TOBACCO NEWS FROM CANADA
(Archives)

February 2004

Comments by Warren Klass
President, FORCES - Canada

Dateline - Toronto, Ontario

February 26 - It is worth keeping in mind reading the next two stories out of Toronto that the Province of Ontario is currently running over a 5 Billion dollar deficit, and the City of Toronto according to the Toronto Red Star is running a “344 Million budget shortfall.”

None the less ”Tobacco Control” seems to be the pre-occupation at both Queens Park among The Dolton Gang and at Toronto City Council. There is a reason that Toronto and Ontario are hated in the rest of Canada for electing Liberal Governments that impose and lavishly fund the following idiocy.

The Dolton Gang is spending countless millions on something called: ”Leave the Pack Behind.” This multi-million dollar boondoggle is called: ”Ontario Tobacco Strategy” and is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

You would think that the Ontario Ministry of Silly Walks, er Long Term Care would solidly stand behind the multi-million dollar effort cooked up by what seems to be the Academic PARASITE CLASS. Not exactly.

This disclaimer appears at the beginning of the release of the Leave The Pack Behind campaign: ”No endorsement by the Ministry is intended or should be inferred.” Why would the Dolton Gang want to distance themselves from a campaign that is clearly Media Manipulation 101?

Here is a sample of topics from the Leave The Pack Behind information package:

• ”Understanding and Using Audience Analysis and Segmentation for Tobacco Control”

• “Understanding and Using Mass Media for Tobacco Control”

• “Understanding and Using Media Advocacy for Tobacco Control”

• “Understanding and Using Process Evaluation for Tobacco Control.”

Buried in their propaganda ranting is the admission that they really don’t know if fear mongering is effective or whether fear mongering might have an ”adverse effect” - but they really don’t know.

As I have said many times before, if Big Tobacco had hired these Liberal Party funded PARASITES to get kids to start smoking-they couldn’t have done a better job.

Also from Toronto comes the story from the Toronto Red Star that puts a price tag on policing Toronto’s upcoming smoking ban - $723,000.  This is included in the $189.9 million dollar budget-up 9.4%-from the Toronto Health Board, which did such a wonderful job controlling SARS.

Dateline - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

February 26 - For those who wonder how the Liberal Party’s $500 Million A Year PARASITE INDUSTRY manipulates a gullible media should see a story this week in the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. Not since the days of Hitler, Stalin or Mao have I seen such amateurish, transparent propaganda.

The story from the Star-Phoenix profiled a couple of what I assume to be a couple of restaurants in an upper-class neighborhood that voluntarily banned smoking. Smoking bans, like the Liberal Party are the invention of Canada’s upper class. The story details –on the experience of a couple of upper class restaurants-how great smoking bans have been for business.

There was no word uttered on how restaurants that appeal to a more middle-class or blue-collar clientele fare after smoking bans are imposed.

The Star-Phoenix also reported on details of Saskatoon’s anti-smoking by-law. Individuals are liable for $10,000 fines while businesses that allow smoking can be fined $25,000.

Dateline - Prince George, B.C.

February 26 - The Prince George Free Press is reporting on a convention that is right out of Hitler Youth. It seems that 100 kids have been selected to participate in something called:” Youth Target of Tobacco Industry-and what you can do about it.”

As if Canada did not have enough home grown Liberal Party financed PARASITES, some character from New York is being flown in to give a speech to the “Tobacco Youth Symposium” to disseminate lies, hatred and propaganda to naïve and gullible kids.

One 15-year-old kid won a $100 prize, out of 40 who entered a contest to demonize Tobacco Companies. The winning entry showed a puppet on a string with the caption:” Tobacco Smokes Youth.” No word on the other 39 entries.

The Children Of Canada are being bamboozled and manipulated all right-but the manipulation ain’t coming from Big Tobacco. The manipulation is coming from PARASITES who make 6 figure salaries, piss away millions on ”Tobacco Youth Symposiums” and throw the odd kid a $100 bone.

This is how the Liberal Party pisses away $500 million a year, while the country is in an uproar over $100 million Pork-barreling in Quebec.

Dateline - Port Hope, Ontario

February 23 - Here is another story you don’t often see coming out of Ontario-the town of Port Hope not only said an emphatic NO to a smoking ban, but city council also rejected any smoking restrictions, such as banning those under 19 in smoking areas.

Here is an excerpt from Northumberland Today:

”Councilor Ted Watts said he didn’t feel he had the authority to tell businesses what they could and could not do on their own property.

“More so, he said, he didn’t want to be held accountable for someone potentially losing their business because of a decision he made.

“I don’t feel like I should be responsible for putting anybody out of business.”

“For now smokers in Port Hope can light up wherever and whenever they want.”

The actions of the Port Hope city Council has given all of Ontario and Canada that sanity, common sense and decency might yet prevail in Canada.

Dateline - Thunder Bay, Ontario

February 23 - This is a follow-up/update to the Sarsfield story-the Ontario Medical Bureaucracy overruling the illegal and highhanded tactics of Dr. Peter Sarsfield, the Ontario Health Reichfuhrer imposing smoking bans from the Ontario-Manitoba border to Thunder Bay.

In the original Forces Canada account I relied on the Winnipeg media (CBC Manitoba and the Winnipeg Free Press) reporting of this important story. Given the verdict its no surprise the National media-IGNORED, the story completely. The Grope and Flail, The National Post, the Winnipeg Sun, etc. totally ignored the story not even bothering to put it on page 12.The story didn’t make the CBC or CTV National newscasts. If the verdict had gone the other way there would have been banner headlines throughout the country.

Faster than you can say Sheela Basrur (Dolton’s poster girl for affirmative action. Poor Little Sheela went from making a mess of the SARS crisis to being Ontario’s top Health bureaucrat) local Health officers across the country would impose smoking bans.

