Canadian Army to the Rescue in COVID Ravaged Manitoba

Government of Canada assists Manitoba COVID-19 response

News release

May 24, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario

Throughout the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has worked closely with the provinces and territories and continues to provide significant support to ensure that the health and safety of Canadians is protected.

Today, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Bill Blair; the Minister of Health, the Honourable Patty Hajdu; and the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, confirmed that the Government of Canada will be providing a range of supports to Manitoba in anticipation of a Request for Federal Assistance to support the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Government Operations Centre is working to coordinate the federal response to the situation in Manitoba and Canadians can be assured that all orders of government are working together to deliver the required help.

In anticipation of this Request for Federal Assistance, the Government of Canada is preparing a number of actions: It will deploy federal health human resources, deploy medical staff through the Canadian Red Cross; and, provide support from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

The Government of Canada is also prepared to deploy epidemiologists, public health capacity, laboratory technicians and increased testing capacity from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Health Canada (HC) to respond to needs identified by Manitoba.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile (NESS) has responded to all 17 Requests for Federal Assistance from Manitoba. The NESS has allocated over 37 million units of personal protective equipment, vaccine ancillary supplies and other medical equipment to Manitoba, including nitrile gloves, disposable gowns, face shields, N95 respirators and surgical masks. Manitoba is expected to request additional biomedical equipment which the NESS expects to be able to supply.

Quotes

“Protecting the health and safety of Canadians during the pandemic continues to be the government’s top priority. A critical part of our fight against COVID-19 is the support we have provided to provinces and territories. Today, departments and agencies across the federal government have again come together to support our fellow citizens in Manitoba. I would like to thank front-line workers, and all Canadians alike, for their ongoing work to keep each other safe.”
– The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

“The Government of Canada will continue to work closely with Manitoba, and all provinces and territories, to provide the support needed to help protect the health of Canadians. The human and health equipment resources we are providing will help to reduce the impact of this third wave of COVID-19 in Manitoba.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health

“The Canadian Armed Forces is there to provide support to Canadians when it is needed most. Throughout the pandemic we have worked alongside provincial government partners to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Our people in uniform have always answered the call and stand ready to do so for Manitobans.”
– The Honourable Harjit Sajjan, Minister of National Defence

Poetry Break :Ontario Carries On Snitching Tradition Of Stalin and Hitler for “The Good of the Cause”

For the Good of The Cause

So abhorrent you were taught about Hitler and Stalin snitches
sending to execution so many innocents simply they had made enemies of their neighbours
yet in Toronto call 311 and report “offenders” simply because you or they pissed each other off
you call the snitch line and the COVID Secret Service is dispatched to your door within minutes
you are snitched not for the good of the cause but driven by their petty hatred and jealously
applauded by politicians as the right thing to do
yet for Hitler and Stalin an atrocious crime
but somehow for “democratically elected”
slimy ratting seems “the right thing to do”

What happened to democracy?
you filthy low life political rats
permitting totalitarian terrorism
for the good of the cause
so when are the show trials and executions happening
or perhaps they will be postponed to your never to be re- elected campaigns
more likely where you belong in the gutter

But terrified and brainwashed citizenry will say you were doing your job
as an elected two timing hypocrite lapping up out totalitarianism
no better than black booted storm troopers
marching for the good of the cause
you have the media behind you groaning with delight in their vaccination orgasm
best simply to extend the “temporary state of emergency”
forever and forever

Robert K. Stephen

Stag’s Hollow Willingness to go Beyond the Pale: British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley Canadian Wine’s Centre of Innovation?

Tempranillo Joven from Stag’s Hollow now a Dolcetto Rosé. In Piedmont in Italy is where you’ll find Dolcetto except of course in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Dolcetto means “little sweet” and has little acidity making it extremely easy to drink.

