Blogger, Artist, Social Media, Web Designer, Photographer- I blog about nouns-people, places and things, even when it's negative I try to put a positive spin on it. @tinawinterlikfb https://tinawinterlik.blogspot.com
💸 WTF is “Productivity & Competitiveness”? — Breaking Down the Carney Budget
Mark Carney’s 2025 federal budget just landed — a massive C$280 billion plan over five years.
Here’s how it’s supposed to be divided:
🏗️ C$115 billion for Infrastructure
⚙️ C$110 billion for Productivity & Competitiveness
🪖 C$30 billion for Defence & Security
🏘️ C$25 billion for Housing
That second line — “Productivity & Competitiveness” — is the one that raises eyebrows. 🤨
What does it actually mean?
⚙️ The Fine Print
In government-speak, it often includes:
💰 Corporate subsidies (“innovation incentives,” “green tech funds,” etc.)
🏭 Industrial handouts for battery plants or data centers
🧑💻 Upskilling and automation programs (sometimes code for layoffs)
🚀 Export promotion and deregulation campaigns
In real life? It means billions going to big business, not the communities that actually create value every day.
🏡 What We Could Do Instead
What if those C$110 billion went into people-centered productivity?
✨ Universal Basic Income so no one falls through the cracks
🌱 Community gardens and local food networks
🖌️ Creative spaces and co-ops that make art, culture, and innovation accessible
🔥 Indigenous-led land and climate projects restoring ecosystems and knowledge
That would make Canada truly competitive — not in profits, but in care, resilience, and imagination. 💚
🤔 Reflective Question:
If you had C$110 billion to make Canada more “productive,”
what would you invest in first?
🎨 Public Art or Public Harassment? When Words in Public Space Hurt
Several times over 🌸 spring, ☀️ summer, and 🍁 fall, I ride my bike 🚴♀️ from Kitsilano to Jericho. It’s a beautiful ride — cherry blossoms 🌸 in spring, golden leaves 🍂 in fall — and I soak in the sights. I walk my dog 🐕 and cat-sit 🐈 for survival, unhoused 🏚️, but I treasure these moments of freedom and calm.
But then… there it is. That ⚠️ sign with bizarre, disturbing messages: “she does pills,”“she doesn’t listen,” and more 😳. It bears the Vancouver Biennale’s name 🎨, but this is not art in any comforting sense. It feels like harassment in public.
Imagine:
You are grieving 💔 a loved one and take a peaceful ride to clear your head. You’re trying to feel a little joy amidst the pain. You glance up at this message board and read words like “she does pills.” The calm shatters. 😢
A mother 👩👧, already stressed, notices her child struggling with self-harm ⚠️. She sees the message “she doesn’t listen” and her chest tightens with guilt and fear 😔. She feels powerless, ashamed, and alone.
A neighbor 👀, simply enjoying a sunny day ☀️, passes the board and can’t help but feel unease 😟. Something meant to inspire thought instead spreads discomfort and anxiety.
💡 Words have power. Public messages, even “art,” are not neutral — they carry weight, affect moods, trigger memories, and can worsen mental health crises.
And here’s another reflection: why do we allow this? Why do we tolerate a system where artists often depend on wealthy patrons 💰 or corporate funding, and vulnerable members of the public must absorb whatever bizarre “creativity” those rich people impose on public space? This is yet another reason why Basic Income for Artists 💵🎨 matters — so that creators can focus on uplifting, meaningful, inclusive art rather than being forced to produce work to please the rich, and so the public isn’t subjected to harassment disguised as art.
I can’t help but ask:
How does this affect children 🚸 riding their bikes or walking home from school in the neighbourhood?
What responsibility do artists 🎨 and public art programs have to ensure messages don’t harm vulnerable people?
Can art be provocative without causing distress, harassment, or fear? Where is that line drawn?
🖼️ Artwork:Vancouver Novel 👨🎨 Artist: João Loureiro (Brazil) 📍 Location: 3474 Point Grey Road, Vancouver, BC
I hope Vancouver Biennale clarifies whether this is the artist’s intent or if the piece has been abused. Either way, it raises important questions:
How do we protect our public spaces 🏙️ from harm?
