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News

Canada just about had a ballot as tall as you

On August 18, voters in the riding of Battle River–Crowfoot will go to the polls to elect one of the 214 candidates on the ballot. This is the largest number of candidates in Canadian history to compete for a single parliamentary seat, far surpassing the previous record of 91, which last occurred in the Carleton riding during the 2025 election

Pierre Poilievre was one of the 91 names on the 2025 Carleton riding ballot.

Why are so many people running? Well, 201 of the candidates share the same official agent, Tomas Szuchewycz, and seem to be part of a protest group, called the "Longest Ballot Committee” (LBC). While the LBC may have some connections with the old satirical Rhinoceros Party (best known for its pledge to repeal the law of gravity), this time they are at least pretending to make a serious point.

I say pretending because if they wanted to make a serious point, you’d think they would try to get the word out. But only 24 of their 201 candidates bothered to submit a website to Elections Canada, half of which linked only to YouTube music videos about the candidate. Another candidate's page stated, “I’m doing this out of spite” and said little else. Only a half dozen or so attempted a policy statement. And the LBC’s Bluesky page vaguely stated they wanted “decisions on election law” passed on to “an independent, non-partisan body, such as a citizens’ assembly to decide.” And how might someone get onto such a body? Appointed? If so, by who? Or elected? By what process? No ready answers could be found.

The real reason for this flood of candidates can be traced to a 2017 ruling that struck down the $1,000 deposit requirement. The government defended the requirement as a way of heading off frivolous candidates, but Justice Avril Inglis rejected that argument. She pointed to the 27 Rhinoceros Party candidates who had run in the 2017 federal election and “apparently caused no harm to the integrity of the electoral process.”

But 27 joke candidates spread across the country is very different from 200 running in one. The 2025 Carleton riding ballot, with 91 candidates (see picture), was one meter long. With the prospects of a two-meter long ballot this time, Elections Canada has gone with a write-in ballot. As a National Post article put it, “what would have been Canada’s longest-ever ballot has become its shortest-ever.”

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, running in this riding and now up against Long Ballot Committee candidates for the second time this year, made three suggestions that would stop the LBC from running hundreds of candidates again:

  1. Raise the bar for candidate nominations by requiring 0.5% of the population in any given riding to sign, not just 100 people (that would work out to about 400 people on average)
  2. Require that each signature in support of a candidate be exclusive, with no signatory permitted to endorse more than one candidate in the same election
  3. Restrict official agents to representing only a single election candidate at any given time

While the LBC’s fuss is worth reining in, we shouldn’t want a lot of restrictions on who can run – too many restrictions could become a means for already organized big parties to squelch any smaller challengers from getting off the ground (like the Reform Party back in the late 80s). The third suggestion could hurt the Christian Heritage Party, which has a serious message to share, but not a lot of staff to go around.

So, what’s the smallest change that could be made and still be effective? What could help, but not squelch? All that would be needed is Poilievre’s second suggestion. The 201 LBC candidates likely used the same 100 voters’ signatures again and again, but this change would have required them to get a total of 20,100 different people to nominate their candidates from a riding in which there are only 85,000 eligible voters.

Ballot photo is adapted from a photo by Harry Kusumah Hidajat, and is used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Editorial cartoon at the top was created with ChatGPT

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News

Supreme Court of Canada upholds prostitution law

In an important decision that didn’t get covered by the mainstream media this July, Canada’s highest court made a unanimous decision to uphold key parts of the country’s prostitution laws. The law, passed in 2014, went after the Johns rather than the prostitutes, making it illegal to purchase sex, but not penalizing the selling of it. Why? The goal was to reduce the demand for prostitution while making it possible for those trapped in prostitution to leave without prosecution. Mikhail Kloubakov and Hicham Moustaine worked as drivers for a sex-trafficking business and were charged under sections of the prostitution law relating to procuring people for prostitution and benefitting from the prostitution of others. They appealed this all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada, and also asking the court to declare the entire law to be unconstitutional, which could have left Canada with no restrictions on prostitution. ARPA Canada teamed up with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) in a joint intervention before the court, arguing that the law be maintained to uphold human dignity and equality, and to expose the harm that results from commodifying sexual intimacy. Lia Milousis, a lawyer who worked on behalf of the EFC and alongside ARPA’s lawyer John Sikkema, expressed gratitude for the decision. As she noted in The Acacia Arc newsletter, “The Court notes that Parliament views profiting from the commodification of another human being’s sexual activity as inherently involving exploitation…. It deferred to Parliament, which I would say and the EFC and ARPA argued, is the correct approach.” The law is also being challenged separately in an Ontario case, which ARPA is also intervening in....

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Adult non-fiction, Book Reviews

