Every fall, the changing of the leaves and the ushering in of cool, brisk air brings about a fresh atmosphere. As writer F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” One of the best aspects of the changing weather? The leaves that dot the trees. Deep golds, burgundies, and oranges reach as high as the eyes can see, showcasing just how beautiful nature can be. So, how to plan a Leaf Peeping road trip?
A great way to take in the wonders of autumn while discovering the environment around you is to embark on a fall foliage road trip. All across the country, a plethora of forests and tree-lined paths make for exciting destinations.
It’s important to plan out your trip, from how many snacks to pack to the temperature of each place you plan to visit so you can dress appropriately. Take a look at the graphic below to learn more about how to plan the best fall foliage road trip.
Wow, who would say such things that anyone would believe such a cruel statement? It is not the truth but a huge lie. I think the better question to ask should be, ‘where’s their heart at, to say such things vs offering truly helpful advice? Let’s learn about myth of No High School so no Future.
Unfortunately, today’s world is full of cruel and unkind people who do make such statements. There’s lots of people who are educated and just as equally cruel and unkind and, maybe more so. Others will refuse to ‘share’ information to help change your life. In a psychology article, it states that we can all easily fall into this behavior and is ‘an identical underlying cause to acts of murder and war’.
The worst part is when cruel advice falls upon the ears of our Youths. They are young, inexperienced, and still somewhat dependent upon advice of their ‘elders’ and vulnerable to those they greatly admire. Again, psychology has found abusive people will ‘seek’ out jobs that give them ‘authority’ over others. They will ‘pick and choose’ who does and who does not get ‘benefits’ of such knowledge. It’s always good practice to listen but always ensure your personal safety. People’s actions does reveal their true character.
Quest for Education
Well, there is such a thing as ‘second opinions’ and no shame in keep asking people for help. Rather than ask your neighbors, stop and take a peek in the phone book. Look under ‘Schools’ and you will find lists of local schools but also, ‘alternative, adult or continuing education‘ schools.
For my local area and I’m Indigenous, we have our local Friendship Centre that offers GED classes. I can’t speak for other Friendship centres but they may have people who can help direct the way to a School so you can get a General Equivalency Diploma (GED). It is available for all Canadians, 18 or over and, upon completion, you do get a diploma, and chance to go to college or university. Masters and PhD’s are available with further University courses.
The opportunity to seriously change your life is available and one can also get their GED in prison. Once you’ve got your diploma, second step is deciding, college or university. They do but not all, will accept GED students into their various classes and there’s so many options to choose next to anywhere around the world. This is where you may enter one dream course but over time, we all change jobs, and careers.
The beauty of some courses, such as mine, Nursing. I can use my credits from that program to enter another ‘health’ field. I can build upon my existing higher education for other job areas that may be health related. Doors are not shut on just one career once you get that higher education.
Path to a new future – jobs, skills, careers and knowledge
Secondly, maybe you want a future in a Trade skill. There are jobs in technical and trade skills such as ;
welders
brick masonry
heavy equipment operator
crane operator
carpenter
wind turbine technician
plumber
electrician
millwright
air craft mechanic
and many others
Some trade skills can be learned quickly, and then enter an apprenticeship to earn your ‘papers’. These just certify that you have greater skills in the trade and qualify to earn higher pay. Not all apprenticeships are easy to find either especially for entry-level jobs with decent pay.
Graduate silhouettes
Go online and browse college and university programs. Check the subjects you will learn, the time it will take. Some college courses can be 2-3 years depending on the course. Pay attention to the other types of jobs you can get with that education background. Try to set your future to be open to other job fields. Don’t depend on one job.
Explore job sites online for your planned ‘dream‘ job. Take a look at the pay, job duties, skills required, education requirements, etc. This is to boost your knowledge in building your future.
Today’s world is unpredictable. One may love a particular job field but find their employer is unbearable. Pay attention to employers with high turn-over and always hiring as there’s usually a reason for that to be happening. Nobody wants to find themselves in a ‘toxic‘ work environment.
Entrepreneurshipand the Mature Student
Third, you can take a business course, and learn how to start your own business. They are the ones who provide jobs for others. They provide services or products for the public, other businesses, or to the government. Again, do your research. You may find a business that succeeds and will survive for the long term.
