Reminicing Gay Pride Edmonton while walking along Jasper Avenue with Millie

I was strolling along Jasper Avenue on a warm summer's Saturday afternoon with the sidewalks packed with shoppers. Those were the days in Edmonton when hundreds of independent businesses lined both sides of Jasper Avenue along with the side streets. The working crowd would take a lunch break in the tree-covered park in front of city hall or any number of quiet places downtown. 

Downtown was alive and included Alice the quarter-quarter bag lady. Between 103 and 104 streets, the Bay store took up an entire block on the north side of Jasper with a cinema across the street surrounded by a variety of shops. It was the mid to late 1970s when transit buses ran on a regular schedule. Street parking was available everywhere, making it easy for anyone to drive downtown day and night. The atmosphere of friendliness filled the summer air on this particular Saturday.

As I crossed 103 Street, the sweetest voice asked if I would mind giving a lady a hand. I happily put my arm under hers and glanced at a lovely face decked out in an amazing dress and hat.

"Do those boots of yours click?" she asked. I clicked the heels for her. "Your jeans are a tight fit for this weather." to her I replied "The dress you are wearing is more fit for a ball." 

We were cruising along in front of The Bay store where crowds were loading on and off the buses. The sidewalk was very crowded so I moved this lovely lady closer to me.

I asked "What name shall I address you?"

"Millie Empress I when I'm in Drag and you may call me Paul when I am not doing a Drag Show. Will you come to see me?" she said.

"Empress 1makes an activist and here we are walking along Jasper Avenue with you in full Drag. I love it." replied I.

Millie posed a powerful question to me. "What will you do to make equality for gay men and women, homosexuals, something we can be proud of in Canada?"

"Will you give me a few minutes to understand what must be done?" was my simple reply.

"You can count on Millie Empress 1 for advice at any time. What name shall I call you?"

"Dennis, as in Dennis the menace the cartoon figure." as I grinned at Millie

 We parted company on 105 Street with grand fanfare and adieu.

I did on many occasions ask for advice from our Millie Empress 1. 

I remember Millie for helping to deal with my sexuality. As a recovering Catholic, the doctrine I was taught made me believe that god created junk. I knew better and did learn it was far from the truth. Everyone is born with the ability to love whoever they wish to love. 

People should not fear the government, a landlord, a business or healthcare workers who will not let you visit the one you love. 

It took decades to get any government to listen. One did finally make changes to laws preventing discrimination against homosexual men and women in Canada. It was the beginning of further changes, including people of any gender they wished to be called.

Canada rolled along as a recognized member of the best world economies. Making a modern decision to embrace everyone did not lead to a disaster that some said would happen. 

This is one of the only remaining photos of Millie Empress 1. Love you Paul for starting a tradition carried on to this day.

 

The Koan describes three monks watching a banner flutter in the breeze. One monk observes, "The banner is moving," but the second insists, "The wind is moving." Finally, the third monk says, "You are both wrong. It is your mind that is moving." Zen Buddhism

Dennis A. Cambly 

Further Reading

Play-writer Darrin Hagen about Millie https://wp.me/pWjRa-2Ee

Members of The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose https://iscwryeg.ca/?p=1900

Why do You Believe the Canadian Government represents Democracy?

Government includes all of them. Federal, Provincial, City, Town, Municipal, Committees, Senate, Crown Corporations, First Nations Corporations, Cabinet posts and some I likely forgot.

As promised in an earlier article here is the rest of the story.

We live in an illusion created by the giant corporate media owners. Most people sincerely believe our system has something to do with democracy. I ask: "Other than the selected days for voting, when do you have any input into decisions enacted by bureaucrats, and elected officials?" Yes, there might be an open house, where you can have input on a neighborhood concern. A plan for the neighborhood is already drafted by the administration before you arrive. Democracy is more than laws and rules enacted without input from the citizens.

Democracy is the basic right to have input before the final draft or decision is made.

