Smell Of The Cedar And Wintergreen

~ Millennium River ~ Leave a comment
Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent, professional website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these hyperlinks are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. Consider also supporting this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

The Smell Of The Cedar And Wintergreen

Atlas Cedar, you are beautiful, tall, and visible from the hall.

Wintergreen, your pyramidal form and red berries are familiar and commonly seen.

Cardinals, blue jays, starlings, and chickadees have perched on you, Cedar.

Wild turkeys, sharp-tailed grouse, northern bobwhites, ring-necked pheasants, black bears, white-footed mice, and red foxes love you, Wintergreen.

Atlas cedar, you smell so nice! Warm, woody, and a little spicy is how you smell.

Wintergreen, you smell sweet, minty, and refreshing! One would think you were mint if he did not know better.

The smell of the cedar and wintergreen is uplifting.

Canada Needs To Bring Back The $1000 Bank Note

~ Millennium River ~ Leave a comment
Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent, professional website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these hyperlinks are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. Consider also supporting this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

Brief History

The Bank Of Canada issued its first series of Canadian tender in 1935. The bills at that time were $1, $2, a commemorative $25, $500, and $1000. Fast forward to 2023, and only $5, $10, $50, and $100 are being produced and used as legal tender. Why? Some of these notes were only commemoratives, others succeeded in coin forms, while a certain one was unfairly discontinued. That is to be discussed later. As of January 01, 2021, the $1, $2, $25, $500 and $1,000 bills from every Bank Of Canada series are no longer legal tender. The $1 and the $2 notes stopped being issued in 1989 and 1996, respectively, and were succeeded with coins. The $25 and $500 notes were commemoratives, that were discontinued shortly after they were issued in 1935. The $1,000 note stopped being issued in 2000.

Are These Bills Worthless?

Removing legal tender status from these bills means that they are no longer considered money. This does not mean that the notes are worthless. It only means that they cannot be used in a cash transaction. The Bank Of Canada will continue to honour them at face value. Some of the rarer notes, such as the $25 and $500, can be worth significantly more than face value. To find out if your bank note may have a different value to collectors, you may refer to a collector’s catalog or obtain an evaluation from 2 or 3 money dealers who cater to the collection market.

Impact On Canadians

The Bank Of Canada says that these bank notes have not been produced in decades, so the decision to remove them from circulation has had little impact on most of us. I disagree. The only bill where I believe 99% of Canadians will not miss, would be the $25, $1, and $2 notes. For the $1 and $2 notes, they have been replaced with coins, so while the bills do not exist, at least the option to physically transact that amount still exists. The $25 was superficially close to the $20 bill, so I would agree that it was best left as a celebratory note. Though, some would argue that the same could be said for the $5 and $10 bills. If the $25 bill were brought back, I would be happy for it, but at the same time, I also do not mind its absence. Where I strongly disagree is the discontinuation of the $1000 bill. Once you learn the reason why it was discontinued, you too, might think it is unfair, and will want the $1000 to come back.

Why The $1000 Bill Was Discontinued

The $1000 bill was discontinued because the Royal Canadian Mounted Police urged the government to phase them out in 2000. The reason? The $1000 bill made money laundering too easy for criminals. Radio Canada International also mentions that counterfeiting and tax evasion were other complaints from the RCMP as to why the $1000 bill needed to go. While I certainly agree that money laundering is not something to be taken lightly, blaming the $1000 bill and asking for its discontinuation is quite frankly bad and is less freedom for Canadians. Case in point: The Bank Of Canada even admitted that it struggled eliminate the bill. 6 years later, 2006, there were still 1,000,000 of the bills still in circulation in 2006. What does that tell you? Canadians would have preferred to keep it in circulation. Unfortunately, there was no vocal backlash against this move, hence why the Government went ahead without asking for public input from citizens.

