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amberllab.bsky.social
Amber Labelle
@amberllab.bsky.social
1.1K followers 3.6K following 510 posts
Unceded Algonquin territory via the US. She/hers. Veterinary ophthalmologist (yes, it's a real thing). Determined to make it better for everyone. Opinions mine.
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amberllab.bsky.social
This is the solution to ***WAVES HANDS FRANTICALLY*** all this.

Shovel the ramp so we all can get it. That's where the work is right now.
Clearing a Path. “Clearing a Path” cartoon with permission from University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives and Absurdities and Realities of Special Education. The cartoon shows children attempting to enter school building. One of the school staff mem- bers is busy shoveling the snow-covered stairs. A disabled, wheelchair user child asks the staff member “Can you please shovel the ramp?” The staff member replies “All these other kids are waiting to use the stairs. When I get through shoveling them off, then I will clear the ramp for you.” The original child replies “But if you shovel the ramp, we can all get in!” This cartoon shows how when we plan and execute with the needs of the people who are excluded, we meet everyone’s needs more effectively and efficiently.
September 24, 2025 at 2:44 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Good morning friends and frogs:

Please get yourself a copy of @nikostratis.com’s “The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman”, which is equal parts mix tape, ode to the true love of music, and memoir. Devoured in one sitting, handing off to another friend today. Don’t miss this one! #canlit
Photograph of the cover of the book “The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman” by Niko Stratis. The title and authors name are in a 70/ style, rainbow font.
August 23, 2025 at 1:12 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Thank YOU for speaking to my angst as a fellow Mom who knows that wildfire smoke is dangerous to all our kiddos’ lungs and YET some families have to send kids to outdoor camps so they can work to feed their kids. This isn’t right and I’m sick of reading doomerism headlines (like this) about it.
Screen shot of an item from the CBC news app Front Burner Are Canadian summers as we knew them over? CBC News • ago Posted: Aug 20, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours Photograph: Thick smoke from wildfires blankets the area as a woman stands on a pier while children look for minnows in Okanagan Lake, in Lake Country, B.C., on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
August 20, 2025 at 1:33 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Just purchased a set of the Outside Agitator series. Brilliant work—thank you for the beauty and inspiration. Juvenile Eastern Kingbirds getting fed by a parent in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (shitty iPhone photo by cool moment nonetheless).
Three juvenile Eastern Kingbirds perched on a branch, shot from below. The juvenile furthest to the right in the image is being fed by an adult.
July 25, 2025 at 1:08 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
The air quality is worse at 9:05am and in the unhealthy for all groups range.
Screen shot of the Purple Air website. A map of the Ottawa valley region is overlaid with air quality sensor results. The majority of the sensors a represented with red circles with numbers in the 160-170 range, indicating unhealthy air quality due to wildfire smoke.
July 14, 2025 at 1:08 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
The most important lesson to learn right now is that centering the needs of those who have been pushed to the margins is the way to solve the most pressing problems of the moment.
Title: Clearing a path for everyone. A comic panel illustrated in bright colors depicts the entrance to a school. There is snow on the stairs and a ramp leading to the school doors. A school groundskeeper is shoveling the stairs while children wait at the bottom of the stairs and ramp. A child in a blue-backed wheelchair wearing an orange toque and coat says to the grounds keeper "Could you please shovel the ramp?" The groundskeeper replies "All these other kids are waiting to use the stairs. When I get through shoveling them off, then I will clear the ramp for you." The child replies "But if you shovel the ramp, we can all get in!" On the left side of the panel is the text "Inspired by a public school student with disabilities". On the right side of the panel is the text "Copyright 2002 Michael F. Giangreco. Illustration by Kevin Ruelle"
May 29, 2025 at 4:41 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Shout out to the slogan king who lost his job and also the still-fun edmundlam.github.io/pp-slogan-ma...

