Canadian Crossing

Canadian film review: BlackBerry

We are partial to the idea that Canada has amazing stories but Canadians aren't always good at telling those stories. The terrible film Argo is a great example of Americans trying and failing to tell Canadian stories.

BlackBerry is a Canadian film telling a Canadian story. There are essentially 3 characters:

Jim Balsillie (American actor Glenn Howerton)
Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel)
Doug Fregin (Matt Johnson)

Lazaridis and Fregin head Research in Motion. They have an idea for a phone that can do e-mail. They take it to Balsillie. He turns them down. The parties go back and forth and eventually form a partnership.

The rise and fall of the BlackBerry and Research in Motion.

The contrast of intensity (Balsillie) vs. timidity (Lazaridis and Fregin) is at play. They need each other for everything to work. Then it does and Blackberry takes off.

BlackBerry isn't about character development or remorse. This is the story at least told on film.

Matt Johnson, who wrote and directed the film, also stars as Fregin. This might seem an unusual move for a director to make yet Johnson is excellent as Fregin. If you think of Baruchel as a "jerk," the person can act as you will see here. Wasn't sure about Howerton as Balsillie but proven wrong. Howerton brings a strong amount of intensity to an intense person.

Johnson looks at several moments through a more modern lens. Balsillie brings in a, well, jerk as the COO who, at one point, makes a sexist remark. Johnson focuses the camera on a female employee and her facial reaction to what is being said. 

The film also takes time to show Balsillie's interest in buying a NHL team. This allows Mark Critch to appear briefly as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Critch didn't shave his head for the brief role.

Matt Johnson gives the film audience an intimacy this story needs. Johnson is also known for The Dirties (2013), Operation Avalanche (2016), and the Web series Nirvanna the Band the Show.

You don't have to be a geek or a hard-headed financier to appreciate the film. A well-told Canadian story that most people think they know.

Checking out the 23 best Canadian film comedies

2023 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta wildfires starting early

RIM's BlackBerry continues to struggle, especially with latest outage

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, senior domestic policy adviser to presidential candidate John McCain in 2008, claimed that the Blackberry was a "miracle that John McCain helped create." The claim was ridiculous even if the Blackberry was a U.S. invention. This movie will remind people that the Blackberry is Canadian.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

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Barry Hertz from The Globe and Mail recently ranked this film 3rd on a list of the 23 best Canadian comedies. The Windsor International Film Festival announced BlackBerry is one of the 10 finalists for its 2023 prize in Canadian film. 

BlackBerry has had theatrical runs in Canada and the United States.

video credit: YouTube/IFC Films
photo credit: BlackBerry

Canadian film review: Percy

Based on a true story. What an amazing, actually true story. Not just the saga of Percy Schmeiser, a Saskatchewan farmer on the wrong side of Monsanto, but the thousands of farmers forced to settle with the large conglomerate.

The story is a true David-Goliath saga (Percy is also known as Percy vs. Goliath). Monsanto would be an exaggerated villain if the company didn't exist.

The problem with the Percy film is that the dialogue is so terrible. Yea, yea, you've said that about other films. The New Romantic dialogue was terrible but not on this level.

Christopher Walken can clearly act though the script making good acting rather difficult. Walken feels like a really poor choice for this character but that feels low on the list of complaints.

Fellow American actors Christina Ricci and Zach Braff feel out of place as well. They, along with Walken, do their best. The scene where Ricci's character orders in a diner is best found in Stereotypes 101. Braff's character has a cane, not known if that is based on the actual lawyer character or an offbeat add to the film.

Roberta Maxwell plays Louise Schmeiser, Percy's wife. Maxwell, one of the few Canadians in the cast, has the most awkward, terrible dialogue in the whole film, which is saying something.

Garfield Lindsay Miller and Hilary Pyror wrote the film. We don't know why the dialogue is this terrible, cringeworthy even.

The relatively good part about Percy? The film doesn't waste time in the beginning with an elaborate open. We pretty much are there at the beginning with the start of the story. The film is a blow-by-blow essence of the actual story. We apparently aren't here for character development, except for when Percy buys a large tractor in the beginning of the film.

