Season One, Episode Eight -- Interview with John McEwen, Candidate for the New Democratic Party of Canada

John McEwen is a veteran of the Canadian Forces and is currently running as a political candidate with the New Democratic Party of Canada.

What was your role in the military?

I joined as a teenager in 1965 and was placed in the Air Force to study electronics and later got to be “Electrical Technician Air” . Essentially I was taught to fix busted planes.    I was posted to Comox BC, Trenton ON (twice) Gander NFLD and Shearwater NS.  The air frames I worked on were CF 101, T33, Boeing 707, C130, Sea Kings, and SAR equip.  I also spent a short stint with PPCLI in Penhold AB.  The most interesting time was at sea on board HMCS Saguenay and at Air Transport Command out of Trenton (12 years).  The time at ATC took me on C130’s all over the world in support of every mission that CF was involved in.  The most meaningful was spent with the SAR squadron in NFLD.  I felt I was doing something important there.  After 25 years in Ref Force I tried retirement for a few years.   It didn’t seem to fit me or I into civilian workplace.  I did return to school and finished a the requirements for a Bsc in Chemistry and Environmental Science.  I was approached by DND to get involved with an army cadet corp that they were thinking of closing in Cobourg ON unless someone could be found to take over.  I did and spent the next 12 years having a blast training teenagers and worked it into a full time career.  Now I am gran dad to about 400 young'uns. They are spread throughout the country, some in CF, some in policing, but all great kids.

What made you decide to enter politics?

At my age and stage of life, all I want to focus on is fixing this place.   I have spent all of my life serving in one capacity or another and that is what floats my boat.  I’m too old and broken to do much else other than politics.  Two bad knees, one separated shoulder and atria fibrillation tell me I can’t do PT with teenagers anymore but still want to serve.  I floated the idea to a number of people and they were very encouraging.   At my age, it is time to speak truth to the tribe.Do you find that your career in the military helpful to your cause or do you think it makes it more difficult?  The military and the travel gave me a perspective on the world that many don’t have.   Every meeting I attended in military revolved around 2 basic questions.  What is the problem and does this fix it?  That kind of straight ahead thinking has always done well for me.    Travelling all over the world and staying in local inns etc also forced me to immerse myself in different cultures and at times depend on them for security, etc.   That experience developed my ability to read people and their motives.    I pay little attention to what people say and much more on what they do.   It is difficult because my second career in military I was always in command and what I said had to happen, happened.  Now I only have moral suasion and I find it frustrating at times.  Once I was asked by a soldier why I had staff meetings and my answer was to hear others’ ideas, mock them and tell everybody what was going to happen.   I always had at least one person, RSM or Lt. whose opinion I trusted and if I couldn't convince them that what I wanted to do was good idea it didn't happen.  Now I have convince and sell everybody in the room and many have their own agenda that they want to be THE AGENDA.   Sometimes the “Captain” comes back and things go south for me.   I always think my opinion matters and sometimes it doesn't to civilians.

What made you decide to join the NDP?

I used to be PC but never really paid any attention to policy, etc being too busy dealing with raising a family and bringing the Soviet Union to its’ knees.   Thank God, couple of Americans gave me hand with the second one though.    When I took the uniform off for the last time in 2011, I started paying attention to what was going on around me.  I looked back over my life and my kids’ life and I noticed some significant changes had occurred.  Mostly in the opportunities my grandsons are presented with and the ones I could pick from.  My daughter had paid off her student loan in her thirties and was trying to raise 3 boys after a divorce and life was difficult.  My son was okay; he followed me into a career in military and in fact is a Lt. Col. In the infantry.  He was CO of 48th for 4 years so he is doing all right.  My contact with military cadets and the struggles they had getting started in life we harder than what I faced.  Often they came to me with questions about what to do and the best answer I could give many of them was “join the Navy, Its’ good at making tradespeople.”    My reading of economic recent history led me to conclude that the trouble started about 35 years ago with all the free traders having their own way.  Good jobs were flowing out of the country,  Both PC and Liberal government. only came up with more free trade and austerity budgets.   Trickle down economics and a rising tide lifts all boats thinking was destroying the middle class in Canada and US.  I looked at the policy of the NDP for the first time under Tom Mulcair and found much that got me excited.  One example is their idea that not a log should leave Canada but lumber should.  We should build refineries here and process it here.   Another is that the federal government should have a “Buy Canada” policy.  The feds should lead the way in fostering good jobs here not worrying that Donald Trump has enough money.    There is much else in environment etc but nothing in their policy book offended me.  The others did.  One area of concern was the knee jerk reaction the NDP used to have to the Israeli-Palestine problem.  Tom Mulcair’s wife’s family are Holocaust survivors and he has brought a much more even handed policy to that question, and I like the guy.

Are you enjoying the leadership race?

It’s steep learning curve for me at this time in my life but I always enjoyed a challenge.

What is your platform?

