HAPPY CANADA DAY

Linda and I will be going to the Canada Day Parade here in Scarborough and then watching neighbours setting off fireworks.

The weather is finally supposed to cooperate!

Stop the Slaughter of Horses For Human Consumption In Canada

My brother John owned a horse for many years, Salem's Choice. She was stabled on a riding farm about an hour north of Toronto. Linda and I were living in Northern Ontario at the time, but I would occasionally go riding with him when we came south.

I would usually get a gentle old mare, to ride. John and Salem would go galloping off along the trail while I bounced along behind them, hanging on to my horse for dear life.

That was my main brush with horses, beyond a little group trail riding with friends in my teens. Still I hold an affection for horses and fond memories.

So it came as a shock to read the recent reports in the Canadian media of how we treat our horses at the end of their lives, their inhumane slaughter for human consumption. A practice banned in the United States but big business here in Canada.

According to a Toronto Star report--Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby, representing an animal rights group, is calling for an all-out ban on the slaughter of horses for human consumption in Canada – a practice that has increased here since it was stopped in the United States.

Ruby called the slaughter of horses in Canada "shockingly inhumane" and said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency does not properly police such slaughter for human consumption and it should be banned.

At a news conference at Ruby's offices, representatives of the Canadian Horse Defense Coalition showed a graphic video which it says shows horses being slaughtered at Natural Valley Farms in Neudorf, Sask.

The organization says the video demonstrates violations of Canada's food inspection act including: the transportation of animals on double-decker trailers; horses transported with their horseshoes on and not separated for their own protection; the transportation of horses across the U.S./Canadian border and unloaded at night without supervision.

The group also said the video showed evidence of the transportation of injured, blind and emaciated horses (including a horse with a tumour on its face and another with eye cancer) as well as the transportation of a very pregnant mare and the discovery of a full-term foal in a rendering pit that had been eviscerated by animals.

The group also alleges that the horses are not being provided food or water as they wait overnight in pens, are too densely packed and are being improperly stunned before they are killed.

This year alone, at seven federally licensed facilities, an estimated 102,000 horses will be slaughtered in Canada for human consumption in Europe and Asia, the organization says.

It wants a total ban on the slaughter of horses for human consumption and, in the meantime, for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to shut down the Neudorf plant to end a "senseless, inhumane slaughter" of horses.

A CFIA official, who didn't want to be identified, said the agency plans a thorough investigation of the plant and will be asking for an "independent external animal welfare expert" to accompany agency officials during their investigation.

A spokesperson for Natural Valley Farms said the company was not commenting yesterday.

For those interested there is an on-line petition to end the practice of slaughtering horses for human consumption in Canada which can be reached by clicking on the title of this article.

East Points Meadow at the Top of Scarborough Bluffs

At the end of Coronation Drive in the furthest Eastern reaches of the City of Toronto, is a small miracle of neglect known as the East Points Park meadow.

It straddles the length of the Scarborough Bluff for several kilometers and is home to a rich diversity of birds and animals. Unfortunately it is coming to the attention of the City and improvements are already underway. Birchbark has been laid on the pathways, directional signs are going up, trees and bushes for replanting are in place and birdhouses have been erected.

The Trans-Canada trail has now reached across the mouth of Highland Creek and more and more people are discovering this little known paradise.

We are worried about its future.

What I Found at the Mouth of the Highland Creek

Natural Garden Care

Creeping Charlie

Creeping Charlie believe it or not can be used as an herbal medicine. It works to clear up inflamed eyes and it is also used to help stop ringing in the ears!

There are only two ways that I know of to get rid of creeping charlie. The method that you use depends on how much of it you have. If you can, just pull up as much as you can and then overseed the area with grass seed. the grass should overcrowd it and prevent it from growing back. You will get some coming back but nearly as much as you had before.

