The Phoenix Network:
 
 
 
About  |  Advertise
 
Letters  |  Media -- Dont Quote Me  |  News Features  |  Talking Politics  |  The Editorial Page  |  This Just In

High times in Canada

Letters to the Boston editor, August 29, 2008
By BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS  |  August 27, 2008

Two weeks ago, we ran a story about how the seemingly tranquil, inoffensive, and pristine little Canadian province of Prince Edward Island was actually a relative hotbed of marijuana growing. Since the story ran, it has exploded into an international We Said/Canadians Said — the fricking Minister of Tourism of Prince Edward Island blasted us, and scores of Canadians seemed outraged that the Phoenix deigned to replace the beloved maple leaf on their flag with a leaf that is entirely more smokable. Here is a sampling of the outraged comments, followed by a response from the author, Alan R. Earls.

I imagine you’ve received a fair amount of criticism regarding your article on the “explosion” of marijuana production on Prince Edward Island, and your editor, on the Canadian Broadcasting Company, promised some corrections in the next issue, but he didn’t suggest a withdrawal of the “explosive” image you created.

I’m a fairly recent immigrant to PEI, so I have no long-standing attachment. Accurate reporting is still important to me — in fact, reporting that isn’t accurate can hardly be described as reporting at all, can it? More like fiction. Still, I want to thank you for enlivening the Island’s image — even at the expense of accuracy. I understand many visitors ask to see Anne-You-Know-Who’s [of the Green Gables] gravesite, and fail to grasp she never was; a fiction, like the main premise of your article.

“Defiantly dry” communities? Only when the rain don’t fall. Two hundred and fifty marijuana plants seized, compared with 200 last year? Wow! We’re going big-time, eh? Inexpensive electricity from Quebec? Take a peek at my power bill, and weep for me as you take another drag.

Would you mind if I start a campaign to have you given an honourary (forgive my quaint spelling) citizenship for enlivening PEI’s rather staid image? We’re obviously more “with it,” exciting, and “lurid” than I ever imagined. The “Gentle Island” image was never to my liking. The tourism industry’s late blooming will no doubt be attributable to your sexing up the place. The new flag was a stroke of genius.

Good luck in the future, and keep up the creative writing. Maybe you missed your calling.

Glen Armstrong
Prince Edward Island, Canada


Obviously this guy has never been to PEI! Once again another American who doesn’t have a clue about Canada. Worry about your own gun-ridden, crack-infested country and having a complete moron for a president.

Dave Lauzon
British Columbia, Canada

Wow the only person I can think of using pot is the author of this article! Four cities in PEI? I only count two, the largest being Charlottetown with a population of 32,000. Cheap electricity from Quebec? Hardly cheap. One of the most expensive in Canada. And what isn’t generated on PEI comes from New Brunswick. The cheap Quebec electricity gets sold to the US instead of staying in Canada. Emergency staff getting trained in Baltimore? That’s just crap. Just like the article. Pot in PEI? Yeah, I know there is. Does it need to be controlled better? I can think of better places to put the public funds.

Terry W Parker
Prince Edward Island, Canada

ALAN R. EARLES RESPONDS
Prince Edward Island is probably the nicest place I’ve ever visited. There, I’ve said it. Unfortunately, when I’ve traveled there (twice, in 2006 and 2008), I have also discovered that, despite the fact that it looks like paradise, it has problems just like other places. In particular, the provincial newspapers have had quite a few stories about local pot growers. So, I got interested and wrote an article for the Phoenix about this aspect of PEI that is not well known to outsiders and which, in fact, probably should worry islanders.

Folks up north nailed me on a couple of reporting errors — like my statement that PEI imports “cheap” electricity from Quebec (it actually comes from New Brunswick). I was also told repeatedly by Canadian critics that I had named the wrong person as director of the PEI Federation of Agriculture. After re-checking my facts, however, I found that I was indeed right and my friends in Canada were wrong: the holder of the title is in fact Mike Nabuurs (though I did miss the last two consonants on his name in my piece — sorry Mike!).

The article was not meant to suggest that PEI has become a giant exporter of pot or a major narcotics haven north of the border. Rather, the point was to contrast an ongoing and seemingly worsening situation with PEI’s image as a clean, peaceful, and serene destination. That this situation could worsen or could impact the larger picture of drug trafficking in New England and in the Maritimes seems implicit. The minor factual errors in the story do not undercut the accuracy of this message.

Related:
  • Pot Edward Island
    Canada's most picturesque province is surprisingly also the fertile center of an underground marijuana explosion
  • Prescriptions for pot
    It is time to make the medical use of marijuana legal. Plus, genocide and the ADL
  • Letters
    GUNNING FOR THE TIMES
  • More more >
  Topics: Letters , Illegal Drugs , Marijuana , Alan Earls
  • Share:
  • RSS feed Rss
  • Email this article to a friend Email
  • Print this article Print
Comments
Re: High times in Canada
So Mr Earls's errors didn't detract from his message? I suppose the headline talk about the "explosion" of pot-production on P.E.I. wasn't misleading , either, not to mention the non-existent "dry" areas, the number of cities, and the general picture of a community in crisis mode over marijuana-cultivation. "Apology" obviously isn't in Mr Earls's lexicon. Sign of weakness, you know.     I was proposing a campaign to have the "author" declared an honorary Islander. I've reconsidered: he's not humble or honest enough.                                         Glen Armstrong  
By glen armstrong on 08/28/2008 at 2:14:44

Today's Event Picks
ARTICLES BY BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   BUILDING A DIALOGUE  |  December 04, 2008
    Letters to the Boston editor, December 5, 2008
  •   MISSED THE BUS  |  November 20, 2008
    Letters to the Boston editor, November 21, 2008
  •   FORWARD THINKING  |  November 12, 2008
    Letters to the Boston editor, November 14, 2008
  •   BEYOND A JOKE  |  October 29, 2008
    Letters to the Boston editor, October 31, 2008
  •   CHOOSING MY RELIGION  |  October 22, 2008
    Letters to the Boston editor, October 24, 2008

 See all articles by: BOSTON PHOENIX LETTERS

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



Friday, December 05, 2008  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2008 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group