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You think you had a bad day? There’s an OPP Central Ontario officer who didn’t realize they were still linked to the organization’s social media accounts and began sharing political posts on Monday. Take a guess which way they lean…

Top Shelf

• Is the carbon tax an over-inflated political football?
• North Bay’s unique role in global mining is golden

Today’s Foresight

On location at the 22 Wing Band rehearsal Tuesday evening, Echo podcast host Lisa Boivin interviewed several members for an upcoming episode. The band is performing this Saturday as part of the RCL Br. 23 Remembrance Day ceremonies at Memorial Gardens (Callander and West Ferris legions are hosting services as well). See the BayToday story HERE. The 22 Wing Band is also preparing for their annual show at the Capitol Centre on Saturday, Nov. 25, which includes Lisa singing.

Essentials

Is the carbon tax an
over-inflated political football?

Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota is back in the headlines, this time for voting to keep the carbon tax on non-oil winter heating fuels that many of his constituents and others in Northern Ontario use.

The story comes after a failed Conservative motion proposed to extend the Liberal government’s recent three-year carbon tax holiday on home heating oil to all forms of heating fuel, such as natural gas (a popular choice in western Canada) and propane. Only three percent of Canadians use heating oil and most of them are in Eastern Canada, making the exemption appear to favour one region over another (as far as Conservatives are concerned).

The government says those few household heated by oil (the worst source of emissions) are already being offered subsidies and incentives to convert their heating systems, as well as install heat pumps, making the carbon tax redundant on that fuel. And Rota says the Tories didn’t provide any alternatives for reducing emissions in their motion, just cuts.

Some say the carbon tax isn’t needed at all right now with inflation and high interest rates already putting a damper on consumption decisions (while making conversions to electric cars and other heating systems more painful). Others say the carbon tax rebates help those who are struggling to make ends meet, counter-balancing the additional costs, while the tax is convincing corporations to innovate toward systems that emit less carbon. Read the government info HERE.

It seems like it’s just a political football at this point. North Bay Echo is compiling a list of sources providing current information and viewpoints on climate change, carbon tax effectiveness and green energy realities. Where do you get your information? How is the carbon tax impacting your budget? Send comments and resource links to the [email protected] and we’ll try to make some sense of it all for our readers.

In the meantime, YourTv interviewed MP Rota about how he has been received since the spotlight regarding his Speaker of the House resignation.

North Bay’s unique role
in global mining is golden

Lisa Boivin, host of To North Bay With Love, interviews Roy Slack and Mark Wagner from the Canadian Institute of Mining in the next episode released Thursday morning. The trio talk about the impact mining has had on Northern Ontario and the opportunities for young adults to begin a lucrative and fulfilling career.

“I like to tell people that mining isn’t the cause of climate change, but mining will be the solution,” says Slack, who brought Cementation to North Bay in 1998.

It’s a timely conversation with Mining Week celebrations coming up Nov. 13-17. Mark also explains the Mining Matters program that helps educate kids in elementary schools and the Mining Opportunity Challenge that focuses on high school students in the North Bay area.

“North Bay is a unique town in terms of mining. You don’t have the super stack in the background when you’re driving to work or a mill or any mine sites for that matter, are located within city limits. But we’re still a heavy hitter in terms of the mining industry from the supply companies that are located here,” he says.

“So what we do is we host these Mining Week events to generate awareness with the general public about the importance of the mining industry, not just for North Bay, not just for northern Ontario, but the impact North Bay plays on a global level with these mine sites,” Mark says.

“You go to some of these conferences around the world and when you’re there you end up hanging out with other people from North Bay because there’s so many different suppliers that are involved with building mine sites around the world based here in North Bay, developing technology here in North Bay and and and showing the world what North Bay has to offer in terms of mining.”

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Today’s Zen Suggestion: If your feet get cold in the winter time, wear wool socks and take your boots off a couple times a day to let the moisture evaporate. Warm toes will make you less cranky.

Echo Network

Backroads Bill:

Bill is joined by his road trip partner Brian Emblin this week to share their quest to find the official centre of Ontario. The pair discuss the challenges they faced getting to the location and using divisional wizardry to get as close as possible. The pair also met a strange creature along the way.

Previous podcasts include: Labyrinths, Wolverine Heritage Canoe company in Wawa The ‘Art’ of Wildlife Photography, The Man Buried in Two Places, Bill Takes a Trip to Red Lake, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Bashin’ Bill Barilko and The Legacy of Terry Fox.

The Frontline:

If you missed the North Bay Jr. Lakers girls hockey tournament on the weekend, check out the Frontline as Ben Sargent and Kortney Kenney are joined in studio by Mike Brideau to discuss what the event means to the city and the participants. The tournament players and coaches packed Memorial Gardens on Friday night to cheer the Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team to a big 3-0 win over the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. Ranked once again the top 10 teams in Canada, the OUA’s East Division-leading Lakers (6-1) hit the road this weekend to faceoff against the Toronto Metropolitan Rams (4-2).

Small Town Times:

UPDATED POST-PUBLICATION: Catch the NDA junior football semifinal highlight reel HERE. West Ferris beat Algonquin to earn a berth in the final against first-place Scollard Hall. Kickoff was supposed  to be 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 9 on the Father Cundari gridiron. But the busses were canceled due to snow and the final was rescheduled to Friday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m.

Events Echo

Thursday, Nov. 9

• The Nipissing Lakers men’s hockey team (5-3-1) hosts Lakehead University (4-4-1) for a matinee match at Memorial Gardens. The OUA puck drops at 1 p.m.
• Community Safety and Well Being Ad Hoc Committee meeting in the Mayor’s Boardroom on the fifth floor of City Hall at 12 noon.
• The North Bay Battalion host the Soo Greyhounds at Memorial Gardens. Game starts at 7 p.m.
• The Gateway Theatre Guild presents The Savannah Sipping Society at ecole secondaire publique Odyssee at 480 Norman Ave. from 7 to 9 p.m.
• UPDATED: Scollard Hall Bears was supposed to host the West Ferris Trojans for the NDA junior football championship game. But the busses were canceled due to snow and the final was rescheduled to Friday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m.
• Algonquin hosts West Ferris for the second game of the NDA senior girls championship at 5 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by the junior girls NDA championship series between the Barons and visiting Chippewa Raiders.

Friday, Nov. 10

• The Nipissing Lakers men’s hockey team hosts Lakehead University for a Friday night clash at Memorial Gardens. The OUA puck drops at 7 p.m.
• The Gateway Theatre Guild presents The Savannah Sipping Society at ecole secondaire publique Odyssee at 480 Norman Ave. from 7 to 9 p.m.
• The Capitol Centre presents Legendary Latin Guitarist Johannes Linstead: From Spain to Cuba at 7:30 p.m., $35 regular, $25 for students (members free).
• Soups On North Bay! Gathering Place fundraiser at the Grande Event Centre 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• UPDATED: Scollard Hall Bears vs West Ferris Trojans for the NDA junior football championship game rescheduled to Friday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 11

• The Gateway Theatre Guild presents The Savannah Sipping Society at ecole secondaire publique Odyssee at 480 Norman Ave. from 7 to 9 p.m.
• Motown Soul at the Capitol Centre beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets $59
• Birds of a Feather Groove Band at Lou Dawgs at 7:30 p.m. with $3 cover added to bills

(For more events further out on the calendar, check Tourism North Bay’s comprehensive events listing guide. On Facebook, check out Creative Industries North Bay.)

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If you have something to add to the discussion or an idea for one of Echo’s podcasters or affiliates, email Content Director Dave Dale at [email protected].