Tuesday August 26th

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is VOCM Open Line Call seven oh nine two
seven three fifty two eleven or one trimle eight five
ninety eight six two six abusing opinions of this programmer,
not necessarily those of this station. The biggest conversation in
Newfoundland and Laborador starts now Here's VOCM Open Line Host

(00:22):
Paddy Daily.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Well, all right and good morning to you. Thank you
so much for tuning into the program. It's Tuesday, August
the twenty sixth. This is open Line. I'm your host,
Patty Daily. Beth Vegan is back in the producer's chair.
We are looking forward to speak with you this morning
on a topic of your choosing. If you're in the
Saint John's metro region, the number of dialogue ind the
Q and on the air is seven zero nine two
seven three five two one one. Elsewhere a total free

(00:45):
long distance one eight eight eight five ninety VOCM, which
is eighty six twenty six. So the sporting competition is
long behind us at the cand of the Summer Games,
but today is the last day for the volunteers decommissioning
a lot of the sites, including the accommodations. It culminates
with the volunteer appreciation event tonight at the convention Center,
So bravo two all hands who took the time to volunteer.

(01:07):
Some questions are being asked about what becomes of some
of this stuff left behind at the accommodation site. So
we're told the Home Again furniture was there yesterday taking
bunk beds. So we have to ensure that all the
cots and other furnitures and the bunk beds and unopen
food all find this way to whether it be a
food bank for the food and or donated to, whether
it be the Canadian Red Cross or the Salvation Amy

(01:28):
or whoever, make sure things don't end up in the trash.
Has been reported by a couple of people already this morning,
which hopefully that's not the case.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
All right.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
That's Grand Slam of the Air in professional tennis at
the US Open Flushing, New York. For the first time
what they call the modern era, Canada had five seeded players.
Amazing stuff, So Gabriel Diello wade it through yesterday. Dennis
Shabavalov is playing today, Felix oj L seen playing today.
Leyla Fernandez already threw the first round, and our highest
seeded player Vicki and Boco. Of course, one of the

(01:57):
Canadian open got knockout, so seedy Canadians remain. What do
you think? All right? So apparently a good day yesterday
regarding the Kingston fired. No growth, which is a good thing.
And hopefully the rain that we're experiencing here in Saint
John's this morning is also falling on that fire Conception
Bay North. A couple of things. So I completely understand

(02:18):
the worries and frustration of folks who've been evacuated, and
especially those who have lost their home. Still not firm
understanding of every single structure of what the implications are.
But had a call yesterday and the lady was questioning
the deployment of resources. I get it. That said. A
couple of firefighters reacted to that call and other calls,

(02:39):
talking about how the decisions were made on the ground.
I'll just paraphrase some of this. So at one point
the firefighters on the ground were total was simply too
dangerous and didn't want to see people get hurt, so
they were redeployed to another fire. He went on to
say that his own house is in the evacuated zone,
his parents there as well, so he was upset with

(03:02):
being deployed to another fire, but understood the risk to
human life when they talked about how dangerous it was.
And then there was water bombers taking out of the
sky apparently and talking about the fact that it was
so hot and the smoke was so dense that they
couldn't actually operate in those locations. So, look, I wasn't there.
I have no experience in the criteria for deploying resources

(03:24):
on the ground or in the air to fight one
fire or another. But that one particular firefighter email jumped
out at me, considering the fact his home was in
there and his parents' home was in there, so he
wanted nothing more than to continue to fight that fire,
but was told it was too dangerous and consequently they
were moved out. I don't know, and this is just
me bringing comments from actual firefighters who were there. All right,

(03:44):
then we heard the evil story of people taking the
opportunity to loot the homes that I had been evacuated,
and that one particular story where there was an ATV stolen.
So there was three apparent calls of the RCMP on
this exact issue, three separate incidents. Okay, so they say
that the investigation continues. At this time they have recovered
an ATV, a bag of stolen jewelry and the like,

(04:07):
so a few things. Apparently at this point no arrest made,
but apparently they confronted the folks with the ATV. So
even if it's a possession of stolen property but no
charges has of yet. Then they go on to say,
the complexity we try to investigate when some people have
not been able to actually go back to their homes
to see what indeed may have been taken by these

(04:28):
criminals who walk amongst us. So if you have any information,
you know what to do. You can call crime stoppers,
you can call whatever detachment of the RCMP. But with
all the investigations, whether it be with the potential or
the possibility that there's an arsonist or more out there.
And for folks who have lost some properties due to
these criminals trying to ransack your home while you're evacuated,

(04:49):
let's see if we can get some information to the
RCMP on that front. And if when an investigation concludes
and they can prove that someone is actually a criminal
on any of these fronts they're taking to task. People
are also wondering about the wat's next and you know, specifically,
I know we're moving services from accommodations and services at
carbon Air Academy to prepare for back to school, moving

(05:11):
to the splash pad in Harvard Grace that begins today.
Then there's the question about pets. It's a good one.
People don't want to relinquish their pet, their puppy, their
kit in, or whatever the case may be. So I've
actually had a couple of emailers send me notes seeing
they're willing to babysit or to house a pet if
indeed that becomes a requirement for some of these folks

(05:31):
who have been displaced and who knows when they can
get back to where they're from. So you want to
talk about anything on that front, But really hope that
we have turned that corner, and I really hope, and
if you're out around that area, I hope that rain
is pouring down on that particular fire this morning. Okay,
little different topic. So right where do we start? So
we're told the errantcy pulled over this all beat up

(05:54):
Jaloppi yesterday, smashed out windshield and parts of the vehicle
being held together with duct tape. Duct tape the tires
were probably baloney skins, The driver didn't have a license, insurance,
or registration. The vehicle has been in pounded every time
we bring this up. The pushback is obvious. Is when
I think that there should be some inspections at a

(06:15):
certain age or the number of kilometers on a vehicle
to ensure that you and I are sharing the roadway
with the vehicle that's fit to be out there. Yes,
the cash grab is possible. Can there be parameters put
in place to ensure that it doesn't become that? We
resist that as best possible, But just think about it.
Imagine being close by that vehicle and the duct tape

(06:36):
gives out, or the baloney skin tire falls off, and
the next thing you know, your vehicle that you have
insured and registered and you have an actual driver's license,
you're involved in some sort of collision, well maybe a pedestrian.
So what do you think about mandatory inspections at a
certain age, whether it be when the vehicle is ten
years old or has one hundred and sixty five thousand
klometers on it, or whatever the number might be. Because

(06:59):
there's plenty vehicles out there that just put the eyeball
you can tell they are not fit to be on
the road. So what do you think you want to
talk about it? Let's go all right, Oh yeah, so
the paper license plates, apparently that's going away for newly
registered vehicles. You will get a normal license plate sooner
than later. And then we talk about things like cameras
on school buses in the form of a pilot project

(07:21):
to capture the images of vehicles passing a school bus
when the stop sign and the lights have been deployed.
Then you talk about just the other speed cameras. We
know it's already against the law, against the rules to
have your license plate covered. We know that if the
paint is peeled off, all you have to do is
ask for a new license plate and you will be
given one for your charge. In an effort to make
sure these cameras can be as effective as we need

(07:42):
them to be, it's time for the R and C
or the RCMP to either give tickets for the license
plate covers and or appealing paint, or at least a
thirty day warning ticket so that we can make sure
that the rules, which are pretty clear, are followed. Because
if the expense with putting cameras on buses or speed cameras.
In gen if people who know that their license plate
isn't going to be captured, so they don't give a

(08:04):
hoot about the cameras. That's not what the intention is
of trying to slow people down. What do you think,
all right? Back to school? It won't belong. I'm not
trying to wish anybody's time away. And I know there's
a bit of dread out there in the bellies of
some children heading back to school. There's still the plea
out there from some back to school supplies, you know,
from the backpack itself and all these scribblers and coloring

(08:28):
leads and all those substances. I'll put this out there again,
gets me in trouble all the time. You also hear
from parents that are trying to put some new clothes
on the backs of their children. It's a tall task
for many families and many people listening to this program
this morning. Then there's the concept of you don't want
to put your child in the crosshairs of the so

(08:50):
called bully, and know people want to keep up with
the joneses. You don't want to have the cheap, ragged
clothes and sneakers or whatever the case may be. Can
you imagine how much relief would be brought to bear
if all you had to do was to go to
the school, provide a catalog, and get your uniform. I'm
told all the time it's such a terrible idea to
have school uniforms, but I can't understand why. I mean,

(09:12):
we grew up with the uniform didn't seem to be
a big deal. It really does, indeed level the playing field.
So everyone had on the same hush puppies and the
gray cords and the white shirt and the green sweater,
and it seemed to make things a little bit more manageable,
especially for families who just don't have the cash. You know,
they're trying to fill up the supplies in the backpack.
Then you throw clothes on top, because how many parents

(09:33):
out there. You don't want to see your child come
home from the first day school sad and upset because
people were all over here or she because of their
velcrow laid sneakers and or their ten year vintage hoodie.
Whatever it is. But anyway, people tell me I'm notuts
all the time about school uniforms, but I'm not so

(09:54):
sure why. Okay, so we see a couple of notable
lane ways and hangout spots. Here I can speak specifically
to town where the laneways have been shut down, a
big fence has been put up, and why because they
became the haven, the home for addicts to shoot up.
And then it's the concern were discarded needles, which is
very very real. Then it's the possibility for violence, which

(10:14):
is obviously real. Then you talk about things like shutting
down those Dane ways, shuffling around the tents. We have
an issue with drug use and discarded needles and all
the rest of it. So we can talk about detoxs
where we have whatever you want. Same thing with shuffling
around tents where people are homeless living in these tents.
The problem with that is that it doesn't solve anything.

(10:35):
It just moves the problem to another neighborhood. It just
moves the concern to another neighborhood. We're not accomplishing anything
insofar as trying to reduce peoples of our lines and
our addiction to one thing or another. We're not doing
much on that front. By moving a tent from the
Confederation Building to bannon Or Park, to Bowering Park to
Kent's Pond, that doesn't mean anything. It really doesn't. Are

(10:57):
there certain places where it's probably in our collective best
interest for their not to be discarded in needles and
ten cities? Yeah, sure, I can see that. But we're
not too much to solve issues when we're just shuffling
the deck chairs, are we? Anyway? Your thoughts must take
it on, all right? A couple of more matters of note.
So there has been plenty of consternation about the unwillingness

(11:20):
for this province of sign on to interprovincial trade to
remove some barriers, and some of those have now been removed.
So I think pragmatic announcement yesterday the creation of what
they call the Fair Registration Practices Act, talking about labor
mobility and helping qualified people get license quicker. What have you?
A workforce relief fund businesses who may be impacted by

(11:40):
tariffs up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars per organization
available from a fund that tiles five million dollars. Then
you get into what some people get concerned about. It's
protection of the jobs at the breweries.

Speaker 4 (11:51):
I get it.

Speaker 2 (11:51):
Who wants to see a job by the way, Sorry
not me. I think this kind of hits the sweet spot,
I believe, and so what they've changed is now individuals
for personal consumption only can order products from other provinces
directly delivered to them. So it's not going to be
shelf space that the NLC, it's not going to be
shelf space in the convenience stores with the gas stations.

(12:14):
It's going to be order and directly delivered to you.
And it can't be for wholesale, it can't be for resale,
can't be for any of those things. So the concern
that the breweries talk about is obviously real. But when
this has been the approach taken, does that mean that
those breweries remain absolutely protected. The legislation is clear. To
get shelf space at the gas station retail outlets where

(12:37):
some eighty plus percent of their product is purchased, it
has to be brewed here. So it kind of feels
like the sweet spot with this direct order for personal
consumption only with that trade barrier. Even though labor mobility
is probably a much bigger issue. It's probably more costly
issue and time consuming issue. But people do lean in
on the issue regarding access to alcoholic price made and

(13:01):
part of me distributed from other provinces now direct to you. Okay,
I saw this in the news today, and I mean
it's the furthest thing from a big deal. It's referring
to in this regards alcohol is the screeching, which is
apparently fifty years old, and some people who do them
are really quite good and entertaining. Then there's the other

(13:22):
school of thought is that it may indeed portray our
culture as maybe a bit goofier than it is in reality.
It doesn't rub me the wrong way necessarily. I'm not
a big fan of it, but I mean some people
who do it really do being a bit of flair
tone and it's a bit of innocent fun. Other circumstances
it's a bit more cringe worthy. So someone, as they

(13:44):
sent me the link to the news story which I
had seen earlier, is to whether or not that's the
topic worth pursuing. Again, pretty small potato stuff, but you
never know what might peauk the interest of people listening
to the program here this morning. All right, just keep going.
So the onshore wind proposals, of course, wind turbines and

(14:05):
electrolysis for green hydrogen to be exported via ammonia to
markets yet to be secured. So crown lands was offered
to these proponents, and there's fees associated with it, and
they had deadlines or end of term contracts that had
to be addressed. Now the government has given extensions to
the crown Land reserves into the new year, of course,

(14:27):
to allow the companies to try to pursue agreements with
investors and markets for the product, which has seemingly become
a very difficult prospect. While was super hyped by the
provincial and federal government, is not so much anymore. Okay,
extending the crown land reserves, I understand that, but then
we also talk about the millions and outstanding fees oh

(14:49):
to the province. The question will be is if some
of these proponents are unable into the future, Like even
World Energy GH two said they would not be moving
forward unless there was that minimum ten year power purchase
agreement for their green hydrogen and they're only one of
the companies. So what happens if they're unable to enter

(15:09):
the future or secure any of these deals, whether it
be with investors and or market and they owe their
governments all this money, then what that's a pretty big
matzo ball to not have an answer to, but those
extensions have been offered in that conversation. Was all the
rage on this program for the longest while and then
sort of went off the radar. Okay, Premier Lego, the

(15:30):
Premier of Qebec, is in town today to meet with
Premier John Hogan. They'll who knows what they're going to
be talking about, but you can bet your check it's
got a lot to do with the Upper Churchill Memorandum
vuner standing. They can talk about joined opportunities in the
mining world and the Labrador or trough and or some
other trade related matters, and the possibility for the FEDS
to move forward with an East West Energy quarter. But

(15:51):
it's the MoU. We should be talking about that more
than we have been in the recent past. It's probably
going to be the most significant document that the obvious
will sign on to since the atlanticat Court. There is
so much at stake here. One thing is when Premier
Hogan himself, I said the timeline is quite aggressive, because
we're talking about next April and the move towards all
these definitive agreements. Just a logical question for me anyway,

(16:15):
it would be if we think it's an aggressive timeline
and it's as important as it is, then why be
so aggressive? You know, if we don't get this right,
and that's a big word, doing a lot of heavy
lifting is right. People can talk about best deal possible,
the length of the contract or, the relationship with hydrog Gobeck,
the complexity of four major projects inside of one thirty

(16:38):
odd page MoU two transmission projects ex. Expansion at the
upper Churchill Gull Island that looks like hydrok Beck is
absolutely going to develop. So there's so much to this
that we absolutely should be talking about it more and more.
And one thing, which not the biggest issue, but it's
a being the baland of plenty of people in this province.

