Gordon J Holtslander
mastodon 4.8.0-alpha.3+glitchVanIslander ExSker Pinholer altphoto steelGuitar linux !Fear&Ignorance guitars & cameras. I make new old photos. Was a biologist once, now herd electrons through complex mazes?
"During the 2019 federal election, the Manning Centre, now known as the Canada Strong and Free Network, raised and donated more than $300,000 to Canada Strong and Proud and its affiliates, which in turn “only disclosed the Manning Centre as the sole source of the funds.”
Canada Strong and Free (Manning centre) is a US based conservative advocacy organization.
Is it being used by Americas to influence and interfere with Canada's politics?
Both Canada and US allow charities to be opaque over where their funding and support comes from.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2026/02/24/How-Right-Wing-Influencers-Dodged-Spending-Rules/
"The panic now visible in British Columbia is not evidence that reconciliation has gone too far. It is evidence that reconciliation has begun to have material consequences. And for the first time in generations, those consequences involve a loss of unilateral authority for the Crown and the economic elite that has long benefited from it. The power dynamic is changing. The real question is not whether Canadians should fear that change. It is who benefited from the status quo, and for how long."
If you still follow whales ..
3 unidentified orcas spotted in Vancouver Harbour never before documented in B.C.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/3-unidentified-orcas-spotted-in-vancouver-9.7121475
With the uncertainty surrounding mstdn.ca I'm establishing another instance:
humanwords uses Sharkey
If I'm going somewhere new, explore :)
https://blog.elenarossini.com/sharkey-a-fediverse-project-that-is-beautiful-inside-out/
Carney Government Knew Carbon Capture Was ‘Very Limited,’ Docs Show
DeSmog reveal the Carney government had major knowledge gaps about CCS even as it made the technology central to its climate plan.
https://www.desmog.com/2026/02/20/carney-government-knew-carbon-capture-was-very-limited-docs-show/
@McRocker@mstdn.ca
Another part of my Methane Pyrolysis rant.
Even in Alberta's heavy oil industry, M pyrolysis would lower costs (and emssions) "Upgrading bitumen requires generous amounts of hydrogen, typically produced through steam reforming of natural gas" pyrolysis can do the same job, cheaper, without the carbon emssions.
https://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/technical/alberta-bitumen-upgraders
New Democratic Party MP Lori Idlout is crossing the floor to join the Liberals, NDP Leader Don Davies said Tuesday evening.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/idlout-crossing-floor-liberals-9.7123443
When you drive by a gas station and gasp at the advertised price, remind yourself that the oil market is a yet another tool to manipulate resources for wealth.
Will the voices that shout about the cost of living do anything to challenge market manipulation by the world's wealthiest?
“ Incentives for disinformation
At the root of the problem, according to Lavigne, is the design of social media algorithms to optimize for engagement.
“Conspiracy theories tend to provoke some sort of outrage,” said Lavigne. This makes the content more engaging, keeping users eyeballs fixed on social media apps longer, which generates more advertising revenue..
The Media Ecosystem Observatory report found that Elon Musk’s X was the epicentre of Canadian conspiracy content, accounting for 70 per cent of likes and the majority of posts..
Despite being a hub for deepfake pornographic images and misinformation, the platform remains a primary communication tool for Canadian politicians. And evidence is mounting that its algorithms are shaping people’s beliefs.”
https://www.nationalobserver.com/2026/02/25/news/conspiracy-content-report-canada
Carney Allowed Gas-powered AI Data Centres After Lobbying From Alberta Energy Company
The Alberta gas giant Capital Power lobbied the government 37 times in the lead-up to an accord suspending clean energy regulations, federal records show.
#cdnpoli
https://www.desmog.com/2026/02/25/carney-allowed-gas-powered-ai-centres-after-lobbying-from-alberta-energy-company/
Canadian politicians still use X?
A fake video of the NY airport accident that killed two Canadian pilots. Was produced by X’sAI Grok.
Convenience or accuracy?
CBC has begun the ugly task of identifying misinformation. They will be criticized by every political actor relying on misinformation
“Liberal MP Wade Grant says a staff member for Vancouver MLA Dallas Brodie crossed the line, by storming into his constituency office on Friday in an aggressive manner”
Brodie’s provincial constituency (Vancouver-Quilchena) is within Grant’s federal constituency (Vancouver Quadra). Both “represent” some of the same people.
Brodie arguing one can’t both represent Canadians and Indigenous
Brodie's Vancouver Quilchena constituency consistently votes conservative
https://338canada.com/bc/1082e.htm
"World oil prices are not determined by fundamental physical supplies of, and demands for, actual petroleum. The leading benchmarks are set in highly volatile financial forums, called ‘futures markets’, in which the vast majority of participants have no intention of ever buying or using physical oil..
liquidity, expectations, and fears are far more important in shaping price movements than real economic fundamentals (like cost, productivity, and growth)..
the supply of physical oil is also corrupted by cartel behaviour, geopolitics, and monopoly power..
the price signals emanating from financialized, speculative global casinos should not be accepted as
rational indicators of efficient market forces. And the costs and damage done to economies and living standards by those processes should never be accepted as natural, inevitable, or efficient."
Tanille Johnston:
"Health, Care and Recognition
We have long been known as the party of healthcare, but we have let Liberals own our successes as of late. It is time we reclaim that title, not just for our party but for all healthcare advocates who fought long and hard to build our public healthcare system. Liberals and Conservatives systematically dismantled public services through privatization and our healthcare system has not been spared."
Israeli forces have boarded a charity vessel attempting to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said early on Monday. Israeli forces board aid boat bound for Gaza, Freedom Flotilla Coalition says - https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/freedom-flotilla-coalition-says-alarm-sounded-its-gaza-bound-ship-2025-06-08/
With Iran, Its 2022 again on oil pricing?
"the oil price spike of 2022 was a needless and very costly episode that caused a cascading
worldwide disruption. It was not the result of fundamental economic forces; it was the result of
speculation, financialization, geopolitics, and monopoly power. Canadians paid massively for this spike, and continue to do so. The petroleum industry profited, with higher consumer expenses flowing into industry profits on a near dollar-for-dollar basis..
When price spikes do occur, excess profits to the petroleum industry should be recouped by
government through stronger royalties or excess profits taxes.
"
Hazer Group of Australia continues its development of its Methane Pyrolysis plant partnership with FortisBC
project development work continues on the 2,500 tonnes per annum (“tpa”) commercial facility. The parties have now engaged Hazer’s global alliance partner, Kellogg, Brown & Root (“KBR”), to fast-track the project, leveraging their engineering and project execution capability.
The question for Canadians why this is being led by an Australian company in Canada?
https://mailchi.mp/hazergroup/hazer-investor-newsletter-june-6753897?e=4fac9729b1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRoT-fjQDSo
(Suncor backed out of this agreement)
16 Canadian-headquartered companies supported politicians who voted not to certify the 2020 election through corporate PACs
https://theijf.org/article/canadian-companies-election-deniers
The British Columbia Labour Relations Board recently ruled that Amazon violated the provincial Labour Code by denying scheduled pay increases to workers who unionized.|
"No worker should be punished for exercising their legal right to join a union, and today’s ruling sends a clear message that Amazon is not above the law,” said Unifor national president Lana Payne in a union press release."
https://www.readthemaple.com/amazon-breached-b-c-labour-code-by-denying-pay-increase/
https://www.unifor.org/sites/default/files/documents/Amazon-2026_wages_ruling.pdf