DR CONT UG RO CON VE SUM RSY PTI OVER ON SIT ES JULY - AUGUST 2019
INSIDE THE MIND OF A MURDERER AN INVESTIGATIVE LOOK AT DOMESTIC HOMICIDE
MRU JOURNALISM Learn how to tell stories that matter in a digital world
Writing Photography Videography Graphic Design Audio
>In this issue FRONT 4› City Sights & Sounds 5 › Cloud formations
NEWS 6-7 › Sex workers’ safe space 8-9 › Drug consumption sites
ENVIRONMENT 10-11› Understanding carbon tax 12-13 › Is bottled water safe? 14 > Plastics recyle and resuse
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PROFILE 15-17 › Douglas Cardinal, visionary
COVER 20-23 › Mind of a Murderer
VOICES 24› Cher still going strong at 73
LENS 25-26 › Wild Gardens
TREATY 7 27› Natives in Toyko 28 › Snotty Nose Rez Kids
A&E 30› Nick Cave’s Soundsuits 31› Mult-cultural festivals 32-33› Sled Island photo review
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SPORTS 34› Golf course closures 35 › Indian Relay Races
Summer Multi-Platform Journalists > Floyd Black Horse, Peter Brand, Kate Mackenzie, Mariam Taiwo
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Faculty Supervisor/ Managing Editor > Archie McLean 403-803-6866 damclean@mtroyal.ca Yolande Cole yolandemcole@gmail.com Production Supervisor/ Sales > Brad Simm 403-829-7424 bsimm@mtroyal.ca
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front CITY SIGHTS & SOUNDS BANFF STRING COMPETITION The Banff International String Quartet Competition takes Aug. 26– Sept. 1, 2019 Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Ten of the world’s best young string quartets vie for over $300,000 in cash and prizes.
Photo: Banff Centre CALGARY FRINGE FEST
Moonlight After Midnight, drama from Brooklyn, N
Photo: Calgary Fringe
Fringes theatre festivals are uncensored with no competetive element. The Calgary Fringe Fest, which began in 2006, attracts some of the most eccentric, hilarious and thought provoking performers and theatre companies from around the world. This week-long spectacle of performance takes places throughout the district of Inglewood from Aug. 2-9.
Photo: Calgary Gay Pride/Facebook
CALGARY PRIDE Calgary Gay Pride is a week-long festival from Aug. 23 to Sept. 2. The highlight is the Pride Parade that starts off Sunday, Sept. 1 as a street party then winds its way to Prince's Island Park.
Photo: Heritage Park/Facebook
SS MOYIE CAPTIAN'S CRUISE The S.S. Moyie, which originally serviced the Arrow Lakes and Kootenay Lake in southern B.C., has been a fixture at Heritage Park since 1965. The paddle wheelboat was docked last year, but makes its return this summer offering the Captain's Crusie which features gourmet hors d’oeuvres with a selection of beer & wines along with a live jazz band.
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Photo: Wikipedia
COUNTRY THUNDER FESTIVAL Now in its fourth year, Country Thunder is the biggest outdoor country music festival to assemble in Alberta. It takes place from Aug. 17-19 at Prairie Winds Park in the NE sector of the city. Tany Tucker (above) is one of this year's headliners.
CALGARY JOURNAL > FRONT
Somewhere in the troposphere Cloud formations come in different shapes and sizes as they hover over the city FLOYD BLACK HORSE fblackhorse@cjournal.ca
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ce crystals in the sky known as cirrus are the fibrous strands of cloud formations seen in the atmosphere. Shape, height and moisture specifications are used to identify different types of clouds. According to Environment Canada meteorologist Kyle Fougere, cumulus clouds are one of the most common types of clouds observed, given the number of sunny days seen in Calgary. “Cumulus clouds are very common from the spring into the fall in Alberta. They form when the sun’s rays heat up the surface of the Earth. Air parcels near the surface warm and rise, cooling as they move higher in the atmosphere. When the air cools down to its dew point, the air becomes saturated and the moisture in the air condenses to form clouds.” Fougere adds, “It’s also very common for Calgary to have high cirrus clouds These often blow into Alberta at high altitudes from low-pressure systems in British Columbia.” The formations from June 10 to 27 were forecasted as cloudy days. Describing the photos, Fougere identifies the formations as either cumulus or stratocumulus clouds. Environment Canada’s skywatcher’s guide ranges the classifications within low, medium or high charts. These charts are useful for looking at cloud types such as a stratocumulus. Their website says, “the cloud elements in stratocumulus appear larger because they’re closer to the ground than altocumulus.” The puffy clouds can also grow taller, becoming towering cumulus or cumulonimbus (rain showers). Thunderstorms develop out of these weather types when the air reaches “instability,” meaning cold air is circulating around the cloud and collecting high amounts of moisture.
Monday, June 10 7:04 pm Chinook Centre Cumulus clouds, identifiable by the flat bottoms usually wider than they are tall, float across southbound Macleod Trail S.W. The cumulus clouds, when gathered together, form stratocumulus.
Saturday, June 15 5:04 pm Nose Hill Park Passing clouds over Nose Hill Park on June 15 moved southward from gentle winds at 15 km/h. Cumulus clouds are regular patterns seen from spring to fall.
Wednesday, June 26 6:11pm Mount Royal University Cirrus clouds form (the wispy ice crystals in front), showing a distant rain shower or thunderstorm. The formations were from winds blowing in from the north at 15 km/h, according to timeanddate.com, which indicates passing clouds were in the forecast just after 6 p.m. on a warm evening.
JULY-AUG 2019
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city
Sex workers fight for their right to have a safe practice Despite legalizing sex as an industry, current laws make it a dangerous profession KATE MACKENZIE kmackenzie@cjournal.ca
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ex work is often viewed as a profession that both men and women have been forced into — a difficult choice when no other option is available. But this is not true for all sex workers. Kay, whose name has been changed for privacy purpos-
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es, is one such worker who feels that her work is meaningful and fulfilling. “My work is the only thing in my life that always makes sense, that I always understand, and that I know resonates truly with who I am,” says Kay. As a teenager, Kay’s curiosity about sex work started after she had read a book about a young
woman who worked in the temple of Ishtar—a Babylonian temple that practiced sacred prostitution. “I was completely enamoured with the beauty and the sacredness with which they described sex. These women who worked in the temple had ownership of their own bodies and over their own understanding of pleasure,” says Kay.
Although this made Kay think about engaging in sex for a higher purpose, it wasn’t until she was 28 that she decided to enter the sex work industry. The first step was to look at agencies so she could do it legally. BILL C-36: MAKING SEX WORK LEGAL BUT NOT SAFE Under the current Canadian law, it is not illegal to work in the sex industry, but it is illegal to buy sex. To work as a sex worker legally in Calgary, you have to be licensed as an independent escort, and this licence has to be held by an agency that is also licensed by the city. “The problem with this system, is there are only a few agencies in Calgary, and all of them, without exception, run their girls like pimps,” says Kay. Some of the problems with the agencies include little referencing and few security checks of clients, verbal abuse and ignoring drug addiction problems among the workers. “While I worked at the agency, I was assaulted by one client. The agency’s reaction was, ‘Oh yeah, he gets a little rough sometimes. But he’s never sent anyone to the hospital.’” Kay was also drugged twice and says the agency’s response was similarly apathetic. After three years of constantly having to advocate for herself, Kay decided to leave the agency and work independently. Although without the agency Kay is technically working as an illegal escort, she has had no similar experiences where her life has been at risk. “My clients are very respectful, they’re very genuine. And I’ve been able to really tailor my brand to attract a certain type of clientele that I could never do with an agency,” says Kay. The irony of the legal route being more dangerous than the illegal route is a problem, advocates say. The intention of Bill C-36, which came into force in December 2014, is to ultimately reduce the demand for sex work by making it illegal to purchase and advertise sexual services. The legislation itself is biased, assuming that sex work is an inherently exploitative and dangerous profession, and although the bill is aimed to make sex work safer, the result has been the opposite. Sarah Leamon, a criminal defence lawyer and board chair of PACE Society in Vancouver, which stands for Providing Advocacy, Choice and Education, explains how Bill C-36 has made it challenging for sex workers to openly communicate with their clients prior to meeting them. The ability to establish guidelines, rules and expectations before the first meeting is important to the safety of the workers. “If you’re purchasing something you know is illegal, you probably don’t want to communicate and disclose too many details about yourself,” says Leamon. The legislation has sex workers continuing to operate on the margins of society, as they are not only trying to protect themselves but protect their clients. “If police come in and demand access to their client list, their clients would potentially be in harm’s way,” says Leamon. The issue of human trafficking is often an argument for the abolition of the sex industry. But
human trafficking is not exclusive to sex work and, according to Leamon, is more common in Canada in domestic labour and the beauty industry. Additionally, the current legislation may make it more difficult to detect human trafficking in the sex industry. “We have a sex trade that is forced into the underground and on the margins; it makes it more difficult for authorities to properly identify and intervene with people who are not there by consent.” Leamon adds there is no evidence to support that criminalizing the purchasers of sex will reduce human trafficking. Kay explains that the monitoring and regulation of the agencies would help to ensure the workers’ rights are being protected, but this won’t happen without decriminalization of the sex industry. MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE SEX WORK INDUSTRY Being exclusively viewed as a sex worker is one of the many stigmas of the profession. Believing an individual is a sex worker because they have no other option is another. “I know quite a few sex workers who hold degrees,” says Kay. “Some of them advanced degrees. They choose sex work because they enjoy it.” Kay holds a degree and plans to pursue her MA in the future. The perception that it is easy money is another stereotype. Kay has built her own website, pays for photo shoots, does her own marketing and advertising and screens all of her clients. “If I didn’t reference my clients I would increase my risk significantly, but I would also probably double my income...but I value my physical and emotional safety,” says Kay.
