Benjamin van den Berg

The Spring Economic Update is online: budget.canada.ca/update-miseajo…

@mattgurney Why do folks believe to be Canadian is to agree to long delays?

Lawmaker for Canada's NDP says Alberta Premier Danielle Smith "is making an unprecedented attack on health care in this country... It will be the beginning of the end of public universal single-payer health care in Canada. It is central to Canadian identity." @mattgurney

@TristinHopper Old ppl used to be young ppl, who’ve all been through the tough times and remember what had to be done. Young ppl will have to go through some tough times and then remember back, once they’ve become old ppl…🤷🏼‍♂️

On Nov. 5, 1995, André Dallaire arrived at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, where Jean and Aline Chretien were sleeping. He spent nearly an hour on the grounds and in the home, waving at security cameras and holding a pocket knife. This is the story. André Dallaire was born in Longueuil, Quebec in 1961. On Oct. 25, 1995, he quit his job at a convenience store in Montreal mid-shift, took all the money out of the register and made his way to Ottawa. At the same time, Quebec went through its independence referendum. Psychiatrist Dominque Bourget later testified that Dallaire believed he was a secret agent avenging the failure of the referendum. He believed that killing the prime minister would make him a hero. He arrived at 24 Sussex Drive in the middle of the night on Nov. 5. He spent 20 minutes throwing stones on the grounds and waving at security cameras. He then climbed the fence and walked up to the house. While holding a pocket knife, he smashed in a glass door and entered the home. He spent 30 minutes wandering around the home. He eventually made his way to the bedroom of Jean and Aline Chretien. As he approached the door, Aline saw him. She ran back to the bedroom and locked the door. She woke Jean who told her it was just a dream. She quickly dialed RCMP officers outside the home. While they waited behind the door, either Jean or Aline held an Inuit stone sculpture of a loon to defend themselves if Dallaire got through the door. He did not attempt to break through the door and simply waited for police to arrive. That took seven minutes. The reason it took so long was that the first officer had forgotten his keys to the residence. Dallaire was eventually arrested and put in a group home while he awaited trial. He was charged with attempted murder, breaking and entering and possessing a weapon. Dallaire was found guilty but not responsible due to mental incompetence. After a year, he was given a conditional discharge. In 1998, he apologized for his behaviour and stated that he was now on medication. He said he hoped that the Chretiens would forgive his actions. The incident brought the security issues of 24 Sussex to light, including that it was not a posting most RCMP officers wanted as it was considered to be "boring". Four RCMP officers were suspended for several months, and three supervisors were reassigned. I hope you enjoyed that look at the 1995 incident at 24 Sussex. If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at 👇 buymeacoffee.com/craigu Sources: Canadian Encyclopedia: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sec… Real Clear History: realclearhistory.com/2021/11/05/can…

@TristinHopper Canada does need to spend more on primary R&D, but quality of that research is also important than dollar amounts.