Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

Up here in the north, we know smoke, as we see it hanging low on the horizon, like a warning or a memory, depending on how you look at it. And we’ve sure seen more of it these last few years, fire after fire, hotter, wilder, burning faster than anyone seems ready for. Folks ask, “What can we do?” but maybe the better question is, “What did we used to do?”

You see, I’m an old timer. I’ve watched the land change, the seasons shift, and I remember when fire wasn’t such a villain. Back when I was a boy, there wasn’t much we could do when a wildfire broke out way out past the cutlines which wasn’t a bad thing. The forest burned, then came back greener. It was part of the cycle.

But long before my time, there were people here who knew fire better than we ever did… the Indigenous peoples, or as some still prefer, Native American Indians or First Nations, depending on the region. They understood fire not as an enemy, but as a living force. A teacher. A tool. Their communities practiced what’s now called cultural burning, setting small, cool fires in the early spring or fall to clear underbrush, bring back berries, open up hunting paths, and reduce the fuel that leads to the monster blazes we see now.

These weren’t random fires. They were careful, respectful, and tied deeply to the land and the seasons. Firekeepers would walk the ground, listen to the animals, smell the wind. They knew where to burn, how hot, and when to stop. And it worked, as the land stayed balanced. The trees weren’t so choked with brush, and the fires that did happen stayed low and manageable.

Then came the government bans. Fire suppression laws, mostly pushed in the early 1900s, outlawed traditional burning. Fire crews were trained to put out every flame. Planes, chemicals, bulldozers, all tools to fight something that maybe shouldn’t have always been fought. And sure, some fires had to be stopped. But by putting out every fire, year after year, we built up a problem: thick forests, dry dead fall, layers of fuel just waiting for one lightning strike or careless spark.

Now the fires are bigger than ever. They jump highways, climb trees like ladders, and send smoke across provinces. Our policies, made with good intentions maybe, but not much listening, have helped create conditions where fires don’t just burn, they rage. We traded slow, healing burns for uncontrollable infernos.

The sad truth is, we’re relearning what some communities never forgot. Indigenous fire keepers… the knowledge holders, are still out there, often unrecognized, still willing to teach if we’ll bother to ask. Some provinces are starting to invite them back to the table. It’s a start.

So no, I don’t think we should just sit back and let it all burn. But I do think it’s time we stop fighting fire with fear and start working with it, like we once did. It’s not about going back to the old days exactly, but about remembering the parts that worked. Letting fire breathe, in the right time and way, might just save our forests and us.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

Right now, here in Canada, we need to stop all immigration — unless someone brings something this country truly needs, like doctors, skilled trades, or professionals we’re short on. The thing is, we don’t have the infrastructure to support who’s already here, let alone more people. Hospitals are overcrowded, housing is limited, and basic services are stretched thin.

More so, anyone here illegally should be sent back. That’s not harsh — it’s common sense. If you come in the right way, fine. But if you break the rules, you don’t get to stay. We need to get back to enforcing the laws we already have.

We need to focus on rebuilding first, bring jobs and industries back home. Make sure people can see a doctor, find a place to live, and afford to feed their families. Only then should we even consider opening the door wider — and only if it makes sense for Canada.

We’ve been taken advantage of by a system that no longer serves the people it was built for. If we don’t fix it now, we risk heading toward collapse — rising crime, worsening healthcare, and more people left to suffer on the streets.

The new Strong Borders Act is a small step in the right direction as it targets fraudulent asylum claims and holds people accountable. That’s what we need more of, a smart, firm action that puts Canadians first.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

Governments do not do what they should. Never have, never will. They look out for themselves. Trillions of dollars are wasted, far as I can tell, on things that do not matter to the everyday person. And along with that, big corporations have been pulling the strings since the beginning of time. They hand out just enough to keep folks quiet, then carry on doing what benefits them, not us.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. First, they brought in marijuana. Now you can find alcohol in just about every store on every corner. And while they claim it is all about choice and freedom, the truth is, if you use that stuff too much — and many do — it kills brain cells. That is no secret, and in my mind, that is exactly what the powers that be want. Keep people dulled down, foggy, and easier to control.

Now take street drugs. In some areas, they are handing out free drugs and needles, saying it saves lives. That doesn’t sit right with me, all it does is keep people hooked. And if you ask me, the ones pushing that message, acting like it is some kind of great, life-saving solution, well, they sound a lot like the ones profiting from it. That is how I see it. What they should be doing is getting these folks into proper places to dry out. Give them a clean slate. Help the ones who still have their minds find a job and build a life. The money they are spending handing out drugs and needles would more than cover the cost of doing it the right way.

Then there are our laws. Too many of them cause more harm than good. I have seen police worn down and fed up. They put their lives on the line every day, arresting criminals, only to see the courts turn around and let them walk. All that work just tossed aside. Makes you wonder where this country is really heading.

And taxes, that’s another biggie. The powers that be saying, that they are necessary, but most of that money, in my eyes, is wasted again on things that are not needed. We should be bringing business back home, right here to Canada. Stop relying on other countries to carry us. Put our people back to work. That would make us stronger, but not if everything else stays broken like it is.

Schools are another mess. They say they need more teachers, but then they turn around and make it, so kids do not even have to write exams at the end of the year. What kind of learning is that? Truth told, a lot of these kids are not being taught much of anything. Just another waste of the working person’s money.

And like I have said many times, if we want this country to flourish, we need to stop taxing the working man and woman’s paychecks. Not a single cent should be taken. That money was earned by them, not the suits sitting in offices drawing a salary off the backs of folks who do the real work. All those government buildings, all those salaries, millions and millions spent just to keep it all running. That is where the waste is.

Truth is, I believe half or more of those government jobs could be done away with and things would run just the same, maybe even better. I would wager a lot of them do not contribute much of anything all year long, except figuring out new ways to take more of the working man’s wages. The thing is, we have more people in government jobs that are not needed than we have soldiers in the entire military. No wonder we cannot meet our goals at the UN.

I will be honest. I do not know where we are heading anymore, and that is the part that worries me. Not only that, but I believe deep down the powers that be want regular folks to stay uneducated. Because if people ever got a clear head and a good education, they would see exactly what is going on. And when that day comes, the ones in charge will not last long. Folks would finally wake up, and those same suits would be out of a job.

Anyway, that is how I see it. I go by what I have lived and what I have seen. My gut has served me well for over seventy some years, and I trust it more than anything I hear coming out of their mouths.

“Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive.” GW