Category Archives: My Opinion Only

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only

A Country Full of Oil, and Still Paying Through the Nose?

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Only On The Walters Post

“I’m not here to tell folks what to think — just sharing what life has shown me. Take from it what makes sense, leave the rest, but maybe let it sit with you a while.”

So here’s the thing.

Every time there’s a skirmish in the Middle East, like the recent U.S. strike on Iran, the headlines jump to say oil prices will rise. And sure enough, they do. Before the dust even settles, gas prices here in Canada start climbing. It’s as if our own supply dried up overnight.

But let’s stop and think about that.

Canada isn’t short on oil. Not even close. We’re one of the top oil-producing countries in the world. Alberta alone is sitting on more reserves than some countries can dream of. We’ve got refineries, pipelines, and an entire industry built around getting that oil out of the ground. So why are we, the ones who live on top of it, paying inflated prices as if we’re importing it from halfway around the globe?

Truth is, it’s not about shortage. It’s about profit. Every time something happens overseas, oil companies see a chance to raise prices. They slap on what they call a “risk premium.” That’s just a fancy way of saying, “We think things might get worse, so we’re going to charge more—just in case.”

And guess who ends up paying for that? You and me. The everyday folks trying to fill our tanks, keep warm in the winter, or get to town.

They’ll tell you oil is traded on the global market, priced in U.S. dollars, and that’s just the way it is. And sure, technically, that part’s true. But that doesn’t explain why we, in a country full of oil, have to pay world prices like we’ve got none of our own.

We should be getting a break. We should be using our own resources to help our own people. But somewhere along the line, that stopped being the goal. Now, no matter how much oil we produce, the prices still climb every time there’s trouble somewhere else in the world.

This isn’t about politics or blame. It’s about plain old common sense.

If we’ve got the oil, and we’ve got the means to process and deliver it, then why aren’t we looking after our own first? Why are we letting big companies rake in billions while the rest of us dig deeper just to keep moving?

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

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In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only, Weather

Hot Enough For Ya?

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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.

Well, it’s summer. The sun’s doing its job, and the heat’s settling in over Ontario. The news is already full of warnings, like… stay indoors, drink water, check on the elderly, keep pets cool, and so on. You’d think we were walking on the sun the way folks talk. And don’t get me wrong, yes, it’s warm out, and yes, it can be dangerous for some. But here’s the thing.

Back when I was growing up on the farm, we didn’t have air conditioning or special cooling centres. We had shade trees, wide-brimmed hats, and a good sense of when to take a break. Days could hit the high 30s, maybe more, and we were out there working the fields, hauling hay, sweating under the same sun. And if you complained? Maybe you’d hear, “Yep, she’s a warm one today,” and that was about it. No panic. No headlines. Just another summer day.

So what’s changed? The weather? Maybe a bit. But I think what’s really changed is how we look at things, better said, what we focus on. The thing is, we’ve come to expect comfort at every turn. A little heat, and suddenly it’s a crisis, meanwhile, the things that should have us stirred up, things like the cost of living, the state of our healthcare, our farmers struggling to hang on, is barely make a dent in the news cycle.

We’re being steered to worry about the weather, not about where our food’s going to come from if we don’t support the hands that grow it. Not about the folks living out in the country who don’t have access to the care or services city folks take for granted. Not about how disconnected we’ve become from the very land, that once fed our bodies and our spirits.

Now, I’m not saying ignore heat warnings. Be smart, of course. Look out for each other. But maybe, just maybe, instead of wringing our hands about a week of hot weather, we ought to ask ourselves what really matters in this country of ours. And whether we’ve let comfort replace resilience.

Because if we lose that…our grit, our common sense, our ability to weather a little heat, we lose something a lot more important than a few degrees on the thermometer.

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only

The Fine Print Nobody Reads

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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.

I caught something on the news the other morning, just after the weather. They were talking about a new system called Open Banking. It’s meant to give folks the ability to share their financial information with companies outside their bank. That way, you could see all your accounts in one place, manage your money through different apps, maybe even build credit just by paying your rent on time.

Sounds like a good deal at first. But the more I listened, the more it felt like there was something beneath the surface.

Turns out the government passed part of the law to get it rolling, but the rest … the part that sets the rules and says who’s watching over it well, it’s still missing. Nothing’s clear yet. Then after the election, they stopped mentioning it altogether. It wasn’t in the party platform, and the spring budget didn’t touch it either.

When something that big gets quiet all of a sudden, I start to wonder why.

They’re calling it “consumer-driven banking,” but I don’t see anyone asking the consumers what they think. Meanwhile, private tech companies are ready and waiting. Once your financial data is in their hands, there’s no getting it back. They say it’s secure. They say it helps, but here’s the thing, most people don’t read the fine print these days, and that’s where the trouble begins.

It’s not that the idea is bad, and it might work, for some. But when the people pushing it aren’t talking straight, and the rules aren’t nailed down, you’ve got to ask who’s really set to gain.

So if you hear about it too, maybe take a second look. Because once that door opens, it might not be you holding the handle.