One of the themes I’ve repeatedly raised at Forces Canada, it’s the necessity of defeating the Federal Liberal Party in the next election-if for no other reason than they are the PATRONS of the $500 Million a year PARASITE INDUSTRY-dedicated to”DE-NORMALIZING US. They are the architects, implementers-and the BIG RECIPIENTS of a policy to PUNISH US primarily through cigarette taxes and smoking bans.

The Sarsfield case shows that when THEIR (OUR) money is cut off so is their power. The follow-up is datelined out of Thunder Bay, because Thomas Laprade sent me an article from the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal. Several of you sent me a copy of an article from the Fort Frances Times, which is the reprinting on an unreadable press release.

The message from the Mayors of Northern Ontario is that they are not interested in funding Sarsfield’s appeal. The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal put the cost at $150,000.Forces Canada has previously quoted new stories that put Sarsfield’s actual and potential legal bills in the millions. Even the Dolton Gang, presently running a $5 Billion deficit, and the Quacks at the Ontario Medical Association are not interested in financing Sarsfield’s quixotic quest. Thus it was the Municipalities of Northern Ontario who are stuck with Sarsfield’s legal bills.

Here is what, Atikokan Mayor, Dennis Brown told the Chronicle-Journal:” the health unit should spend no more time or money going through legal action…

“Unless the health unit finds revenue source other than its municipal levies to finance legal action, it should end now.”

Kenora, Ontario Mayor Dave Canfield told the Chronicle-Journal that appeal: ”will be horrendous waste of money.”

Here is the decision Sarsfield wants millions to appeal, that his antics were:” beyond the scope of his authority under Section 13 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act.”

Dateline - Timmins, Ontario

February 23 - Far more typical out of Ontario is a story from The Timmins Daily Press, which reported on the plight of Annette Boucher, the owner/operator of Sisters Café and Lunch bar; since the smoking ban was imposed in Timmins. Before the smoking ban was imposed Mrs. Boucher ran a successful 32-seat restaurant that was always packed. Before the smoking ban, Mrs. Boucher employed a full and part time worker beside herself.

Here is what Annette Boucher told The Timmins Daily Press:” Within two months of the smoking ban’s implementation, my bookkeeper called and said my business dropped 30 per cent. Another two months later, she called and again, this time to tell me I had lost 50 per cent of my business.”

Mrs. Boucher is not planning on renewing her lease, which is up in April.

Dateline - Toronto, Ontario

February 23 - Apparently not everybody in Canada is quitting smoking. Reuters reported that earnings at Rothmans, Canada’s second largest tobacco company rose 22.5% in the latest quarter. Sales also increased as well from $130 million to $170 million.

Dateline - Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

February 23 - One week after Moose Jaw imposed a smoking ban, the headline at the Regina Leader Post reads:” Moose Jaw smoke ban snuffs out bar traffic.”

As could be expected the news is grim for the hospitality industry. Larry Langois, the owner of the Park Hotel has cut his payroll from 780 hours to 200 hours. This is in a Province that desperately needs every job it can get. He has also cut his advertising budget from $3,400 down to $330 because of the lack of business caused by the smoking ban.

Lynda Thorne, the manager of Nevada Nickel’s, told the same story. When asked by the Leader Post if she saw a big drop in business because of the smoking ban, she answered: "definitely, definitely, definitely.”

Dateline - Yellowknife, Inuvik N.W.T

February 23 - There are a couple of stories out of Canada’s North worth reporting. The first story involves the City of Yellowknife dropping charges against a bar owner and the Yellowknife Legion for allowing smoking.

CBC North reported that the owner of Jose Loco restaurant and the manager of the Yellowknife Legion were facing charges of allowing smoking. The charges were dropped because of “vague wording”-whatever that is. Before we celebrate, City Council changed the wording of the bylaw.

Just to show how capricious the enforcement of the bylaw is, two men were charged for staging a “Smoke-In “to protest the bylaw last October at the Blacknight. Why these two were charged, even though the bylaw as written was” vague" (read: unenforceable) is anybody’s guess. Suspicious minds can only assume, that the two who staged the “Smoke-In” are being charged to send a message.

In a related story, CBC North also reported that charges were dropped against the manager of the Legion in Inuvik for allowing smoking. No reason was supplied.

Dateline - Airdrie, Alberta

February 23 - There are two issues that I have often discussed at Forces Canada. The Hitler Youth style exploitation of children used to promote smoking bans, and the Liberal Party’s $500 million a year PARASITE INDUSTRY who hire these kids. In the town of Airdrie, Alberta, which presently has no smoking restrictions, now has the symbiosis of child exploitation and PARASITISM.

Here is an excerpt from the Airdrie Echo reporting on the movement to ban smoking in Airdrie:

“The coalition was spearheaded by Lisa Timmermans, 17,a Grade 12 student at St. Martin de Porres High School, who along with fellow students, formed it as a community-based project in conjunction with Women’s Initiative on Tobacco, Calgary Health Region, Canadian Cancer Society, and Action on Smoking and Health.”

There is no outrage about the Liberal Party pissing away $500 million on these PARASITES, but the country is up in arms about the Liberals pissing away ONLY $100 million porkbarelling in Quebec.

Dateline - Toronto, Ontario

February 23 - And yet another story about the Liberal Party’s $500 million a year PARASITE INDUSTRY. The Medical Post reported that a group called:” Coalition Against Tax Evasion” sent a letter to Dolton (Norman Bates) demanding that action be taken against RJR because Indians smuggled cigarettes into Ontario in the 90s.By a massive co-incidence this Quack front group is asking for the $1.5 Billion from RJR at the same time the O.M.A. is asking the Ontario government for a huge wage increase. Thursday’s Grope and Flail reported the Quacks want a 30% raise.

A bit of context is required here. In the early 90s the Liberal Party imposed huge new tobacco taxes in Canada. This led to a smuggling epidemic through Indian Reservations that straddle the U.S.-Canada border.

