Author: veekwriter

It wasn’t always this way, but in today’s world, employers are firing employees and seeking volunteers to do not only girl-friday jobs, but also the high value but usually overlooked jobs which often boost their corporate image. For example, back in the ‘00s, they would not pay you for writing until you resign and they are so desperate they offer minimum wage for the next person. This is a premeditated act dressed up as “You-made-us-desperate” blame-game. I can say after 30 years volunteer work, I’ve had enough. I really don’t care to work for free.

By scrolling through the Go Volunteer site, you can find plenty of previous paid work now rebranded as a volunteer position. They over-glorify your volunteer position. They offer in the subtext that you’ll be doing important and respectable work. Well duh, because previously they used to pay good money to some poor bloke who is now made redundant. The responsibilities you’d pick up are heavy indeed; and you are blindsided enough by its glory to do it for free.

Don’t be fooled. Standards for corporate ethics are morally unethical. I’ve worked in the field of writing and can say after putting my passion into that voluntary work that nobody pays you for your enthusiasm and hard work. They will pay the next gal, contrarily, because, after all, most smart people only see it as a paycheque. Passion and competence do not pay. Plodding and negotiation do.

When it comes to myself, I think those hours of volunteering only proves now that I deserved to be paid since sister organizations of the non-profit kept sending in laudatory letters and to the executive director. He gave me a backhanded compliment and called the newsletter their organization’s “flagship”. But if I mentioned a previous paid writing job, he diminished it by saying , “Well, that was a feather in your cap. Now onto more important things. How do you feel like writing about…” Shameless promoting and selling after negging me.

All volunteer work is premeditated corporate robbery. I don’t care what agreement went on between both parties. There is no excuse for not paying for work done and done well. I don’t care for the over-glorified responsibilities as a boost to self-esteem.

Volunteerism is not a boost to your self-esteem. It’s just that staff are kind to dumb suckers. All work rightfully deserves of remuneration. Using people for free labour is what it is: exploitation.

©️All Rights Reserved 2023-2026 Veekwriter

Generated by LLM

During the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 1880s, thousands of Chinese migrant workers faced dangerous and deadly conditions, with estimates suggesting that for every mile of track laid, three Chinese workers died. While the exact number is debated, historical sources indicate a significant loss of life among these workers, with some estimates reaching as high as 4,000. 

Here’s a more detailed look at the situation:

• Dangerous Work:Chinese workers were often assigned the most hazardous tasks, such as handling explosives like nitroglycerin used in blasting tunnels through mountains. 
• Harsh Conditions:Beyond the immediate dangers of their work, Chinese laborers faced poor living conditions, inadequate food, and a lack of proper medical care, contributing to illness and death. 
• Financial Exploitation:They were paid less than their white counterparts and had to purchase their own tools and food, further straining their meager wages. 
• Limited Recognition:Despite their vital contributions, Chinese workers were largely excluded from the official celebrations surrounding the completion of the railway. 
• Legacy of Prejudice:The harsh conditions and high death toll highlight the systemic racism and prejudice faced by Chinese workers during this period. 

For further reading:

https://chung.library.ubc.ca/theme/351

https://www.vpl.ca/guide/chinese-canadian-genealogy/railway-construction

https://bcanuntoldhistory.knowledge.ca/1880/the-chinese-head-tax

Happy Canada Day…

It is Memorial Day for those of us who remember.

https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023AG0045-001037#:~:text=“Between%201881%20and%201884%2C%20more,every%20mile%20of%20track%20laid.

Copied and pasted from above source.

Mable Elmore, Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives, has released the following statement for Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day:

“Between 1881 and 1884, more than 17,000 Chinese railroad workers came by ship from California and China to build the Canadian Pacific Railway. During construction, Chinese railroad workers were given the most difficult, dangerous tasks. It is estimated that three Chinese workers died for every mile of track laid. While white workers were paid $1.50 to $2.50 per day with their provisions provided, Chinese workers were paid only $1 a day and had to pay for their own gear and food.

“The mistreatment of Chinese Canadians continued throughout the turn of the century. On July 1, 1923, pressured by the B.C. government, the federal government enacted the Chinese Immigration Act (often referred to as the Chinese exclusion act), which barred nearly all people of Chinese descent from entering the country. The act was in place for 24 years. It left many people separated from their families; some were never reunited. In 2006, the Government of Canada apologized for the injustices caused by the act.

“This piece of Canadian and B.C. history cannot be forgotten. That’s why today, as we mark Canada Day, we also remember the sacrifices of the many Chinese Canadians who were hurt by this racist piece of legislation and the long-lasting impacts the Chinese Immigration Act has on the Chinese Canadian community. 

“While we have come a long way in 100 years, racism and anti-Asian hate still exists in B.C. We all have a role to play in addressing racism, and it starts by learning about the history of the province and the injustices many racialized communities and Indigenous Peoples faced and continue to experience today. 

“The Province is working to develop new anti-racism legislation to be introduced in 2024. Building off the Anti-Racism Data Act, which aims to identify systemic racism through the collection of race-based data, the upcoming legislation will hold government accountable for addressing the gaps and barriers in government services and providing supports for those negatively affected by racism.

“Today, the country’s first Chinese Canadian museum opens to the public. The Province has invested more than $48.5 million in the museum to support the Chinese Canadian community in telling their stories and providing a space for everyone to learn more about the contributions and experiences of Chinese Canadians.

“I would encourage all British Columbians to take some time to remember the Chinese railroad workers and the families who were impacted by the Chinese Immigration Act. To ensure the racism and discrimination that Chinese settlers experienced never happens again, we must all commit to standing up against racism and building a better, more inclusive province.”

Learn More:

For more information about the Chinese Canadian museum, visit: https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

https://bccatholic.ca/news/catholic-van/pro-life-voices-laud-un-report-saying-canada-s-euthanasia-law-discriminates-toward-disabled

Dear PM Mark Carney,

The question remains how will you deal with our invisible presence in Canadian society.

Especially as a practicing Catholic and Our Defender.

Yours sincerely,

A Concerned Canadian who feels bullied and betrayed by her own country

You can take the woman out of the fight but you can’t take the fight out of the woman.

Still a long way to go

©️ All Rights Reserved 2025-2026 Veekwriter

I don’t have access behind Jstor’s paywall, and wouldn’t be able to post the article even if I had, but here is the link to an article on the effects of music and the brain for all those interested in music’s healing, expanding, and cognitive effects on the human brain. Enjoy all you brain afficianados!

Music and Cognitive Abilities on JSTOR

https://www.jstor.org/stable/20183055?typeAccessWorkflow=login

Limbic System (neuroanatomy.ca)

Looking for a visual, interactive map of the limbic system? Here is a good start. Produced by the University of British Columbia.

https://www.neuroanatomy.ca/modules/LimbicSystem/story.html