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only, Old Days, Old Ways

Coffee, Corporations, and What We Lost

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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.

You know I’ve had coffee in many places over the years, truck stops, fishing/hunting camps, along with old general stores with a pot sitting on a hot plate by the till. Places where folks sat, talked, and shared a laugh or a worry. That was the kind of coffee shop I knew and grew up with. And I should mention that I didn’t go there just for the coffee either, well I did, as they sure made it mighty tasty back then, some even added a touch of Chicory. But I also went for the company, the steady routine, and maybe a doughnut that didn’t look like it was made in a hurry by a machine, or leave a taste in your mouth for hours after eating it.

But I’ve been watching what’s happened to our small Ma and Pa coffee shops, and I don’t like the turn it’s taken. We used to have local spots that stayed open for years, even decades. Then along came the big chains. At first, they seemed alright. Canadian Branding, warm colours, friendly ads. But here is the thing, over time they started replacing the little shops one by one quietly. They Just moved in, and the others couldn’t compete. Lower prices and faster service did the trick.

Another thing I noticed is that coffee today doesn’t taste the same. Oh, my wife and I, we’ve bought bags at the grocery stores, probably more than we should have, but what I found was that you never know what you’re going to get. One bag tastes alright and the next is flat, bitter or just plain dull. Makes me think they are not picking for quality anymore, just for what is cheapest that week. It does not matter if it is from halfway across the world, or grown under poor conditions. As long as it is cheap… it’s in the bag.

Then there is the seating. Years ago, you could sit down with a buddy and take your time, but now they are tearing out the chairs and downsizing the space, telling folks it’s all about efficiency. The truth is, they do not want you hanging around. Less space, means fewer people to clean and less staff to pay and a quicker turnover. Get your drink and get out. That is the new model, and it does not matter if it kills the spirit of the place.

Another thing is, the donuts are smaller than they used to be, no question. Same price less product. It’s what they call… shrinkflation and another quiet trick they do not talk about.

I am also starting to wonder what is in all this stuff. With everything we are learning about PFAS, those forever chemicals showing up in cups lids and wrappers, who is to say we are not getting a dose with every hot drink or baked good? Nobody is out here testing that cup you are handed, and when a company is more focused on saving money than serving people, health usually takes a back seat.

Here is the last bit that makes me think, and in not a good way. One of the largest coffee shops in Canada isn’t even truly Canadian anymore. The branding still plays that tune, sure. Maple leaves on the cups, smiling faces in the ads. But most of the ownership now sits outside the country. Decisions are not being made for Canadians, or by them. They are being made in boardrooms somewhere else by folks who have likely never stepped into a small-town coffee shop in their life. The money leaves the country… just as fast as it comes in.

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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]

George's Writers Corner, My Opinion Only, Old Days, Old Ways

Time to Get Back to What Matters

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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.

So here’s the thing. I read in the paper today, that wine imports from the U.S. are way down, about 94 percent, according to the LCBO. Hard to believe. Anyway, some folks might not think much of that, but to an old feller like me, who used to grow grapes and sell them to folks right here in Canada, who turned them into wine, it says a lot about the direction we’re heading.

But in saying that, maybe that drop isn’t such a bad thing, not if it gives folks a reason to start buying the wine made in our own backyards. The thing is, we’ve got farmers across this country working the land, tending vineyards, and keeping small wineries alive, and that kind of effort deserves more than just a nod. When you pick up a bottle that was grown and made right here at home, you’re not just getting something good to drink, you’re keeping fields in use, putting money in a neighbour’s pocket, and helping this country hold on to something real.

I spent a good portion of my life farming, building, and raising a family through years that taught you to stand on your own feet and lean on each other, when you had to. Back then, we didn’t need to look far for what we needed. What we used was built close to home, grown by someone you knew, and it lasted because pride went into making it. But…somewhere along the way, we gave that up for convenience, and now our shelves are full of goods made in places that don’t hold to the same values or standards. That’s not progress, that’s a problem.

If we want to turn this around, we need to get back to basics, and it starts with how we buy and who we support.

First, we should be choosing Canadian whenever we can, food, wine, tools, lumber, whatever it is. If we can grow it or make it here, that’s what we ought to be reaching for.

Second, when we do need something from outside, it should come from folks who still care about what they’re making, who put in the work to get it right, and who take pride in sending out something that lasts.

Third, we’ve got to think more carefully about the kind of people we’re welcoming in to help build this country. It shouldn’t be about where someone comes from, but about what they bring to the table … good trades, real skills, and a desire to make this place stronger, not just benefit from what’s already here.

We’ve been through tough times before, and we pulled through by sticking together, making do, and standing behind our own. There’s no reason we can’t do that again. The answers aren’t fancy or complicated. They’re plain as day. Support the people around you. Buy what’s built to last. And take pride in what we can still do with our own two hands, right here at home.


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

All my books are available on my Amazon Author Page.

If you purchase a book, a brief Amazon review really helps new readers discover my work—it means a lot.

Support my writing: Support My Writing

In Closing, I Would Like to Wish You Well!

George Walters | [email protected]