“The problem with this system, is there are only a few agencies in Calgary, and all of them, without exception, run their girls like pimps” > Kay, sex worker
SHIFTING HOW SOCIETY VIEWS SEX WORK Shift, a program through HIV Community Link, is dedicated to help both sex workers who want to remain in the industry and those who want to exit. It provides a variety of resources including food hampers, bus tickets, tax help, education, counselling, and community-building activities. “Sex work can be isolating,” says Katelyn Dickin, who works as the Shift Educator & Capacity Coordinator. “People need someone to talk to, someone to vent to, because they might not have anyone else to chat with.” Shift has helped Kay develop a community of other like-minded sex workers. “They’ve been wonderful for allowing me to start to participate in sex worker advocacy, and raise awareness around sex workers’ rights,” says Kay. Shift also works to educate the public and to challenge their notions about sex work stereotypes. Dickin explains that a study done by University of Victoria professor Cecilia Benoit, reveals the typical profile of a Canadian sex worker is Caucasian, Canadian born, in their thirties to forties, with some post-secondary education. “We’re sex workers but we’re also parents, or we’re also siblings, we’re also nurses and we’re academics, we’re all of these things together,” says Kay. “Sex work is just one of the ways in which we express ourselves.” JULY-AUG 2019
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CALGARY JOURNAL > CITY
Does Calgary need a mobile supervised consumption site? UCP pauses funding on HIV Community Link’s proposed mobile site
A mobile supervised consumption vehicle sits in a parking lot in Forest Lawn. The proposed area for the vehicle is on 20th avenue S.E. PETER BRAND pbrand@cjournal.ca
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s the future of Calgary’s first mobile supervised consumption site remains uncertain, some residents continue to raise concerns about having the services in their neighbourhood. The mobile site has been proposed for Forest Lawn, which has the second highest overdose rate in Calgary. Provincial funding for the service has been frozen while the UCP government conducts a review of proposed supervised consumption sites across Alberta. William Carnegie, who is the former president of the Forest Lawn Community Association, initially advocated for the proposed mobile supervised consumption site, but pulled his support after Calgary police reported an increase in crime in the area around the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. The police report released in January detailed stats from 2018, including a 63 per cent rise in vehicle crime in the area surrounding Calgary’s first supervised consumption facility, located in the Sheldon Chumir in the Beltline. The report also pointed to a significant increase in drug-related calls and complaints in the neighbourhood. "I think what ends up happening is there is a concentration of crime in regards to these areas,” said
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"I'm so fed up with being exposed to this daily. I think it is imperative that the city addresses this monumental mistake." > Geoff Allan, Victoria Park resident
Photo supplied by HIV Community Link
Carnegie. “And until (the city) finds a way to mitigate that properly and work with the community, we really won't see any solution." Carnegie added that Forest Lawn's homeless population is nowhere near the size of downtown. "So we're essentially asking individuals to walk or drive to the site and then drive their car high? I think it is a poorly thought out idea.” But Rachael Edwards, the Calgary clinical lead for supervised consumption services with HIV Community Link, said no neighbourhood in the city is exempt from overdose deaths. HIV Community Link is proposing to operate the Forest Lawn service out of a supervised consumption mobile unit that would be located on 20th Avenue S.E. between 48th Street and 50th Street S.E. "The point of our service is to be responsive to the needs of the community and to be predictable to where our site will be, so people have easy access,” said Edwards. “That is the main advantage of having a mobile site." Edwards said staff at the site could also help connect people with other services. “We’re trying to meet people halfway in a non-judgmental situation,” Edwards said. “Not all people are homeless and some people are looking for a way to become clean. The beauty is we have an opportunity to
support these people when they're ready to quit and build a relationship with them to help them achieve their goals, whatever that may be.” Meanwhile, residents in the area around the Chumir site continue to speak out about the effects of the supervised consumption site on the surrounding community. Geoff Allan bought his first home just a couple of blocks away from the facility in 2017. Since the supervised consumption site opened, he said he has been forced to move further away and now rents his property out to people through Airbnb. "I'm so fed up with being exposed to this daily,” he said. “I think it is imperative that the city addresses this monumental mistake." Allan said recently, his garage and his neighbour’s car were both broken into and that one day outside his home, he found “12 needles, one used condom, a used tampon and human feces." Edwards said HIV Community Link is offering education to businesses, agencies and residents in the area surrounding their proposed facility in Forest Lawn on how to cope with someone who is under the influence and how to safely dispose of needles. “So we're really hoping that can be part of the solution,” she said. The proposed Forest Lawn site would need to be granted an exemption from Health Canada under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act before it could operate in the community.
The Sheldon Chumir is downtown Calgary’s only urgent care centre. It also harbours the Safeworks site that allows people to safely use opioids in a supervised atmosphere. There have been zero overdoses at the site since it opened. Photo: Peter Brand
A needle drop off box sits outside of the downtown Safe works site, Calgary’s only supervised consumption site.
Photo: Peter Brand JULY-AUG 2019
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environment
What is the carbon tax and how does it work? I
KATE MACKENZIE kmackenzie@cjournal.ca
n late May, amidst smoky skies from wildfires in northern Alberta, Premier Jason Kenney tabled Bill 1 to end the provincial carbon tax. The carbon tax has been a contentious topic both provincially and nationally. Kenney has argued the levy has no effect on reducing greenhouse gases, whereas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau argues the price on pollution is the best solution to reducing natural disasters, like wildfires. Politics aside, there is no denying that climate change is a serious problem. The planet’s temperature will not stop increasing and wait for the best solution to be discovered. WHAT IS THE CARBON TAX? The carbon tax is a tax on transportation and heating fuels, including diesel, gasoline, natural gas and propane. The theory behind the carbon tax is that the increased prices will encourage people to change their behaviour. For example, to save money on gasoline, people may start carpooling, taking public transport, or decide to walk or ride a bike to close destinations. “That’s the theory. Whether it actually does that or not is really
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a different question,” says Mount Royal University professor Tim Taylor, noting that increased gasoline prices on the weekend likely won’t prompt someone to cancel a trip. “But if the prices go up permanently, do you change your behaviour? Maybe. A lot of it depends on if it’s significant to you or not,” says Taylor. HOW EFFECTIVE WAS THE PROVINCIAL CARBON TAX? This question is where things get a bit more complicated because the emissions data is not immediately available. To learn if carbon pricing does reduce emissions, other jurisdictions where it has been in place longer need to be examined. British Columbia, which introduced a carbon tax in 2008, is one such place. “Estimates vary but they do tend to find that emissions are somewhere between five and 15 per cent below where they otherwise would have been,” says Trevor Tombe, an associate professor in the department of economics at the University of Calgary. Taylor agrees it is difficult to tell exactly how effective the carbon tax is in reducing emissions, but cites the correlation between the high price of gasoline and Europeans seeking out
Infographic: Kate Mackenzie
Smoke from the northern wildfires engulfs downtown Calgary on May 31. Environment Canada issued an air quality alert for the Southern Alberta region. smaller, more fuel-efficient cars as evidence of behavioural change that reduces greenhouse gases. “If you put the price of something up, people tend to buy less of it, or find ways to be more efficient,” says Taylor. PROVINCIAL CARBON TAX VERSUS FEDERAL CARBON TAX Alberta may no longer have a provincial carbon tax, but starting January 1, 2020, the province will be under the federal carbon pricing plan. So how does the federal plan differ from the provincial one? Tombe explains there are two areas in which the federal tax will differ from the provincial tax. The first difference is the price of the federal tax is lower, starting at $20 per tonne, or an additional 4.4 cents per litre of gasoline. That’s $10 less than the provincial tax. However, the price will increase to $30 per tonne in 2020, and eventually reach $50 per tonne, or an additional 11 cents per litre of gasoline, by 2022. The second difference is the federal carbon tax is broader. “There were some conventional oil and gas operators that were temporarily exempted from the Alberta carbon tax,” explains Tombe. “And based on what was done in Saskatchewan, they’re not exempt in the federal one.” Those are the two key points of how the federal carbon tax differs in terms of design from the provincial one. The other major point of variation is how the rebates are distributed.