(16:58):
I can't tell you how silly I think it makes
the Province of Quebec look when they refuse to acknowledge
the well understood, a well documented Labrador boundaries and border.
It's ridiculous. Nineteen twenty seven the Privy Council said quite
clearly where the border is and what Labrador means to
this province. It was reiterated in nineteen eighty two with

(17:21):
the Charter. I don't even know why we have to
talk about this anymore, because it's so silly. The problem
is it makes Quebec look really quite dim from the
outside looking in. But inevitably, even involving some of their curriculum,
they still say that they claim ownership to Labrador in
powerdor in full. So people in that province, many of them,

(17:43):
probably don't understand what the actual reality is, which is
a problem. Is it important to you for Quebec to
stop fooling around with this, especially when we're talking about
economic opportunities and the redress of nineteen sixty nine and
moving forward with the upper Churchill MoU to just do
the fundamentals for once and for all, Just say the

(18:03):
obvious and tell us the truth and acknowledge the truth
to your own residents. The boundaries have been settled. The
border is what it is. We know it, You know it.
But you still allow for that nonsense to continue in
the province of Quebec, which again is not the biggest issue,
but it's it's a fundamental thing that we shouldn't have
to be talking about in twenty twenty five any longer.

(18:25):
All right, last one before we get to you. So
we're talking about defense procurement and the move towards two
percent of GDP and defense spending all the way to
five percent in the neighborhood of one hundred and fifty
billion dollars a year, an arbitrary number. We know more
money needs to be spent on the military, both for
personnel and equipment. This is not new, but I think
it's advanced a little bit. A trio of South Korean

(18:46):
companies have made an unsolicited proposal to the federal government
for the provision of variety of things, submarines being the first.
They've got a pretty ambitious timeline for how those submarines
when they can be delivered. So that's the thing. It's
some to twenty four billion dollars worth. And then there's
some other military equipment big mobile howitzers, rock and propeller

(19:06):
artillery similar to what the America's making their high Mobility
artillery rocket system. Also bigger package environment vehicles and fill
the gaps. Those last pictures are worth about a billion dollars.
I bring it up because not only do we have
to hit some defense spending targets, but in the world
of maintenance sites for submarines. For instance, the Victoria class
submarine that we're looking at is possibly bullarm so it

(19:30):
does have local implications, at least we hope it does.
And you can only hope that North Atlantic is being
super aggressive and trying to secure if it comes to
past some of that work that can indeed be done
a bullarm. Then it's things like aircraft the F thirty five,
so we've already paid for some. So we can't walk
away from aircraft that we've already paid for, even though

(19:50):
we've been kicking around the F thirty five conversation for
a long long time. But it makes all the sense
to me that if there is going to be an
opportunity to look for advanced fighters manufactured elsewhere to compliment
our fleet, we're looking for some eighty eight advanced fighters,
is let's just s ditch the American thirty five and
look for something else. There are other aircraft shops who
that candidate fit the bill. But therein lies the complication

(20:12):
for training and for how bases are set up. If
you have too much of a mixed bag of aircraft
and pilots and equipment and training for maintenance, what have you,
it can complicate things. But what do you think? All right,
we're on Twitter where vosim up Aline follows her email
addresses open ONOFOSM dot com when we come back. Whether
it be a marriage proposer or whatever you want to

(20:33):
talk about, you have your opportunity right after this don't away.

Speaker 1 (20:36):
Is open line now the VOCM Bigland FM Radio network.

Speaker 2 (20:41):
Welcome back to the show. Let's become this Morning Online
number three. Good morning Susan, you're on the air.

Speaker 5 (20:45):
Good morning Patty. How are you today?

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Very well? How about you?

Speaker 5 (20:49):
I'm good, Thank you very much, thank you for taking
my call, and first and foremost before I started, just
like to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible amount
of support and help from all of the first responders,
they volunteers. It's really incredible to see, you know, in

(21:11):
times such as we've experienced the last month, how the
community really comes together. So thank you all for everything
you're doing out there to help all of the communities care.
So I'd like to talk a little today about again
the CIRA to Canada Revenue Agency and my frustration as

(21:36):
a tax specialists with trying to work with clients and
specifically today collections in the Canada Revenue Agency. So it's
you know, it's understandable like any other bill, if people
are non compliant and they don't, you know, they avoid
calls or avoid letters. Of course, you know there's going

(21:59):
to be legalized is taken when I get clients and
they have balance owing. You know, our responsibility as a
tax specialist is to inform clients of their responsibilities with
Canada Revue Agency, but also their rights. And one of
the missing pieces of information with many taxpayers is they

(22:19):
don't believe they have rights. There are hundreds of thousands
of Canadians living in financial duress because of misinformation or
no information when it.

Speaker 4 (22:30):
Comes to their taxes.

Speaker 5 (22:32):
So I try very hard to you know, explain to
them that look, don't miss the letters, get the mail
to me, answer the calls. But sometimes there's a call missed.
So on a regular basis, you know, I check files
that I have and check in with the collections. But

(22:52):
it's it's just gotten really out of hand so that
they're setting people up for failure. So if a client
is set up on a payment arrangement and they're making
that payment diligently and then all of a sudden, I
get a call that they've got a lean on their
bank account. This is happening constantly. I get a call

(23:14):
at least once a week, sometimes twice a week or
more from clients who've been paying diligently. Their payment has
not been missed, but there had been a call come
out and they missed the call, and all of a
sudden there's a lean or a garnish on their wages.
So I called back in to collections to find out

(23:37):
why this happened. And for example, last week I had
one they've been making a sizeable payment every month for
over a year, have not missed any payments, and got
a letter that the wages were garnished. So I explained
to the agent that I had arrangements made with another

(23:58):
agent over a year ago and that I had been
checking the account regularly the payments were made, and she said, well,
we've changed our rules. We only have to make one call.
And said, well, if you're going to change your rules
and the taxpayers have to be notified and I should
be notified as the authorized representative, No, we don't have

(24:19):
to do that. We also sent out a letter the
first week of August, so there's no time given to
even respond to this letter. It was sent out I
think the fourth of August. This is only you know,
last week, so I think it was the seventeenth or something.
And as I said to her, you know, putting a

(24:40):
garnish or a lean should be for people who are
not responding, who are not paying their debts. But this
is a taxpayer that's paid every single month for over
a year getting the debt down, had a refund generated
this year that went to the debt, and in fact,
I'd applied for some of penalties and interest for the taxpayer.

Speaker 4 (25:03):
No way, she was not.

Speaker 5 (25:05):
This agent was not even going to listen. So you know,
it's at a point where people have to start writing
letters to the Department of Finance, Federal Department of Finance,
to the Board of Directors, to whomever, to all of
the MPs. There's got to be something done. If you
knew the numbers of people that are living in major

(25:26):
financial duress can't pay their mortgage, as I said to
this agent, you are getting three hundred dollars a month
every month. Now you're going to get zero dollars a
month because this person is going to end up not
being able to pay their mortgage. You're they're forcing people
into bankruptcy. So it's really not a sustainable system. I mean,

(25:48):
this is just one area of problems that just keeps
festering and getting worse. It's the most illogical tax code
in the world.

Speaker 4 (25:59):
I believe.

Speaker 5 (26:00):
It's just it's just setting people up for financial failure.
And these are working, hard working Canadians who are you know,
trying to pay their bills, trying to pay their dead people.
Stop filing out of fear. And everybody that comes to
me is the same way. They don't want to go public.
They don't want to write the letters because they're embarrassed,

(26:23):
because they're made feel that way, you know. So it's
a system that's really failing and it's getting worse. And
now it's at the point, I mean, they don't give
any time to taxpayers to respond, but yet if they have,
you know, if you're being audited and you submit your documents,
you're waiting two, three, four years for them to finalize that.

(26:45):
The timelines in CRRA are atrocious. Waiting for disability tax
credits to be years to be reassessed. I mean, it's
just atrocious, the timelines. You can't get anybody to answer
the phone in there. It's a complete eight mess and
getting worse by the day. Yep, you know, I spend
probably twenty thirty hours out of my week on the

(27:08):
trying to get through or on the phone with CIRA.

Speaker 4 (27:11):
It's out to lunch, it is.

Speaker 5 (27:13):
So I'm not sure why there's none of our leaders
are addressing this, and it's they have to start addressing
this and seeing people lose their homes, you know, going
bankrupt on a regular basis, it's just there's something got to.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
Give here, No for me, So a few things we've
just added and added and added an attitude and already
cumber some tax code in this country, and it just
made matters worse. The timliness with which people are given
an update and notice as to what what is next
in the world of collections is just patently unfair. The
issue regarding not being able to speak with anyone at

(27:51):
CIRA or on hold extended amounts of time. Yesterday's CIRA,
based on concerns brought forward by the union, actually extended
the contract for eight hundred and fifty Calls center workers.
But there's about sixty seven hundred fewer employees working at
CIRA compared back to twenty four So that just makes
it again more and more frustrating and more and more
difficult to get in touch with someone. Of those sixty

(28:12):
seven hundred ish some are theable to thirty five hundred
by the call centers. So when you add it all together,
an unnecessarily complicated, incumbersome tax code, all the jobs people
talk about one of the right size the government. I
get it, but sometimes you're going to be careful what
you wish for, because when we're talking about CIRA, which
actually adds up to somewhere around sixty odd percent of

(28:32):
the job losses at the public sector or for public service,
is that CRA exactly?

Speaker 5 (28:38):
And I mean they've implemented this AI system and all
the tax departments, departments that used to have, for example,
eighteen teams of people are now down to one team
of people. There was a Monday about a month ago
where I called into the benefits department. It was a
client actually that's been waiting for her retroactive child tax

(29:00):
benefits for over a year. We've submitted all of the
documents three times and she's still not scheduled for those
for those benefits. So I called in this Monday, probably
about a month ago. It said the office is closed.
I said, hmm, I guess it was a civic holiday
that day. I had thought. About half an hour later,

(29:22):
I get a call from another department on behalf of
a client and I said, I thought you guys were
closed today. Now she said, sometimes the departments do that.
They just put that message on so the call because
they can't handle the calls. They've done four mass layoffs
since last June. I mean, this is just not sustainable,
and it is really really I mean, the stress among

(29:44):
people financially is killing people literally, and it's got to
be looked at. And you know, I don't know what
it's going to take for the government to finally address
our tax code and address the issue. But it's just
not sustainable, and it's costing the government much more money

(30:06):
because if they're forcing people into bankruptcy, they're not going
to get any money, you know. So it's just it's
not even I'm just so frustrated. It gets worse by
the day, and working this industry is horrific. It's just
become you know, nothing that's stress, don't.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
I note, Susanne, I appreciate the time, and the concern
is shared by most. I would suggest it's already difficult
enough to deal with the government, especially if we're talking
about CIRA especially if you owe the many money and
are looking for retro payments to be evaluated, adjudicated and
paid out. I know the federal disability payment actually went
out this morning, which is a good thing. It's not

(30:46):
based on the conversation we're having, but the summary point
of a terrible situation made worse by the government that
actually costs the money in the long run, it makes
people's lives miserable. Is unnecessary this day and age, to
say the very least, And I would suggest that politicians
might not act on it as they should because they
probably don't understand it. You know, it's the same thing

(31:07):
we talk about politicians need to do this, need to
do that. The first thing they need to do is
understand it. Then they have to come up with a
plan to make it better. Because that's the tricky place here.
It's fine for me and you in opposition politicians say
this is broken, needs to be fixed, and then when
the question is how do we fix it? Then all
of a sudden, it's deafening silence for most politicians because
basically they don't understand it. Susanna, I have to get

(31:29):
to the break, but I appreciate your time. Thanks for
doing it.

Speaker 5 (31:32):
Thank you for your time, have a great day you too.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
Bye bye. I just God of breaking. When we come back,
it's the MoU don't go away.

Speaker 1 (31:38):
This is open line on the VOCM big Land FM
radio network.

Speaker 2 (31:43):
Welcome back to the show. Let's go to line number two.
Good morning, Charlie, you're on the air. Good morning sir,
Good morning to you.

Speaker 6 (31:51):
Nice to see that rain last night and to listen
to it as well.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
Absolutely right, And I hope it's raining out in CBN.
I really do. I don't know exactly what's going on
there this morning, but it was poor and pretty hard
here on cam out Road. We needed we did.

Speaker 6 (32:05):
Patty, speaking of CBN, just a little idea that I've
talked to one of the committee members out there, some
people are going to return to no homes, some have
no insurance, some are going to be in dire straits
even without from government all red Cross right.

Speaker 2 (32:23):
Absolutely.

Speaker 6 (32:25):
I have the idea that there's families in Newfoundland that
would that could twin with a family in that area.
They could find out who was really in dire need
and perhaps stay with them for a few months of
financially food whatever and just moral support. So I'd like

(32:47):
to throw that out there. If anybody's interested in that.
There is a committee there with represents from each place,
and they might want to do that, right, I'll consider doing.