Clark Johnson, a fine Canadian actor, has directed a few feature films and a lot of television, directed this film. The direction is okay. Not much you can do with the script. Not sure Charles Officer, who directed Johnson in Nurse.Fighter.Boy, could save this film.

If you can get past the dialogue and if you don't know the story, please watch this film. That may seem contradictory but the story is that important. Glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Roundup, is a disaster to the American and Canadian farming industry. You may know the phrase GMO; you will learn a lot more about it in the film.

Canadian actors Luke Kirby and Adam Beach have brief appearances. They have been in much better projects on both sides of the border.

You feel like Monsanto came in and rewrote the script so people won't know this story. Given what Monsanto did and has done, that sounds rather plausible.

Canadian film case study: The New Romantic

The sugar daddy concept making its way into Canadian films

Canadian film review: Nurse Fighter Boy

Your humble narrator would argue that the story of Percy Schmeiser would make an excellent documentary. Explaining the whole Monsanto nightmare requires that level of concentration. Some people who need to know the story might prefer the storytelling motive of a feature film.  

Having large names such as Christopher Walken, Christina Ricci, and Zach Braff draws more attention than a documentary. Some of that potential audience might not care that the dialogue is as terrible as it is. Percy is made for this subsection of a subsection. You will learn. Entertained? Not as likely.

CanadianCrossing.com food and drink coverage

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Percy is available on Crave in Canada and on demand in the United States.

video credit: YouTube/Mongrel Media
photo credit: Percy

Canada's role in using seaweed to reduce methane in cows

Seaweed, cows, and Prince Edward Island: the idea of cows eating local seaweed and having that seaweed reduce the impact of methane that comes from both ends of cows.

When your humble narrator first heard the story, that story seemed too good to be true. Further digging showed there is great potential in such a simple solution that would make a sizable impact on climate crisis.

We explored this topic for our sibling blog, BalanceofFood.com, in greater detail.

How seaweed can reduce the methane output from cows (BalanceofFood.com)

Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia also gets a mention in the story.

CanadianCrossing.com food and drink coverage

CanadianCrossing.com science coverage

Your humble narrator has walked on some Prince Edward Island beaches. The seaweed involved came from far western parts of the province, a different area from where my bare feet walked on in the province.

The seaweed is Canadian food in a truest sense. I was thinking of dulse from nearby New Brunswick. Dulse is seaweed that is used in different kinds of food. Dulse is truly a New Brunswick food that I have had and enjoyed. A bit of an acquired taste but worth trying if you are in New Brunswick.

video and photo credit: CBC News

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.

Film review: Meat the Future

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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

Celebrating Canadian women accomplishments on Valentine's Day 2018

In the era of #MeToo and #TimesUp, celebrating Canadian valentines the way we did in 2015 and 2016 may not fit in well. We did go out of our way to acknowledge the layers of beauty in Canadian women far beyond superficial looks. You could look back at those features and wonder a bit.

Here are a bunch of Canadian films that pass the Bechdel test

Canadian film review: Ginger Snaps

Canadian film review: Better Than Chocolate

We do write non-Valentine stories that deal with feminist issues such as representation on and off the screen and even a fine feminist horror film. For Valentine's Day 2014, we celebrated Ellen Page coming out. For Valentine's Day 2017, we celebrated one of my favourite lesbian films of all time written, produced, and directed by women.

We have a look back at some of the stories we've written in the last calendar year that has focused on celebrating women for their accomplishments.

Beverley McLachlin to retire as Canada Supreme Court chief justice

Dr. Danielle Martin teaching Americans about the reality of Canadian health care

NAFTA talks head to Canada in Ottawa

Creative Canada sounds promising but so much is still unknown

Beverley McLachlin has a tremendous record and legacy as the long-time chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. McLachlin stood up to then Prime Minister Stephen Harper when he tried to bully the Court.

Canada now has had 10 women on the Supreme Court vs. 4 women on the U.S. Supreme Court. The Canadian Supreme Court currently has as many women on the court as the United States has had in its entire history.

Instead of having some Americans live in ignorance over the realities of Canadian health care, Dr. Danielle Martin stepped up to help educate Americans about what Canadian health care was, good and bad.