How do we ensure art uplifts 🌟, rather than harasses ❌, the community?
And how do we respond when something meant to inspire ✨ instead disturbs and isolates those already vulnerable?
💭 Calls to Reflection
Have you ever encountered words in public 🏞️ that hurt or unsettled you unexpectedly? How did it make you feel?
How might children 👶/teens 🧑🎓 interpret messages like “she doesn’t listen” in their daily environment?
How can communities 🤝, artists 🎨, and public programs balance creativity with empathy ❤️ for vulnerable people?
Should public art 🏛️ be monitored to prevent harassment or harm ⚠️? How would that work?
How do we respond when a space meant to inspire ✨ instead triggers pain 😢, fear 😨, or guilt 😔?
How could Basic Income for Artists 💵🎨 change the art we see in public, making it inclusive, thoughtful, and uplifting rather than a reflection of wealthy whims?
Public art should invite participation, reflection, and joy 🌟 — not confusion, distress 😟, or harm ❌. With better support for artists and thoughtful oversight, perhaps our shared spaces 🏙️ can truly inspire instead of disturb.
When Systems Fail: Housing, Jobs, Addiction, and the Urgent Case for Basic Income
Canada is facing a crisis — and it’s hitting ordinary people the hardest. From Surrey to Vancouver, long-time residents, young families, and vulnerable populations are being pushed to the edge as housing, jobs, and social support fail to meet basic human needs.
Fraud and Distorted Systems
In 2025, Canada uncovered thousands of fraudulent student applications, including over 14,000 fake applications and 1,550 fraudulent study permits flagged in one year. (Reuters)
While media in India often portrays these students as victims of housing shortages or job scarcity, the reality is more complicated: fraudulent letters and permits distorted housing markets, displaced local workers, and placed undue strain on social systems. Honest Canadians — students, workers, and seniors — are losing out because profit and exploitation came before people.
Housing Precarity Hits Surrey and Vancouver
The consequences are visible and devastating. In Surrey alone, over 3,500 women were turned away from shelters this year, leaving them vulnerable to violence and homelessness. Drive-by shootings, extortion, and organized crime have surged, creating fear in communities that once felt safe.
In Vancouver, neighborhoods like Kitsilano are undergoing rapid gentrification. Renovictions and tower developments are displacing residents who can’t keep up with rising rents. I know a young couple who were evicted after being late on rent three times, despite their efforts to stay afloat. 🥺
Housing insecurity doesn’t just affect shelter; it creates instability in jobs, mental health, and community cohesion. When people can’t secure a place to live, everything else in their lives begins to unravel.
Addiction: A Tragic Consequence
When people can’t find stable work or housing, many turn to addiction — not as a failure of character, but as a failure of the system. In September 2025, 158 lives were lost to unregulated drug toxicity in BC, with 137 in Surrey alone. (Global News)
The connection is clear: unstable housing and job insecurity create stress and trauma, pushing vulnerable people toward drugs or alcohol. Addiction isn’t an isolated issue; it is a downstream effect of policy failures, economic precarity, and social neglect.
The Role of Artists and Community Leaders
Artists, cultural workers, and community organizers do more than create beauty — they lift people from despair, give voice to the marginalized, and fight for justice. But when these individuals are forced into precarity themselves, society loses not only their work, but the impact they have on others.
This is why basic income is essential. Providing stable support ensures that people — especially those who lift others — can survive, contribute, and help strengthen communities.
An Urgent Call to Leaders
We are calling on decision-makers to act:
Mayor of Surrey and Vancouver, BC MLAs, and Mark Carney: Implement a robust basic income program to ensure every resident has access to stable income, including artists and cultural workers.
Housing Protections: Prioritize housing for those in crisis, especially women, children, and marginalized residents. No one should be turned away from safety.
Address Exploitation: Tackle systemic fraud in student permits, recruitment, and housing that displaces long-term residents.
