Blog Archives
Soaking up some Sunshine in Las Vegas with a brief take on the Election
Live Rural NL Author has a pre-planned vacation that departs on election day. After taking the milk run (Deer Lake-Halifax-Boston-Las Vegas), I arrived once again at the well-lit vibrant city of full of energy and life.
After checking the news, I see that Prime Minister Harper has received his coveted majority, the orange wave from the NDP holds making them official opposition, the downfall of the Liberals to third-party status and the demise of the Bloc Québécois. What was expected to be a boring election with little change, was just the opposite. Even the pollsters had not predicted these results. We have seen big upsets with Leaders Michael Ignatieff and Gilles Duceppe losing their own seats and a few Conservative Cabinet Ministers as well. However, there was one plus for Green Party supporters, with Elizabeth May winning the first seat in Parliament for her party and ousting Junior Cabinet Minister Gary Lunn.
There were a couple of close races in Rural Newfoundland & Labrador, with Avalon remaining a Liberal riding over challenger Fabian Manning (who resigned from his Senate post), as well the change from historic Liberal Labrador to choose a Conservative Candidate. I called this the day earlier with a friend from Labrador. Stating, there is a good chance Penashue will win because it seems like Mr. Russell has not been voicing Labrador issues.
Newfoundland & Labrador only has 7 seats of a 308 member parliament. We need to make each one of them count, with very strong MPs that will stand up and have their voices heard. We had many strong candidates contending for the position of MP to represent the people. I commend you all for putting your names forward for public service and congratulate those elected and look forward to you serving the people well.
Rural Newfoundland & Labrador and Rural Canada continues to face many challenges. I only hope that our voices are heard and that the appropriate investments of our tax dollars are made to ensure strong communities of tomorrow.
Good luck to all MPs and let’s make Canada work!
Live Rural NL from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Christopher Mitchelmore
Related Articles
- Notable election winners and losers (thestar.com)
- Conservatives soar to majority with NDP forming historic opposition (thestar.com)
- Get ready for a Tory racket on the Rock (theglobeandmail.com)
- Conservatives make inroads in Atlantic Canada, Liberals dwindle (news.nationalpost.com)
Behind every door…there is always a story
The above photo was taken while visiting the streets of Dublin, Ireland in late-November 2010. I could not resist snapping an image of iconic and colourful doors, which are found in both urban and rural settings throughout the country.
Behind every door there is a story to be told – I find this especially through in rural regions. As I have been invited passed the door and into the home of the owner. Usually our conversations would be had at he kitchen table over a cup of Tetley tea, with a view of the water. I enjoy striking up a conversation with the elderly to tell me about the past, the stories that bring smiles to their faces and mine. I am inquisitive, asking about the way of daily living, how they earned a living, how they lived from the land and sea, what they did for entertainment, what it was like to raise a family, how the holidays were spent? I can only try to envision the way it use to be, as I have been raised at a much different time for rural Newfoundland & Labrador.
Most doors of rural Newfoundland & Labrador are no longer painted with vibrant color. Locally, my aunt Glad is the exception with the bright orange doorway. Despite a trend of white washed doors – there are still good stories to be told to those willing to listen.
Christopher C. Mitchelmore
Related Articles
- Why is Rural Newfoundland & Labrador Not a Haven for a Thriving Sheep Industry? (liveruralnl.com)
- Escalating Gas Prices Continue to Leave Local Consumers Poorer, especially in Rural Regions (liveruralnl.com)
- An Opportunity for More Rural Social Space – The Coffee Shop? (liveruralnl.com)
- Community Control of Resources Leads to Greater Success in Rural Newfoundland (liveruralnl.com)
- History in Cemeteries – We found W.B. Yeats (liveruralnl.com)
Irish Road Trip….with Great Friends!
As you can see from the image to the left, some of the sheep are quite fearless, as they veer just to the edge of the landscape. The sheep were fearful of my presence and move further away. I was fortunate to also get some images of a rainbow that was off in the horizon.
Related Articles
- Dining in Galway… (liveruralnl.com)
- Experiencing the Newfoundland – Ireland Connection (liveruralnl.com)