Alberta and Secession

 Careful What You Wish For

   I generally try to avoid "BREAKING NEWS", about which there is too much, and most of it is bad. The topic for today is at least not about the bad news which is always breaking south of here.
  The issue for this post relates to one of the consequences for Albertans, if they choose to become tourists and, when visiting Canada, happen to get sick. Health care costs for Canadians travelling in Canada are generally covered and having a heart attack in Vancouver will cost much less for them than one experienced in Orlando. Thinking about that is enough to give you one.
  Although there are reasons to complain about "long waits" for procedures such as knee replacements, there are also reasons to feel grateful when we are asked for our health card rather than our cash, lots of it.

Health Care Costs
   We rarely think about them unless we are leaving Canada and wondering about how much travel insurance we need to purchase. Recently some dollar figures were attached to typical health care costs, along with the suggestion that Albertans might want to consider them. The retired doctor who provided them will probably not mind that I share them since he has published them in a few different articles which will be sourced below. 
   This article is from the Vancouver Sun, June 5, 2026:

"Independence From Canada Means a loss of Portable Health Benefits; Getting Sick While Visiting Home After Separation Would Prove Very Costly, Writes Dr. Charles S. Shaver."
    "Citizens of an independent province would no longer be under the Canada Health Act. 
   They would be by definition "non-residents of Canada" when seeking urgent hospital or medical/surgical care in a Canadian province..."

   Consider the following examples of rates set by health ministries for non-residents of Canada: St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver charges $1,355 for an emergency department visit, $4,690 daily for a standard room and $13,110 for an ICU bed. Vancouver General has a rate of $18,105 daily for the ICU.

   An urgent care visit at Victoria Hospital in Winnipeg is $1,452; a stay in a standard four bed room costs $3,066 per day.

   At Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, a standard room is $4,100 to $4,400 and an ICU bed is $6,400 to $6,600 per day.

   The Ottawa Hospital charges $1,249 for an emergency visit. A standard room is $4,323; an ICU bed is $9,594 daily. The Queensway-Carleton Hospital, also in Ottawa, bills $1,242 for an emergency or outpatient clinic visit, $4,005 for a standard room and $15,642 for the ICU...."

   After pointing out how difficult to get, and costly travel health insurance is, Dr. Shaver indicates that those from Alberta who need visit to a doctor in the province next door should note that:
   "B.C. physicians frequently charge foreigners 11/2 to two times the B.C. Medical Services Plan rates. Alberta doctors often charge foreigners two to five times the provincial schedule of benefits fee. MDs in other provinces do much the same."

    As I mentioned, variations of this article are found in some other papers and there may be one nearer to you that does not have a paywall. For example:

"Opinion: Provincial Independence and the Loss of Portable Health Benefits," Dr. Charles Shaver, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, June 6, 2026.
  "Separatists Risk the Loss of Portable Health Benefits," Dr. Charles Shaver, Hamilton Spectator, June 6, 2026

The Bonus:
  Curious about Dr. Shaver, I searched for more and found this piece which does not appear to be behind a paywall. It is an interesting one and he earlier provided some figures for the Quebec separatists to consider: "Dr. Charles Shaver: My Journey From U.S. Race Riots to a Fraught Quebec Referendum," The Chronicle Herald, June 9, 2020.

  The picture is from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. It is of Tommy Douglas who was campaigning here in London in 1965. "In October 1966, Tommy Douglas defined portability of health benefits across Canada as one of four major principles. These were enshrined in the Canada Health Act of 1984." 

The Happiness Rankings

 Not Happy
  Folks up here were really unhappy recently when Canada lost both the Olympic Men's and Women's Hockey matches against the U.S. teams and then lost again to the U.S. in the Paralympic gold medal match. The boasting about the "Gold Medal Hat Trick" could be heard far beyond the border. 
   Searching for something about which we could gloat, I remembered that the World Happiness Report has just been released. Surely the citizens south of here have to be sadder than we are. Thinking that we must beat the Yanks at something, I went looking for the rankings.

We Lost Again
   The Americans are higher in the rankings than we are.


   I thought that maybe they are happier because they are warmer. That does not appear to be the reason since Finland, Iceland and Denmark are 1-2 and 3. 

     I hoped that maybe the rankings are American and rigged. But, the World Happiness Report is published by the University of Oxford, in the country where our King lives.

   It helps a little that we used to outrank the Americans and were happier. 

  Now, even the Israelis are much happier than we are. At least we beat Botswana and Zimbabwe, so the American President cannot call us a "shithole country."