The idea of a Foreign Affairs Minister negotiating a major trade deal might seem a bit odd. Chrystia Freeland was Minister of International Trade before becoming the Foreign Affairs Minister. When Trudeau moved Freeland to Foreign Affairs Minister, NAFTA was on his mind. Freeland has been dealing with the outrageous U.S. trade proposals in a somewhat hostile trade environment from south of the border. We can't speak to what happens behind closed doors but Freeland has spoken strongly with force and diplomacy over the trade negotiations.

Freeland's work is far from done but you have the feeling that she is the best person to be in these awkward trade agreement negotiations.

Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly has done quite a bit to improve how the arts have been funded. Like her colleague in Foreign Affairs, Joly's work is far from done. The Netflix deal is a small part of the overhaul being done in the Heritage Ministry.

The Handmaid's Tale, Jean Marc Vallee clean up at 2017 Emmys

Margaret Atwood getting new appreciation thanks to TV revivals

Margaret Atwood has received tremendous coverage and praise from people rediscovering her work through TV adaptations such as The Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace.

How does the new CBC The National fare in the news landscape?

Canada isn't afraid of a female national news anchor with Lisa LaFlamme at CTV and Dawna Friesen at Global. The CBC added Adrienne Arsenault and Rosemary Barton to their new 4-person anchor team along with Andrew Chang and Ian Hanomansing. Wendy Mesley has her own Sunday morning live news and politics show The Weekly with Wendy Mesley.

IFC should applaud the unique drink that is a Caesar

In a country famous for sketch comedy, Baroness von Sketch Show was the first all-female sketch comedy show on Canadian TV. as we've seen in 2 seasons on CBC in Canada and IFC in the United States, the talents of Carolyn Taylor, Meredith MacNeill, Aurora Browne, and Jennifer Whalen have been a most welcome presence in the comedy scene. Their openness of the strengths and weaknesses of women has been refreshing. And they are very fluid in terms of sexuality.

Senate finally passes gender-neutral O Canada bill

Julie Payette will be the new Governor General of Canada

Kelly Knight Craft nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to Canada

Julie Payette is not the first female Governor General but she was the Governor General to give formal royal assent to the gender-neutral version of O Canada. Payette was sworn in as Governor General in 2017.

Kelly Knight Craft is the first female ambassador to Canada from the United States. Craft hasn't done a whole lot yet in the position.

Malala Yousafzai finally receives honourary Canadian citizenship

Malala Yousafzai was supposed to receive Canadian citizenship in 2015 but that turned out to be the same day as the Ottawa Parliament shooting. Yousafzai belongs to the world for her efforts to get young women the chance to be educated. Seeing Canada step up for someone like her was inspiring.

Workin' Moms provides CBC with Canadian humour for adults

Catherine Reitman is everything behind the success of Workin' Moms. Reitman and her cast portray women as strong but also very human. Dani Kind has been extraordinary as the complex Anne Carlson. Juno Rinaldi gives us intriguing insight as Frankie Coyne.

Canadians visiting U.S. do not need an immigrant visa

Manpreet Kooner wasn't the only Canadian who suffered through targeted experience at the U.S. border. however, her story was extraordinary among extraordinary stories. Kooner was one of 3 Canadian women heading for a day of spa treatments in Burlington, VT. While her Caucasian friends were not questioned, Kooner, who is of Indian descent, was questioned for 6 hours before being declared an immigrant without a visa, an incorrect determination. Kooner traveled 400 km round trip to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, even with a consulate in Montréal, where she lives. The embassy officials couldn't help Kooner because she didn't need an immigrant visa.

Listening to Canadian women in film and TV on sexual harassment

2 PC provincial leaders resign over sexual misconduct allegations; Saskatchewan Party picks new leader

We covered Canadian perspectives of the movements to treat more seriously the sexual misconduct in all its forms. We expect a few more stories in 2018 and beyond.

Random thoughts about Orphan Black finale and beyond

Examining the legacy of Orphan Black

Tatiana Maslany wins top prizes in TV and film at 5th Canadian Screen Awards

Tatiana Maslany got an opportunity to showcase the complexities of women through several roles on Orphan Black. We're hoping the 2018 Emmys has some more love for Tatiana Maslany this fall.

photo credit: C-SPAN

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

CBC Marketplace says Subway Canada chicken isn't all there

Subway Canada says the company will sue CBC for $210 million after allegations that the chicken DNA was well below the standard even for other major fast food chicken.