Addiction Support: Fund and expand treatment, harm reduction, and prevention programs to prevent further avoidable deaths.
Canada has always prided itself on fairness, compassion, and opportunity. But when systems fail, the most vulnerable — and those who lift us all — are the first to fall. Justice, accountability, and basic dignity must come first.
Reflective Questions
How has housing scarcity contributed to rising addiction and crime in Surrey and Vancouver?
What mechanisms can hold fraudulent actors accountable while protecting legitimate residents and students?
How can basic income stabilize lives for artists, cultural workers, and vulnerable populations?
What immediate actions can prevent more deaths and suffering among residents impacted by systemic failures?
How do we prioritize human dignity and fairness over profit and exploitation?
Have you seen this. I am asking you to watch, share and discuss this video with EVERYONE you possibly can. NOW is the TIME for CHANGE. And we can MAKE GREAT CHANGE- for the GREATER GOOD. This video explains how in the simplest, SWEETEST (sorry for the pun) way!! Please Check Out and Share WIDELY.
Note: This is a very long post, please read to the very end to understand the whole message. Thanks!
I find the numbers here odd as this is exactly my age.
I was born in 1962. I was born in the Age of Aquarius and apparently great things are supposed to happen..so let's make it happen.
"Even though the Age of Aquarius has been highly popularized,
few actually know much about it. Some assume that it began many years
ago, while others believe that it has yet to begin. Samael
Aun Weor, the founder of the Gnostic movement, tells us that the Age
of Aquarius began on February 4, 1962. On that day there occurred a very
interesting astronomical (and astrological) event. The planets Mercury,
Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, along with the sun, the earth, and the
moon, were all found in the constellation of Aquarius. In addition, a
solar and lunar eclipse occurred which was visible in some parts of the
Old World. The cosmic event that transpired on that day is extremely rare.
Such a congregation of planets occurs only once every 2160 years, moving
from one constellation to the next. Each time it happens it marks the
beginning of a new era, or New Age, for humanity. February 4, 1962 marked
the end of the Age of Pisces and the beginning of the Age of Aquarius."
We need to share Bernie's speeches so everyone hears the truth and make
an informed decision.We have a responsibility to speak up. Do what you
can. Make sure you share or show people the videos. Do your part. Don't
just say ....well I'm a Canadian, I can't vote, it's not my problem.
It is your
problem. Because what happens there DOES affect us and the world. You
can enlighten someone and that person may be the vote that makes the
difference. Please do your part. We HAVE the RIGHT to SPEAKUP!! Please
do it. http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/…/when-will-you-speak-up.h…
Remember when Stephen Harper wouldn't let Elizabeth May in the debates. He did it because he was really afraid of her. It is because she speaks the truth.
And you know the news and mainstream media is rigged...they only cover certain things. But it's waking up NOW!!
So here's a few more points that I want to make. Since 2011 the way we receive info has drastically changed. With mobile taking off the format we create, share and receive affects us. Many people aren't sitting at the computer anymore. They are on there phones or Ipads, so we need to consider that. People just like to check facts and things that are helpful to them, they want it fast. Also and I was saying this to my daughter...it's sort of weird when you think about IOS and Android- or Apple vs Samsung- the price difference.
I never use Instagram because it's a hassle for me to take and upload photos. I would rather just do that on my computer. I think for Mac/Apple/Iphone users it's easier but it's almost a class thing. Rich vs Poor. If you are going to reach out to the masses, deliver the info in the easiest way for your target audience to receive it. Does that make sense. I went to a meeting for Google last week, they are taking off all the side ads, why? because people on phones don't see them.
So how can all this be applied to Climate Change and saving our beautiful earth and our families from the destructive forces of fossil fuels?
How can we get the masses to chose the people that can make the changes?
How can we make our voice heard?
How can these "grassroots" voices unite and create GREAT SOCIAL CHANGES FOR THE GOOD!
We CAN DO IT with Social Media and applying the Rock Candy Revolution principles but focusing on who the target audience is and how they receive their info and how to get it to them in the fastest, easiest best way possible. I always remember Rebecca Coleman saying social media levels the playing field- we can all play- NOT just the BIG CORPS, BIG PHARMA, BIG OIL!!