   Two of the six names appearing in the Executive Summary are even Canadian, John F. Helliwell at UBC and Lara B. Aknin at Simon Fraser. Perhaps they did not fight hard enough for our team, since they are out in B.C., and may be sadder than the rest of us since they are worried about their property rights.

For a look at the report and rankings see: World Happiness Report. 

Dyslexia and Decorum

  A lack of the latter was again displayed in what passes for public discourse these days. On a book tour, California Governor Gavin Newsom has mentioned his dyslexia which is covered in his book. President Trump took notice and, with his usual empathy remarked that Newson “said, in a speech, he was dumb, had low Boards, can’t read, has dyslexia, and has a mental disorder — A Cognitive Mess!”
  I should note that Newsom’s response was also a little less than decorous: “Newsom fired back at Trump on the social platform X, saying, “I spoke about my dyslexia.” “I know that’s hard for a brain-dead moron who bombs children and protects pedophiles to understand,” he added.”

This is not the first time the Trump administration has demonstrated a lack of concern for those with dyslexia, among, it must be admitted, a very large number of other groups for which little concern is shown.

Font Fights

    In the Great Reaction and backlash to the somewhat excessive efforts of the DEI folks, there was one you likely missed. It came at the tail-end of last year and involved typeface, which was just typed in a different way and you may not have noticed. For people with various visual disabilities, like dyslexia, the types of typefaces can make a difference.
  Way back in 2023 during the Biden Administration, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken issued a directive that the State Department drop the typeface, Times New Roman and adopt Calibri. Calibri is more accessible it was argued and Blinken said “that Times New Roman “can introduce accessibility issues for individuals with disabilities who use Optical Character Recognition technology or screen readers.”

  On Dec. 9, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a new directive. Marco’s memo has, as its subject heading: “Return to Tradition: Times New Roman 14-Point Font Required for All Department Paper,” Rubio called Calibri “informal” and said it “clashes” with State letterhead. He also criticized it as a “radical” diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiative.” The reaction was immediate.

  On Dec. 10, this response to the Times New Roman directive appeared in The New York Times. Since it is likely you chose not to read this typeface article, given all the other Trump news, much of it is reproduced below, where the issues and arguments are displayed in Arial.

“A Typeface Falls Victim In the Push Against D.E.I.: Secretary of State Marco Rubio Called the Biden-era Move to the Sans Serif Typeface ''wasteful,'' Casting the Return to Times New Roman as Part of a Push to Stamp out Diversity Efforts,” 

 by Mike Crowley and Hamed Aleaziz.
    Secretary of State Marco Rubio waded into the surprisingly fraught politics of typefaces on Tuesday with an order halting the State Department's official use of Calibri, reversing a 2023 Biden-era directive that Mr. Rubio called a ''wasteful'' sop to diversity.
  While mostly framed as a matter of clarity and formality in presentation, Mr. Rubio's directive to all diplomatic posts around the world blamed ''radical'' diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs for what he said was a misguided and ineffective switch from the serif typeface Times New Roman to sans serif Calibri in official department paperwork.

   In an ''Action Request'' memo obtained by The New York Times, Mr. Rubio said that switching back to the use of Times New Roman would ''restore decorum and professionalism to the department's written work.'' Calibri is ''informal'' when compared to serif typefaces like Times New Roman, the order said, and ''clashes'' with the department's official letterhead….
  Mr. Rubio's directive, under the subject line ''Return to Tradition: Times New Roman 14-Point Font Required for All Department Paper,'' served as the latest attempt by the Trump administration to stamp out remnants of diversity initiatives across the federal government.

   Then-Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken ordered the 2023 typeface shift on the recommendation of the State Department's office of diversity and inclusion, which Mr. Rubio has since abolished. The change was meant to improve accessibility for readers with disabilities, such as low vision and dyslexia, and people who use assistive technologies, such as screen readers.

   Calibri, sometimes described as soft and modern, is typically considered more accessible for people with reading challenges thanks to its simpler shapes and wider spacing, which make its letters easier to distinguish. Mr. Blinken's move was applauded by accessibility advocates.

   But Mr. Rubio's order rejected the grounds for the switch. The change, he allowed, ''was not among the department's most illegal, immoral, radical or wasteful instances of D.E.I.A.,'' the acronym for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. But Mr. Rubio called it a failure by its own standards, saying that ''accessibility-based document remediation cases'' at the department had not declined.

