Beyond the Palewall (14)

New Series: Finally, Something Worth Watching
  The new streaming drama is ALL'S FAIR and apparently it is awful - so bad that it falls into the category of things we should look at because of that. This post also provides an opportunity for me to mention, Kim Kardashian, although I don't have a good idea of who they is. But, the real reason for this post is to provides a very funny answer to the question raised by a New Yorker reviewer:

Is the show watchable?
    “At this point I don’t think anyone will be surprised to read that the show is pretty damn bad—it did, after all, début on Rotten Tomatoes with a zero-per-cent rating—but, as I watched, I began thinking that it might belong in the category of being so bad that it is, if not exactly good, at least interesting as high, high, high camp. “The action centers around a bunch of incredibly successful, incredibly sassy female divorce lawyers who peddle secure-the-bag girlboss feminism to their female clients. It also involves a ton of wealth porn, which makes sense for a show that stars Kardashian. The characters are caricatures, the dialogue is absurd, but, once I accepted that the show is simply ridiculous, I kind of started enjoying it. Kate Berlant as a dominatrix named Devin Elisa Samartino? Sarah Paulson as a vindictive divorce attorney who shits on an Edible Arrangement she sends her nemeses? Glenn Close as a grande-dame lawyer who, at one point, randomly quotes Golda Meir and, at another, tells Paulson’s character, ‘Do you ever think how much happier we’d all be if your mother swallowed?’ I might just keep watching.” Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, newsletter, c. Nov.6, 2025.

Olde News Now Breaking
   

You may have missed this story which relates to a bigger one, back in the last century:

 "Oliver North Weds Fawn Hall, His Secretary During Iran-contra Scandal: The two figures in the 1980s controversy tied the knot last month, according to a Virginia marriage license," Roxanne Roberts and Liam Bowman, The Washington Post, Sept. 9, 2025. 

   "In what can only be described as a uniquely Washington love connection, Oliver North and Fawn Hall — two public faces of the Iran-contra scandal in the late 1980s — were married last month. 

   North, 81, was widowed in November when his wife of 56 years, Betsy, died. Hall, 66, was widowed 20 years ago. The couple wed Aug. 27 in Arlington County, Virginia, according to the marriage license obtained by The Washington Post. The couple had reconnected at Betsy’s funeral, according to journalist Michael Isikoff’s SpyTalk, which first reported the story.
   North was the star witness at the Iran-contra hearings that gripped the nation during President Ronald Reagan’s second term....Hall, his young secretary, was the woman behind the boss — shredding documents and even smuggling evidence out of the office under her clothing."

A Golden Tower in Texas
   While many ivory towers are crumbling, one is being established in downtown Austin. This is from,The Wall Street Journal, Nov.6, 2025:

"Billionaire Donates $100M to University"

   The billionaire trader Jeff Yass is donating $100 million to the University of Austin, the fledgling program whose founders include venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale and journalist Bari Weiss, who recently became editor in chief of CBS News.

   Formed in 2021, the university has about 150 students across its inaugural freshman and sophomore classes. It doesn't charge tuition, though students cover costs for housing, meals and books.

   The school, known as UATX, has financial backing from wealthy individuals frustrated by the political polarization and silencing of unpopular ideas they were seeing at elite universities. The Wall Street Journal reported last fall that it had raised $200 million, including $35 million from Yass. Real-estate developer Harlan Crow and investor Len Blavatnik are also among the school's early supporters.

   UATX has a physical space in downtown Austin, Texas, and dedicated student housing. It says it is nonpartisan and describes its mission as "the fearless pursuit of truth." (Let's hope that that is also true for CBS). 
P.S. If "Harlan Crow" sounds familiar, he is the fellow that kindly treated Clarence Thomas to many luxury vacations.

Regional Reading

I have offered several posts about books published in a series, which generally means the books cover a particular subject. Those interested in the subject, or those looking to collect an entire series, may find them useful. As well, I admit to being curious about the availability of such books in the Western Libraries, where I was once employed. "Regions" and "regional" are relatively amorphous terms, but they usually relate to specific geographic areas. In this post, the books are about regions which are found in 'America", or more correctly, the United States. If you are interested in the political, cultural or literary characteristics of areas in the United States, these books are worth considering. Note that they were written in the last century and are typically historical in nature. That is, they are about a different United States than the one that exists as this is being written. They offer a refuge from our troubled times. Apart from the books, the BONUS includes a reference work about "regional literature". As well, university presses often publish works related to the region in which they are located. See, for example, this post in MM: "Wayne State University Press."

