June 29, 2009
NDP considering name change: the ‘Democratic Party’
If several high-profile individuals have their way, one of Canada’s major political parties could be on the way to a rebranding even before the summer is out. The New Democratic Party could enter the fall session of parliament with a new name, simply called the “Democratic Party.” The move has been promoted by a mounting number of MPs and other party members at the grassroots. Two... [More >>]
June 26, 2009
EcoChamber #11: That ‘green’ product? Probably not so green.
98% of so-called "green" products really aren't. Creative Commons photo by fotdmike. It seems like everything has “gone green” these days. From retailers to celebrities, airlines to hotels, banks to even runway fashion, the environment is sexy in the marketplace for the first time. But is all the publicity really helping Mother Nature? When consumers are being “greeenwashed”... [More >>]
June 26, 2009
Trash your neighbour and save the environment
From Flickr. As the original caption points out, Torontonians will apparently do anything to avoid actually littering. I grew up in Saskatchewan, so I’m not accustomed to being on the receiving end of the country’s resentment of Toronto. For this reason, I never thought I’d publicly acknowledge, let alone write about, problems created by the ongoing garbage workers’ strike. But the strike... [More >>]
June 25, 2009
Queerly Canadian #15: 10 days in Gay Disneyland
The 2008 Pride Parade. Creative Commons photo by Chromewaves. You’ve probably noticed by now, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or just standing endlessly in line to offload your garbage, that Pride is in full swing. I have to admit I find Toronto Pride kind of overwhelming. This is largely because I come from Scotland, where Pride is shared by two cities who take turns hosting the... [More >>]
June 24, 2009
ThisAbility 30: The Saviour Sibling
Abigail Breslin and Cameron Diaz star in My Sister's Keeper-New Line Cinema copyright 2009 Every so often the media takes advantage of humanity’s fickle attention span, grabs hold and decides who or what we should all be paying attention to, whether that be Glenn Beck, Spiedi, or Jon and Kate Plus Hate…oops, I mean Eight. They’re those things everyone seems to be talking about,... [More >>]
June 23, 2009
In Bruno, Baron Cohen offers summer fun with a side of serious
It’s difficult to imagine any context in which three litres of depilatory cream, an adopted baby named O.J., and Ron Paul could come together. Of course, it’s equally difficult to imagine a Sacha Baron Cohen production in which such a whacky bunch of elements wasn’t united. Cohen’s newest movie, Bruno, to be released July 10th, is well ahead of schedule in creating buzz – and of course,... [More >>]
June 22, 2009
She’s Shameless: Women write about growing up, rocking out, and fighting back
Girls are expected to behave a certain way. While I’m not exactly sure what that means, I do know that I was once chastised by one of my high school drama teachers for what she diagnosed as “this stupid Goth thing you’re going for”: referring—albeit inaccurately—to my self-styled uniform of inky dyed hair, Salvation Army granny glasses and little boy polo shirts, which separated me from... [More >>]
June 22, 2009
Grumble if you want, but Toronto city workers are right to strike
CUPE workers on strike in Toronto. Image source: Lorenda Reddekopp/CBC [Disclosure: CUPE is a This Magazine advertiser] Toronto is now about half a day into a municipal workers’ strike, and the usual braying chorus has sprung up on radio, television, and the op-ed pages, alternately condemning or defending the strike action. Generally, there are three viewpoints expressed: This is inconvenient,... [More >>]
June 22, 2009
Celebrate the ’smallest’ in Canadian poetry at bp Nichol Chapbook Awards
bp Nichol. Courtesy bpnichol.ca Is it too ambitious to call chapbooks the quintessential medium for Canadian poetry? Certainly many do. And it is true that in these tiny works of ephemera have been published some of the most experimental and best work of Canadian poets such as Gwendolyn McEwen, Jay Millar, and of course bp Nichol. Moreover, like the Canadian poetry they contain, chapbooks possess... [More >>]
June 19, 2009
EcoChamber #10: Peru’s civil war for the Amazon
A war broke out this month. A war not to the east but to the south, that has been little covered by the media. It comes complete with human rights violations, murder, and corruption caused by the exploitation of the Amazon. The blood of this war is on Canada’s hands. On Friday, June 5, an estimated 600 Peruvian police officers opened fire on thousands of peaceful indigenous protesters blocking the... [More >>]