  ''Switching to Calibri achieved nothing except the degradation of the department's official correspondence,'' Mr. Rubio said. He noted that Times New Roman had been the department's official typeface for nearly 20 years until the 2023 change. (Before 2004, the State Department used Courier New.)

  Echoing President Trump's call for classical style in federal architecture, Mr. Rubio's order cited the origins of serif typefaces in Roman antiquity. Those typefaces, which are used by The New York Times, include small strokes at the edges of many characters.

   Admirers say those flourishes make letters look more elegant and make them easier to distinguish from one another, even though they can also create a sense of clutter.

  Serif typefaces are ''generally perceived to connote tradition, formality and ceremony,'' Mr. Rubio's order said, adding that they were used by the White House, Supreme Court and other state and federal government entities, as well as in the script on the side of Air Force One.

   Many diplomats are unhappy with changes Mr. Rubio has made to the department's structure and leadership, and have reported badly damaged morale within their ranks. But the Biden administration's move to Calibri prompted some grumbling from some traditionalists who preferred Times New Roman. Mr. Blinken also changed the standard font size, from 14-point to 15-point, requiring extra keystrokes that some diplomats found annoying.”

   
  A few days later there was this follow-up piece in the Times: “Is Times New Roman Better Than Calibri for the State Department?” by Jonatha Corum, Dec.13. Perhaps this is the most important point in it: “I wonder if it’s all a bit of a distraction from what the State Department is actually doing, rather than the font they’re doing it in,” said Tobias Frere-Jones, a type designer known for Gotham, Interstate and other ubiquitous typefaces. “But it is an opportunity to talk about what makes things legible.” Perhaps the larger question is not which typeface is best, or the rationale for the change, but whether the clever people in the Trump administration deliberately chose Times New Roman to sabotage Newsom's run for the presidency. One would not want to elect a president who could not read the State Department memos. Or, the hugest question might be, to use a word of the kind often employed by the current President, do you think President Trump has ever read a State Department memo?

Sources: I have provided enough for this typeface topic and you can easily find some on your own. I could offer more, but will just give you the one with the best title: "A New Serif in Town: Trump's Font Culture War" by Will Barker in The Week:UK. CANCON Up here in the north things tend to move at a glacial pace, which has been quickening. DEI mantras arrived here fairly fast, but the Great Reaction is just now beginning and only the most extreme DEI demands have started to melt. On the language front, things seem fairly calm. The Government of Canada has enough problems in sending out memos in the two official languages so font issues are probably on the back burners. It is the case, however, that several new languages, which are very old, have been added and typeface traumas may be in the offing. Fonts for some of the Indigenous languages are being developed, particularly in British Columbia, but there are sure to be complaints from settlers who will not be able to find the characters on their keyboards, which sometimes are now required in official documents. There are many examples. The first one below is an "Acknowledgement" and the second a sign.

“This place is the unceded and ancestral territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh speaking peoples, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and has been stewarded by them since time immemorial.”

The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada - 2025

 London Is Still Not Among Them
   If you are looking for London, Ontario, it is located "Halfway Between Toronto & Detroit", but again it is not found on the third list of, "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada." I was surprised the first two times, but less so this year and am not shocked that London seems to be going down in the rankings, rather then up. In 2023, London was 139; in 2024,168; and in 2025 it is the 208th "Most Livable City in Canada". This fact is not being promoted by the London Chamber of Commerce.
   The marketing folks in the Canadian cities of Mississippi Mills and Quispamsis are likely not only in their offices, but also working overtime.

  If you would prefer to peruse the data presented see:
3. "Canada's Most Livable Cities", in the Globe and Mail, on Jan. 29, 2026;
2. "Canada's Most Livable Cities", Dec. 12, 2024, and 
1. "Canada's Most Livable Cities: Explore Our Data-Driven Ranking of the Most Desirable Places to Live in the Country," Mahima Singh and Chen Wang, Globe and Mail, Nov. 25, 2023.
  If you are curious about what I wrote when I was surprised by London's poor ranking, see: "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada (London Isn't One of Them)", Dec. 8, 2023 and "The 100 Most Livable Cities in Canada (London Isn't Of Them (Again)", Dec. 16, 2024. Each piece has data from those years, along with the kind of commentary from me that you have come to expect. 
 