8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them

by Michael Brock 2024 / 224 pages Climbing the ladder out of the tranquil waters of Middleton beach, my ears were assaulted by an angry rant. A mother was giving her son a verbal lashing right there on the pontoon deck. The issue, I could not help but learning, was the misuse of some borrowed snorkeling equipment. But the incident was apparently indicative of what a completely useless boy he was in general. “Give me a break, lady. Do you really think your caustic belittling is helping? What chance does this kid have of growing up into a confident, well-adjusted adult? Listen to yourself!” Now I didn’t say any of that aloud. I dove back in and swam to the jetty. But it got me thinking. What does my parenting sound like? Renae and I were reading the recently published 8 Errors Parents Make and How to Avoid Them by Michael Brock. When a friend recommended it, I had raised my eyebrows at the word “Error” in the title. Couldn’t he have titled it, “8 Principles”? Put it in the positive. Give us a bit of encouragement here. But I’ve read the book (twice). “Errors” is the right word. You could even say “Sins.” The book is concise, but incisive and biblical. Nothing new Author Michael Brock opens by admitting that he’s not giving anything new here. In his introduction, he cites some of the materials he and his wife have benefited from. These include a lot of the titles we read earlier in our parenting career: Douglas Wilson, Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, the Tripp brothers (Paul and Ted). But Brock’s contribution is that he nicely balances the explanation of biblical principles with specific practical application. He’s not afraid to describe what this can look like in practice. He acknowledges that other parents have raised godly kids, doing things differently. He’s not saying that if you don’t raise your child as he counsels, you are guaranteed a rebellious child. But he is saying there are clear biblical principles that must be applied by everyone. We ignore them to our peril. Parenting begins with parents For example, the first error is “Shifting the blame.” We like to spread around the blame when things go wrong. One of his mantras is that “parenting begins with parents.” If you are an angry person, your children will likely be angry. If you are a lazy person, your children will likely be lazy. If you are a joyful person, your children will probably be joyful. For sure, there are exceptions. Prodigal sons and daughters break the hearts of their godly parents. But still, parents need to recognize that their training has a massive impact. They have received both authority and a call to train their children. Now, this might not sound like good news, but it is. Because when we see we are shifting the blame, there is grace and power to change. For example, Brock emphasizes that you need to pray with your kids. Not just prayers at mealtimes but meaningfully bringing your needs and theirs before the throne of grace, through the ups and downs of life. You might say, “I’m not good at that. I’ve never done that.” Well, you must learn. With the help of the Lord and His people, you can. When the stakes are low The book has a chapter on each stage of child development: toddler through to teenager. He advises parents to be strict and teach obedience when children are young, so that they can loosen up and give more independence when they are older. Otherwise, older children get frustrated. But many parents do it the other way around. They smile at the foibles and rebellion of their toddler. Tantrums are kind of cute in a one-year-old. But later on, it’s not so cute, and then parents try to rein things in. But sin is sin, even in the young. So, discipline when the stakes are low (“Eat your broccoli”) so that later they will listen when the stakes are higher (“Don’t date that guy”). What does that discipline look like? Our culture has all but lost an understanding of what a loving spanking looks like. Brock gives clear step-by-step guidance on what discipline looks like as the child matures (here he riffs on Ted Tripp’s book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart). Without proper discipline, parents must resort to controlling their young children by berating them. The tirade I heard on the Middleton beach pontoon was much more painful than a couple of paddy whacks. Joy and laughter You may be getting the impression that this book will turn your home into the VonTrapp residence (pre- Maria). But far from it. Brock paints a picture of how beautiful and fun a Christian family is. It is not a dour, unpleasant place. It can be full of more laughter and joy than you can imagine. And children who are disciplined and trained when they are young can grow to be your lifelong friends as adults. Was there anything I didn’t like? Anything unbiblical? I wondered whether by emphasizing the responsibility of the parent to train, Brock might miss the grace and sovereignty of God. When a child grows up to love and serve the Lord, that is the result of a miracle of God’s grace. We can’t take credit for it. But Brock affirms that too. There are no perfect parents. God uses us through our weaknesses. Parents are responsible to do their best and then trust the results to the Lord. The solution to regret Brock describes the day his daughter left for college. His heart was full of regrets. “I should have spent more one-on-one time with her. I have not taught her the best ways to have personal devotions. Etc....” When we are overcome with a feeling of failure, the solution is not to get defensive. It is not to try to remind ourselves of the good things that we’ve done. The solution is to confess our weakness and sin to the Lord. And then to trust that there is grace and forgiveness in Christ. And rest in that grace. God uses us in our weakness. We can trust that by His power we (and they) can grow. While reading the book for the first time, I found myself regularly stopping to repent and pray. I’d recommend Brock’s book to new and experienced parents. You might wince at times. But that’s good. It’s the clear, biblical, practical instruction that parents need. Rev. Arend Witten in the pastor of the Free Reformed Church of Baldivis. This is reprinted with permission from the June 2025 issue of “Una Sancta.”...

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Book Reviews, Children’s fiction

Akimbo and the Lions

by Alexander McCall Smith 1992 / 66 pages Alexander McCall Smith is best known as the author of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency but it turns out he's written a number of children's books as well. And they are good. Really good! Akimbo is a boy who has access to all the coolest animals in Africa – his dad is chief ranger in charge of a wild game reserve, which means that from one book to the next Akimbo is having adventures with snakes and baboons and elephants and crocodiles, oh my! In Akimbo and the Lions he accompanies his father to trap a lion harassing a small village. But things don't go as planned – instead they trap a cub and scare the momma away. That means someone needs to take care of this wee little lion, and Akimbo convinces his dad that he is just the boy for the job! McCall does a wonderful job of balancing the tension in the book. There were moments where my 5 and 7-year-old were covering their mouths (and sometimes their eyes) but these moments didn't last too long. This is just a good old fashioned adventure, perfect for their age group. It is short – a book that can be read in an hour – exciting, sometimes sweet, with gentle humor along the way too. And in this first story, there is absolutely nothing to object to – Akimbo doesn't talk back to his parents, or teacher. No sex, no language, no weird philosophies. The only downside would be God's absence. In an adventure where God's creation has such a big role, it would be only natural to give God his credit for these wonderful creatures. But it seems that Akimbo and his parents are not Christians. And if I was going to add one other nitpick I'll also say this is not the sort of children's book that works equally well as an adult book (this is no Narnia, for example). The story is too simple and predictable for older folk. I only mention that because, since this is by a well known, and well-loved adult-fiction author, that might raise some expectations. But while these are very good kid's books, they are kid's books. There are five in all, in this order: Akimbo and the Lions Akimbo and the Crocodile Man Akimbo and the Elephants Akimbo and the Snakes Akimbo and the Baboons The others In addition to Akimbo and the Lions we've now read the other four in the series. Akimbo and the Crocodile Man was a bit scarier as there is an actual crocodile attack. It all turns out fine in the end, but that extra bit of tension means I was glad we did read things in order, starting with Lions before Crocodile Man – that order meant even in Crocodile Man's scariest bit, my girls understood that this sort of book was going to have a happy ending. Akimbo and the Elephants had Akimbo going behind his dad's back to stop ivory (which comes from elephant tusks) poachers. He has good intentions, but lies a number of times, and even steals some ivory to serve as bait for the poachers. We had to explain to the girls that Akimbo was doing something downright dumb here - that he should be talking his plan over with his dad. So while we enjoyed reading it together, I would have some reservations about my children reading this by themselves. In Akimbo and the Snakes we come along as Akimbo visits his Uncle Pete's snake farm for a month and learns what it means to "milk" snakes. My nine-year-old enjoyed learning more about snakes but said this was definitely a day time and not bedtime book. The only objectionable bit would be in the notes after the story where it briefly mentions that snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards. In Akimbo and the Baboons a "baboon lady" comes for a visit. This is a visiting scientist who has come to study that baboons, and Akimbo and his cousin Kosi get jobs as her assistants. The author believes in evolution, and while that only comes out clearly in a section in the back – "Brilliant baboon facts" where McCall notes baboons are not in the same genetic family as human beings – the scientist, Jen, notes a few times in the story, how the baboons are "a lot like us" or "just like us." True, in some ways, but when we read between the lines here, we can see this is about being similar in an evolutionary sense. I'm making much of this and will note my nine and under kids didn't even notice the evolutinoary angle. So if I was getting these for a school library, I would get the first two – two very enthusiastic thumbs up! – but maybe give the third a miss, and the fourth and fifth with a note about evolution in the front. What's the ideal age range? I'd think kids in Grades One to Three are sure to enjoy them. Akimbo and the Lions is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca....

