Reminding Liberals

Kitchener—Conestoga Green Bob Jonkman wore his Fair Vote hat to join the Fair Vote Waterloo delegation that met with the Hon. Karina Gould, the current Liberal Minister of Democratic Institutions, at the Hon. Bardish Chagger’s Waterloo Constituency office last week.

Bob Jonkman chats with Electoral Reformers
Electoral Reformers chat with the Hon. Katrina Gould about Electoral Reform
Greens are ready for Electoral Reform to Proportional Representation
Proportional Representation is not going away!

[additional photos are available in my Reminding Liberals Flickr Album]

Join us at the Kultrún World Music Festival this weekend!

Visit the WRGreens booth to say hi and chat about green issues, where we’ll have a button making table for kids of all ages!

But of course the real point of it all is the music!  We’re looking forward to hearing indie Juno nominee Alysha Brilla (pictured below with Bob after her performance at the GPO Earth Day Rally.
For a taste of the program check out the promo:

Hope to see you there!

Photos from the Peoples Town Hall

Although the Hon. Bardish Chagger declined to attend (citing not enough notice) Waterloo Region’s 3 backbench Liberals were there.

Naturally Greens were out for this.

Of course there were questions from the audience.

But questions were limited because the MPs time was limited: none of them had real answers, and all three had other places to go.

After they were gone, there was some good discussion about the way forward.


More photos from the event are in the Peoples Town Hall KM Flickr album

#GreenDrinks with @BrantGreens

WRGreens have been invited to join our friends at Brant Greens for their monthly Green Drinks social event.   Apparently Green Drinks is a thing, and WRGreens is considering setting up our own version of events rotating through Waterloo Region.

Friday, July 13th at the Sociable Kitchen + Tavern

Join the conversation this Friday, July 13th,between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. at the Sociable Kitchen + Tavern
(http://www.sociabletavern.ca45 King George Road, Brantford.

Enjoy the wide array of scrumptious foods and craft brews
(www.sociabletavern.ca/eat-drink)!

Brant Greens gather
photo © Brant Greens, used with permission

Enjoy a refreshing beverage and share the latest news on green events in Brantford-Brant.

Meet new friends who care about the environment, neighbours engaged in their communities, and other like minded, hard working folks like yourself, who share a common desire for a sustainable future.

Brant Greens socialize in a local tavern
photo © Brant Greens, used with permission

Brant Green Drinks is a great way to meet new people and enjoy the company of good friends. So bring a friend and look forward to meeting new friends. It’s an engaging evening of green thinking, sharing, and networking at its best!

For more information: www.greendrinks.org/ON/Brant.

Please feel free to extend the invitation to other green minded folks you know!


2018 brant greendrinks Calendar

Monday, August 13th
Tin Cup Sports Grill
61 Lynden Road, Brantford

Thursday, September 13th
Legends Tap House & Grill,
1084 Rest Acres Rd, Paris

Saturday, October 13th
Mash Paddle Brewing Company
111 Sherwood Dr #3A, Brantford

Tuesday, November 13th
Duke on Park,
505 Park Road North, Brantford

Thursday, December 13th
Bell City Brewing51 Woodyatt Drive, Brantford

 

Pipeline Town Hall Wednesday Night!

RSVP http://act.350.org/event/screenings-town-halls-km-buyout/14413/signup/

Community members are invited to discuss the Canadian government’s buyout of Kinder Morgan’s pipeline and tanker project with local members of Parliament.

Excerpts of the film Directly Affected: Pipeline Under Pressure will be screened.

Following the film, Rev. Rosalyn Kantaht’nta Elm (Oneida Nation, and a priest serving the Anglican parish of Six Nations) will join Chief Myeengun Henry (Chippewas of the Thames) and Dr. Angela Carter (BSIA Fellow and Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at UW) to reflect on the film and lead a discussion.

Doors open at 5:30, plan to arrive by 5:45 to enjoy some snacks and find a seat. This event is free, with donations accepted to help cover the costs of the venue.

WRGreens at Kultrún World Music Festival


This year we’re looking forward to having our very first Waterloo Region Greens information booth at KULTRÚN.