Now you might be thinking, if nobody complained about saving the $1000 bill, the public must have also agreed with the RCMP, right? No. At least, not everybody. Further proof is the fact that the Government had to create an incentive in order to force Canadians give them up: render them invalid tender in 2021. As discussed above, this move did not make them worthless; only worthless in cash transactions. They had to be exchanged at the Bank Of Canada for existing currency. This clearly tells us that if Government worked on actually improving the $1000 bill, such as making it out of the same modern polymers as existing bills, they would not need to discontinue it. As for the money laundering problem, there are many other solutions and financial crime preventatives that could have been done to tackle the problem. In the 23 years since its discontinuation, cyber security, and security in general has significantly improved. Therefore, All financial institutions, from large banks to small credit unions, need to do a better job with the tools and resources in place to significantly reduce financial crimes.

Expensive Times Call For Bigger Bills

Words like “Inflation”, “Cost Of Living”, and “Expensive” have been a very common theme for the 2020s thus far. Nearly everything is significantly more expensive than it was, say, 10 years ago. A flagship smartphone with top storage would have been $500 – $700. Now, a 1TB device from major companies readily tips the $2000. Vehicles, groceries, electronics, clothes, homes, and all: more expensive. I mentioned the word “Freedom” earlier. Imagine being able to pay for a smartphone, vehicle, large appliance, instrument, or other expensive items or services with physical cash? Want to buy that $50,000 all-electric car? 50 $1000 bills. Sony Xperia 1 IV? 1 $1000 and maybe 1-5 $100 bills. Baritone saxophone? 5 – 15 $1000 bills. While credit and debit cards may be commonly used, it is clear that not everybody prefers that method of payment, despite society trying so hard for cashless transactions. There is certainly nothing wrong with taps, swipes, and the entering of cards. However, for it to become the only use of a transaction would be dangerous, problematic, and a gross limitation of freedom.

The 2022 Rogers Communications outage that led to ATMs failing, is just 1 of many reasons why physical cash will always be important. And speaking of crisises, Canadian banks have admitted that they noticed a sharp rise of withdrawals during the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking of COVID19, let us not forget the times when some retailers were refusing physical cash as a non-scientifically proven way to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The card terminals and buttons were no cleaner than cash. This led to major headlines centered around “Is It Legal For Businesses To Refuse Physical Cash?” And within much of them, people spoke out against cashless transactions. Canadians said that those restrictions added more anxiety, and grief on top of all the stressful things already happening during the pandemic. 

Resurrect The $1000 Bill

No need to fear the big, bad financial criminals at the cost of less options for everyone else. Big bills or not, criminals have, and will unfortunately continue to perform their activities. Better tools and collaborative actions between financial institutions will be the key for Canadians to safely enjoy the $1000 bill in its modern glory. If, by any unicorn-of-a-chance this write-up actually causes someone at the Bank Of Canada or some other financial leader to become motivated enough to resurrect it, it would only be natural for the $500 bill to come back as well. The gap between $100 and $1000 will be problematic and irritating without an intermediate bill to bridge the distance.

What Would The New $1000 and $500 Bills Look Like?

I was going to end this write-up at “Resurrect The $1000”. Not too long after completion, I realized that I could not proceed to notifying the World Wide Web about the existence of this particular write-up, without answering a critical question: what would these bills look like in their modern forms? I can say with 99.9% certainty that the $500 bill is not going to come back with John Alexander Macdonald. Canada has been moving ahead with taking him off of things, such as renaming buildings that had his name, and how he no longer appears on the present $10 bill. Who should take his place? If you ask me, a bird. Which kind of bird? I say the trumpeter swan. He is a large, beautiful, native, controversy-free being that would make a wonderful face to the $500 bill.

Now the $1000 is where things get interesting. For much of its life, it bared the face of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen died back in 2022, so I do not think any new bills would feature her face anymore. King Charles III? Based on headlines and other sources, Canadians made it fairly clear that they do not want him on their money. So who will go on the $1000 bill? Pinicola enucleator. Do not recognize her? Pine Grosbeak is her English name. In 1988, the reverse side of the $1000 bill featured 2 cute, little pine grosbeaks. So if this bill were to be brought back sometime in the 2020s, it would make sense to have pine grosbeaks on both the obverse and reverse sides of the modern bill.

Are Organic Essential Oils Worth It?

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Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent, professional website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these hyperlinks are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. Consider also supporting this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored. This article is affiliated with Plant Therapy.