   Those are the top ten most livable cities in 2025. London is not among them. London was finally found among some of the sub-rankings, but they are all worse than they were in the other years. London's Rank:

FOR RETIREMENT - 389

FOR MIDLIFE TRANSITIONS - 301

FOR NEWCOMERS - 237

FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS - 229

FOR RAISING KIDS - 163

FOR NEWCOMERS - 237

FOR ENTREPRENEURS - 144

   On a brighter note, lets look at some places that have leapt in the right direction over the past year:

Rapid Ranking Climbers

British Columbia: Summerland

   "A new system of parks help boost ranking on community and amenities

Miles of vineyards and panoramic views of Okanagan Lake have long made the District of Summerland a hit with tourists. But the town is becoming more livable for residents too, jumping 171 spots in this year’s ranking with gains in community, safety and amenity scores.

A 40-minute drive south of Kelowna, the agricultural municipality has been investing in ways to connect its 12,500 residents across a wide stretch of rural farms, parks and trails bordering the western edge of Okanagan Lake."

New Brunswick: Quispamsis

   "New transit projects allow residents to lead healthier lives, hiking perceptions of their own wellbeing

Tucked along densely wooded river shorelines and lakeside trails on the outskirts of Saint John, this suburb climbed 84 spots in our ranking, making leaps in demographics, health and transportation."

Ontario: Mississippi Mills

   "Small grants for community projects led to strong feeling of togetherness, alongside a jump in employment

Bordering Ottawa and the banks of the Mississippi River, this rural municipality in Eastern Ontario climbed 224 spots in our ranking, reaching second place in economy and posting gains in safety and community. Centred around the historic Ward of Almonte, the region is an amalgamation of smaller communities with a nearly 150-year history rooted in agriculture, textiles and wool milling, which harness the energy of nearby waters."

Saskatchewan: Warman

   "Tax breaks for rental projects helped this fast-growing community climb in housing rankings

Less than a 20-minute drive north of Saskatoon, this bedroom community jumped more than 100 spots in our ranking, with gains in safety, demographics and transportation.

Quebec: Varennes

   "A drop in commuting times boosted the community in its ranking for transportation.

Jutting along the shore of the St Lawrence River, just across from the eastern edge of Montreal, this suburban city pulled up 103 spots in our ranking this year with gains in transportation, housing and safety."

(The source for the above: "Meet the Communities That Climbed the Farthest in our Latest Ranking of Canada’s Most Livable Cities," Mariya Postelnyak, G&M, Jan. 29, 2026.)

The Most Livable Cities By Size
  This third edition of the rankings, considers the size of the city and 454 are included. 

The categories are:

Major - 500,000 +

Large - 100,000 - 499,999 (London with 498,400 is classified as "Large.")

Mid-sized - 30,000 - 99,999

Small - 10,000 - 29,999
  The Most Livable in each category:

Major: Ottawa

Large: North Vancouver

Mid-sized: West Vancouver

Small: Pitt Meadows, B.C.

Some London Data:

  Almost 60 variables are considered "across 10 key categories relevant to people considering relocation: economy, housing, demographics, health care, safety, education, community, amenities, transportation and climate."
  When you locate London at No. 208, you can see those data for London. Some samples:

Top 5 languages spoken most often at home:

1.English

2.Arabic

3.Spanish

4.Mandarin

5.Punjabi

Top 5 visible minorities:

1.South Asian

2.Arab

3,Black

4.Latin American

5.Chinese

Average monthly food cost:

$928

Average minutes driving to work:

23

And, since we are all interested in the WEATHER, here are all the variables for:

Climate (London)

Days with Humidex over 35°C:                                                     16

Projected days with Humidex over 35°C:                                      34

Days with precipitation >= 10 mm:                                                30

Projected days with precipitation >= 10 mm:                                 32

Days with a min. temperature less than -15°C.:                            13

Projected days with a min. temperature less than -15°C.:             5

Days with a max. temperature greater than 30°C:                        13

Projected days with a max. temperature greater than 30°C:         29

Rankled By Rankings?
   My own opinion of London, as I have suggested in my earlier posts about these rankings, is not as low as London's rank. Those who commented on the G&M's "Livable City Rankings" often complained that their city should should be higher than say, Winnipeg. I don't think London is as "nice" a place as it was when I arrived over fifty years ago, but what place is? Still, I don't think London should be 200 rungs lower than Winnipeg (9)! My complaint is more about "Ranking" generally, which is mostly a mug's game. The good news is, that if something close or important to you gets a bad ranking, it is unlikely it will be called to your attention. (See, for example, The Fickleness of Rankings").

  

 Bonus:
   Given that London is not highly ranked and one cannot honestly say, "I am from London and it is  one of the top-ranked ????" , you can simply say, what this T-shirt indicates. It is available at Museum London.

