Blair Mahaffy
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blairmahaffy.bsky.social
Blair Mahaffy
@blairmahaffy.bsky.social
380 followers 1.7K following 85 posts
Living in the Boreal Forest of Manitoba developing software, playing guitar, taking photos, sailing, curling, riding horses. Green Party Candidate Provencher (federal) and Lac du Bonnet (MB).

My photos: CC - Share Alike
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blairmahaffy.bsky.social
From the Free Press this morning.

There have been similar problems trying to get a doc in the South Whiteshell - red tape at every step, though there are doctors willing to serve. Crazy when we are so short on doctors. Let's help get Dr Elgadi to work.

The GoFundMe is here: gofund.me/4702cb7ee
Headline saying Just show me, how can I do this? ER doctor in Ukraine, Libya stymied by costs of medical licensing process here
September 18, 2025 at 2:17 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
Got this from our CPC MP Ted Falk today:

Mr. Falk doesn't appear to have experience with EVs, but doesn't mind spreading misinformation on behalf of the O&G industry. While we breathe climate-change fuelled forest fire smoke all spring and summer.
A photo of a mailer from Ted Falk, Member of Parliament for Provencher (in SE Manitoba) discussing ending the 2035 mandate for the end of sales of new ICE vehicles. The following text is highlighted by me: "understanding that colder regions like Manitoba and long distances make an EV option impractical"
August 1, 2025 at 9:55 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
The costs are going up and are going to keep going up. While our leaders talk about new pipelines and new wells.

Mention it. Mention it until people understand how serious this is. We must not keep voting for an unsustainable future.

www.nationalobserver.com/2025/07/29/n...
Screen capture of National Observer headline about Canada's insurers launching an ad blitz as premiums soar. They are investing in ads about worsening severe weather - without mentioning climate change
July 30, 2025 at 2:51 AM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
The smoke hurts my eyes. And my heart. I wrote some words.

#climateweirding #climatechange #environment #WabKinew #MarkCarney

greenpartyprovencher.ca/we-must-not-...
Cedar and spruce treas in the foreground with at the shore of the lake - the far shore completely obscured by smoke.
July 19, 2025 at 8:01 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
Just a tiny reminder of the abundance of beauty in our world. A starflower (Lysimachia borealis) in my backyard in the boreal forest. A rare 7 petal flower (Most commonly 7. They can have from 5 to 10) and only about 1.5cm across.
Close up of a starflower starflower (Lysimachia borealis). Seven delicate white petals - a bit sparkly in the sunlight, with seven yellow pollen covered stamens. Green leaves in the background. Close up of a starflower starflower (Lysimachia borealis). Seven delicate white petals - a bit sparkly in the sunlight, with seven yellow pollen covered stamens. Green leaves in the background.
June 16, 2025 at 3:27 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
You are not. I made this graphic an hour or so ago, because, yeah. I was evacuated for two weeks, we are back home now, but we are choking on smoke.
Map from firesmoke.ca showing Canadian Prairies covered in smoke with Canadian Press headline "Carney discusses "partnerships" with oil and gas executives in Calgary" superimposed on top.
June 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
I thought this headline could use a little context.

The background photo is from firesmoke.ca.
A map from firesmoke.ca showing almost the entire Canadian prairies covered in dense smoke from forest fires. Overlaid is the headling "Carney discusses "partnerships" with oil and gas executive in Calgary"
June 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
Strategic voting, Preston Manning, and real electoral reform.
April 28, 2025 at 1:25 AM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
And again, in Nanaimo Ladysmith, a truly possible strategic vote here where a strategic vote for Paul Manly makes a lot of sense.
Same bar chart: 30% CPC, 27% Green, 24% Liberal, 18% NDP, 2% PPC. Strategic Vote Green candidate for Paul Manly
April 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
This is a strategic vote in the Winnipeg riding of Kildonan-St Paul. I guess SmartVoting is trying to tell us this with "Active Vote Split" in the top right corner. I argue that there is no strategic vote if there is no mathematical path.
Similar bar chart: CPC 45%, Liberal 44%, NDP 10%, PPC 1%
April 17, 2025 at 4:18 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
While I appreciate what SmartVoting.ca is trying to do here, a vote for the Liberals in this Provencher is NOT a strategic vote. There is no mathematical path to a win for the Liberals even IF all the non-CPC parties were to vote Liberal.

Know the numbers. Vote your values.
Bar graph showing CPC at 53%, Liberal at %35, NDP 6%, PPC 3%, Green 3%. Text at left shows Incumbent Ted Falk CPC, Trending Ted Falk CPC, Strategic Vote Liberal Trever Kirczenow. The text "Not a" has been added above the strategic vote text.
April 17, 2025 at 4:14 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
I spent a bit of time yesterday in Steinbach knocking on doors. I had a couple of conversations about improving our electoral system through proportional representation and reducing the voting age to 16.
April 12, 2025 at 2:38 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
I'm not using traditional signs: if you want to support me, cut a circle out of green poster board. Put on your window or on a tree in your yard. Pin a small one on a jacket. The new Green branding can be kinda fun from a minimal consumption point of view.

greenpartyprovencher.ca/the-signs-of...
April 7, 2025 at 2:05 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
A lovely day to get out and meet some constituents in Provencher.
March 31, 2025 at 7:39 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
Another beautiful day leading a trail ride through the Boreal Forest. So grateful to be able to enjoy this special place.

#Whiteshell #Horse #Borealforest
A selfie of me with two horseback riders in the background. One righting a Bay, the other a paint. I've got snow all over me. Looking over the mane and ears of a Sorel horse riding down a snow covered trail in a spruce and fir forest.
February 9, 2025 at 1:14 AM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
Dot and I had a lovely time today helping take some nice folks out on a trail ride in the snow.

I feel so much gratitude to be living in such a beautiful place.
The view sitting on a horse's back of a trail through a snow covered forest. The horse is a paint with brown, white, and black patches. The black horse in front has snow all over their back. A close view from a horse's back while riding on a trail through a snow covered forest. Her mane is black, white, and brown. Her ears are perked up listening to the sides. There is fresh snow in her mane and the back of the horse in front is thick with fresh snow.
February 1, 2025 at 11:05 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
A chilly -25C morning in the Boreal Forest in SE Manitoba. What a treat to see these two outside my window this morning.

#photography
#wildlife
#Whiteshell
Two blue jays sitting side by side on a branch. They are all puffed up to keep warm. There is a bit of frost around their eyes.
January 13, 2025 at 5:52 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
A fine day for a little bareback riding in the Boreal Forest. Best heated seats ever.
January 12, 2025 at 12:02 AM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
I didn't know I needed a tool that spells my name in geography images but here it is.

landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/apps/YourNam...
The name "blair" spelled out in geographic forms. b is a small loop on a river in a bright green flood plain in Arkansas. L is an L shaped cultivated field outside Regina, SK. A is a lake in Azerbaijan. i is a volcano flow in an ice field in Iceland, and r is a mountain valley in Italy
November 24, 2024 at 8:01 PM
blairmahaffy.bsky.social
A cute little fungi from my hike a couple of weeks ago on the Bear Lake Trail in the #Whiteshell Provincial Park.
Tiny brown fungus on a birch log lying on the forest floor. The fungi is very thin, delicate, and light brown. The forest floor has old dark leaves on it.
November 22, 2024 at 10:26 PM