TJQ

Government agency breaches confidentiality Highly sensitive information given to private polling firm Earlier this week, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.), along with the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (C.S.S.A.) and other organizations representing firearms owners across Canada, became aware of an apparent breach of confidentiality involving information contained in the firearms registration system. This breach strongly justifies earlier calls to scrap the system, as proposed in Bill C-391, currently before the House of Commons. Ekos Research, a private sector polling company, was contracted by the Canadian Firearms Centre (C.F.C.) to conduct a survey of firearms owners across Canada, and was provided with personal information about firearms owners by the C.F.C., in an apparent breach of privacy and confidentiality. Worse still, the Minister of Public Safety, who is responsible for the C.F.C. and its parent body, the R.C.M.P., was not consulted prior to the release of the information. "The fact that the C.F.C. would provide highly sensitive information identifying individual firearms owners to an outside polling firm is a travesty," said Greg Farrant, O.F.A.H. Manager of Government Relations and Communications. "For years, licensed, law-abiding firearms owners have pointed to repeated abuses and breakdowns in what is supposed to be a highly confidential system. When the Liberal government created the system under Bill C-68, they insisted that a violation of this nature would not occur, despite being warned by the firearms community and Opposition members at the time that the potential for serious abuse existed. We hope that this will finally convince Opposition Members in Parliament of the need to scrap the system by supporting Candice Hoeppner's Bill C-391, which simply proposes to repeal the long gun portion of the firearms system." The apparent release of information to Ekos, which occurred in violation of government policy, and without the knowledge and approval of the Minister, who in any case would not authorize the release of such information, is the latest in a long line of procedural gaffs and financial disasters associated with the ill-fated long gun registry, which has cost Canadian taxpayers almost $2 billion to date. "We are profoundly concerned that an apparent violation has occurred, which has provided a private business with information that is supposed be closely guarded. The government has referred this matter to the Privacy Commissioner for a ruling on whether the Act has been breached, an action we strongly support. It is inexcusable that information of this nature should be made so readily available. The timing of this action is highly suspect, given the apparent source of the information, and the fact that Second Reading of Bill C-391 to scrap the long gun registry is scheduled in the House of Commons next week," said Farrant. With over 100,000 members, subscribers and supporters, and 660 member clubs, the O.F.A.H. is the largest nonprofit conservation-based, fish and hunting organization in Ontario and the voice of anglers and hunters. For more information, visit www.ofah.org.

Lookin' forward to it!

I knew it was all GCD's fault.. I just knew it.

Nice!! Congrats!

I have them occasionally when Ive slept crappy the night before.. and I need to get stuff done, especially mid afternoon.. Not alot.. but theres usually a 6 pack in the beer fridge. When ya work for yourself, sometimes there no "putting it off till tomorrow" I don't see a difference between that and an afternoon cup of coffee or two.. I bet you if you had a look at the sugar and caffeine in a Timmies XL Double Double, they wouldn't be too far off. (Actually, a large Timmies coffee has 200mg of caffeine and a red bull.. only has 80mg.. (I just looked it up....) http://www.timhortons.com/ca/pdf/caffeine-canada-en.pdf and http://www.wilstar.com/caffeine.htm and http://www.energyfiend.com/caffeine-content/red-bull

The vine that ate the south is here! Dreaded invasive kudzu vine has been found in Ontario It has been taking over fields, roadside signs, fences, trees, and even houses in the United States for years, but now, the kudzu vine (Pueraria montana) has been discovered in Ontario, on the shores of Lake Erie near the town of Leamington. The kudzu vine is a native of Eastern Asia, and was first brought to North America in 1876 for a centennial exhibition. It was later used for erosion control and promoted as a forage crop. Eventually, it took over much of the southern states and despite attempts to stop it, has continued to spread northward. "We have been watching the kudzu vine move toward Canada for some time now, with great apprehension. Our colleagues in the south have been fighting a tough battle with this invader, so we need to take immediate action in Ontario to stop kudzu in its tracks," says Rachel Gagnon, Coordinator of the O.I.P.C. (Ontario Invasive Plant Council), a collective of organizations collaborating to address the spread of alien invasive plants in Ontario. "Fortunately, it's been found early, so unlike previous invaders, such as dog strangling vine, we have the potential to eradicate kudzu and protect Ontario's biodiversity. Controlling this menace is critical to maintaining our native plants and wildlife habitat. If we let kudzu become established, it will cause untold ecological and economic damage." Like all other invasive species, when the vine takes to its new environment it spreads quickly at the expense of native species, including trees, which are girdled by the vine; broken by its weight; or killed by lack of light. The kudzu grows at an astounding rate of 30 centimeters (one foot) per day, and in a single season can grow up 30 meters (90 feet) in length. Control measures include hand cutting, mowing, controlled burns and herbicide. Grazing animals, such as goats and pigs have also been effective at containing the spread of the vine over the long term. The O.I.P.C. is a non-profit, multi-agency organization that facilitates a coordinated response to the threat of invasive plants. The council provides leadership, expertise and a forum to educate, motivate and empower organizations and citizens. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ontario's largest nonprofit, fish and wildlife conservation organization, houses the O.I.P.C. and supports its efforts. Visit www.ofah.org to learn more about the O.F.A.H. To report a sighting of the kudzu vine or any other invasive species, call the O.F.A.H./M.N.R. Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711.Visit www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca to download a fact sheet on the kudzu vine, or to learn more about other invasive plants. PDF PRINTOUT HERE! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu

The vine that ate the south is here! Dreaded invasive kudzu vine has been found in Ontario It has been taking over fields, roadside signs, fences, trees, and even houses in the United States for years, but now, the kudzu vine (Pueraria montana) has been discovered in Ontario, on the shores of Lake Erie near the town of Leamington. The kudzu vine is a native of Eastern Asia, and was first brought to North America in 1876 for a centennial exhibition. It was later used for erosion control and promoted as a forage crop. Eventually, it took over much of the southern states and despite attempts to stop it, has continued to spread northward. "We have been watching the kudzu vine move toward Canada for some time now, with great apprehension. Our colleagues in the south have been fighting a tough battle with this invader, so we need to take immediate action in Ontario to stop kudzu in its tracks," says Rachel Gagnon, Coordinator of the O.I.P.C. (Ontario Invasive Plant Council), a collective of organizations collaborating to address the spread of alien invasive plants in Ontario. "Fortunately, it's been found early, so unlike previous invaders, such as dog strangling vine, we have the potential to eradicate kudzu and protect Ontario's biodiversity. Controlling this menace is critical to maintaining our native plants and wildlife habitat. If we let kudzu become established, it will cause untold ecological and economic damage." Like all other invasive species, when the vine takes to its new environment it spreads quickly at the expense of native species, including trees, which are girdled by the vine; broken by its weight; or killed by lack of light. The kudzu grows at an astounding rate of 30 centimeters (one foot) per day, and in a single season can grow up 30 meters (90 feet) in length. Control measures include hand cutting, mowing, controlled burns and herbicide. Grazing animals, such as goats and pigs have also been effective at containing the spread of the vine over the long term. The O.I.P.C. is a non-profit, multi-agency organization that facilitates a coordinated response to the threat of invasive plants. The council provides leadership, expertise and a forum to educate, motivate and empower organizations and citizens. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ontario's largest nonprofit, fish and wildlife conservation organization, houses the O.I.P.C. and supports its efforts. Visit www.ofah.org to learn more about the O.F.A.H. To report a sighting of the kudzu vine or any other invasive species, call the O.F.A.H./M.N.R. Invading Species Hotline at 1-800-563-7711.Visit www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca to download a fact sheet on the kudzu vine, or to learn more about other invasive plants.

Well that put a smile on my face this morning!!

I got this today and thought I would share it!! Port Perry, Ontario (September 21, 2009) – Professional angler and host of Facts of Fishing THE SHOW® Dave Mercer has made the Major League Baseball (MLB) history books. On September 21st at 7:00pm Dave became the first person in the history of the league to "cast" (with rod and reel) the opening pitch, kicking off the game between the Toronto Blue Jays® and Baltimore Orioles. The historic cast took place at the Rogers Center® in downtown Toronto, and created an excellent opportunity to raise money for a great cause. In conjunction with the Blue Jays a "Facts of Fishing" section of seats was created where $5 from every ticket sold was donated by the Jays to Dave Mercer's Casting for a Cure charity benefiting the Canadian Cancer Society. Casting for a Cure was created by Mr. Mercer in honour of his late mother, Ann Mercer who lost her battle with cancer and has since raised over $100,000 for cancer research. Not the first place one would expect to see a "cast", Dave continues to be a great ambassador for the sport of fishing. By putting the sport in front of mainstream audiences such as those watching the game Dave has been able to introduce new people to the sport who otherwise would never have given it a chance. Dave stated, "My most vivid memories from my childhood were the times spent with family in the boat. So many people never get the opportunity to experience all the things this great sport has to offer. My goal is always to get one more person out there to give it a try.

Nice fish Roy!! Your a better pickeral fisherman than I .. mine are always pretty small. (and bass like... lol)

Thanks Cliff... man are those ever colorful fish...

LOL.. they sure do look like ewoks...

Personally I would have like to see Paul in the lead roll in Falling Down.. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106856/ If ya haven't seen it its pretty good.

See!!! this is what this forum is all about... Paul gets to vent here and the lunchtime crowd at some diner is safe!

You think thjats bad... try getting through to an actual person at bell canada... theres a 1/2 hour of my life ill never get back this morning.

Looks like CT carries CTEK as well!

Thanks!! I will explore both options!! I hadn't thought about a fountain pump!!!

This is my dillema... Right now at the camp, in the sauna, I have shower setup. It is comprised of a small 12v bilge pump hooked up to a 12V car battery. I have an on/off switch inline and the bilge pump goes in the bucket of warm water. Of course it runs off a 12v battery, which I trickle charge of the generator during the day. Well the 12V battery is toast, and I'm exploring options as to how to power the 12V bilge pump directly from the genny/plug, rather than a battery. I have tried using some 120V to 12V transformers, from the myriad of electronics equipment I've had over the years but the output amperage isn't enough to power the pump. Any suggestions?? I'm at a loss.. and I'd rather not buy another battery that I have to haul in and out of there every year.

Thats phenomenal!

I had a fight with a beaver once.....

Nice!!

Thanks Randy!! Your gonna have to show me that spot... Its funny how you can be soooo close to decent fishing and simply ignore it. Thanks again for the support bud!! Ya cant go fishing without the 'net!!

Thats pretty funny John, thanks.

Its rough on trucks that for sure.

Nice!!