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RP's 2025 Summer Photo Contest: Double the fun; two challenges in one!

This summer we’re doubling up on our photo contest with one challenge for the adults and a completely different one for the under 18 set. As always, the themes are meant as a springboard for your creativity and not any sort of limitation on it. So just try things, have fun, and share what you capture with all of us! Get out there and start clicking! ADULTS: People are cool. Why? Because we’re made in God’s image. We are fallen, but that Imago Dei exists still (Gen. 9:6) so we want you to capture striking images of people doing people things, because God made us special. UNDER 18: What’s your favorite _____? God has given us so much to enjoy, and we want you to find a way to share your favorites on film. A basketball nut? Then what’s the coolest basketball photo you can take? Really like bananas? I don’t know how you are going to take a dramatic banana picture, but it sure could be fun trying. Just start clicking, and see what you can do, with whatever you love. And be sure to include a line or two explain what about your favorite makes it so special. Categories: Children and youth (under 18) Adults (18+) Rules: Maximum 2 entries per person Must be an original photo, taken in the last 12 months Include a line to explain how the photo relates to the theme (max. 100 words) Provide permission to RP to publish your photo online and/or in print if selected Include the name of the photographer and photo title, and for the under 18 entries, the photographer's age. Prizes: Winner and runner-up, and a selection of other entries, for both categories will be printed in Reformed Perspective this Fall. Winner of each category will receive a $150 gift certificate from Reformed Book Services or Providence Books and Press; runner-up will receive a $75 gift certificate. Deadline: Send your photo (high-resolution) to [email protected] before Aug 1, 2025 ...

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Economics

On why freer trade is best

The following is based on Real Talk’s episode #126, “Mere Economics and the Issue of Tariffs,” with host Lucas Holtvlüwer talking to economics professor and author Dr. Caleb Fuller about the only four ways that people can get the things they need. **** We might not be medical experts, or have a law degree, but we all know a lawyer, and a nurse or two. But how many of us know an economist? Not too many, and I think that's why economics can seem an intimidating field. But it doesn't have to be complicated. When it comes to how we can best get the things that we want and need for ourselves and our families, Dr. Fuller boiled things down: “…there's only actually four possible ways for me to get what I want. And these four ways are logically exhaustive.” What he means by "logically exhaustive" is that these four are it – there are no other possibilities. So what are these four ways? And more importantly, why should we know? To answer the second question first, this is vital information because only one of the four ways will actually work for a society. So it is key we pick the right way. 1. Getting gifts One way we could get the food, clothing, and shelter we need is to simply receive it from someone else. That’s what we do for our kids, after all. But there is a problem, as Dr. Fuller explains: “I could rely on gifts from someone else. But if you think about that for a couple seconds, you realize that if everyone was doing this – if you kind of systematized that way of getting what you want – the world would be incredibly poor. It also pushes the question back a step. You know, where did the gift-giver get what he's giving?” 2. Stealing what we want and need A second option is chosen by some, but we’d all starve if everyone did the same. “You could steal from others. Ethical problems aside, if you universalize that means of getting what you want, you also live in a world ‘nasty, brutish, and short,’ to quote Thomas Hobbes. And, also, just like the first option pushes the question back, where did the person who's being stolen from…get the goods in question?” 3. Making it all ourselves So, that leaves us only two more possibilities. We can either make everything we need ourselves, or, instead, use our particular skills to make something others want, and trade with them for what we want. So, our options are make or trade, and one of the reasons President Trump instituted his tariffs is he wanted less trade with other countries, and more of the making done in the US. Dr. Fuller highlights the problem with this approach. “Let's think about make for a second. There's a great book called The Toaster Project by a guy named Thomas Thwaites. Thwaites chronicles his attempt to build a very simple toaster from scratch, that is, without cooperating with anyone else. So he's not going to engage in buying, he's not going to engage in exchange, he's just going to make, okay? “And it takes him about nine months. He does cheat a little bit along the way. And after this nine months of full-time work on this toaster, he plugs the toaster in, and five seconds later it shorts out. “There's a small fire that melts it down. After nine months of work, that was the consequence. And that is a little vignette of what our lives would be if we systematized or universalized this third means of getting what we want – just making everything that I want to consume.” 4. Specializing/trading And as Fuller shares, that “brings us to this fourth option, of specialization.” Few of us will be any better at making toasters than Thwaites was, but we might have other skills we can offer. One person might be a great nurse, another a very good farmer, and a third might be a skilled high school teacher. We all have our specialties, and it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to recognize how much worse off we’d be if we didn’t specialize. Then the nurse would have to build her home, the farmer would have to teach his kids high school physics, and the teacher would have to fix his son’s broken leg. Specialization helps us do and make more. Dr. Fuller specializes as an economics professor producing lectures and books that others value, and he trades those away for money and then uses that money to buy what he wants. “That's why I say that the ability to exchange is not optional if you want to observe ‘mass flourishing,’ to use economist Ed Phelps’ term. And so that's why economists are so obsessed with specialization…” Conclusion Of these four ways of getting what we need, God’s commandment against stealing rules out the second. His call to be fruitful (Gen. 1:28 and in the Parable of the Talents, Matt. 25:14-30) eliminates the first as an option – we can’t just live off of our parents, even if they were willing. A fruitful life would also address the third option. It doesn’t make sense for us to try to do everything ourselves. If everyone did, we’d all be not simply poor, but quite likely dead. What’s true for individuals is true in large part for countries too. The US is currently trying to use tariffs on foreign goods to drive companies to produce in-country more of the goods that Americans consume. But even the US can’t be better than everyone at producing everything. So, for example, in a June 3rd House Appropriations meeting, Rep. Madeleine Dean questioned Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the tariff being imposed on bananas. The US grows less than a tenth of one percent of the bananas that Americans eat. The other 99.9% are imported. And, as Secretary Lutnick noted, the tariff is “generally 10%.” Lutnick defended the tariff, arguing that, as trade deals are made, the tariffs will eventually be eliminated. But he also argued that “if you build in America and produce your product in America, there will be no tariff.” To which Rep. Dean pointed out, “You can’t build bananas in America.” Free trade remains best, and not simply for banana lovers. ...

