Nova Scotia Fishery Dispute Explained In A Minute

 

What is happening in Nova Scotia ? Important for us to know as Canadians.

1. 21 years ago the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the Mi'kmaw nation has a right to earn a "moderate livelihood" from fishing. The court later said the federal government could regulate the Mi'kmaw fishery but must justify any restrictions it placed on it.
2. Sipekne'katik First Nation launched a "moderate livelihood fishery" last month. Mi'kmaw fishers were storing their catches at their facilities in this fishery.
3. Many commercial lobster fishermen say they consider the new Sipekne'katik fishery in St. Marys Bay illegal and worry that catching lobster outside the mandated season, particularly during the summer spawning period, will negatively impact stocks.
4. A "suspicious" fire has now destroyed the lobster facility.
5. This case has pitted Indigenous and First Nation rights against regulations of fishing abided by others, and has sparked a lot of tension in the community in Nova Scotia.

Source: Fire destroys lobster facilty in south west Nova Scotia amidst escalating fishery tensions (CBC)

The French Connection and its Inferiority Complex

 Let us talk about France. This is a country that is at war with its own citizens who are Muslim. Previously, this same "secular" mindset was at war with Christianity, a fact they conveniently ignore.

1. The French Revolution at the end of the 18th century involved the mass murder of the Christian clergy and the destruction and desecration of tens of thousands of churches. 30,000 Catholic priests were exiled. 17,000 official executions were conducted and hundreds of thousands more killed due to revolts and unrecorded murders. All in the name of "freedom and secularism" that till today continues to be celebrated (Bastille Day).
2. In1830, France invaded and colonized Algeria. They killed between 500,000 to 1 million Muslims, out of a total population of 3 million. 1 out of 3 Muslims were killed in a deliberate program of extermination that numerous historians have documented.
3. Today, France continues its war on its own Muslim citizens. I am not even going into the racism (the Hijab laws), the discrimination (in jobs, in residences, in opportunities for advancement) that exists in France. Imagine the PM of the country openly mocking your religion and saying you are a fifth column. A national newspaper making fun of your religion in the name of freedom of speech (that somehow doesn't apply to their own icons).

This is France today. This is where a teacher feels it's perfectly fine to tell a group of children "Here, I am going to show you some cartoons of the person you hold holy".

Yes, I condemn his killing, but I also condemn France in general. And France has the bigger share of the blame.

Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory and Whirlpool Aero Car

 One of the lesser known attractions of Niagara Falls is the beautiful Butterfly Conservatory, which is pretty close to the Floral Clock and the Aero Car. 

The Butterfly Conservatory is a must-see if you are visiting Niagara Falls. Visitors are instantly transported to a tropical paradise full of lush vegetation, trickling waterfalls and thousands of vibrantly coloured butterflies.

Over 2000 butterflies are there, floating and hovering all around you. If you are lucky, some will even land on your outstretched hands for a quick picture.

I took my trusty DSLR with me. You cannot take some of these pictures with a cellphone camera - at least not that quickly, and not without software assist!

It's a self guided walking tour, and does not take too long. You can budget an hour comfortably for this attraction, and include an extra half an hour in case you really want to take your time. I was pausing and taking pictures all the time, and was part of a big group (all family), and yet the tour was done in an hour.

This butterfly - I don't recall the species - had really big markings of what looked like an 'eye' on its wings. Viewed from afar, I could understand why. It does look like a snake or some other big animal from far (probably keeps away predators).

The patterns on the wings of some of these butterflies was too spectacular. Take a look at this one above - the pattern makes it appear that there's another insect (a bee or a wasp), hovering nearby.

They have feeding stations throughout the place, so you see butterflies coming in for a snack.

No social distancing here at this butterfly "dawat" on this plate! For us humans, the COVID19 rules meant you had to wear a mask at all times, and practice physical distancing.

Once you are done the Butterfly Conservatory, it's a short drive to the Whirlpool Aero Car.

Designed by renowned Spanish engineer, Leonardo Torres Quevedo, the Whirlpool Aero Car has been soaring the Niagara Gorge since 1916. The antique cable car is suspended from six sturdy cables and offers spectacular views of the swirling Niagara Whirlpool and the Class 6 whitewater rapids of the Niagara River.

Another interesting point to note: because of the way the river flows, the Aero Car actually crosses the international border twice, even though both ends of the cable car are connected to Canadian lands. 

