Holy tropics batman!!!!!!

Ok, not quite tropics but its up to -1.3 c this morning, that, relatively speaking, is warm.
Light snow is falling, looks like a low is over us, periods of flurries and chance of snow with temps around 0 to -3 until Sunday night, we can take that.

The Astron is still in Cartwright loading ports to Nain, the warmer weather will help minimize any damage to freight, unless something is leaning against the container doors and smashes to the ground when opened that is.

I was reading this article with interest. Arguments can be made from both sides; too little deterrence in the sentence versus locking young people up does not help in rehabilitation. Not knowing the intricacies of the case it’s hard to come down one way or the other.

But I could not help but think about the recent cases in Labrador. One young offender who had no dealing with police until he was taken under the wing of the child youth and family services. He then proceeded to have dozens of charges laid against him.

Then there were the two cases involving woman charged under the mental health act and ended up being held in the Goose Bay lock up naked, for their own safety, for various periods of time.

In the case of the woman, I wonder if they had appeared before a judge, with a similar approach as above case, back when they first became involved with the justice system would it have turned out different for them.

I’m not pointing fingers at the front line workers, or at judges of today.
I guess you could claim times were different back then. There was a bigger shortage of recourses than today that is for sure. I watched several people with obvious mental health issues being put in local and regional lock ups due to no where else to put them. Time after time these people would be sent out for “evaluation’ and be back in town in short order with no support available.

Times are changing with some support available in this town now, I’m not sure of other communities. It is still no where near enough, but it is moving forward.

Having said that I have to ask myself, are times changing? Bugged if I know is the honest answer.

It is obvious to everybody that the facilities and resources are totally inadequate in Goose Bay; the minister of Justice is due to visit the area next week to have a look first hand. No disrespect to this minister, but how many times have statements like that been made over the years, and we are were we are.

I had a call from a local resident last night; he wanted to know if I knew the price of stove oil [heating fuel]. Too bloody much mate I responded, I did add that by happenstance I did have the price written down some place.

He went on to say he has been fuming for several weeks at all the whining and winging in the media from people on the Avalon. Seems people are really hitting the air waves demanding all sorts of relief and tax breaks and the like because heating oil has hit 90.00 cents a liter for furnace oil and 92.34 for stove oil on the Avalon. That includes 2 cents for burner service, it does not allow for the 15% harmonized tax to be added. Well it is high, but maybe not high enough according to some. OK that story is about gas, but it is relevant.

On the North and South Coast of Labrador we have to pay 109.85 for stove oil, no furnace oil available.

In southern Labrador it is tanker supplied, then plus taxes.

In Northern Labrador it is price at tank farm. That means there is a delivery charge, plus the taxes.

So who is getting rogered the most? Why dem folks up nort boy! Or some say down nort.

So any way the local resident said he is going to send a letter to the editor or something.
That will do it, but only if many many more do the same thing.

Actually what we need up here is government by VOCM like they do down on the Island of Newfoundlandlabrador.

I see that the spot price of crude has fallen 10% this week, if that continues then the Avalon may avail of lower prices soon. Not so for us as the price is frozen until spring.