Smelling Good Since Ancient Times

Oils, ointments, and perfumes have been used since ancient times. Early humans quickly caught on that some plants smelled a lot better than others. Not only did some plants just simply smell good, they had other benefits too, including anti-bacterial properties, aromatherapy, naturally repelling pests, and other benefits. The Ancient Egyptians used many types of essential oils, with their favourites being Frankincense, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Cinnamon, and Cypress. During those times, ancient peoples did not have the type pesticides available now. This means that they had to make repellents through all-naturel means, whether by burning certain plants, using the oils from effective plants, or even using animals to repel animals. Cats for instance, became widely known and used for hunting vermin. Even ducks, have their use for eating unwanted bugs.

Conventional Versus Organic

There is a noticeable price difference between conventionally grown versus organically grown essential oil. The cost of organic essential oil can cost anywhere from 20% to 70% more than their conventionally grown counterparts. Why? This is due to the fact that it is more expensive to grow and protect plants without mass-produced chemicals or the use of genetic modification. Aside from “sticker shock” some people also criticize organic products as not being worth the asking price for sticker label, and that conventionally grown products can be of the same quality. Is there any truth to these claims? It is certainly true that conventionally grown essential oils can still smell good and perform their functions. However, to say that organic grown essential oils are scams asking for higher prices is false. If such product claims to be organic without a label of certification however, then that product could very well be a scam.

A Label With Meaning

When a product says that it is free of common allergens like dairy, nuts, and shellfish, it is because it has been legally certified to make that claim. Likewise, the same is true for organically grown essential oils. Companies cannot just place a Canada Organic or USDA Organic label as if they were cosmetic decorations. To use this label, producers must demonstrate a commitment towards more natural and natural-based farming and/or foraging practices. This same approach applies to essential oils. Suppliers and companies dedicated to organic standards are committed to creating high-quality, safe, and pure oils that have been derived from crops subjected to natural and organic farming and production practices.

Standards

Producers and companies who seek to sell essential oils with organic claims must adhere to standards set by locally governing authorities as well as any other labelling regulations or restrictions in the area they are being sold. In the United States, organic claims must adhere to USDA conventions and FDA regulations for cosmetic labeling and safety, as stated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) and the Fair Packaging and Labeling (FP&L) Act. In Canada, The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulates the use of the Canada organic logo. Only products with organic content that is greater than or equal to 95% may be labelled or advertised as “organic” or bear the organic logo.

A genuine organic essential oil is one that has not only been derived through the use of natural methods as much as possible, but also where farming practices have been conscious of soil quality. Example: the introduction of potentially harmful agents by avoiding mono-cropping or the use of genetically modified organisms, and the end-to-end manufacturing and production process of the oil is accounted for in terms of chemical contaminants. What does this all mean? Organic essential oils represent an act and philosophy that is created to be environmentally friendly, sustainable, healthy, and more supportive towards the agricultural community as a whole.

Are Organic Essential Oils Really Better?

If the essential oil is certified organic, then yes, it really is better. As noted above, a company cannot legally place “Certified Organic” on a label, without following the legal requirements. The production of organic essentials oils is therefore better for the environment, especially from plants that would conventionally use a lot of pesticides. This makes consumers feel good and confident knowing that their oils were responsibly sourced and produced. The next question to address would be a matter of whether the quality of such oil is truly better: would organic peppermint oil smell or taste better than conventionally grown peppermint oil? At this point, people would very well know that the organically grown oil is better for the environment, but what about the actual quality of the finished product?

Truthfully, organic production does not automatically guarantee an oil will be better than its conventional counterpart. Organic also does not mean 100% free of pesticides and pollution, and regulators are aware of this, hence why products are not allowed to say “100% organic”, regardless of certification. However, because certified organic products are grown as naturally as possible, this does tend to result in oil of better quality. The drastic reduction of toxicity is helpful for people with sensitive skin. After all, organic farming is both a philosophy and practice that one does not pick up casually on the whim. Much care, thought, ethics, and yes even love, has to be put into it.