My Opinion differs from the Media Version of Democracy

A short background on how Canadians were feeling during the 1960s and early 1970s. The Liberal government introduced the Canada Pension Plan.  A tremendous feeling of national pride grew with the rising of a distinctive Canadian Flag. Canadians participated as the country looked for its own personality at home and on the world stage. The NDP with Tommy Douglas as leader played a very big part in introducing and voting in favour of both initiates.

With the cooperation between the Liberals and New Democrats a Universal Healthcare plan was finalized. Late in the 1960s, Justice Minister Pierre Trudeau, proclaimed "there's no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation". This was the uniquely Canadian classical version of democracy.

The final move towards a more democratic country came with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The debates raged widely as the provincial governments sought more power than democracy. Democracy begins to fail when self-interest and corporations cast the people aside.

The Aim of Terrorist Laws is to Annihilate the Citizen's Rights

As I said in the previous article I considered it my right to voice my opposition to war. During the months after the 9/11 attack we heard the attackers were Saudi in origin. Who convinced countries, especially NATO members, to attack Afghanistan and then Iraq? Why didn't we go to the source and bomb the Saudi Royal Family into oblivion?

I wrote in an editorial printed in late January 2003: "I have heard from many of my American friends who are terrified to write anything against the current powers in Washington for fear of their lives. It would be easy to see, for most people, Bin Laden from a wealthy Saudi family is winning the so called terrorist war. After all, he is the professional in the field and it is more and more obvious the voice of reason is being silenced in the United States. Canada is not far behind as new terrorist laws are being put in place..." Many more editorials were written along the same line with one titled Dear Paul aimed directly at Prime Minister Paul Martin Jr.

Hundreds of letters, from various Canadian government departments, began arriving daily day as I wrote against war. An audit of my businesses took place in mid 2004 by Revenue Canada. At a cost of over $100,000.00 the auditors found I owed the government $88.00 over the previous 7 years. The head auditor said: "I have no idea what we are doing auditing your companies. We received an urgent memo from Ottawa to get it done immediately."

When the statement for $88.00 arrived it included a $15,000.00 fine. The letters were now arriving at a rate of 9-12 a day and so were the phone calls. Imagine owning three businesses and having a phone for each plus a cell phone for yourself. Every phone was being bombarded with calls from multiple government departments night and day.

The meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan (and Minister of Justice) turned into shouting matches. She was also the Justice Minister who helped draft up the anti-terrorist legislation. As far as I was concerned she had lost control of her senses.

In August 2004 under a lot of stress I went for a bicycle ride in the River Valley. As I moved down into the valley I rounded one of the corners. Someone had put a pile of gravel in the middle of the path. I had been riding the path thousands of times over the years. This time I must have flown over 4 meters (approx 15') before hitting the pavement flat on my back thankfully wearing a good bicycle helmet. Six ribs were broken, one third of one lung kept me alive, shoulder and collar bones shattered into pieces, bones flew out of my body when I hit the pavement and blood was everywhere.

Six days in ICU with a few weeks in the hospital left me feeling out of this world. My businesses were in trouble and so was I. The day I was taken home, there on my desk sat a small cardboard box, full of letters from the government. (one of them claimed I had not reported income from a schooner in Nova Scotia) The new business, supposed to open a few months earlier, was also in financial trouble. On the table was a bill from the City of Edmonton amounting to $300.00 for using an ambulance. Goodbye Universal Healthcare thanks to the corporations.

The all volunteer magazine was kept in print with funds from business supporters and my businesses. No stopping PM Paul Martin from easing up the pressure. On New Years Eve I locked the doors and walked away from two of the businesses. The last of 112 printed issues prepared by volunteers was released in July 2005. We had started an online version in 1994. It remained online with many contributing articles and editorials until 2007.



Every time I was hired the job lasted 4-5 weeks. No reason was ever given to me. The letters kept arriving from the federal government. The fine rose to $28,000.00 for not paying the $88.00 on time. My condo was almost paid for with a balance of $42,000.00 and had an appraised value of $225,000.00. Alberta Treasury Bank (ATB), where I had accounts for business plus my mortgage, told me they did not see any reason to assist me as my funds dried up. The same bank was handed $102,000.00 by the Federal Government kangaroo Court.