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News

Saturday Selections – July 12, 2025

Josiah Queen's "A Garden in Manhattan" On the crowded streets, all the people that I see Want them to know the Jesus that I know If I'm the closest thing to a Bible that they read Let the words they read be what You wrote Father, help me to go I'll be a garden in Manhattan, be a river where it's dry When my friends can't find the road, I'll be a roadside welcome sign Sunshine in Seattle, be a cool breeze in July Light in the darkness I'll be a garden, a garden in Manhattan Florida after dark, I know it ain't quite Central Park There's souls in my hometown You wanna reach Oh, God, use me where You have me... Climate hypocrisy tells us what the elites really believe When global warming proponents like Oprah Winfrey, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos all jet off to an exotic locale to celebrate a wedding, you can know they aren't really worried about CO2 hurting the planet... or they wouldn't fly a hundred jets to a party. And as this article explains, EV cars are another hypocrisy gauge. They might make sense in some instances, but if they are being pushed whether they help lower CO2 emissions or not, then you know this is about show, not substance. As Bjorn Lomborg writes: "In some parts of the world, like India, so much of the power comes from coal that electric cars end up emitting more CO₂ than gasoline cars...." Now, to be fair, Lomborg himself is worried about global warming. But, as he highlights, the actions most governments take are not what would be needed to solve the issue if it did exist. Parks Canada staff privately doubted Kamloops "graves" claim “$12M spent by @GcIndigenous to find purported 215 children's graves at Indian Residential School was instead spent on publicists & consultants with no graves found to date...” The legacy media is betraying Canada (10 min. read) Soviet Union President Nikita Khrushchev is credited with saying, "The press is our chief ideological weapon." In contrast, US President George H.W. Bush is said to have said, "We need an independent media to hold people like me to account.” The dictator wanted to own the press so the government could use it to direct public opinion, while the US president touted the need for a press independent of government so it could hold those in power to account. Our Canadian government spends massive amounts of money funding the country's largest media outlets, and these outlets not only don't denounce the proposition, but take the money. That tells you a lot about which direction our media is heading. While readers likely won't mind this article's anti-Liberal Party bias, some might be put off by just how loud it is. But read it anyways for the money trail. The Scopes Monkey Trial is 100 years old! In 1925, a Dayton, Tennessee high school teacher named John Scopes was put on trial for violating a state law that forbade teaching evolution. The case made big news then – across both the US and into Canada – and made big news again in 1960 when a movie version called Inherit the Wind was made, which portrayed the town of Dayton as a bunch of creationist hicks who wanted to storm the jail to get Scopes. That film was then shown in classrooms across the US for generations, convincing many students that only idiots like those onscreen could ever believe Genesis is literal. But the truth is, the whole town was in on it – they challenged the law to get some attention for their hometown, and recruited Scopes, who agreed to be charged, and in an ironic twist, he probably never even taught evolution in his classroom. In another ironic twist, as this article lays out, much of the scientific evidence marshaled for evolution during the trial has been overturned since (ex. vestigial organs, similar embryonic development). So, even if it had been a bunch of dumb hicks, dumb hicks siding with God are a lot smarter than a gaggle of reporters and scientists siding against Him. Is Trump doing good or is he doing bad? Yes. Jeffrey Epstein was a sex trafficker with ties to many of the most powerful people in the world. This, then, was a man who could name names, and topple empires... and then he died mysteriously in his jail cell – a purported suicide but one that happened when his cell's video cameras were broken. The country's reaction was telling. No one was buying the coincidence. This past week, Epstein's client list was supposed to be released and the news now is that there was no client list. As the video below details, this has a lot of conservatives, Christians among them, feeling crushed. They don't believe it, and want to know where the justice is. Part of the disappointment comes from the tendency we have of making politicians our dividing lines. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were monsters... so we should love Trump? That doesn't follow. Canadian prime ministers Trudeau and Carney have a litany of sins, most recently trying to push murder as a treatment for mental illness. But does that mean we have to look past the shortcomings of Pierre Poilievre? Christians don't have to. Our dividing line is not a Trudeau or Trump, because our unswerving loyalty lies only with God (Josh. 5:13-14). So, yes, Trump continues to stand strong against gender nonsense, but the missing Epstein list has people wondering if the swamp can ever be drained, and as Mindy Belz (sister-in-law of WORLD magazine founder Joel Belz) highlights, his results-now approach has undercut processes that protect everyone from government overreach. ...