#cdnpoli #ByeByePierre
Photograph of Pierre Poilievre, former Conservative MP of Carleton Riding in Ottawa, Ontario, standing behind a podium with his left hand raised as if gesticulating while talking. Behind him are four Canadian flags and a textured beige wall. The podium holds a sign that says "LOST MY SEAT J'AI PERDU MON SIÉGE" in white capital letters on a dark blue background.
April 30, 2025 at 4:39 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
This is real loser energy. #cdnpoli
Screen shot of a Facebook post from Pierre Poilevre posted at approximately 10am EST on April 28, 2025. President Trump, stay out of our election. The only people who will decide the future of Canada are Canadians at the ballot box. Canada will always be proud, sovereign and independent and we will NEVER be the 51st state. Today Canadians can vote for change so we can strengthen our country, stand on our own two feet and stand up to America from a position of strength. Likes/loves 13K 2K comments 1.5K shares
April 28, 2025 at 3:04 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Pierre says "Yell the words/Creier les mots"

#Cdnpoli
A photograph of Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre standing at a podium wearing a navy blue blazer and black button down shirt with a red poppy pinned to the left lapel. He is speaking into a microphone, and there are buildings in the background. There is a characteristic dark blue placard attached to the front of the podium with a slogan emblazoned on it. This slogan has been generated by the poster using the slogan generator and is not a real campaign slogan. It reads 'yell the words crier les mots', which is a humorous play on the entirely cheezy and meaningless slogans that are often displayed on Pierre Poilievre's podiums.
March 31, 2025 at 1:52 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
I’m reading this and it is so damn good. Christian Cooper is hilarious and sharp and a nerd of the best kind. This book is a delight.
Screen shot of the audiobook Libby app showing the book “Better Living Through Birding NOTES FROM A BLACK MAN IN THE NATURAL WORLD” by Christian Cooper. The book is being listened to and is on chapter 7 with 58 minutes completed and 3 minutes left in the chapter. The cover of the book includes a photograph of Christian Cooper looking up to a blue sky with binoculars held to his eyes. He wears a short sleeved rainbow striped gray shit and a blue and white patterned scarf with a cross body bag.
March 30, 2025 at 3:48 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Not for nothing, but this has Pierre’s riding as “CPC likely” and not “CPC safe” which seems like…something! #cdnpoli
Screen shot of 338 federal riding polling 35014 Brampton West LPC safe 35015 Brantford-Brant South— Six Nations CPC likely 35016 Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound CPC safe 35017 Burlington LPC likely 35018 Burlington North-Milton West LPC likely 35019 Cambridge LPC likely 35020 Carleton CPC likely 35021 Chatham-Kent— Leamington CPC likely 35022 Davenport LPC safe 35023 Don Valley North LPC likely 35024 Don Valley West LPC safe 35025 Dufferin-Caledon CPC likely 35026 Eglinton-Lawrence LPC likely 35027 Elgin—St. Thomas— London South CPC safe 35028 Essex CPC safe
March 29, 2025 at 5:34 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Wild times to just casually be going to the store and there are “Canada is not a state” t shirts for sale. #cdnpoli

Fuck the US government.
Photograph of a wall of t shirts at a store that display various messages about Canada, from “Proud to be” next to a maple leaf to “Canada 1867” to “Canada is not a state”
March 16, 2025 at 5:20 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Screen shot of Wikipedia entry Toys "R" Us Canada Article Talk Toys "R" Us Canada Ltd. is a Canadian chain of toy stores. It was founded by the Canadian franchise of U.S. toy retail chain Toys "R" Us; as of 2018, however, it operates independently and is based in Concord, Ontario, and throughout Canada. Toys "R" Us Canada Ltd. Includes photograph of a brightly colored Toys R Us storefront
March 7, 2025 at 3:16 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Receipts on the Trump comments
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump I'll be calling our GREAT American Hockey Team this morning to spur them on towards victory tonight against Canada, which with FAR LOWER TAXES AND MUCH STRONGER SECURITY, will someday, maybe soon, become our cherished, and very important, Fifty First State. I will be speaking before the Governors tonight in D.C., and will sadly, therefore, be unable to attend. But we will all be watching, and if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, he would be most welcome. Good luck to everybody, and have a GREAT game tonight. So exciting! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
February 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
That porcupine was HIGH in the tree!
Photograph of a wooded area in winter. There is snow on the ground and the trees have no leaves. About 3/4 of the way up a very tall tree there is a brown blob that is actually a porcupine that has climbed the tree and is eating the thin branches.
February 12, 2025 at 1:58 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Did you know that porcupines are arboreal, and in the winter you can spot them high up in trees nomming on bark and branches? I spotted this cool dude high up in a tree while driving yesterday.

This is why I voted for @brandonbay.ca Ford has proven he is willing to sacrifice the Greenbelt. #onpoli
February 12, 2025 at 1:55 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Ontario reporters, please ask Ford about this. This video on Doug Ford’s daughter’s IG stories of Doug Ford’s wife on American election night celebrating the Trump win while wearing a “Daddy’s Home” Trump shirt that has a red poppy pinned to it.