The problem is, creeping charlie can have roots that are 2 feet long so you can never get the whole thing out. Overseeding works but you may have to pull everything out two or three times before you can get rid of all of it. The second way works but it is kind of an extreme method. You use Borax and make a mixture using water. If you spray it on the creeping charlie, it will kill it. The problem is with this method is that nothing but grass will grow where you spray the Borax. Borax wont damage the grass either, the active ingredient in Borax is Boron and creeping charlie is very sensitive to it, grass is not.

If you have the time and patience, I would pull the creeping charlie and reseed right away, soon enough it should be gone !!Or else, just take five teaspoons full of 20 mule team borax and mix it in a quart of water and spray away. The quart should cover about 25 square feet and then you can say good bye to Charlie !!



Cucumber Beetle

They can be controlled fairly easily. Cucumber beetle can be repelled by plants and herbs, i dont know what you have around the yard but the following plants and herbs will repel the cucumber beetle so pick out whicever is best for your garden, Broccoli, calendula, catnip, goldenrod, nasturtiums, radishes, rue and tansy. The really pungent varieties of Marigolds will work too, if you want to use those then get some of the African, french or Mexican varieties and those should work.

Weeds

Weeds are easy to get rid of. I dont know how many weeds you are trying to get rid of so I will give you several options and each of them will work. if it is one or two stubborn weeds you are trying to get rid of and they just keep growing back then you could pour vinegar on them and they WILL die. Table salt works too but I have always had good luck with vinegar. For one or two weeds you can also pour boiling water right on the weed and that WILL kill it too. But....if there are several weeds growing there then you are better off making up a great home made weed killer. You take a sprayer or a spray bottle and in it you mix one litre of boiling water, 5 tablespoons of vinegar, 6 tablespoons of salt, one tablespoon of lemon juice and two teaspoons of dishwashing liquid, the kind for the machine washers is best. Then you shake it all up and spray it on the weeds and within two days they will all be dead. The best thing to do is to add all the ingredients in the bottle first and then add the boiling water, and then spray right away, the temperature of the water is very important. This formula WILL work

Ants

Actually, ants are really easy things to get rid of, the sage works great !! you can also sprinkle some cinnamon around too and that will add an extra layer of protection but the sage will work great all by itself ! About the bleeding hearts, i have pink and white bleeding hearts, the pink can take the sun better than the white but bith are primarily shade plants. The thing about bleeding hearts is that the soil has to be just righ for the plants to be happy. Heavy, dense, clay is what they hate.

If your soil isnt right then just mix in some peat moss and a little sand to help drainage and the plant will thrive. Bleeding hearts are very sensitive to water and bad soil conditions. Never let the water pool up around the base of the plant either. Are your plants blooming at all? if they are then they are not dead, after they bloom, they will fade away and die off about halfway through the summer, that is just what they do. The have their moment of glory and then go away for the summer and that is too bad because they are so pretty, but if you are not having any luck with them, the odds are that the soil needs to be worked to make it less dense and to improve the drainage.

Great Lakes In Trouble

According to today's edition of the New York Times:

CHICAGO — Regional government agencies around the Great Lakes spend some $15 billion a year to protect the lakes from invasive species, contaminated sediment and sewage overflows, a new study shows. But local officials say that still more protection is needed and that the United States and Canadian governments should pay for it.

“They’re saying it’s not a federal problem, but it is,” Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago said of the five lakes, which hold 20 percent of the world’s fresh water. Mr. Daley and other regional leaders say they intend to press for more federal money in light of the study, to be released Wednesday, which for the first time estimates what local governments are devoting to the lakes.

Several mayors said the lakes should not be deemed merely local concerns, but seen as a broader issue, akin to assisting the New Orleans region after Hurricane Katrina or restoring the Everglades in Florida. The study, arranged by the Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, both advocacy groups, concluded that the 688 local governments in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region spend much of the money on aging wastewater systems, which can release sewage when overwhelmed with rain. The $15 billion estimate was based on responses by 143 of the local governments to a survey on their spending in 2006.

It is uncertain exactly what federal authorities in the United States and Canada now spend on the Great Lakes, in part because so many agencies and programs are tied to the lakes. “That is one of the problems; we can’t find out what’s being spent,” said David Ullrich, executive director of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative.

