January 10, 2013 by The Newspaper

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VOL XXXV Issue 14 • January 10, 2013

First Nations chiefs to meet PM Harper Friday amidst internal uncertainty Toronto Native community leaders question Assembly of First Nations’ effectiveness Yukon Damov The Idle No More movement has brought the issue of First Nations’ sovereignty back into the national conversation, and Aboriginal chiefs are finally convening with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday, a meeting prompted by Chief Theresa Spence’s continuing hunger strike. Spence is supported by the Idle No More movement, which was begun in protest over the

federal government’s omnibus Bill C-45, which arguably violates Indigenous and environmental rights. But skepticism greets the meeting in many Aboriginal quarters, including those involved in Idle No More. Some of this skepticism revolves around the Assembly of First Nations, which will represent Canada’s 630-plus First Nations communities at the table, and has faced criticism from its constituents. Native leaders consider Fri-

day’s meeting part of a “nationto-nation” relationship, one which much Idle No More believes needs to be “reset.” Although the agenda has not been released, the parameters of the meeting could prevent a reset that satisfies all figures in the Toronto Aboriginal community. Some First Nations people question the extent of their collective sovereignty under federal law and especially how that sovereignty is represented by the AFN.

Idle No More’s Toronto chapter held a teach-in Tuesday night at Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre for about 100 audience members. The question of how exactly sovereignty is envisioned was not directly answered, but the subject loomed large in the discussion. Wanda Nanibush, an Idle No More organizer, gave a presentation addressing the history of treaties, specifically the Indian Act. She argued that the Act stipulates that treaty rights override

provincials laws, gives the federal government responsibility over First Nations’ land, and is grounded in a nation-to-nation relationship. Nanibush claimed that Harper’s vision is to ultimately abolish the Indian Act, emphasize individual over collective rights, and transfer federal authority over First Nations to the provinces, thus making First Nations communities more like munici-

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U of T distances itself from campus anti-gay program ‘Courage’ Sebastian Greenholtz The University of Toronto rejected an anti-homosexuality program called “Courage” offered by the Newman Centre, the Catholic parish on campus. The Centre describes the Courage group on its website as “a spiritual support group for young adults who experience same-sex attractions and who desire to live chastely, in accordance with Catholic teaching.” However, several parishioners refuse to participate in the program because they oppose its principles. Unlike programs in the United States which aim to eliminate homosexual attraction or turn people “straight,” the Courage

program simply teaches chastity as a way to avoid the “sinful” act of gay sex, as described by the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops’ Letter which Courage endorses. The letter states, “To the extent that a same-sex attraction is not freely chosen, there is no personal culpability in having such an inclination.” However, while the letter urges those in pastoral positions “not to perpetuate injustice, hatred or malice in speech or action [...] against persons with homosexual inclinations,” many feel the program perpetuates injustice, rather than eliminating it. One parishioner, quoted anonymously in the Globe and Mail, opposed “the harm and the damage [Courage] does, pri-

marily to vulnerable younger people who are struggling with their sexual identity.” The Newman Centre at U of T is one of many established throughout the world and is not under university control. Without the ability to shut down the program, U of T spoke out against Courage after several complaints were launched, including ones from parishioners themselves. Vice-president of Human Resources and Equity Angela Hildyard told Globe and Mail that Courage is “inconsistent with the university’s values.” Members of the U of T LGBTQ community agree with Hildyard. Tom Gleason, president

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BODI BOLD

Complaints lodged against Newman Centre prompt response from U of T community

THE NEWS

from “uncertainty”

Schoolyard affair

Op-ed: Liberals and the unions need each other

Dylan Hornby This week, after months of stalled negotiations, Ontario Education Minister Laurel Broten imposed new contracts on the province’s teachers, bringing a tragic end to a ten year friendship between the Liberal government and Ontario’s public school teachers, when Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty invested heavily in teachers’ salaries and education reform. The Liberals’ plan is to freeze teachers’ wages for the next two years, cut the number of sick days in half and remove the ability to collect unused ones. These actions reportedly save the province two billion dollars, while preserving most investments in education. However, this “Putting Students First Act” gave unions a limited time to negotiate an agreement, otherwise Queen’s Park would enforce a contract of their own. This act,