Regions of America (Harper & Bros. and Harper & Row) ‒1959-1980,

Carl Lamson Carmer, Editor.

The book pictured above is the last one of the fourteen books listed below. Each entry includes additional information about the book for those who want to know if the book is worth acquiring. About half of the entries are bolded, indicating that the book is held in the Western Libraries here in London (check the current catalogue to see if book is available.)

1. California: Land of New Beginnings, David Lavender
  (Storage F861 .L38 1972)

California: Land of New Beginnings. By David Lavender. New York: Harper and Row, 1972. Bibliography. Index. Maps. 464 pages. $10.00. 

Reviewed by Donald A. Nuttall, Associate Professor of History, Whittier College, and author of several articles on Spanish California.

   “In California: Land of New Beginnings", prolific David Lavender, adding yet another volume to his already impressive list of works on Western America, has produced a 430 page narrative which traces the Golden State’s past from prehistoric times up into the early 1970s.

   Lavender’s book differs from the type of California history to which we have grown accustomed, for rather than comprehensive, it is selective in its treatment. Lavender views California’s development as essentially the product of constant growth, nourished by an unbridled exploitation of natural resources, motivated by a get-rich-quick philosophy and promoted without regard for potentially disastrous consequences. And in his “account of a beautiful state’s reckless rise to gigantism,” it was that particular story which he primarily strove to relate.

   The effective and thought-provoking manner in which he realized that objective constitutes Lavender’s major contribution. Culminating his basic theme in the last two chapters, he draws a picture of California in the 1960s and 1970s which is both unpleasant and frightening, as he describes and analyzes the numerous developments and conditions which have arisen to plague the state. Constant population growth, massive water projects which threaten ecological disbalance, smog, the product of Californians’ almost obsessive reliance upon the automobile, racial and other problems of inner-city ghettos spawned by the flight to proliferating suburbs, student unrest and riots on university and college campuses, and a “recreational stampede which brings overcrowding and pollution to natural beauty spots are among those upon which he elaborates."

"2. Florida: The Long Frontier, Marjory Stoneman Douglas

  (Storage, F311.D66)
    This is available on the Internet Archive. This review is from Kirkus:
“A competent addition to the Regions of America series. The author, a Miami Herald reporter from 'way back, contends that the frontier has dominated Florida throughout its history, but she lets her views prove themselves with a minimum of editorializing. Much of the book is devoted to colonial history. The Spanish first failed to gain footholds or treasure, then built mission villages and fought the French and British; the latter colonized Florida in 1763, treating the Indians as customers, making St. Augustine an outpost of busy gentility. When the Americans took possession in 1821 they treated the Indians as ""vicious encumbrances"" --another link in the tradition of violence which runs from slavers and pirates to the Civil War, the ""American Siberia"" of turpentine chain gangs, and the rise of the Klan. The book gets skimpier and duller as the citrus industry and the railroad/hotel developers move in. It ends with a short epilogue on the recent past and a plea to save Florida's resources from engineers and investors. Straightforward style, sound emphasis, special interest for the especially interested."

3. The Heartland: Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, Walter Havighurst
  (Storage F479.H28 1974)

"Havighurst was the author of over 30 books, including Pier 17 and Annie Oakley of the Wild West. His writing earned awards from the Friends of American Writers, the American Association for State and Local History and the Rockefeller Foundation. River Road to the West received the American History Prize of the Society of Midland Authors." He also wrote about the Great Lakes - The Long Ships Passing. 

4. Kentucky: Land of Contrast, Thomas Clark

    (Storage F451.C54)

The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 34, No. 4 (Nov., 1968), pp. 641.

   “In this swiftly moving summary of Kentucky history Professor Clark

presents a kaleidoscopic view of events from the shadowy time of

forests, bison, and Cherokee to the modem superhighways and sci-

entific farming. All the old features of the Kentucky story are here, but

fresh material has been added, which brightens up the familiar ac-

count and adds some new accents. All the old heroes are here-the

tragic Mary Ingles, the trail-blazing James Harrod, the galloping

John Hunt Morgan, and, of course, the indestructible Dan'l Boone.

Some attention is given to famous Kentucky families, especially the

Lincolns, the Davises, and, perhaps more important, the Hatfields

and the McCoysl Clark points out that feuding and homicide Ken-

tucky style are not just legend, as many unimaginative people believe,

but fact based on the true stories of numerous mountain families.”

