TSN: CFL 1994- Shreveport Pirates @ Ottawa Renegades: Short Video

Source:TSN– the Shreveport Pirates of the CFL.

“CFL 1994 SHREVEPORT PIRATES AT OTTAWA ROUGHRIDERS”

From CFL Video

Perhaps the two worst teams in the CFL playing each other in 1994. The Shreveport Pirates were 3-15 and played like the expansion team that they were. And the Rough Riders were 4-14, but still managed to make the CFL Playoffs, because 4-5 teams in the Eastern Division automatically made the playoffs that year. You don’t have to be good or even be winners to make the CFL Playoffs.

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CBC Sports: CFL 1978- East Final- Montreal Alouettes @ Ottawa Red Blacks: Short Video

Source:CBC Sports– the 1978 Ottawa Roughriders.

“CFL 1978 EAST FINAL MONTREAL ALOUETTES AT OTTAWA ROUGHRIDERS”

From CFL Video

Big playoff game in real football weather.

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CFL Video: CFL 1994-Las Vegas Posse @ Ottawa Red Blacks: Short Video

Source:CFL Video– the Roughriders and Posse from 1994.

“CFL 1994 LAS VEGAS POSSE AT OTTAWA ROUGHRIDERS”

From CFL Video

Anthony Calvillo playing pro football for an American team. Not sure why he never got more consideration from the NFL and from NFL teams, because he had great size and was a big, strong, mobile QB, who also had a very strong and accurate throwing arm.

The only American team that Calvillo plays for is an American team that was part of the CFL expansion in America in the Las Vegas Posse. That only played two seasons in 1994 and 95.

The Ottawa Rough Riders made CFL Playoffs in 1994, but only because 4-5 teams from each division qualified and were well under 500. Hard to miss the CFL Playoffs when 3-4 or 3-5 teams in each division makes the playoffs. But they were having a down year in 1994.

The Posse were CFL expansion franchise that got their players by drafting castoffs from the CFL and American players that didn’t make the NFL and were looking to simply continue their pro football careers.

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Americas Quarterly: John Parisella- ‘The Canadian Senate: Legitimacy is the Issue’

Source:National Post– a look at the Canadian Federal Senate.

“While Prime Minister Stephen Harper was conducting a Latin American tour last week, a firestorm was in full force concerning questionable expenses of prominent Conservative senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin. Before Harper actually left for Latin America, his respected chief of staff, Nigel Wright, had already resigned from his post after making the decision to give Senator Duffy $90,000 to pay a portion of his debt to the Canadian public.

Meanwhile, the official opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) called for the outright abolition of the Senate—an appointed upper chamber of the Canadian Parliament. This has been the traditional position of the NDP for years. Prime Minister Harper has long been a strong proponent of major senate reform both during his opposition years and now. His approach revolves around the concept of a “Triple E Senate”—elected, equal and effective. The third Canadian parliamentary party, the Liberal party, having benefited for many years from dominating the Senate, has been far more ambiguous about its vision. Currently, legal issues regarding senate reform have been referred to the Canadian Supreme Court for a ruling.”

From the Americas Quarterly

This might sound strange as an American commenting on Canadian affairs, but Canadians do that all the time when it comes to American news, like our healthcare system or foreign policy (to use as examples) or why our taxes are so low, perhaps they are jealous, who knows. So I feel free to comment about Canada and not just because of my First Amendment right as an American.

As an American whose familiar with both Canadian and British news because we get a lot of each others news just because of the nature of the relationships and histories of these three countries and someone who loves politics generally and not just American politics, I can’t help but want to weigh in on the issue of what Canada should do with its Federal Senate. Especially since they can’t seem to stay out our business when it comes to how we elect our President or the fact that we have a President, or a real bicameral Congress that includes a real Senate.

But if you go over to Europe (not including Britain) you’ll see other countries there that have real Senate’s and where the Senate is the real upper chamber in Parliament like in France or Italy or Germany. (To use as examples) So it’s not as if Canada would be copying America nor should they copy anyone by having a bicameral Parliament that’s a real bicameral Parliament and not just that on paper.

I’m not talking about weakening the Canadian House of Commons which is supposed to be the lower chamber of Parliament in Canada anyway. Or taking the power to elect the Prime Minster out of the House of Commons. I’m simply talking about reforming the Senate in Canada and making it a real Senate with real authority and the real upper chamber in Parliament.