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News

Canada’s population almost shrinking

The latest population estimation from Statistics Canada is revealing a startling change: Ontario, Quebec, and BC all saw population declines in the first quarter of 2025. The country as a whole grew by only 20,107 people, which, as a percentage, amounted to a 0.0% increase, the second-slowest growth rate in Canada since records began in 1946. The record prior was the third quarter of 2020, when border restrictions from the Covid-19 pandemic prevented immigration. The decrease has been attributed to announcements by the federal government in 2024 to decrease temporary and permanent immigration levels, with targets of 436,000 for this year, which is still well above the 250,000 level prior to the Liberal government taking office in 2015. So, in the first quarter of 2025 we lost 17,410 people via emigration to other countries, and there was also a drop of 61,111 in non-permanent residents – people on temporary work or student visas, along with their families. The data also shows that there were 5,628 more deaths than births in the first quarter, largely due to Canada’s quickly declining fertility rate. That’s a collective loss of population of 84,140 people. Then, going in the other direction, we had 104,256 people immigrate to Canada, for that small net increase of 20,107. While it is a blessing that people from other countries are still willing and able to move to Canada, it is sobering to note that two-thirds of the world’s populations are now below replacement rate and the world’s population is projected to start declining later this century. God’s first command to humanity was to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Imagine what the world could look like in a few generations if Christians fulfilled this cultural mandate with enthusiasm while the rest of the world continued on its course....

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News

You now live on šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street

“911, I need an ambulance at 232 šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street, and quickly please!” “Sorry, I didn’t get that. Can you repeat the address?” “The first letter is an s with a hat on it, followed by an x with a w above and to the side of it… BUT CAN YOU PLEASE COME? WE NEED HELP NOW!” This exchange may sound like something from a bad dream, but it is a new reality for about 100 residents who live on what was once called Trutch Street in Vancouver. Vancouver’s city council made a unanimous decision in June to change the name to this indigenous word, which means “Musqueamview,” even though it recognizes that there are no fluent speakers of the language remaining in the world today. Trutch Street was named after Joseph Trutch, BC’s first Lieutenant Governor. Trutch is now seen by many as a colonialist oppressor, particularly because he didn’t recognize aboriginal land title. Those who work for emergency services shared their concerns that the new name will make it difficult for people to get help when they need it, but the city decided that it is sufficient to add “unofficial” signs that read “Musqueamview St.” When the English version is used in writing, city staff clarify that it should include a footnote that says “Musqueamview St is a translated name available for use while colonial systems work to accept multilingual characters.” The city also provided a QR code in a letter, which residents can scan to hear the proper pronunciation. The decision also means that those who live on the street will need to update their licences, insurance, registrations, land titles, credit cards, and more. The city of Vancouver is planning “education opportunities” and invited residents to a “community celebration” to commemorate their decision. Yes, this is another example of woke activism and critical theory at work: stepping on those whom we deem to have been oppressors while justifying today’s oppression as deserved. But it is more than that. It serves as a very clear example of how a secular system, divorced from God, is so enthusiastic about its own religion that it is willing to descend into absurdity. It isn’t enough to remove a name they don’t like, nor to replace it with a name that is politically correct today. It has to go one step further by adopting a language that we aren’t actually capable of speaking or understanding, and then asking the public to celebrate this. Like changing the pronouns “him” or “her” to “them,” the secular worldview is demanding that we ignore logic, truth, and reality, and simply conform to whatever we are told is justice today, even if that changes next year. If others don’t like this, the strong-arm of the state is used to coerce and fine transgressors and celebrate those who conform. What a contrast this is to God’s unchanging will for our lives – it is based on the truth, and our lives are blessed when we live accordingly!...