This Rosato (Rosé) has a very intense pink colour leaving one with the impression it has some stuffing to it. On the nose raspberry, sweet red cherry and cranberry. On the palate tannins and acids have retreated back to the trenches. Very high toned sweet red cherry predominates with an exciting undertow of alertness and vibrancy. Short finish. A delightful lightweight but not so light it lacks character like so many budget rosés from Provence. It reminds me of a top rate Aegean high altitude Folkiano from Greece. And that brings back a lot of good memories. Perhaps a better description is that this is a delicate rosé. I’ll stretch the translation from “little sweet” to “little sweetheart”. Perhaps a reference to Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz might be appropriate! A good match with grilled octopus or in season stuffed vegetables.

Stag’s Hollow takes uniqueness even beyond variety as it is fermented in concrete which is not unheard of but rare particularly in Canada. And give me a break Stag’s Hollow seeing that the wine was foot crushed like in the Douro until foot stomping technology made mechanized foot stomping of decreasing relevance.

A mere 87 cases were made. The winery tech sheet says the wine has ageing potential of 5 years. That may be pushing the boundary as I think drink now not to say it won’t last 5 more years in the bottle but will it improve enough to justify 5 years of cellaring space?

Some food pairings I like suggested by the winery are cured meats, beet salad, grilled salmon, grilled meats, grilled seafood and spicy Indian food. But given that is not a white but almost a red wine food matching can be fluid.

(Stag’s Hollow 2020 Dolcetto Rosato, Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard, Okanagan Valley, BC VQA, Stag’s Hollow Winery, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, $24, 750 mL, 13%, Robert K. Stephen Set The Bar Rating 90/100).

We finish off with a Tempranillo from Stag’s Hollow. In a previous article on Stag’s Hollow’s Tempranillo Joven I had mentioned Tempranillo is a hugely popular grape in Spain but in Canada it’s like finding a four leaf clover. Given the willingness of the Okanagan to push the boundaries seeing it produced there is something I happily take for granted. Happy you say? I am happy because Stag’s Hollow Tempranillo is good. So how does the 2018 rate?

In colour it is black cherry. On aromatics there are suggestions of full throttled red wine. Magnetic black cherry sticks to the nose with lesser notes of blueberry, blueberry pie, raspberry and a bit of almond. The tannins are far less than I thought they would be. On the palate the acids are muted thank goodness. There is that blueberry pie again reminding of a Tempranillo clone, Tinto Fino from Ribera del Duero in Spain. But wait there is more cassis and blackberry in what I am tempted to call a juicy red cherry frame. Not for the weak of heart.

This wine is made for food particularly grilled goat, lamb, ox, beef or pork chops please without a lemon marinade. I would say for vegetarians and mushroom lovers portobello mushrooms marinating in Oyster Sauce and chopped red chili peppers on the grill in a fresh Italian bun with a local tomato and arugula salad perhaps sprinkled with feta cheese and a honey mustard and tarragon dressing.

The wine was from grapes sourced from three vineyards including the Shuttleworth Creek Vineyard and the Stag’s Hollow Vineyard in the Okanagan Falls and the Amalia Vineyard in Osoyoos. As for oak 51% French, 49% American and 11% new Zebra West African oak. Again what isn’t Stag’s Hollow willing to try! Wonder if this wine would suit a Zebra filet?

Ageing potential is over the next ten years says the winery. I can agree with that.

Unfortunately, a mere 344 cases made.

As a closing comment can you tell me where a Canadian might find some Zebra steak?

(Stag’s Hollow 2018 Tempranillo, Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley, BC VQA, Stag’s Hollow Winery, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, $28, 750 mL, 13.9%, Robert K. Stephen Set The Bar Rating 94/100).

You can check out the wines offered by Stag’s Hollow at www.stagshollowwinery.com and check out ordering details by phoning 250.497.6162.

“Thunderbird”: A Complex Film Packing a Wallop and Leaving Tantalizing Questions Unanswered

The last 6 minutes of the film will leave your head spinning and if you are looking for a clean resolution of the conflict and mystery it as if you are being taunted to use your imagination to glue together the pieces. This is solid and complex filmmaking and aside from a few awkward lines it is well acted. Quite frankly I’m busting to pieces and just bursting at the seams to tell you the ending. Doing that would ruin the film so I can’t go down that road.