The only ways I would make the Canadian Parliament like the U.S Congress with our House of Representatives and Senate, is simply change how laws are passed in Parliament where both chambers would have to agree to the same law, before Parliament could pass one. Which is how it’s done in Congress and where both chambers would have the authority and responsibility to conduct oversight over the executive in Canada or what we call the administration or executive branch.

And give the Senate the right to consent or not consent over executive appointments from the Prime Minister to establish real checks and balances in Canada between the executive and Parliament.

And I would give the House of Commons first crack at all legislation introduced by the Prime minister, but whatever legislation that they pass then the Senate would get a crack at it do with it as they please. And if the pass a bill then the two chambers could come together to write the final bill that’s passed out of Parliament.

The last change I would make to the Senate in Canada is to democratize it, similar to how Americans elect their Senators where each state gets the same amount of senators and they are elected and get to run for reelection and have to win reelection to stay in office as a senator. Canadians would get to do the same thing with each province getting the same amount of senators who would have and you would have to be a resident of that province to run for Senate for that province. And then get elected to serve in the Federal Senate in Ottawa and have to get reelected to keep your seat and continue to serve in the upper chamber of Parliament in the Federal Government.

I’m not talking about weakening the House of Commons in Canada but having it serve as the lower chamber of Parliament which it’s supposed to be anyway and if anything would now have more power with first crack at all legislation introduced by the Prime Minister, but I would empower the Senate and democratize it.

The debate in Canada right now about its Senate seems to be about whether to keep it or not. And if you keep it how to reform it because no one seems to like the current setup of the Senate there. But that’s not a real debate since it would take a constitutional amendment to the Canadian constitution to abolish the Senate. Same thing in America which will probably never happen here either so then the real question is how to reform the Senate in Canada. And since Canada is a democracy, it seems to me the best way would be to democratize it and give it real power.

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CBC Sports: CFL 1988- Grey Cup- Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Vancouver Lions

Source:Canada Classic Sports– the Bombers and Lions for the 1988 CFL Grey Cup.

“One hour condensed version of the 1988 CFL Grey Cup Game

Winnipeg Blue Bomber vs British Columbia Lions

Ottawa, Ontario

VHS rip from ESN Classic Canada.”

From Canada Classic Sports

Looks like the first half of the 1988 Grey Cup, rather than just a highlight package.

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Global News: ‘Most Canadians Want Senate Reform or Abolition: Poll’

Source:Global News– talking about possible Canadian Senate reform.

“Mon, Feb 18: A new poll for Global News suggests most Canadians want to eliminate or reform the Senate. Tom Clark reports. For more info, please go to :Global News.”

From Global News

Canada is probably the closest democracy to America as far as its freedom. In a lot of ways Canada is  a liberal democracy just like America, but if anything has more freedom on social issues, like on gay marriage, prostitution, marijuana, they even allow law-biding people to own guns. And don’t have a national gun registry, like America.

But Canada has much more social democratic economic policy whether the Liberal or Conservative Party is in charged. With a much broader welfare state then America. And even though they have a Federal System unlike Britain, they are a lot more centralized than America.

But Canada is  probably our closest ally in the world, where the cultures and people are pretty similar. Canada in my opinion does a lot of things well but in one area they are lacking even though they have a bicameral Federal Parliament, with the House of Commons and Senate, their Senate unlike America’s is a joke. No more important than the U.K. House of Lords.

Even though on paper the Canadian Senate is the upper chamber in Parliament like America, unlike the U.S. Senate it doesn’t act as one with very little if any power.

Whereas in Australia the Senate there is the upper chamber in Parliament on paper and in practice. And where the Prime Minister has to appear in both chambers weekly when Parliament is in session. Unlike in the Canadian Parliament where Prime Minster only has to appear in the House where Prime Minster Questions is conducted, where Senators don’t appear.

Currently the Prime Minister appoints at least some of the Senators as well as people inheriting that position. Canada is much better than this, because they are not an authoritarian state or a Monarchy. They should modernize their Senate and have a true bicameral Parliament where each province gets and equal number of Senators and where the each territory gets one each.

Canada should let the Canadian People decide who their Representatives in Parliament are in both Chambers. And let the Senate be an equal player in Parliament or the upper chamber. Democracy works best when the people are in charge.

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