No one was available on Tuesday at the United States Environmental Protection Agency to answer questions about Great Lakes spending. But Dale Kemery, a spokesman for the agency, wrote in an e-mail message that its budget provided “significant funding” for wastewater infrastructure nationally.

“We’re doing more with less by advancing innovative technologies and growing greater partnerships for sustainability,” Mr. Kemery wrote.

Still, Mr. Ullrich pointed to a main federal fund — one that helps states with wastewater projects — as an example of shrinking federal money that he said would leave the Great Lakes in jeopardy: the Clean Water State Revolving Fund dropped to $689 million in the 2008 fiscal year, from $1.08 billion a year earlier.

“The same problem can be seen here,” David Miller, the mayor of Toronto, said of Canada’s federal financing. “The national government doesn’t seem to understand the urgency and importance of the Great Lakes.”

Restorative Justice

What is restorative justice?

Restorative justice is one way to respond to a criminal act. Restorative justice puts the emphasis on the wrong done to a person as well as on the wrong done to the community. It recognizes that crime is both a violation of relationships between specific people and an offence against everyone - the state.

Restorative justice programs involve the voluntary participation of the victim of the crime and the offender and ideally members of the community, in discussions. The goal is to "restore" the relationship, fix the damage that has been done and prevent further crimes from occurring.

Restorative justice requires wrongdoers to recognize the harm they have caused, to accept responsibility for their actions and to be actively involved in improving the situation. Wrongdoers must make reparation to victims, themselves and the community.

What are some examples of restorative justice programs?

All restorative justice programs have some common elements. They seek healing, forgiveness and active community involvement. The programs can take place at different times after a crime has occurred - sometimes after charges have been laid; sometimes after an accused has been found guilty of an offence.

Some examples of restorative justice programs include:

• victim offender mediation;
• family group conferencing;
• sentencing circles;
• consensus-based decision-making on the sentence; and
• victim offender reconciliation panels.

Good restorative justice programs have well-trained facilitators who are sensitive to the needs of victims and offenders, who know the community in which the crime took place and who understand the dynamics of the criminal justice system.

How do victims of crime benefit from restorative justice programs?

The restorative justice process provides victims with the opportunity to express their feelings about the harm that has been done to them and to contribute their views about what is required to put things right. Some studies of restorative justice programs show that victims who are involved in the process are often more satisfied with the justice system and are more likely to receive restitution from the offender. Involvement can also help victims heal emotionally as well as lessen their fear of the offender and of being a victim of crime again.

However, restorative justice programs can be time-consuming and emotionally draining. For some crime victims, meeting the offender is difficult. The criminal justice system is working out ways to make sure that restorative justice programs give victims a voice in the process without pressuring them to participate or causing them more distress.

Does a victim of crime have to participate in restorative justice?

No. A victim's participation is voluntary. To help a victim decide whether or not to participate in a restorative justice program, the victim should be given complete information about the restorative justice process, possible outcomes, her or his role, the role of the offender and other process participants, as well as information about the criminal justice system options.

The fundamental principle is that restorative justice must not re-victimize the victim in any way. The process and the outcome should not cause further harm.

Whether or not a victim of crime participates in a restorative justice program, she or he is entitled to all the victims' services that are available in the community.

Are restorative justice programs in place across Canada?

There is a growing number of restorative justice initiatives under way across the country. More programs are being put in place all the time.

Will restorative justice programs replace other criminal justice system responses to criminal behaviour?

No. There will always be the need for a court process. Restorative justice can only take place when:

• an offender admits guilt, accepts responsibility for his or her actions and agrees to participate in the program;
• the victim of the crime freely agrees to participate in the program, without feeling pressured to do so; and
• trained facilitators are available in the community and a restorative justice program is in place.

As well, a person who has been wrongly charged with an offence must have the opportunity to prove his or her innocence in court. Restorative justice programs are not appropriate in every situation.