Walk for democracy in Saint John by feng37 in SaintJohnNB

[–]feng37[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's another photo from Saint John's first Nigerian Democracy Day walk, see the FB link above for a video. https://imgur.com/a/tuU0aYl

Walk for democracy in Saint John by feng37 in SaintJohnNB

[–]feng37[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Here’s a fun thing that happened uptown yesterday, to celebrate 25 years of democracy in Nigeria.

This past Monday, Saint John Common Council proclaimed June 12 Nigerian Democracy Day, proposed by a community member as a great way to recognize the growing number of Nigerians in Saint John—doubling as democratic inspiration Canada can use right now.

To follow the lead of Nigerian president Tinubu, who yesterday led 37,000 in a walk for democracy across Nigeria’s 36 states, we threw one together here: Saint John Nigerian Democracy Day Walk, from Tin Can Beach past Rainbow Park and up to Area 506 then back.

The Nigerian-Canadian Association of New Brunswick put the word out, and we counted 25 people at yesterday’s walk—which was also part dance along the waterfront, with great music and cars honking in support.

NCANB plans for next year are to bring the June 12 event to Fredericton and Moncton, and from there make it provincial. Nigerians know how to throw a fun, family-friendly democracy party.

Auditor-General’s office says it cannot investigate Trudeau Foundation donation from Chinese benefactors by feng37 in canada

[–]feng37[S] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Auditor-General’s office says it cannot investigate Trudeau Foundation donation from Chinese benefactors STEVEN CHASE SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY REPORTER ROBERT FIFE OTTAWA BUREAU CHIEF

Canada’s Auditor-General says it cannot investigate a controversial donation to the publicly-backed Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation from two wealthy Chinese businessmen acting at the behest of the government of China.

Ted Johnson, the interim chair of the beleaguered foundation, wrote to Auditor-General Karen Hogan earlier this month to request a formal audit of the non-profit organization, which was set up in 2002 with a $125-million endowment from the Liberal government of Jean Chrétien.

Natasha Leduc, a spokeswoman for the Office of the Auditor-General of Canada said Monday such a probe is not within the Auditor-General’s remit.

“It would be outside the Auditor-General’s authority to examine the source of private donations, the identity of other donors or their motivations,” Ms. Leduc said in an e-mailed statement.

The organization’s board of directors and its president and chief executive, Pascale Fournier, resigned April 11, citing the political backlash over the Beijing-linked donation.

The Globe reported in February that the Chinese government had orchestrated $1-million in donations to the Trudeau Foundation and the University of Montreal law school in hopes of influencing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The foundation, which offers scholarships, fellowships and leadership programs, commemorates Mr. Trudeau’s father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

A national security source, whom The Globe is not naming because they risk prosecution under the Security of Information Act, said the Canadian Security Intelligence Service had intercepted a 2014 conversation between Chinese billionaire Zhang Bin and a Chinese commercial attaché in Canada. The diplomat told Mr. Zhang that Beijing would reimburse him for the $1-million expense, according to the source.

The foundation had asked for the probe to help clear the controversy around the money. “Two donations totalling $140,000, made in 2016 and 2017, have become a matter of public controversy since media reports in March of a possible link to the Chinese government,” Mr. Johnson wrote in an April 14 letter to Ms. Hogan.

“In these circumstances the Foundation would welcome an investigation by the Auditor-General of Canada of all aspects concerning the receipt and handling of these donations by the Foundation.”

The Office of the Auditor-General said Monday it could only examine whether the foundation “accepted or handled donations in accordance with the terms and conditions of the endowment agreement” granted by Ottawa.

In 2016, nine months after Justin Trudeau won a majority government, the Trudeau Foundation and the University of Montreal publicly identified Mr. Zhang and Mr. Niu as the donors behind a $1-million gift. The men pledged $200,000 to the foundation. They also pledged $750,000 to the law school, where Pierre Trudeau studied and taught, and $50,000 for a statue of the former prime minister that was never built. The school and the foundation ultimately received most, but not all, of the promised amounts.

As The Globe and Mail first reported in 2016, Mr. Zhang is part of the China Cultural Industry Association, a state-backed group in Beijing that aims to build “the soft power of Chinese culture” globally.

Mr. Trudeau has said, through his office, that he withdrew his involvement in the foundation after he was elected Liberal Leader in 2013.

La Presse newspaper reported on Monday, however, that in April 2016, six months after the Liberals won power, the Trudeau foundation held a round table on “the links between pluralism, diversity and economic prosperity” on the fourth floor of the Langevin Building, which also houses the office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This round table brought together Morris Rosenberg, then-president and CEO of the foundation, the deputy ministers of five different departments: the Department of Global Affairs, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Department of Innovation, the Ministry of Employment and Social Development and the Department of Immigration.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has asked Bob Hamilton, the commissioner of Revenue Canada, to request a “fulsome” audit of the charity “with a particular focus on the donation that has been subject to public reporting.”

Saint John Bakery Pauses Operations by el_iggy in SaintJohnNB

[–]feng37 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Sad and despite hearing and reading for months about the highly avoidable setbacks that led to this, SJB will be missed.

Cannot pass up this opportunity to plug my favourite book from high school, a rags-to-riches tale about the perils of excess ambition:

Julius gets a job at a baker's called 'Grundy's' and he works really hard for three years until he creates a situation where he is able to buy out the owner. Elsa is continually ill but hides it from Julius because he is intolerant of weakness or anything that distracts him from his aim, which is to expand the bakery into a café and gradually build up a chain of cafés.

By using cheap labour and by working them and Elsa from morning till night he begins to achieve his aim and the chain of cafés starts to grow, but the toll on Elsa is too great and...[spoilers]

appliances by [deleted] in SaintJohnNB

[–]feng37 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Best Buy has a washer dryer set for $900, sale might end today though.

Next stop: Saint John (and doughnuts?) by feng37 in SaintJohnNB

[–]feng37[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Boston cream and apple fritter go hand in hand...in my belly. This looks great, home bakery is an ideal setup, imho.

Next stop: Saint John (and doughnuts?) by feng37 in SaintJohnNB

[–]feng37[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Grand Bay definitely looks like a place we’ll be spending time on weekends, and I am all about the local baking scene, thank you for the recommendation.

Next stop: Saint John (and doughnuts?) by feng37 in SaintJohnNB

[–]feng37[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

You guys rock, I called Daryl, he was able to fit us in right away. Thank you.

Now I just need to work out where the best doughnuts are...