Allan Rock (since kicked out of cabinet by Paul Martin) pissed away millions suing RJR in U.S. Courts-and losing every case, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Gar Mahoodlum and the rest of the Liberal Party’s $500 million a year PARASITE INDUSTRY pressured Martin Cauchon (also kicked out of cabinet by Paul Martin) into pissing away more millions in what should be another fruitless shakedown of RJR, this time in Canadian Court.

The Indians who organized and executed the smuggling scheme were never charged. Charging Indians wouldn’t play too well among the Politically Correct plutocratic circles of the Liberal Party.

Dateline - Kenora, Ontario

February 19 - Here is something you don’t often see in Forces Canada-a good news/happy ending story out of Ontario.

For over a year Forces Canada has been tracking the story of an Ontario Health bureaucrat, Dr. Peter Sarsfield who unilaterally decided that indoor smoking should be banned in his jurisdiction, which extends from the Manitoba-Ontario border to Thunder Bay. The Northern Ontario hospitality industry hired a lawyer, and won a preliminary injunction in Court barring the highhanded antics of Sarsfield, pending an appeal.

CBC Manitoba and the Winnipeg Free Press both reported Wednesday that the Ontario Health Service Review and Appeal Board overturned the smoking ban, ruling Sarsfield overstepped his authority.

Neither CBC nor the Free Press considered it newsworthy to calculate how many millions were pissed away on legal fees by Ontario taxpayers. Forces Canada has previously reported that Sarsfield’s antics have cost Ontario taxpayers millions. When even the Dolton Gang stopped financing his legal bills, Sarsfield appealed to the Quacks at the Ontario Medical Association for donations. Its safe to assume that the Quacks at the O.M.A. were less than forthcoming. Its one thing when it’s the taxpayers paying millions in legal fees to defend smoking bans, it’s quite another when it’s the O.M.A. being asked to foot the bill.

This reminds me of a Franz Kafka story, The Penal Colony. Torture is suddenly stopped in the Penal colony not because of any epiphany of decency from the Commandant, but because there is no money to purchase spare parts for the torture machine.

Sarsfield told the Winnipeg Free Press he has no plans to appeal. Be assured this is only because he ran out of money for lawyers.

Denise Pelletier, owner of Ted’s Restaurant in Kenora told the Winnipeg Free Press:” We won…its over.

“The board made it very clear Sarsfield had absolutely no jurisdiction to make that call.”

Dateline - Whitehorse, Yukon

February 19 - The next two stories are out of Canada’s North. The Whitehorse Star is reporting on the devastating effect the smoking ban is having on Yukon’s restaurant industry.

Paul Douglas, the owner of the Coffee Bar on Copper Road testified before the Whitehorse City Council that business has declined by 50% since the smoking ban was imposed.

A Bookkeeper who audits 15 restaurants in Whitehorse testified that five are on the verge of bankruptcy because of the smoking ban.

The Star is reporting that Whitehorse City Council is going to revisit the issue in April.

Dateline - Nunavut, N.W.T.

February 19 - It's one thing to battle the Liberal Party’s $500 million a year PARASITE/Pork barrel/Patronage/Punishment Industry, but I have even more loathing for parents who are smokers and vote to punish themselves-and other smokers-in the misguided belief that their actions are for” The Children." TM. In some sense the following story from Canada’s North is more disturbing than the antics of the Liberal Party’s $500 million a year PARASITE INDUSTRY.

For disclaimer purposes, I am the parent of two teenage boys. Neither one smokes. Both have been surrounded by second-hand smoke from day one. Both are the pictures of health.

The Nunatsiaq News is reporting on another one of these:” lets ban smoking on school grounds to make a BIG STATEMENT for The Children "stories. What makes this story different from countless others, is that it is being pushed by smoking parents.

Here is an excerpt from the Nunatsiaq News: "The meeting lost some momentum shortly before the vote was recorded when Andrew Tagak, the board chair, left the meeting to smoke a cigarette. Assema Allurut, the vice-chair took over as moderator, then called for a 10 minute smoke break.”

If we have learned anything from the social-engineering fantasies of the anti-smoking nuts, is that all these gestures backfire. Kids, with every justification rebel en mass against this obvious, transparent, non-stop propaganda. Forces Canada and the Forces evidence archives are full of stories and studies that demonstrate to a metaphysical certainty that teen smoking rates increase dramatically when kids are subjected to anti-smoking propaganda.

Dateline - Winnipeg, Manitoba

February 19 - One of the big lies of the anti-smoking PARASITES is that hospitality revenues stay neutral or even increase after smoking bans are imposed. The Winnipeg Sun, in Tuesday’s edition detailed the hit facing just the Municipality of Loserpeg-a city that already has North America’s highest property taxes-and a projected deficit of about $20 million.

The Sun reported that revenue from Winnipeg’s two casinos declined by $7.6 million since the smoking ban was imposed in September. The city, which gets 10% of casino profits, will see its share decline by $1.3 million.

There was no word from the Sun on the effects of the smoking ban on the private hospitality industry. From personal observations and correspondence from Forces Canada readers it’s safe to assume it’s been severe.

Dateline - Sarnia, Ontario

February 19 - First it was the Conan O’Brien show that came to Toronto. Now U.S.A Today sent a reporter across the Michigan border to examine Canadian smokers in Sarnia. As someone who regularly reads and reports on the Canadian media’s unfair and distorted reporting on tobacco issues, the U.S.A. Today account was certainly more honest than anything you will likely see in your local rag.

The theme of the U.S.A. Today story, carried in Monday’s edition, was despite the high taxes and the pornographic labels on cigarette packs, Canadians continue to smoke. Smokers were quoted as saying they just buy covers for the pornographic cigarette packs.