I can share some background with you though. Will Brook (Colten Wilke) is a loner in a small Pacific Northwest fishing town working on a halibut fishing boat. His mother and father were murdered years back when he was a young lad. Apparently his sister Sarah saw the murder but Will did not. The parents were involved in a land deal with the local First Nations tribe that went sour. Just prior to the murder Chief Dan George was seen by Will and Sarah arguing with their father. Shortly thereafter Will and Sarah’s parents are murdered. Will identifies Chief Dan George as the person arguing with his father shortly before they are murdered. He did not see who committed the murder but Chief Dan George is put away and dies in prison. The local First Nation tribe is furious with Will and harass and assault him if he goes into town so he lives on the fishing boat. Sarah is committed to a psychiatric institution.

Yet another murder of a young woman occurs and detective Ivy Seymour (Natalie Brown) is sent from the big city to investigate as this is the 34th murder of a missing girl in the past 10 years. The women killed is Sarah’s roommate so Will and Ivy go desperately looking for Sarah.

Two teenagers in skimpy costumes are picked up by a man in a pickup truck. Will finds one of them tied up in a remote cabin while the other surfaces on the street of the main town in her underwear and a weird ceremonial mask, the same type that was found on Sarah’s deceased roommate’s head.

Will eventually finds a nurse tied up in an abandoned building and is attacked by a former inmate of Sarah’s psychiatric institution. He kills that former inmate in self defence and who does he see but Sarah. Could it be that Sarah is a mastermind psychotic? No more clues.

It happens that Will has found more than Sarah but Thunderbird which according to First Nation’s Salish legend used its claws to lift an Orca out of the bay that was frightening the salmon and making the people starve. Will and the First Nations make peace and he is given a ceremonial mask.

The movie highlights the racial tension between the First Nation and residents of the town especially towards Will. Julian Black Antelope seeks peace between Will and his tribe and can offer no explanation of why his parents were murdered. He says, “We all face the darkness and have all lost people to it.”

It also shows the prejudice of the judicial system putting Chief Dan George in prison when no one actually saw the murder. Is there any reason why not the First Nation’s members are angry but they are wrong in blaming Will who simply saw Chief Dan George arguing with his parents and not killing them. Yes prejudice can go in many directions.

How can we categorize such a film? Psycho/horror/social realism?

A suspenseful well measured film.

The film was written, directed and edited by Nicholas Treeshin.

You can see the trailer here https://vimeo.com/335626738

The film will be shown starting on June 4^th 2021 on Video on Demand.

“Mutantism on the March”:Chapter 61 “Dr. Zodiac Begins His Research on the Zodiac Killer”

Dr. Zodiac assumed the identity of a visiting forensic expert from Greece using high quality false identification and gained access to California police files concerning murders in the state over the last 50 years. Sifting through the files and grisly photos for clues was not a job for the queasy. Dr. Zodiac found out that during this 50 years some twenty murders had been committed and twelve of the deceased had children under 7, the time of the strongest part of the development of the oedipal complex. After ruminating over a particular case he was convinced he had made a breakthrough.

Some 48 years ago a certain Mrs. Zenon Girov, a widower, had been butchered by an axe murderer. She had been the owner of a small tea shop earning extra income by reading tea leaves, reading tarot cards and palms. She had been murdered in her tea shop by a bi-polar tea leaf salesman and her little Zenon had been hiding behind the curtain watching the deadly assault. A massive manhunt was launched but the killer managed to elude the dragnet and escaped the arms of the law. Zenon was placed in an orphanage run by the Sisters of the Hippocritter. And this ended the police file with a big stamp on the cover of the file “UNSOLVED”.

