In the midst of a political controversy over recent fishing quotas in Newfoundland and Labrador, two people are talking about the need for better communication about science and the fishing quotas.
Jacqueline Perry is the regional director of fisheries management for the fisheries and oceans department of the Government of Canada. "This is difficult stuff," she said, referring to reductions in quotas that the decisions that flow from the scientific information on fish stocks will have an adverse impact on people in the fishing industry.
"We are doing the very, very best that we can with the information that our science colleagues are able to
provide to us with the input of industry. Are we getting it 100 per cent right?
I don't know if we will ever know [about the precise size of fish stocks]."
In related comments, the head of the Marine Institute's fisheries science program told CBC that the "fact that there is so much controversy is indicative that communication is a necessary component … If we're going to find a way forward, we're going to have to keep talking." Brett Favaro said the Marine Institute will include course work in the master's and doctoral programs aimed at teaching scientists how to communicate their research findings more effectively.
He's talking about plain language, among other things. Plain language or Plain English establishes some simple rules about the way you use words and sentences in order to ensure the greatest number of people will understand what you are saying.
The real political division in society is between authoritarians and libertarians.
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24 April 2017
14 April 2017
Monchy-le-Preux #nlpoli
Very few Newfoundlanders and Labradorians let alone very few Canadians have ever heard of Monchy-le-Preux.
People from St. John's might know of Monchy Street, in the city's Rabbit Town neighbourhood. It is there alongside Suvla, Cairo, and Edinburgh Streets and a few others that seem to people unaware of Newfoundland's military past to have very little in common.
The streets are all connected to the Newfoundland Regiment during the Great War. Suvla is where he regiment landed during the Gallipoli campaign. Cairo is where it spent some time training before landing in Turkey. Edinburgh is the city in Scotland where the Newfoundlanders mounted guard at the famous castle. Hamel, another street in that neighbourhood, refers to Beaumont Hamel, of course.
And Monchy is Monchy-le-Preux.
People from St. John's might know of Monchy Street, in the city's Rabbit Town neighbourhood. It is there alongside Suvla, Cairo, and Edinburgh Streets and a few others that seem to people unaware of Newfoundland's military past to have very little in common.
The streets are all connected to the Newfoundland Regiment during the Great War. Suvla is where he regiment landed during the Gallipoli campaign. Cairo is where it spent some time training before landing in Turkey. Edinburgh is the city in Scotland where the Newfoundlanders mounted guard at the famous castle. Hamel, another street in that neighbourhood, refers to Beaumont Hamel, of course.
And Monchy is Monchy-le-Preux.
03 April 2017
Ray and Robert #nlpoli
With the release of Ray Guy: the final columns, 2003 - 2013, almost every column Ray Guy ever published is now available in book form.
This compilation is edited by Brian Jones, published by Creative, and contains a decade's worth of writing Guy did for The northeast Avalon Times. The topics are all familiar fodder: provincial politicians.
Let's be clear about one thing up front. You will buy this book to fill out your collection of Ray Guy's work. You will not be buying it as a penetrating insight into a decade's worth of politics in Newfoundland and Labrador. Sure the cover blurbs are effusive in their praise - "brilliant writing" and "unequalled style" - but by the time Ray was clacking out his opinions on Danny, Jerome or Roger, he was clearly tired.
What's more evident is that his touchstones, his go-to references had become cliche, stale and lifeless through overuse. And what's worse, his writing lacked any sign of crispness, clarity, deftness of phrase, or any of Guy's other hallmarks.
This compilation is edited by Brian Jones, published by Creative, and contains a decade's worth of writing Guy did for The northeast Avalon Times. The topics are all familiar fodder: provincial politicians.
Let's be clear about one thing up front. You will buy this book to fill out your collection of Ray Guy's work. You will not be buying it as a penetrating insight into a decade's worth of politics in Newfoundland and Labrador. Sure the cover blurbs are effusive in their praise - "brilliant writing" and "unequalled style" - but by the time Ray was clacking out his opinions on Danny, Jerome or Roger, he was clearly tired.
What's more evident is that his touchstones, his go-to references had become cliche, stale and lifeless through overuse. And what's worse, his writing lacked any sign of crispness, clarity, deftness of phrase, or any of Guy's other hallmarks.