Marketplace, a CBC-TV investigative show, sampled the Subway Oven Roasted Chicken Sandwich: its average chicken DNA was 53.6%. The average of the Subway Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki chicken strips was 42.8% chicken DNA.

The other major fast food chicken scored between 84.9%-89.4% chicken DNA. If the chicken was marinated and/or had fillers, that would account for less than 100% scores.

The allegations were reminiscent of allegations against Taco Bell in the United States over reduced beef in its taco filling.

CanadianCrossing.com coverage of BalanceofFood.com

Canadian standards are different: processed cheese has to be identified as such. Coffee whitener is the term in Canada for "non-dairy creamer." The USDA standard for taco filling is a lower percentage (40%) of fresh meat than in the findings for the chicken in Subway Canada. But that doesn't mean that things such as this can't happen in Canada.

For a full report, and a chance to see the Marketplace episode in question, click here for the full story from our sister blog, BalanceofFood.com.

Marketplace airs Friday nights at 8 pm local time on CBC.

photo credit: Marketplace/CBC

Justin Trudeau goes high as Donald Trump goes low

To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 28, 2017

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued this tweet in response to the Donald Trump draconian 90-day ban of travelers from 7 predominantly Muslim countries — Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Libya, Iran, and Iraq.

There was initial concern and worry since the information wasn't clear about whether the ban also applied to Canadian dual citizens. The ban does apply to other dual citizens. A number of people did run into troubles and some had to change travel plans as a result of the uncertainty. Eventually, the Prime Minister's Office was able to find out that the ban did not apply to those who also have Canadian passports. 

The Globe and Mail had a story on how the immigration ban can help the Canadian tech industry as a result of the uncertainty in the United States. That makes Trudeau's message that much more significant.

An open letter on behalf of law students facing uncertainty to the barriers in our education, with regards to the ban. pic.twitter.com/RQrxo5wjqC

— Nadia B. (@nadiabakhtiari) January 29, 2017

Even if you think that the best solution is to stay in a country for the moment, I think of people crossing from Windsor to Detroit for work or school. Even if their country of origin isn't on a list, their commutes just got a lot worse.

We should point out that the ban appears to be arbitrary since people from those countries haven't been responsible for terrorism attacks in the United States and that countries where the U.S. president has business conflicts are not on the travel ban.

Also, the ban on those from Syria, the indefinite ban on Syrian refugees, and the 120-day ban on the refugee program seems especially contradictory since the fleeing Syrians are the enemy of ISIL. But in case you forgot about the contrast to the Syrian refugees between the Trudeau Government and U.S. states that freaked out over Syrian refugees, here is a past reminder.

Daily Show shows how Canada is more mature about accepting Syrian refugees

Trump signed an executive order putting the Keystone XL pipeline back in play. Despite the cries of using U.S. steel being a theoretical dealbreaker, the order only specifies that U.S. steel be required "to the maximum extent possible and to the extent permitted by law."

The same parameters of concern still remain in a potential Keystone XL pipeline, such as the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska. As few outlets note but we know that the southern half of the pipeline is being built. A plan could be drawn to go around the aquifer and still have a viable pipeline. After all, the middle of the U.S. has a few pipelines already in place.

No winners in Keystone XL pipeline defeat

We may ultimately get the answers to questions that seemed pointless 6 months ago.

Canada would benefit greatly from the Keystone XL pipeline in terms of oil sales. The implication at the time was that Canada would have more jobs because of the building of the pipeline. But that always seemed insignificant compared to the jobs in the oil sands as a result of the unrefined bitumen flowing through the pipeline. Then again, Canada would have many more jobs if the unrefined bitumen was refined in Canada and not Texas.

The pipeline is being touted as a job creator for the United States. However, numbers from the U.S. government before the transition put that at under 4,000 jobs if the pipeline took a year to build. The refinery in Texas would get more jobs though those numbers are pretty small. The U.S. takes virtually all the risk in case of an oil spill.

The most intriguing question is still where the oil will ultimately go. The insinuation was that the oil was destined for the United States. The oil is presumably going to foreign markets outside North America, hence the need to take the unrefined bitumen to Texas. When people find out that the U.S. environment will be at risk for oil that won't even be used by U.S. citizens, will that change the perception of the Keystone XL pipeline?

