This is a follow up to all Nassagaweya Tennis Club posts.

I am still convinced that something other than a tennis club may have been a better option, but I suppose that’s a decision for Nassagaweya residents.  I accept the possibility that such few people use the tennis club today because of its poor condition.  Bottom-line is that we first have to agree that it’s okay to spend this much money on Nassagaweya at this point.  If we agree then the second question is what specific upgrade is most appropriate.  Perhaps us Urbanites should let Nassagaweyans (is that a word?  Well, now it is) decide that themselves. 

Jan Mowbray, Ward 3 Councillor from Nassagaweya, was kind enough to have a detailed conversation about it (isn’t it sad when half the councillors you contact do not even bother to send a single-line response?)

Here is what she sent me  :-

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No one will deny the need to handle the current economic crises. However, it seems like Harper and Company are choosing to ignore the long term future of the country. Here’s an article from the Globe and Mail that shows what I’ve been saying for months has actually started happening :-

One of Canada’s top AIDS researchers is moving to the United States, taking as many as 25 scientists on his team with him.

The University of Montreal’s Rafick-Pierre Sékaly says he is leaving in part because of federal cuts in science funding and hopes his departure will be a wake-up call.

“I hope it will trigger some kind of movement that will foster a deep soul searching and investment,” he said in an interview.

He expects to more than double his $3.5-million research budget in his new position as scientific director of the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in Florida, but will also keep a lab going at the University of Montreal.

The move to the U.S. was motivated in part by his concern for the talented young researchers who are part of his team. They are starting their careers and are anxious about their futures here, Dr. Sékaly says. The young scientists, he adds, will have far more opportunity in the U.S., where President Barack Obama included $10-billion for medical research in his economic stimulus package.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government, on the other hand, cut funding for basic research in its stimulus budget, trimming $148-million from the three agencies that fund university-based research.

Those cuts exacerbated a funding crunch that had left many scientists scrambling to find money to keep their research programs running. Young scientists are hit particularly hard, says Dr. Sékaly.

“Right now, the funding is not there. They are going to fund you, but they are going to fund you at levels that will not allow you to be highly competitive. If you are not highly competitive, you are done,” he says.

As well, many universities have instituted hiring freezes, which makes it difficult for young scientists to get jobs. Canada risks losing almost a complete generation of fresh talent to the United States, where Mr. Obama’s commitment to science is a dream come true for researchers, Dr. Sékaly says

“This is something we would like to have our government here follow with the same vision.” ….

[Full article: here ] This is sad. The government is spending tens of billions of dollars trying to protect yesterday’s manufacturing and construction jobs. What about tomorrow’s knowledge-based jobs? But then again, what do you expect from an administration that appoints a science minister who isn’t much of a believer in science and evidence in the first place. Sad indeed.