Blazingcatfur

OTTAWA – NATO’s secretary-general is commending Canada on its investments in northern defence systems, but also says it’s important Canada deliver on its promises to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence to meet its commitments to the alliance.

Jens Stoltenberg wrapped up his two-day visit to Nunavut and Alberta on Friday, after touring the Canadian High Arctic Research Station, meeting with Indigenous Elders and community leaders, and seeing Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Air Force personnel.

Good luck with that.

The growing number of people living in vans and RVs around Squamish, B.C., is putting too much pressure on the community’s facilities, according to acting mayor John French.

The District of Squamish, about an hour’s drive north of Vancouver, is a destination for many outdoor enthusiasts, from rock climbers, to mountain bikers, hikers, and kite surfers, many of whom travel and sleep in vans and RVs.

But with limited campground spaces, and ever-increasing interest in the area, people are left to find spots that aren’t meant for camping, and some are leaving garbage and human waste behind.

Interesting that a few Youtube Van Lifers of late have noted a decline in interest which translates into lower video views and slowed channel subscriber growth.

Some of the decline no doubt has to do with the price of gas but also the huge increase in Van prices thanks to the boom manufacturers enjoyed during the pandemic.

No doubt it’s beyond a single cause. For instance RV campgrounds in the US have been bought up by corporations which care about the bottom line a good deal more than smaller operators. Campground advance bookings went through the roof during the pandemic further discouraging people.

Not sure of the cost on this monster but close to 200K USD would be ballpark.