Under the provincial carbon tax, single Albertans who earned less than $47,500 per year and families who earned less than $95,000 per year would receive a rebate for the carbon tax. This means 40 per cent of the money went toward household rebates. The other 60 per cent went toward city transit, lowering the small business tax and green technology. Under the federal carbon tax, 90 per cent of the revenue will be returned in rebates, regardless of your income. This is because the federal carbon tax is revenue-neutral, meaning the taxed money will be redistributed back to individual taxpayers. “The federal rebates are larger and universal. So almost every household will receive more once the federal system ramps up to $30 per tonne,” says Tombe. As the carbon tax increases year by year, the rebates are promised to increase as well. THE ECONOMICS OF THE CARBON TAX The “no environmental gain, all economic pain” slogan used by carbon tax critics is simply not true when it comes to the carbon tax, Tombe says. “It goes against all the evidence,” he explains. “There are some people who won’t respond, but others who will respond a small amount, and others who might respond a large amount.” Tombe adds that the individual behavioural and business changes may be large or small, but they are certainly not zero.
The opposing argument, that there is no economic cost from the carbon tax, is also inaccurate, says Tombe. “The carbon tax, like any climate policy, is going to come with a cost.” What is the cost of the carbon tax on employment? It is frequently touted as a “job killer” by critics, but is this an accurate statement? A paper done by Akio Yamazaki, a University of Calgary PhD graduate, showed that British Columbia did not experience a reduction in unemployment from the carbon tax. However, a response piece by another University of Calgary graduate showed that there is evidence of employment losses for workers in the energy sector and it takes time for these workers to shift to other careers. “Most of our modelling suggests there probably is a modest negative effect on employment,” says Tombe. “But that is true of all policies, it’s not unique to the carbon tax.” Tombe suggests the best way to view the carbon tax is to acknowledge that there will be inevitable economic costs to improve the environment. “We have to ask ourselves if it is worth taking action on auto emissions and doing our part to address climate change. And I think most people would probably say ‘yes.’ And then the question is, how do we support workers that are displaced in energy-intensive sectors?”
Photo: Floyd Black Horse
HOW IS CAP AND TRADE DIFFERENT FROM THE CARBON TAX? The idea behind the carbon tax is the government-set price of carbon encourages people to cut their carbon emissions to avoid paying the tax. Cap and trade works by the government setting a limit (or cap) on the amount of carbon that can be used. The market then influences who can reduce emissions the most efficiently. “So for example, if you’ve got two companies, A and B, and one company takes $50 a tonne to reduce their carbon, and the other only takes $20, the cap and trade encourages the company with $20 to do more trade than with the company where it would cost $50,” explains Taylor. “The challenge of cap and trade is it requires a stable market,” he adds. “Otherwise people are a little leery of investing in trading carbon emissions.” WILL THE NATIONWIDE CARBON TAX WORK? Canada’s Paris Agreement plan is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. Whether the carbon tax will achieve this is difficult to tell as no other jurisdiction has ever engaged in such a large-scale fee and dividend approach as Canada’s federal carbon tax does. “We don’t really have a lot of experience to go on there,” says Tombe. “We will see how it works out in a
couple of years.” JULY-AUG 2019
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CALGARY JOURNAL > ENVIROMENT
A closer look at bottled water Bottled water sold in Canada has been deemed safe, but some studies have pointed to health concerns MARIAM TAIWO mtaiwo@cjournal.ca
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espite its ever-growing safety and availability, tap water is being shrugged off for bottled water. Yet, what is in the bottles themselves remains uncertain. Even though Canada has access to clean, safe and healthy tap water, and testing has shown it’s a safe option, for many people bottled water has become a significant part of their daily lives. TASTE AND STATUS RATHER THAN HEALTH CONCERNS Every morning, Krystal Crossdale grabs a bottle of water from her stack next to her bed before heading to class. For her, Aquafina bottled water is one of the items that she cannot be seen without. Crossdale says she drinks bottled
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water because she prefers the taste to that of tap water. She believes that all water tastes different. Aquafina is her favourite brand next to Nestle bottled water. “Aquafina water tastes different than Nestle water," she says. "It tastes sweet.” Although she is aware of the concerns that are associated with bottled water, she feels she’s making a safe choice. In most parts of the country, Canadians have healthy water flowing out of their taps, yet companies cash out $2.5 billion annually from the sale of bottled water. If tap water is so safe, why do people prefer water that is housed in single-use plastic bottles? Experts say that consumption of bottled water might be more related to status and convenience than it is health. In most convenience stores and
grocery stores in Canada, people buy bottled water of different sizes and amounts. The consumption rates are very high as well, with 19 per cent of Canadians drinking bottled water as the major source of drinking water in their homes in 2017. Bottled water has been found to be one of the fastest growing sectors of the country’s beverage market. Bottled water costs more than gasoline per litre, depending on where you buy your bottled water, and about two-thirds of all bottled water sales are single bottles. The average price of gas per litre in Canada is $1.50 while bottled water cost as much as $17.5 per litre. BUT IS BOTTLED WATER SAFE? According to the Canadian Bottled Water Association (CBWA), there’s 25 bottled water brands in Canada that you can trust. Nanton Water and Soda
Ltd. is one of Alberta’s leading bottled water companies and also one of the pioneer bottled water companies in Canada that began in 1980. Brad Wallace, one of four owners of Nanton Water & Soda, is very passionate about their product and the environment, claiming that the spring water they use has been filtered by the rocks, clay and sand that it travels through. Hence, it is pure by nature and does not contain any contaminants such as heavy metals, petroleum, and industrial derivatives, which might be contained in some tap water. Their water also naturally contains healthy minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They do on-site testing regularly, and have annual microbiological, physical, chemical and radiological analysis by an accredited laboratory. “We test our water on a daily basis,’ says Wallace.
“It is my livelihood; there's no reason why I would ever threaten anybody’s well-being by putting out a bad product to the consumer," he says. "I don't need to cut corners because cutting corners just causes trouble if you have a recall or issues with your water. So, quality control on our side can be guaranteed that we're providing the best quality drinking water that we can with our water source and people can trust it.” POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE Although bottled water and tap water both go through a treatment process, there is still a possibility of small traces of different types of contaminants in either one. Even though most of these contaminants are harmless or might not pose a health risk, water should still be safe from the presence of any harmful elements. According to Health Canada, water sold in Canada is generally safe and does not pose any health hazards. While deemed safe, studies have shown that chemicals like antimony can leach from the bottles into the water, especially during the storage process. Most plastic water bottles are packaged in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles that have been found to contain antimony, a potentially toxic material that is similar to lead. In small doses, it can cause dizziness and depression and in larger doses nausea, vomiting and even death. Researchers at the Institute of Environmental Geochemistry at the University of Heidelberg, Germany carried out a study in 2007 to determine if the contamination of bottled water with antimony leaching from PET increases with duration of storage. They examined 132 brands of bottled water from 28 countries, including Canada, and found that the
While deemed safe, studies have shown that chemicals like antimony can leach from the bottles into the water, especially during the storage process. Most plastic water bottles are packaged in Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles that have been found to contain antimony, a potentially toxic material that is similar to lead.
leaching of antimony from PET bottles had varying responsiveness. Fourteen brands of bottled water were sourced from Canada and results showed that antimony concentrations increased 19 per cent on average during six months storage at room temperature. Another issue with bottled water is the use of an industrial chemical, bisphenol (BPA), in most bottles. Different medical and academic research has shown that could have some adverse effects on the human body. Researchers at Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary published a research paper in 2012 showing that BPA can disrupt endocrine functions on different cell types. The research also proves that BPA can alter immune responses in the body. The chemical can also imitate the body's hormones, thereby interfering with the production, secretion, transport, action, function, and elimination of natural hormones. However, Wallace from Nanton Water argues that issues of leaching in plastic only occur when a bottle is heated up. He says that as long as people do not abuse their water bottles, there will be no leaching of plastic components into the water. “It's all about how you handle a product. Again, if a water bottle is treated at room temperature or moderately above room temperature, it is going to be fine and there won't be any leach of plastic.” He adds, “BPA is not going to be released unless it's getting heated up and there's something you are doing to the makeup of the plastic to make it available. If it's not being made available by being heated up then you won't have any issues with BPA.”
