Strangely enough, I felt as Grumy feels, when I heard about the naming of the new ships for B.C. Ferries Inc. It's an action that shrieks of mental distortion.

How could a province not feel proud of the strength and unselfish courage of the people of Hartley Bay when the Queen of the North sank?

What kind of mental aberration would prompt the new corporation to use a secret "contest" to come up with self-denying names like Coastal Renaissance? Coastal? Duhh ... yeah, it's a ship, for god's sake. Renaissance? What the heck is that? It just seemed like madness ...

More reflective of the new ferry management would be DisneyWorld I, II, and III.

I simply can't figure out why B.C. wouldn't proudly sail a ship called SPIRIT OF HARTLEY BAY through those dangerous and beautiful waters and tell the world that, "Yeah, shit happens. But it could've been worse, much worse. Just look what the Hartley Bay community did on 22 March 2006! That's the real British Columbia!"

The SPIRIT OF HARTLEY BAY could've become part of our folklore, a rallying cry whenever we had to face new challenges.

Surely it's some kind of mental aberration to throw all this away, and opt for ... Coastal something or other ... brought to us by an uncaring corporation.

It is amazingly stupid where this present government is willing to waste taxpayer's hard earned dollars. P3's proven sink holes of waste for the direct profit of the private partners. Now they are whining about Federal Taxes on the ferries (approaching a hundred million dollars in total.) With giving away the fast ferries, the loss of dollars to local businesses and wages to labour the cost to BC's economy is well over $500 million and rising. At least the Fasts Ferry money STAYED mainly in BC. No wonder campbell is trying to polish his image by throwing a few bones to the poor and mentally ill. A few token housing units get a big play in the media but oh by the way it will be a couple of years in the future before they can be delivered and occupied. What hypocrites.

Gordo's world, sure is ugly. He is not the right person to lead anything. His idealigy driven dogma is growing tiresome. More lies, more half truthes, more pitching poop for his corp buddies. Remember this as history will, he is bad, he is evil, and a complete lier. Not the person to be in charge. BC Mary, yes remove from your blog. I could not get into it to change. Computer woes.
Regards & peace

While it would have been a nice gesture to name a new ferry Spirit of Hartley Bay it is hyperbole to claim that the decision not to is:

Frothing at the mouth about the naming of a ferry hardly indicates mental focus.

Is every decision you disagree with the result of a "mental aberration?" The only names I have seen mentioned are "Northern Adventure," Northern Expedition," and "Northern Discovery." The names are lame, cruise ship sounding results of focus groups on tourism but I have not heard "Coastal Renaissance" or anything like that. When trying to entice tourists to take the inside passage drawing attention to "the one that sank" does not make sense. Naming a ferry on one of the southern routes SoHB would make more sense: remind folks down here that there is a province outside the lower mainland and south island.

Do we need a ship named for the event to make it part of our folklore? Why not simply the actions of the people of Hartley Bay? The new ferry name has zero bearing on what the people of Hartley Bay did, and I do not doubt that someday a new ferry will end up as the SoHB after pressure from the elites eager to prevent an uprising over the name of a ship. In the meantime, may the example of Hartley Bay guide you.

No shock because corporations are incapable of caring. A corporation that "cares" is also a corporation that is sure to let everybody know how much they care, and just like naming the ferries "Northern BLANK," they have only profits in mind.

Think you're wrong on this one gerhardius.

Names and symbols are important. Just as Rafe has demonstrated in his piece about mental health. I think, further, that’s the reason Mary used some of the same words – for literary effect.

The labels we give persons and things say a lot about us. THE SPIRIT OF HARTLEY BAY - or one of Skoomkum1's excellent alternatives (you can find them on another thread – if I weren’t in such a hurry I’d cut and paste) says something positive about and to the people of BC.

The names adopted by Mr Hahn are about nothing but marketing, and that's too bad.

Good examples and positive role models don't come around all that often. Especially with the current gang in power. They have something quite different on their minds. The people of BC should inundate Gordon Campbell about this issue; and the sorry state of mental health treatment and advocacy in this province.

God, and I thought I was stating fact. I see that the chill winds of Libel Chill has got the Tyee jittery.

What I can't figure out is how a discussion of a mental health advocate has turned into a debate naming the new ferry?

By the way, it's considered very bad luck to rename a ship and maybe there is a rock or reef with the Sonia's name on it.

As for the mentally ill, its just cheaper to let them die on the street, than putiing them into institutions. Now then, that can't be libelous!

Its the same tired reality that existed when I was an advocate about 10 years ago: start a committee which is mandated to focus on why X occurs, come up with resolutions to fix X and then ignore all the recommendations. How will bringing back the advocate force the government to change their ways? Hint: It's called lip service and the government is good at playing that game (Yes I'm disgruntled and cynical).

A few weeks ago, the government sent increased housing allowances to the needy, except those on welfare.

You might want to reread that press release Rafe: "The Premier also announced that the Province will increase the shelter allowance for income assistance recipients for the first time since 1994 ..." (emphasis mine)

Am I in the wrong place or what? I thought this was Rafe's article on the callous treatment of the mentally ill, but it seems to have gotten mixed with the ferry discussion. However... Look there has been an awful lot of talk about the homeless, while most of this problem is due to high rents and gentrification, the dumping of the mentally ill in the streets must play a major part too. This is monstrous as Rafe points out. What a way to treat people just because they are ill.

Evil is as evil does. I'm afraid you'll have to establish that. Throwing innocent people into misery for ideological reasons seems pretty evil to me.

My apologies, pressed for time (at the most skimmed it Rafe), but to quote and old cliche', "stupid is as stupid does".
Campbell is a nut and usually nuts promote insanity... if y'all catch my drift.