Hockey News

 There's Not Much
  I figure that the title will attract thousands since there has been no hockey news since the final game of the Stanley Cup was played a few days ago. A few days from now, the quest for the Cup will begin again. Until then, here is some Canadian hockey news to get you through the lean times. It will also allow me to push the post about Stalin down the page.
  Our Prime Minister played hockey and, if you are not impressed, I will add that he played for Harvard University. He did not play much, but was a dedicated and hard-working team member who was still able to graduate magna cum laude in 1987.
   I know all of this because of an article in The Athletic, which is the company that the New York Times bought to cover sports, which, let's face it, aren't as good as they once were. Still, the subject is valued by some and a subscription to the NYT necessary if you want to access the content provided by the sweat-stained wretches at The Athletic, who are probably located in another borough. The bits below about Carney and hockey at Harvard are from the following piece and they have been edited extensively so I won't be accused of stealing the prose for which you are unwilling to pay.
   I will say that the article is better than the title: "Cheap Beer and a Suspect Blocker: Before Mark Carney Was Canada's Prime Minister, He Was Harvard's No. 3 Goalie," [I suppose that some in the U.S would say that it was a demotion], Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, April 30. 2025.

 Mark Benning knew his job. The Harvard defenseman’s priority was to retrieve pucks and deliver them quickly and accurately to Scott Fusco, Lane MacDonald and Tim Barakett, the Crimson’s talented forwards.
   To get to pucks first, Benning required timely on-ice arrivals. It was up to Harvard’s No. 3 goalie to open the bench door at just the right moment to let his puck-moving defenseman pounce onto the ice at full speed. Mark Carney took the job seriously. He did it well. 
   It was one of many things the future politician mastered during his time at Harvard. Hockey wasn’t his professional destiny, but the Canadian prime minister has deep connections to it, from his college playing days to his Oilers fandom to a close friendship with longtime NHL executive Peter Chiarelli....
   In the fall of 1983, Chiarelli moved into Straus Hall, his freshman dorm at Harvard. He met Greg Dayton, his new roommate.
  Two doors down, Chris Sweeney, Dayton’s best friend and fellow Belmont Hill grad, was settling in with an 18-year-old from Edmonton. Dayton went to visit Sweeney. Chiarelli tagged along and was introduced to Carney. The teenager that Chiarelli met in his first hour at Harvard would become his best man.

   “We would have connected even if we weren’t living that close together with each other,” says Chiarelli, who is from Nepean, Ontario. “Because we would be at the hockey rink.”
   Chiarelli was a forward. In 1983-84, the freshman played in 27 games. It was 27 more than Carney.
   That season, Carney was behind two goalies: Grant Blair, a sixth-round pick of the Calgary Flames, and Dickie McEvoy. Blair and McEvoy were very good NCAA goalies.
   Carney, meanwhile, was listed at 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, undersized for the position. Regardless of his competitiveness and puck-handling touch, he had weaknesses his teammates could exploit.
   “I was going high blocker,” recalls Fusco when asked where he liked to shoot on Carney.
   “Low stick,” counters ex-teammate Randy Taylor.
   Carney’s situation did not change in seasons to come. John Devin entered the rotation, pushing Carney to practice part-time with the Harvard JV. 
   But on March 9, 1985, Carney got his chance. In Game 2 of the Eastern College Athletic Conference quarterfinals, Harvard was beating up on Colgate. Crimson coach Bill Cleary pulled Blair and replaced him with Devin. 
   Then in the third period, Devin got hurt. Carney came in. The sophomore stopped all five shots he saw. Harvard won 10-2.
   It was Carney’s first and final NCAA appearance.“His goals-against average is zero and his save percentage is 1.000,” Taylor says. “Let’s focus on that and not how many games he got in. For the chance that he got, he couldn’t have done any better.”
  In retrospect, Chiarelli, former general manager of the Boston Bruins and the Oilers and current vice president of hockey operations for the St. Louis Blues, believes Carney would have been good enough to be a No. 2 goalie elsewhere in the ECAC. 
  “He was realistic,” Chiarelli says. “He was good at the sport and he loved it, but he wasn’t going to change schools.”
Carney did not go to Harvard to be a hockey player.....
   After freshman year, Chiarelli, Carney and Dayton moved out of Straus. They lived together in Winthrop House. Their room became a second home for Benning. 
   The defenseman had started his college career at Notre Dame. Benning transferred to Harvard after the Fighting Irish shifted to club status in 1983. In 1984-85, his first year at Harvard, Benning lived off campus in Inman Square, a residential and commercial neighborhood in Cambridge. Instead of walking back to his apartment after practice, Benning became what he termed Carney’s adopted roommate. 
   On Saturday nights, after home games at the Bright Center, Carney and his teammates were regulars at the Piccadilly Filly. Funds were tight. Beverage quality was not the priority.
   “All of us were pretty cheap,” says Benning, now the founder of a venture capital firm called Excelsior. “The cheapest beer we could find.”
   Fusco, the founder of Edge Sports Center in Bedford, Mass., is Harvard’s all-time leading scorer with 240 points. He won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey’s top player in 1986. He had help getting there.
   Fusco, 62, remembers wind-lashed walks from the Harvard quad across the Anderson Memorial Bridge to practice at the Bright Center like they happened yesterday. He liked getting to the rink early to work on his shot. 
   As Fusco crossed the Charles River, Carney was usually at his side. The goalie with no shot at playing was happy to stand in net while Fusco ripped off pucks for 45 minutes before practice.
Carney was there to serve."