The local World Music festival created by Neruda Arts began in Waterloo Square but quickly outgrew the space so they moved to Victoria Park.  Kultrún always has a stunning mix of great music from around the world.  (That’s where I became a fan of the Jerry Cans last year).  Victoria Park has room for two full size stages, one by the Clocktower and the other down by the water. This lets them squeeze in even more music, with stage crews setting up one stage while the music flows on the other. It also keeps the audience moving back and forth, handy for an event dubbed “KW’s largest outdoor dance party.”

The Festival actually begins with a special Friday Afternoon event at 2:00pm
The Conversation: The Condor and The Eagle Prophecy at Open Sesame
Although this event is free, space is limited, so you must register.

The 8pm, Friday July 13th, 2018
GALA: Morena Son from Cuba, Aurora & Mateo and Dj Fosforita
at The MUSEUM on Friday Night.
[The only Kultrún event with an admission fee.  Advance tickets: $45.00; Table of 10 $400.00]

Saturday July 14th

  • 12:00pm DJ Fosforita (Toronto/Ecuador)
  •   2:00pm Grupo Yautepec (Mexico)
  •   3:00pm Subhira Quartet (Chile)
  •   4:00pm Briga (Montreal/Poland)
  •   5:00pm Maracatu Mar Abeto (Toronto/Brazil)
  •   6:00pm Jeong ga ak hoe (Korea)
  •   7:00pm Eliana Cuevas (Venezuela)
  •   8:00pm Morena Son (Cuba)
  •   9:00pm Four Corners of the World
  •   9:45pm Afrikana Soul Sister (Montreal/Mali)

Sunday July 15th, 2018

  • 1:00pm Cara Loft (First Nations)
  • 2:00pm White Pine Dancers (First Nations)
  • 3:00pm Beatriz Pichi Malen (Indigenous Mapuche)
  • 4:00pm Cascabel (Toronto/Cuba/Mexico/Venezuela)
  • 5:00pm OKAN (Toronto/Cuba)
  • 6:00pm Aurora (Spain)
  • 7:00pm Alysha Brilla (Canada/Tanzania)
  • 8:00pm Colectro  (Colombia)

Victoria Park, Kitchener (MAP)

Pictured on my mini poster are Eliana Cuevas from the 2014 Jazz Festival and Alysha Brilla performing at this year’s Multicultural Festival.  If you haven’t yet been, here’s a taste of what’s in store for you this year:

Hope to see you at Kultrún!


For more information visit the Kultrún website

[republished from the KitConGreens blog]

Lower The Voting Age!

Young People in Discussion

We know that people who start voting young tend to become voters for life. By including youth in the democratic process earlier, we can take a giant step towards a healthier democracy.

It flies in the face of fairness that 16 and 17-year olds are old enough to work — and pay taxes — while not being allowed to vote for the government those taxes are funding.

Elizabeth May and the Green Party strongly believe that our youth deserve better.

click to Support Elizabeth May’s bill to lower the voting age to 16

[Reprinted from the KitConGreens blog]

Pardon Canadians Convicted for Possessing Marijuana!

Cannabis should never have been made illegal, but since it was, the Green Party supports good public policy to rectify the mistakes of the past.

GPO Leader Mike Schreiner talks about Cannabis in Kitchener

The Green Party is pleased that Canadians will soon be able to access marijuana openly and safely — free from the threat of being criminally charged.

However, many thousands of Canadians who previously smoked or possessed cannabis, but were caught by police, will remain criminals in the eyes of the law. A disproportionate number of racialized Canadians have been charged, and all those convicted face serious obstacles applying for jobs and travelling abroad.

Join us in demanding the Liberal government provide amnesty for all Canadians convicted solely on charges of marijuana possession.

click to send a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Wilson-Raybould

[Reprinted from the KitConGreens blog]

No Pipelines, Please #StopKM

If Canada is to be a Climate Leader, we need to reduce our fossil fuel production, not triple it.  #KeepItInTheGround

When Texas-based Kinder Morgan threatened to walk away from their disastrous pipeline and tanker project, the Trudeau government jumped in to buy them out with $4.5 billion of taxpayer dollars.

Canada is being sold a lemon by a bunch of billionaires from Texas, who are laughing all the way to the bank. Instead of investing in renewable energy, clean water for Indigenous peoples, and strong social programs, we’re buying a failing and risky dirty oil project.

Tell Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Bill Morneau to cancel the buyout of Trans Mountain now!

click to send a letter to PM Justin Trudeau & Minister Bill Morneau

[reprinted from the KitConGreens blog]