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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton

@johnnyrenton.bsky.social

470 followers 150 following 5.1K posts

Just here working at the posting factory. Meeting my 30% CanCon quota. A mix of being angry at the current state of affairs, transit, urbanism, design and shitposting. Anti-fascist (not affiliated with any organizations) https://johnnyrenton.substack.com

johnnyrenton.substack.com

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · Nov 12

Given that things are about to get really tough and dangerous it’s important to remember this….

If you think you see someone undertaking radical ant-fascist or anti-capitalist acts, no you didn’t.

Don’t post about it. Don’t talk about it. Just shut the fuck up and move on with your day.

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 1h

….and even if the Dems win in ‘28 none of this is going to be reversed. They are going to stay the course on anti-Canada policies, including the auto industry.

We can either move away from American vehicles now, or wait until they do even more damage. Personally Ive seen enough & don’t want to wait

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 1h

At the rate it’s going, and with the fury they are going at it, Canadian auto parts will be next on the chopping block.

The reality is that Canada/Ontario need to do something dramatic because the US is about to totally destroy every part of our industry that they can. That’s an unfortunate fact…

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 1h

I don’t think US media will care about that fact or bother pointing it out because most US media doesn’t actually have a problem with annexing/invading Canada. Same is true of most Americans (I know what polls say about the issue but the vibes on annexation feel different).

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 1h

In the past year my view on BYD has shifted from keep them out of North America to let’s get them into Canada and Mexico asap. At this point the situation is dire enough and the Auto Pact/NAFTA era so clearly over that work on a BYD factory needs to happen by the end of the year.

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 1h

I mean that’s becoming a pretty standard GOP view, and eventually a mainstream Democrat one too. It’s pretty telling when I’m not surprised by that in the slightest.

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 1h

It’s also time for full scale boycotts of American car companies. If this is how they are going to treat Canada then they should see their sales in this country shrivel to zero. I am so fucking tired of these fascist Yankee assholes.

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 1h

It might be time for @mark-carney.bsky.social to take the destruction of the Canadian automotive industry seriously. The US clearly hates Canada and is only escalating its economic warfare on us (and Dems won’t be any different). Be angry and do something about it! Its why you got elected!

Toronto Star @thestar.com · 1h

‘Shock after shock:’ Ontario’s automaking heartland devastated after Stellantis’ Brampton bombshell

Industry watchers fear 'more shoes to drop' after company says it's moving assembly of Jeep Compass in Brampton to Illinois in $13B U.S. expansion.

www.thestar.com

Reposted by Johnny “We have the meats” Renton

John Cullen @johncullen.bsky.social · 1d

October 14th is today. That means my book is out now. E-book, paperback, wherever you get your books (in Canada). I am very proud of it and I hope you like it

John Cullen @cullenoncurling.bsky.social · Jun 16

EXCITING NEWS! I have written a book about curling, designed to be enjoyed by curlers and non-curlers alike, out on Douglas and McIntyre on October 14. Pre-orders available now:

www.indiebookstores.ca/book/9781771...

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

I’m sure it was used in the US too (though I don’t think it’s common there now). I suspect it came out of a time when many many services had flag stops so calling out a “station” stop would have been a useful distinction.

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

It’s also worth noting that unlike Alberta in the 80s where they hated not just VIA but trains in general, the anti-VIA sentiment today is also happening alongside a renewed push for more reliable and affordable train service. People want better but they don’t feel like VIA can/will do it

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

Its even becoming a kitchen table/garage issue in the region among normies. Kingston was one of the few places left where people overwhelmingly spoke positive about VIA (even when the reality of the agency was glaringly obvious). If sentiment is changing in Kingston thats a bad sign for VIA/the feds

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

It doesn’t look like the VIA issue is going back into the bottle even though the planned service reductions were halted. And that’s a very good thing. People have grown increasingly distrustful of VIA and it’s intentions for service on the lakeshore. And they are pissed about it.

The Kingstonist @kingstonist.bsky.social · 6d

#ICYMI
“I don’t think we can shrink back & be complacent,” said #Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson, urging other eastern #Ontario municipalities to voice their concerns.
“We are not going away on this issue.”
#YGK #KFLA #VIA #Train #onpoli #canpoli
Details: www.kingstonist.com/city-hall/ge...