5. Love Song to the Plains, Mari Sandoz. (For a picture of Ms. Sandoz and additional information about her, see the entry for the American Procession Series in MM.)
  "Available from the University of Nebraska Press. Love Song to the Plains is a lyric salute to the earth and sky and people who made the history of the Great Plains by the region's incomparable historian, Mari Sandoz. It is a story of men and women of many hues—courageous, violent, indomitable, foolish—their legends, failures, and achievements: of explorers and fur trappers and missionaries; of soldiers and army posts and Indian fighting; of California-bound emigrants who stopped off to become settlers; of cattlemen and bad men, boomers and land speculators, and their feuds and rivalries. Above all, this is a portrait of the true Plainsman, the man or woman who can stand to have the horizon far off and every day, every year, a gamble.
    Sandoz died in 1966 and her obituary is found here: “Mari Sandoz, Author, 65, Dies; Historian of Nebraska Plains; In Colorful Prose, She Traced Lore of Old West Wrote 'Cheyenne Autumn', NYT, March 11, 1966. Parts are worth quoting:
Mari Sandoz, one of the country's leading regional historians, who wrote extensively of the Nebraska plains, died of cancer yesterday at St. Luke's Hospital. She was 65 years old.

   Miss Sandoz wrote more than a score of books, most of them well received by the critics. Her subjects for the most part were the lore of the American land that stretches from the Mississippi to the Rockies, the Indians and the cavalry, the cattlemen and the homesteaders, the trappers and the oilmen, and the others who conquered the land, exploited it and fought and died there….

Mention of the name Mari Sandoz, an observer noted several years ago, probably would evoke a picture of wide open prairies, steers, broncos and an author-horsewoman riding hell-for-leather across the plains shooting wild game for dinner. Not so, he went on to say. Miss Sandoz “lives better than half the year in Greenwich Village an apartment four flights up, by foot—and gets her dinner from the supermarket.”

Born in Cattle Country

 Both pictures were true. Miss Sandoz, who was born and reared in the Sand Hills cattle country of northwest Nebraska, had written about the Old West for about 30 years. She was a colorful writer and a diligent researcher. Of her prose style it was once said that she wrote "with a savage fury that almost raises blisters on paper."

6. Massachusetts, There She Is-Behold Her, Henry Howe

   “In the second half of the book the author abandons the chronological approach for the topical, the political for the social and economic. What results is a series of essays on various aspects of nineteenth-century Massachusetts history, with a brief summary of twentieth-century changes at the end. Some of these essays

are obviously written con amore and make very pleasant reading indeed; others are less successful." From: The New England Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 3 (Sep., 1961), pp. 406-409.

7. Pennsylvania: Seed of a Nation, Paul Wallace

   “Should William Penn come to life and read this book he would be some

what surprised by the attribution to his influence of so much of what has

taken shape in Pennsylvania since the 1680's. For indeed the cult of the

influence of the individual in history is as positively set forth here as any

where in modern literature. Penn is characterized as "the most creative

statesman in American history," not alone because of the plans he drew

but because in the long run, it is claimed, the free society which emerged

from his Holy Experiment became the foundation upon which Pennsylvania

and the nation were built. It is an intriguing idea and one which receives
Substantial support in this exceedingly well written and altogether delightful book.” From: Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies, Vol. 30, No. 3 (July, 1963.)

8. The Rockies, David Lavender
    (Storage F721.L3)
  “DAVID Lavender has written more than a dozen books about the American West during the past twenty-five years, some of which are regarded as in the best tradition of historical writing. Characterized by sound scholarship and exciting prose, The Rockies is one of his finest.” The American Historical Review, Vol. 74, No. 3 (Feb., 1969), p. 1075

9. South Carolina: Annals of Pride and Protest, William Guess

    “This book can never take the place of D. D. Wallace, even less of

Ernest M. Lander's history of the state, 1865-1960, which appeared

too late for the author's use, but it can be a boon to sore-pressed

teachers of South Carolina history who should find that it will prove readable for students, will pique their interest, and more than the standard histories, may even lead some into unaccustomed analysis of their heritage.” The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Aug., 1961), pp. 408-410

10.  The Southwest, David Lavender

   First published in 1980 as part of Harper & Row's Regions of America series, this lively account is now available only from the University of New Mexico Press.

