As of July 5, there are still 100 or more forest fires burning in Quebec. Only 67 of them are in the SOFEU “intensive protection zone”, where all fires are fought at once. As a result, only three of them are considered out of control and are in the Chibougamau region.
It wasn’t easy watching our territory burn while I had to stay indoors because the heavy smoke was a tough experience. Like many, I felt hopeless while frantically looking at the forest-fire maps online to see how they were progressing.
I look at the tiny patch of yellowing grass I call a backyard, then look up at a yellowish haze full of horse flies buzzing about the smoky skies. The sun’s heat is in the high 20s, as the ashy dust cakes your skin. Aaahhh, the summer weather this year.
It is always difficult to figure out what is happening with major issues in politics and how people are affected. A recent issue I have been watching makes me wonder how bright our leaders in government actually are. The federal government, which has been doing a fairly good job in dealing with Indigenous people in this country, went off the rails when they decided to push through legislation regarding the Métis Self-Government Recognition and Implementation Agreement.
The house shuddered. The external wall started to cave in. A bulldozer was relentlessly plowing through the wood-structure home and then stopped. A man wearing a hard hat went to check the interior and discovered a good friend sleeping away soundly. After a lot of intense shaking and shouting, the man woke up to discover that he had to leave his home before he was buried in it.
Many First Nations in the past were plagued by governments interfering in their finances. Worst was the third-party management in which the government would appoint a “manager” to handle all the finances and who would often be paid anywhere from $160,000 to $420,000 per year. This money would come out of the band’s budget. Obviously, no manager had an incentive to really fix things and lose that fat salary.
On November 26, 2022, Eduardo Malpica Ramos, then 44 years old, attended a corporate event at Bar le Zénob in Trois-Rivières before vanishing into the night.
As I so wrongly predicted that this summer would be a cold one and there would be no real chance for forest fires, I digress. Yes, believe it or not, I was wrong. As someone who knows the weather and its usual patterns, this summer caught me off guard.
When wildfires in Alberta and Nova Scotia forced the evacuation of thousands a few weeks ago, many in Quebec were counting their lucky stars a little early during what seemed then as a late and chilly spring. Then, perhaps predictably, the consequences of climate change caught up with us, too.
I spent the past few days inside my garage getting my old motorcycles ready for another season of riding. I enjoy working on my classic rides – including a 1998 BMW K1200RS, a 1992 Yamaha FJ1200 and an even older 1978 Honda GL1000 Goldwing. I’ve had these bikes for years and as they age, they need more and more servicing to keep them running well.
