March Book Review

Now that the election coverage has come to a close, here is my long awaited March book review.
I was feeling pretty nostalgic when it came to choosing a book to read. I first read Stump Farm when I was twelve-ish. Growing up near farms and having ancestors who built homesteads out of forests and fields decades ago in the vast space that is now Canada, I could picture my grandpa living out many similar story lines as the main character. Not only did I related to the book, it made me laugh at the antics and love the history of our beautiful country.

The Stump Farm is really just a collection of memories of author Robert J. Adams while growing up post war era on a plot of land in Alberta. Full of stories about chores, cows and outhouses, it sounds pretty darn close to stories I've heard from my grandparents. Add a few more luxuries and the stories could have come from my friends's mouths.

Now, given that I read this book a good ten years ago, its a pretty easy read. I read it on the flight to Calgary and back. Thats probably, at the most, two hours. How fitting though? Reading about life on the prairies of Alberta while flying to Calgary. Fitting, but thank god we are past riding horses to school. So its a quick read, but full of laughs. Each chapter is a different anecdote, from "My Boy Always Wins" and "Double-clutch" to "There's Noting Like a Good Ceegar" and "Our Biffy is a Two Holer". Can you get more hick than that?

Its probably not for everyone, but if you aren't familiar with how small town Alberta ran in the late 1940s its a quick way to learn, and if you are it will warm your soul. Final opinion? Its an entertaining, easy read by a Canadian author and it made my patriotic heart smile. No deep thinking in this one - just straight humour.

- Kim

Go Vote!

Great news!! Today is the BC Election! Today is your chance to have your voice heard. And, after today, there won’t be any more annoying phone calls, door knocking or pamphlets in your mail box (or at least for another couple of years).

Over the last couple of weeks FairJAKE has been profiling the four main BC political parties to help gain a better understanding of what they believe in. We have examined the BC Liberal Party, the BC NDP, the BC Green Party and the BC Conservatives. Although we have been doing a terrific job (if I may say so myself), you may still be left wondering who to vote for.

When it comes down to it, you need to choose the candidate that best aligns with your interests, values and goals. Don’t worry about party leadership; think about what your MLA candidate has done for your community in the past and what they are planning to do if elected. Think about how the platforms reflect your interests and choose the one that has your ideals in mind.

The CBC Vote Compass offers a great resource to help figure out which party aligns with your interests. Answer the questions and find out which party they suggest for you:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bcvotes2013/votecompass

Okay! So, you have figured out who you are voting for. Now what?

When to vote: Today! 8am to 8pm

Where to go: Usually you need to go to your closest Elementary School to vote, but find out where exactly to go at ElectionsBC: http://www.elections.bc.ca/docs/List%20of%20Voting%20Places%20for%20web.pdf

What to bring: Government Issued Photo ID with your address; Yellow Voters’ Card (sent to you in the mail). If you did not receive a Voters’ Card, or you do not currently live at the address on your ID, bring along a piece of mail with your address on it (paycheck, utilities bill etc.) If you don’t have any mail, bring someone to vouch for you.

So, get er’ done! Go exercise your democratic rights! As the ElectionsBC ads say: “It’s only the basis of democracy and a free society, but, hey, you probably have spin class.” (like you need an excuse to skip spin).

GET OUT AND VOTE!!

- Lisa

Voting Day!

Hello there everyone, ladies and gents, men and women, and any other Canadian citizen over the age of 18. The provincial election is upon us and it is voting time. That means that all the propaganda, advertisements, campaigning and lawn signs will be gone as soon as you cast your ballot. And this year, elections BC is making it easier than ever to do so.

Multiple stations are set up in each riding and will be open 8am - 8pm. Advance voting started on Wednesday, May 8 and went until Saturday, May 11. Over 3 million British Columbians took advantage of advanced voting this year. Everything you need to know about the election can be found at the easily navigable Elections BC website.

A quick recap. There are four large political parties in BC, The Liberals, NDP, Green Party and The Conservatives. There are also smaller parties, such as BC First and The Work Less Party, as well as Independent candidates.
Here's a quick overview of the main four's platforms:

The BC Liberals:
- Families first philosophy (strong health care system, keeping commitments to seniors, fighting crime and strengthening public education.)
- Believes in promoting the private sector (dedicated to job creation, supporting small businesses and promoting BC trade, particularly to Asia)
- Open government (being transparent, using social media and open town hall style meetings)

The BC NDP:
- Grounded in a history of addressing unemployment and poverty, fought for unions, Unemployment Insurance, Universal Health Care, decent wages and pensions.
- Approaching job creation by financial assisting students in post-secondary education and skills training.
- Champions public services, like education and health care and focuses on social justice, and equality.

The BC Greens:
- Sustainability and being accountable for the environment we rely on for a large portion of our economy.
- Social Justice, social programming and promoting close-knit communities.
- Power and responsibility refocused in local communities, including a strong green economy reliant on small, local business.

The BC Conservatives:
- Repeal of the Carbon Tax and increase in funding for Justice programs
- Trying to keep BC workers in BC by providing good wages, rather than losing them to neighbouring provinces. Support for agriculture workers, farmers and fisherman.
- See the Northern Gateway Pipeline as positive economic move for the province.

Now, like Lisa said before, not all parties are represented in each riding, so make yourself familiar with who is running in your area, as well as the leaders of the parties - these are the people that will be voicing our concerns and listening to the public for the next 4 years. We've broken it down as much as possible, so now go and exercise that democratic right if you haven't already! Tuesday, May 14th from 8am to 8pm - Vote!!

- Kim