Norway

1.738 Trillion plus change (US $) buys you a lot of groceries and independence. 

As of March 2025 this is the assets of Norways government Pension Fund.

The worlds largest sovereign wealth fund.

Not bad for a population of only 5.5 million people, I say.

Oil and other resources carefully developed and exported to a world in need

of energy is largely the reasons for this massive fountain of wealth.

All developed with a keen eye on protecting the environment.

This gives the people of Norway a wide range of options to develop their country

and put in place a society that is the envy of many countries of the world.

Infrastructure cost.

Norway is right now a global leader regarding environmental issues.

Consider this :

In 2024 almost 90 % of all new cars sold are EV’s.

80 commuter ferries are run by electricity.(Drag queen anyone )

Higher education is free.

Unemployment in 2024 is calculated at 3.9%.

General income taxed at a flat rate of 22%.

Trains run on electricity.

Maybe it is time for Canada to take a hard look at what can be achieved by developing the abundant resources we are blessed with. And having the means to pay for it without constantly relying on our collective credit card leaving our grandkids to face the music when the chickens come home to roost.

Like sneaking off to the washroom when the bar bill hits the table. 

We pay our leaders good money hoping that they will have the foresight and drive to prepare us for what we can expect in the future.If they are wrong we have the opportunity every few years to replace them with a different crew hoping they will get it right.

Like right now.

Along the way we also have an opportunity to help our allies around the world by giving them access to our resources, instead of arrogantly telling them to get lost because “there is no business case“ for this trade as stated by former Prime Minister Trudeau.

Hopefully this time we can get it right.

Voting for somebody just so this other person does not get elected is nonsense.

Why are we turning ourselves into pretzels trying to out smart the democratic process?

Vote by all means for whoever you think will be the best guide for the future and of course totally respect the outcome whatever that might be.

Btw

Last time I checked, the killer whales along Norways 2500 km coastline are doing just fine feeding heavily on (guess what) herring unlike our resident population which according to DFO are only interested in salmon. Starving in fact if they cannot find enough salmon (over 80 cm in size) to fill their bellies.

Maybe they did not get the memo from their Scandinavian family. Herring are good eating. In fact so good that it is about time the DFO abandon the reckless fishing of herring for roe as we witness year after year in our beautiful corner of the world.This year believe it or not DFO increases the total catch by 12%. Go figure.

So with the upcoming election in sight, get out and vote.

Maybe it is time to take a serious look at Norway and the way they capitalize on their rich resources.

No reason why Canada cannot become a superpower without bragging about it, and deal with all unfriendly adversaries from a position of strength.

Good cheers to all fellow islanders 

Kris Christensen

Denman Island

The Culture of Fear

Is it politically correct in Canada to feel hopeful?  Are we even allowed to want a future for our youth, free of the threat of a murderous drug culture and rampant crime?  When did it stop being normal to expect a healthy, safe and prosperous future for our children and why exactly? 

The boomers are often described as the “Golden Generation”.  They were able to achieve considerable wealth without trying too hard.  They had everything going in their favour.  They inherited a strong, resilient country and they could look forward to a great future.  Later, they benefited directly from the debt-based, inflationary fiscal policies that central bankers like Mark Carney created over decades, artificially boosting their assets and real estate to nose-bleed levels.  How is everybody else doing, by the way?  Mark Carney has made it very clear that he will double down on those same disastrous policies and his alarmist narratives will never end.  He knows what sells.

Meanwhile, we have given our children a culture based on fear, hate and shame.  If they are young men, they are told they are worthless and responsible for all the ills of the world.  Our children have been told all of their lives that they are doomed and can never have a future of hope.  They will never have their own home.  They will never have a job good enough to support a family and many are deciding not to.  That’s the legacy the boomers have left their young while they themselves are largely doing just fine.  Meanwhile, their children and grandchildren will be paying off their boomer largesse for the rest of their lives while having nothing themselves.  If you were young again, would you accept that?

A society that denies it’s young a future is a failed society.  The youth know it and are turning to the only political option that gives a damn about them.  They are choosing Conservatives in droves because Carney pays zero attention to their plight.  Pollievre, who is an actual working, tax-paying Canadian living in Canada, makes it central to his platform.  Carney’s focus is making sure that crisis, crisis, crisis are the only acceptable narratives.  He’s based his entire career on crises while managing to turn them into an enormous financial fortune for himself.  

Older folks are more vulnerable to fear.  Fear literally interferes with the process of critical thinking and every politician knows that.  The youth are tired of it. They have nothing left to lose and they are turning their backs on the culture of fear that has dominated their entire lives.  They are starting to advocate for their own futures and we really should be listening.  

Young people don’t really listen to the CBC, CTV, the Globe and Mail, etc.  Most know that all of legacy media is funded by the government and is full of propaganda.  The media pushes Liberal narratives day and night and the bias is undeniable to any critical thinkers.  Younger generations, mainly get their news from the internet which offers them many different perspectives, often much more in-depth than typical soundbite-style reporting. They have a far better understanding of the issues as a result.  A lot have figured out that most government narratives fall apart when any kind of rational analysis is applied.  

The election we are in today is the first time in Canadian history that ALL of legacy media receive funding from the federal government.  What do journalists do when required by their bosses to amplify Liberal government objectives and agendas above their opponents?  They do what they’re told or are forced to leave.  Those rejected journalists often join the growing citizen journalist movement that numbers in the hundreds? Thousands?  They are allowed to practice actual investigative journalism.  Here’s an interview between well known senior Canadian journalists discussing the biases of state-funded media.  It’s very informative.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlBMjDV4Kj0

As we keep hearing, we are at a pivotal point in Canadian history.  I’m amazed at the skills and knowledge of many of the young people I know.  I am also very disheartened at the burden we have placed on them.  Even if our problems cannot be cured easily, I think we would be a much happier and more resilient society if our young people could have real hope for change and a chance.  We can change our legacy to them if we allowed them some of the same opportunities that enriched us.