So I am asking all the grassroots movements to consider the above and to apply it and take action.
A grassroots movement (often referenced in the context of a political movement)
as defined by Webster's Third International Dictionary, is one which
uses the people in a given district as the basis for a political or
economic movement.[1]
Grassroots movements and organizations utilize collective action from
the local level to affect change at the local, regional, national, or
international level. Grassroots movements are associated with bottom-up,
rather than top-down decision making, and are sometimes considered more
natural or spontaneous than more traditional power structures. [2]
Grassroots movements utilize a variety of strategies from fundraising
and registering voters, to simply encouraging political conversation.
Goals of specific movements vary, but the movements are consistent in
their focus on increasing mass participation in politics.[3]
The truth is Bernie can't do it by himself, anymore than I can #SaveMyCoast by myself or that Trudeau or Obama can do it by themselves. WE MUST TELL THEM WHAT WE WANT and organize everyone and unite and make ourselves heard. We MUST WORK TOGETHER and take action against the evils of the world. For parents especially we need to take action if our children are to have a life.
As Leo DiCaprio said," CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL!!" IT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW!
So if you care about your family, your life and all the amazing beautiful this rich planet Mother Earth has to offer, take action, join a group, talk to your friends, go to a protest, unite, VOTE, SPEAK UP!!
But what ever action you take AND what ever your cause, be it climate change, poverty, women equality, indigenous rights, ....SPEAK UP AND DO IT NOW, because later...will be TOO LATE!!
If you are scared or just APATHETIC and CHOSE NOT TO ACT, then one day Big Oil, Big Pharma, Big Corporations will come into your life and do this. And you may think well that's Ecuador and it's their problem but I have been watching Ecuador for 20 years, when I first read about the struggles of Indigenous people and along with many other people, they have tried very to achieve their rights with the oil companies but it is NOT HAPPENING!!
So the last point I want to make I will tell you a little story.
My friend and I were out walking one day and he was about to step off the curb, without looking, just because the light turned green. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him back just as a car when through the light.
It was scary. We realized in that moment I may have saved his life and we joked about it nervously. And he jokingly said "It's okay, they got insurance." Meaning that he thought well if I get hit, I would get a bunch of money...ha! ha!
But the reality is it wouldn't matter if he got $$$$$$$$$$$$$ in a settlement, IF HE WAS ON LIFE SUPPORT, he really would not be able to enjoy his life to the fullest as he had before the accident.
So think about this, and think carefully, it doesn't matter all the laws we make and all the right politicians we elect, IF we DON'T take ACTION now and start looking for and applying solutions such as CLEAN ENERGY (and not some bs idea from an oil company or LNG or Christy Clark) and figure out how to FEED ourselves and our neighbours LOCALLY and WITHOUT GMO'S and skyrocketing BIG BOX GROCERY STORE prices, if we don't embrace a more natural way of living (Holistic/Elders/First Nations/Traditional Healing )WITHOUT BIG PHARMA, if we don't implement BASIC INCOME and FREE EDUCATION, then the 1% WILL WIN
There are lots of ways to get involved, just do SOMETHING!
Do it for your kids, your family, your friends, your grandkids, your dog, your cat, the polar bears, tigers, oceans, rivers, forest, do it for your future, do it because it is the right thing to do and you KNOW IT!!
On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted
and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It has been
translated into more than 350 languages worldwide, and more than 100 African languages. The full text of its 30 articles in English can be found by clicking the subsequent links. http://www.claiminghumanrights.org/universal_declaration.html
Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the
health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food,
clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services,
and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness,
disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his control.
Motherhood and childhood
are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether
born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Okay, so I know my rights are being infringed upon. I have felt this for a long time.
