Only On The Walters Post

By GW

You know, I’ve been saying for a while now that these tariffs, while they might seem like a bumpy road at first, could actually be a good thing for us here in Canada. And reading about a Canadian metal company, it feels like a real “aha!” moment. Here’s a business, sixty years in the making, worried about the impact of these heavy U.S. tariffs, only to find their sales actually climbing. The sales manager really hit the nail on the head when he said, “It’s been good for us. In fact, we have seen an increase, an uptick in builders wanting to use our Canadian metal buildings.” That’s the kind of silver lining you hope for, isn’t it?

It just makes sense, too, when you think about it. We’re loaded with resources, and steel is definitely one of them. As the sales manager points out, why would we buy it from another country after it’s been processed there and shipped back, when we can get it right from our own backyard? That’s not just good for this one company, it’s good for the whole Canadian steel industry. It’s about bringing things back home, supporting our own, and building a stronger foundation from within.

Now, I hear what the president of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction is saying, and there’s no denying that tariffs can create a lot of uncertainty and challenges for some. Losing a major market is a big deal, and jobs are always at the forefront of everyone’s mind. But there’s also something to be said for the push it gives us to look inward, to innovate, and to truly become more self-sufficient.

To me, this is exactly what’s needed for a healthy country. It’s about taking those challenges and making some good, strong Canadian lemonade. When we rely more on ourselves, our own resources, and our own ingenuity, that’s when we truly thrive. It’s a chance to strengthen our own supply chains and create opportunities right here at home.

It just goes to show, sometimes the difficulties we face are the very things that push us to find new and better ways of doing things. And for us, it might just be the push we needed to become even more resilient and independent.

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

Only On The Walters Post

By GW

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 was reading today about the U.S. Marines getting ready again to deploy in Los Angeles, all because protests and riots are breaking out across the country. The thing is, you can spin that any way you want, but here’s how I see it.

So…when you bring in too many people, from too many different backgrounds, all at once, without a real plan to help them settle, and truly become part of the country, you’re asking for trouble. And I don’t care how unpopular that sounds. It’s not about race, it’s about human nature.

People are no different, in many ways, than animals. Years ago, anyone who kept animals knew better than to toss a bunch of different breeds into one pen, and expect peace. You’d have chaos, fights over territory, over food, and more so…over who’s in charge. That’s just what happens when instincts clash and there’s no clear structure.

Now look at the U.S. people are angry and divided, and it’s not always the folks who were born and raised there causing the damage, at the moment I think it’s those carrying deep-rooted grievances, folks who never really became part of the whole in the first place.

And…. if we’re not careful here in Canada, we’ll be heading down that same road. I’m not saying we shouldn’t help people or open our doors, but we’ve got to be smart about it. “You can’t just keep pouring water into a cup that’s already full.“

This isn’t just about “protests.” It’s about a country losing its balance. And once that balance tips too far, it’s hard to steady things again.

I’ve lived long enough to know that harmony doesn’t just happen, it’s something you have to work at, and protect, or you lose it. Which is the way things are turning out now in the USA. Get ready Canada!!!.

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.

Well now, that whole public dust-up between Elon Musk and President Trump has settled, I kinda think that this wasn’t a full-blown fight. It looked more like two powerful men with strong opinions getting their wires crossed. It felt like neither one was quite sure what they wanted from the other, and things just got a little messy.

And once the dust settles and they each have time to cool off and think it through, I wouldn’t be surprised if they come to some kind of understanding. Maybe they won’t be as close as they once were, but I can still see them staying on speaking terms, maybe even crossing paths again when it suits them.

Just think about it. Elon lives and breathes science, always pushing limits with Tesla and SpaceX. Trump’s a dealmaker who built his name in business and knows how to work a crowd. Both are billionaires. Both are sharp in their own way. When minds like that meet, even if they don’t always get along, things tend to happen. And more often than not, something gets done.

And truth be told, we’re going to need minds like Elon’s in the years ahead. The world isn’t standing still. Technology’s racing ahead, the planet’s feeling the strain, and whether we like to think about it or not, there may come a time when we need real ways off this Earth. That’s not science fiction anymore, and the good news is it’s something folks like him are actually working on, and truth told; we’ll be glad someone had the vision and the courage to build the ship before we needed it.

It’ll be worth watching what comes out of this next round.

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.

The other day, the phone rang here at home, nothing unusual about that, except the call display read Port Loring, Ontario. Now, folks around here will know, Port Loring’s not exactly teeming with people, and I can just about name everyone who’d likely be calling, and this wasn’t one of them.

Still, curiosity had me, so I let it go to voicemail first. Sure enough, it was one of those scam recordings:
“Someone has made a $700 purchase on your account. We’ve put it on hold. To fix this, press one.”

Right then I knew it was a scam.

But here’s the part that gets me. They’d spoofed a local number, making it look like this call was coming from right here in our little town. That’s the trick these scammers are using now. They know we’re more likely to trust a local call, and maybe pick up out of habit.

Truth is, they can make any number show up on your phone, whether they’re sitting in a basement in another country, or running a scam mill somewhere else. It’s all automated. The town name showing on your screen doesn’t mean the call came from here, or that your phone line’s been hacked.

Now here’s the real danger: if you do press one, or talk to whoever they transfer you to, they’ll go to work fast.

They might say they’re from your bank or credit card company, and ask for your name, card number, security code, even your PIN. Some will ask you to download something to your phone or computer to “fix” the issue, which gives them access to everything on your device. Others might tell you to move money around, saying it’s part of a fraud investigation. The truth though, it’s all smoke and mirrors, and it’s all aimed at getting your money or your identity.

And here’s something new, and a little scary. Scammers can now record or mimic your voice. That’s right. Just a few seconds of you talking, even saying something simple like “yes” or “hello”, can be enough for them to build a digital copy of your voice. And it should be noted, that once they have that, they can use it to fool voice-activated systems, impersonate you on phone calls, or even trick your family or your bank.

So here’s my bit of advice:
If you get one of these calls, hang up. Don’t press any buttons. Don’t talk to the voice on the other end. If it sounds like a serious bank issue, hang up and call your bank directly, using the number on your card or their official website — not the number the scammer used.

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.

Lately, we have seen a lot of statues toppled, monuments defaced, and books pulled from classrooms, all because some say they represent the wrong things. The latest act, vandalizing the National Holocaust Monument in downtown Ottawa with hateful graffiti, feels like another reminder of how some people want to erase or rewrite what once was. In saying that, though, I think it is only a select few causing this destruction.

The thing is yes, many of these statues or books remind us of times that were wrong, unfair, and harsh, but tearing them down or hiding them away does not fix the past. In fact, it risks losing the very lessons those things were meant to teach. Just like the books we remember from school, these monuments and statues stand as markers of history …. sometimes painful, sometimes uncomfortable, but always important.

Another point, I believe, is that our powers that be should also not be the ones deciding to erase these reminders. Instead, they should stand firm, ensuring these pieces of history stay where they belong in public view as reminders of what was and warnings for what must never be again.

We do not have to celebrate the wrongs of the past, but we do have to remember them.

Because forgetting history is the surest way to repeat it. That’s my take on the subject!

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