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Science - Environment

Creation stewards in a logging town

My little blue Kia Soul didn’t quite fit in, as I drove through the industrial section of the small forestry town of Houston, BC. Not only are trucks the dominant mode of transport, the industrial lots were filled with massive machines used to cut down and transport trees, some with tires the size of my car. I pulled into a property that also seemed out of place for this community, let alone the industrial neighborhood: a conservation center and fish hatchery. I stepped inside the Buck Creek Hatchery and Nature Centre, and, in a space about the size of a typical classroom, I was surrounded by God’s amazing creation on display. Animal hides and mounts, rocks, fossils, shells, bird nests, antlers, eggs, and aquariums had me looking in every direction. Like many other Christians, I have often felt a tension in my heart and mind over our role in ruling over and subduing the earth (Gen. 1:28), while caring for it (Gen. 2:15). I ask my children to not deliberately stomp on an ant, but I also don’t struggle with removing an anthill that is becoming a problem for our home. As I have grown older, I see many more examples of tension woven through life and the Scriptures. It means we need to take the time to listen, and to act with wisdom. So, I figured that agreeing to an invitation to meet with two Christian environmentalists in a resource-dependent town could be a good way to help me grow in navigating this tension over creation care. Marjorie Lieuwen and Cindy Verbeek welcomed me to the center and took me into a “hands-on” classroom, meant for teaching students about creation. The two shared how at different times, and through different means, the LORD had guided their steps to serve as nature stewards in the middle of a logging town. Cindy Verbeek standing in front of the Buck Creek Hatchery’s salmon mural. A common denominator As a young adult, Cindy spent a summer doing environmental studies at a field school in Michigan. It was during a time of prayer in the forest there that she was convicted to dedicate her life to this work. She then got involved with A Rocha, a Christian conservation organization that was started in Portugal in the 1980s. Her husband and she volunteered there in 1996, and she has served with the organization through various means since then. The couple moved to Houston in 2002, and Cindy began serving on staff with A Rocha from there. Promoting environmental care in a town that owes its existence to the development of natural resources, particularly logging, comes with challenges. Cindy explained that she started with efforts like a community garden, recycling committee, and farmers’ market. “But none of the things really fit. It didn’t fit me. It didn’t fit the context.” For example, she noted that people in Houston already had gardens that were larger than the community garden, and they already shared. Things changed when she got involved with the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation, introducing her to work with salmon. She floated the idea of a salmon hatchery in Houston “and all of a sudden people were coming out of the woodwork.” She explained that, “…salmon are a common denominator in our valley, in Western BC. We are all connected to salmon somehow. We either fish for them, or we love seeing them. We love eating them…. Everyone just loved salmon, and it took me a long time to understand the language of this community.” She and Regina Meints started a pilot hatchery in a shed in Regina’s backyard, raising 4,400 coho salmon. The experience made them decide they wanted to do this full-time and long-term, so they started making plans. “It started as a salmon hatchery,” said Cindy. “But I am an environmental educator. I love sharing and teaching people about creation, and so I wanted the nature center aspect added to it as well.” In 2017 the hatchery was built and in 2021, amidst Covid, the nature center was added on. But that also meant the expectations grew. “I was very quickly realizing that this project was way bigger than myself,” explained Cindy. Providentially, that was also the year that Marjorie Lieuwen landed in northern BC. From the prairies to the mountains Marjorie Liewen with quite the coho salmon during a broodstock capture for the hatchery.Picture credit: Marjorie Liewen Marjorie grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Although the landscape is nothing like northwest BC, her dad is a birdwatcher, so their family got outside a lot. “Even when I was in Grade Four, I made this plan to start a burrowing owl sanctuary because I heard they were endangered in Manitoba.” That said, Marjorie didn’t expect her love of nature to translate so directly into a career. She completed a degree in biotechnology at the University of Manitoba, followed by a master’s degree at the Health Sciences Center at the same school, focused on finding cures and therapies for Rett Syndrome, a genetic disorder. Part way through her master’s degree, she made a trip to Houston to attend a wedding. On that trip she met Jason Lieuwen, who grew up in Houston, was a friend of the groom and had recently moved back to Houston after studying forestry in Prince George. Marjorie and Jason started dating long-distance, and then Marjorie decided to move to Prince George in 2021 to do some more schooling. They got married that June. That summer, she saw a job posting for the nature centre in Houston. It was a perfect fit. Marjorie’s education fits well with her role in overseeing the fish in the hatchery as well as stewarding the salmon in the Upper Bulkley River, which flows through the community. She works with local farmers, First Nations, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and others to monitor salmon numbers and promote a flourishing population, specifically for coho and chinook salmon. In the 1970s, the salmon numbers plummeted in the Upper Bulkley and the river was closed to fishing. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans started a program that involved releasing coho and chinook hatchery fish, but the coho program was stopped in the early 2000s. “So, for about 10 years or so, there was no coho enhancement being done,” explained Marjorie. That changed when Cindy and other locals decided to start a hatchery. The Buck Creek hatchery is considered a “stewardship hatchery” because it is small, raising only about 9,000 salmon, and includes a special focus on educating and involving the community. They grow coho specifically because they are more robust and can better tolerate being handled by volunteers. Most hatcheries in the province are much larger, focused less on education and more on getting large numbers of salmon into the rivers and oceans. A not-so-unlikely pair Some may find it ironic that Marjorie, a self-described environmentalist, married Jason, a professional forester who worked for Canfor, the local mill in Houston which also happened to be the largest sawmill in the world at one point. This is a beaver dam after it has been notched to create an opening for salmon spawners to jump through. Picture credit: Marjorie Lieuwen But those who live in resource-based communities like Houston will testify that many of those involved in trades like forestry and mining care a great deal for the environment, as they see it up close and personally every day, and their lives are dependent on it. In other words, they are very much in touch with God’s creation, unlike the many who claim to be “green” but whose environmental care doesn’t go much further than virtue-signalling with their vote or through social media. “I think it's been really good for me to have that window into that world and to see how there are a lot of requirements that they have to fulfill,” explained Marjorie. “I was looking at a map once in Jason's truck, and there were these marks in a logging block. I asked what they were. ‘For critter piles’ he said. So I asked him ‘what are critter piles?’” Jason proceeded to explain how they make piles of sticks and debris for fishers, squirrels and other critters. “They aren’t legally required to do this, but this is an example of how forestry professionals implement recommendations from biologists to reduce the impacts of logging to the local ecosystem.” This also helps explain why the property where the hatchery and nature centre is built is owned by the Canfor sawmill. Canfor pays for the taxes, and charges $1 per year for the lease. Indeed, through its history, the community relied on the economic engine of the sawmills to keep their residents working. And although many in urban areas don’t witness it, the same applies to Canada as a whole. About 20 percent of our country’s GDP, and 1.7 million jobs, come from natural resources development. This development also opened up most of the country, creating the infrastructure (roads, railways, pipelines, hydro), that the rest of the population now depends on for daily living. But tension can quickly become unhealthy when the two sides (in this case resource development and care for the earth) aren’t united in an underlying ethic of respect. That is being felt in Houston today, as Canfor recently had to shut down the sawmill, unable to remain feasible under a NDP provincial government. Businesses like Canfor see the ever-growing list of red tape in BC and decide that they are better off investing in provinces or states that appreciate them. In contrast, a Christian ethic allows for civil discussion and listening. Cindy shared that: “it actually took a long time in this community to convince people that I wasn't going to chain myself to their logging truck. I wasn't going to tell them that they needed to quit their jobs in logging or mining or whatever. I personally think that we can do more good by working within the industry than by alienating the industry.” She shared that there were plenty of times in the past when she organized something like a bird walk, with nobody coming out. “I feel like I'm on the other side now. We're at a point in the community where I feel like people finally understand what it is that we're doing and embrace it.” Christian environmental stewardship Coho salmon are captured for hatchery broodstock using seine nets. Picture credit: Cindy Verbeek There is no shortage of environmentalists in BC, but so many are radical and secular. These sort vehemently oppose resource development, and sometimes even prioritize nature over humanity. But as Marjorie and Cindy exemplify, creation stewardship can go hand-in-hand with resource development. “We don't hide that we're Christian,” explained Cindy. “We're scientists. This is who God has called us to be. This is our outworking of our faith in doing conservation and creation care work.” This aligns with the opening chapters of the Bible, where God gave clear instructions to our first parents about how He wanted us to live on this earth. He called them to: “fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28). He also said that this creation was made for humanity, including as a source for food. As Art Carden and Caleb S. Fuller explain in their book Mere Economics, “that humanity is to ‘fill’ and ‘subdue’ suggests that creation is not a museum where only the daintiest white-glove treatment is permitted. From the beginning, God told people to develop and cultivate creation’s potential.” In the next chapter of Scripture, we read how “the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Gen. 2:15). Our dominion over creation is to exemplify cultivation and protection. As Cindy explained, “There is definitely something different about humans as created in the image of God. We definitely have a different role in creation. But we are also made from the dust, and we also share that with the creatures…. You can't care for people without caring for the creation that supports the people.” She saw this first-hand in Uganda and Kenya, where creation had been severely degraded, hurting some of the poorest people in the world. “What they're doing to be able to feed their families is coming back in alignment with how God created that place to work rather than using European farming technology and techniques on a tropical ecosystem. They're going back to how God created that ecosystem to work in that location. Then, they're healing the soil, and they're healing the land, and they're feeding their families.” Cindy also referenced 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” The last words of that verse have had a big impact on her, as they convicted her that the healing is not just personal, but also extends to creation. “In Colossians it talks about how creation was created for, and in, and through Jesus, and that His death and resurrection were for the reconciliation of all things. It's all of creation.” Reflecting on my visit to the hatchery and nature center, I can see how this reconciliation explains why two environmentalists, and a nature center, can fit so well amidst a town devoted to harvesting trees and minerals from the earth. The tension between care and dominion is a healthy tension that God called us to in His very first words to us in Genesis 1 and 2. We can both care and exercise dominion. These can work in harmony when we recognize that God has purposefully put us where we are – be it Houston, or Winnipeg, or Halifax – and calls us to steward our lives and this world for His glory....

