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Articles by Ray Smith
LETTER: Gardens still going strong 75 years later
To the editor: I enjoyed attending the 75th anniversary of the Fort William Gardens on March 7. It was nice to see so many old friends and hockey buddies. Fort William Gardens was like a second home for many of us. I played my first hockey game in the Gardens when I was about 17 years old back in the mid '60s.
Former Woolworths reborn as climbing gym on High Street
For decades, the building at 75 High Street was Woolworths — a place woven into the everyday memory of Bideford. Parents bought pick ’n’ mix here. Grandparents queued at the tills. For many residents, it simply “was always there.” One local, now in his seventies, recalls it stretching back as far as he can remember. Archival documentation suggests the retailer signed a 65-year lease when it opened in the 1960s — reportedly paying just £500 a year in rent at the time.
US investment Firm RedBird to buy UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper - Trade War
Abu Dhabi’s IMI will take a minority stake in the company of no more than 15 percent. A consortium led by US investment firm RedBird Capital Partners has agreed to buy the publisher of the United Kingdom’s 170-year-old Daily Telegraph newspaper for about $674m (500 million pounds). Redbird said it has reached an agreement in principle to become controlling owner of the Telegraph Media Group, ending a lengthy takeover saga for the conservative-leaning newspaper on Friday.
The mood is changing: Israeli anger grows at conduct of war - Gaza Israel War
As Israel’s war in Gaza enters a new, violent phase, a growing number of voices within the country are speaking out against it — and how it’s being fought. Yair Golan, a left-wing politician and former deputy commander of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), sparked outrage on Monday when he said: “Israel is on the way to becoming a pariah state, like South Africa was, if we don’t return to acting like a sane country.
The ‘godmother’ of Israel’s settlement movement is sanctioned by the UK.
The UK government has announced sanctions on Daniella Weiss, a far-right Israeli settler known as the “godmother” of the settler movement. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the move “demonstrates our determination to hold extremist settlers to account as Palestinian communities suffer violence and intimidation”. Weiss, 79, is the leader of a radical settler organisation called Nachala — or homeland — which has also been sanctioned.
2.4mR Australian Championships at Royal Brighton Yacht Club - Overall
2.4mR Australian Championships at Royal Brighton Yacht Club - Overall by Ray Smith 4 Feb 11:51 PST The 2.4mR Australian Championships had a record number of entries for the 2024 edition and all competitors arrived at RBYC with much anticipation on the first morning of competition, Friday 26th January. Sadly, the weather gods were not in total agreement.
94th Stonehaven Cup Regatta at Royal Brighton Yacht Club wraps up
94th Stonehaven Cup Regatta at Royal Brighton Yacht Club wraps up by Ray Smith 10 Jan 12:29 PST Where it all began From a lot of ideas and no doubt dozens of sketches (no computers in those days!) a gentleman called Mr A.C. Barber penned the lines of a dinghy, bringing together all the ideas floated in many very animated discussions about training boats. He formally recorded these thoughts around 1922 and called it the One Design 12Ft Cadet Dinghy.
Retirees let down by lack of protection from investment markets
Greater return certainty would help retirees feel more confident to draw down on their savings. By Matt Rady, CEO Allianz Retire+ Few investment metaphors are as misleading as the retirement “nest egg”. Too many retirees believe their savings are fragile and to be preserved at all costs when in fact the purpose of them is to use them to provide an income in retirement. .
City overdue for core review
(Originally published Jan. 21, 2019) AS COUNCIL attempts to race through the budget, it is only now that the public is starting to hear about what the budget contains. City manager Norm Gale is looking at cutting services such as a kids outdoor swimming pool but the real savings are in his own backyard. That would include all the city managers on the sunshine list and all the consultants and studies the city does. We the taxpayers can no longer sustain this bureaucracy.
Without Ed Westcott, the Secret City would have stayed secret
Buy Photo Buy Photo Buy Photo Buy Photo Buy Photo Buy Photo Buy Photo Buy Photo Autoplay Show Thumbnails Show Captions Last SlideNext Slide The story of the Manhattan Project would be lost to history without the work of Oak Ridge’s own renowned photographer Ed Westcott.
90th Stonehaven Cup Regatta to be held in January at Royal Brighton Yacht Club
90th Stonehaven Cup Regatta to be held in January at Royal Brighton Yacht Club by Ray Smith 13 Dec 15:29 PST 3-8 January 2019 90th Stonehaven Cup at Royal Brighton Yacht Club © Ray Smith In January 2019, Royal Brighton Yacht Club will host the 90th Stonehaven Cup – the longest continuously contested junior one-design dinghy trophy in Australian yachting. This is the first time the competition will be conducted using the new RS Quest dinghies.
CRD budget boost lifts property taxes up to 15%
Capital Regional District operational spending is projected to increase about $12.1 million to about $260.6 million in 2019 in what is being described as a status quo budget. Taxpayers could see property tax increases ranging from less than one per cent to more than 15 per cent, depending on where they live and whether their municipality is part of the core area sewage treatment program.
Fertility preservation
It can be hard to contemplate the future while confronting the daily reality of serious illness. But RCN member Val Peddie specialises in encouraging patients to think ahead. Val is a senior charge nurse and fertility specialist at Aberdeen Centre for Reproductive Medicine.
Magnus’s ’59 production hits all the right notes
Magnus Theatre’s current production of Back in 59 is fantastic. I saw this show on Sunday at the matinee performance with a couple of friends and we all thought it was just great.The four young stars of this show are extremely talented and can they dance and sing!They performed over 60 rock ’n’ roll hits from the years 1959-1963.
Honour sports facilities, history
THE Port Arthur Stadium and the Fort William Gardens both opened in 1951 and continue to serve our community well. Dease Street Pool was built in 1912 and is the oldest of these three iconic facilities.