What does Rafe's article have to do with ferries?

working man:
NOTHING. You have a problem with posts that don't deal with the subject at hand?

I'd never have guessed. I thought you'd jump right in and mention Glen Clark and the fast cats.

Aren't you feeling well?

Alcibiades, calm down. Perhaps your Paxil dose needs to be adjusted.

Breathe deeply. It helps.

Working man - still nothing about Glen. You should check your own meds - are you mellowing out or something for Christmas?

The current government's dealings (the Olympics and P3's to name a couple)will make Glenn's fast ferries look like child's play. Too bad we'll probably never read about them in the mainstream media (as opposed to Glenn's measly deck). How's that for off topic? Or maybe it's right on topic. I dunno. Merry Christmas.

Grumpy, its not only cheaper, but the delay is un-endorsed consent to torture. This conditions and desensitizes the general public to systemic social mistreatment and negligence of fellow citizens labelled in such a way as to de-humanize them in the hearts of man.

I don't have to make any comments in Glen Clark. The voters did that decisively in 2001.

working man
It certainly hasn't stopped you so far. That's virtually all you ever do around here.

Have you turned over a new leaf?

Glen for himself. Note he is rising in his post politics profession.

Perhaps the essence of some of the comments here suggest the basis of the problem of mentally ill homeless people: who gives a damn? The issue has been swept away or dismissed by talking about the name of a new ferry or about building a deck. Rafe must be scratching his head!
Perhaps, as well, gov'ts. have been successful at ignoring this problem as the mentally ill do not represent a voting bloc large enough to be concerned about.
Surely it is long past time for us to look at alternatives other than an institution or the street for people with mental illnesses.

You are right, greengreen. Not only do the mentally ill represent a voting bloc not "large enough to be concerned about", but they are a liability to the government. Many of them do not work,pay taxes or probably even vote, period. They are not profitable, plain and simple. Sadly, our business oriented, "balanced" budget driven "value for money" government sees them as a liability, to be looked after as cheaply as possible or not at all.

I have worked with mentally challenged individuals for 24 years and am underpaid for what I do (as are most Social Service employees), despite having two post graduate degrees. The reason? The government doesn't value what I do, simply because the individuals I serve are in the same boat as the mentally ill and are therefore not themselves valued. Sadly, I see this not only as a shortcoming of our provincial government, but also as a reflection of the attitudes of society in general. There seems to be a "screw you jack, I'm alright" mentality when it comes to the plight of the mentally challenged/ ill and others less fortunate than themselves. Unfortunately, as long as everything is "rosy" for them (whether they believe the government/ media spin or not), they will continue to vote for these people without demanding change.

What we have found to be the most effective in lobbying for the cause of our clients is the support of family members who DO vote and DO pay taxes. It has not been difficult to garner this support as most of these people are ardent supporters of their loved ones. Most of our lobbying has fallen on deaf government ears (as the families themselves are a relatively small voting bloc), but we have made some headway and at very least have not rolled over and played dead.

There needs to be more of a concerted and organized effort on the part of family members, not just of the mentally ill, but other groups as well, i. e., the handicapped, homeless, etc. In short, we should try to increase the size of that voting bloc that you speak of. Then and only then will this government listen, though political will will not suffice to get the job done. Politicians also have to have compassion, though I suppose that doesn't necessarily correlate with a "business is business" attitude and certainly not with our current government.

In the meantime I will continue to do the best for my clients, an endeavor that is driven by my caring of them. I certainly don't do it for the money (though I could get another job tomorrow).

If only the mentally ill could all get together and scrape up a hefty donation to the provincial Liberal party.

DJT
You're obviously correct. If the various media would concentrate say 30% of the attention they are now lavishing on the few families in this country who have members in the active military - you've been watching TV no doubt - on the families of the much more numerous mentally ill and homeless or inadequately housed people in Canada then the political 'cost' of ignoring these things would rise and something would happen. Fast.

Alas, the folks involved are far less photogenic and their stories can't be spun quite so easily to the 'advantage' of politicians and their facilitators in the media.

This Afghanistan nonsense and the pandering to Canadians’ sympathy – while ignoring the real problems of people here in Canada is pathetic and criminal in its callousness.

G West: Right on and amen. It just frustrates the hell out of me that most people don't care or are fed "red herrings" by the media, which they eagerly swallow. I, for one, do what I can, but most of the time I feel like I'm swimming upstream. I will "keep on truckin'", however. Well, gonna' go and blast off a letter to Daniel Jarvis.

In Gordo's & wheels Mcmayor's world there are three groups. 1. The creme de creme, his people. 2. The
working poor (thats us), and 3. the poor and downtrodden, they are expendable, not worth
his time. He shows his callous indifference everytime. As he says frequently, " I'll drink
to that!"

About mental health and the naming of ships of BC Ferries ... did you read about the U.S. cruise ship which got fined US$100,000. for pumping its effluent into U.S. waters? Followed by the fact that, if the same U.S. ship had pumped its toilets into BC waters, it would've been a free dump, so to speak.

Ger, I really do think this topic has something to do with good mental health, although I thank G West who explained this much more elegantly.

But Ger, did you notice how well David Hahn's new names fit in with the Disney-like name of that U.S. toilet-pumping cruise-ship?? I'd tell you what it was ... something about "Celebrity Celebration" maybe ... I dunno. I forget alread, because the name was superficial, meaningless, disconnected.

So that's Hahn's marketing strategy, which I find callous, inappropriate, and worst of all, negating ... which, if you ask me (and I know that you didn't) is part of an unhealthy, rapacious environment which must help to depress/distort many good minds in British Columbia.