   If you are interested in Carney and college hockey and politics see: "Mark Carney: College Hockey's First Prime Minister," Adam Wodon, College Hockey News, March 12, 2025. 

The Bonus: 
  His wife, Diana Fox Carney, also played hockey and lived on a pig farm, among other, much higher endeavours. 
   If you are more interested in music than sports, note that our Prime Minister likes heavy metal: "HEADBANGER TO HEAD BANKER: Heavy Metal Fan to Run the Bank of England," Steve Hawkes, The Sun, Nov. 27, 2012.
"5 OF MARK'S FAVE TUNEs
1 Back in the Black - AC/DC
2 For Those About to Bail Out Northern Rock, We Salute You - AC/DC
3 Rates of Spades - Motorhead
4 Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
5 Cash-mir - Led Zeppelin.

OH! Canada?

    Of late there has been rather more interest in praising our country, than just simply denigrating it. Only a few months ago I noted that an Angus Reid poll had this title: "From 'eh' to 'meh'? Pride and Attachment to Country in Canada Endure Significant Declines." (See: WOE CANADA.) Attitudes appear to have shifted, perhaps because we fear that we will not even be in the top fifty if we become a state in the United States. If you wish to read about Canada before it goes, you could start with Lament for a Nation right after you read this post.
   Here at Mulcahy's Miscellany it is suggested that the currently popular,"Elbows Up" can refer also to a position taken when holding up a book to read, and if you are looking now for something Canadian here is a suggestion.
   From the New York Times I receive a newsletter with recommendations for reading material.  This week's "Read Like the Wind" contains two books chosen by A.O. Scott (Mar.8, 2025.) The second suggestion is provided below along with the commentary offered by Scott. 
   Although the book is about Canada, admittedly it was written by an American. It is the case, however, that, apart from being an acceptable appraisal of Canada, one can mention that the son of the author is a retired professor who taught for years at UWO/Western and still resides in London. In his latest book he notes that: "I have not regretted moving, permanently, as it turned out, from my native country, the United States, to the former British Dominion of Canada."

Scott's comments:

   Wilson, perhaps the hardest-working American literary critic of the 20th century, had formidable range. He wrote mighty books about Marxism, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the literature of the Civil War, and innumerable collections of essays, reviews, diaries and letters. An avowed anti-specialist, proud of never holding an academic post or a staff job at a magazine, he liked to master a subject by writing about it.
      After a visit to Toronto sometime in the 1950s, Wilson got sufficiently interested in Canada to begin the inquiries that would result in this volume, modestly subtitled “An American’s Notes on Canadian Culture.” I should note that the book was published in 1965 and so does not include most of what those of us down here might regard as Canadian culture. No Neil Young or Joni Mitchell; no Margaret Atwood or Alice Munro (though a little bit of Mavis Gallant); no SCTV or David Cronenberg.
   Still, “O Canada” is an irresistible deep cut for Canadaphiles, a large but fittingly circumspect fandom. Wilson is a crisp, thorough writer, with a knack for making his own fascination with a subject contagious. So you can learn quite a bit of Canadian history here — not a bad thing to be studying just now — without feeling that you’re in school, and you may find yourself eager to hit the library in search of the works of Hugh MacLennan and Marie-Claire Blais.
   Mostly, though, you’re likely to be swept up by Wilson’s sense that Canada, in spite of its reputation south of the border, is an intensely dramatic country. This was partly because of the Quebecois separatist movement that was gaining momentum at the time, but also because nationalism and national identity were pressing questions for an alert and curious reader. As they still are."