CSIS "...the order came from the PM.."

The lawyers told me the only way out was to sell the condo at the appraised value. My mind was in the mood to end my own life. You had to be there to watch friends abandon the ship. The community I helped grow, and spread it's wings, were long gone.

The Judge was bewildered. "I have an order from the federal government..." They along with Alberta Treasury Bank  a government owned financial organization took all of the proceeds and tossed me on the street. Two doctors and one psychiatrist wrote up reports diagnosing me with PTSD. It made no difference to the tainted, and prejudiced judicial system in Canada, doing the bidding of the Queen of England. Canada's Oath of Allegiance is as follows:

"I, .., do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors. So help me God." Every elected and non-elected Canadian government official, including the judicial system, must swear allegiance to a person in a foreign country. Had I have been there when Benjamin Franklin asked Quebec along with Upper and Lower Canada to join the Union, he would have had a promoter, to rid us of the parasitic monarchy in England.

What Rights do You Have Today?

It is my hope you will realize you do not live in a democracy. When Bill C-51 became a big election issue it was the Liberal Party of Canada who supported it under the leadership of PM Justin Trudeau. It allows a government official the right to do whatever they deem necessary, without a warrant, without a charge, without a trial to anyone who disagrees with their policies on any topic. Your elected officials, and non-elected bureaucrats, have become your judge and jury. The people are silenced using the same methods used by Stalin in the former Soviet Union.

You know what a government can do to the people protesting at the G-20 meeting in Toronto and the Occupy Movement in the United States. Now you have an example of what a Prime Minister can do to an individual without charge, warrant or trial.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights are meaningless words without an honest judicial system.  Your rights can and are violated and censored every hour of the day. After World War II  the UN Declaration was put in place to grant every citizen freedoms and to prevent wars. Every nation who becomes a member of the UN must sign the Declaration. There are too many examples to list of many nations violating the International Laws agreed too. Why does it happen? The International Criminal Court is ignored due to lack of support from citizens from every country world-wide.

"Cease then to call yourselves religious, lest you declare to the world your hypocrisy. Cease too to call other nations savage, when you are tenfold more the children of cruelty than they. I bow to no man for I am considered a prince among my own people. But I will gladly shake your hand." First Nations Chief Joseph Brant to King George III

My Partial Bibliography

Worked in broadcast media for 30+ years

Edmonton Chamber of Commerce - Marketing

Alberta Chamber of Commerce - Education Coordinator

Canadian Chamber of Commerce - Business Education Coordinator and Speaker

Editor/Author - Four books on Economics commissioned by Premier Lougheed

Adviser - Alberta Minister of Education Julian Koziak

Adviser - Liberal Party of Canada under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau

Published - One book of Poetry

Independent Entrepreneur

Owner of Pride Video Edmonton 1994-2005

Partner in DiNovi's Lounge Edmonton 2002-2005

Volunteer Managing Editor - Times .10 Magazine 1993-2007

Independent Journalist and Activist

Notes https://tinyurl.com/2pa64cnu

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Letter to NATO, UK and EU Member States as You hand Your Sovereignty to America

Fellow members of these organizations thank you for breaking every promise you made to future generations after World War II.*

You agreed to the following from the United Nations Charter

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED*

to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.

AND FOR THESE ENDS

to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples.

Article 1

To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;

For your homework please read and memorize all of the articles in the UN Charter as opposed to the US Constitution. Although, since you are no longer a sovereign nation perhaps you should memorize the US Constitution too, while you shred your own Constitutions and Charters.

Continuation of the UN Charter

US Constitution

How did you feel about the war in Afghanistan? The American led war ended in a humiliating defeat after twenty years. You walked lock step by placing sanctions on the Taliban winners. Every women in Afghanistan thanks you for their brief encounter with being able to go to school. You are a part of the defeat with all your weapons turning cities into rubble.

How about that great adventure in Iraq? You must have enjoyed watching Shock 'n Awe as the bombs sucked the oxygen out of the Iraqi people. Another American and NATO loss killing a million while leaving Iraq in ruins. Since the end of World War II America along with it's NATO partners have not won any war. The great lie about Iraq showed the world how you can brow beat the public in a few countries.

