An interesting and surprising beginning to December

by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC, FEC, CET, P. Eng. Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East We start the month of December with interesting developments both domestically and internationally. Despite the cloud of the new Omicron Covid pandemic still lingering about us, it is time to look forward and start to live our lives again. Reflection on where we should be heading might start with two historically significant events that occurred approximately 100 years ago. One representing courage in adversity, and the other, social progress. We can remember with sadness, the 104th anniversary of the massive Halifax explosion that occurred on December 6th, 1917 when two ships collided in the city's harbour. On the morning of December 6, 1917, the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship laden with high explosives and bound for the battlefields of WWI, collided with the Norwegian vessel SS Imo in the Narrows, a strait connecting the upper Halifax Harbour to Bedford Basin. A fire on board the Mont-Blanc led to a massive explosion that devastated the Richmond district of Halifax. It was one of the largest human-made explosions prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in 1945. The north end of Halifax was wiped out by the blast and subsequent tsunami. Nearly 2,000 people died, another 9,000 were maimed or blinded, and more than 25,000 were left without adequate shelter. We need to emphasize the heroism of the rescue workers and citizens of Canada and the US, who came to support the people in Halifax. They must never be forgotten. On the bright side, 100 years ago on the 6th of December, in the first federal election in which women had the right to vote and run as candidates, Agnes Macphail became the first woman elected to the House of Commons. This election would help pave the way for future generations of women wishing to enter political life, represent their fellow citizens, and make an impact on the lives of Canadians. Since Ms. Macphail's election, Canada has made great progress in increasing the representation of women in political office. In 1988, Ethel Blondin-Andrew became the first Indigenous woman elected to the House of Commons. Five years after that, Jean Augustine took her seat in Parliament as the first Black Canadian woman to ever be elected. In the same year Canada saw its first woman Prime Minister, Kim Campbell. In 2021, 100 years after the election of the first female Member of Parliament, Canadians elected over 100 women to Parliament, marking the highest number of women ever to sit in the House of Commons. These women, who represent communities from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities across our country, have the opportunity to do excellent work in Ottawa, for the advancement of Canada and the interests of Canadians. With these two events of Canadian historical importance in mind, let us look at what happened in Canada this week. Inflation continues to be a concerning issue, but the Bank of Canada held its interest rate at 0.25 percent for the moment. Legislation banning conversion therapy in Canada became law as first the MPs and then the Senators swiftly and unanimously passed the legislation opening a new, unknown chapter in Canadian jurisprudence. As the House of Commons does not rise until December 17th we will probably have more surprises. Internationally we remember the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, just before 08:00, on Sunday, December 7, 1941. The United States was a neutral country at the time; the attack led to its formal entry into World War II the next day. Japan intended the attack as a preventative maneuver to prevent the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and those of the United States. Over the course of seven hours there were coordinated Japanese attacks on the U.S. held Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island and on the British Empire in Malaya, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The attack commenced at 7:48 am. Hawaiian Time. The base was attacked by 353 Imperial Japanese aircraft in two waves, launched from six aircraft carriers. Of the eight U.S. Navy battleships present, all were damaged, with four sunk. All but the USS Arizona were later raised, and six were returned to service and went on to fight in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. A total of 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed; 2,403 Americans were killed and 1,178 others were wounded. Japanese losses were light: 29 aircraft and five midget submarines lost, and 64 servicemen killed. As surprises and high tensions continue on the international scene, we should take note that the German parliament elected Social Democrat Olaf Scholz as the country's ninth postwar chancellor. Scholz takes office at the head of a coalition of Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats, heralding a new political era after 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel. As military tensions at the Ukrainian Russian border increase, the President of the United States, Joe Binden, had a two-hour virtual meeting with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Nothing was resolved but at least they are speaking at a time when the relations between the two countries are at the lowest ebb since the dissolution of the USSR. Last but not least, the United States and the West are Hardening their positions on the upcoming Olympic games in Beijing China. So the world seems to be fraught with tension at the moment, especially if we add the Omicron factor. But hope is the best of all possible gifts, because it gives us the strength and energy to persevere. We need to be optimistic as we approach our annual celebrations of Christmas, the harbinger of peace and love, and the New Year, that gives everyone a chance for improved performance. So be strong and hopeful, that we have fewer unpleasant surprises, both domestic and international, to weather in 2022.