Speaking of Texas, much of the path was seized through eminent domain, which is the way government can justify taking or using private land. Eminent domain is a sore spot for many conservatives but interesting not the current U.S. president, who made money off the practice.

How Canada will deal with Donald Trump

Donald Trump took a page from the Stephen Harper playbook. The ban on scientists from speaking about their research sounded familiar to Canadians. The Harper Government was criticized for muting scientists while the Conservatives were in power.

The executive orders affected scientists at the EPA, USDA, and CDC.

The Harper Government also phased out the federal science adviser and got rid of important research stations. Like many of the pages from the Harper Government playbook, these ideas were taken by the George W. Bush regime, especially about scientists speaking out on climate change.

You could argue that since most conservatives are against fixing damage from climate change that there is only a single playbook. Most of Harper's damage came when the Republicans were out of power in the United States, so there was a continuation next door. Also, we doubt seriously that the current U.S. president was even aware of what Harper was doing in Canada.

2017 Canadian politics preview

Cape Breton Island invokes Donald Trump to draw Americans to move there

Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and signed an executive order to renegotiate NAFTA. So the auto industry on the Canadian side is nervous and in waiting mode. Then again, the big news of the week was General Motors Canada cutting 625 jobs at its assembly plant near London, Ontario, and moving those jobs to Mexico. The labour cost was specifically cited as the reason. You don't have to like Trump to find the NAFTA renegotiation sounds a bit more tempting.

Right now, Canada's labour costs are lower in one key area versus the United States: health care. Will that become a factor in NAFTA negotiation?

Canadian politics coverage on CanadianCrossing.com

The current U.S. regime has talked about bringing back torture. In an interview with ABC News, Trump insisted torture works as a way of getting information.

Most Americans don't know the story of Maher Arar but Canada knows his story. The Canadian was flying through the United States and was seized by the U.S. and tortured in Syria under the George W. Bush regime.

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twitter credit: Twitter/JustinTrudeau; Twitter/nadiabakhtiari

Joe Biden reinforces Canadian leadership in state visit

"The world is going to spend a lot of time looking to you Mr. Prime Minister. Viva la Canada because we need you very, very badly." — Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden praised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as genuine leaders when they are otherwise in short supply. "We're going to get through this period because we are Americans and Canadians."

The vice president was in Ottawa Thursday and Friday for a state dinner in his honour as well as meeting the Canadian premiers on climate change.

The vice president also met with the Canadian premiers on climate change. Despite the ominous contrast between the Obama Administration and the president-elect, Biden tried to reassure Canadians and the world to keep up the fight on climate change.

"Regardless of whether the next administration is as aggressive as we have been, there's no way to turn back — I'm not suggesting they intend to — but there's no way to turn back this tide that has begun to roll," Biden said. "Whatever uncertainty exists around the near-term policy choices of the next president, I am absolutely confident the United States will continue making progress in its path to a low-carbon future."

Biden was intrigued about meeting with the provincial premiers, like state governments in the United States, are often at the forefront of innovation, including climate change.

The impression of the entire visit was to say to Canada and the world that eventually the relationship between the two countries will be okay. By being the sitting vice president, the message is stronger than if Biden comes in the summer of 2017 as a former vice president.

At the dinner, Biden recalled when Pierre Trudeau reached out to him after Biden lost his wife and daughter in a car accident. Trudeau reportedly got emotional when Biden said "You're a successful father when your children turn out better than you."

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden goes to Canada

Factoring Canada in the 2016 presidential campaign

Obama Canadian Parliament speech needs to ignite significant growth in the bilateral relationship

Three Amigos summit comes to Ottawa

How the United Kingdom Brexit decision affects Canada

Bernie Sanders reminds Canadians of the late Jack Layton

Jeb Bush wants better relationship with Canada; we want specifics

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

The lame duck session of Congress passed a preclearance border-crossing bill that is anticipated to be signed by President Barack Obama.

If you've cleared customs in Canada before coming to the United States, you've already experienced preclearance. Having U.S. customs officers in Canada makes going to the United States much easier in terms of time and reducing logjams. This agreement expands the process to 2 more airports: Billy Bishop (Toronto) and Jean Lesage (Quebec City).