Speaker 2 (32:55):
That, sure. And there's only I've heard that being discussed
in the recent past. You know, there's no way for
the province to get too deeply involved in that between
the provincial government, Canadian Red Cross, Salvationary and whoever else
on that committee that's been struck out there. Even if
there was the opportunity for people to sign into some database,
that's say they can indeed help in one form or another,

(33:15):
whether it be to take care of a pat whether
it be to bring in an individual or a family
or a couple whatever. So if that database is set up,
then we'd find out what kind of help might be
out there.

Speaker 6 (33:26):
Yes, just a quick word on sunlight. I was listening
to a guy interview there for the weekend. He was
talking about the benefits of sunlight, his doctor from Sandford.
I did a little bit of digging in afterwards. No,
I'm one of the people that always believed the sunlight

(33:48):
you have to watch your eyes were sunglasses throughout my life.
Almost I know it's helped. I feel in preventing cataracts.
But one thing I didn't realize. He was talking about
fits of early morning sun actually gone into your eyes,
and I was a little bit taken aback. So I
got to reading why that would that would would be promoted.

Speaker 7 (34:13):
By the way, the.

Speaker 6 (34:14):
Human eyeball contains approximately one billion working parts. I just
sit throw that out there. Anyway, a little bit of
sunlight to start off your day, the benefits of are tremendous.
Increasing serotonin. This is one and which leads to melatonin
in your body. Later on it leads to a bitter

(34:35):
sleep yep. We all know about the effects of serotonins
far as depression and so on, right, And there's many
more benefits there. So I don't know if you've heard
of that concept of actually letting some early morning sunlight
into your eyes. Do you want to comment on that?

Speaker 2 (34:51):
Sure it can. It can lower your blood pressure, it
can boost cognitive function, it can strengthen bones. It's good
for your moon system, immune system, is good for your mood.
I mean, there's so many obvious benefits to exposure to sunlight,
and of course it's crucial protector skin from any the
harmful UV rays. But there is a laundry list of

(35:12):
benefits from sunlight.

Speaker 6 (35:13):
Absolutely, just thinking visiting doctors and talking to people who
go to doctors primary care especially, you don't hear much
about that you get pills for things, and that you
don't hear many doctors. I don't think talking about that
type of thing.

Speaker 7 (35:33):
Part of it.

Speaker 6 (35:33):
As a training one one guy said, I asked, stuff
in medical textbooks is wrong or it needed to be updated,
And I was thinking, what better advice. I'm in my
seven seventh decade and I've got to to find a
bit about this now kind of thing, you know, anyway,
just to content on that.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, my doctor talks about it. I mean we hear
in the mental health professional world people talk about the
benefits of the great outdoor sunshine included. So I don't
know why I know about the benefits of sunch and
I would I would have thought that everyone did. You know,
we talked about just a little bit of vitamin D
good for the soul, good for the body, you know,
for a variety of areas that you just pointed out.

(36:14):
I know you wanted to get to something else quickly,
Charlie before we have to say goodbye.

Speaker 6 (36:17):
So let's do that okay, the m ou. I was
just wondering before Danny Williams left. He left soon after
the deal was signed and it was taken over by
the other person I forget her name. I wonder sometimes
how much legacy, ego and so on plays in in negotiations.

(36:45):
I know our our premiere Fury left soon after it
was signed, and I wonder how much pressure negotiating team
is on is under to get something done. I mean,
people in intern arge you like that previous They love
legacy things, as you know. Just the thought because it

(37:06):
seems like this it's a rush job. What you were
talking about. Why rush in April? When when where's something
so so meaningful to to to you know, decades in
the future. I'm going to guess that I want to
comment on that.

Speaker 2 (37:21):
I'm thinking that the rush is more a Quebec rush
than our rush. Why because Lego has to face his
voters next fall. So for this government, we're going to
have an election in the next month or so. So
that rush really does feel like a Quebec imposed rush
to me, because Lego's government is in serious trouble. If

(37:41):
the Poles hold, they're out. So I would suggest that
the legacy piece is more Lego than it is a Fury.
If we're talking about the timeline of April, well, I.

Speaker 6 (37:50):
Wouldn't discounting and I wouldn't discount the legacy thing for
premium Fury either, of No, but.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
A specific reference to timeline is really feels like a
goudback thing, because Fury could have had his legacy regarding
this if it was signed next December thirty first or
on Christmas Day. But I think that that April thing
that really feels like a Quebec thing more than us
because we'll go to the pulse and Lego doesn't have
to until well after April. So that's just my basis.
I'm not dismissing that legacy is important to Andrew Fury

(38:19):
or anybody else, because it is obviously so at.

Speaker 6 (38:22):
A PC's being a bit core here. Maybe they're saying
a lot about it, but I just don't hear it.
Are they given an indication that they want to continue
with this timeline and they're in favor of I'll say,
m ou, what.

Speaker 4 (38:36):
Are they saying.

Speaker 2 (38:37):
They've only said one thing, ever, and I don't want
to put words in Tony Wakeman's mouth or anyone else
but all I've ever heard from the PCs is independent oversights,
not that this is bad and one specific area is bad,
or this is a very specific concern. It's the concept
of independent oversight. As far as I know, and as
far as i've heard, that's the only real pushback on
this particular proposal, So preps.

Speaker 6 (39:00):
Being a bit coy because they must be aware of
all the opposition there, or perhaps they think most of
the landa's are in favor of it.

Speaker 2 (39:08):
I'm not sure what actually I should you clarify. I
think I've heard reference to the length of the contract
and some of those generalities, but independent oversight seems to
be their go to concern.

Speaker 6 (39:21):
Okay, just a couple of quick as you went a
guy on last week from the West Coast talking about
the lack of Indigenous education in the province. You remember that,
I do. I've been saying that, as you know, probably
as nauseum for for years. I quite agree with the guy.
I don't know if it's a deliberate thing when the

(39:44):
textbooks are are brought out, or I'm not quite sure
what to make of it. I know it's been totally
neglected in my time, and as far as I know
it still is, and from what that guy was saying,
he certainly believes it. So sometime when you have an
education a person on peraps you could ask that question.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
Yeah, I mean, if we don't have a complete accurate
recount of history and where we come from and who
we are, we'll never have a firm understanding who we
are because history has made who we are today. So
regardless of Barbara talked about indigenous relations or anything under
the sun. You know, when some of this is history
is written by the victors, right, that's means we understand

(40:30):
that to be true. So when the victors would like
to deny or to resist acknowledging some of the sides
that missteps and borish and bad behavior to become the victor,
that we don't see it accurately captured in history. You
go to the library. The history books are basically primarily
written by those who want I'll use that term, the
victor or the winner, whatever the case would be. Charlie,

(40:51):
I gotta get home, but I appreciate the time.

Speaker 6 (40:53):
Okay, sir, thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (40:54):
Take care, bye bye. All right, let's get that break in.
Don't go away.

Speaker 1 (40:58):
He's open line v O c M big Land f
M Radio Network.

Speaker 2 (41:03):
Welcome back to the show. Let us go line number four. Jeff,
you are on the air, Hi, Jeff, Jeff on line
number four.

Speaker 3 (41:15):
Oh hey, sorry about that, No problem, excuse me, Patty.

Speaker 8 (41:23):
Like I'm an avid listener, I can't say I listened
every day.

Speaker 3 (41:29):
Some days I miss But I just wanted to tell you.

Speaker 2 (41:40):
How how how easy it is.

Speaker 3 (41:43):
I think for for for many people to get get
frustrated with some with with something and and and and
just go off emotion in particular like what're dealing with
the healthcare system. And I mean more more than once

(42:03):
I've heard stories on on this like on your should
and with people that have like terrible experiences. I mean
most recently I can think about like that that person
named name Howard, I think the least before last and
and what happened to his wife. But in the last

(42:29):
couple of years, like I had a stroke see in
twenty five months ago now essentially And and I've been
told like three three years is kind of the like
the guide guideline length of time that like for for

(42:51):
me to still like I'm still sort of in like
a danger zone or whatever. But h and and I've had.

Speaker 8 (43:02):
Experiences with with nurses in emerged or like in like
in the healthcare system in general, and good and bad
or good and let's let's.

Speaker 3 (43:15):
Then you know, but but you know someone that's on
me as well. But I mean I.

Speaker 8 (43:29):
Last October, I I wound up in a because I
had numbness in in in my limits or something.

Speaker 3 (43:38):
So so got brought in to.

Speaker 8 (43:41):
The labor or health center, which caters to all of
labor and on the best of days they have I
think three nurses and maybe not not even that in doctors.
But this particular night, like I want in that seven
o'clock in the evening, and.

Speaker 3 (44:05):
There there was a person actual relative mind that was
there from from nine in the morning or earlier, I
think you said, with the with the broken with the
broken arm. And but everyone there could hear like and
and it was not like standing in them only in
the wedding area I hear hear the ambulance sirens like

(44:31):
as as they were. They were flat out busy. And
at about two a m.

Speaker 8 (44:41):
A person came in and she started like railing against
against the girl at the at the like after that
sort of thing, oh if I and she wasn't adquesting
anything like that was in my opinion at least like and.

Speaker 3 (45:02):
Emergent type of request. And then she started and stop
it too, like just started putting down and oh, if
I was in the States, I'd have this done in
five minutes, and blah blah blah. And that's just hurt

(45:23):
my feelings so badly, Like like, ID just like.

Speaker 8 (45:26):
An hour before that been like having a smoke with
one of the girls that was looking at desk and
she said, data like a high casual high casualty.

Speaker 3 (45:36):
Incident that just happened a couple hours before. And I mean,
some of these people are there, they're so.

Speaker 2 (45:47):
Was your concerned how long you had to wait or
what specifically is the issue, Jeff Or was it big
off interaction with one profession or another.

Speaker 3 (45:56):
No, I just like people don't understand that these people
are doing the best they can given what they have
to work with.

Speaker 2 (46:07):
I think that's probably true.

Speaker 8 (46:10):
And I mean, like I was talking at one one
one time I was up at the hospital like and
talking to a girl and she went into work to
take over. She was on the vacation, but she went
into work to take.

Speaker 3 (46:27):
Over from a girl. And I think I think it
was Neil Natl or something for that had been working
to that point too, like fifty one hours.

Speaker 2 (46:42):
I mean, who who does that well? I mean, I
know that there's opportunities to catch a little cat nap
and those types of things, but nobody can be at
their best after I mean, even when people talk about
twenty four hour shifts, and I know it's not twenty
four hours constantly on your feet at least, I don't
think it is nobody, But nobody can be at their best.
How can you deliver the type of health care they

(47:04):
want to deliver if you're physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted.
Because I agree with you, I think that for the
vast majority of people working in the system, they're doing
the very best they can. Are there bad apples and
any or every of the disciplines, of course there are,
let's just nature of the beast. That's human nature. But
I think sometimes we come down a bit hard on

(47:26):
the individuals versus the system, because they aren't the system,
they're the employees of the system. Jeff, I'm late for
the news, but I'll give you another couple of seconds
to wrap it up.

Speaker 3 (47:37):
No, I'm just really.

Speaker 8 (47:40):
I mean, I appreciate anyone that's gone through what they've
gone through, and I understand, but I mean I've witnessed
things here that nurses have been subjected to, like people
saying things to them that they're not being efficiently tended

(48:01):
to because of there like for for whatever reason. You know,
it's and it's absurd to me.

Speaker 3 (48:09):
But I mean, who, who was you?

Speaker 9 (48:13):
What?

Speaker 3 (48:14):
I And another thing like.

Speaker 2 (48:17):
Okay, I do let's go if.

Speaker 8 (48:20):
I'm if I'm in entire situation. I don't care where
you're from or anything. If you're a nurser doctor, I
wanted to be tended too. So what I'm saying fair enough.
I appreciate the time. Jeff, hope you're doing okay.

Speaker 3 (48:33):
All right, Thanks man, You're welcome.

Speaker 2 (48:35):
Bye bye. I just think you bry go and come back.
We're talking infrastructure, bus stop cameras, some other issues of concern,
and then you don't go away.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
This is open line now the vo CM Bigland FM
radio network.

Speaker 2 (48:49):
Back to the show. Let's go line number three going Sam,
you're on.

Speaker 10 (48:52):
The air, Hi Pitty.

Speaker 7 (48:54):
I hope you're enjoying your summer.

Speaker 2 (48:56):
So far, so good. It's been extremely busy around my house.
But busy is a good thing, I guess good for.

Speaker 7 (49:01):
Before I get into what I want to speak about,
I'd like to like some of your previous callers, think
the volunteer, the first responders, the professional first responders, and
the volunteer first responders. I've always known we had the
best volunteers in the country and again was proven the
last month or so with these set of control for
as far as so kudos to everybody who really stepped
up to play big time. Also, I want to say

(49:23):
thank you and kudos to the Canada the Summer Games Committee.
The organizing committee pulled off wonderful Summer Games in the
face of some challenges. And I chaired the provincial Summer
Games in two thousand and four, so I know a
small bit about what goes into trying together. You know,
a couple of thousand young athletes, so I can take
down a magnificent job as well. And Saint John's was

(49:43):
really well served by that volunteer board as well.

Speaker 2 (49:45):
I think so too.

Speaker 7 (49:47):
I want to speak You reaised the issue in your
preamble about the South Korea playing a role in providing
military infrastructure and other infrastructure through Canada and it prompted
me to call I was going to call you been
a month ago when this was on your show. The
kind of the issue off the BC Ferries in British
Columbia building their next generation for lordships comparable to the

(50:10):
ones that go across the straight oft bell All actually
our straight North Sydney and Newfoundland capital costs almost a
billion dollars. But what the kicker is is that the
Canadian Infrastructure Bank, which is a federal basic ground corporation
owned by the people of Canada, are providing a billion
dollar loan to BC Ferries so they can build the

(50:32):
ships in China. And I think mister Trump has put
up all kinds of walls in the last number of years,
more recently in this year, and I think we as
a country need to really maximize every chance we have
to do a local manufacturing, ie ship building in particular.