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We took the "No Screens Challenge"

… and now we’re changing our habits ***** Do you remember the last time you were without your phone for a day? Maybe you left it at your friend’s house, and couldn’t retrieve it till the next day, or maybe you misplaced it on your camping trip and it never showed up. How unsettling was that feeling? “What if someone needs to get a hold of me? How can I contact my friends about our schedules for tomorrow?” You likely felt very disconnected. Even more unsettling might have been how much you missed your constant companion. First thing in the morning, you had nothing to scroll on in those minutes between waking up and leaving the warmth and comfort of your bed. When you sat to wait for the meeting to start at work, you had nothing to distract you from the waiting; you might (shudder) even have had to start a conversation with someone! Gasp! Very different not long ago Just twenty years ago, none of us carried an electronic device with us at all times, or at least, not one as capable as today’s iPhones and Androids. As of 2020, 96% of Canadians aged 15 to 44 owned such a device, and 87% of citizens aged 45 to 64. So how are we being influenced by our phones? What habits have we developed that distract us from real life? Theologian David Wells summarizes the influence of smartphones in Tony Reinke’s book 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You: “There is no doubt that life is more highly distracted, because we get pings and beeps and text messages. We are, in fact, living with a parallel, virtual universe, a universe that can take all of the time that we have. What happens to us… when we are almost addicted to constant visual stimulation. What is this doing to us?” Think about that phrase – “a universe that can take all of the time that we have” – how sad it would be if Christians allowed all of our time to be essentially squandered. A challenge personalized A few weeks ago, inspired by the Reformed Perspective “Screen Challenge” in the May/June issue, I joined a small group of Christians of varying ages in putting aside our screens for ten days. Our goal was to see how we could cope without them, and to discover if there were any habits we had developed that we would like to change. Each of us had slightly different, self-imposed regulations – only one of us was able to go entirely screen free, since his work didn’t need a phone or screen, and a flip phone sufficed for his needs. For my own rules, I still used my phone’s communication tools (phoning and texting), but I gave up any entertainment or passive consumption through screens – no Netflix, no TV, no YouTube, no Facebook, no Internet browsing, no Craigslist, not even electronic books. I didn’t even watch the Leafs get eliminated in the NHL playoffs, but I figured I can always watch that again next spring (sorry, I couldn’t resist!). Surprises Ten days is not very long – but it was long enough for most of us in our group to realize that we had developed some poor habits. At first, my hands would reach instinctively for my phone when I had a few leisure minutes, particularly in the evening, or first thing in the morning. For some of us this screen fast was an opportunity to build up some better habits. One of our group said that she was able to start each day with a lot more energy, because she jumped out of bed as soon as her alarm went off, instead of “mindlessly scrolling” for a time. Another decided to make his Bible the first thing he reached for in the morning instead of his tablet, reading an extra few chapters each day, and catching up to the schedule of his “Bible in a Year.” Almost all the participants said that they read many more printed books than they normally would have. Some visited a library for the first time in a few years, and some enjoyed “Books on Tape” in the car on their commute, rather than a podcast. (Remember when you used to stop in the driveway a few extra minutes because you just couldn’t wait to find out what happened next?) One Mom said that she stopped listening to podcasts, and didn’t really miss them, especially the ones with alarmist views, or fear-instilling content: “Instead, I found myself pulling out my CD collection and listening to uplifting music – so much more relaxing!” I was surprised at how much extra time I found in each day. I love watching soccer and hockey highlights, but it is amazing how watching just one set of highlights that should take about 10 minutes leads to a very interesting video about Nissans (they are amazing!), and then to a technology review, and then to coverage of an outrageous political statement, etc., etc.! My conscious decision to watch highlights of the Canucks game often leads to a lot of time wasted – I’m not making an active choice about what I want to watch next, but instead the YouTube algorithm keeps feeding me more and more and more, while I just watch passively. As one screen fast participant said, “This made me think about my time, what that should look like, even down time. It’s so easy to scroll and watch but it takes a lot more brain power and creativity to be productive (even conversation!).” A small number in our group did not complete the challenge: after less than 24 hours without screens, they dropped out. Perhaps they hadn't fully realized what they were committing to, or perhaps it was the wrong time to make such a radical change. (I hope they will be inspired to try again!) Most of us, however, were able to last the ten days, and all of us seemed to be glad that we did, because it forced us to look more closely at the relationship we have with our screens and devices. Being the boss It is difficult to “get by” in modern society without some kind of internet connected device. (Imagine trying to get on a “Swoop” flight without a phone!) But how can we make these devices better servants, and not allow them to become masters of our time? Here are some ideas to consider: Delete apps that you know are timewasters for you. Many of these will be apps that continue to “feed” you content based on their knowledge of your viewing preferences – Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are probably the top three for many adults. If you look up after 45 minutes on one of these apps, and can’t remember where the time went, or even what you watched, that’s an app you should delete! Put a timer on your phone to restrict data usage first thing in the morning, or after your evening meal. You can have a friend or sibling or spouse have the password so that you stick with your schedule. Don’t take your phone into your bedroom! Leave it to charge on the kitchen counter – you might have to invest in an old-fashioned alarm clock, but you will not regret it! Set a reasonable goal for how many minutes of “screen time” you are allowed per day, and monitor it daily. Practice a new household rule – we won’t watch screens alone; we’ll only watch content together (as a family, or as a couple). If you acknowledge that you too are spending too much time on your screens, and none of these ideas work, maybe you should trade your iPhone or Android for a flip phone, or a phone with no internet data. It’s radical, but why would you let that phone be your master? Let’s do this together In Ephesians 5, Paul tells the believers at Ephesus to: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” The RP Screen-Fast Challenge is an opportunity to encourage one another to “make the best use of the time.” And, if we fill the time that was being wasted with better reading materials, including our Bibles, we will indeed better understand what the will of the Lord is! Good habits take time to develop, while it sometimes seems that bad habits stick to us instantly, like ticks embedded in our skin. (Can you picture your phone as a tick, engorged on your blood, and infecting you from outside?) If you haven’t taken the 10-day “No Screens” challenge yet, you should! Better yet, challenge your friends and family to join you, so you can encourage each other along the way. Your walk before the Lord will be less hindered by the cares and temptations of the world, and you will progress in godliness and virtue. If you don’t believe that statement – if you think I’m overhyping this – then try the challenge and see!...

