There were many times during 2022 when I was convinced civilization was circling the drain, possibly taking the entire human race with it..We’re living through dark times indeed. However, there were a few events over the past year that triggered welcome feelings of optimism..The first was the Freedom Convoy of last February. Although I didn’t go to Ottawa myself, I stood for hours on a windy highway overpass with hundreds of other local people to cheer the truckers on for what would clearly be a historic event. I sent bags of groceries to Ottawa and donated to both crowdfunding campaigns. It was thrilling to see how many Canadians knew by sheer gut instinct what was happening in this country was simply wrong, and how many were willing to take a public stand against it..Then there were the copycat convoys that took place in other countries around the world, proving that everywhere on the planet, there are still good people “yearning to breathe free” — literally, in the context of mask mandates.. Tamara Lich speaking at the JCCF Freedom awards in CalgaryTamara Lich speaks at the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms George Jonas banquet on August 11th 2022, in Calgary. .In June, I attended the JCCF’s George Jonas Freedom Award ceremony in Toronto, to witness the award being given to convoy organizer Tamara Lich. It felt almost like old times. Nobody in the banquet hall was wearing a mask except the servers. I got to hug old friends whom I hadn’t seen in years..Of course, that was the event that triggered Lich’s re-incarceration, allegedly for breach of her bail conditions. What kind of monsters, I wondered, were the prosecutors who wanted to put her back in jail for having exchanged a few words with Tom Marazzo? Clearly, Lich and Marazzo hadn’t had time during those few seconds to plot any further dastardly demonstrations. And what was wrong with Justice of the Peace Paul Harris, who initially told Lich that she was being kept in jail for another week to “maintain confidence in the administration of justice”? Eventually, though, a Superior Court judge appropriately named Goodman overrode that twit of a JP, granted bail again and allowed Lich to return to Alberta, where she still awaits trial. Let’s hope 2023 will see the charges withdrawn or dismissed..For me, the five weeks of hearings of the Public Order Emergency Commission (the Rouleau Commission) in October and November also provided a surprising glimmer of hope. The police personnel and some of the bureaucrats who testified near the beginning seemed free of any political manipulation. It was clear after listening to them there had been no justification for the invocation of the Emergencies [War Measures] Act, despite what the politicians said later..The performances of intelligent, freedom-loving lawyers such as Keith Wilson and Eva Chipiuk were also heartening. I’m now looking forward in 2023 to the release of Commissioner Rouleau’s report. Although law professor Bruce Pardy is probably right when he says the commissioner is unlikely to “throw the government under the trucks”, there will be renewed opportunities for commentators to point out bias and inconsistencies..Next year also promises the opportunity for a broader public airing of government overreach via the National Citizens’ Inquiry (NCI), currently scheduled to begin in mid-March. This project will be entirely independent of government, relying entirely on small public donations for its funding. It will delve into not only the inappropriate use of the Emergencies Act, but generally into myriad aspects of “What went wrong?” in the government’s pandemic response, from the very inception in early 2020. All levels of government (federal, provincial and municipal) will be under the microscope — as will the conduct of the mainstream media in suppressing or skewing the news..If readers of this column have important information to share about their experiences under authoritarianism, or if they possess scientific expertise that deserves widespread publicity, but has hitherto been swept under the carpet, they can sign up at the NCI’s website to keep informed about how they can participate..Other things I found cheering in 2022, and am looking forward to in 2023, are the ongoing policy changes in Alberta brought in by premier Danielle Smith. The provincial election date is fixed for May 29. As I mentioned earlier this year, I think intelligent Canadians will flock to Alberta if Smith maintains her position and carries on charting a course independent of the rest of the country. Other provinces would find themselves compelled to reconsider their own actions..Last, but not least, I have been delighted to witness the growth and development of Canada’s alternative media, including The Western Standard and its competitors such as True North, Rebel Media, and the Epoch Times. I subscribe to all of them and have let my subscriptions to my former favourite newspapers (all now government-subsidized) lapse..I’ve been a columnist here at WS for more than three years now, and I’m planning to continue. Please click the “Follow Karen Selick” button below my bio and I’ll see you next year.