Reporting on the People, Issues, and Events that Shape our City. The Calgary Journal, awarding www.calgaryjournal.ca winning journalism.
CALGARY JOURNAL > ENVIROMENT
How Calgarians are reducing single-use plastics Some say the solution to the problem starts with the consumer PETER BRAND pbrand@cjournal.ca
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hile Canadians could see a ban on single-use plastics by 2021, one Calgary city councillor says the solution to the problem should start with consumers and retailers before the government is forced to step in. In May 2019, Calgary city councillors voted 6-1 during a utilities committee meeting in favour of developing a strategy to reduce single-use plastics. However, Coun. Jeromy Farkas voted against the plan and said he would rather see innovation than “heavy-handed government approaches.” Farkas warned that whatever replaces plastic bags might be far worse. “Canadians need to be very mindful of unintended consequences of going down that road,” he said. Farkas’ preferred approach is to let the market drive the process through entrepreneurship and innovation. Blush Lane Organic Market is an example of a local business taking environmental steps. With every purchase of over $50, Blush Lane offers the consumer a free reusable hemp bag. “The company supports a circular economy through their reusable container programs, which encourage customers to bring in their containers
to use in the market’s bulk section,”
said Michelle Austin, Blush Lane’s marketing and sustainability coordinator. Labelled as one of the top producers of single-use plastics, Tim Hortons is also taking the initiative to re-invent their products for a more sustainable future. Canada’s most famous coffee and doughnut shop pioneered the reusable cup program way back in 1978, introducing the Tim mug. The chain offers guests a discount on coffee to any customer who brings in their cup. This summer, Tim Hortons will roll out a reusable coffee cup for $1.99. The company will also introduce wooden stir sticks this July and a new lid that President Alex Macedo said is made of polypropylene and is 100 percent recyclable. Despite these kinds of efforts, Austin believes that Canadians are missing the main point when it comes to the recycling process. She said many Canadians became misinformed on the entire method.
“The traditional three Rs we all know: ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ are written in that order as a form of hierarchy,” she said. “Recycle was supposed to be a last resort, but we have made it our first action. Further, our recycling system has proven to be largely ineffective. Roughly 11 percent of material in recycling streams in Canada actually gets recycled. We need to support systems that work by re-imagining the take-makedispose model of our current system.” According to Austin, the worst types of plastics are compostable plastics, or bioplastics, because they are mostly not getting composted. Municipal compost facilities cannot handle bioplastics, and the results are that bioplastics are taken out and added to landfills since they do not biodegrade at a similar rate as organic matter. Leah Kemppainen works with the City of Calgary waste and recycling department, and she deals with what Austin describes on a day-to-day basis.
“Our goal is to divert 70 percent of the waste from city landfills,” she said. “Diverting waste from landfills means recycling, composting and reusing items instead of throwing them in the garbage. By reducing the amount and type of materials that end up in landfills, our landfills last longer and natural resources are conserved. Reducing waste from single-use items would support work by waste and recycling services to lead the community towards zero waste through a focus on reduction and reuse.”
“Canadians need to be very mindful of unintended consequences of going down that road." > Coun. Jeromy Farkas
Blush Lane is leading the way to reusing and reducing the amount of plastics consumers use. With any purchase over $50, Blush gives shoppers a reusable hemp shopping bag. Photo: Peter Brand
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In Farkas’ view, he and other council members need to “lead by example.” He brought in a motion to discontinue bottled water services that council gets during its meetings; a motion that barely passed with eight votes to seven. Farkas also called on the city to reduce single-use plastics for city events. “I want to make sure that we have a leadership position on this and we have the moral authority first, before we go to tell residents or businesses what they should be doing,” he said.
profile The visionary figure behind some of Canada's incredible design marvels For the past 50 years, Douglas Cardinal has been doing sweat lodge ceremonies every week. They are healing practices for the Canadian architect due to the challenging environment of his profession. Reflecting on his 2016 Presidential Award for designing the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre, he shares the moment when an elder said to him, “I'll meet you at the institute.� That institute is the Saskatchewan Masonry Institute, which he won the award from. Built as a place that was inclusive for all students from different backgrounds, the centre was built with Mother Earth in mind.
Photo courtesy Douglas Cardinal Architect Inc.
DOUGLAS CARDINAL Calgary-born architect plays an important role in history: keeping Mother Earth sacred JULY-AUG 2019
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The University of Saskatchewan’s Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Architect Douglas Cardinal received the Presidential Award for its design from the Saskatchewan Masonry Institute in 2016. The centre’s curvilinear structure sits on solid ground. Photo courtesy Douglas Cardinal Architect Inc.
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FLOYD BLACK HORSE fblackhorse@cjournal.ca
wanted a place where they could have their ceremonies,” Cardinal said. The area he talks about has input from elders who helped create a sacred space by a heaven and earth philosophy. Underneath, the ground was not excavated during construction, because,“it had to be sitting on Mother Earth.” The project is just one example of the celebrated architect’s connection between Indigenous culture and his work. Ever since he was a child, Cardinal has been learning about how to build something from the ground up. The Calgary-born visionary, who now calls Ottawa home, acknowledges his Métis and Blackfoot upbringing for putting him on the right path. During a presentation in Calgary on June 13 as part of Redx Talks and D.Talks, co-presenters of the event, Cardinal said his mother initially pushed him to study architecture — but he soon realized his work had an important tie to his Indigenous culture. Since studying architecture at the University of Texas, his career has included architectural achieve-
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ments such as the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., and the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Que. Cardinal’s first building after he finished his degree was St. Mary’s Parish in Red Deer, Alta. As part of this project, he used a creative process which became a foundation for the creation of many of his other works. The construction of the parish was limited by a concave roofing system. His solution was solved after seeing a spider building its web and he considered using tension cables. “I have that opening to the sky which is so important,” he said. For Cardinal, embedding an Indigenous worldview has been an important part of his work. His aim is to create harmony with the environment, giving his spaces a positive feeling for people. Focusing on the concept of the four directions, his interior designs reflect the universal wisdom from Indigenous communities. “You’re open to the four directions, heaven and earth so they could have their pipe ceremonies and their other ceremonies when they connect to the cosmos, you know, to the Creator,” he said. In Calgary, the architect spoke about the importance of creating harmony with Mother Earth
when building structures. He described his creative process as organic: the building designs itself in the end. The philosophy is considering the relationships we have with our community, designing structures involves a lot of tension — and a successful design could be peaceful and harmonious to its surroundings, including nature. “One has to begin the design process without any preconceived ideas,” he said. “Einstein didn’t get E=MC2 from books, he got it from inside. We have that power of creativity within all of us.” Cardinal’s philosophy on creating harmony with the environment also includes an aim to give back power to women, as traditional leaders on the land. “We have to bring the power of women back in our Indigenous communities,” he said. “We need to bring the clan mother system back because that was eroded by the church and the state.” Technology has also played a role in the philosopher’s career, as he was one of the first people to calculate projects using computer programs. His team realized the program was capable of putting together designs in a non-linear format. Because they were based on organic conceptions, the computers helped in measuring the curves of each structure he made.
Cardinal’s extensive career has received wide recognition, including the presidential award for creating an intercultural gathering place for students. Cardinal’s daughter, Nancy Cardinal, speaks highly of her father’s influence in her life. “I was exposed to a lot of really beautiful people and traditions and culture and everything and it really changed my views about life because our land is important, our environment, our people are important, and our people have been discounted for so long,” she said. “And he instilled in me a pride of who I am and that we have a lot to give and offer and we're incredible, resilient people.”