Speaker 2 (50:48):
That's a confusing story to me, to be honest with you,
because you know, I'll hear on one hand that Canadian
ship building company is already intimately involved with, say, for instance,
the frigate program for the Government of Canada. Already, the
capacity to build these ferries was not there domestically now
I don't even know if that's one hundred percent true,
because I've heard some organizations, including organized labor refuted. But

(51:11):
that story is bizarre in the first place. And even
if the domestic procurema was not available at this moment
in time, choosing China is just a strange place to
begin anyway. I mean, people talk about, you know, the
countries that are the bad actors and the biggest problem
for Canada, and many people who point their fingers out
of the border to the States, But it's China for
a variety of reasons.

Speaker 7 (51:32):
You can say we have a big concern in the country.
Other countries do as well. A bit China potentially espionage, stealing, patent,
stealing technology, doing all kinds of terrible things for world trade,
devaluing your dollar deliberately the currency deliberately. I never going
to let them build four lordships. Boy, it's a lot
of room in alergship to embid some some encryptic stuff,

(51:54):
of course, right, and then I think, speaking to capacity,
if we say, now, okay, we have to go to
China or somewhere else to build ships because we don't
have capacity. Petty, if you follow that train of thought,
we will never have capacity, so we will never build ships.
So once the frigate programs in Halifax and in British
Columbia are, we ain't going to sit back and say

(52:15):
we have zero capacity. And so like mary Son has
capacity to build ships, mary Sun could quickly convert itself
in cow Head or even the shipyard is owned by
a third party now they could easily build ships or
modules or ships there. Full arm can easily build ships.
Or Asia has a World Places harbor as well. So
it's it mind bothers me that we say we don't

(52:36):
have a capacity because we take that line of thought.
Not you, but I mean from a public policy perspective,
from the Canadian government policy perspective, we will never have capacity.
And they're not just these four vessels that we're going
to build, and these are large vessels, like you know,
like was a billion dollars for the four vessels and
they need maintenance and so on and so forth. But
the capacity is in Canada for vessel construction. If we

(52:59):
build a proper for graving docks, of proper lifting facilities
and so on and so forth, we're missing a terrible opportunity.
We're doing a terrible job you're missing a great opportunity
and developing a really vibrant industry. Really interesting is watching
CNN yesterday that mister Trump had a new megahead on
and the reads make American ship building great Again, And

(53:22):
that sort of prompted me.

Speaker 4 (53:23):
To commonest topic as well.

Speaker 7 (53:24):
So I think the federal government disider going to review
the billion dollar loan to the Chinese shipyards. I think
it's sort of under the radar screen because of the summer.
So I think now going into September, hopefully on your
medium and other mediums, we can talk about what is
the federal government going to do. Are they going to
pull the billion dollars or are they going to say, no,
We're going to build ships in China or support the

(53:45):
billion of ships in China at the expense of ship
billing and employment in Canada.

Speaker 2 (53:50):
Expanding capacity is a little bit easier said than done,
But I'm with you, and I'll just add to the
litany of issues with China is it's well understood that
they use organized crime proxies in this country and across
the modern world to do their bidding. And some of
that comes in the form of fentanyl production of what
have you of which we have a problem in this country,

(54:10):
a lot of it driven by China. Then you add
in things like form bat actors like India. I mean,
we've seen political assassinations take place in this country at
the behest of Indian officials. So I get America being
a problem and they are at this moment in time,
which is extremely unfortunate given how intertwined our economies are,
given the connection between our societal issues and public discourse.

(54:33):
But yeah, that Chinese contract is particularly strange, no argument
for me.

Speaker 4 (54:37):
Yeah, I think what.

Speaker 7 (54:38):
Mister Trump has done with putting up tearff walls or
just walls generally, I guess physical walls on the southern border,
attempting to talk about physical walls and the northern border
with Canada. So I guess mister Trump is really opened
the door for us as Canadians to have a good
discussion about what are we going to do in the future.
Are we going to become parochial as well and say
we're going to really build as much as we can

(54:59):
in Canada. Because when I hear mister Kearnie talk and
I think it's done a pretty good job than the
face of mister Trump. But he keeps saying that we
have to find other international markets. Maybe the European Union
ecademic Union makes sense. And he said, also we have
to maximize construction in our own country and production for
the domestic market, which is the Canadian market, because I
get going forward the next ten years cannabis shipping industry

(55:23):
generally we will require hundreds and hundreds of vessels, not
just big mega ships, not just offshore all platforms, but
ferries here in their container ships, ice breaker ships and
so on and so forth. And again I'm not speaking
for Pew, but I'm sure Keywo could come in here
tomorrow again. And I'm looking across it to keep it
facility from where I live. I live on the ocean

(55:44):
front here in Marysun kind of thing, and I look
across and see the facility on the other side of Marystown.
They can come here and within six months they can
be lane still to build ships.

Speaker 2 (55:54):
Yeah, it's curious that we're talking about it. I appreciate
the conversation is there's actually a local comp but a
gentlemen that are pursuing the concept of ship recycling, which
is interesting as well. So we could have it on
both ends. Build them recycling ship.

Speaker 7 (56:09):
Recycling now primarily goes down in India where to take
lad ships to Jolseph and clay small but for example,
in the cargo and they gear them up and they
run them into the beach and they take one part.
And it might not be the most environmental way to
restore or recycle ships. Of course on it that's what
they do, and they created an industry. Of course they employed,

(56:30):
I guess tends and tells us the people doing that
kind of work.

Speaker 2 (56:32):
Yeah, but to watch children on the Sri Lankan beach
do unprotected with any sort of ppe or gloves or
masks or helmets or eye protection or air it's madness
what we do, and we turn a blind eye to it.
You know, it's not here. So so what we look
at end products, even if we talk about some of
the things that we buy from a Bangladeshian clothing factory
or in China, as long as it comes to the

(56:54):
price point that work as convenient for us. It's amazing
how people are just turned blind ice there's so many
things in the world because it's not in their own backyard.
But the backyard is pretty small these days. The world
is a pretty small place.

Speaker 7 (57:05):
Uh, the world. The world has gotten smaller since the
miss came back at the power of course, and we
have to react to it. And I've been fortunate that
there's a lot of traveling around the world, and it's
almost as hurting to be leaving Rotterda Harbor or Copenhagen
or Norway Oslo and to see all the infrastructure they
have for ship building, graving docks everywhere in Herve on

(57:27):
the north coast of France and the English Channel. I
call it one day, but eight graving docks unbelievable. And
the infrastructure all over the world. I don't know why
in Canada we don't have infrastructure. And I think you
referenced earlier today in your preambles well that I've totally
been following for most medal wife. Why is there not

(57:48):
a submarine station on the east coast of Canada and
the fur east coast of Canada being Newfoundland, Marytown world
class harbor, Argentia world class harbor, bull Arm world class harbor.
We should not let the opportunity go to have a
discussion as well with the federal government about the next
class of submarine or should they be stationed in the
order landing discaus where we are in.

Speaker 2 (58:08):
The yeah, north coast of Labrador. We're talking to Arctic
sovereignty and a lot of a lot of this defense
spending for that specific purpose, and you know, and some
the biggest shipyards in the world, and once we've done
business with Harland and Wolf in Northern Ireland struggling vidally financially.
So obviously, like everything else in this world, it's a
complicated issue. But Sam, I appreciate the conversation. Thanks for colling,

(58:28):
very nice time.

Speaker 7 (58:29):
You can enjoy the rest of the summer.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
The very same to you. Bye bye. All right for
those of you and the queue, stay right there, don't
go away.

Speaker 1 (58:35):
He's open line on the VOCM big Land FM Radio Network.

Speaker 2 (58:40):
Welcome back to the show. Let's go to line number one,
second one to the ward for a counselor in town,
Tom Davis. Tom, you're on the air.

Speaker 10 (58:47):
Good morning, Patty.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
Want to you.

Speaker 11 (58:49):
Great to see the rain. Unfortunately, I think it's a
judgment by the radar. It's not gonna last as long
as we'd like it to.

Speaker 2 (58:57):
Aparely not so, I know.

Speaker 11 (59:00):
I want to talk a little bit about the fact
that we do have such a dry period going on
and even this bit of rain, although it helps a
little bit, it's you know, you can only imagine the trees.
You can see how dry they air, their leaves are drooping,
they're even dropping leaves yep. So I mean every tree
can hold a lot of water. So every tree in
the province, millions and millions and hundreds of millions of trees,

(59:21):
they're going to soak up what they can, every blade
of grass, everything. So you know, I think we really
got to wrap our heads around the fact that if
this year is any indication and with low snow, you know,
low snow, low snow and not as much precipitation, we
kind of got to prepare for that. A few times
during the summer I checked in with staff just to

(59:43):
see how reservoirs were doing. And you know, amazingly enough,
this is not the worst year for us as far
as water supply on handos and it has a lot
to do with that year round water conservation, which I
think has changed people's behaviors a little bit, it seems like,
but I do believe we do need to continue down
that road. You know, there's a lot of people and

(01:00:04):
pulling from Winds Lake and Babels Bake Pond and up
on the hill as well, and you got Mount Pearl, yes,
CBS Paradise, all growing communities in the city as well.
So you encourage people to first of all, find find
out about the water conservation. Every every community, even though
Mount Pearl gets water from Saint John's, they pay for us,

(01:00:26):
so they have They actually introduced a little bit more
aggressive water conservation in Mount Pearl than we had in
the city. And again every community is, you know, up
to their own what they do, what you know, I
definitely want encourage people to find out about the water conservation,
so people know. Even street watering, it's Tuesdays from six
am to eight to ten pm Odds Street. This has

(01:00:49):
been in the City of Saint John's Thursdays and Sundays
the same times. If you have a new lawn, you
can water basically any anytime you need up to sixty days,
but you need a register with three one one or
seventy five four city whichever number works for you. Otherwise,
then when if people make a complaint, then it's spin.
It's registered and staff and they'll just let people know

(01:01:11):
what's going on. You can't have water anytime, and as
long as you have a hose with a nozzle that
can shut off, you can wash your cars and windows
and siding. Same thing. You need to have a nozzle.
If you don't follow the regulations, it can be up
to a five thousand dollars fine and extreme cases, you
can actually have your water shut off, so you know

(01:01:32):
around houses how long you shower. And that's something I do,
which is when I'm going to wash my face, I'll
actually brush my teeth first, but the water as it's running,
So that's a way of saving a bit of water. So,
you know, little things can make a difference. But I
do think, you know, you know, there's some parts of
the province that are really dire, and even within the city.
Two weeks ago, I actually residence in the city had

(01:01:54):
no water at all in their shallow wells, and I
was lucky enough to have a truck and a bunch
of barrels and I went out and replenish it for him.
But you know, I just couldn't imagine you have senior
citizens in our city who actually had no running water.
You know, you can just just try and wrap try
and wrap your heads around how you can't flush toilets,
you know, shower, forget a shower, but you really can't

(01:02:16):
even flush your toilets type to go out to barrels
to get water to flush your toilet. And that's you
know inside the City of Saint John's.

Speaker 2 (01:02:23):
Try to wrap your hair absolutely. Also when it comes
to water in your lawn, if you have a brand
new lawn, like someone in my neighborhood, if you're regstro
with the city, you can you can water it every
day for sixty days.

Speaker 11 (01:02:34):
Correct, Yeah, that's right. I want to give the residents
of Old penning Well, New Penny wel Briar Avenue, Crossey
Road an update. It's a real anybody who uses that
part of the city, it's a real tangle. When the
problems put in the off ramp from from Team Team Gushue,
it created a real snap food because you've got oldpenning Well,

(01:02:55):
a New penny Well meeting offset, and then you've got
the you know, the main cutting through there, and then
as you go across Old Penningwell and then you've got
Crossby Road and then there's businesses. So myself and council knows,
we've been working with staff and right now we're in
the middle of a of an in depth study because
we know we have a problem. We've got to redesign.
Definitely opening well new Pennywell hows it intersects with Brier.

(01:03:17):
But any any staff, sorry, any residents who have any thoughts,
because there's a lot of experience people out there. I've
talked to some people that's that stuff can't put in,
but any ideas and observations people have wanted to send
it over to me at Tavis at Saint John's Dottier
because now's the time to get that mess fixed up.
Enough residents of Mountcastle Road, there's a new development being

(01:03:39):
proposed there and and they the residents reached out, had
a meeting with them and just let them know. Today
there's going to.

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
Be a momotion.

Speaker 11 (01:03:47):
I'm going to introduce emotion at public council meeting calling
for a traffic study because staff are determined one wasn't needed,
but after meeting with people, I think I think one's needed.
So we'll see how it goes.

Speaker 2 (01:03:59):
Today.

Speaker 11 (01:04:00):
It's gonna be a vote, Okay, council head off, I
want to I want to talk about the fire situation
and within our province obviously prevention. It's got to be
like a huge part of this. And I had an
incredible conversation yesterday with with the helicopter pilot specifically talking
about the S ninety two fire Raptor, and it actually

(01:04:25):
can carry almost as much water as a water bomber,
and it can suck water out of anywhere like a
bog hole, which whereas obviously water bombers are limited where
they can get water, and so it actually can drop
more water during the same time period as water bomber can.

Speaker 10 (01:04:45):
And what I didn't realize with.

Speaker 11 (01:04:46):
The S ninety two fire Raptors is are these are
helicopters that are no longer that the offshore is no
longer deemed useful because of a state. You know, from
a safety point of view, they've said that basically after
twenty years they don't want helicopters flying, but they may
have another five or ten good years left in them
because they're so well maintained helicopters are, and so these

(01:05:07):
helicopters can be bought or least really inexpensively relatively speaking.
And the other point this gentleman made was that if
we could coordinate healthcare and forestree, if they just talk
to each other, potentially these helicopters could be used because.

Speaker 2 (01:05:24):
The biggest challenge we have with.

