Toronto--Theodore Nippentuk is a typical Canadian. During the long, dark hours of winter, he finds solace in his cozy lair snacking on various treats - treats which embroiled him in one of the most terrifying events of his life.
It was January. The winds howled, the snow blew, the salt-trucks spewed. He had just snapped on the TV and settled in with a bowl of goodies when there was an aggressive knock on the door.
"Open up, Nippentuk! We know you're in there! We have a warrant!"
Heart pounding, head rushing, Theodore peeked through the spy hole and saw strangers outside.
"Wh-who is it?" he asked.
"Canadian Diabetes Association. We have reason to believe you have a bowl of wine gums and other contraband inside your residence. If you don't open up, we will break the door down!"
***
You may be asking yourself how this is possible. You know Canada is run by bossy intrusive meddlers, with Ontario being among the worst, but how can private health associations be raiding people's pantries looking for universally legal products that are now also banned? Confusing, isn't it?
Under the Ontario Liberal government's new legislation, the Public Safety Related to Confectionery Act, a private charity is now enforcing the law in Ontario, deciding what people can and cannot shove into their cuke-holes. You thought I was going to say cake, right? Not in this province, not any more.
Ridiculous? Uncalled-for? You're right. But Ontarians let this happen. The government is already dictating almost every aspect of people's lives.
It is a short hop from telling folk what kind of dog to get to making sure they aren't enjoying items on the prohibited list: wine gums, Bounty bars, cakes, pies or substantially similar products, unless the amounts are controlled and registered with the CDA annually. For a fee.
What happened to Theodore? His candies and cakes were seized and he was charged under the Act with buying in bulk to save money on illegal quantities of prohibited sweets. He was given a random glucose test and found to be on the cusp of a high reading. His BMI was not good, his muscle tone flabby. He had to appear at Boot Camp Fitness for a period of not less than six months, twice weekly, to get into shape and had to stick to fresh fruit (no pineapple, banana or juice), and sugar-free treats. He had mandatory blood screens every six weeks to ensure compliance.
The next time you are buying sweet things, especially at the Bulk Farm, make sure nobody is watching. Pay cash. Wear a hat. Ontario and its private enforcement squads won't tolerate scofflaws who should know better.
Remember, it's for your own good.
Brilliant! This is the perfect comparison of what is going on in Ontario with the OSPCA, a private charity, given police powers (of which they certainly appear to be abusing), raiding people's property or seizing dogs off the street!
For those who's eyes glaze over at getting your head wrapped around no accountability or oversight by a private charity (heavily funded by the provincial gov) given the power to run you through on pure speculation, this may help explain it!
Posted by: Lori | Feb 21, 2016 at 12:41 PM
Bang on with the OSPCA and their conflicting charity and police powers.
The OSPCA's mandate should be the salvation of animals from betrayal by humans.
Instead, the OSPCA consistently betrays animals by destroying them for its own convenience.
Remember the ringworm debacle, when the OSPCA destroyed animals because of purported ringworm, which didn't exist in the kennels? And how the Newmarket OSPCA executive offices were apparently renovated and enlarged and the number of kennels allegedly reduced immediately thereafter?
Now the OSPCA is applying to destroy property - 30+ dogs seized in Chatham - which the OSPCA does not own. Huh?
The OSPCA claims the dogs have been evaluated - by whom? Unnamed experts who somehow got here from the US, evaluated dogs sheltered in kennels (which frequently alters behaviour for the worse) and flew back out, seemingly in minutes.
The province does nothing to curtail the overreach of the OSPCA, and any knowledgeable person in this province is open to the risk of the OSPCA jackbooting its way over his or her life and the lives of that person's animals.
Posted by: Dianne Singer | Feb 21, 2016 at 05:19 PM