Dr. Zodiac made haste to the orphanage to see information he could gather about Zenon. Most of sisters who had been at the orphanage when Zenon was a resident there had since passed on to the Pearly Gates but Sister Blah who had at the time joined the orphanage just out of her teens did remember Zenon. She had worked in Zenon’s ward and had experience with the lad. After a cup of tea laced with a generous shot of rum and being told that Zenon might be heading for serious psychiatric problems Sister Blah opened by saying, “Little Zenon was an introvert and never made serious effort to socialize with the other boys and girls. I suppose that is understandable after he witnessed the horrific death of his mother. He did not enjoy sports but had a fascination with lawn bowling. He snuck our regularly to the The Old Birds Lawn Bowling Club and was taught the fine points of the game by the old birds. We also suspected he stole money from our collection box to subscribe to the English publication “Lawn Bowlers Monthly” . The lad was clearly swept away by a sport of old WASPY ladies. It was puzzling for us but better he have a passion about something as opposed to nothing. He begged us to build a lawn bowling pitch and give courses on the fine art of lawn bowling to the community but as you can imagine we did not have the funds necessary for such frivolity. We also had a few pregnant nuns thanks to Father…….better not go further with that one. There was also another odd characteristic the good sister noted and that was his penchant for astrology but given the vocation of his late mother that was understandable. In fact at our fund raising bazaars he would give astrology readings taking a 10% cut of the proceeds to fund his lawn bowling passions. We soon discovered that after leaving the orphanage he bought a membership in an exclusive Bay Area lawn bowling club called “The Thunderbirds”. He had even progressed to the club’s position of “lawn bowling pro”.

Being “warmed” by a second dose of rum laced tea Sister Blah added, “I suppose I should tell you, although I was at the French Riviera on vacation….rather more of a sabbatical at the time I heard that Sister Takeitall was running a special programme that dealt with explaining different religions to the children. One day Pastor Jim Bones from The People’s Temple came to speak about evangelism bringing with hm chilled Kool-Aid for the children. He briefly explained his work dealing with homosexuals, drug addicts and winos and Zenon jumped up saying that the cards had told him Bones would one day be a mass murderer with death by Kool-Aid.”

Dr. Zodiac felt he may have just scored a big hit. An individual with a violent temper and love for astrology all tied up into a possible case of “confused oedipal revenge complex”. Dr. Zodiac left the orphanage leaving a kilo gold bar behind as a donation. However before leaving Sister Blah thanked him and said, “I hope that I have been of some assistance regarding the lad. Let us pray he will not suffer as our Lord did. Oh by the way I should tell you after the Bones incident as a precaution we had him transferred to the Juvenile Mind Repair Institute as he did scratch Bone’s face. Oh by the way before you go would you care to buy a carton of our Charity Chocolate Cookies?”

“Undine”: A German Wet and Wonderful Mythological Romantic Film Winner

I have seen some awfully good German films in the past few years and I will count “Undine” amongst one of them. It reminded me of “Shape of Water” due to the mysticism of both those films.

However there is some real lore in “Undine”. According to European mythology Undine is a water nymph who becomes human when she falls in love with a man but that man is doomed to die if he is unfaithful to her.

Set-in modern-day Berlin the film commences with Undine (Paula Beer) and her boyfriend Johannes breaking up at the behest of Johannes. Undine calmy states to Johannes if you break up with me you must die! A calm and cool Undine a psychopath? Something does not make sense unless of course you bring the mythical Undine into the picture.

Undine, an urban planner historian in Berlin, then meets commercial diver Christoph (Franz Rogowski) and it is love at first sight. They meet in a coffee shop in front of a huge aquarium with a toy commercial diver who says “Undine” then the tank buckles showering Undine and Christoph with water and glass.

Despite breaking up with his new flame Undine wants nothing to do with pleading Johannes begging her to re-establish the relationship. Eventually the myth comes to visit Johannes.

Christoph has a diving accident and is without oxygen for 12 minutes and is brain dead and on the myth visiting Johannes against all odds brain-dead Christoph wakes up in a start as Undine slides into the water at the site of Christoph’s recent accident.

Poor Christoph can’t find Undine as she has vanished. So he settles down with a new girlfriend and two years later he is diving at the site of his accident and a shiver down your spine moment occurs. Undine seems to be that mythical water nymph. Christoph replays the video of his dive and what he thought he saw and experienced was not seen on the replay. What can I say other than myth is sometimes stronger than “reality”?