One smoker profiled details how she saves money, by purchasing cigarettes at an Indian reservation. U.S.A. Today writes:

“Brenda O’Brien, 47,of Sarnia buys her Sago brand cigarettes from the Indian reservation, which is exempt from charging taxes. That can save her half the cost, she said, explaining she pays $27(Canadian) per carton at the reservation compared to $60 at a regular Canadian store.”

Another Sarnia smoker, Dan Fowler was quoted as saying about the Dolton Gang repeatedly raising tobacco taxes:” It’s not going to make less people smoke. It’s just going to make people angry.”

I can only hope that the anger in Ontario is directed at the Liberal Party in the upcoming Federal election. Its only Ontario that keeps the Liberal Party-and its $500 million a year PARASITE INDUSTRY in power.

According to a poll in Tuesday’s Grope and Flail, Liberal support is plummeting throughout Canada. Even in Quebec, Liberal support is down to 31%.

Dateline-Regina, Saskatchwean

February 16 - Before I had repeated computer breakdowns, I had downloaded and saved a famous quote from Hitler’s Mein Kampf about how to incorporate and exploit children to further political agendas. The following two stories, one from Saskatchewan and one from Alberta demonstrate how the spirit of Hitler lives on.

The Regina Leader-Post is reporting on how 10 year kids are being exploited to push smoking bans.10 year old kids who sound like they just sat through prolonged Hitler Youth indoctrination are being sent to appear before Regina City Council to appeal for smoking bans.

Who is financing this new kind of child abuse? According to the Leader Post it’s a joint venture between Saskatchewan’s N.D.P. government and the Federal Liberals. What a wonderful way to squander tax dollars, having a highly paid group of PARASITES manipulating and exploiting children.

Dateline-Jasper, Alberta

February 16 - Alberta is also manipulating and exploiting children to push an agenda .The Jasper Booster is reporting on a group of seven 13 year old girls who call themselves: Dancing Against Tobacco (D.A.T.). These kids were given a $1,000 grant, from Alberta’s anti-smoking nuts to push for a restaurant smoking ban.

In Nazi Germany, Hitler Youth was the center of anti-smoking lunacy. The anti-tobacco slogan was: “You Have A Duty To Be Healthy.” Hitler Youth was compulsory for boys 10-18.Girls were forced to join The League of German Girls.

Nietzsche viewed history as the” Eternal Return.” Patterns of history repeated itself with new faces. The exploitation of children in Saskatchewan and Alberta is the “Eternal Return” of the policies of Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls.

In Germany by 1939,50% of the same kids putting up anti-smoking posters and taking “smoke-free” pledges for Hitler started smoking-the highest documented rate in recorded history. Will half of these kids in Saskatchewan and Alberta start smoking as teenagers? I’ll give you 8-5 odds that they do. (See the later story out of Winnipeg to see how this happened)

 Dateline-Victoria, B.C.

February 16 - Here’s a story you don’t see everyday. The N.D.P. in B.C. calling a Provincial Liberal tobacco tax increase an ”illegal. Tax grab”, and demanding that the 6 million dollars be returned to B.C. smokers, and further demanding that B.C. Liberal Finance Minister Garry Collins be held in ”contempt” of the Legislature for breaking the law by imposing the tax without legislative approval.

What makes this story from the Victoria Times Colonist even more bizarre, is the person making these charges is the Mother of all anti-smoking nuts, former B.C. Health Minister Joy Macphail. As B.C. Health Minister, Mrs. MacPhail pushed through a Province-wide smoking ban that was eventually thrown out by the B.C. Supreme Court. Mrs. MacPhail was quoted as saying that smoking bans were not about protecting the health of non-smokers, but a tool to get smokers to quit. At least she’s honest, which is more than I can say for 99.9999% of Canada’s anti-smoking nuts.

I realize its only February, but for her statements on behalf of smoker’s rights, I nominate Joy MacPhail Forces Canada’s Woman of the Year. Last year’s Woman of the Year went to Toronto Sun columnist, and anti-smoking nut par excellence, Sue-Ann Levy for opposing the removal of Toronto’s Designated Smokers Rooms (DSRs).

Dateline-Invuik, N.W.T

February 16 - CBC North is reporting that the Invuik Curling Club is challenging a $250 fine for allowing smoking in Court. Club president, Don Craik, called the by-law” unfair.”

Dateline-Winnipeg, Manitoba

“Why explore Mars? If you want to explore a cold, desolate, dreary wasteland, why not go to Winnipeg?” Conan O’Brien

There was an old Monty Python skit about the” Ministry of Silly Walks.” Here in Loserpeg we have the next best thing:” The Ministry of Healthy Living.” This is not to be confused with the “Health Ministry.”

The Winnipeg Sun has reported that despite (or because) of the non-stop inane propaganda aimed at teenagers, smoking rates among the 15-19 year olds increased from 17% to 22%. 32% of those between 20-24 are smokers.

As usual, the anti-smoking PARASITES are talking out of both sides of their mouths. Last week in the Winnipeg Free Press, the Lung Association was saying that Winnipeg’s smoking ban was responsible for decreasing the number of smokers.

The response from The Ministry of Silly Walks, sorry, The Ministry of Healthy Living? A whole new propaganda campaign, with different T.V. commercials.

Dateline-London, Ontario

February 16 - Last week on Forces Canada I brought the story of the Ontario Government (the Dolton Gang) caving into pressure from the likes of Gar Mahoodlum (Non-Smokers Rights Association, Canada’s very own version of the Taliban Vice and Virtue Committee) and the Quacks at the Ontario Medical Association, and not hiring an Agricultural specialist in the growing of tobacco.

In reporting the story on Forces Canada, I relied on the news stories of the Toronto Red Star. Big mistake. Besides being a left-wing propaganda rag, reporters at the Red Star would have trouble covering a fire.