Speaker 11 (01:05:25):
Forest firefighting is fairly small windows for new final laboratory
that we actually need these resources. And you gotta ask you, well,
what happens to these water bomber pilots and water bombers.
We don't need them and we lend them sometimes and
they're needed in other places, but that's obviously only a
certain period of time. So as if you could get
just get health care to communicate with forestry and potentially

(01:05:45):
we could have them picking up doing medavs offset. And
the other thing with the S ninety two is they
can fly at night, which is a big thing that
apparently there's limitations with a lot of it, and it
can land anywhere. You know, obviously don't need the same
degree of scripts and stuff. So I want to throw
that out there for the people who are listening that

(01:06:08):
you know, they might be something here. Definitely in the
short to medium term you're talking about drones. That's going
to be the way to go as we move forward.

Speaker 2 (01:06:19):
For me, you know, we just well so many people
will you know, just in their own minds, I think
firefighting from the sky water bomber when we know full well,
and I've been on to this one ever since the
beginning of the wildfire season. Is I'm following along with
the testing that they're doing to the thunder Wasp drones
out of VC. It's looking very effective. Now you know,
it's about four hundred kilograms per but it takes humans

(01:06:41):
over the fire and the smoke out of the equation.
Precision is a real thing. Those fire raftors, I've seen
those in action some Central on company of YouTube videos.
Fascinating machine. So between water bombers, drones, helicopters which we
have been using during this season as well, you know,
you need a hybrid mix of supper infrastructure with all
the apporementioned yeah, and the thunderwash.

Speaker 11 (01:07:04):
They think that company is a Canadian company and they're
in the X Prize because this year is X Prize,
which is ten million dollars American. It's focused on fire
detection and extinguishment. So and so that company is partnering
with other companies like satellites and stuff to be able
to do the full package. And you know they have

(01:07:27):
a halt even chance of winning that hopefully, but again
it's amazing you think about how they've decided to focus
this X Prize this year on a real problem, a
global problem, which is wildfire's. But you know, the other
side of it then is the prevention side. And another
suggest I just want to throw out there is we
have all these highways and roads that go throughout the
province and we do this brush clearing. We spend a

(01:07:48):
lot of money in brush claring. But of course, the
anybody who has weeds or alder trees know that when
you cut them down, they actually come back better. It's
actually a great way to get more growth on a
tree or whatever else to cut back. So the suggestion
I like to make is let's push let's push those
brakes way back, and let's convert it to hay ground,
low flambeau hay ground. So then you know, we deal

(01:08:11):
with a challenge for farmers. It could also be used,
I guess. I guess for like maybe vegetables and stuff
like that. We'll push it back and then plant grass,
hay on it, let the farmers harvest it, whether we
lease it to them or out whatever. It's a detail,
and then that'll kill two birds. You know, just a
couple of thoughts. I mean, I know we're still in
the middle of it with CPN on them. You know,

(01:08:31):
every day I think about everybody out there, exception me
or so or hurts. I just can't imagine losing everything
and anyway I'm anywhere. But I just wanted to throw
out a couple of suggestions. I know maybe it's a
little too soon, but just to have people thinking some stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:08:44):
Yeah, we grubbed the allers. I suppose it simply cut
them back, which is the only way to control them.
It's just a goutweed, man, I mean you pull it,
they come back. Toys as toys is quick and toys
is heavy and dense. Uh, Tom, I've pushed it your time.
I'm off to the break. Take care of one every day,
all right. How don't you stay right there of us
to talk about the department admissible affairs. I think Wendy's
probably next talk about bus stop cameras and Mike's and

(01:09:07):
the cut to talk about a nuisance in the community.
Don't go away.

Speaker 1 (01:09:10):
This is open line now the VOCM big Land FM
Radio network.

Speaker 2 (01:09:15):
Welcome back. Let's go to London number five. Wendy, you
are on the air.

Speaker 9 (01:09:19):
Bhik Patty, thanks for taking a call.

Speaker 2 (01:09:21):
No problem.

Speaker 3 (01:09:23):
So I think we were.

Speaker 12 (01:09:25):
Talking about bus safety yesterday morning, or the bus stop signs,
the fact that they finally have the camera.

Speaker 9 (01:09:34):
So yeah, it's great news.

Speaker 2 (01:09:37):
I think so too. You know, obviously people are going
to point to some of the obvious things. If some
license plates are unreadable because the paint is peeled, some
license plates are unreadable because people put a cover over them.
The fact of the matter is we can do something
about that. We can give someone a ticket for having
a license plate cover. We can give a morning ticket
to get your license plate replaced. The paints feeling so
every time we, you know, say oh, there's no sense
doing it because we X Y and z that. No, it's good.

(01:09:59):
It's a good plan and we can do something about
the problems.

Speaker 12 (01:10:02):
No doubt there will be times people still can't be found,
but hopefully it will be enough to deter people, and
for people who are blatantly doing this, it will you
bring them to conviction. I still don't know how easy
it's going to.

Speaker 9 (01:10:19):
Be for the bus drivers.

Speaker 12 (01:10:21):
I can't wait to hear more information of the government's plan.
Right now, it's only a pile of products, I understand,
So I don't know why they chose the areas they.

Speaker 9 (01:10:30):
Did, but we'll take it as a start.

Speaker 12 (01:10:33):
And I just don't know if drivers will follow through
all the way to court without being paid.

Speaker 9 (01:10:42):
If I can't, I mean, I don't need to speak
for them.

Speaker 4 (01:10:44):
But I do it.

Speaker 12 (01:10:46):
But I don't know if everyone will. But maybe the
video will be out of their hands and.

Speaker 9 (01:10:51):
It will hopefully the government will just.

Speaker 12 (01:10:53):
Take that over.

Speaker 2 (01:10:54):
I think that's what's going to happen. So I've been
trying to think about where this camera would be and
say it was just like a regular DASHCN but no,
it's not. I think the camera is going to be
a fixed to the stop sign itself, isn't it.

Speaker 12 (01:11:07):
There are different types. I don't know which one they're doing,
but the ones I've seen researched about are under the
stop sign, so I hope they.

Speaker 9 (01:11:16):
Have done that one. So they're on the wall of
the bus under the stop sign.

Speaker 12 (01:11:20):
Hopefully they've invested in the one that points in both directions.
Then it will get the driver as well as the
rare plate and it is activated when we open the sign.
It's not running the entire time, so it's activated by.

Speaker 13 (01:11:36):
The sign coming out.

Speaker 9 (01:11:37):
It shows the driver going through.

Speaker 12 (01:11:40):
It gets the plate at the end and then the
sign moves back in and it turns off again.

Speaker 9 (01:11:46):
So that is the normal one. I hope that is
the one that they will have.

Speaker 2 (01:11:50):
Yeah, I mean the issues that people make reference to,
you know, even with the speed cameras for instance, Well
what happens if it's not me driving my car? Well,
too bad, because if you launched your car to Johnny
on August twenty sixth, then you can take it up
with Johnny who think it's got speeding.

Speaker 13 (01:12:09):
It's the driver's responsibility in any case to my knowledge,
So yeah, but if it's in the in this case,
I don't, like I said, I don't know.

Speaker 12 (01:12:20):
I don't know if drivers will have to go to
court or not and.

Speaker 9 (01:12:23):
Take up their day. So I really hope that doesn't happen.
But at the very least it's a deterrent.

Speaker 12 (01:12:29):
I will still, you know, continue to get the place
myself and go to court when necessary.

Speaker 9 (01:12:35):
It hasn't happened very often that I actually had.

Speaker 12 (01:12:38):
To follow through to court because people knew that they
were cost So.

Speaker 9 (01:12:44):
Yeah, I mean, it hasn't been as bad as it
used to since I.

Speaker 12 (01:12:47):
Started speaking about this three years ago, So I'm hoping
the awareness has.

Speaker 2 (01:12:52):
Helped if it has, and you know, it's really unfortunate
that we have to take this next step. You know,
for people still be willing to pass a school bus
with for instance, little kids getting on and off. It's
just mindless to me, Like, what would possess somebody to
not acknowledge that the stop sign is out, the red
lights are flashing, someone's getting on or off a bus.

(01:13:14):
You could be the person that ends up in court
and in perpetuity living in Greek because you're struck and
heard or killed the child. Like what do we have
to say to people here? I just don't get that
scratches for me.

Speaker 12 (01:13:26):
Sometimes they what I see is that they race, almost
like racing a red light, and the bus is really like.

Speaker 9 (01:13:35):
A moving traffic light. We give the.

Speaker 12 (01:13:38):
Ambers for the caution that we're about to stop, as
the same as an amber on a traffic light, So
that is their warning that.

Speaker 9 (01:13:45):
We're about to stop, and we have to do that
for one hundred feet.

Speaker 12 (01:13:50):
Then when we stop, the sign goes out, so they had.

Speaker 9 (01:13:54):
Their ample warning. Some are a point of no return,
I understand that. But for those who just keep going
or they race the stop sign, that's very intentional.

Speaker 12 (01:14:04):
Some are just distracted and they're oblivious, and sometimes they
don't even know what happened.

Speaker 9 (01:14:10):
So the cameras will be very useful in those cases.
They catch people. Because we are too busy to get to.

Speaker 12 (01:14:15):
Place ourselves unless you're extremely vigilant. And I have been trying,
but you know there are a thousand buses in our province.
So in the meantime, I'd like to bring the awareness
on open line today to parents to stay extra cautious
on the side of the road and not have a

(01:14:37):
false sense of security and that stop sign on that bus,
please protect your children.

Speaker 9 (01:14:43):
It's happening all over all over the world, but it
is happening daily and regularly, and.

Speaker 12 (01:14:50):
Especially the kindergarten parents have never been through any of this.

Speaker 9 (01:14:54):
They may not know.

Speaker 12 (01:14:54):
That such a thing even happened, and I didn't before I.

Speaker 9 (01:14:58):
Drove a bus, So.

Speaker 12 (01:15:02):
Having faith in that stops on might not be in
your best interest. And asking the children to wait for
that first car to fully stop and make sure it's
safe before they walk out and actually something they can do.
Even In addition, everybody has a phone in their hand,
which is a camera, and they could have their phone

(01:15:22):
ready if it looked like somebody wasn't going to stop.

Speaker 9 (01:15:25):
They could capture it. It would be so easy.

Speaker 12 (01:15:29):
You almost wouldn't need a camera on a bus if
parents did that, and then.

Speaker 9 (01:15:33):
That can be reported. And that's for the safety of
the children.

Speaker 2 (01:15:37):
And you know, not every parent thinks through everything here,
especially if they're new to it. And one thing is
when the child gets off the bus is go right
to the sidewalk as opposed to cut in front of
the bus across the street. Go to the sidewalk, wait
for the bus to leave so that you can then
see what's going on so you can proceed safely. Like
if we're talking about a residential street or somewhere that's
you know, there's a sidewalk or part of me a

(01:15:57):
crosswalk close by. So they're all just you know, especially
to being in school here, they're all a bit giddy
and they're a bit maybe not thinking clearly about what
they should or should not be doing. So let's just
let them be kids. Then let's do the right thing
as adults, which you should be if you have a
driver's license.

Speaker 9 (01:16:13):
That's right. And like I said, the awareness is key.
Also be more you know, we.

Speaker 12 (01:16:19):
Can be more vigilant down the road.

Speaker 9 (01:16:21):
We can be ready to get that plate. We can
be safe. Teach the children to look out both directions.

Speaker 12 (01:16:28):
All the time and not have full trust in that
stop sign on the bus and expecting that current he
is going to go through is better and hopefully it
won't that way, they're extra vigilant.

Speaker 2 (01:16:41):
Appreciate the time. Wendy, thanks a lot, Thank you, take
care you too, Bye bye. I just keep going there.
Go to line number six. Smike, you're on the air. Oh,
we've got a compromise phone line. I'm going to put
Mike on hole. Can you talk to Mike here we
get a better line for him. Okay, let's see here
and it is in the cue looking. I just got
some interesting questions about the duties of the Minister of

(01:17:02):
Municipal Affairs. It says municipalities, but I guess that means
municipal affairs. So we'll get to aner right after the break. First,
let's checking on the Twitter box or VSM open line.
You know what the deal? You can follow us there
off you're a commentary one listener and tweeter has written
this one on China. Baffled by the anks over building
BC fairies in China. The Farah government just bought a

(01:17:23):
fairy for Marina Landik from the same shipyard and the
cost was over a billion dollars cheaper than buying it
from Europe. Who covers the extra costs? So it's an
interesting question. I don't think essentially there's an issue with
this type of fresh build with China is as far
as I'm concerned. But then there's also some of the
questions that are coming from BC ferry operation or shipbuilding

(01:17:44):
capacity in BC Ferries, of course, is a private company.
It's not a crowd corporation. It does indeed have a
sole shareholder that is the BC government. I know that's
splitting hairs. But even if you listen to some of
the local or domestic companies PC company called Sea Span Shipyards,
they said the bid process did not include any incentives

(01:18:05):
for BC or Canadian content, so essentially that rule them
out of contention. Now they do contest. They do contend
that it would cost more to build it in BC.
But then you have to factor in variety of things,
don't you. So whether it be all the economic spinoffs
for having this type of major work to be done
in your home province, whether that be income, tax revenue,

(01:18:26):
highly skilled pay or high paying jobs in the skilled
trades world. Then it's of course you build more capacity
based on reputation because you've just built another couple of ferries.
So consequently, maybe get to build another couple of ferries
for who knows who. So I think there's a bigger
conversation than simply China bad. I think there's a domestic
conversation that we had. Now you don't need to want

(01:18:47):
to have to build something for that far out weighs
any potential economic spinoffs. But as part of the conversation,
we're talking about domestic procurement on a variety fronts. I
think that would probably include things like ferries. Let's take
a break over, come back, hoping Mike has a claiphone
line to talk about whatever's on his mind.

Speaker 1 (01:19:02):
Don't go away, he's open line on the VOCM Bigland
FM Radio network.

Speaker 2 (01:19:08):
Welcome back. Let's go to line number three. Mike here
on the air.