You gotta love Big Gunther a massive catfish and wonder if he is part of the mythical underwater world! I have seen twice a mythically large sturgeon in Lake Champlain in Vermont so I know a bit about mythical fish!

The 2020 German film is directed by Christian Petzold and is in German with English subtitles.

It starts on June 4^th at Digital Tiff Bell Lightbox in Toronto and at Cinema du Parc in Montreal and June 11^th at Vancity in Vancouver.

Passage of the Day: “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”: The Beginning of the End of Old Louisiana

“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” was first published by Rebecca Wells in 1996 and made into a movie in 2002.

“ Secret codes and lore and lingo stretching back into that fluid time before air conditioning dried up the rich, heavy humidity of Louisiana that used to hang over the porches of Louisiana, drenching cotton blouses, beads of sweat tickling the skin, slowing people down so that the world entered them in an unhurried way. A thick stew of life that seeped into the very blood of the people, so eccentric, languid thoughts simmered inside. Thoughts that would not come again as porches were enclosed, after the climate was controlled, after all windows were shut tight, and the sounds of the neighbourhood were drowned out by the noise of the television set.”

Passage of the Day: “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood”: LIFE

“Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” is a novel about white upper middle-class life in Louisiana starting sometime during The Great Depression. It was written by Rebecca Wells. It was first published in 1996.

“Do you remember how horrified you were as a little girl when you found the word “vivisection” in the dictionary. Came running to me in tears, remember? Well, I’m not a Goddamn frog, Sidda. You can’t figure me out. I can’t figure me out. It’s life, Sidda. You don’t figure it out. You just climb on the beast and ride. “

“Jenny”: Classic Greek 1960’s film shows beautiful lampooning ahead of its time

A couple of years ago in Greece I had to spend a couple of months taking care of certain estate matters. I was on Samos, a beautiful mountainous island, very close to Turkey. We were staying in Samos City as it is called but the locals call it by its old name Vathi. Vathi was, at the time, home to a migrant camp which has since burnt down. The Turks across the way were gleefully helping illegal migrants to Islamify Greece an age-old enemy. For many a Turk it was a chance to launch the New Crusade. Apparently the annexation of part of Cyprus by the Turks was only the beginning of the New Crusades.

Not being a tourist centre, certainly not helped by the hundreds of migrants, Vathi is the gateway to some wonderful beach towns and many unexplored villages in the mountains. There is a very decent bus service that can take you where you want.

Now not being a spring chicken after a great dinner at Welcome Restaurant really there was not much to do but head home, turn on the television and watch a nightly Greek film usually from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Do Greeks have a robust sense of humour? I am not sure I can answer that and after living within the Greek community for close to 50 years I apologize for not being able to answer that question. But from the daily Greek film buffet from the 1950’s and 1960’s I can say they are so very good at lampooning politicians, the wealthy and even the military but in an “overdone” fashion with the victims of the lampooning coming across like comedic buffoons.

“Jenny” is a 1966 film and although it lampoons politicians and the wealthy it is to me a feminist film which is quite remarkable as in 1966 feminism in Europe and North America was hardly on the radar screen.

Jenny (Tzeni Karezi) is an attractive, ambitious student hoping to teach at the university level. Her father Kosmas Skoutaris (Dionysis Papagiannnopoulos) is a blustery candy maker deeply in debt. He supports a political candidate Gortzos in an upcoming election on the quiet island somewhere in Greece!

Now Jenny often visits the home of Lambros Konstantaras (Miltos Kassandris) a wealthy shipowner as he owns a large collection of Greek classic literature. Lambros has a nephew returning from New York Nikos Mantas (Andreas Barkoulis) who he wants to set up as a candidate to run against Gortzos.