The Red Star wrongly implied as it turned out that the $75,000 Ontario Agriculture job was to promote tobacco. The London Free Press, however, reported that the job was to assist farmers in combating the “Blue Mould” which has the potential of wiping out the Ontario tobacco crop. Dolton, the winner of the Norman Bates look alike contest (Psycho), wants to turn the job into something that will promote” alternative crops.” Which alternative crop exactly was not specified-or thought through.

Let’s assume that the $500 million, a year, Liberal Party funded PARASITE CLASS gets its ultimate wet dream and Blue Mould destroys the Ontario tobacco crop-then what? Does anyone seriously believe that Canada would not import tobacco? Various Canadian governments are too dependent on tobacco taxes to do anything else.

The losers would be the 14,000 workers who rely on Ontario’s tobacco crops for jobs, and the Ontario economy that would lose $500 million dollars.

February 13 - Before I get to the latest tobacco news from across Canada (Ontario), I was asked some questions by a regular Forces Canada reader and contributor from Ontario. The questions involved how much Canada’s PARASITE INDUSTRY receives, where the money goes and why the Auditor General has never commented on the antics of the PARASITES.

Canada’s Liberal government financed PARASITE INDUSTRY (Gar Mahoodlum and the Non-Smokers Rights Association, Physicians For A Smoker-Free Canada, Lung Association, Cancer Society-and a whole bunch of other assorted PARASITES) receive approximately $500 million dollars in grant money.

Where does the money go? Six figure salaries for starters. I would surmise that lots probably goes to things such as winter conferences on teen smoking in Miami.

Why hasn’t the Auditor General commented on how millions were pissed away on a bogus shakedown attempt of the Tobacco Companies, which was summarily thrown out of Court? The answer is the $500 million is given as an arm length grant. There is neither Parliamentary oversight, nor can the Auditor General comment on how the PARASITES piss away hundreds of millions of YOUR TAX DOLLARS.

Please remember this before you go to the polls and re-elect the Liberals.

Dateline - Toronto, Ontario

February 13 - There were two separate stories out of The Toronto Red Star that demonstrate how the anti-smoking nuts control policy at Queens Park. On Monday the Red Star reported on the latest embarrassment and hypocrisy from the Dolton Gang. After all the rhetoric and punishment politics (increased tobacco taxes, smoking bans, moronic propaganda campaigns, etc), it seems the Ontario Agriculture Department is advertising a new job opening-at $75,000-plus a generous benefit package (no wonder Ontario is running a 5 Billion dollar deficit) to promote the tobacco crop of Ontario farmers. Nice work if you can get it.

By Tuesday, however, Dolton had caved into pressure from the PARASITES. The new job description is to get tobacco farmers to switch crops. To what you might ask? Wheat? Prairie grain farmers are flocking to food banks. The income for Prairie grain farmers has declined by 90%. Bread consumption has declined by 11% since the Atkins Diet fad. Cattle farms? The U.S. has an embargo on Canadian beef. How about marijuana? Marijuana has 10-20 times the tar and carcinogens of tobacco. Dolton cannot differentiate a sanctimonious sentiment for a policy.

According to the Red Star, the tobacco crop brings some $500 million into the Ontario economy and creates some 14,000 jobs. Tobacco taxes bring in $1.26 Billion to Ontario.

As could be expected the Red Star gave the usual loudmouths-the Quacks at the Ontario Medical Association, and Uber PARASITE Gar Mahoodlum, fresh after pissing away more millions on a bogus lawsuit that was thrown out of court-a soapbox for their endless, dreary, sanctimonious, rhetoric. Yaaawwwwnnn.

Also from Toronto comes the latest scare mongering from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  CBC, CTV, the Grope and Flail, etc. reported that there is a new epidemic, responsible for more deaths than even smoking, blah, blah, blah…obesity.

Just as “addiction” was re-defined to include smoking, coffee, shopping, chocolate, sex, etc (addiction used to have a very specific definition involving intoxication) "obesity” has been similarly re-defined by lowering body weight indexes. Naturally there are highly questionable claims that “obesity” is the "CAUSE" of multi-casual diseases. Heart disease has 300 “CAUSES” for example. By the way the only disease that has ever been linked to ”Obesity” is Type II diabetes. But that’s not going to bring in the big bucks to Canada’s burgeoning PARASITE INDUSTRY.

Dateline - Thorold, Ontario

February 13 - There are a couple of interesting stories that came out of the Welland Tribune. One of the most successful tactics of the anti-smoking PARASITES has been the” divide and conquer” strategy of pitting restaurants against bars. Bars against Legions. Legions against Bingos. Bingos against Casinos. Instead of presenting a united front against smoking bans, hospitality compromises hoping that by sacrificing say restaurants, the anti-smoking nuts will go away satisfied.

What inevitably happens is those impacted by smoking bans start screaming to city councils about the need for” level playing fields”. Then when the whole town goes smoke-free, and smokers go to a neighboring town, there is the call for province-wide bans” to level the playing field.” Inevitably what happens is the Hospitality Industry does the dirty work of the PARASITES. Winston Churchill described this process as throwing a crocodile one limb at a time in hopes of appeasing it.

This process is playing our now in Thorold, Ontario. Sandra Bertolozzi; the owner of Teddy’s Food, Fun and Spirits has seen a 22% loss in business since the smoking ban was imposed. Therefore she runs to City Council to complain about the corresponding increase in business at the Local Legion, which is exempt from the smoking ban, instead of lobbying to get the smoking ban rescinded. These are the slimy tactics of the Liberal Party’s $500 a year PARASITE INDUSTRY.

Also from Thorald, comes another story from the Welland Tribune. Since the cost of policing the smoking ban is so high, real Public Health necessities are being sacrificed. The mosquito surveillance budget which monitors the West Nile Virus has seen a 40% cut in its budget.

Dateline - Thunder Bay, Ontario

February 13 - Thomas Laprade attended a recent City Council meeting in Thunder Bay about the implementation of the town’s anti-smoking bylaw. It is very difficult in a few words to encapsulate the sheer insanity of what went on.