picketed and demonized by Ontario’s teachers unions, is colloquially known as Bill 115. Although these former allies point their fingers at each other, neither side is blameless. The Liberals have gone against their values by imposing a contract rather than continuing negotiations. Subsequently, the Teachers’ Union has stubbornly refused to compromise and protested by wrongly forcing teachers to stop running extra-curricular activities thus angering millions of tax-paying parents. It is easy to get lost in antigovernment rhetoric but, if one looks at what the Liberals are attempting, it does not seem unreasonable. Considering the burden of a $15 billion deficit, a pay freeze for public servants is much better than a pay cut. Bankable sick days are a perk that few enjoy, and certainly one that taxpayers do not want to fund. The real problem lies

the newspaper is the University of Toronto’s independent weekly paper, published since 1978. VOL XXXV No. 14 Editor-in-Chief Cara Sabatini Managing Editor Helene Goderis News Editor Yukon Damov Associate News Editors Sebastian Greenholtz Emerson Vandenberg Arts Editor VACANT Photo Editor Bodi Bold Illustrations Editor Nick Ragetli

Copy Editors Sydney Gautreau Nata Guled Web Editor Joe Howell Comment Editor Dylan Hornby Contributors Jonas Becker, Bodi Bold, Sarah Boivin, Samantha Chiusolo, Jon Dundas, Sydney Gautreau, Sebastian Greenholtz, Dylan Hornby, Joe Howell, Adam Oliver, Nick Ragetli, Kelsey Stasiak, David Stokes, Emerson Vandenberg, Victoria Vaughn, Geoffrey Vendeville Cover photo: Geoffrey Vendeville

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January 10, 2013

in how it was handled. Instead of legislating themselves out of tough negotiations, this government must encourage more discussion. The Liberals may have a minority, but the Conservatives are even more concerned about reining in spending and would support tougher contracts, so even this contract is a victory. As for Ontario’s teachers, the animosity is not necessarily over money but over collective bargaining rights. Bill 115 limits their ability to effectively negotiate with the province, and they passionately oppose it as a result. Re-opening debate is the first step to healing wounds. The unions effectively find themselves with little support for their cause in the legislature. Besides the Liberals, who else can they turn to? A conservative opposition that would prefer them extinct? Or an NDP rump that would promise pay raises nobody would support? In the end, despite all the hurt feelings, the Liberals are the only ones who can reach a reasonable deal with Ontario teachers. Broten has even promised to repeal Bill 115 by the end of January so that debate can resume. The real question is, without Bill 115 in the way, what will happen? If the unions are actually willing to risk the education of millions for more money from a indebted government that has spoiled them for the past decade, it is a fight they will likely lose.

from “courage” of Woodsworth Inclusive and Queer Issues Director of the U of T Liberals, stated in an e-mail to the newspaper, “The university strives to be a safe and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and faculty. In rejecting “Courage”, the university is taking a stand and supporting the diversity that makes this city and this campus great.” John Paul Catungal, a PhD candidate in Geography and one of the co-organizers of the Graduate Students’ Union Queer Caucus, spoke out against several elements of the Courage program. “The use of the twelve-step Alcoholics Anonymous recovery model by Courage clearly shows

palities. In other words, Nanibush claimed that Harper’s goal is to erode Aboriginal sovereignty. “I am sovereign,” Nanibush remarked in a different context that evening. “I will operate as a sovereign person—I will not ask for sovereignty.” The role of AFN in a nation-tonation relationship was not discussed, but when asked about the relationship, Nanibush replied, “What we’re looking for is a conglomeration of nations, like the Assembly of First Nations, but maybe not the way it’s [currently] built.” Part of the dissatisfaction directed at AFN stems from its lack of independence. “The AFN is a lobby organization for band councils,” Hayden King, an assistant professor in Ryerson’s Political Science Department and also a speaker Tuesday night, said in an email. “So it has contributed to truncating any nation-to-nation relationship. That’s not to say

that the people working in and through the AFN aren’t interested in asserting more jurisdiction—they are. But the framework they use effectively suppresses any desire for real self-determination because it’s a framework determined by Canada.” AFN is not without support in the broader First Nations community. It issued a joint statement January 2, which was signed by eighteen Aboriginal groups, including Chiefs of Ontario. Sylvia Plains, a council leader for U of T’s Native Students’ Association (NSA), is also skeptical of the AFN. “I see a call and a need for restructuring in our own government,” she said. Pressed as to whether she was referring to the AFN, she replied, “Yeah, yeah, AFN. Or even just as an entirety.” Pause. “Yeah, really just AFN.” The University of Toronto’s Native Students’ Association will attend rallies in Ottawa on Friday, January 11, to support the cause.