“I have that opening to the sky which is so important.” > Douglas Cardinal Nancy describes her father’s work as being aligned with seasonal solstices: the sunrise, sunset and the medicine wheel. Indigenous principles are embedded inside and out of centres he’s made, many of which have interiors that are equally astonishing. “A lot of people just see the outside of the building and they don't realize everything that he's put into it, you know, like when the light comes up in the morning, what does the building look like,” she said. “In the Museum of History in Ottawa if you look at that one part of the building it looks like a face.” After receiving many honours in his lengthy career, the Indigenous activist hasn’t forgotten the lessons he learned at the University of Texas, when he undertook studies in sociology and cultural anthropology to learn about human beings as he ventured into his major. “I had this professor who actually got his PhD by living with Blackfoot people and understanding and doing a doctorate on amazing culture of the Blackfoot peoples,” he recalled. “He felt that he wanted to show them a culture that was loving and caring and sharing and open and respectful of all people. And I felt really honoured to have those teachings from the university.”
Above: St. Mary’s Parish in Red Deer, Alberta was completed in 1968. The first build of the architect, the work of a spider building its web solved the complex design of the church’s roofing system. The project brought Cardinal wide recognition at the beginning of his career. Photo courtesy Douglas Cardinal Architect Inc.
Below: Gatineau, Quebec’s Museum of History sits on 93,000 sq. feet of land next to the Ottawa river. Amorphous design is the method which has structures complete themselves in the end. Many of Cardinal’s structures are founded on Indigenous principles using this method. Photo courtesy Douglas Cardinal Architect Inc.
CALGARY JOURNAL > A&E LENS
CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL Western Canadian Highlights June25-28 1 COLTER WALL
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Swift Current, SK A songwriter whose tough, gritty style has earned him praise from Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle.
2 CELEIGH CARDINAL Edmonton, AB Known for her sweet, soulful folk music, Cardinal has received the Western Canadian Music Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year.
3 BOOTS AND HOOTS
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Red Deer/Calgary, AB Rough and ready, playful hardcore country.
4 SAMANTHA SAVAGE SMITH
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Calgary, AB Playing jazz, blues and indie rock, over the past decade Smith has toured extensively across Canada, Iceland, UK/ EU and made her U.S debut at SXSW in 2015
5 LAB COAST Calgary, AB A imaginative band full of great melodies, catchy hooks and layered jangly guitar.
6 KAT DANSER Edmonton, AB Danser not only knows how to crank out sweaty, swampy blues, but with a PhD in ethnomusicology she’s studied it from all angles.
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MIND OF A
MURDERER KATE MACKENZIE kmackenzie@cjournal.ca
A look into Calgary's domestic homicides and what makes an alleged killer
Panamount Blvd. in Panorama Hills in northwest Calgary. Sara Baillie was murdered and her daugher Taliyah Marsman was kidnapped on the street. Photo : Floyd Black Horse 6 JULY-AUG 2019
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grey Mazda sits on the approach to Stoney Trail Bridge on the morning of May 31st. A pink tarp is draped across the driver’s window. The car’s hazard lights flash as the sticky smoke from the High Level wildfires surround the scene. Two people are dead. At approximately 9 a.m., first responders arrive to find the lifeless body of a 77-year-old woman, who has since been identified in media reports as Liisa Nukkala, within the vehicle. The body of her son is found on the river bank below the bridge. The murder-suicide marks Calgary’s sixth domestic homicide of 2019, with the most recent four occurring within a month-and-a-half of each other. According to the Calgary Police Service statistics, Calgary saw a 10 per cent increase in domestic conflict incidents in 2018, with a total of 21, 535 reported to police. Robert Leeming, Roberta Lynn Wolfchild, Heidar Dehdari, and the unnamed man at the bottom of the bridge. These are the suspects in Calgary’s most recent domestic homicides. They come from different backgrounds and entirely different circumstances. Aside from their alleged ability to kill, what do they have in common? Is there a specific feature, a personality flaw, that connects suspects in these types of cases? An identifying mark that separates those that are capable of murder from those that are not?
A homicide detective, forensic psychologist, and domestic violence expert explain the subtleties of what makes a murderer. DOMESTIC HOMICIDE: A FLASHPOINT CRIME Homicides can be divided into two categories: instrumental or reactive. The first is planned, deliberate, what lawyers classify as premeditated. The latter is emotionally driven and often irrational, what Calgary homicide detective Dave Sweet regards as a flashpoint; a point in time where an uncontrollable anger or violence is suddenly released. “A lot of people who commit homicide didn’t wake up in the morning knowing they were going to murder someone. It’s a series of circumstances that can bring it out in somebody,” says Sweet, adding he believes jealousy is a core reason behind many domestic homicides. “It’s a very selfish position of ‘If I can’t have you, no one else can.’” This possessive attitude can make the hours after leaving the relationship some of the most dangerous. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, 26 per cent of women who are murdered by their spouse had left their relationship, and 60 per cent of all dating violence happens after the relationship has ended. Statistically, women are at the greatest risk of being victims of a domestic homicide in the first three months of separation from their partner.
“A lot of people who commit homicide didn’t wake up in the morning knowing they were going to murder someone." > Dave Sweet, homicide detective
Police escort Edward Downey into the Court Services Section in downtown Calgary on July 14, 2016 after he was arrested in the murders of Taliyah Marsman and her mother Sara Baillie. Photo courtesy of Gavin Young/Postmedia JULY-AUG 2019
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Stressful life circumstances, the breakdown of a relationship, and/or infidelity may set the stage for murder, but it is raw emotion which often fuels the act. “They’re angry at the person and likely have been for sometime, but it just boils over and gets out of hand,” says forensic psychologist Thomas Dalby of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. The turbulent anger and emotions often lead to a more violent death than would be seen in a homicide when the victim is a stranger, says Dalby. Many of the domestic homicides Sweet has investigated show an injury level past the point of what was necessary to cause death. “It really shows that the anger is caused from some sort of very deep hurt,” says Sweet. This coincides with a study done by Shea L. Alvarez Cussen from City University of New York, which found that the closer the relationship between the perpetrator and victim, the more evidence there was of overkill. Stabbing and strangulation are common in domestic homicides, with knives often being easy to access in anyone’s home. Guns are less common, likely because of Canada’s strict gun ownership laws that require a firearm licence be obtained through a process of background
“Think of what it takes to kill someone. It takes a lot. It’s a threshold most of us don’t think of crossing... a lot of people who kill someone, it’s the first time they’ve done it, and they’re actually going to suffer some trauma because it’s so extreme. ” > Dr. Thomas Dalby, forensic psychologist checks and safety training. According to the RCMP, this licence is needed even if you are not the owner of the gun and have never handled it. “The United States has a homicide rate three times ours. We put that down to more people owning guns,” says Dalby. While classifying domestic homicides as a moment of uncontrollable anger may be accurate, it would be inaccurate to regard this as the only factor at play.
Robert Leeming brought into arrest processing by detectives of the Calgary Police Service on May 6, 2019. Photo courtesy of Mike Drew/Postmedia
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People are complex, emotional, often irrational creatures, frequently dealing with multiple life stressors simultaneously, but the majority of us do not express this through murder. LEARNED VIOLENCE Children learn how to act by what they see and hear. Communication skills, empathy, and other positive behaviours are observed, learned, and imitated. Violence follows a similar pattern. Dalby says some perpetrators of domestic homicide have developed hostility and aggression because of the model of violence they witnessed as a child. Studies have shown it is not uncommon for girls raised in abusive homes to end up in an abusive relationship as an adult, nor is it uncommon for boys from abusive homes to become abusers. Andrea Silverstone, executive director at Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society, notes how as humans, our desire to build connections will drive our choices in building relationships. “If we don’t have the skills to build connections appropriately, we often use tools that are inappropriate, like violence, abuse, power, and control,” she says. On their website, the RCMP list a myriad of negative symptoms children may develop from growing up around violence. Some symptoms include: selfblame, anxiety, developmental delay, self-harm, low self-esteem, high levels of anger and aggression, fighting with peers, eating disorders, difficulty problem solving and relationship problems. Despite the potentially devastating side-effects of coming from a violent home, Dalby and Silverstone note that there is no general rule that applies. A violent past does not guarantee a violent future.
