job of capturing the woman behind the faces.

Maslany has shown in moments off-screen that she can be very charming but won't sacrifice who she is or what she thinks over a bit of fame.

Maslany also made the Adweek cover earlier this month with a very nice Q&A on the actress. She cites her improv comedy skills in helping her with Orphan Black. Most Americans haven't seen Picture Day or Cas & Dylan. I appreciated her for her comedy long before Orphan Black. Even in these dramatic roles, Maslany does bring humor, especially in Alison's character.

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black get no love from the Emmys

CanadianCrossing.com television coverage

For a variety of reasons, Tatiana Maslany and Orphan Black haven't received the accolades the show deserves. The show did win 10 Canadian Screen Awards from 13 nominations in early March, including Maslany and Jordan Gavaris.

photo credit: Orphan Black