Speaker 10 (01:19:12):
It's good morning, Patty, Good morning, Patty. I got something
here that's not unique to the community where I'm to,
but it's something that involves a lot of different communities
around this product. When you got somebody in the community
say that's a nuisance. There's drugs involved, drinking involve drunk
drive and everything else. And you know, I went on

(01:19:34):
an Open nine show last week and I was talking
about one particular place. Well I'm not basically one particular place,
but anyway, Maine build this drunk driver drunk every day
load of twelve o'clock in a day load of drunk driving. Anyway,
I reported an Open nine show. A couple of days later,
I got property both sides of where this kind of

(01:19:55):
lives to on the highway and I was even one
place going home and I had to pass along but
his place. Anyway, this fellow, his son jumped out in
the road, said they didn't come towards me, and that
stop shaking his fists and everything. And when he got out,
he yelled at me stay off the open line shore
or cut your throat. And then he went over inside

(01:20:18):
the road. They start going with his hand across his throat.
Everything's come like, go to couple of troat and everything else.

Speaker 3 (01:20:25):
So I reported to the police, but I.

Speaker 10 (01:20:28):
Know that's not going to do no good. And you're
told him, I said, I didn't expect him to do anything.
I just wanted to report done onto them. But this
is the kind of thing that you get involved with
these people and what do we do with him? I
know this is not unique. There's a lot of other
communities into the same thing. They got these nuisances there
that are on drugs this timely there the father got

(01:20:49):
the two sons addicted to cocaine and they've been in
all kinds of trouble with the police. That and everything else.
He's robbing, stealing, poaching, salmon blue everything, and like it
don't seem like that there's anything we do and uh
and say like the cops are handicapped, that cops do
going nothing to do with it, and then not doing

(01:21:10):
nothing with it, and then if you complain on that
and stuff, you'll come back at you. And it's a
very uh, I don't know, like mind to call it.

Speaker 2 (01:21:20):
UH.

Speaker 10 (01:21:21):
I think it's a problematic problem that needs to be
addressed when you've got these types of people into a community.
That is UH saying that you know, caused a lot
of problems in the community. They report everything to the police,
all kinds of reports, polse accusations and everything else.

Speaker 2 (01:21:40):
They don't prove out.

Speaker 10 (01:21:41):
But when somebody reports them with accurate, reliable, truthful reports.
There's nothing, uh, you know, from these people. I've had
him report me to fisheries and notions to fisheries, to
the bounties, to everything else. It comes to me, it's
all I'm found it.

Speaker 2 (01:22:01):
Nothing you can do.

Speaker 10 (01:22:02):
I don't understand, you know, I don't know understanding your
older cops what they're supposed to do or whatever.

Speaker 2 (01:22:06):
I don't know either. But I'm not so sure the
show here is a place for these personal spats. This
kind of sounds like law enforcement issue to me. And
whoever buddy is that you were complaining about. Nobody ever
said his name, so nobody other knew his son, and
maybe some people in the area even though who we're
talking about here, and it's you know, the want to
make a threat is sort of an admittance of guilt

(01:22:29):
anyway in some form. I don't think they thought that through. So, yeah,
this is a long you call it an olong call
what Yeah.

Speaker 10 (01:22:37):
No, they never taught it true, like you know, to
go on with this stuff. I think it was the
drugs talking the other day. But you know, like I said, there,
I know that several other communities got these same problems.
Of how to deal with it. And I just think
that the public needs have more input into these problems

(01:23:00):
where we do have people selling drugs from communities. People
know who's doing it and whatever, and they're doing it
for years, and it don't seem like the police are
doing any whether what they're doing behind the scenes. We
don't know if they're doing anything, and it needs to
be looked at. You know, there's nice communities that you know,
a lot of nice people live there, but you got

(01:23:22):
to drive down the road with a fellow coming two
feet over the yellow line at you and all this stuff,
and the police just the people says that he's an
informant for the police and they just won't do anything
about it because he's reporting people to the police all
the time. So you know, like what do we do
about that. I don't know the answer to the solution.

(01:23:42):
I'd like to have an answer to the solution. But
I agree with you it is a police matter, but
also it's a matter for the general public to know,
because you know, this is not one community and there's
a lot of other communities around this island with the
same people the same problem, with the same type people.

Speaker 2 (01:24:00):
And then mostly.

Speaker 10 (01:24:00):
Revolves around drugs and what to do about it or
what community can do about it or whatever. Everybody is
at a sandsto. Every reguards are doing it then and
you know, then we got the police there, but police
don't know what to do about it. Then they're handicapped.
So what do we do? Just put up with these people?

Speaker 4 (01:24:21):
Are what?

Speaker 9 (01:24:22):
Not?

Speaker 10 (01:24:22):
Until you kill somebody? I don't know.

Speaker 14 (01:24:26):
My thing.

Speaker 2 (01:24:27):
I don't know either, uh anything else this morning, Mike,
before take another call. No, that's ability.

Speaker 10 (01:24:33):
I got a lot of political questions going on to
go and I got applicases into a tip and UH
on the compass contract he copies of it. It's all
and delays. I can't get it. I got an a
tip request airs to why or if it's ego for
UH the government to be putting government money government revenue

(01:24:57):
revenues into a company's personal bank account, and so far
I haven't get any answers. I got it there now
that there's going to be an answer September third. It's
been on the goal now for these six or eight months.
They're supposed to have certain timelines, but I'm looking forward
to the results of this to let you know what happens.
But like I said, all the questions there now I

(01:25:20):
can't get answers to it to recomment what's goronomenal, but
it should be interesting in their future. And also this
government there now, you know there's the liberal government cind
of goal and uh you know what they're doing around here,
but they're and they're highlighting just these fires and that

(01:25:40):
stuff now on the TV and everything to make themselves
in the front. Like there's uh people that cares about
the people or whatever with all their dellion nursy doing
is lining their own pockets. Sorry, as I'm concerned, and
you know, there's a lot of things coming up in
their future very shortly about what's going on into this
liberal and they got the goal. Even if you put

(01:26:03):
dogs or kits and there or something in there, they
got the goal because they're getting too component, they're too
bleating about what they're doing, and the things that they're
getting away with now is not break the cost of
this provident tech payers multi millions of dollars more than
what's supposed.

Speaker 2 (01:26:17):
To Okay, I do have to get going, though, Mike
appreciate the call. Yep, thank you Benny here, You're welcome
bye bye. It's pretty close to the eleven o'clock news,
So Sherry and Anna, you stay right there. You know,
when we talk about law enforcement, there's some curious pushback
coming about the decision by the provincial government to bring
on some twelve special constables. I'm not entirely sure I

(01:26:40):
understand the pushback that I'm reading some of the emails
may be just a little bit confusing, but the approach
that we see take it by these special constables in
Otawa and Winnipeg has been pretty fundamental. So if you
have written me an email of concern, just respond to
this is if, for instance, there's a crime scene that
needs to be secured, and so a special Constable standing

(01:27:03):
at that crime scene, or an overturned tractor trailer on
the highway, or filling out some paperwork that can be
done with administrative duties as opposed to police work. So
special constable does that, and then we're all talking about
the lack of police presidents in certain areas, whether it
be with traffic enforcement or whatever the case may be.
Freeing up a fully sworn and fully trained police officer

(01:27:23):
to do police work just sounds like a good idea
to me. Now, are there things that have to be
carefully considered. You know when we talked to Mike Summers,
staff Sergeant Mike Sommers, who's the president of the RNCA. Sure,
you know, nothing's fundamental in this world, but I'm not
sure why that's it is a bad idea. And then
we are going to continue to try to get numbers
of iron C officers who are currently off for whatever reason.

(01:27:46):
We do have numbers from the RCMP, and nationwide there's
just over seven percent around long term leave or long
term disability. The concern being brought forward there by an
independent body is that they talk about incentive to return
to work. Now, of course police officers and others deserve
the appropriate amounts of time to get well to recover

(01:28:08):
from whatever it is that caused them to be off work.
But the commissioner said, with one hundred percent of pay
for extended leave, then they do talk about that word
incentive to return to work. Other law enforcement agencies in
other parts of the country they've taken a different approach.
At some point, one hundred percent gets reduced to eighty percent,
at some point gets reduced to seventy percent because we

(01:28:29):
need all available ARCMP officers, all available larancy officers when
safe to do so, when healthy enough to do so,
to be back on the job. Let's take a break.
When we come back, we're talking to Sherry about the
new mental Health and Additions facility, and then we're speaking
with you.

Speaker 1 (01:28:42):
Don't go away. This is open line. I'm a VOCM
Bigland FM Radio Network.

Speaker 2 (01:28:48):
Welcome back. Let's go to line number one. Sharry around
the air.

Speaker 5 (01:28:52):
Good morning, how are you.

Speaker 2 (01:28:54):
I'm okay, thank you. How about you?

Speaker 15 (01:28:55):
Good good, I'm well, thank you. I want to talk
about the brand new UH facility in Saint John's, the
Mental Health and Addiction Facility. In order to do that,
I'm going to give you a very brief backdrop as
to why I'm calling, and I'll keep it anonymous, of course.

Speaker 12 (01:29:19):
About it.

Speaker 15 (01:29:20):
Four weeks ago, I UH ended up having an experience there.
Not me as a patient, but someone who's very close
to me ended up being admitted to this new facility
for a psychiatric episode that was brought on by a substance.

Speaker 3 (01:29:43):
UH.

Speaker 9 (01:29:43):
For six days.

Speaker 15 (01:29:44):
UH, she was treated very well for her mental health issues.

Speaker 13 (01:29:50):
UH.

Speaker 15 (01:29:50):
She was stabilized, UH and after six days she was
no longer I guess you know, mentally on stable or
mentally unwell. So they started to talk about discharge. She
was very adamant, I am finally in this new facility.

(01:30:12):
It's not easy to get admitted. I am not safe
to be discharged. I have an addiction. I would like
to stay and receive treatment for the disease.

Speaker 4 (01:30:23):
That I have.

Speaker 15 (01:30:27):
That was her that was her request. She called me
and she said, I'm being discharged. And I said, why
why are you being discharged? She said, the nurse told
me you no longer meet the criteria for a mental
health patient, and we have no beds and we have
no programs to treat addictions. And I thought that she

(01:30:52):
must be mistaken, she must have misunderstood. She is in
the mental health and addictions facility. So I called.

Speaker 14 (01:31:02):
I spoke to a number of nurses.

Speaker 15 (01:31:05):
Actually, and I was told the exact same thing. I
was told, the name on the building is misleading.

Speaker 3 (01:31:15):
We do not have.

Speaker 15 (01:31:17):
Beds, and we do not have programs to treat addictions.
And I thought, if that is the case, why don't
somebody just take a big block, sharpie and go and
cross out addictions. Because because that facility I was told,
and I was a bit dumbfounded. I was a bit
amazed to hear we have no programs and we have

(01:31:38):
no bids to treat addictions.

Speaker 2 (01:31:42):
Which is ridiculous. So a few things, and I've been
long trying to figure this out because when I asked
questions like that, I'm told that, you know, they're putting
services in the community close to where people are, where
the concerns are. I don't even know what that means.
That sounds like a empty to me. So wheref we're
going to be treating addictions in a formalized setting like

(01:32:04):
this new building, then how come they are in patient services? Now.
I don't anticipate this is going to be some sort
of detox rehab facility, but just some treatment options, whether
that be counseling or some box own or whatever. But
I can't find out what's going.

Speaker 11 (01:32:20):
On they have.

Speaker 15 (01:32:23):
I was told they have no programs. Basically, what they
do upon discharge is they refer you to the Doorways
program in the community if your community is fortunate enough
to have that. However, you know that is that is
counseling that you get, probably I don't know, once a week,
once every couple of weeks for somebody who is admitted

(01:32:46):
to this facility who came in in a life threatening
situation was treated for that life threatening situation, and rightfully so.
But who but it's now stabilized and is saying I
am not safe.

Speaker 9 (01:33:02):
To return to my community.

Speaker 5 (01:33:04):
I would like to stay.

Speaker 15 (01:33:05):
I would like to stay and receive additional treatment. You
treated me very well for the issue that I came
in for. However I still have this addiction. I'm not
safe to return to the community. This will happen again.
I would like to stay, and I would like to
receive treatment. Because addiction is a disease, and if whether

(01:33:26):
you believe that or not, that's what the medical profession
says it is. So why does our brand new mental
health and addictions facility not have a treatment an impatient
treatment bed or program for someone who is saying I
want to stay here and receive treatment. I cannot foresee

(01:33:48):
somebody going to a hospital with a condition in their body,
let's say that will probably kill them and be told
I'm sorry, we don't have we don't have the equipment,
or we don't have the medicine here to treat that.
So we're going to discharge you. And you know you're

(01:34:10):
going to have to go and find something in the community.
Good luck with that, because we just don't have anything.
If we just don't have anything to treat you, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2 (01:34:18):
Yeah, I understand our concern. So addictions is a tricky
piece of business when we're talking about formalized setting because
it either comes with a variety of things, initial counseling, supports, treatment, detox, rehab,
and if that's not what that facility is, then what
exactly is it. So, yes, we we understand the scourge

(01:34:40):
of addiction in this province and in this country. And
it's not just drugs or booze. There's lots of things
people could be addicted to that's very harmful, you know,
Like we have an impatient ward for eating disorders and
those types of things. And yes, it is a mental
illness in many, many times, and they too can go
hand in hand, but we just don't do enough, whatever

(01:35:00):
the case we be. Now, you can't force someone to
get help, but when someone says I want some help
and we can't get it to them in a timely
fashion or whether it's the gap of time between detox
and rehab and ongoing supports. If you don't feel safe
for you know, to harm yourself, to haire others. Those
are the red flags. I mean, we're told all the
time that's exactly how you present. If indeed you have

(01:35:21):
suicide ideations or you're thinking about hurting someone else, that's
where we need to help somebody. And if it's not
in that facility, where is it?

Speaker 3 (01:35:28):
Where is it?

Speaker 15 (01:35:29):
Where is it? And you know, I don't I don't
even know if it exists.

Speaker 3 (01:35:35):
We have two I believe we.

Speaker 15 (01:35:37):
Now have three facilities in the province. We have the
Great Center, we have humber Wood, and I believe there's
a new rehabilitation center that recently opened. However, and those
who are presented, you know, as options, but when you
look into those options, they have an eight to twelve
week wait list. And you know, I have a doctor

(01:35:59):
saying to me, she is going to die. She is
going to die if she doesn't get treatment.