MIND OF A MURDERER Where do murderers stand on the spectrum of sanity and insanity? Are they normal or mentally ill? The reality is most perpetrators of homicide are sane, seemingly normal individuals. According to Dalby, people suffering from serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia are not the normal perpetrators of homicide. “This group of people who we think are mentally disturbed and can’t think properly, they in fact commit much less violent acts than the average person,” says Dalby. Several questions are asked of the perpetrator to determine if they are fit to stand trial. The first is if they can comprehend what they have been charged with, followed by the question of if they understand the serious nature of the charge. The final question is if they are able to communicate with their lawyer. “It takes a person who is seriously mentally disturbed to not meet those very basic criteria,” explains Dr. Dalby. Sweet agrees that it is rare to see mental illness as a viable defence in court. “Off the top of my head I can think of a couple cases over the last decade where mental illness played a role in the homicide,” he says. “I would say typically, it’s not a factor in most domestic homicides.” Although most perpetrators of domestic homicide are sane, mental health issues like depression and substance abuse can increase the risk of homicide. Dalby explains how depression in men can often manifest with signs of anger and irritability. Silverstone adds that mental health and addictions are not the direct causes of domestic violence but they often go handin-hand. So does the mind of a murderer differ from a normal individual? Or does the capability to kill exist in us all, a deadly impulse that remains dormant in most our minds? “Think of what it takes to kill someone. It takes a lot. It’s a threshold most of us don’t think of crossing,” says Dalby. “But the interesting thing is, a lot of people who kill someone, it’s the first time they’ve done it, and they’re actually going to suffer some trauma because it’s so extreme. It’s a traumatic event they’ve witnessed, and they wonder how they could have done it.” This remorse can sometimes lead to the perpetrator committing suicide, with police finding two bodies, like in Nukkala’s death on Stoney Trail, which Calgary police deemed a murder-suicide. However, guilt and remorse do not apply in every domestic homicide case. Dalby says he has seen perpetrators that are happy with what they’ve done, believing the victim finally got what they deserved.
A HISTORY OF CRIME A FACELESS CRIME EDWARD DOWNEY: A CASE STUDY Maybe they’re young with a history Downey was born in February 1970 in Silverstone notes that the most recent A callous and remorseless individual. of crime, or maybe they’re old with a North Preston, Nova Scotia. He moved domestic homicides in Calgary have all Those are two adjectives used by Justice spotless record. Married. Separated. to Calgary when he was 13 to live with his had radically different profiles. Beth Hughes in her written sentencing Upper-class, middle-class or struggling mother. In 1990, at the age of 20, he was Roberta Lynn Wolfchild is the accused decision for Edward Downey, who was to pay rent. Male. Female. There is no one in the recent domestic homicide stabconvicted by a jury last year of killing Sara convicted of three counts of possession type of person capable of murder. of a stolen credit card. Convictions of bing of her common-law partner, Dwane Baillie and her five-year old daughter, Talicocaine trafficking, weapons offences Charles Lanois. yah Marsman. (He has since filed a notice AN EPIDEMIC “The face of doof appeal of his conviction and sentence.) and pimping It is not fully understood why Alberta followed. mestic violence is Downey was viewed as a trusted figure has one of the highest rates of domestic “We call it not what we think violence across Canada. Silverstone sugby the five-year old, as he was the partner criminal versait is,” Silverstone of her mother’s best friend, a woman gests Alberta’s boom-bust economy and tility,” explains says. “Anyone can the high number of natural disasters are identified during the trial as AB. Baillie Dalby. “They’ve be abused and had witnessed Downey strike AB during likely contributing factors. committed anyone can be the an argument and had told AB’s sister of Alberta also has one of the lowest property ofabuser. the incident. The relationship between rates of women employed outside of fences, assaults, Dalby exAB and Downey ended shortly thereafter, the home, meaning more women are maybe a sexual plains when it is and Downey seemed to hold a resentfinancially dependent on their partner.In offence. And the a woman who ment toward Baillie for this, according to Canada, a woman is killed every six days versatility shows has committed court documents. by her intimate partner. the person domestic homiOn the morning of July 11, 2016, Baillie The high rates of domestic violence, has pretty lax cide, the “burning and consequently homicide, are an was running late for work. At 9:04 she bed” defence is sent a text to the tanning salon where she boundaries.” irrefutable problem. Silverstone suggests These flexible common. Based worked, telling them to cancel her first it be treated like an epidemic; similar to boundaries on the case of appointment. Jacket on and ready to go, if someone has a fever, cough, or rash, > Andrea Silverstone, executive translate to a Francine Wilson, Baillie was about to leave when Downey there are recognizable symptoms that director at Sagesse Domestic higher probawho killed her entered her house. are presented by those suffering from the Violence Prevention Society bility of a more abusive husband Did Downey go to Baillie’s house epidemic. serious crime by setting fire to with the intention of murdering her? “If you see someone displaying the being committed in the future. their bed as he slept, the defence builds Or to confront her about the end of his signs, you ask ‘are you feeling okay?’... If Sweet agrees a criminal history is not on the idea that the woman is committing you know the things to look for and you’re relationship? the crime in response to being abused. The why is not known. What is known is uncommon in perpetrators of domestic able to say, ‘it looks like you’re not okay, homicide. “Domestic violence knows no boundar- how can I help you?’ I think it changes Downey wrapped duct tape over Baillie’s “Stalking behaviour or abusive beies, it knows no socio-economic boundnose and mouth, attempting to suffocate everything,” says Silverstone. haviour in the past. There’s usually somearies, ethnographic-cultural boundaries,” her. Baillie was able to rip the tape from Although there are symptoms, not evthing in their background.” says Silverstone. her nose, causing Downey to bind her eryone presents the same way. Like a flu, wrists with the tape and sometimes there are no warning strangling her, breaking her signs of the sickness until the hyoid bone. fever spikes. Downey then stuffed Silverstone suggests the her into a laundry bag and best method of recognizing if a placed the bag in Taliyah’s relationship is, or may become, bedroom closet, piling abusive, is asking the following clothes on top in an atquestions to yourself: does this tempt to hide the crime. feel like a healthy relationship? But there was a witness: Do I feel afraid of my partner? Taliyah. Do I feel like I’m experiencing a Downey did not kill pattern of behaviours that don’t Taliyah immediately, court allow me to be the person I want documents indicate. He to be? Do I feel like the things that took her to the house he give me independence are going had shared with AB. He fed to make my partner angry? her some blueberries. And “So it’s not so much about then sometime between warning signs, but more about 1:27 pm and 3:47 pm, he knowing intuitively, and checking killed her. in with yourself, your friends and As he was disposing of family, that their relationships are Taliyah’s body, at 4:15 pm healthy ones,” says Silverstone. he texted a woman he had been flirting with: “How’s your day going sweets?” If you or someone you know is They exchanged besuffering from domestic abuse, the tween 90 flirtatious texts in Connect 24-hour family violence the next two hours, as Talihelpline can be reached at 403-234yah’s tiny body lay lifeless in 7233 or toll-free at 1-866-606-7233. a secluded area outside of Memorial site for homicide victims Jasmine Lovett and her daughter Aliyah Sanderson in Cranford Court, Calgary. the city. Photo: Kate Mackenzie
“The face of domestic violence is not what we think it is. Anyone can be abused, and anyone can be the abuser.”
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voices
Cher's Dancing Queen tour arrives with golden breastplate an ode to women The one and only Cher performs live in concert al-life person to the singer, actress, television personality and tabloid target. The audience responds with joy and laughter at hearing her tales about the music industry. And it's also her personal journey she shares on stage through her performances of the Shoop Song, Fernando, and If I Could Turn Back Time. The only thing left to imagine after the concert is how they are going to find a way to immortalize the diva using robotic engineering in the future.
