Never Forget
Today may be Remembrance Day, but every day I remember my dad, Today though, is a special day. This is not only about my dad, but all the rest of our family, and the families of others who fought so hard so we could have freedom, and to those important parts of our population that have had to fight so long and hard to be recognized for what they did.
It seems with many issues, the fights have not, and are not with the enemy, but within. Just look at what our First Nation friends had to endure to get what my dad and others did, fighting on the front lines. And look what they have to fight for to address reconciliation. Fight for reconciliation?
And add to that, today the First Nations have to continue to fight for clean water, housing, substantive equality, and the list goes on. But back to my dad for a minute.
My dad was a big strapping guy who sneaked out of school at 16 to join up. He made it to the New Westminster Regiment and at home he would never talk about what he did, what he saw, or what happened in Europe.
I do know he went through the North Africa, Holland and Italy campaigns and there are only two things that I remember. The first was entering a room with people, for many years he went to a corner. The second was the only thing he said, “I should never had made it out alive.”
He was one of the lucky ones who came back carrying shrapnel that could never be removed, but he was alive. My two uncles, one a Spitfire pilot and the other in the navy did not make it like 1000’s of others who paid for our freedoms with the ultimate price.
WHAT ABOUT TODAY?
Today, we live in a much different world; we have instant communications and seem to be always fighting amongst ourselves. As one reporter suggested, we have two groups in Canada with very different views of where our country should be headed. At Sustainable Circular Economy, a boutique firm assisting communities and companies implement environmental strategies on the basis of a circular economy, we see the issue as coming down to a lack of truth and consequence.
TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCE
Today, it seems that we do not respect the truth and there is very little discussion about consequence. The only thing that seems important is political expediency, but that is not doing the world a world of good. Think hydrogen in Newfoundland. Export-ready by 2025, I do not believe it. And all the prognostications made even before work had started on the environmental impact.
And what about LNG – even if it were a fuel we could use for the transition period to Net Zero, we could have all the money needed to hire 120,000 nurses, and build a number of new hospitals.
But, what happens? Only in Canada, hey? We chop the projects down as not having a “business case.” All the while, Germany is going to freeze and India and other countries are turning back to coal. Are we really saving the planet?
At Sustainable Circular Economy, we suggest it is time to getting to making decisions on the basis of doing the world a world of good by doing things that are good for the people, the planet and sustainability.
If your company or community would like to look at what it can do, we would love to hear from you.
Best wishes and dad, thanks for all that you did.
Dad and all the others; I will always be humbled by your sacrifices and the dangers I know you faced. Every one of us today owes you and 1000’s like you the deepest debt of gratitude.
Sustainable Circular Economy
Vancouver, Canada
Telephone: (604) 788 7261