Here are 10 Reasons Why I felt that my rights are being infringed upon, so I am creating this list 1) for all single moms who had to go on the system...and been totally abused by it. 2) for everyone who worked so hard to pay off the stupid student loans only to have it backfire and blow up in there face. (http://tinawinterlik.blogspot.ca/2015/09/best-to-just-smile-and-say-im-fine.html) 3) For everyone who took fraudulent courses that claimed things that couldn't teach and totally screwed peoples lives (happens all the time) 4) For all the people injured on the job and WCB screwed them over by not retraining or helping in some way. 5) For all the people who pay into the E.I. system but can not get it because they quit, were fired, or because they only want to work part-time. Even if they quit because the employer was making their life hell from low wages, over work, mentally/verbally abusing 6) For all the people that feel defeated and walked over and stomped on by society and the government. 7) For the people that know their body is used up, that if they take another labour job they will NOT live a long life because they have to take care of it the best they can from the hard labour they did in their younger years. 8) For the people who know that they could probably get a disability pension but don't want to live a life groveling to the system, because it is TOO low to support them but if they make any money the system will demand it back or cut them off. 9) For the children, who live with their parents stress, day in and out, who are scared when there is no money or food and love their parents very much but worry about them. Children can not grow healthy and to their GREATEST capability when they have to deal with this every day of their lives. 10) For the family and friends of those who see their family member suffer but not be in a position to help. For the stress, the burden and destruction family relationships that poverty creates because no one knows what to do, or how to help and instead end up judging and blaming of the impoverished.
I WANT JUSTICE!! I am sick of people making us feel like we are bad, we did something wrong, and we don't deserve to have food, shelter and the things that we need to survive in today's world.
The right is enshrined in Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights:
1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right
of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his
family, including adequate food, clothing and housing, and to the
continuous improvement of living conditions. The States Parties will
take appropriate steps to ensure the realization of this right,
recognizing to this effect the essential importance of international
co-operation based on free consent. 2. The States Parties to the
present Covenant, recognizing the fundamental right of everyone to be
free from hunger, shall take, individually and through international
co-operation, the measures, including specific programmes, which are
needed: (a) To improve methods of production, conservation and
distribution of food by making full use of technical and scientific
knowledge, by disseminating knowledge of the principles of nutrition and
by developing or reforming agrarian systems in such a way as to achieve
the most efficient development and utilization of natural resources; (b)
Taking into account the problems of both food-importing and
food-exporting countries, to ensure an equitable distribution of world
food supplies in relation to need.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child contains this right in Article 27: 1. States Parties recognize the right of every child to a
standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual,
moral and social development. 2. The parent(s) or others responsible
for the child have the primary responsibility to secure, within their
abilities and financial capacities, the conditions of living necessary
for the child's development. 3. States Parties, in accordance with
national conditions and within their means, shall take appropriate
measures to assist parents and others responsible for the child to
implement this right and shall in case of need provide material
assistance and support programmes, particularly with regard to
nutrition, clothing and housing. 4. States Parties shall take all
appropriate measures to secure the recovery of maintenance for the child
from the parents or other persons having financial responsibility for
the child, both within the State Party and from abroad. In particular,
where the person having financial responsibility for the child lives in a
State different from that of the child, States Parties shall promote
the accession to international agreements or the conclusion of such
agreements, as well as the making of other appropriate arrangements.
----------------------------------------------------- I just wanted to add this at the bottom here. Please JUSTIN keep your promise
Our plan will lift Canadians out of poverty starting immediately after the next election.
We will introduce a new Canada Child Benefit. Tax-free,
tied to income and delivered monthly, this benefit provides greater
support to those who need help most: single-parent families and
low-income families. It will lift 315,000 children out of poverty.
We will help to lift hundreds of thousands of seniors out
of poverty by increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement for single
low-income seniors by ten percent. This will give one million of our
most vulnerable seniors – who are often women – almost $1,000 more each
year.
Today is a day to remember how truly fortunate we are! This is my
favourite scene -see video, although it's hard to choose and makes me cry just watching it.
I just hope the Americans see the opportuinity they have and vote for Bernie. Elizabeth May speaks about similar ideas. Please share this video. Wouldn't that be wonderful is Elizabeth May was PM and Bernie was President!!