A poppy. Pinned to a Daddy’s Home Trump shirt.
January 24, 2025 at 2:04 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Overton window shifting in real time…

Yes! We CAN shift it left!!
Photograph taken through a passengers side car window. Outside the window is green grass, bushes, and trees. There is a large green road sign on the left side of the image that with white text that reads “EXIT 24B OVERTON” and a large white arrow next to the text.
January 23, 2025 at 12:38 AM
amberllab.bsky.social
This kind of messaging is so fundamentally flawed for several reasons. It punches down on poor white people instead of building coalitions across class. It supposes that all Trump voters are poor and low information voters, when in reality, the majority of Trump voters are middle class or affluent.
Screen shot of a skeet from @jefftrnka.bsky.social. The skeet reads "Meanwhile in the U.S.....Is Canada next? Ask #NeverPoilievre" The image is a cartoon illustration of two white people, one with a beard, white tank top, ripped jeans, and a cowboy hat and the other with blood hair and a pink and white checkered dress. They are sitting on a dilapidated couch in the yard outside a mobile home on bricks. Their skin is dirty, and there is dirt on the house. The person with the beard has a cartoon balloon of text above their head that says "Now that them trans can't use bathrooms, eggs is gonna be cheap".
January 16, 2025 at 3:30 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
2025 is the year we vote out the Ford government in Ontario! #onpoli #ontario
A photograph of street art painting of Ontario premiere Doug Ford. He is painted in black and white on a pink background, standing in a suit with a frown and extending the middle finger of his right hand with his left hand in his pants pocket. Text overlays the image that says “Let’s vote this dude out in 2025. Let’s vote for healthcare and education funding and infrastructure and NOT for beer in corner stores and tunnels in Toronto”
January 1, 2025 at 5:23 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Look, I know everything is terrible but Ottawa is going to get magical snow and have a white Christmas! In the face of oligarchy and uncertainty and fear, what you CAN do is shovel someone else’s snow (if your body allows). A sidewalk, a driveway, help those around you. Community is everything.
Screenshot of a weather forecasting app that shows the weather for Sunday, December 22 through Wednesday, December 25th. On Monday, December 23 the forecast predicts a high of -8C, a low of -9C, and a 98% of 19cm of snow.
December 22, 2024 at 12:35 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Hello pugsky
Three pugs in the same dog bed. The dog bed is cream with a repeating pattern of blue bones. The bottom pug is fawn with heavy, sleepy eyelids. The top right pug is black with a silly expression. The top left pug is fawn, has one eye, and is looking curiously at the camera. There are dog toys on the ground around the pugs.
December 6, 2024 at 12:20 AM
amberllab.bsky.social
Here’s a problem with Canadian media: I had to click off the home tab and scroll and scroll to see who won the Nova Scotia election. Half-assed obsession with America weakens the necessary work here that reckons with the unique legal framework and cultures of Canada. Let’s tend our own backyard.
Screen shot of the Globe and Mail news reader app. A photograph of re-elected Nova Scotia premier Tim Houston and his wife and daughter appears above three headlines look at re-elected Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston Nunavut, northern Labrador residents send pleading e-mails to minister about food costs Tim Houston's Progressive Conservatives win decisive majority in Nova Scotia
November 27, 2024 at 12:34 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
The father, the son, and the Holy Ghost.

#pugsky
A photograph of a pile of three pugs. On the left, a fawn pug gazing down. On the right, a black pug with half closed eyes. In the middle, a fawn pug with one blue eye looks defiantly at the camera.
November 24, 2024 at 10:41 PM
amberllab.bsky.social
Hey #knitsky

I’m making stranded colorwork socks for the first time (have made other stranded color work pieces before, am generally a tight knitter). I feel like this gauge looks too loose and sloppy. Is blocking going to fix this or do I need to frog and tighten up my gauge?
Photograph of the cuff and leg of a knitted sock in progress. The cuff is a creamy white knit in 1x1 ribbing and the leg is a repeating pattern of right triangles in a self-striping pale rainbow yarn on a creamy white background. The triangles go from green to yellow to pink from the cuff (at the bottom of the image) to the working stitches (at the top of the image).
November 23, 2024 at 3:08 PM