Speaker 2 (01:36:05):
And my response is, well.

Speaker 15 (01:36:07):
She wants treatment. She's an impatient at the Mental Health
and Addictions facility. Keep her here and give her treatment
for the disease that she has. She cannot come out.

Speaker 12 (01:36:19):
And wait eight to twelve weeks to go into a.

Speaker 15 (01:36:23):
Thirty day rehab We just you know, the situation that
may work for some people, but you're telling me that's
not going to work for her because she could she's
going to die, so keep her here. I'm sorry, we
have no programs here to treat her.

Speaker 2 (01:36:40):
Yeah, I understand the concern. We'll go back to the
drawing board with NL Health Services to get a better
clear or understanding of exactly what is or is not
being offered at the building that has been deemed and
we finally determined that's going to be the name Mental
Health and Additions Facility. So anyway, I will follow up

(01:37:00):
again and share you. I hope your friend is doing okay.

Speaker 15 (01:37:04):
My friend is now in a private rehab outside of
Newfoundland and receiving treatment. It's you can imagine the cost
several thousands of dollars. However, when a doctor says you
know she is going to die, you really have no

(01:37:24):
option but go that route.

Speaker 9 (01:37:26):
Because it's the Mental.

Speaker 15 (01:37:28):
Health and Addictions Facility doesn't have treatment and doesn't have programs.
You have to find it somewhere, and it's not in Newfoundland.

Speaker 2 (01:37:36):
Right. I appreciate the time, Sherry, thanks for doing it.

Speaker 1 (01:37:40):
Thank you very much, my pleasure.

Speaker 2 (01:37:42):
Bye bye. Yeah, Well, I guess we need a clearer,
better understanding on an itemized list of exactly what is offered,
because we know we find ourselves in I'm going to
use the word crisis. Sometimes that's overused, but whether it
be with mental health related matters, whether it be with
addiction related matters, we are we're the crisis situation here
in this country. Let's see here. Let's take a break

(01:38:04):
with back and you stay right there and talk about
municipal affairs. Don't go away.

Speaker 1 (01:38:07):
This is open line now the VOCM big Land FM
Radio Network.

Speaker 2 (01:38:12):
Welcome back to the program. Let's go to line number two.
Anna around the air.

Speaker 5 (01:38:17):
Yes, Hi, I don't know if you can help me
or not, but everybody says if I need an answer,
call you. I'm just wondering what the duties of the
Minister of Municipal Affairs. What are What are the duties
like if you have a problem in municipality. Does he

(01:38:38):
just cut a check if they need something done, or
does he have something to do if a municipality has
absolutely rowned your property.

Speaker 2 (01:38:52):
It's a big question.

Speaker 7 (01:38:54):
I did call some.

Speaker 2 (01:38:55):
I'm sorry, no quite some, So I apologize.

Speaker 4 (01:38:58):
I did call some.

Speaker 5 (01:39:00):
From his office, and I must say I have was
full of hope, and she said she worked in the
municipal municipality and it's a town runger property.

Speaker 4 (01:39:12):
They have to fix it.

Speaker 5 (01:39:14):
And then suddenly she stopped answering my calls, and she
stopped answering my emails. So I'm not well. But what
has happened? Actually because my husband had a nervous breakdown.
Something we worked for forty years was ruined. I lost

(01:39:35):
him two years ago, so I don't always like, you know,
the next day, start working on it again. So I
called the minister's office again and I got this gentleman
and he said, well, I'm going I know the CEO
up there, he said, and I'm going to uh get
her to a p A file and send it to

(01:39:56):
me and I'll get back to you. I didn't hear
from him, and again after a month or so, I
sent them pictures where things had even gotten worse, and
his response was, this is a municipal matter. You'll have
to go to your insurance. Now this was this was
a man made Uh, this was a disaster. Wasn't a

(01:40:19):
natural disaster. And he said, you'll have to take the
down court. And that's that's what I that's what.

Speaker 2 (01:40:28):
I got can you, if possible, and can you give
me a better understanding about what was destroyed?

Speaker 5 (01:40:34):
My everything, everything the road behind my house when they
I don't know why they did what they did. The
now the now mayor said that they did what they
did with the road because there was people complaining about

(01:40:57):
noise from quads and dirk and he wanted to put
up the gate and the council wouldn't listen to him.
As a result, they ruined that part of the road.
It's now closed. They took two and a half feet
of our property. Now our property was two and a
half feet up over the old road. We'll say when

(01:41:19):
they finished, the road was up over our property.

Speaker 4 (01:41:25):
We had the.

Speaker 5 (01:41:26):
Three or four horrific rain and windstorms. It took everything out.
My driveway is gone. I'm on a well. So they
kept digging the ditch on the road to try to
get rid of the floods that were caused. Because the
original ditch like this is this land is late West,

(01:41:48):
my husband's ancestors lands and the same as my neighbor.
The existing ditch never ever overflowed. They filled that with rock.
As a result, when you had these storms, the boulders,
the rocks and everything would come down into our property.

(01:42:09):
My driveway is gone because they dug the ditch so deep.
I mean those you know, the springs were running that
way for hundreds of years.

Speaker 6 (01:42:20):
My will was gone dry.

Speaker 5 (01:42:23):
There is at least three feet of soil on their mind.
My lawn, which was like a carpet, I can't even
get anybody to mow it now because of the ups
and downs and the trenches caused by the water and
caused by when they did that, they changed the direction,

(01:42:46):
deterred the trajectory of the springs, so therefore the land
is all on their mind. The same thing with my neighbor.
My neighbor was going to build a house for his
daughter and he can't get a permit to build. They
they missed the rote up so badly they had to

(01:43:06):
close it top and bottom.

Speaker 4 (01:43:09):
I have done.

Speaker 5 (01:43:10):
I have spoken to the council, and you know, they
don't even acknowledge, Like if I send an email half
the time, they don't even acknowledge it. The former a
co he came down and because like I said, my
husband had a nervous breakdown.

Speaker 4 (01:43:30):
He never recovered. Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:43:33):
When you know, watching everything that we worked for so hard,
being destroyed, being lied to, being disrespected.

Speaker 7 (01:43:41):
Was I mean, he was an amazing hard working man.

Speaker 5 (01:43:45):
Anyway, when the former CEO came down along with the
Director of Infrastructure, who had twice said it was the
fault of the town. When when the CEO came down
and he made his walk through with my son, he
shook his head and he said, absolutely one hundred percent

(01:44:10):
default of the town. My trees are after dying. I've
had I've had to cut six down.

Speaker 4 (01:44:19):
I now. Then we got a new.

Speaker 5 (01:44:21):
COO, so I thought, great, you know, a new room,
so you's clean. Then I find out it's somebody who
has been there this past twelve fourteen years. About fom
four or five months ago, we have a newspaper here
on the shore and this write up was in there

(01:44:42):
and you could tell it was about me, and this counselor,
who actually was feigning to be on my side and
trying to get something done, made a motion that this
case be closed, and it was so I several people
call and say, are you going to answer that? And

(01:45:02):
I said, no, got to get all my ducks in
a row before I do that. But I'm just wondering
does the minister is does he have anybody who would
can I even meet with him? Like it seems like
these two people just know the people on the council
and drop me. And I'm just wondering, does the minister

(01:45:26):
have somebody or can I get a meeting with him?
Or does he have somebody who would come in and
look and see the devastation of these two properties. It's
physically and mentally. I'm seventy eight years old. They've ruined

(01:45:47):
my life. I wouldn't be able to sell the house now,
and it was immaculate, and I wouldn't even be able
to sell it now. The last no, when I they
I went up with and I'm sorry if I'm sounding
a little bit, you know, starting here, when this CEO

(01:46:12):
former CEO came down, I made a slide show and
I wrote a letter to be given to this community
committee who was going to make up their minds, and
brought it up and I showed it to them and
they said, like, what is it that you want one?
And I said, look, just replace my driveway and replace

(01:46:38):
the soil, because you can't put my land back the
way it was.

Speaker 4 (01:46:42):
It's not possible.

Speaker 5 (01:46:44):
And they said that's very reasonable.

Speaker 4 (01:46:47):
I asked if I.

Speaker 5 (01:46:48):
Could or representative of mine could present this to this committee,
and I never got again. I wasn't dignified with the reply.

Speaker 4 (01:46:59):
I got a letter.

Speaker 5 (01:47:02):
From the Director of Infrastructure that they had a meeting
and all the work that they had done on this
road which to stay destroyed because of all the work.
My request was denied and he had the date of

(01:47:23):
the meeting. So under the Freedom of Information Act, I
asked for the minutes of the meeting, and I asked
for the several things like the name of the contractor
or you know who decided to do this with the road.
And the answer came back there was no meeting, just a.

Speaker 2 (01:47:47):
Couple of very quick things. Did you provide the before
and after pictures? Sair for incis too whoever at municipal affairs, I.

Speaker 5 (01:47:55):
Didn't get a chance toy. They just stopped calling.

Speaker 2 (01:48:00):
Can you send it to me?

Speaker 5 (01:48:02):
Oh, I definitely can, and I would be so pleased
if I could. Oh, and the m Aja for here
is amazing. She and her secretary came up and they
looked and.

Speaker 4 (01:48:13):
They mind blown. Even the.

Speaker 5 (01:48:18):
S shot which they called recycled shot. And it wasn't
my husband. He supervised one in BC and they're using
the recycled shot on the streets in BC. All the
shots came off that With floods down in my property

(01:48:38):
and my neighbor's property, I had to move boulders the
other day to try because I mean I still have
got a bit of pride, and I had to move
boulders the other day and one of them I actually
put my shoulder out. And I think I've done internal advantage.

Speaker 2 (01:48:57):
And I'll tell you before I do have to go.
Send me what you have. My email address is a
really simple one. It's open line at VOSM dot com.
Let me have a better look at what we're dealing
with and let me try to follow up on your behalf.

Speaker 5 (01:49:09):
Okay, And I just I wanted to mention to you
about our you know, our m aha. I mean, she
was amazing. She wrote, she did everything she could. She
wrote the council. They didn't dignify her with a response.
And her secretary called me the other day and she
told me, like, you know, they just I understand what

(01:49:30):
you're saying. So, uh, you say, it's okay, Can I
have that email again.

Speaker 2 (01:49:35):
It's just open line, open line at VOCM dot com.
Send me what you have. Make sure you tell me
which community you're in and who you I'll know who
your MJA is at that point, but you send along
what you can and let me take a look.

Speaker 5 (01:49:49):
How's that I beat, I'd appreciate it very much. In
the meantime, I am going to put it in because
I didn't dignify anything with this newspaper, anything that they said,
because I'm not into lies. I'm not into gossip and
stuff like that. I've got to have sex. So I said, okay,

(01:50:12):
if I go ahead and put it in that newspaper
before I said this to you.

Speaker 2 (01:50:17):
You do as you see fit. But I'd really like
to see more information and visuals absolutely, so send that along.

Speaker 10 (01:50:23):
Anna.

Speaker 2 (01:50:24):
I will get back to you, and I appreciate your
time this morning. I'm really sorry for your troubles.

Speaker 4 (01:50:28):
Okay, thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (01:50:29):
You're welcome man, Bye bye. I look forward seeing that's okay.
Earlier in the show, we were talking about ship building.
When we come back, we're talking about ship recycling and
then whatever you want to talk about. Don't go away.

Speaker 1 (01:50:41):
This is open line now the VOCM Bigland FM Radio Network.

Speaker 2 (01:50:46):
Welcome back to the show. Let's go to LON number
one Good morning, Rob Strong around the air.

Speaker 4 (01:50:50):
Hi Paddy, good morning to you, a long time.

Speaker 2 (01:50:52):
No talk, welcome back to the show.

Speaker 4 (01:50:54):
Thank you. It was always a pleasure. Lots of interesting topics.
This morning in particular, it was very much interesting. And
what what Sam Sinyard was saying about no building, let's
there'll be no building in Canada, and how little we're
getting in Newfoundland. Put it in its contact patty for
your audience this purpose. Canada's got a national ship building

(01:51:16):
strategy and they've allocated one hundred billion dollars. This is
this is how small I would say, this is not
one hundred million. This is one hundred billion. And you
know where all that's being spent. Irving shared in Halifax,
davy aared in Quebec, and sea spansared in Vancouver. So

(01:51:38):
we in new Foundland that one hundred billion dollars and
no ships or ship repair. I would suggest that we're
getting less than one percent. No dock heits some work,
they take a ship out of the water and they
upgraded a little bit, that sort of thing. But so
we get we get excuse expression, but we get dick
all in this province from this national shipbuilding strategy, and

(01:52:02):
with this new government trying to speed up prospect projects
in various parts of the island. I think this time
we looked else. We looked at other aspects of shipbuilding
or ship in this case, ship recycling. Did you know
that Canada has, excluding naval vessels, that Canada has at

(01:52:24):
least I can identify forty one vessels that are forty
years or older, and vessels that are familiar to a
lot of your listeners, like the Louis Saint Laurent. You
know when she was built August nineteen sixty nine.

Speaker 2 (01:52:41):
I was going to say that's oldest confederation.

Speaker 4 (01:52:45):
I think there's probably some in my lists that are
even even older than that. But the Terry Fox, which
is in and out September eighty three, Henry Larson eighty eight,
George Perks, and these are vessels there are notice and
John's at a regular basis, Wilfred Laurier eighty six, the Hudson.

(01:53:06):
Here's a good one, Hudson. You know when she was
built nineteen sixty three. So this one hundred billion dollars,
and that excludes the announcement yesterday about the new submarines,
the twelve new submarines that Canada's going to procure. So
we've got four old britty submarines as well that are
out of service. So one of the solutions is obviously

(01:53:28):
you're going to have to retire some of these vessels. Now,
Canada has just signed an international convention called the Hong
Kong Convention, and the Hong Kong Convention has been signed
by I forget how many countries, but it's base eving
all quote ensures these activities meaning recycling scrapping way used

(01:53:48):
to call it, but right now vessels with vessels can
be hooked up ninety five percent to be recycled. This
ensures that activities who carried it in a manner that
can formed the Hong Kong Convention, to which Canada is
a signatory. This came into force in the twenty sixth
at June twenty twenty five and aims to ensure that

(01:54:10):
ships at the end of their operational lives are recycling
recycled safely and without posing unnecessary risks to human health
and the environment. So that appears to me to be
pointed towards Pakistan and Turkey, which are the major countries
that in the past have been used for recycling. So

(01:54:31):
Canada is a signatory this convention, so it's we assume
that any ships that have to be recycled or scrapped
or are going to conform to the laws of the
rules and regulations of Hong Kong Convention.