Big picture my platform is in the NDP policy book and it is available on line.  Locally we have had a PC MP for the last 8 years and he was elected after 30 years as a cop and is not running again.  I think I bring 3 things to the campaign that the NDP hasn't had before. 1. a connection to youth.  I have spent the last 12 years as youth worker for the army and loved it and these kids.  The average age of my supporters is 22.2. I am a son of Northumberland.  My grandparents settled her on the lake and my mother went to the same high school I did and my grandsons are attending.  My family is involved in every aspect of the local economy.   It consists of farmers, plumbers, electricians, soldiers, nurses, etc.3. A strong connection to the military.  My life connects to a deep  river running here.  We like to elect vets.  I have an endorsement from one of the most popular mayors,  he used to be Lt. Delanty.   Another old friend was  Mayor for nearly 10 years was Maj. Angus Read he unfortunately has joined the White Brigade.  As I said Rick Norlock became our MP after 30 years in cop uniform.  I am simply the NDP version.  Locally we need to get some agri business going.  Local produce being canned locally for instance.   IT jobs should be located here and service to seniors will be one of the drivers for employment going forward.   Day care spaces, minimum wage, strengthening the unions etc. all come into play.  Essentially collaboration with government, labor and business partners to get something happening.

How do you personally see Canada in the world economy over the next decade?

It’s do well if you count the number of rich people,  it’ll do poorly when you consider the disparity of income between the top and the bottom.   So if it isn’t working for the majority of Canadians then it fails and it is on the road to failing.

What is your "pet issue"?

Stupid environmental decision by NIMBY groups and misuse of military assets and budgets.  Both are two complex to discuss here but there is always a better way.

How do you feel Canadian citizens could best contribute to society over the next few years?

Canadian society, get involved in politics.  When only 50% of the voters show up than the 15% hooked to the gravy train get everything their way.  That is what I see happening now.  I  think a little civil disobedience  would go a long way. Our laws put the wrong kids in jail and let rich thieves holiday on their yachts.   I would rather lose in an election where 75% of the voters turned out than win in one where 40% turned out.  In the world,  do a better job of protecting people displaced by conflicts. I think are assets are better deployed providing security to those who are getting away from the insanity, that and dealing with any who try to follow them into the promised land of our refugee area.  Again I have a comprehensive idea of what we should be doing “over there”, that doesn’t fit with any model the Liberals or PC have.Would you like to see more party interchange/cooperation?Yes but we need to have grownups in the room capable of negotiating with each other and set up a system where it needs to happen and failure results in recall, re-election.

What should we know about John McEwen?

Not much, ask my kids.  I’m pretty boring unless something has pissed me off.

How Did Torture Become A Social Norm?

How did torture become a social norm?

Wars have been fought to end torture.  Torture is prohibited by international law.  It offends every human sensibility.


So why do I read at least eight articles a day about the torture of disabled and disenfranchised people in the "Civilized" world?

Children with autism in North America are force fed mineral bleach, or have it forced upon them as an enema.  They are being locked in small metal rooms, isolated from society, murdered by their families; locked in cages by those who are supposed to care for them, and instead of the media being used to expose these crimes, it is instead used as a weapon against these very vulnerable people, to demonize their disabilities and to persecute them.  Their murders go unnoticed by most; and we are asked to empathize with their killers.

On social media, people are more outraged by the fact that a woman known for her body is in a nude photograph, or about whether or not their coffee was made properly.

Instead of society standing up to say "Uh, guys - this is wrong", we have a culture of apathy and hostility towards the disabled which is so deeply embedded in modern culture that those who bring awareness to the issue and seek to find solutions to the problem are being hounded out.  We have a culture where outspoken advocates receive death threats and are physically endangered for their stance.

How did we get to a place where our media was used to persecute and prosecute people for their disabilities, instead of shining a light in the dark and exposing these evils?  How did we get to a place where the torture of civilians within society by their caregivers and authority figures was an accepted practice?

Look, I know the world is a bad place at the moment, and we have "bigger problems", supposedly - but we don't.  Solving problems starts at home.  It starts with the kids.

How can we possibly expect for things like school shootings and domestic violence to end when we as a society condone the violation of basic human rights of the disabled?  How can we possibly expect people to value the existence of life when we take from the most vulnerable their basic right to feel safe and loved and appreciated?

How can we possibly expect for these children to have empathy for someone in another nation if they are taught to ignore the pain and plight of their peers here?

Autism Land: A Tale of Two Medias

For those of you who are unaware, I live in Autism Land.  Technically, I likely have Asperger's Syndrome, which is considered a "highly functioning" version of autism.  Realistically, I am still emotionally vulnerable, essentially nonverbal - unless I'm sliding in and out of foreign languages - and have interests that no one would ever consider normal for a female adult.  And I certainly wasn't "normal" while growing up.