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Saturday Selections – June 28, 2025

The Franz Family and "Somewhere in glory" If you liked the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, you'll love this but of bluegrass gospel... Tim Challies with 4 good questions to ask your tech Why were you created? What is the problem to which you are the solution, and whose problem is it? What new problem will you bring? What are you doing to my heart? Canada's Tax Freedom Day was June 21 June 21 was, according to the Fraser Institute, the day when – averaged across the country – Canadians stopped working for the government, and the money they earn for the rest of the year is the money they get to keep for their own households. 7 great questions to ask fellow believers Want to get a deeper conversation started? Some of these could be great to pull out when you have a few couples over, or a group of friends. How to get people to be friends with machines in 3 easy steps The author of Digital Liturgies warns how AI "friendships" could be addictive in a way that's even beyond pornography. Government-mandated small business destruction With a stroke of a pen a government can destroy a business that the owner might have spent a lifetime building up. The destructive potential for government interference in the marketplace might have you thinking those in power would tread very lightly, using their fearsome powers only when they had to. But, as this latest incident highlights, that isn't always so. A Quebec language law, if enforced, could cause all sorts of problems for board game stores in that province, since their niche games might not have any French on them at all, or not enough. ...

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Professing God's Name, unashamed, at the Stanley Cup

If you’re a keen hockey fan, you probably watched the last game of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. And while there are many unchristian parts to the game – unsportsmanlike penalties, cursing, sports betting – if you watched long enough, you would have heard one player praise God after lifting the iconic silver trophy. As each player took his turn hoisting the cup, the various broadcasters were interviewing players on the ice. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky used his minute and a half on Canadian sports broadcast Sportsnet to say this: “I want to thank God for everything that I have and everything that I don’t have… Over my career, I've had so many ups and downs, you know. And one of the last downs I was probably… not many people believed in me that I can come back, you know. Yeah, and again, that’s why I thank God for this experience. I couldn’t even dream about , but now I’m here winning it twice, you know. And again, I couldn’t be more humbled and appreciative. And again, I am nothing, you know. It’s all God.” On the American broadcaster TNT Sports, the Russian goaltender, who identifies as Russian Orthodox, said: “I want to say glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. You know, I dedicate again… and am humbled and appreciative for everything I went through. And I want to give that glory to God. I want to thank Him for everything I have, for my parents, for my family, my wife Olga, my daughter – my two daughters – for this family . Like this family is amazing. I am blessed with everything, and I want to thank God for that.” Although NHL players tend to be fairly private about their faith, Bobrovsky isn’t the lone Christian in the game. The Staal brothers – Eric, Marc, and Jordan– are well known for their Christian faith. Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele helps organize chapel services for his teammates. (Former) San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer and current Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Ivan Provorov have recently refused to participate in their team’s pride celebrations out of their Christian convictions. Each example is a refreshing and encouraging example of Christians trying to live out their faith in all areas of life. We could certainly use more of that....

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