Cher sings several of her favourite songs with massive and flashy stage changes. FLOYD BLACK HORSE fblackhorse@cjournal.ca
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or fans of all ages, the Cher concert in Calgary on Tuesday, May 28, brought out people who have loved the star since the beginning of her career. The legendary singer performed music from her 26th studio album, Dancing Queen, and included a back catalogue of some of her biggest hits. The media loves to shine light on her age while poking fun at the number of farewell tours she has done since Believe. However, the artist continues to roll with the punches and at 73, she emphasizes how women from her generation are needed now more than ever. The focus on Cher is all about the outfits famous in her career: leather, net stockings, and strappy tops. During her show, she opened with a goddess-like descent wearing a golden breastplate and a headdress to match. Singing Women’s World from her last album, Closer to the Truth, the
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crowd roared with excitement at seeing the star. The song is a dance anthem that celebrates love and the hurt that comes with it. It was followed by Strong Enough, one of her biggest songs which catapulted her back on top of the world stage in the early 2000s. The opening act emphasized her reason for being on tour, with the entire production presenting her life in film and television; from a tribute to her former and belated husband, Sonny Bono, to an interview with David Letterman. “Three days before my birthday, the producer of the David Letterman (show) called me and said, ‘how would you like to spend your birthday with Dave?’ And I said, ‘I would love to...for $28,000.’” The monologue was about owing a hotel debt to one of her friends, which she had to find a way to pay back. She explains how she eventually went on the show and developed a long-lasting friendship with the talk show host. She also remembers crying
Photo: Floyd Black Horse tears of happiness at some of the events which shaped her life. After an award-winning career, including her nomination for best supporting actress in Silkwood, and her win for best actress in Mask at the Cannes Film Festival, the star still encountered barriers. Cher says the moment her children walked in the room and saw her crying, she explained to them, “these are fabulous tears. These are tears you pray for as an actress. Because when women are really, really happy, they cry.” On stage, Cher’s every move evokes a cheer. She walks to one side of the stage and the crowd screams. From floor seats at the concert, it’s easy to see why she continues to be part of the lives of her fans. Cher loves connecting with her audience. It’s her way of getting to know so many people at once. It’s a process she is well aware of, telling stories about her famous life and interactions with some of the figures she’s met. In doing so, there’s a re-
“These are fabulous tears. These are tears you pray for as an actress. Because when women are really, really happy, they cry.” > Cher
One of the concert fans who dressed in fishnet nad stockings. Many wore flashy outfits. Photo: Floyd Black Horse
CALGARY JOURNAL > LENS
WILD GARDENS
Calgary communities are growing wild and sometimes well-cultivated
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A culivated front yard in Lakeview. PETER BRAND pbrand@cjournal.ca Jeremy Zoller is leading the way to a more sustainable future by building food forests around the city. His dreams and goals are being embraced by more people each year. Wildwood, a neighbourhood in the southwest quadrant is taking the necessary steps to provide a collaborative space for individuals in the community to come together and learn the importance of cultivation and gardening. These photos are a gallery of Zoller’s, Wildwood’s and Lakeview's efforts. Photos: Peter Brand
goes
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o goes Zoller's garden from a side angle.
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A household garden in full bloom in the southwest community of Wildwood.
The Wildwood community garden practises permaculture ethics of care of the earth. The community also holds workshops on mushroom foraing. JULY-AUG 2019
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Indi City prepares for trade mission to Tokyo Fashion label about sharing culture and language FLOYD BLACK HORSE fblackhorse@cjournal.ca
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usiness owners of the jewellery and design company, Indi City, recently debuted their fashion collections that they will be presenting in Tokyo on a trade mission. The Calgary event featured musical guests, with all proceeds going to support the trip across the Pacific. Angel Aubichon and Alexandra Manitopyes are owners of the Indigenous-owned business, Indi City. By sharing their designs and collaborating with an international market, they hope to open new doors for the fashion and design company. “It's a global exchange. We're stepping off of our home soil and we're seeing how everybody else responds to Indigenous fashion now. Fashion is a really important way to share messages. It's very subtle; so subtle that we can share it with other cultures without it being too in your face. But still giving recognition to the stuff that our ancestors had to go through to be here today so that we could share this art.” Indi City is doing contemporary Indigenous art by using modern space outside ceremonial grounds to discuss something considered sacred. Designs they use translate into what that means for newer generations. For instance, alphabets from various Indigenous languages are used intricately in the making of beaded jewellery and hats. For Manitopyes, Indigeneity is also about facing cultural appropriation outside their homes. “In different parts of the world, we're portrayed as an extinct culture, like we don't exist anymore," she says.
"We're coming out loud and strong as people, like a rising nation showing our art in our designs and very proud. Some confidence that we've been without for generations and now we're bringing it back.” Manitopyes adds, “We're stepping up and taking the rights to own our designs and our own artistry and sharing it on a global platform. It's exciting.” The government agency Canada Trade Missions provides “opportunities to create export partnerships,” as well as business-to-business transactions benefitting participants. Helping to build global relationships for city businesses makes access to top foreign markets easier. CEO and owner of Dream PK Modelling, Rodrick Rabbitskin, recently moved to the city aiming to recruit Indigenous youth from Calgary and begin to expand his operation. With executive assistant Nathan Slawinski, the pair were thrilled with the show and the possibilities that exist. “I just moved from Saskatchewan and came straight for the fashion show. What I'm most looking forward to is gaining so much new beautiful talent from Treaty 7 territory.” Many who attended the show supported it in different ways. They came to volunteer, model, network and for some, just a good old-fashioned mingle. Kehiy Eagletail, 18, from the Tsuut’ina reserve outside Calgary, came after seeing an Instagram post that drew him to the event. “I love seeing my Indigenous people strive to do something with their lives," he said. "Indigenizing the society, the fashion industry. It's actually really great.”
"It's a global exchange. We're stepping off of our home soil and we're seeing how everybody else responds to Indigenous fashion." > Indi City co-owner Angel Aubichon
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One of the runway models, Denalene Manitopyes, wearing Indi City jewellery. Photo: Floyd Black Horse Powwow Styles and Native Diva T.A.’s arm tattoos express his Blackfoot Creations also presented couture at Indigeneity. the fundraiser, worn by models on the For owners Aubichon and Manitorunway. International music artist Drezus pyes, they feel presenting their culture is was the evening’s highlight, followed by tackling perceptions of who Indigenous up-and-coming band NDN Family. people are in North America. NDN Family performed at the end of Manitopyes says while a lot of their the night for a room filled with people designs are contemporary, they’re also ready to cut loose. Trew Awattsinaaw, “bringing back old things but in a new also known as T.A., is a group member tradition.” In addition, the duo emphawho defines his genre as powwow rap. size the importance of oral history. “Pretty much we rap about a bunch “Everything we do is rooted in story, of Native issues,” T.A. says. “We make oral teachings. That's deep rooted. real bouncy music to get other genres It's a visual of the oral stories is what into our performances. We want everyit is. And our understanding and our body to listen to our music." interpretation of those oral stories and NDN Family includes LB Savage, K traditions.” Dub C, Styles B and himself. They are The fundraiser is already in partnerconsidered the main cast. What sets ship with Indig Inc., whose Indigenous this group apart, says T.A., is they are marketplace highlights stories for Indigealso “a variety of different people from nous artisans and small business sellers. all nations” that make up their group. The trade mission is set for this summer.
CALGARY JOURNAL > TREATY 7
“Growing up on our rez there was a lot of abuse when it came to alcohol. But now were shifting.” > Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce
British Columbia rap group Snotty Nose Rez Kids is the duo behind the popular single "Boujee Natives".
Photo courtesy Snotty Nose Rez Kids.com
Snotty Nose Rez Kids know how to rock a room Trapline tour moves from the reservation to the clubs FLOYD BLACK HORSE fblackhorse@cjournal.ca
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notty Nose Rez Kids with DJ Kokum made Calgary the first stop at Commonwealth Bar & Stage on their cross-Canada Trapline Tour. The rap artists brought out Indigenous people who are already tuned in with their sound, along with a room filled with a mix of people who were united in moshing, fashion and friendship. Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce from Haisla First Nation, a northern community in B.C., follow in the footsteps doing what A Tribe Called Red did bringing “indigenous folks together and throw a party for them in an unfamiliar place.” That unfamiliar place is a nightclub, which until recently was largely void of Indigenous faces.