Now if only Lambros can takeout Gortzos by having Jenny marry Nikos and turn Jenny’s father away from his support for Gortzos. And he does forging ahead with the marriage of Jenny and Nikos. Apparently Nikos is already married to an American Greek but the marriage was not a marriage as Nikos was very drunk and married by a gangster as opposed to a priest. Do you see the farce! So the “white marriage” of Jenny and Nikos is not a sham but a real one and you can guess the result as this is a “romantic comedy” in part!

Jenny is blackmailed into a marriage with Nikos as Lambros buys Kosmas’ debt and if she marries Nikos the debts will be forgiven. Perhaps I best stop here before you get confused. But what I will say Jenny is very sharp and personable and politically astute so much more than the bumbling Nikos. She leaves all the men far behind her wake. In fact they all look like bumbling idiots. So ahead of its time.

A very engaging critique of 1960’s Greek society is where I should leave off. Entertaining but far from fluff.

You can access the film through the Hellenic Film Society USA at www.hellenicfilmusa.org and it runs until 31 May.

The film was directed by Dimos Dimopoulos is in Greek with English subtitles.

You can see a trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S60WEF1Uu4s&t=2s

A couple of Chardonnays from British Columbia’s Meyer Family Vineyards (MFV)

2020 was a good vintage year in the Okanagan.

The Chardonnay is a blend from four different vineyards two of which, Old Main Road on the Naramata Bench and McLean Creek Road in Okanagan Falls, are MFV’s. The other two are the Anarchist Mountain Vineyard in Osoyoos and Cellarsbend Vineyard on the Naramata bench. This Chardonnay is a blend of many small batch picks from September 27^th through October 11^th. It was then racked off into older seasoned French oak barrels and stainless-steel vessels.

If you like those heavily oaked Chardonnays don’t look here. There is oak for sure but very subtle as there was no new oak involved! Aromas of peach, apricot, tangerine, pineapple and quince jam. As for the palate it has some weight to it. The acids are tame and so well integrated into the wine they won’t be competing for your attention. There is some custard, lemon, lime with some creaminess. All said and done a simple, clean and well-crafted Chardonnay.

1,000 cases were produced. The winery suggests drink through to 2025 and I will not disagree with that.

(Meyer Family Vineyards 2020 Okanagan Valley Chardonnay, BC VQA, Meyer Family Vineyards, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, $ 19.22, 750 mL, 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 89/100).

Our MFV run ends with a 2019 McLean Creek Road Vineyard Chardonnay. Golden coloured. On the nose there is some new French Oak (22%). A light dosing of new oak can be complimentary to Chardonnay as it is in this case. If you like drinking wood there are many over oaked Chardonnays in the marketplace! On the nose lemon, tangerine, guava and butterscotch. On the palate whole wheat toast, Spanish clementine, Orri tangerines, French Toast and pineapple. Moderately long finish. Less oak on the palate than on the nose. The acids are tucked away nicely. All said and done this is a lighthearted wine

I can only think of lobster with garlic butter sauce, a big bib, lobster crackers and a lightly chilled glass of this Chardonnay. There is a truce dealing with oak with this wine. One side will be happy with enough oak to be rightly called an oaked Chardonnay. The other side will be happy with a moderately oaked Chardonnay that deserves a place in the home of those that realize there is a place for judiciously oaked Chardonnay. Of course, the loser here is the lobster!

500 cases produced. The winery tech sheet cellaring potential is 7-10 years. I am not sure I agree cellaring for this length of time is warranted given a less than stellar vintage year. I would say drink before 2023.

A very good effort considering 2019 wasn’t exactly the best vintage year in the Okanagan.

The McLean Creek Road Vineyard is located in Okanagan Falls, British Columbia with the soil comprised of alluvial and glacial deposits making up a mix of gravel and sandy loams.

This is also a good sipping wine.

Check out MFV’s website at www.mfvwines.com and call at 250.497.8553 for shipping details.

(Meyer Family Vineyards Okanagan Valley 2019 Okanagan Falls, McLean Creek Road Vineyard, BC VQA, Meyer Family Vineyards, Okanagan Falls, British Columbia, $ 30.52, 750 mL, 13.5%, Robert K. Stephen A Little Birdie Told Me So Rating 92/100).