The idea is to expand preclearance to trains, buses, and hopefully cars between the countries. Pilot projects will be at Gare Central in Montréal and on the Rocky Mountaineer train line from Vancouver and points beyond in British Columbia and Alberta to Seattle.

"This agreement has long been a priority for Vermonters. It would make it possible to restore Amtrak service between Vermont and Quebec in the future. It's a win for Vermont's economy, and for Canadians who visit Vermont to sightsee, ski, shop and dine." — Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

The Montrealer train through Vermont stopped running in 1995. Amtrak doesn't run trains from Montréal to Vermont, but does through New York state. Port Kent, NY is a seasonal stop on that line. Travelers from Burlington, VT can pick up a ferry and go to Port Kent to catch the train. Preclearance will help increase Vermont-Quebec-New York traffic and tourism.

The legislation has stalled for some time in the U.S. Congress. The Harper Government had been negotiating this for some time and the Trudeau Government has taken up the cause.

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photo credits: Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP; Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP; Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP

Canadian election 2015: Wyatt Scott and his goose

The possible election of Wyatt Scott to Parliament will not sway the potential power struggle in Ottawa. If Scott's unusual election ad does give him the nod in the Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon riding in British Columbia, campaign managers will pay more attention to unconventional ads.

"University is too damn expensive."

Viewers will pick up on the unusual elements in the 60-second ad, which include a goose, dragon, and a robot. Scott has a message within the visual spectacle.

"Services like health care and social programs should be expanded, not cut."

Scott says "Change is coming to Canada" and that has a ring similar to the NDP message. Scott has been quoted as saying he previously worked for the B.C. NDP.

A good ad is just that: entertaining in a clutter of somewhat stale political ads. The candidate matters more than any ad. Wyatt Scott did break through with a message that a lot of Canadians would like to see in the next Parliament. Time will tell whether Scott will be part of that change.

Canadian election 2015: Debating about debates

In our debate update, NDP leader Tom Mulcair is pulling out of the English language broadcast consortium debate.

We are disappointed for several reasons. All party leaders should be eager to debate anytime anywhere. Mulcair fell into Stephen Harper's trap and made himself look foolish. Mulcair knew Harper wasn't going to show up. Taking shots at an empty chair would have been good theatre, but now Mulcair won't be there to take those shots.

Mulcair will participate in a French-language Radio-Canada debate with Harper, Elizabeth May (Green Party), Justin Trudeau (Liberals), and Gilles Duceppe (Bloc Québécois) on September 24.

The NDP will also be at a bilingual Munk debate on foreign affairs on September 28, though May and Duceppe are not invited. The CBC is trying to broadcast the Munk debate, according to reports.

Stephen Harper calls very early election

"He (Stephen Harper) has consistently limited the capacity of the public to understand what its government is doing, cloaking himself and his Conservative Party in an entitled secrecy, and the country in ignorance."

Esquire columnist Stephen Marche had a really nice opinion column in The New York Times, summing up the small yet meaningful reasons for what has changed in Canada under the Harper Government.

The Closing of the Canadian Mind picks away at Harper's shift in how the Canadian government operates and not for the better of Canada.

The war against science from the Harper Government has been an underreported story, especially in Canada. Scientists normally on the sidelines are speaking up, when they can. There is a desire to protect the oil, key to the base of the Conservative Party. But Harper's muting of scientists makes Republicans down south a bit jealous. "(Harper) has been dedicated to protecting petrochemical companies from having their feelings hurt by any inconvenient research," Marche said.

When Americans are asked why they should care about the 2015 Canadian federal election, this essay has a few relevant reasons. This election is about the impression Canada has within its borders and around the world.

Canadian politics coverage on CanadianCrossing.com

Nigel Wright didn't come out smelling good in his testimony in the Mike Duffy trial. The testimony also impacted many on Stephen Harper's staff who knew about the $90,000 payout from Wright to Duffy over Senate expenses, and yet are still employed by the prime minister.

Ray Novak was then Harper's principal secretary and was copied on numerous e-mails knowing what was going on between Wright and Duffy. Novak is now Harper's chief of staff.

Trudeau has called upon Harper to fire anyone connected with the matter. Mulcair said to fire the person responsible for action in the Prime Minister's Office: Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

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