11.  State O’Maine, Louise Rich
  From a review in the NYT:
"State O' Maine” is the latest addition to the Regions of America series; its author will be well‐remembered for “The Peninsula” and “We Took to the Woods.” Her new book comes as close as anything has to that perfect Early History of America…Mrs. Rich achieves this delightfully. Yet this isn't a history book. It reveals the spirit and nature of a special people, not as to dates and places and issues and policies, but as to who did it, with attention to why, and the warmer, human details of Down‐East affairs.

12. Ten Flags in the Wind: The Story of Louisiana, Charles L. Dufour
    (DB Weldon)F369 .D8)

   "This book is the latest addition to Harper and Row's Regions of

America series, edited by Carl Carmer, which proposes to "depict our

natural regions, their history, development and character" (p. iii).

Ten Flags in the Wind in every way upholds the standards of excel-

lence set by the previous volumes of the series.

The author, long a leading New Orleans journalist and historian, is

a courageous man. He has attempted the impossible-to tell the long

colorful story of Louisiana from La Salle to the Longs in one short

Volume.” The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 34, No. 2 (May, 1968), pp. 334-335

13. Virginia: A New Look at the Old Dominion, Marshall Fishwick

  “ Mr. Fishwick has written a delightful book which is a penetrating

analysis of the story of Virginia. Even though he is an ardent Virginian,

and even though he confesses a lack of objectivity, the volume, in the

opinion of this reviewer, is the most acceptable history of the Old

Dominion. As the first of the new series on the Regions of America

edited by Carl Carmer, the volume sets a high standard. From:
The Journal of Southern History, Vol. 25, No. 4 (Nov., 1959), pp. 529-530

14. Yankee Kingdom: Vermont and New Hampshire, Ralph Hill
    (Storage F49.H555 1973)

For a review see: America Magazine: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture, 1960, v. 103, n. 15, p. 440, By:Lucey, William L.

A Bonus:

   A Companion to the Regional Literatures of America, Charles L. Crow, DBW Library PS169.R45.C66 2003. (Also available electronically.) When you click on the link for the e-version you are taken to this title:

"The Blackwell Companion to American Regional Literature is the most comprehensive resource yet published for study of this popular field.

*The most inclusive survey yet published of American regional literature.

*Represents a wide variety of theoretical and historical approaches.

*Surveys the literature of specific regions from California to New England and from Alaska to Hawaii.

*Discusses authors and groups who have been important in defining regional American literature. Here is a review:

Review of: A Companion to the Regional Literatures of America, Jan Brue Enright, Library Journal, No.20, Vol. 128, Dec. 2003.    "Although steeply priced, this lengthy volume offers a much-needed overview for academic libraries currently wanting works that focus on regional literatures of the United States. In his lucid summary editor Crow (American Gothic: An Anthology 1787-1917) introduces the theory and growing popularity of these writings, asserting that they initially gained favor among female writers and are today best defined as pieces that examine "small and private lives," His summary is followed by a series of 30 scholarly essays, contributed by many experts in the field, which are loosely divided into three sections. The first is dedicated to the history and theory of regionalism, the second continues the exploration by "mapping" specific regions (e.g., New England. the Great Plains. Big Sky Country, Texas, and Hawaii), while the third focuses on regionalist masters, featuring chapters on Willa Cather, Bret Harte, Mark Twain, Mary Austin. and Wallace Stegner. Students in need of serious academic essays on these authors will not be disappointed. Each essay includes extensive references and further reading lists, and the index is superb." Highly recommended.--Jan Brue Enright, Augustana Coll. Lib., Sioux Fails, SD .

Source: 

   For more about this series and others see: Series Americana: Post Depression-Era Regional Literature, 1938-1980: A Descriptive Bibliography: Including Biographies of the Authors, Illustrators, and Editors, by Carol Fitzgerald.

Suiting Up

   

   Newspapers do what they can to attract and keep readers, even the New York Times. Along with recipes and puzzles, the NYT now offers, "WIRECUTTER" which tests and recommends various products. Coming under the imprimatur of the New York Times, one assumes (well, some of us) that the products being proffered are ones that we should consider for purchasing.
   Along with my subscription to the NYT, come many emails alerting me to "breaking news", important stories, and many others are directly from Wirecutter. A recent one related to suits for men, and the clearly recommended, highest rated, reasonably affordable suits came from a company in Canada - Spier and Mackay. 
   "Elbows up" remember, and buy Canadian. I am sure there is a lot of Maple-Washing in the apparel industry, just as there is in grocery stores, so check out Spier and Mackay.