 America does not want the democratically elected leader of Syria in office and off to war they go again with NATO countries in tow. When American-led NATO finally gets the message it will be, as it is now, another loss. 

Shall we mention what US-NATO did to Libya? Don't count on any oil coming to your rescue from any of your former friends in the middle-east. They are finally getting pay-back watching NATO and EU drown in massive inflation along with out of this world debt.

Where are the Peace Negotiators?

Over 2400 years ago Plato wrote his thoughts about democracy in the Republic. He said: democracy tenders it conducive to mass ignorance, hysteria, and ultimately tyranny.  What is tyranny? Is this why you leaders of NATO countries the EU and UK gave up your sovereignty to the United States?

Make no mistake about how most of the world's population despises war including the one in Ukraine. Why did Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France agree to a ceasefire under the Minsk Agreements and not follow up to ensure they were being enforced? Did the President of America bully you, as they always do, that they are the greatest democracy in the world? Ask the people of ancient Palestine, Yemen, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela and Yugoslavia about American style democracy. Vietnam was an early warning sign about spreading American style democracy.

Negotiations that use tariffs and sanctions are not negotiations resulting in a win-win situation. Sanctions are an act of war though America never declares a war even as the bombs begin to explode.

Sanctions starve people far away from the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Do you need a map of the world's less fortunate countries? They are the same ones where you stole resources, deforested the land, found your slaves to build the United States and left the rivers and lakes polluted. 

American Leadership is Jealous of what the Russian People have Done

Nazi Germany left thirty million dead in Soviet Russia, (the U.S.S.R) and the surrounding states after World War II. As the walls went up in ancient Palestine the Berlin Wall came tumbling down. Anyone could see there was virtually no construction in east Berlin. The soviet style buildings could be found from one side of Russia to the other even though it was rich in renewable and non-renewable resources. Today Russia has a new look after twenty years of construction, low unemployment and resource money being used to rebuild the country. 

Your People are Paying the Higher Price

The world was beginning to pick up a little steam since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Businesses were starting to open up again with people going to work or in search of finding work. Industries had disappeared while smaller ones began to open the doors. Many of the jobs were low paying leaving tens of millions unable to catch up with their debts.  

Who will pay for the cost of LNG at ten times the cost of Russian gas, shipped from America to Europe further polluting the Atlantic Ocean? The cost of goods is being artificially inflated by the United States printing money for wars. With an additional $39 Billion dollars for weapons to kill being sent to Ukraine are any countries within NATO, UK and EU willing to stop the bloodshed?

Where is the peace you promised when you signed the UN Charter in the years after World War II?

Respectfully Yours

A Canadian who wants to see you keep your promise.

Dennis Cambly

 

Edmonton City Council will knowingly destroy West Jasper Place with the LRT for Wealthy Property Developers

 by Dennis Cambly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I see it as the most racist and discriminatory move as a part of the West Valley Line through the neighborhooods in West Jasper Place. The LRT or trolley car aka Bus on Rails will plough down Stony Plain Road effectively killing every small business. It was very easy to walk from home down Stony Pl Rd to the Bank, Pharmacy, Post Office, Grocery stores while stopping into a corner store. Now people will need to drive to further west or make their way to Meadowlark Mall. We don't expect it will be easy to drive to Meadowlark when construction begins on 156 Street.

 The X on the map shows where TD and Safeway have already closed their doors. Edmonton council who have likely never visited the area easily voted to wipe out existing businesses. The long red arrow shows the area where buildings have been demolished and will be demolished. Same thoughtless procedure is underway on the south side of Stony Plain Road.

I found it amazing to hear a city councilor say the area only had sex shops, prostitutes and pawn shows. He must have missed the hundreds of other businesses including No Frills, Shoppers, dozens of neighborhood restaurants serving foods from multiple countries, along with London Drugs, Starbucks, Dollarama, Safeway and other big brand stores. Small businesses run by people who came to this country and built up a business have been and are being shut down. It has a lot to do with the area being populated by those people who will no longer be a problem. 