Sources:
   Apart from the NYT source noted above, the quotation by Edmund Wilson's son is from: Holding the Road: Away from Edmund Wilson and Mary McCarthy, Reuel K. Wilson, p.230. On p.231, he notes: "My father's book O Canada: An American's Notes on Canadian Culture (1965), which introduced American readers to a select group of contemporary Canadian authors, has been largely forgotten in both countries. Only my mother's novel The Group (1963) still has resonance for readers of a certain age here, where many women saw it as a positive landmark in the struggle for women's liberation." 

Alumni Matters

    Freedom of speech, freedom of expression and academic freedom are complicated concepts, but the premise of this post is a simple one: that there should be very few restrictions applied to speech on campuses. Although some may think that surely a defence of free speech is not necessary at colleges, which were constructed to discuss ideas, all ideas, not just a few of them, but that is not the case. The word "free" is now less associated with the word "speech", than words like, "hateful", "discriminatory", "deceitful" and even "blasphemous." Free speech is seen by many as a tool only for those in power and that the minimal harm caused by limiting the freedom of expression "is far outweighed by the benefit it provides to vulnerable groups and to the promotion of equality." 
   I don't agree and am bothered by the fact that the list of people effectively restricted from coming to speak at the campus close by, would be a very long one. And, I am not talking about just those who might want to discuss the political situation in the Middle East. 
  Although many students may not want to hear about ideas to which they are opposed and worry also about being 'harmed' by them, some alumni may feel differently. Apparently that is the case in the United States where the Alumni Free Speech Alliance, "exists to preserve the pursuit of truth in American Higher Education. We do this by empowering alumni of American colleges and universities to form and run independent alumni organizations that support free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity at their alma mater."  

   This alumni alliance was formed in 2021 to protect the freedom of expression. I do not think there is such a group in Canada. If you want to start one, the information that follows should be useful. One can begin by looking at the websites of AFSA and FIRE - Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.  A couple of dozen alumni groups have joined the Alliance and their websites are provided. There is some redundancy and a few of the nascent ones have yet to create a website, but as they develop and their activities increase this could be a good resource for those interested in making their old campus a more interesting and inviting place.

                           ALUMNI FREE SPEECH ALLIANCE

Boston University (coming soon)
  Boston University Free Speech Alliance

Bucknell
https://www.opendiscoursecoalition.org/
  Open Discourse Coalition

   “Providing a variety of intellectual viewpoints at Bucknell University and beyond.”

Columbia
https://www.alumnifreespeechalliance.org/

   Alumni Free Speech Alliance
  “AFSA exists to organize, empower, and engage alumni to preserve the legacy of rational truth-seeking by securing free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity at American colleges and universities.”

Cornell

https://www.cornellfreespeech.com/
  Free Speech Alliance
  WHAT WE DEFEND

"The Cornell Free Speech Alliance (CFSA) is an independent, non-partisan organization of Cornell alumni and faculty dedicated to protecting free expression, viewpoint diversity, and academic freedom at Cornell University. CFSA works to address speech suppression on campus and supports individuals facing infringements on their rights, urging Cornell to adopt stronger free speech protections and political nonpartisanship."

Dartmouth (coming)
  Dartmouth Free Speech Alliance

Davidson
https://www.dftdunite.org/

   “Davidsonians for Freedom of Thought and Discourse”

Furman

https://www.furman-free-speech.com/

   Furman Free Speech Alliance
  “ Friends of Furman is dedicated to promoting free expression, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity at Furman University. The Furman Free Speech Alliance is not affiliated with Furman University.

Harvard
https://harvardalumniforfreespeech.com/
  Harvard Alumni For Free Speech
  “Our purpose is to promote and strengthen free expression, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity, both on campus and throughout the global Harvard-Radcliffe community. We hope to encourage all Harvard stakeholders who pursue freedom in speech and thought.”

James Madison (coming)
  Madison Cabinet For Free Speech

   “The alumni behind the Madison Cabinet came together because of their shared concerns about JMU’s restrictive speech codes, limited viewpoint diversity, and lack of transparency in university governance. Beyond speaking out about these issues, these graduates intend to petition the school to uphold its First Amendment obligations as a public university.”

Lafayette
  Alumni/Alumnae Coalition for Lafayette

Macalester 

https://www.macmods.org/
  Macalester Alumni of Moderation
  “ Macalester Alumni of Moderation believe a liberal arts education is enhanced by differing points of view shared freely on campus.”