Where To Buy

Organic essential oils can be bought at a wide range of stores online or in-person. The United States in particular stands out for having a gigantic catalogue of stores and brands that either wholly or predominantly focus on essential oils. Plant Therapy is one of them. The Twin Falls, Idaho-based company was founded in 2011 and says that their mission is to bring people natural living options at an affordable price. Their people-first promise keeps their customers, employees, and community at the heart of everything they do. Plant Therapy has grown to be a trusted place to buy essential oils, body care, and household items. More than 10 years later, the company has grown, but maintains that they have retained the same good team dedicated bringing people quality natural living.

In terms of organic essential oils Plant Therapy offers the following, including many others not listed here:

Plant Therapy ships internationally to most countries, with Canada and the United Kingdom being honourable mentions on their international shipping list.

Inspiration Behind These Posts: January 2022 – December 2022

~ Millennium River ~ Leave a comment
Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these links are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. You may also support this website directly via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

2022’s Reflections

This compilation covers all the write-ups that were uploaded between January 2022 to December 2022. A total of 18 write-ups have been done in 2022, 14 in 2021, 17 in 2020, 23 in 2019, 30 in 2018. This would be the first time I have gone back to gather the post count over the years. I must admit that it is not good to see that I have been on the decline for the most part, with 2022 marking the first uptick in 3 years. For the 2023 year, I want to aim for no less than 24 posts for the year, the equivalence of at least 2 write-ups per month. If I am serious about getting more natural views to the website, there needs to be a bit more fresh content for viewers to enjoy. 1 post per month is sure to keep both real people and algorithms uninterested. 

2022’s Inspirations

Time to dive into the inspirations behind the posts of 2022!

Inspiration Behind These Posts: January 2021 – December 2021

Though this was a post that dealt with the topics of 2021, it is was nevertheless, typed and uploaded in 2022. Fortunately, you will not be seeing a “Inspiration Behind These Posts: January 2022 – December 2022” by the time December 2023 comes. Why? Because this time I made sure I would complete the “Inspirations Behind These Posts” in the same year as the posts themselves were.  A success for no more oddity and confusion!

Canadian Start-up Tells Justin Trudeau The Truth About Canada’s Automotive Industry

I had actually intended to get this post done the same month I completed Battery Electric Vehicles Canada 2021, which would be December 2021. Upon discovering how powerful Kaminski’s message to Trudeau was, I decided that it truly needed a full-blown write-up on the subject matter. And yes, while we are it, Canada really does need to step it up and support its home-grown start-ups to get their cars to mass production. AK Motors, and Project Arrow are 2 that come to mind. 

They Are Coming Back Better

This was a quick teaser to indicate the my services were coming back real soon. Unfortunately, they have been pulled back at this time. Further explanations below.

The Services Have Returned For 2022

The post was an announcement that my services have finally returned after an absence of 16 months. They resumed April 01, 2022. Why? As mentioned on the post itself, I thought long and hard about it, did research, cleaned up and updated texts and document, and went ahead. Unfortunately, by October 27, 2022, I have reverted the pages back to drafts, making them invisible to the public. This means that I have not full-blown deleted the pages like how I did back in 2020, but simply made them unviewable to viewers. Truth be told, Millennium River’s traffic is far too low and inconsistent to be noticeable to clients. Even with the best intentions during social media advertisements or proposals, interest was non-existent. Therefore, until this website gains a steady, reliable, engaging audience, the service pages cannot back, lest they be guaranteed to fail over and over again. 

Natural Flavours Need To Be Listed Entirely

Ever read something and wondered what on Earth a company could be hiding behind those so-called natural flavours? I certainly have. Maybe you are the type that does not care, or perhaps does not even read ingredients at all! I care a lot, and wanted to highlight this problem. I created a post that details why companies should not do it, and that they have absolutely no actual valid reason to hide something as serious as food. 

River Talk 1: Russian-Ukrainian War

On Millennium River, there are several types of write-ups: articles, blog posts, poems, argumentative essays, a speech, product descriptions, and so forth. This subject marked the creation of a new format: River Talks. Still a Millennium River-style blog post, but with more personal opinion and tidbits involved. In the case of the Russian-Ukrainian War, I wanted to talk about this, but was not sure when. I eventually got around to it, and did a solid write-up on it. Unfortunately at the time of this writing, December 29, 2022, the war is on-going. Russia refuses to exit Ukraine; full-blown sovereign country that is legally and internationally recognized as such. I hope that within 2023, Russia will be entirely expelled from all of Ukraine’s territories, and yes, that certainly includes Crimea. Слава Україні!

