‘Regina expected to host 2013 Grey Cup’.
This is big news for Regina. I now have the ‘Roughriders’ shirt to show my commitment to the mysterious game of football which so grips this nation. As we were eating dinner yesterday I had a phone call; ‘Hi, this is Gordon here. Your breakfast buddy. I’ve got something I want to drop off for you’. That was very kind. He was very generous about how I’d helped giving out the sausages at the Cathedral breakfast for the local homeless and needy.
‘SIGA’ chair Goodtrack ousted again’.
The chair of the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority has been caught up in scandal following concerns over the ballooning board size and cost, the millions in administrative costs for the community development funds and other matters which have brought SIGA into disrepute. Morley, my host when I stayed at Gordon’s First Nation Reserve, spoke of how First Nation ‘delegates’ were taking vast sums in ‘per diem’ allowances. Such things seem to play into the hands of those who are critical of the financial arrangements made with First Nation peoples and who are quick to generalise about their dependence on social security.
Climate Change could cost Canada.
Underneath a photograph of a polar bear the caption reads: ‘Canada could spend as much as 43 billion dollars annually by 2050 because of climate change; a new report says’. This comprehensive study, titled ‘Paying the Price’ is the first of its kind to analyse Canadian trends in the growth of green-house emissions, population and the economy in the context of climate-change science. Reference is made to ground breaking Stern Report from Britain which concluded that climate change could provoke the greatest market failure ever in the global economy. However despite a commitment by the government to reduce green-house gas emissions to 1990 in about 10-15 years no plan has been introduced to meet its target and stop the growth of pollution. Enough said.
Canadians gotta have faith: report.
Under the heading of Religion which is in at the back of the ‘Arts and Life’ section, Misty Harris begins by saying ‘You could call it religion’s hallelujah’. She highlights that though certain faiths remain in dire straits, the Catholics and Evangelicals (Baptists, Mennonites, Pentecostals, Alliance and Nazarenes…) are actually flourishing in the light of recent immigration patterns. According to research for ‘Beyond the Gods and Back’, sociologist Reginald Bibby reveals that 4 in 10 Canadians don’t value religion, whilst 3 in 10 are ‘ambivalent but receptive’ practicing their spirituality a la carte, whilst the remaining 3 in 10 continue to strongly value faith. The United and Anglican churches are struggling; ‘close to being on life support’. The proportion of Anglicans has dropped to 6% from 16%. This makes the current missional focus I observed not only desirable but essential. But where what will the Anglican church look like in 20 years’ time? Very different certainly; so we need the visionary spiritual leadership of Bishop Greg as he inspires priests and congregations to be imaginary and missional.
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