MIT

https://www.mitfreespeech.org/

   MIT Free Speech Alliance
  “The MIT Free Speech Alliance, an independent nonprofit founded by Institute alumni, is a key voice in the fight to keep MIT a place for innovation and engagement with diverse perspectives. Since our founding we have supported speech-protective policies at MIT, including the adoption of MIT’s Statement on Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom and the elimination of DEI statements.”

MSU
https://michiganstateforfreespeech.org/

   Michigan State Alumni For Free Speech

   “Promoting free expression, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity.”

Michigan Technological

https://huskiesforcommonsense.org/
  “Michigan Tech Alumni and Friends Supporting Free Speech and Critical Thinking”

Princeton

https://princetoniansforfreespeech.org/

   Princetonians For Free Speech
  “Fighting For Free Speech Alongside Princeton Alumni, Faculty & Students”

Stanford
https://www.stanfordfreespeech.org/
  Stanford Alumni For Free Speech and Critical Thinking

UCLA

https://www.ucla-free-speech.com/

   Bruin Alumni In Defense Of Free Speech

   “Promoting free expression, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity.”

   “We are UCLA graduates reaching out to all Bruin alumni who are ready to take a stand against the erosion of free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity on our nation’s campuses; alumni who are dismayed at shout-down protests and violence against speech deemed offensive, faculty disciplined for pedagogical speech that challenges students’ political or cultural beliefs, and a campus culture that intimidates students into silence on controversial topics.”

University of California

https://calfsm.org/
  University of California Free Speech Alliance
  “The University of California Free Speech Alliance (UCSFA) works with the Alumni Free Speech Alliance (AFSA), American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA), Cal's Faculty Freedom Caucus, and The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression's (FIRE).”

University of Chicago (coming)
  University of Chicago Free Speech Alliance

University of North Carolina
https://www.uncafsa.org/
  UNC Free Speech Alliance
  “ Join UNC AFSA in promoting free speech, academic freedom, and viewpoint diversity at UNC.”

University of Pennsylvania

https://www.pennfreespeech.org/
  University of Pennsylvania Alumni Free Speech Alliance

   “We are alumni of the University of Pennsylvania and want to let the university know that we believe in free speech as foundational principles for our alma mater.”

University of Virginia.

https://www.jeffersoncouncil.org/
  The Jefferson Council
  “Preserving Thomas Jefferson’s Legacy of Freedom and Excellence.”
  “The Jefferson Council is made up of a robust network of concerned and invested alumni who are committed to leading the University of Virginia back to Thomas Jefferson’s legacy of freedom and excellence.”

VMI
https://cadetnewspaper.org/

   Link is to The Cadet newspaper which is a member of the AFSA.

   “The Cadet Foundation is a proud and honored member of the Alumni Free Speech Alliance. On many campuses, students and faculty are attacked for exercising free speech. According to the FIRE survey, over 80 percent of students at schools surveyed said they self-censor in the classroom, on campus and online.”
   

Washington and Lee

https://www.thegeneralsredoubt.us/
  The Generals Redoubt
  “ A non-partisan organization committed to fostering open discussion and historical integrity. It aims to preserve the legacy of Washington and Lee University while providing a platform for alumni, students, and friends to engage in educational activities and dialogues. The organization also emphasizes its independence from political affiliations, ensuring a focus on historical understanding and free speech.”

Williams

https://www.williamsfreespeech.com/
  Williams Free Speech Alliance
  “The Williams Free Speech Alliance (WFSA) is a non-partisan organization founded by a group of Williams alumni in January 2023 to protect and promote Free Expression, Viewpoint Diversity, Institutional Neutrality, and Academic Freedom at Williams College.”

Wofford (coming)

https://www.alumniwoffordway.com/
  Alumni For the Wofford Way

Yale
https://fightforyale.com/

   Fight For Yale’s Future
  “Restoring Light and Truth. Fight for Yale’s Future was created to educate key stakeholders and members of the public about an ever-expanding series of troubling developments at Yale University, to stimulate debate about its mission and activities, and to hold its leadership accountable. 

We seek to empower alumni, students, faculty, staff, and other interested parties to speak out and take action to bring about necessary changes to restore light and truth at Yale.”

Other "Free Speech" Posts on MM

"Academic Freedom & Free Speech"
"Free Speech & Ontario Universities" 
"Cowards in Coventry"
"Dawkins Not Talking"