River Talk 2: Elon Musk

Mister Musk is someone I had been wanting to do an entire write-up on for a long time. Problem is that because there is so much I could say about him, I had a hard time figuring out where to start, and what I should say about him. I brainstormed some topics, put them together, and got the post done. Dear oh dear! If I had done this River Talk on him now, after reading all the notoriety he has done with Twitter and elsewhere, that River Talk would be a lot more critical than what it is now. You are a brutal one, Mister Musk.

River Talk 3: Elizabeth The Long Reigning Queen

The true inspiration behind this post was a suggestion from my father. Yes, not even the post itself mentions that, so if you are the type of viewer that actually reads the “Inspiration Behind These Posts Of XXXX Year” then you now know extra tidbits that other viewers do not. I did not any plans to do a write-up on Queen Elizabeth. I thought about it, completed it, shared it to social media, and it garnered more views than expected. Made me glad that I went with it. British topics are not foreign to Millennium River, so it made sense anyway.

If Countries Were Flavours, What Would They Taste Like?

If you were to taste countries raw, most would just taste like dirt and bush, or would be just plain sandy and salty in some cases. Others would taste very rocky. That was initially going to be the idea of this bizarre write-up: the literal taste of countries. I realized that would be far too bizarre, so I went with what food the country mainly makes, or is significant, to determine how each country on that list would taste.

Emancipation

Society topics are fairly prevalent on Millennium River. Though, Emancipation did not exactly come to my mind at the time, my father suggested it. I then took the idea and turned it into a complete article of my own.

Universal Basic Income

As a content creator, I am utmost supportive towards a Universal Basic Income. I had so much things I wanted to discuss about UBI, that it took a full 5 days to complete this. Yes, that is a testament to how passionate I am towards the idea of Universal Basic Income becoming a reality. If you do not know what it is, or how it could possibly even become a reality, I strongly encourage you to read the article entirely. Hint: it does not require printing new billions like a mad man, nor raising taxes to the height of Mount Logan.

Animals Wearing Clothes

I remember telling myself from last year that for a nature-named website like this, how I ought to try and get more nature-themed topics into my River for 2022. This article is one them. The remembrance of those words, as well as how amusing animals in clothes are, are sources of inspiration for this article.

Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Banshee

It is all-electric, looks super cool, and sounds interesting. I need not say more. If this is your first time hearing about this concept car, you will need to see and hear it for yourself. Even utility vehicle lovers such as myself cannot deny how cool this machine looks.

Graveyards And Orange Shirts

It was National Day For Truth And Reconciliation, and I was feeling inspired this year to write a theme on it.

W’r’t ‘n ‘nt’r’ ‘rt’cl’ W’th N’ V’wls Ch’ll’ng’

The true inspiration behind this post was Ancient Egypt. They did not write down any vowels during the times hieroglyphics were in use. Therefore, I wanted simulate what it would be like to write something noteworthy without any vowels. The answer: grueling and miserable! Then again, this is largely due to the fact that I grew up writing a language with the vowels in place 100% of the time, as does 99% of the population. R”d’ng s’nt’nc’s w’th”t v’w’ls ‘s s’mpl’ t” h’rd!

2022 Battery Electric Vehicles Canada

Started back in 2018, so 2022 is the continuation of my tradition to discuss the year’s noteworthy events pertained to battery electric vehicles in Canada.

2022 Battery Electric Vehicles Canada

~ Millennium River ~ 1 Comment
Disclosure: Millennium River is an independent, professional website that uses hyperlinks. Some of these hyperlinks are affiliate links. When you click and purchase a product(s) through these links, I may earn a commission on qualifying sales. This is done at no extra expense to you. Consider also supporting this website via PayPal. Unless it is clearly stated, the content is not sponsored.