“Ten years ago,” says Nyce, “when I was a kid growing up on our rez, there was a lot of abuse when it came to alcohol. But now we're shifting. So you find a lot of Natives coming together around the stuff that we do, or some stuff A Tribe Called Red does, incorporating powwow into EDM music and bringing people together in club settings.” Metz’s high-pitched raps are fast and furious while Nyce’s deep and raspy vocals pull the weight. They rap over familiar beats such as Jay-Z’s “Ni**as In Paris” and throwback melodies to ‘90s R&B. It’s these instrumentals they break out from into their own style. “That's what we’re trying to do,” says Nyce. “Just make positive vibes all the way through.” Behind the turntables is Cheyanna Kootenhayoo, a.k.a DJ Kokum, from an
Alberta First Nation, who is also one of their show’s main acts. Fresh off a trip to Europe were she backed SNRK playing two festivals, The Great Escape in Brighton and New School Rules in Rotterdam, Kootenhayoo wowed audiences on and off the stage. “They hosted a boat cruise for their Canadian artists," she says. "I got to DJ there and show everyone what was up. It's pretty cool because they all were superhype about it. They didn't expect me because there's all these serious rapper dudes everywhere and there's this girl DJ. And then after I played everyone was like, Whoa!” The up and rising DJ got her handle from a childhood nickname when friends started calling her Kokum. Initially at odds because it means grandmother in Cree, Kootenhayoo came around to embracing it. “People who don't know what I
mean, think it means ‘cooking’. Like ‘cooking beats.’” Kootenhayoo leans towards play trap, a dance mix about money, cars, girl and drugs that is really popular with crowds and it is a lighter mix in the set. “I'm an open format DJ so I play everything. I play a lot of hip-hop and always throw in some oldies.” Built into the show was a stunning performance piece which united the crowd. Nyce and Metz cleared the centre floor and got everyone on their knees in a circle around them, creating a powwow rhythm with the group. They then parted the floor down the centre and initiated a back and forth name-calling game. One side were called Aliens and the other half were called Indians. The performance rocked the room. JULY-AUG 2019
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a&e
Soundsuits are more than art, they have multiple lives Visual artist Nick Cave introduces his works for the first time in Canada
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FLOYD BLACK HORSE fblackhorse@cjournal.ca
runway concept is being used at a Glenbow Museum exhibit that gives visitors a chance to walk around mannequins and observe a series of “Soundsuits” from a 360-degree perspective. While artist Nick Cave has been creating wearable art using everyday objects for decades, the exhibit marks the first time Cave’s collections are being displayed in Canada. As director of the graduate fashion program at the Art Institute of Chicago, Cave’s fabrics are more than visual appeal; they are also about making noise. The Missouri-born artist stitches together twigs and branches to make embroidered pieces, called Soundsuits. Motivated by the beating of Rodney King in 1991, he started creating the suits during a series of protests in Los Angeles. He collected twigs from the ground and fashioned them into a suit. Glenbow art curator Sarah Todd says his works, which feature feathers and buttons, have an “animated character” to them. “The suits can be protective in a way that obscures your identity,” says Todd. “The suits play with your identity so that race or gender become enveloped by the wearer. They were his response to the King situation going on.” Cave has produced nearly 500 of the Soundsuits since then. Each one is sewn by hand and adorned with different kinds of materials. The artist intends them to be worn and performs in them – referring to them as altars. “The Soundsuits have multiple lives, in a sense,” says Todd. “They are meant to be used, as well as appreciated as a static object.” Cave is also a trained dancer who comes from a big family. He trained with the famous African-American dance company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Early in his career, he studied with Alvin Ailey himself before going on to graduate from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1972. Internationally, Cave has held a lot of exhibitions. The National Gallery of Canada acquired one of his pieces for its 2017 Biennial, making Cave one of the first international features. His interdisciplinary work uses sculpture, installation and performance. The exhibit runs until September 22.
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Nick Cave. Soundsuit, 2016. Mixed media including a mask with horns, various toys, globes, wire, metal, and mannequin Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Nick Cave. Photo: James Prinz Photography
CALGARY JOURNAL > A&E LENS
SLED ISLAND A FAST AND FURIOUS FREE FLOWING FESTIVAL
Man or Astroman at Dickens - Saturday, June 22 Photo: Floyd Black Horse
June 19-23, 2019
Bully at The Palace - Friday, June 21 Photo: Kate Mackenzie
The Comet Is Coming at Commonwealth- Saturday, June 22 Photo: Floyd Black Horse
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BB at Dickens - Saturday, June 22 Photo: Floyd Black Horse
BB at Dickens - Saturday, June 22 Photo: Floyd Black Horse
JULY-AUG 2019
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sports
Richmond Green set to shut down after this season Heavy revenue losses force the first city-owned golf course to close its clubhouse PETER BRAND pbrand@cjournal.ca
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algarians used to visiting Richmond Green golf course will only have this season to use the facility before it closes later in the fall. This comes after city council decided to close the city-owned golf course due to its poor attendance and financial problems. The proposal to close the southwest Calgary site was approved by council members at a June meeting, despite concerns from Mayor Naheed Nenshi that shutting the facility might be “too hasty.” The mayor had suggested the site could be kept open for another year, until city staff have completed a full review of all city-owned golf courses. According to Coun. Ward Sutherland, the city’s six golf courses combined lose about $2 million a year. He attributed some of the revenue losses to wages that are too high. “Richmond Green loses a minimum of $150,000 a year,” said Sutherland. Poor attendance makes Richmond Green Calgary’s least played course, and with significant issues with underground infrastructure, the course is too challenging to be redeveloped into anything other than a green space or driving range. During council debate, Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart suggested the site could be turned into a Top Golf driving range. However, the future of the site remains in limbo until administration finishes its study of the city’s six courses. Sutherland said the timing of the closure makes sense now because “council needs to think of long term sustainability of golf in Calgary.” The closure is expected to push business to the neighbouring courses of Lakeview and Shaganappi Point. Attendance at Lakeview is also lagging, while Shaganappi is one of the only city courses that turns a profit. Golfers gather around the first tee at Richmond Green.
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Photo: Peter Brand
CALGARY JOURNAL > SPORTS
Riders race to the bitter end; an exciting spectator sport Indian Relay Races take hold in rural communities
An Indian Relay Race in full flight during High River’s rodeo weekend in June. FLOYD BLACK HORSE fblackhorse@cjournal.ca
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or fans of Indian Relay Racing, the sport’s exhibition in High River, Alta during the town’s annual rodeo weekend, Guy Weadick Days, is a can’tmiss attraction. The relay races require extreme athleticism, as riders complete a lap around the track on horseback before jumping off as quickly as possible onto the next horse. But for riders, it’s also about the fun involved in bringing back a traditional sport. “We’ve been riding forever, so it’s a part of our nature,” said Cody Big Tobacco, who placed third in the June relay races in High River. Tobacco said the toughest part of the race is the exchange. As competitors jump from one horse to the next, some struggle to get back on.
“That’s where you win or lose,” Tobacco said. Bonnyville, Alta is one of the towns involved in the sport. The town had a record 22 teams participating at its season opener event for the May long weekend. Alberta teams come from reserves and Browning, Montana has players who come in each year. Emerald Downs in Washington hosts bigger events that come with $65,000 prizes. The president of the Canadian Indian Relay Association (CIRRA), Dexter Bruised Head, said the reception from towns and cities has been positive. “It’s a huge cultural event for our non-Native friends; they’re hooked,” he said. “They see one, they have to see more.” The association has been moving competitions from First Nation communities to big city rodeo arenas. Games in Washington, DC were declared the world’s largest Indian Relay event in his-
Photo: Floyd Black Horse tory. For Bruised Head, this means seeing more people come out to the shows. “Our teams are entering their third year, so that means more exposure,” he said. Julie Heggenstaller attended the event in High River with her family and took in the races from the front row. “We’ve never seen it before,” she said. Heggenstaller described how flighty the horses were and noticed the agility of the riders. “Especially the guy who jumped from the rear up the back,” she said. “You could see him talking to it. The horse was jacked and ready to go but just couldn’t seem to let loose of his energy.” Each lap had the spectators banging their feet on the stands before the finish line. One of the historic roots of the sport is how First Nations would chase down a buffalo using multiple horses, and once the animal was tired, they would go in for the hunt.
“When our people hunted buffalo on horseback, there are many ways in which First Nations honed in on how to do a perfect hunt,” said Bruised Head. There is also a vision that comes into play involving tribal warriors that would steal horses from nearby camps. So the races resemble activities of hunting, warfare and warrior games that happened on the plains a long time ago. The races also display a message promoting a healthy, active lifestyle for Indigenous people. Calgary Stampede First Nations Princess Astokomii Smith, who attended the High River races, spoke highly of the sport. “It’s very exciting —you definitely have to see it,” she said. Bruised Head added the relay racers are shown “in a good, honest way.” “And it’s all culturally based,” Bruised Head said. “We strive to be the best we can.” JULY-AUG 2019
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OnlyAtGlenbow
Nick Cave: Feat. Until September 22
Organized by the Frist Art Museum, Nashville, Tennessee Don’t miss the transformative work of Nick Cave – one of the world’s true art superstars. glenbow.org | Calgary’s Art Museum
Nick Cave, Soundsuit, 2016, Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. © Nick Cave. Photo: James Prinz Photography
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