Due to this pandemic. Classes have been held online. This may still be ongoing and available, and you may notice options for full or part-time classes. Sometimes, as a student, a part-time job is needed for the extra income. Also, if you fail a class or classes – this isn’t the end. You can re-enroll in those classes to complete your diploma requirements. 🙂
study or work at home options
Fourth, enter college as a mature student. You’ll take a test that basically measures your educational level to check if you are able to finish the program. If you’re unsure of your ability, go online and find free courses that will help build your educational knowledge. Yes, there are FREE courses online too.
College to Universityand Funding
Fifth, you’re able to use your college credits to transfer to University courses too. There are agreements between college and university institutions that accept transferring credits. All you basically need to start is a copy of your transcripts. Many students and graduates have taken advantage of this option for their higher learning journey. You can too!
A search for funding your education journey can be intimidating too. We hear about school debts, the starving student, rent rates, etc. Don’t let this scare you away. Learn to step up to those ‘unknowns’ and seek for answers. There are government loans, grants, bursaries.
Monies are available once you know where to look. Speak with a college representative to find out what financial aid options are available. Never let fear stop you from building a new future. Only You are the Captain of your own destiny.
Do you still believe there’s no future? It’s not true. It will begin with you and only you. Once the first step of classes and passing the tests, and your Diploma is in hand. You get to plan your future and make your world as wonderful as you. Don’t be shy to look in the mirror and tell yourself, ‘we got this’.
I hope you found this article informative and gained some new insight. Please feel free to Share with others! Use the ‘Ask a Question’ form to make a request on a topic of your own interest. I hope you visit again for more informative articles coming soon. Stay safe!
Laws in Canada are available across the nation for many Canadians. Laws are created to help keep society operating, and sets down rules for actions and behaviors that are unacceptable and applies consequences. They serve as guidelines for how people can best manage themselves both in private and in public life. Most importantly, to help keep harm from befalling the people. So, what is Trick or Treat – Laws and Canadian prison inmates mean for us?
Laws are created by the government and enforced by police and the Judicial system (Judges, jails, prisons). Citizens are able to go to court to defend themselves with a court-appointed lawyer, or hired lawyer.
A prison sentence can be applied for crimes that fall within the Canadian Criminal code. There are Federal, Provincial and municipal laws, courts and varying levels of consequences. Canadian prisons have a high number of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous People of Color) which should beg the question, why? And what does this say about the government, courts and nation, to accept such obvious differentiation?
Canada is good at creating criminals but not so with rehabilitating inmates to re-enter society with an improved regard for others and self. How does one find hope with such indifference and dehumanizing actions taken upon them?
I’m Indigenous, and would think, I’m NOT safe in this country because I’m colored. Does it seem like the message for the Life of a minority is meaningless in this nation?
Crimes are committed by both genders, men and women, and Youth laws apply to youths since they too have proven that they can commit adult crimes. Outcomes of going through the court system, after age 18 for criminal charges, creates a Criminal record. This record keeps a record of all crimes that a person commits and, becomes a barrier towards finding employment in certain careers. It is permanent. Youth records get sealed but not always.
Tricks
Now, let’s take a peek at those behind bars residing in jail/prisons. A common antic that arises for an inmate nearing his/her release date. One or more inmates will go all out with violence to sabotage and/or cancel outright, the release of another inmate.
Such acts will ensure another criminal charge upon the inmate ready for release. This will prolong his/her stay in jail for another time frame, and until another court day is set for this new charge.
A deliberate physical assault gets initiated against the inmate set for release, and the one initiating the fight will ‘play‘ the role of victim. We’ll assign them as inmate A, ready for release, and inmate B, plans to stop the release.
Jails and prisons may and/or will have two inmates per cell. So, during lockdown the two inmates are in one room. Nobody is looking, staff shortages do not have guards patrolling the cells, and there may be no cameras. Inmate B will not have any witnesses other than maybe one or two cells across the aisle and those inmates may support his claim.
The distance between cells may skew line of sight. Nobody may see inmate B throwing the first punch. They may not see the non-stop attack being done upon inmate A. They may only see the middle-to-end fighting.