2022

The 2022 year did not bring a lot of new models to Canadian shores. It did, however, see a lot of unveilings from various brands. It also marked the opening of General Motors Canada’s first full-scale electric vehicle manufacturing plant, a major amendment to the United States electric vehicle tax credit bill, and several other events to be covered within this write-up.

Buy American Becomes Buy North American

Back in 2021, Canada sounded the alarm when Canadians learned that the United States electric vehicle tax credit bill would only pertain to vehicles built within the United States Of America. Canadian leaders and workers were fearful that it would result in American brands closing factories in Canada to move to the United States, causing thousands to lose their jobs. In 2022, United States Democrats Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Joe Manchin have agreed to propose to get rid of the tax-credit plan that favoured American-made electric vehicles. Instead, the Senate majority leader and the West Virginia moderate are proposing an amendment to Joe Biden’s climate and health bill that would expand the credits to include all of North America.

While this may have breathed a sigh of relief for stakeholders, politicians, leaders, and manufacturers, a major problem still remains: lack of Canadian-born and built electric vehicle companies in Canada. As AK Motors CEO Kaminski warned Trudeau in a statement last year, Canada cannot continue to be 100% reliant on building vehicles for foreign companies, as they can change things as they best see fit. The 2024 U.S. elections for example, could end up changing the course of trade, should the future President choose not to care about Canada and other countries very much.

Canada’s First Full-scale Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Plant

On December 05, 2022, the Prime Minister Of Canada, Justin Trudeau, announced the opening of the GM CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. The first full-scale commercial electric vehicle plant in the country. The CAMI assembly plant was retooled to make the BrightDrop Zevo 600. The BrightDrop Zevo 600 is an electric light commercial vehicle that is powered by Ultium batteries and Ultium drive motors and purpose-built for the delivery of goods and services. The estimated range is said to be 400 kilometres on a full charge. Interestingly, it was only 8 months ago that the government announced investments to retool the CAMI EV assembly plant in Ingersoll.

20% Of New Vehicles Sold In Canada By 2026 Must Be Zero Emission Vehicles

On December 21, 2022, Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced that the Government of Canada has published proposed regulations that set ZEV sales targets for manufacturers and importers of new passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and pickup trucks. The regulations will require that at least 20% of new vehicles sold in Canada will be zero emission by 2026, at least 60% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. These targets will help increase supply so that more Canadians who want a ZEV can buy one. In addition to making sure there are more ZEVs to buy, the Government also announced the following investments to make buying and charging an electric vehicle easier for Canadians:

  • Invested in 50,000 more electric vehicle charging stations across the country, for almost 85,000 federally-funded chargers across Canada by 2027. This is in addition to charging stations supported by provincial governments and the private sector.
  • Renewed the program that provides Canadians up to $5,000, and businesses up to $10,000, toward the cost of buying or leasing a ZEV. Over 180,000 individuals and businesses have taken advantage of this program to date.
  • Making historic investments in electric vehicle manufacturing in Canada, which will mean made-in-Canada ZEVs by Canadian auto workers and for Canadian drivers to buy.

Danielle Smith Wants To “Protect” Alberta From Electric Vehicles

On December 22, 2022, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made 3 Tweets in regards to Canada’s battery electric vehicle plans, particularly the 2026 mandate:

1. The Liberal-NDP plan to outlaw non-electric vehicles will drive up vehicle costs and take away your freedom to choose what vehicle makes sense for you and your family.

2. It will also cost billions of your taxes to upgrade the grid in a very short period of time, increasing your electricity costs and potentially impacting grid stability.

3. Electric, diesel, and gas powered vehicles are all choices Albertans should have depending on their personal needs, budgets, and circumstances. As Premier, I will make sure you have a choice when it comes to the vehicle you drive- the NDP and Liberals can butt out. 

Comments such as these coming from a Premier are troubling. Not only are these comments false, but ironically would suffocate Alberta and cause it to fall behind in a global push forwards. An opposing critic had also called her out for trying to make something that is not a real problem, look like a problem, while ignoring real problems happening right now with the faltering healthcare system, wages not matching inflation, homelessness, and several others.