Thomas led off by informing us that City Councillor, Bob Stewart has resigned his post as ”the chairman of the sub-committee for the smoking bylaw” because the anti-smoking nuts didn’t like his proposal to make it” Complaint driven.” You can smoke as long as nobody complains. Mr. Stewart also owns the Keg and Caribou Bar and Restaurant.

Then the question involves, who is one supposed to call at 1 A.M. if someone is smoking. By the time the police arrive, the smoker would have put out his cigarette. One genius on City Council suggested a $150 fine for displaying an ashtray. Another city council countered with a $1 fine. Yet another Mensa wondered if there was anyway to impose the bylaw, without turning Thunder Bay into “a police state.”

Inevitably the question arose who was going to pay for the smoking police. Both City Council and the Health Department want the other to pay for it. Then someone on City Council started asking where Thunder Bay was going to get the millions necessary for the inevitable Court challenges of the bylaw. Some other genius suggested Queens Park. In case they hadn’t noticed, the Province of Ontario is running a $5 Billion deficit.

As some observing Ontario from the west, I can only hope that someday Ontario comes to its senses and throws the Dolton Gang out of Queens Park, and the Martin Gang out of Ottawa-and brings back sanity to both Ontario and the rest of Canada.

Dateline - London, Ontario 

February 10 - Sharp eyed readers of Forces Canada will recognize the name Luc Martial.  Luc who by the way is a non-smoker was a former employee of Health Canada who quit in disgust because of the lies and tactics of Health Canada. Forces Canada was the only organization in Canada that gave Luc a forum to give an insider account of” tobacco control” at Health Canada. The Canadian media ignored Luc-until now.

The London Free Press reported on a speech Luc gave to Ontario tobacco growers. What Luc said will hardly come as a shock to Forces Canada readers. Health Canada and the $500 million Liberal Government’s PARASITE INDUSTRY, centered in Toronto and Ottawa are out to undermine anyone associated with tobacco (growers, retailers, the hospitality industry that relies on the patronage of smokers, the Tobacco companies, and most of all smokers)  ”24 hours a day.”  Luc told Ontario Tobacco growers:  ”The system is set up for you guys to fail.”

Luc, a former Insider at Health Canada also had this to say:” But Martial claims anti-tobacco zealots at Health Canada and associated lobby groups have assumed control and employ an” end-justify-the means” approach to marginalizing tobacco.”

This is really textbook fascism where the resources of the state are mobilized to punish and torment a minority of law-abiding citizens. Let’s put aside the Kantian niceties where a just means leads to a just end. There has never been an evil tyrant in history who has not used” The Health of THE PEOPLE” as the alibi.

Freud once said that:” even paranoids have real enemies.” Our enemy is the Liberal Party that corrupted Health Canada and finances the $500 million PARASITE INDUSTRY.

Dateline - Fort Erie, Ontario

February 10 - More on the strip joints. The Niagara Falls Review profiled the experience at Maxine’s on Niagara Boulevard in Fort Erie. It has designated itself a” Private Club.” which charges a $5 a year membership.

The Niagara Falls Review quotes the manager, who only gave his first name, Mike, as saying that business has massively improved when the club posted a huge Smoking Permitted sign in front of the building. Many of the patrons are Americans from the Buffalo; N.Y. area. The Americans told the Falls Review that although there is a no-smoking ordinance in Buffalo bars, it is not being enforced.

The Strip Club complains about competing against Ontario government run casinos where smoking is permitted. This may have something to do with the fact that the Dolton Gang is running a $5 Billion dollar deficit.

As yet the anti-smoking nuts have not tried to spin increased business at Maxine’s to more titillating factors other than smoking.

Dateline - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

February 10 - One day after I quoted a Saskatoon City Councilor as saying that Legions should be exempt from Saskatoon’s proposed anti-smoking bylaw, the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix has run another story saying that Legions are to include after all.

Jim Eaton, who is himself a non-smoker, and a member of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veteran’s Unit, told Saskatoon Council:” One of the freedoms that veterans enjoy today is the opportunity to go to their Legion or Army, Navy and Air Force Club and enjoy a quiet drink and smoke.”

In case anyone is still under the illusion that smoking bans are about anything other than transparent social-engineering, Mr. Eaton points out that the Legion-a Federally chartered Private Club-has a state of the art ventilation system that ventilates the air every 4 minutes.

For disclaimer purposes, one of my sons is in Army Cadets. Having sat on the fund raising committee last year, I can attest from first hand experience how difficult it is to raise money to keep the Cadets going and the integral role the Legions play in funding the Cadets.

Over the past year I have reported on many Legions closing because of the smoking ban, and many others in serious financial trouble. The Strathcona Legion in Edmonton closed because of the smoking ban. A Legion in Nova Scotia closed because of their smoking ban and the local Cadet Unit disbanded. Many Legions throughout Ontario are in serious financial problems because of the smoking bans.

Besides supporting the Cadets, the Legions are important fundraisers for various charities including disabled veterans. The Winnipeg Legions raised the money for a smoking room at the Deer Lodge Hospital so Veterans would not be thrown out in the cold.

Dateline - Thordald, Ontario

February 9 - The tobacco news from around Canada begins with a titillating story from Ontario’s Niagara region. The St. Catharine's Standard is reporting that a strip club in Thordald, Ontario is challenging Niagara's smoking ban in court.

Simon Rudan, the proprietor of the Cristal Gentlemen’s Club located on Lundy Lane is asking the court to find Niagara's smoking by-law invalide.  The gist of his argument is that gaming houses are exempt from smoking bans, and this puts strip joints at a competitive disadvantage. Rudan is also challenging whether Ontario’s Upper and Lowercase (people from Eastern Ontario have tried to explain the Upper and Lowercase to me. I still don’t have a clue.) councils have the constitutional right to impose smoking bans.