Speaker 2 (01:54:45):
So that question, that's for clarification. I know Canada was involved.
I mean, these consultations took place over the course of
almost four years, I believe. And there's also that yeah, okay,
fair enough, there's also centers involved with international Labor organization,
parts of the basal convention, what have you. But our
involvement has it meant to kind of actually ratify the
convention at this point?

Speaker 4 (01:55:04):
Do we have as of junia this year, okay, which
is as you as you correctly point out, this being
under negotiation for about twenty years and a lot of
debate back and forth. But Canada is a signatory as
of Junia this year. So now we have the forty
vessels that over the next number of years are going
to be recycled, recycled properly. So where should they be recycled, Well,

(01:55:29):
half of them are probably in the service of the
West coast. The other half are probably in service on
the East coast. Halifax has no capacity because they're built
so busy building. There's a small recycling facility in Sydney,
Nova Scotia, but we're negligent, We're we don't have enough

(01:55:49):
facilities for recycling. So why not look to new Foundland.
If we can't build ships, why not generate some economic
activity by recycling. And obviously one of the ports that
that should be evaluated or could be evaluated is bull Arm.
Here we have a world class facility out there and
nothing going on. I was out there about three weeks ago,

(01:56:12):
months ago and saw nothing. Henry Goodrich has gone. It's
been told the Norway for I think recycling. So there's
absolutely nothing going on at bull Arm, So why can't
we do it? New it Bullarm? So that's the intention
I have. I'm involved in a company that's attempting to
evaluate the marketplace to see if indeed bull Arm can

(01:56:35):
be accommodated or maybe our Gentia, or maybe there's another port.
But here's a chance to generate three or four hundred
jobs for forever, almost forever and ever. So I just
wanted to keep I just wanted to throw that in
when I heard Sam saying, you're talking this morning about
our lack of ship building capacity. We do have it
that we we had we I've discussed it that there

(01:56:59):
the people of the trades and now they're fully supportive
of it. I've discussed it with several other people. I've
got it in front of governments right now, both federal
and provincial. So we're going to see what happens. But
it may you know, it makes sense what.

Speaker 2 (01:57:15):
You don't think, of course, it does. Just a couple
of initial thoughts on it. It's one thing for Canada
to ratify it, which means inside our own borders it
will be done environmentally appropriately in certifications and reporting all
those types of things. But unless other countries and you
mentioned Pakistan and others, I would also add Sri Lanka
to that list, is that if they don't sign on,

(01:57:37):
then companies still have the ability to send their ships
to be recycled and these very unsafe conditions that we've
seen many pictures and videos off in the past.

Speaker 4 (01:57:45):
So I'm but I'm assuming countries that have not ratified
the convention, right, but Canada has ratified the convention. Canada
has said we will not recycle our ships without doing
care and caution for human life and the environment.

Speaker 2 (01:58:02):
Oh no, there's absolutely an opportunity here, no question.

Speaker 4 (01:58:07):
So we've got our fingers crossed. As I said, I mean,
I wanted to share it with you and your listeners.
I think it makes a lot of sense con generate activity,
and it can be long term activity because there's forty
one ships right now that are that probably shouldn't be
in the water at all. So as we bring on
these new ships, this hundred billion dollars that we're spending
on ice breakers and ferry boats and research vessels and

(01:58:32):
harbor assistance essels, that's sort of stuff. As we bring
on these new vessels, let's recycle the old vessels, and
let's recycle them in Newfoundland. At least we can do that.
Whether we can build new ships is another question, but
we certainly can recycle them. So I'm bullish on it,
and I hope that I hope my friends and government
are listening to it because we may need some help

(01:58:54):
and doing some feasibility studies that sort of thing to requantify,
quantify the idea and to make sure it works. To
find the right partners, to find the right technology, to
find the right facility, to make sure the facility does
it efficiently and this you know this, this would be
very little cost in the government of Canada, very little

(01:59:15):
cost indeed. So there you go, mister Daly. That's my
rant for this morning.

Speaker 2 (01:59:20):
I appreciate the time, Rob keep me in the loop.

Speaker 4 (01:59:22):
I certainly will. Patty, thanks for listening, my pleasure.

Speaker 2 (01:59:24):
Bye bye. All right, follow break of the morning. When
we come back, Bills in the que to talk about
the NLC. Don't go away.

Speaker 1 (01:59:30):
He's open line now the VOCM big Land FM radio network.

Speaker 2 (01:59:35):
Welcome back. Apparently a very serious collision on the highway
just west of Clarenville Highways. That a stands still, So
if you're heading in that direction, you might as well
take your time or pull over and have yourself and
been a launch or something, because it looks like it's
a really huge backlog of traffic. Let's go to line
number two. Bill you around the air.

Speaker 16 (01:59:54):
Yeah, Patty, I was wondering if you could tell me
why the liquor is still off the shelves to the
liquor stores. I'm sorry, pardon me, the liquor is still
the American liquors off the shelves and.

Speaker 3 (02:00:08):
In the stores.

Speaker 2 (02:00:09):
Well, I mean, I suppose I can't really answer to
that because I have nothing to do with it. But
it was always about just a stick in the eye
of the Americans, given the whole conversation about fifty first
state and all the rest of the nonsense that goes on.

Speaker 16 (02:00:21):
Yeah, I mean we're losing money, you know, not having
that American.

Speaker 3 (02:00:25):
Liquor on the shelves.

Speaker 4 (02:00:26):
You know that.

Speaker 3 (02:00:28):
Don't you think our province meet that money.

Speaker 2 (02:00:30):
Do you think that people, if they couldn't get their
favorite Kentucky bourbon, were just simply not drinking something different?

Speaker 16 (02:00:38):
No, I would think Soland Liquor Corporation lost money the
last quarter. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Speaker 2 (02:00:47):
I think that it wasn't that they lost money, they
just had a decrease in revenue compared to the same
quarter of the year prior.

Speaker 16 (02:00:54):
Yeah, I mean you go to Costco Mommark they're still
selling us good to know.

Speaker 2 (02:01:00):
Yeah, of course, you know, provincial governments across the country
like it's interesting that you bring up American liquor. In Quebec,
they're trying right now to figure out what to do
with the amount of American liquor that they've kept off
the shelves because some of these ready to make drinks
of what have you. They don't last forever. So now
they're talking about either they're going to donate it for
charitable organizations, you have raffles with it, or what they're

(02:01:21):
going to do with it, because they're trying to deal with
that exact issue right now, because things have a shelf
life about lebourbon can last a long time, but they're
ready to make drink Kent.

Speaker 16 (02:01:30):
Yeah, it just doesn't make any sense to me. I
don't think the United States Colleague has not hurt the
United States off the shelves.

Speaker 2 (02:01:38):
Well, I think if you ask people in some of
the areas, because the biggest consumer of American liquor outside
of America is Canada. Yeah, yeah, So I don't know
if they're going to put it back on. And I
do know, like we've seen new stories come from some
of those pockets of the United States where they produce
some of these products, and people are hurting there. Actual

(02:02:00):
people are losing jobs because people have turned their back
on some American products, including some American liquor. I think,
for a personal note, I think people should be able
to buy whatever they want to buy, if that means
that you appreciate Jack Dannels or whatever the case may be.
This bit of political posturing is not really doing a

(02:02:21):
whole whole lot. It has had some financial implications for Americans,
but to deny me the right to choose, because if
people are talking about buy Canadian, which has always been
a good idea. So if I went from some Kentucky
windage to some other substitute that's not from the States,
I still have the option by one or the other.

Speaker 16 (02:02:40):
Yeah, well, you know, like I should possible and wellmoell
the West products.

Speaker 6 (02:02:46):
This doesn't make any.

Speaker 2 (02:02:47):
Sense from a personal standpoint. And this is well prior
to any Trump stuff is I've generally tried to be
smart about what I buy. You know, buying something that
made in Canada or a product of Canada has always
been a good idea in my mind. You know, you
get what you pay for sometimes if you pay a

(02:03:07):
little bit more for a better product that lasts longer
compared to you know, some throwaway stuff that we buy
from places like Bangladesh or from China or what have you.
And I think a lot of Canadians really have Look,
people are price sensitive, number one. But for folks that
are taking a little additional time. That so called boycott
on an American products seems to be a real thing, or
at least it was for a while. Maybe it's running

(02:03:28):
its course and people don't care anymore. They just buy
whatever they want. Right, I appreciate your time, bill, Bye bye. Yeah,
consumer choice is important here, you know, I get why
people were frustrated or furious, whatever the right word is.
I was too to have to listen to the incessant,
incoherent babbling about our cherished fifty first state and all

(02:03:49):
this stuff. Is like, there's a reason why travel numbers
are way down, and it's not just Canadians who are
traveling like they used to. Some Canadians still are fair
enough our money, do whatever you want with it, But
the numbers are clear. I mean, whether it be traveling
around our own country, traveler is up to or by
Canadian travelers. That's undeniable. And it's down in the United States.

(02:04:12):
And you know, we'll hear all this are we don't care.
We don't need Canada. Now. If I'm working in hospitality
in Vegas and the numbers are off the way they are, maybe,
just maybe I'd like to see a few more Canadian
faces like in years past. I don't know, what do
you think. Let's go, let's kind of light number four, Darius,
you around the air?

Speaker 10 (02:04:27):
Hi, how are you doing? Patty?

Speaker 2 (02:04:29):
That's a bad I suppose you.

Speaker 14 (02:04:31):
Yeah, that bad boy.

Speaker 10 (02:04:32):
You've heard from me before.

Speaker 14 (02:04:33):
Okay, Well, as far as Bill was concerned, I'm Canadian.
And just because I mean, don't matter if they can
put it on the shelf or not. I don't care.
And I do drink, but you know I'm not buying
that they can pour it down a drink. Okay, not
for that anyway.

Speaker 3 (02:04:52):
That the shipyard the shipyard.

Speaker 14 (02:04:55):
I'm trying to be as fast as I can. And
I hope you know. I'm from the East End. I
grew up in the East End. I had on the street,
you know how, played street hockey all that stuff, got
lots of fights. Not a big guy. I know I
sound like one, but I'm not just the voice. But anyway,
the shipyard. Look, the mirrorge Townshipyard has been open and

(02:05:19):
closed that many times every time it gets open. Now,
that's just my opinion. And you can check my facts,
because I know you're I respect you and I respect
the line. Well, you take the facts and the fact
is every time it gets open. First thing they do
on strike, Now, you're not going to attract anybody to
do anything, you know from that. If that's what happens,

(02:05:43):
you know, once it gets open, be grateful it's open.

Speaker 2 (02:05:48):
Yeah. And then then you go the other end of
that spectrum, when you have, for instance, no strike zones,
which I believe Long Harbor was at one point, then
all of a sudden people bring up productivity concerns. So
it's it's hard to hit that sweet spot. Yes, I
mean having a job is important. Yes, there should be
some air of being grateful to have one. But anyway,
go ahead.

Speaker 14 (02:06:09):
Yeah, the shipyard down there, it's gold now, and I
don't liberal And there's whether we in recycling. That's not recycling.
What you're doing. You're not rebuilding a ship. You're taking
a ship of parent and all the metal you're going
to recycle that. You gotta have a you gotta have
a place somebody got to take that. You can't just
you can't just take a parent leave it there. You've
got to have somebody to take that metal, you know. So,

(02:06:32):
and then we had a foundry. I worked there at
United Now foundary.

Speaker 10 (02:06:35):
I don't know all you were.

Speaker 14 (02:06:36):
But I'm old and all and united now Foundery and
that's gone. Now we we unite now found You know
they they Melton Mountain done right, right they they even
scrap Mountain gone, you know.

Speaker 3 (02:06:51):
So but.

Speaker 14 (02:06:54):
Anyway, so you know, but I'm just saying that's my
opinion about the I think that's why we're not getting
some of that hundred billion dollars. And as far as
a hundred billion goes Muskrat follows, remind me, please, that's
started that how much two billion?

Speaker 3 (02:07:12):
Right?

Speaker 14 (02:07:13):
Then it went to four billion? And now and how
much has it cost a sofa? And this is now
we own this, newfound Land owns it, new Foundland the Labrador.

Speaker 10 (02:07:21):
How much has it cost us?

Speaker 2 (02:07:24):
Started that five point two billion at yeah, and now
we're just shy at fourteen And that's without the updated
numbers because we're still not fully done. So there is
Has it been an updated number quite a while?

Speaker 3 (02:07:36):
Yes?

Speaker 14 (02:07:37):
Oh my god? Right, So if we're going to build anything,
let's let's know what is going to cost Newfoundland and
we'll advance and let's get you know, the union. I
got no problem with unions, but for the love of God,
let's get everything together. Get all our ducks in a
row and then say, okay, this is it. This is

(02:07:58):
We're not going to be down on Trump and I
can change on mine tomorrow. It's like we got a deal.

Speaker 10 (02:08:02):
No, we don't have a deal.

Speaker 2 (02:08:04):
Fair enough. I think you called about something else, Darius,
But it's eleven fifty nine and thirty nine seconds, so
we'll have to leave it for today. But you're welcome
again in the future. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sound good. Yeah, Well,
thank you SARS for to take Michael my pleasure. All
the best. All right, there you go, good show today,
big thanks, and we will pick up this conversation again
tomorrow morning, right here on the OCM and Big Land

(02:08:26):
of FM's open Line. I'm Behalfy, the producer Brett Fagan.
I'm your host Patty Daily. Have yourself a safe, fun,
happy day. We'll talk of the morning. Bye bye

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