Debunking These Harmful Myths 1-by-1

1. Outlawing combustion engine vehicles will not drive up vehicle costs. If anything, as more and more electric cars are being produced from major giants like General Motors, Ford, Honda, and others, especially under their non-luxury brands, the costs of electric vehicles are actually going down. Consumers no longer have to buy a Tesla if they need something with a range of 400 kilometres or greater. Pickup trucks, sedans, and crossovers — all can be had in all-electric form, making the remark about being unable to choose a vehicles that makes sense for your family false. 

2. “Billions” is a greatly exaggerated figure. Would have been true if Alberta were starting from scratch with the deployment of stations. However, this is absolutely not the case. As of January 2022, Alberta has 255 charging stations throughout the province. On top of this, the government has even given them millions to setup stations for electric vehicles. Making it look as though Albertans were going to bare the brunt of this burden alone is straight up false. The grid will not become damaged either. Alberta has more than enough time and resources to improve the grid. If the province were to take Smith’s to heart, then the province will fall into an actual crisis on top of already existing problems.

3. Internal combustion vehicles, whether people want to accept it or not, are mechanically inferior to all-electric vehicles. This alone could be an entire article, but in short, the absence of the engine and all its complex parts and piping, means far fewer maintenance, reliability, and long-term savings. And no hazardous tailpipe emissions. As already mentioned, there are already numerous sizes, classes, and price points of all-electric vehicles for consumers to choose. The remark about how she wants the Liberal and New Democratic Party to butt out, only proves the opposing critics right about her making unnecessary noise about something that is not a problem, while not focusing on actual problems happening.

Alberta Can Do It

Alberta has the fourth largest fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) in Canada behind Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. The availability of reliable charging infrastructure is a key factor in electric vehicle adoption. Alberta is a land very rich in resources. It even has the potential to become an electric vehicle powerhouse, thanks to its richness. However, if people are fed with fake propaganda, believe it in it, and act upon it, this will gravely hurt Alberta’s innovation and growth to match forward-moving provinces, and the rest of the world.

Project Arrow

On October 19, 2022, APMA revealed a peek of the Project Arrow’s skeleton to attendees of its 70th annual conference in Windsor, Ontario. APMA plans a global reveal at the 2023 CES annual trade show in Las Vegas. The burning question during the conference has been answered: will the Arrow see full-scale production or not? Flavio Volpe says the possibility of an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or investor with deep pockets to sweep in and commit to mass produce the Arrow is not 0, but at this moment nothing is in the works. Volpe insists Arrow’s purpose is to act as a demonstration model of Canadian potential and talent, rather than a tool to entice manufacturers to start scaling — which, he believes, could cost a billion dollars.

While developing and making cars is no cheap task, Canada has plenty of affluent OEMs and investors that can easily fund mass-scale production. It is only a matter of will. If the Project was attractive to the point that APMA had to choose 58 Canadian industry partners out of 534 applicants, then there is certainly an interested investor and OEM watching and willing to produce it. Who will it be? 2023 will hopefully reveal. If the vehicle is a success at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, it will make it all the more likely for the Arrow to become a production car.

AK Motor

May 30, 2022, The Maple Majestic brand of AK Motors unveiled a video of a variant of their namesake car, then an official media statement the following day. This concept variant is called the Maple Majestic Kombi-Kross. The objective is to offer supreme winter handling capabilities and off-road attributes while providing additional storage space for longer trips. The startup’s statement also mentions that several more body configurations based on the existing concepts will be presented in the coming months as well as the technologies behind these vehicles. Between then and now, December 2022, no other concepts have been revealed. Could this mean a pickup truck concept in 2023? Time will tell. Given that there is not even a functional prototype of the original model, AK Motor may be better off creating a working prototype first, before exploring other concepts. If they manage to pull off both for 2023, then that would surely be an interesting surprise for the Canadian automotive industry.

New To Canada For 2022

  • Kia EV6
  • BMW i4
  • BMW iX
  • Volvo C40 Recharge
  • Rivian R1T and R1S *first deliveries to employees in Vancouver*
  • Toyota bZ4X *2023 bZ4X has limited inventory and is only available at select authorized dealers in British Columbia and Quebec* -Toyota Canada as of December 2022
  • Genesis GV60