In the image below, everything to the left is USA, and to the right (in the shadows) is Canada.

What you are seeing here (image above) is the Whirlpool State Park (USA), as viewed from a cable car in Canada.

This is the whirpool (image above). This is class 6 rapids, and you can actually take a boat tour on it. The way the Whirpool Aero Car manages its loading (following Covid19 restrictions), you get to see both sides (the river and the whirlpool).

So next time you visit Niagara Falls, do take the time to check these sights out. All these close by 5 pm, so be early!

Bird Kingdom at Niagara Falls

 If you love photography, and taking pictures of nature in particular (especially birds), you will LOVE Bird Kingdom at Niagara Falls. They usually have deals online (either group on, or through your workplace, or even on their site), so check online before visiting. Paid parking is available right under the attraction, and you need at least 2 hours (close to 2.5) for the whole attraction.

They have a small reptile section ahead of the main exhibits. Don't miss this - as some of the iguanas, lizards, and snakes are a sight to see in themselves. Just adjacent to this exhibit is where they have some talking birds.

These talking birds can be a mouthful! They rotate the birds, so you may get a different experience on each visit. The trainers are quite friendly and the birds enjoy a good rapport with the staff. They are not in cages, and fly around occasionally. 

Each of these talking birds have their own personality, and some are more talkative than others.

Usually these Amazon parrots (I am guessing their are parrots) are the loudest, and enjoy performing for the cameras. You can talk to one of the trainers and they are usually happy to put on a small "performance" for you.

For many of us from Bangladesh, it's the closest you can come to some of the exotic birds from back home, including a mynah bird, which can be thousands of dollars here in Canada. 

From this exhibit you proceed to the small birds aviary.

It's fun watching these little birds build nests, eat, fly around (inches over your head at times!) and have a ball.

The large birds aviary is next, and there are lots and lots and lots of big birds, all flying around (and some not flying), eating, relaxing, all within an arm's reach.

Some of these birds allow you to get really close.

Bird Kingdom is a (relatively) cheap fun activity for the whole family at Niagara Falls, sometimes cheaper than many of the quick garish thrills on nearby Clifton Hill. Take your camera with its telezoom lense, and have a blast!

Sunflowers and Apple Picking

Summer 2020.

I am sure at some point later on in history, people will look on at 2020 with wonder. Especially when you consider the madness that was late March and early April with the pandemic in full swing (it still is ongoing now in September, even if we pretend it's not).

Still, summer is something that is short and precious in Canada, and you want to make full use of it when it's here. One of the things to do late summer is go to a farm for picture sessions amidst the sunflower patches and pick lots of apples (which would lead you later on to google for "apple recipes").

Saw lots of bees this time, which in a way is good as they say bees are becoming endangered (which isn't good for humanity, amidst all the stuff happening in 2020).

Not only do they have tractors for photo ops (make sure to sanitize your hands after #covid19), but they also had a small Cessna airplane. 

More bees. This time I decided to get a close up of their pollination action.

There's a huge wagon that takes you to the sunflower patch from the entrance of the farm (you have to socially distance and wear masks).

Once you are done taking your instagram snaps and stories in the sunflower area, you can take the wagon ride back to the farm entrance. From there, you can follow the markers and the trail to the apple trees.

Normally this would be crowded at this time of the year. #Covid19 not only meant segregated uni-directional walkways, but also staggered entrance timings, limited crowding and in some ways, a more personable experience. Too bad about the masks, the frequent sanitizer use and the general atmosphere of fear and dread of catching the virus even as you go about your activities. 

You are only allowed to pick certain types of apples (the others are not ready yet). It's fun for the kids, but make sure not to pick too many. You have to pay by the weight and it's not worth it as a shopping activity! There's a reason they let you pick these apples - they are not very tasty! Just treat it as a fun outing for the day, especially for the kids.

Yes, they did have huge bale of hay you can jump in (it's fun to take slow-mo videos as you toss these up). It's nice that we in Ontario have moved on to Stage 3 of our reopening ( but again, the numbers are not really going down any more - as of September 5, 2020). Stage 3 meant a lot of these activities are now open and allowed, even with limited capacity.

For those wondering where we went, it was The Apple Orchard, about an hour drive away from eastern Toronto. There's plenty of farms though, in and around the Greater Toronto Area, and you can pick any that has a list of activities you and your family like.