For those who commute to work by a vehicle coming into the city via Highway 16A are in for a surprise. (You can expand the top diagram by clicking on it) Considering it took 4 years to construct a small bridge across the river there will be years of construction at the corner of Stony Plain Road and 156 Street including 100 Avenue. Traffic on 100 Avenue averages 25,000 vehiciles per hour during the morning and evening commute. I am guessing the same would be true of Stony Plain Road. 

It is odd the company doing the survey prior to construction did not find the concrete block in the river. They could have asked me or 1000s of other Edmontonians about it since we knew it was laying on the river bed. We pulled a fellow who had too much to drink out of the river near the old bridge. He was very lucky since a small piece of that concrete held him up enough not to drown. It must be better to spent millions of dollars than be honest with the voters.

Take a real close look at the diagram above and please let me know where in the world a train can make a 90 degree turn. When I attended one of the many meetings I asked one of the engineers what they had in mind with the 90 degree turn and he looked rather dumbfounded. The train tracks will need to go behind the former Grant MacEwan Campus to make the corner and stop at the station. You will no longer be able to use Stony Plain Road as you travel east or west. As far as 100th Avenue goes two trains parked at the station, or moving like a snail, should make for an interesting wait time east or west.

It also means the businesses from 156 Street to 167 Street will be cut off from traffic due to councilors and city planners who never traveled the area. The big X is what the developers are eagerly waiting to build 12 to 14 floor condos. Both sides of Stony Plain Road from 142 Street to 156 Street will also be lined with up to 12 floor condos. They are the wood framed floor condos Edmonton city council approved of for the developers. I am sure the Fire Department is thrilled about them as they are about how they will respond to a fire in the area. The Fire Station is located north of 156 Street and Stony Plain Road. Good luck getting to a house or apartment fire with trains blocking the intersection. Those trolley cars sure do move slow especially when they hit a 90 degree turn. Perhaps the entire intersection will rotate.

The train then heads south on 156 Street to 89 Avenue where it makes another 90 degree turn on it's way to West Edmonton Mall then to Lewis Housing district. 

It is very sad what the city is doing about the former Grant MacEwan Campus. City council said in one of their 100s of reports they wanted to reposition the campus as a hub for the community. They put their imaginations together and came up with the name Orange Hub. 

The building sat vacant for almost four years since the last students used it. Twenty non-profit organizations met with the city committee that invited them to discuss a community based plan. All of the groups work with the Food Bank, housing, community based events, work with everyone regardless of race, creed, color etc. Disclosure: (I volunteer with one of the groups). At present every one of the community organizations have locations scattered around West Jasper Place. 

All twenty were turned down by city council. The current mayor and council decided to stay away from community based groups and jump into the Canada Council trough. It'snot what you know when it comes to Canada Council it's all about who you blow. Alberta Arts council jumped in with $25 million and a non-profit company gathered up the money to take over Grant MacEwan campus aka Orange Hub along with another pig at the trough.

A few non-profits from West Jasper Place were kicked out of the building by city council. In the brochure Building a City around the LRT it reads; Establish land uses around LRT stations to
reflect the characteristics of its surrounding areas and each station’s role in the LRT network. An integrated community system with an emphasis on housing, shopping, pedestrians and bicycles with reduced car use.

I have big news for mayor and council we had all of that before you bulldozed and bullied your way into our community with a train. We do not need your train tracks nor your lies about how you would create your perfect community. As white as you are you would have been welcome to dine out in one of our restaurants owned and operated by a family from Pakistan. Unfortunately they were given a 30 day notice to vacate the building they operated out of for three decades. Nice white folks paid too much to recklessly spend our money.

 

Published by Dennis Cambly who has no relationship with a company who stole my ancestral surname dating back to Jacques Cartier and then to an area where Julius Caesar camped his armies in Italy. The company was started by an ex-Google employee with an investor from India. In my conversations with them I was told the name was simply an abstract object. If surnames are objects why didn't they use their own surnames? It's appauling that a corporation is allowed to use someone's surname and confuse later generations as to the ancestry of the name.