Potash - A Strategic Resource?

The recent news out of Saskatchewan is the hostile takeover bid for Sask Potash by the Australian mining giant BHP.

There are a couple of ways of looking at this: let the market decide or have some level of government quash the proposed sale. The former might be in the interests of current shareholders - if there is a good offer, these shareholders could stand to make a substantial profit selling their shares to BHP. The latter really goes against both Federal and Provincial Governments' supposed free market philosophy, but could be justified by declaring this industry a strategic resource - too important to allow it to be sold.

In a somewhat surprising, but understandable, move, the Sask Government has come out against the sale, declaring it not to be in the interests of Canada or Saskatchewan. Given who else has come out against this proposed sale, the Feds will probably come out against it as well.

This is as it should be. There is no perceived benefit to the Province or the country by this sale. This is simply the quickest way BHP can enter the potash business. There have been far too many examples in Canada of valuable companies, good companies, being taken over and run into the ground, broken up or controlled by outside interests. Some industries are too important to allow the "free market" to do whatever the profit motive dictates. Not everything is about money!

We're From the Government....

Let me get this straight: The Harper Conservatives feel driven to scrap the mandatory long-form census because they received complaints from: a) over 1000 people a day, or b) at least a few people in total, or... c) some other reason entirely. They feel compelled to protect us from fines and jail time because we might object to confiding information like how many bathrooms are in our house?

Give me a break.

This Harper (minority) Government scrapped Income Trusts in the mistaken belief that millions of tax dollars were leaking away and they have sidestepped climate change action, to name just two issues they've been on the wrong side of. They've followed a specific course of action despite often massive protests and opposition, and, in many cases, the facts.

They're not scrapping the long-form census because a few people have their shorts in knots over the questions. Rather, it's just another example of how this government is entirely driven by (mean-spirited, short-sighted, conservative) ideology and nothing else.

Apple Harvest

What you see here is probably 10% of our entire apple harvest. One of 2 Jonagold apples and a very few on two other trees. This year was pretty much a disaster for our apple crop, although the trees are very young and quite small, so I shouldn't expect too much just yet. We had an infestation of various insect pests early in the season and I think that's what did them in. That and the unseasonably cool weather when fruit should have been setting. Oh well. There's always next year.

The apple was very good, by the way.

Exploring the Koots - 1001 - Plaid Lake

With the fine fall weather hanging around the Koots for a few days, we headed off to explore the trail to Plaid Lake in the hopes of finding more larches in fall color, and, of course, the views.

This being a "rest day" we caught the 8:10 ferry across the Lake, found the right FSR leading up behind Crawford Bay and headed up. The FSR had been partially deactivated which, around here, means big drainage trenches in the road, making a high clearance 4x4 vehicle pretty much the only way to negotiate the holes. In addition to being full of deep trenches, it was steep, so the old truck started to complain near the top. Interestingly, the highest part of the access road was the best, but we walked that bit.

The trail in to Plaid Lake was fine, although the trailhead is higher than the Lake. When we got to the trail downhill to the Lake, I was surprised when Catherine suggested we head up to a nearby ridge for the views rather than hike down to the lake. I guess she's arrived at that stage when she'd rather stand on top of a peak rather than sit by a lake. Who knew?

At the "pass" we were just below Mt Crawford, a prominent peak visible east of Crawford Bay. It's one I'll have to come back to scramble up on another trip.

A short traverse across a steep slope and we were on a minor ridge with views in all directions of the compass. It's always fun to identify all these other peaks, including ones you've been on recently. After some time snacking and resting in the sun, it was back down and off to home. We were surprised by the amount of traffic waiting for the ferry and luckily happened to be almost the last vehicle that made it on for the trip across the Lake.