Porch Views, editorials and more
Opinion For the first time in three decades Ottawa Valley forestry practices are being publicly challenged over glyphosate spraying. The uprising is growing exponentially and rattling the forest industry. The spraying is intended to reduce intra-specific competition until planted seed stock reach a “free to grow” state after about 10 …
Editor’s note: The Current originally published this article by the publisher on August 21, 2019 — almost six years ago. Then, we qualified it by describing it as “satire.” In the light of subsequent events, and in particular Trump’s conduct during his second term, perhaps it is no longer appropriate …
OPINION At the April 1st MV Council meeting, to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Councillor Joseph Olsheski, a name was drawn from a hat – former Councillor Ernie Peplinski. Is this really the best way to obtain the most suitable candidate for the job? Council had a …
OPINION For those who are not aware, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that the Township of Madawaska Valley has passed a motion to declare the caboose as surplus and to have it removed from its site. Above: the freshly-painted caboose in 2015. Photo supplied. This …
OPINION The declining Forestry Sector The Forestry Sector has been the single largest employer in the Ottawa Valley. Several sawmills are located between Whitney and Eganville along Highway 60 in Renfrew County alone. Traditionally market demand has exceeded the regeneration rate of the forests being cut. This has led to smaller …
OPINION In January 2022 The Current published an editorial under this title. It condemned both the Valley Gazette and The Eganville Leader for hiding from their readers details of the court case against Madawaska Valley Township and members of its former Council. To remind you, the lawsuit made serious allegations …
EDITORIAL Tomorrow, Canadians will start experiencing the effect of Donald ‘Felonious’ Trump’s tariffs. He has used several reasons to justify imposing them, all of them replete with his trademark lies, grotesque exaggerations, and unhinged irrelevancies. As recently as Saturday he has repeated his belief that if he cripples Canada financially, …
EDITORIAL Editor’s Note: The history of the conduct referred to in this editorial dates back to when The Current began publishing in 2018. For the convenience of our readers, we have provided links to earlier articles below. It should be noted that the contents of those articles have never been …
Opinion Provincial legislation (Bill 212) aimed at keeping towns and cities from building bike lanes and even forcing some to remove them is bad news for everyone in Ontario, wherever they live. For people who live in the towns and cities directly affected, it will result in more dangerous streets …
Editorial As previously reported, The Current requested the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRAO) to investigate the conduct of Madawaska Valley Township’s insurer, Intact Public Entities (Intact). The reason was its massive and grossly disproportionate expenditure over almost four years of legal costs to defend The Current’s claim against …
OPINION On Wednesday June 5 I had the pleasure of speaking on euthanasia (MAiD) in Canada at the legion in Barry’s Bay Ontario. In good driving conditions Barry’s Bay is about six hours from my home. The purpose of this article is to respond to the letter from Dr. Katie …
OPINION “Those who have the privilege to know, have the duty to act, and in that action are the seeds of new knowledge.” — Albert Einstein I recently watched a paid speaker present views regarding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) to those attending an event in Renfrew County. With the goal …
Natural Disasters – Part 2 OPINION A great mountain burned with fire, and a third of all trees and grass burnt-up. – Revelation Ch.8 The Madawaska Valley’s winter of 2023-24 has been the driest in recorded history. Renfrew County, situated within the rain shadow of the Algonquin Dome, receives considerably …
OPINION In an approaching world where there is no longer truth nor love … where the Earth is viewed as dirt, and trees as lumber … a desperate cry for justice, the last trumpet, breaks the silence of the indifferent majority. … Anonymous Society’s current reaction to inevitable disasters is denial, …
OPINION If you go for a walk in the woods today, tomorrow you could be in for a big surprise. Vast forests could be slated for clear-cutting before they even reach maturity. Above: Area clear-cut showing residual regeneration. Photo C. Huggett Going against the age-old forest sustainability principle of “harvesting …