Old rinks last, but could use some paint
THE Fort William Gardens opened in 1951 but the Galt Arena in Cambridge, Ont., is the oldest continuously operating arena in Ontario and perhaps the world. According to Galt officials, the Galt Arena opened in 1922. Gordie Howe even played one year at the Galt Arena. The older rinks were built to last.I remember attending the last Leafs game in Maple Leaf Gardens on Feb. 13, 1999, between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Jack Knox: Victoria’s wax queens to chill in exile for royal wedding
The Queen will not be making an appearance at the royal wedding. It’s not really her turn in the sun, you see. Also, she might melt in it. We speak, of course, of the version of Her Majesty who once reigned from Victoria’s Royal London Wax Museum. Alas, she has been exiled in cold storage since 2010, when the wretched Roundheads of the Provincial Capital Commission crowbarred the tourist attraction out of the CPR Steamship building on the Inner Harbour.
Jack Knox: Victoria’s wax queens to chill in exile for royal wedding
The Queen will not be making an appearance at the royal wedding. It’s not really her turn in the sun, you see. Also, she might melt in it. We speak, of course, of the version of Her Majesty who once reigned from Victoria’s Royal London Wax Museum. Alas, she has been exiled in cold storage since 2010, when the wretched Roundheads of the Provincial Capital Commission crowbarred the tourist attraction out of the CPR Steamship building on the Inner Harbour.
Raw sewage could still spill into sea after treatment plant opens
Incidents of raw sewage flowing through Greater Victoria outfalls into the ocean will continue “on a regular annual basis” for at least a decade after the new sewage treatment plant is in operation, officials say. Under normal conditions, all sewage will be treated, but if there’s a major storm, there might be overflows, said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, who chairs the Capital Regional District’s core area liquid waste management committee.
Charla Huber: Chief Andy Thomas was a leader to us all
The first time I met Chief Andy Thomas of Esquimalt Nation, I walked into his office to ask for guidance on acknowledging his nation’s traditional territory and honouring his nation. He sat across from me at his big office desk and said: “Where are you from?” I told him that I didn’t know and that I was adopted, but knew I was Indigenous. He said he knew, too. We talked about a lot of things, and he offered me guidance about honouring his nation and their traditional territory.
Fans can sign cards for Broncos
LAST Saturday, the Thunder Bay North Stars held a very moving ceremony at centre ice prior to their game against the Thief River Falls Norskies at Fort William Gardens.
Obituary: Esquimalt Chief Andy Thomas mourned as champion of Indigenous rights
Members of the Esquimalt First Nation are mourning the death of Chief Andy Thomas, who was their hereditary leader for 47 years. He died unexpectedly at his home early Saturday. Known also as Seenupin, he was a humble man dedicated to the well-being of his people. He helped create the structure of the Assembly of First Nations and was on the executive of the First Nations of South Island Tribal Council.
Andy Thomas: Esquimalt First Nation leader shaped future, shielded past
Members of the Esquimalt First Nation are mourning the death of Chief Andy Thomas, who was their hereditary leader for 47 years. He died unexpectedly at his home early Saturday. Known also as Seenupin, he was a humble man dedicated to the well-being of his people. He helped create the structure of the Assembly of First Nations and was on the executive of the First Nations of South Island Tribal Council.
City Hall needs to control spending
THE HIGH taxes in Thunder Bay continue to be a big problem for city residents who, on average, will pay an additional amount of close to $100 more this year.City council states we have two options. Pay higher taxes or cut services. There is a third option. Control spending.Is City Hall’s huge bureaucracy sustainable? Seventy per cent of all taxes paid go towards wages and benefits for city employees.
Oak Bay High polar bear swim cancelled due to sewage contamination
The annual Oak Bay High School polar bear swim, scheduled for Friday at Willows Beach, has been cancelled due to sewage overflows caused by heavy rain this week. Willows Beach, a moderate walk from the school, is one of several beaches where warning signs have been posted by the Capital Regional District. Residents are advised to avoid entering the waters along the affected shorelines, as the wastewater may pose a health risk.
Directors pare Capital Regional District budget
Capital Regional District directors have shaved about $400,000 out of the quarter-billion dollar provisional CRD operating budget. The reduction defers spending for the likes of sewage-treatment management and public consultation over future use of the land-acquisition fund, while preserving beefed-up enforcement of parks regulations, including new rules for commercial dog walkers.
William Head prison pauses on lower fence
William Head prison won’t lower its fence without consulting residents of Metchosin, Correctional Service Canada says. Commissioner Don Head has asked for a review of the proposed project, spokesman Jean-Paul Lorieau said in an emailed statement. “Consultation is being done with the mayor and there will be a formal community consultation prior to any final decision. At this point in time, there is no decision to proceed,” he said.
Shamrocks’ Jim Cain cherishes his place in Hall of Fame
With 37 years of service and seven Mann Cup rings to his name, former Victoria Shamrocks trainer Jim (Downtown) Cain was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in the Builder category on Saturday night in New Westminster. He joins a prestigious list of Shamrocks inducted into the hall including the likes of Gary and Paul Gait, Kevin Alexander, Fred (Whitey) Severson, Archie Browning, James (Pee Wee) Bradshaw, Chris Hall and current assistant coach Art Webster, to name a few.
Malcolm X: 'You show me a capitalist, I’ll show you a bloodsucker.”
Fifty years ago Malcolm X was brutally assassinated and thus one of the loudest voices against injustice was removed. In the last period of his life he was evolving towards a class understanding of society. Fifty years ago Malcolm X was brutally assassinated and thus one of the loudest voices against injustice was removed. In the last period of his life he was evolving towards a class understanding of society.
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