Prairie Post

5 things you absolutely must know today

A bear took his food

A bear meandered into his campsite, ate his food, and left him unharmed, alone in the woods, reports would say moments after his rescue. But this was a guess; he was too weak to walk or talk when located.

The Quebec man, news sources identify as Marco Lavoie, 44, left on a canoe trip along the Nottaway River on July 16. He intended to be alone, and he intended to be gone for two months. On Oct. 21, a friend reported him missing. And on Wednesday, search crews found the emaciated man about 1,110 kilometres northwest of Montreal.

The full story has yet to emerge. [Source: NP]

Time to pack heat and hunt some wild boar 

They’re lurking, evading, and destroying tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to crops. And they’re nocturnal. One Manitoban told CTV News he carries a gun, in case he sees one.

Manitobans are allowed to hunt and kill the wild boar that are running outside of designated areas anywhere in the province, and at any time.

The province of Manitoba shares its territory with an estimated 50 wild boar.

These rather grotesque but fascinating creatures have been roaming the province since they escaped from farms in the ‘80s, according to the CTV article. They were a novelty animal back then, allegedly, if there is such a thing.

If you’re deciding now to pack heat and go after these destroyers of crops, and you need more reasons to do so, they’re pigs and would eat you if they had the chance (this writer could provide anecdotal support of this claim, but won’t). We remain objective; just want to give you, the reader, as much information as possible. [Source: CTV News]

Visit wildboarcanada.ca for more information related to sightings and populations by province.

 Telling news brief on Alberta’s oil sands

The oil sands are no longer poised to slow down. To the contrary, in the face of limited export markets and soaring production costs, some energy companies have made available large amounts of money for spending on the oil sands.

Suncor Energy Inc., along with Total SA and Teck Resources Ltd., gave the green light to a $13.5-million mining project; Enbridge Inc., to spend $3-billion on the same one; Royal Dutch Shell PLC did not tell news sources what it’s planning on spending on its steam-driven oil sands project near Peace River, Alta., but, rest assured, it will be more than a little.

Though the optics of the current market make it seem less than ideal for such spending, especially with long-standing uncertainty surrounding large-scale projects like Keystone XL, those at the helm of these companies show no signs of fear or reticence.

This is telling. [Source: Globe and Mail]

Rob Ford’s lawyer weighs in: It may have been tobacco or marijuana

He was smoking a different substance, marijuana or tobacco, suggested Dennis Morris, Rob Ford’s lawyer.

Morris wants Toronto Police to release the video, saying there is no way to discern the specific substance being smoked. Morris told CBC crack cocaine is a sexier story and one the media would pounce on, as opposed to a video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking tobacco.

Pundits and high-priced opiners across the country are weighing in with their two cents, with at least one arguing Ford should have been honest from the start about what he was doing in the video. This is a simple point, yes, but it’s hard to argue. He’s chosen to be incorrigible, and the result will be his end; a bitter, abrupt, disgraced end.

Stockholm Syndrome is real, though, and the more media rakes Ford over coals that remain alleged, the more supporters he will start to get. He knows this, and most of his decisions in the past couple of years confirm it. But the powerless mass that may support him in private, may not be so brave to do so in public, or on a ballot. [Source: CBC and NP]

Business startups should not forget about Saskatoon 

Saskatoon is the city to live in, if you’re thinking of starting a business and you’re not quite sure where to do it, and you’re in a position to transplant your life.

Saskatoon is one of the top two entrepreneurial cities in Canada, according to Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which surveyed 107 cities across the country.

There’s less red tape in Saskatoon, Mayor Don Atchison told Financial Post, adding that business owners attribute their success to the city’s strong work ethic and an equally strong desire to succeed.

Calgary took No. 1.

This, proving once again that us Prairie folk rank among the best. [Source: FP]

Toban Dyck writes 5 things, believing people see him smirk while he does so. Do you? Can you see me?

Follow him @tobandyck and Spectator Tribue @spectatortrib