‘Get your act together’: Kingston councillors chide VIA Rail over confusing business model

(Kingston, Ontario) The City of Kingston wants VIA Rail to ensure local passengers won’t get kicked trackside in future changes to its train service.

www.kingstonist.com

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

Yeah it’s a politically popular project. But even if you oppose using money for buses, you could put it into a Mtl-Sherbrooke line instead which would have way more value and ridership.

As Marco said, plan for the spatial geography of today, with the transportation know how of today, not the 1950s

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

…restoring service to its original length will easily run over CDN1 billion. And to go a step further and bring it up to speeds that match that of us a bus will make it a CDN2 billion project. For a service that got 28K riders and to a region who’s growth has been minimal or non-existent for decades

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

Marco has a point. After the Gaspe line was closed in the early 2010s a lot of people/nostalgists wanted it to be fixed and reopened asap. And yes Quebec has been working away at it for a decade. But the line was in awful shape and restoring service was never going to be cheap…

Marco Chitti @chittimarco.bsky.social · 4d

I know I'm not going to make a lot of friends with this, but maybe the problem was thinking that it's a good idea to invest $800+ million to (partially) reopen a railway that carried 28k per year with a trip time way longer than a bus.

ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/219...

VIA Rail en Gaspésie : petit train ne va pas loin

À l'initiative du député Alexis Deschênes, des élus du Bloc québécois se rendent en Gaspésie pour presser VIA Rail d'y prolonger son service.

ici.radio-canada.ca

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

The letter is focused on the context of VIA Rail in Northern Ontario (which is in a terrible state). But VIAs a mess everywhere and the concerns raised aren’t unique to that region. And VIA and the Feds won’t change unless the public gets angry, and makes their life miserable until there are changes

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 4d

This letter addresses what I, and many people are feeling about VIA Rail. It isn’t just that agency is failing, it’s that they (VIA or the Feds) can’t even have honest conversations about it, or treat the public’s concerns in a way that isn’t arrogant and dismissive.

Northern Tracks Blog @northerntracksblog.bsky.social · 4d

#viarailcanada #passengerail #northernontario
doppleronline.ca/huntsville/r...

Resolving problems with northern transportation requires real conversations | Letters - Huntsville Doppler

If you could look into a crystal ball to see into the future, what questions would you want answered relative to how people get from A to B in Northern [...]

doppleronline.ca

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Reposted by Johnny “We have the meats” Renton

Ryan @ryanwright.bsky.social · Jun 11

Bagels vs Not Bagels.

Pictures of a NY “bagel style substitute” and a Montreal bagel.

Text:

New York Dough Thing

Not a bagel.
Seriously, it's not a bagel.
It's... fine.

Montreal Bagel

Fantastic bagel.
Seriously, it's delicious.
Don't accept pretenders.

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 5d

He’s right. My belief has been that even if Dems win in ‘28 (which is questionable) whatever tariffs are in place they will keep. Nothing I’ve seen in he past 9 months makes me feel any different about that.

This is why Canada can’t ride out Trump. It’s changed for good and that’s the reality

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 5d

Being integrated with the US auto industry isn’t helping things (especially when the US is so pro-oil, pro-coal, and anti-renewable and EV). Broadly speaking Canadians are fine with EVs. But getting BYD to set up shop and shifting away from the US would be a tipping point for EVs in Canada

Reposted by Johnny “We have the meats” Renton

photoblair.bsky.social @photoblair.bsky.social · 5d

NOT BAY.

#Toronto #Subway #Photography

The Bellair Street exit to Bay Station in Toronto beside an outlet for Deciem cosmetics which cheekily signed their storefront NOT BAY using the same font as the TTC.

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 5d

Correct. It’s the same loophole that allows regular sized right hand drive Japanese vehicles like Skylines (a western Canada thing) or interesting Euro vehicles, to be imported (after a while). Older kei’s are just more popular in part because lower shipping costs make importing them more economical

Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 6d

It took them long enough and of course it happened just after the Bluesky team started to reveal their tech bros, fascist lite way of thinking. But, it’s still better than them not being on here and if they can move from the 10/10 fascist Twitter to the 6.5/10 fascist Bsky thats…an improvement lol

Reposted by Johnny “We have the meats” Renton

trick van treat @derek.bike · 6d

illustration of a man looking into a window with his hands on the glass and saying “yes… ha ha ha… YES!”. his shirt says “sickos” on it. his head has been replaced by a toronto blue jays baseball mascot’s head

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Johnny “We have the meats” Renton @johnnyrenton.bsky.social · 6d

Correction. I love this game!!!

Get fucked Yankees!!