SPIER AND MACKAY
   You may not be shopping for a suit, but perhaps most of us should be. I need one, because I have gained weight. You may require one because you are looking for a job or lost a family member. Having just travelled, I can assure you we all need to dress better. Plus, suits  may again become fashionable. As Wirecutter suggests: "Even in our exceedingly casual era, we feel pretty strongly that everybody should have at least one suit. And if you pick the right one — a high-quality piece in a versatile fabric and color — that might be all you need. A great suit can carry you through a lifetime of weddings, dates, business meetings, and beyond."

   Although Spier and Mackay may be “menswear’s best-kept secret” and offer "peerless suits" for under $500" (probably Canadian), I was unaware of them, probably because I have not been suit shopping. You likely don't know about S&M because, like most people, you dress mainly in sweatpants or pajamas. It appears that they offer menswear generally and not just suits.  Here is information about them.
  Their website is spierandmackay.com. I think that they operate mainly online, but their address is: Heartland Town Centre Mississauga Showroom, Location 77, 5 Britannia Rd W, Unit 7B. Tel: 905-670-3388.

Sources:
   I usually offer them, but since this seems like an endorsement or sponsor's message, I will also add that I am not on commission.
   The email message from the NYT and Wirecutter came in Sept., but I kept it and just noticed it. Here is the link to Wirecutter, which may not be behind the NYT paywall. I assume one can trust their recommendations. 
   I did some cursory searching and it appears that Spier and Mackay have been around for a while and nothing negative was noticed. 
   But, expect to pay more because of the tariff thing:

"Canadian Suit-Maker Got Slammed by China Tariffs," Matt Lundy, G&M, May 22, 2025:
  For American customers of Spier & Mackay, a Mississauga-based retailer of men's clothing, prices have been on a topsy-turvy ride this month. 
A standard navy suit went from roughly US$498 before tax, to US$1,345 and now US$772 – something entirely out of the company's control. 
That's because the suit – stitched from 100-per-cent wool and, more importantly, made in China – ran afoul of the Trump administration's trade war with Beijing, which has resulted in punishing tariff rates and the end of duty-free shipments of Chinese goods under US$800.
   Despite shipping all its products from Mississauga, Spier & Mackay has faced U.S. tariffs as high as 170 per cent this month on its Chinese-made garments, including suits, knitwear and noniron shirts. Other Canadian companies that make products in China and sell to Americans have been similarly sideswiped....

   Spier & Mackay celebrated its 15th anniversary this month and has built its reputation as a purveyor of quality suits at reasonable prices. The company is frequently promoted by Derek Guy, the megaviral influencer better known as Menswear Guy. (Spier & Mackay is “the best source I know for affordable tailored clothing," he said on X in 2023.)
   To juice its growth, the company has relied on the U.S., which accounts for around 70 per cent of sales. Before the trade war, Spier & Mackay would typically send 300 to 400 packages to the U.S. every day.
  But with tariffs jacked up, American customers have balked at the charges in their online shopping carts."

   It will soon be "Black Friday", so shop now.

SALT & WATER

 

Rust Never Sleeps
  The skies are growing darker, as are the forecasts, and soon snow will be falling. Salt flakes will also fill the air, and later the water. Not just our vehicles are affected. 
   Concern about salt pollution was raised in two articles that came out around the same time last spring and I happened to notice them; one was about Muskoka to the north of us and the other New York state to the south. Consider this another public service announcement (PSA).

   "Muskoka First in Ontario to Call for Provincial Action on Road Salt Pollution: Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition Also Raising Issue with Conservation Authority, City of Barrie, Town of Georgina" Staff, Orillia Matters - news release, Mar. 19, 2025. Here are some of the important bits:

   "As the dust settles from the provincial election, Muskoka is wasting no time when it comes to tackling road salt impacts.  On Monday, Muskoka became the first Ontario jurisdiction to pass a resolution declaring the need for provincial action on salt pollution from road salt. The District of Muskoka council passed a resolution which asks the province to both advance limited liability for the snow and ice management sector and to create a stakeholder advisory committee to advise the province on managing salt pollution in Ontario’s lakes and rivers.he resolution was initiated and moved by Muskoka District chair Jeff Lehman, who issued the following statement: “The district is pleased to work with local cottage associations, the landscaping industry, and environmental groups to help mitigate the impacts of salt and ensure the right amount is used in the right way in the right places. Building on previous district work and commitments, we look forward to continuing to improve lake health and provide leadership in reducing the environmental impact of road salt in Muskoka.”...  
   Ontario is Canada’s No. 1 user of winter salt, applying approximately two million to three million tonnes of salt each winter. Road salt is a known toxic substance designated under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act because of tangible threats including serious, irreversible environmental and public health damages. Other impacts to drinking water sources, critical public infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings), and private property are also important concerns.  Currently, there are no provincial policies or regulations for road salts, including no salt use standards, required training, enforcement mechanisms, or protections against salt pollution.... 
   Municipalities, conservation authorities, non-governmental organizations, and businesses alike have been warning about the growing impact of salt pollution and oversalting for decades, to no avail. Now, they’re banding together to ensure this issue gets the attention and action it needs.
   The reaction to this move was positive and more details are provided in: "Very positive response’: Residents’ Group Applauds Muskoka Council’s Decision on Road Salt Issue: Resolution Aims to Reduce Usage While Ensuring Road and Sidewalk Safety Concerns About ncreasing Chloride Levels in Lakes rompted Action," Brent Cooper, Muskokaregion.com., March 22, 2025:
   "A representative from a Muskoka group concerned with the region’s environment is applauding a District of Muskoka move to tackle the ongoing issue of road salt in area lakes.
Here’s what you need to know
Jim Davis, who is a director with the Gull and Silver Lakes Residents’ Association, is praising the district council’s passing of a resolution on March 17, which commits its ongoing efforts toward the reduction of road salt as much as possible, while maintaining safety on roads and sidewalks.“Protecting the water quality of our lakes is the No. 1 concern for our association,” he said after the March meeting. “The continued use of road salt, resulting in every-increasing chloride levels, poses a serious threat to the lake health of Gull and Silver Lakes, and lakes throughout Muskoka. The resolution passed by district council is a very positive response to an environmental problem that is entirely man-made.”

The New York State Salt Situation
    Here is the other article, which indicates that the problem is widespread in snowy northern regions:
   "Salty Suburban Roads Are Clouding the Future of N.Y.C. Drinking Water: A new environmental report finds that rising salt levels in New York City’s water supply could make some of it undrinkable by the turn of the century," Hilary Howard, New York Times, March 25, 2025.
   "Road salt is leaching into the reservoirs that hold New York City’s tap water and could make some of it unhealthy to drink by the turn of the century, according to a new study commissioned by city environmental officials….“We just need people who operate roads to start realizing that this is a chemical that we are adding to our environment, and we have to take that seriously,” Mr. Aggarwala said.
Road salt is cheap and plentiful, but it is also dangerous for the environment and corrosive for infrastructure. New York City’s pristine tap water is a source of pride among residents and local leaders. Most of it, about 90 percent, comes from rural areas in the Catskill Mountains, a range that extends more than 125 miles north of New York City. It represents the largest unfiltered water supply in the United States."
   The study mentioned is this one and it has a literature review: “Salinity Management Assessment”, Bureau of Water Supply, NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection, March 21, 2025,  35 page pdf.

  The solutions to the salt situation are not obvious and the prohibition of it would likely make some people in the Goderich area unhappy. 
Some Salt Sources:
   ONTARIO SALT POLLUTION COALITION
   WATER WATCHERS

                                                       WATER

   More recently, the problem is not salty water, but the shortage of drinking water. Just two examples from the east and the west:

  "What Happens When the Well Runs Dry? After Months of Drought, Nova Scotians are Finding Out," Barry Rueger, Special to The Globe and Mail, Oct.1, 2025
and:
  "As Water Dries up in Northeast B.C., Some Want Industry Paying More to Pump the Precious Resource," Matt Preprost,CBC, Nov. 2, 2025.
   Of course, out in B.C. the salmon are also affected by the salt:
"B.C. Researchers Find Road Salt Most Toxic to Salmon During 24 hours After Egg Fertilization; The updated research reveals how road salt is also having a negative effect on developing chum salmon," Tiffany Crawford, Vancouver Sun, Nov. 2, 2025.

The Bonus:
  I generally make fun of the notion of "breaking news", but these stories just broke as this was being written, the point being that, the lack of water is even a local problem.
 " $400M Water Upgrade Needed as St. Thomas Industrial Boom Spikes Demand: If the provincial government does not help, water users, including homeowners and businesses, will pay more," London Free Press, Nov.6, 2025.
  ‘We Were Not Expecting it for Another 30 Years’: $400 million water plant expansion for PowerCo could sink municipal finances," Byan Bicknell, CTV News, Nov.6, 2025