Inmate A defending himself from harm and inmate B taking hits willingly even deliberately walking into the return punches. After all, the worst inmate B looks, the worst the jail and courts will see inmate A.
Once this assault has the attention of the prison guards. Inmate B enters his/her role, the victim of a physical assault. Inmate A is immediately removed and put into another prison area designated for the ‘violent’. A serious unpredictable environment literally has inmates in high stress and survival mode. Is this supposed to help ‘rehabilitate‘ inmates too?
Usually, an inmate is moved to a ‘range’ with other inmates soon to be released, and they wait out their time with minimal, if any, problems. Unfortunately, this practice may not be followed nor available.
Office of the Correctional Investigator
Oh yes, I know. This can’t be real! No way, etc, etc. It happens, is happening. I suggest you read one, or more, reports from the Office of the Correctional Investigator –> here to learn about the most recent 2019-2020 report.
The reports are honest and definitely fall within his Mission Statement of investigations and “ serves Canadians and contributes to safe, lawful and humane corrections through independent oversight of the Correctional Service of Canada by providing accessible, impartial and timely investigation of individual and systemic concerns.” I appreciate the honesty, courage, humanity and objectivity of these reports, and glad he can present them to Parliament.
It is greatly alarming to read about Corrections staff permitting harms between inmates, and permission from Superiors, to use ‘techniques‘ requiring brutal physical force upon inmates aka ‘pain compliance techniques‘ for 17 minutes.
Reading this section of the report was quite eye opening, and I have to ask the governments and all parties who ‘create‘ such policies, why allow inflicting such brutality on others? Add to these abhorrent acts done by Corrections staff – there are zero consequences. Nobody takes responsibility nor are charges applied. I do not see how such treatment of inmates helps to ‘rehabilitate‘ them for re-entry into mainstream society.
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Canada has a Constitution Act with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and under Legal Rights, the following says :
Treatment and Punishment
12. Everyone has the Right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.
The policy for ‘Pain compliance‘ has since been changed. No such force is permitted but how long will that last? We saw the effects on inmates of what ‘Segregation‘ does to the human mind. Yet this practice is still ongoing. It just has a new name, Quarantine being one. Inmates still sit in segregation cells for 23 hours and maybe, allowed out for one hour, and time runs out to use the phone for many when they’re forced to return to their cells.
Further into reading the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we will see ;
Application of Charter
27. The Criminal Law, except the Constitution of Courts of Criminal Jurisdiction, but including the Procedure in Criminal Matters.
32 (1) This Charter applies
(a) to the Parliament and government of Canada in respect of all matters within the authority of Parliament including all matters relating to the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories; and
(b) to the legislature and government of each province in respect of all matters within the authority of the legislature of each province.
Read a little further into the Constitution Act and we’ll find a division between Federal and Provincial powers and jurisdiction that shows TWO Constitutions;
VI. Distribution of Legislative Powers
Powers of the Parliament
Legislative Authority of Parliament of Canada
28. The Establishment, Maintenance, and Management of Penitentiaries.
Exclusive Powers of Provincial Legislatures
6. The Establishment, Maintenance, and Management of Public and Reformatory Prisons in and for the Province.
7. The Establishment, Maintenance, and Management of Hospitals, Asylums, Charities, and Eleemosynary Institutions in and for the Province, other than Marine Hospitals.
Laws and Inmates
Sleight of hand? Create changes in policies to become law of the land. A method used in Federal and Provincial governments, to skirt accepting responsibility for any wrongdoing. Do you see it? One level of government follows the rules and turns a blind eye on the 2nd level of government allowing brutalities behind bars and near open abuses on the People. Both claim innocence and, ‘its for public safety‘ and neither allowing consequences for such brutalities.
Is this a Proud moment for Canadians?
Is this truly acceptable treatment of prison Inmates?
Do you question the state of mind of government officials who write policy?
Does each ‘erosion‘ of Rights mean LESS Protections for the People?
Should any level of government be allowed to ‘violate’ Constitutional rights of the People with impunity (exempt from punishment)?
I hope you found this article informative and gained some new insight. Please feel free to leave your comments and share your new found knowledge with others. Use the ‘Ask A Question’ form to make a request on a topic of your own interest. It is FREE to subscribe by RSS feed.