Be assured that there are more boobs in those councils that imposed the smoking ban, than in all strip joints in Ontario.

Dateline - Toronto, Ontario

February 9 - Well, well, well. Our good pal Gar Mahoodlum, the Uber PARASITE of the Non-Smokers Rights Association, spent years and millions of your tax dollars on a transparent attempt to shake down the tobacco companies with a phony class-action law suit. Before spending millions of YOUR tax dollars some lawyer should have informed Gar that the "EVIDENCE" against the tobacco companies was largely "OPINION-BASED."In other words, there was No EVIDENCE. Its one thing to bamboozle a gullible media, in Canada that is hard pressed to cover fires, its quite another to go before a Judge with a bunch of Quacks offering opinions, instead of evidence.

The Canadian Press headline read: "Court tosses multi-million dollar class-action against companies. "Surprise, Surprise. The story ran on Page 12 of The Grope and Flail. Gar was quoted in the Grope and Flail as saying that he spent years of work, and millions of dollars, and the decision was a "major setback for public health. "Yeah, right. More like a major setback for a scam artist who pissed away millions of taxpayer dollars on a bogus attempted shakedown.

Here is an excerpt of what Superior Court Judge Warren Winkler wrote: "In essence, the plaintiffs seek certification of an amorphous group of people comprised of individuals of different ages covering different decades, who knew different things concerning the risks inherent in smoking and who began to smoke for different reasons.

"The only apparent element in this action is that all of the proposed class members allegedly smoked cigarettes at one time or another."

Dateline - Kingston, Ontario

February 9 - The Kingston Whig -Standard reported Friday that due to Kingston’s anti-smoking bylaw, an outdoor smoking shed that protected hospital patients from the cold would be torn down. This is the true face of Progressive, Ontario Liberalism-punish the sinners.

It’s of course spurious to compare Canadian Liberalism to Nazi Germany-which did exactly the same thing to hospital patients.

Dateline - Marathon, Ontario

February 9 - I have said before that if Ontario smokers ever vote out the Liberal Party, and Gar Mahoodlum and the rest of Canada’s $500 million a year PARASITE INDUSTRY are put on a one-way smoke-free Air Canada flight, with a complementary copy of the Grope and Flail off to Angola to clear landmines. the first order of business should be to award Canada’s highest medal to Thunder Bay resident Thomas Laprade. Thomas has been a tireless fighter for honesty and decency in Canada. A City Councillor in nearby Marathon asked Thomas to submit a commentary to the Marathon Mercury Newspaper. As I reported last week, Marathon is considering holding a plebiscite on banning smoking.

Here are some excerpts from Thomas’ commentary:

"When debating the pros and cons of smoking bans we need to ask whether it makes sense to protect and defend private individual rights to their private property. If we agree that private property rights should be protected, then we should make a clear distinction between private property and public property.

"There is a confusion between public property and private property primarily because some people such as anti-smoking proponents, want to elevate their desires to the level of legal rights. They choose to ignore what should be clear distinctions between private and public property so they can pretend that private businesses are actually owned by the public, thereby giving the public the right to control the use of the property while preventing the property owner from controlling the use of his own property. Many business owners who take the risks and pay the price of ownership of their business property are suffering in areas of the country where smoking bans have been put in force. Those who promote smoking bans fail to see or don’t care) that their desires for sweeping smoke-free environments are causing hardships for honest, hard-working people and their families. They fail to see (or don’t care) that their desires should be secondary to the rights of others.

"Those supporting smoking bans know that they have the option of not supporting business that allow smoking. They know that they may choose to ban smoking. But this is not enough for them. Do they recognize the importance of respecting people’s right to control their own property? Do they not recognize the value of freedom?

"The desire of anti-smoking groups should not take precedence over the rights of private citizens. When one person’s desire are allowed to trump another person’s rights, then all our rights can be easily swept away, and we have no protection from the tyranny of the majority."

Dateline - Winnipeg, Manitoba

February 9 - There was an old Monty Python skit about "Silly Ministries". Last week I reported that the Winnipeg Sun claimed that Jim Rondeau (I’m not making this up) "Healthy Living Minister"-not to be confused with the Health Minister, wanted to extend Manitoba’s smoking ban to include out-door patios. Loserpeg has two seasons. July and winter.

One day after the story appeared, the Premier of Manitoba overruled his Minister of Healthy Living, and said he had no intention of extending the Province wide ban to patios. The opposition party suggested that the Minister of Healthy Living "should stick to cutting ribbons."

It is purely co-incidental that Manitoba’s taxes are only behind Newfoundland as North America’s highest. How does the rest of North America survive without a Ministry of Healthy Living?

Also from Loserpeg comes Friday’s story from the Winnipeg Sun that reports that since Loserpeg’s smoking ban was imposed spirit sales in Manitoba declined by 9%. Spirit distribution is controlled by the Province in our Socialist paradise. There was purposely no breakdown between the City of Winnipeg which has a smoking ban and the rest of the province which doesn't. This is on top of the $50 million loss in gaming revenue that Manitoba has lost since the smoking ban.

Finally from Loserpeg comes a follow-up to a story carried in Forces Canada a couple of months ago. The owner of the St. Boniface Hotel was fined for parking an abandoned school bus next to his hotel, so patrons would not have to freeze outside to have a cigarette. The smoke police considered it an illegal smoking room. Friday's Winnipeg Sun reported that the owner, Franco Magnifo has had enough and sold the hotel. He told the Sun: "I'm tired of waking up every morning and fighting city hall."

Dateline - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

February 9 - This is a follow-up to last week’s story of Saskatchewan’s N.D.P government proposing a province-wide smoking ban. The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix reported that Saskatoon city council is considering modifying its proposed smoking ban to some extent. Gone are proposals to ban smoking on outdoor patios and in private clubs (Legions).

