A real newspaper

The 2006 North American Forum, entitled Continental Prosperity in the New Security Environment, was hosted by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives with help from the Canada West Foundation at the Springs from Sept. 12 to 14. The first North American Forum that happened in October, 2005 in Sonoma, Calif. was also kept secret.

Banff taxi driver Chris Foote said he heard rumblings of Rumsfeld’s alleged visit soon after he noticed that a Mexican Flag had been placed atop the Banff Springs.

“People should know if these people are getting together and talking,” Foote said. “(Canada, Mexico and America) have three conservative governments now and all of the sudden this is happening.”

Foote, a former Green Party candidate in Wild Rose, added that whether or not Rumsfeld was in town, many people in Banff would be appalled that the Springs was supposedly hosting a man he termed a “war criminal,” and will protest at the Banff Springs on Monday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m.

Former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed co-chaired the event alongside former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz and former Mexican finance minister Pedro Aspe. Canadians scheduled to attend included Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier and Alberta Energy Minister Greg Melchin.

American invitees included Rumsfeld, his assistant, Lt. Gen. Gene Renuart and former secretary of energy and defence James Schlesinger.

The list also includes businessmen such as Roger Gibbins, president and CEO of Canada West Foundation, and Ron T. Covais, president of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, which is the largest weapons manufacturer in the United States.

...

Banff resident Aaron Doncaster heard that Rumsfeld may have been coming last week and handed out pamphlets to customers and hotel workers at the Banff Springs soon after the event had ended.

“It disturbs me because he’s got a lawsuit against him from the American Civil Liberties Association for the torture and abuse of prisoners of war in U.S. military custody,” Doncaster said.

He added that the public should have been notified of the forum regardless of Rumsfeld’s presence in Banff.

“Protesters have a right to be heard,” Doncaster said. “That’s the most democratic way we can show our disapproval of our elected officials.”

A peaceful protest will be held outside the Banff Springs Hotel next Monday, Sept.25 at 3 p.m. on the sidewalk of Spray Avenue. The pamphlet advertising says “We are protesting the Banff Springs Hotel’s involvement in this crime of treason against Canadian, American and Mexican Citizens.”

Banff. Tiny Banff. The citizens of Banff (well, some of them, anyway) are going to march against continental integration, and one of them at least is calling its secret advance a "crime of treason" against Canadian, American, and Mexican citizens. Goddamn. If I could join them, I would. I can't tell you how that warms the cockles of my li'l Albertan-in-exile heart.

But I stop handing out bouquets right here. Along with the noble citizens of Banff, the Crag and Canyon managed to interview one John Larsen, apparently the spokesperson for the so-called North American Forum, a man clearly practised in the ways of dripping condescension on to the mere peasants curious to know how their futures are being decided for them and without their lives and views being taken into consideration:

“People that are relatively senior in business… if they’re going to come to these things and put their open and frank discussions on the table in order for those conversations to be as fruitful as possible they want to think that there’s some (confidentiality).

“You can imagine that if this was all televised or open to public scrutiny, the nature of the conversations and ultimately what you would be able to do with those conversations and how far you might be able to advance the solutions around it would be different.”

Oh, yes, Mr Larsen: I can imagine that. I can imagine that so well. If the public knew what our elites were cooking up among themselves in private, if the public only knew, then things would be very different indeed.

Shame on our pretend "national newspapers." And well done, Mel Hurtig, vivelecanada.ca, Aaron Paton and the Banff Crag and Canyon, and the people of Banff.

Update:

Alison at Creekside was doing strong background on this story last week; follow her to a Maclean's article with some choice quotes from some of the appallingly vulgar people who seem to think of themselves as our leaders:

"We've decided not to recommend any things that would require legislative changes," says [Lockheed Martin's] Covais. "Because we won't get anywhere."

...

Still others complain the approach is too timid. Robert Pastor, director of the Center for North American Studies at American University in Washington, said the leaders should launch broad consultations on major moves, like a common external tariff and a continental transportation network. "None of these big issues are being discussed. Instead we have a CEO council that is looking at the issue one regulation at a time," he said. But the CEOs say they have a strategy. "Let's get some low-hanging fruit to give the thing some momentum," says Hasenfratz. "But let's not lose sight of bigger-ticket items."

Maude Barlow makes the second msm breakthrough in today's Toronto Star with a good summary of the background and the focus of last week's meeting in Banff:

The U.S. administration, anxious to keep up with its country's high energy demands, has shown great interest in this "secure" energy source located just north of its border. With corporations like Suncor involved, energy was an important item of discussion at the Banff meeting last week.

Given the detrimental impacts of oil sand extraction on our environment and given that Canada currently exports 66 per cent of its oil (primarily to the U.S.) while importing 55 per cent of what we use domestically from countries like Algeria, Venezuela and Norway, it is alarming that Ottawa would discuss a "North American Energy Strategy" with the U.S. and Mexico before establishing a Canadian strategy that would ensure our ability to protect the environment and ensure a secure energy supply for Canadians.

Though not as glamourous as the date between Peter and Condi, the media should pay better attention to this marriage between our governments and big corporations.

And Ian Welsh does even deeper historical background at The Agonist:

There is no popular interest in deep integration with the US in Canada as the majorities against both NAFTA and the Free Trade agreement demonstrated (nor with Canada in the US) yet it trundles along, act after act, administrative ruling after administrative ruling.

Governments are always made up of people who come out of a specific world. When you want to figure out who runs the government, the question to ask is "where do they come from?"

Hat tip to The Boss.