In Autism Land, if you keep your ear to the ground, human rights abuses, torture, and murder are common place.  And the common reaction in the media, unless you are part of Autism Land, is "Poor parents; they faced SUCH challenges.  They reached the end of their rope".  In Autism Land, if one lone pathologically ill person becomes violent and kills people, the media turns us all into monsters.  In Autism Land, children are force fed mineral bleach solutions, parasitic worms, put in isolation cells, and subjected to all kinds of inhumane treatment at the hands of their caregivers, without so much as a whisper from the press.  In Autism Land, children are regularly raped and beaten or go missing, and nobody cares.

In Neurotypical Media Land, Autism is "a catastrophe", "a disaster", an "epidemic"; it "steals children from their families".  It "crushes hope".  An autistic child is "a challenge", not a joy.  People with autism are "lacking empathy"; they have no futures.

In Autism Land, autism is more or less just a different set of senses to try and navigate the world with and a unique set of frustrations for each person.  I can't imagine that in NT land, its really much different - doesn't every human being have their own set of challenges?  Okay, I admit, most people don't go through life as non verbals who are obsessed with geometry, Pi, the Fibonacci sequence, or occult crime.  And apparently there is this rule book for "How to Human" that we have never read.  But that certainly doesn't mean that we are lacking in empathy or feelings or morality; we just have a very different world view than you do.

In Autism Land, our every expression, movement, and dress tendencies are open to public scrutiny and commentary.  In NT Land, people are told "to mind their own business" and that it's rude to stare.

In Autism Land, we are told that we can be anything we want to be, except ourselves.

Season One, Episode Seven: Interview With William Choy, Mayor of Stony Plain

William is my mayor.  He's a really very cool guy who grew up in town.  His family has been operating a local restaurant called Bings' for about 30 years now.  I grew up with his brother.

Oh, and he makes a mean Denver omelet.  The coffee leaves something to be desired, but that's the way it should be. 



What inspired you to run for mayor in the first place, William?

The overall community.  We’ve been here for many years; the restaurant has been here since 1970, the community has supported us, I grew up here and connected since I went to school here as well, and I was doing a lot of volunteer with a lot of service organization.


Do you enjoy the work you do as a mayor?

Yes I do. Being part of council and watching how it benefits the community. 


Where do you see the future of Stony Plain going?

Hopefully we will maintain our cultural heritage as an agriculturally based community.  We currently have a population where we have reached peak population in terms of housing, and the council meets regularly to discuss our future in the context of a population boom.  8 million Albertans are expected to live in the province in the next 20 years, and we are trying to lay the groundwork for that.


How can citizens get more involved in the economic development of Stony Plain in a positive manner?

The chamber of commerce has several opportunities, and so does the town office. People can get involved through attending the lunches and seminars the chamber offers, or through approaching one of the various non-profit organizations which support various community programs.


How do you stay sane?

I stay sane by being busy.  Busy with my family, with my community work, and at the restaurant. 


Does Stony Plain have an emergency preparedness program?

Yes we do.  We run scenarios from time to time to ensure that we are prepared.  The fire chief is the head of this program.  


How does the FWP affect the Stony Plain economy?

It affects Stony Plain quite a bit.  We have quite a few businesses that use this program, and we recently had one of our historically important businesses go out of business because of the state of the FWP program. Stony Plain was built by “foreign workers”, and we have a lot of businesses here that rely on them.  I would like to see the program changed so that hardworking foreign workers can stay here permanently if they choose so that they can contribute to the community and be rewarded for their efforts financially and socially.


Have you ever considered creating a trade platform with other towns/cities within Alberta?

There is actually already a trade platform in existence for all of Alberta which requires “Made in Alberta” labelling and special marketing.  But Stony Plain tends to lose a lot of its business to Edmonton, since we are so close to the capital.


How is the housing bubble going to affect the future of Stony Plain?

I don’t think there is a housing bubble.  There is a shortage of houses for the number of people who need them though.  Stony Plain is currently at a point where the population’s needs meets/exceeds housing.  Hopefully, we can attract more building companies so that the needs are met without having to increase taxes and bring the housing prices/rental rates down a bit so that more people are able to enjoy the community.


What can we do to attract investors?

Right now we have a corporate commerce community, and you can talk to the local businesses about how they’re doing.  Last year alone we increased our base by 25%. Shopping locally, investing in the community, and bringing in new ideas. Network.


What is Stony Plain’s contribution to the ending poverty in the capital region project going to  be?  How do you you intend to reach that ambitious goal?

We partnered with the 14-year United Way program.  We are improving the food bank and social services systems here. We are also working with housing organizations for with affordable housing services and apartments, including Habitat for Humanity.  It keeps people from falling through the cracks while we seek to improve the entire system in cooperation with other groups, and our social programs are excellent.  The library, Town Hall, and FCC have information for what programs are available.  Our biggest problem really is that we have all kinds of services available, but people aren’t aware of them for various reasons.


What would you say to a newcomer to Stony Plain?

Welcome.  We have a great community.  We have a lot of services and amenities, and we are very inclusive.  I hope that you love it here as much as I do, and that we can grow together.

copyright November 5, 2014

Rene Dawn Millward