Saskatoon City Councillor, Glenn Penner sounding unusually cogent for a resident of a province the Winnipeg Blue Bomber kicker called: "a bunch of inbred, banjo pickin’, hicks" considered the outdoor patio smoking proposal "silliness."

Penner had this to say about banning smoking in Legions:" When these guys went over and fought, nobody worried about their health then. If they want to smoke in their places don’t have any problems with that...

"I think we should leave them alone."

This is pure idiocy in a Province whose major export is people to Alberta.

Dateline - Thunder Bay, Ontario

February 5 - Thomas Laprade has passed along some stories from Canada’s Worst Newspaper AKA The Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal. The fact that the nearby town of Marathon, home to many, (in the Chronicle Journals words) "die hard smokers” is the source of unending anxiety for the Chronicle Journal.

Things are so bad in Marathon that the anti-smoking Mayor could not even find someone to second a motion demanding a no-smoking bylaw. That was the case at least until the Chronicle Journal started on a non-stop media barrage that intimidated a few Marathon City Councilors into holding a plebiscite that nobody seemed to want in Marathon.

The Chronicle Journal endlessly editorialized about this being "Democracy."  Anybody who has fantasies that Canada is anything beyond a glorified Third World country should see how the Chronicle Journal defines “Democracy.”

For the forthcoming plebiscite to be binding a certain percentage (I believe around 50%) have to go vote. The only possible way for smokers to win is to not show up-effectively disenfranchising themselves. This is democratic voice of the people according to the Chronicle Journal. It’s a given that the Liberal Party’s $500 million PARASITE INDUSTRY will be there with its usual propaganda, lies, and scare mongering.

In a true democracy or in virtually every civilized society since about the 17^th Century (Treaty of Westphalia) the rights of a minority were never allowed to be decided by the whims of the majority-otherwise there would be no such things as minority rights. The American constitution calls this a ”self-evident truth.”

Why not apply the same principles that apply to smoker’s rights to other contentious issues in Canada? Why not hold plebiscites on Francophone rights outside of Quebec? Or non-white immigration to Canada? Or homosexual marriage?

The reason this won’t-and should never be done is that Canada has deluded pretensions of being a Civilized country.

Dateline - Thompson, Manitoba

February 5 - For those of you unaware, Thompson is about 500-800 miles north of Winnipeg. Its claim to fame is having the world’s second largest nickel mine only next to Sudbury. What would be the most pressing issue facing Thompson City Council? Pollution from the nickel mine? No. Second-hand smoke, of course.

CBC Manitoba and the Winnipeg Free Press are both reporting that Thompson wants to impose a smoking ban. This action is even stranger when one considers that the Province of Manitoba is planning a province-wide ban in October. The smoking ban has already cost the Manitoba government some $50 million in gaming revenues. The cost to private businesses in Winnipeg is incalculable.

Manfred Boehm, who owns both Burntwood Inn and the Thompson Inn told CBC that he expects to see a 30% drop in business if Thompson imposes a smoking ban.

Dateline - Winnipeg, Manitoba

February 5 - The Winnipeg Sun reported Wednesday that Manitoba’s N.D.P. government now plans to extend its smoking bans to outdoor patios. The hospitality industry facing decimation is asking the government for smoking rooms. They ain’t got a prayer with today’s N.D.P.

Dateline - Regina, Saskatchewan

February 5 - The Regina Leader Post reported Wednesday that Saskatchewan’s N.D.P. is also planning a province-wide smoking ban. However, opposition is emerging from unexpected quarters. Scott Norvich, the Deputy Mayor of Eastend, who describes himself as “a militant non-smoker” told the Leader Post: ” We feel it tramples on the rights of business owners themselves."

“If the owner of the restaurant wants to make it smoke-free that should be their choice.”

Opposition is also coming from the Mayors and hospitality owners in rural Saskatchewan who believe they will be wiped out.

Dateline - Halifax, Nova Scotia

February 2 - From the town that brought us smoking bans, perfume wearing bans, lawn chemical bans comes something new to ban-potato chips.

Friday's Grope and Flail reported that a N.D.P MLA-always at the forefront of this idiocy-recently introduced a bill to ban potato chips in Nova Scotia.

Dateline - Toronto, Ontario

February 2 - Canadian Press and the Toronto Red Star are both reporting that the Dolton Gang is planning a complete indoor smoking ban for Ontario by 2006.Gone at least are the moronic pretexts that this is about health. The new moronic pretext is social engineering 101.

Dolton's Health Minister George Smitherman told the Toronto Red Star: ”There is by now lots of evidence where bans have been put in place that they have had a very positive impact for business."

The next three stories detail the "positive impact for business", Mr. Smitherman alludes too.

Dateline - Kingston, Ontario

February 2 - The Kingston Whig-Standard is reporting on the latest target of Kingston's smoking police-wind huts. This includes the hospital. One hospitality owner was threatened by the smoking police for having a pail outside his establishment for cigarette butts. It’s a much better idea to have cigarette butts on the ground.

Kingston's punish the sinners mentality has had a "positive impact on business”. The Whig-Standard quotes the owner of the Merchant MacLiam as saying business has declined between 35-40% since the smoking ban was imposed.

Dateline - Inuvik, N.W.T

CBC North is reporting another” positive impact for business” since a smoking ban was imposed. In this case it is the Inuvik Curling Club that has lost $40,000 in business since the smoking ban. Bar revenues have dropped by two-thirds.

Dateline - Winnipeg, Manitoba

February 2 - Another story about the ”positive impact for business" this time in Loserpeg.In a front page story in Friday's Winnipeg Free Press, Branigan's one of the biggest restaurant chains in Winnipeg has gone into receivership.

Buried near the end of the story is the comment: ”The smoking ban has hurt his business and other restaurants as well, he said.

"It's been a terrible year,” he said, eyes wet."

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