VICTORIA VAUGHN

how the group views and treats LGBTQ people. Therefore, I am encouraged by the University administration’s response and the responses of many members of the university community.” “I speak personally when I say that dealing with being queer and with growing up in the Roman Catholic tradition can be difficult, especially given the institution’s view of homosexuality as ‘disordered.’ It is therefore heartening to hear that some of the most vocal opponents of Courage are parishioners at the Newman Centre.” “I am also grateful for the existence of the U of T student club Qu(e)erying Religion, an interfaith group which provides affirming space for university

community members to examine the complex intersections of religious, spiritual, sexual and gender identities. That QR has the logistical, pastoral and political support not only of the Multifaith Centre and the Ecumenical Chaplaincy at U of T, but also of campus ministry at the University of St. Michael’s College, shows that a simplistic view of homosexuality as ‘disordered’ and as needing some sort of therapy or cure is not a universally religious, Christian or even Roman Catholic position.” Hopefully U of T can continue to create safe spaces for the queer community on campus and fight those who aim to shut down acceptance.

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THE NEWS

the briefs

Where do the leading Liberal candidates U of T office stand on clerk murder arrest students’ issues?

Education key issue at final Ontario Liberal leadership debate Emerson Vandenberg As the Ontario Liberal Party gets set to elect its new leader and premier of Ontario, the newspaper breaks down the platforms and promises of the top three candidates. All former education ministers, Kathleen Wynne, Sandra Pupatello and Gerard Kennedy bring a swath of experience to the campaign front as they vie for the top job. The election process is handled internally by the liberal party and the system can at times seem a tad complicated. As such bear in mind how the new leader is elected: 107 Ontario ridings hold Leadership Election Meetings on the weekend of January 12 and 13. Liberal party members vote in their riding for the candidate of their choice. A group of 14 delegates is proportionally selected from each riding based on the results. These representatives go to a convention on the January 26 and vote again to decide the new leader.

January 2013 on campus UTSU AGM Follow-Up - Friday, January 11 at 5pm UTSU President Shaun Shepherd will meet with representatives from each college to address issues of division of power between the colleges and UTSU, as brought up in the AGM in November. Liberal Convention - Liberal Party members will meet January 12 and 13 at Leadership Election Meetings to vote for their preferred leadership candidate and new Ontario premier. Winter Week of Welcome - Look out for fun activities all week, hosted by UTSU.

KATHLEEN WYNNE Current standing: Leading the pack with 1,533 delegates in all 107 ridings From: Richmond Hill, ON Bill 115: Wants to continue negotiating with Ontario teachers, but questions whether the mediation model is outdated and needs to be changed. While she did not want to enforce wage-freeze contracts on teachers, she would not repeal Bill 115. She is quoted in the Star saying “the legislation is in place.” Tuition: Committed to a 30% tuition drop. She wants to make more opportunities available for internships, placements and adult learning. Jobs: Wants to return the debtGDP ratio to pre-recessionary levels by 2017-2018, essentially through spending cuts. Building on her views about Bill115, she wants to create a more equitable negotiation model for collective bargaining. As education minister (20062010): Introduced the Fall Progress Report Card into elementary schools, which contains written evaluations as opposed to marks to offset the discouraging effect of mediocre grades on young students. UTSU Board of Directors Meeting Meeting of the Board of Directors on Monday, January 14, which will include ratifying amendments to the agenda for the General Meeting to take place in late January or early February (time and place TBA). The Chief Returning Officer will also be ratified at this meeting. Governing Council Elections Nominations for governing council positions are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, and campaigning begins on January 28. Elections are held the second week of February. Extensive information on deadlines and duties on the Governing Council website.

Sandra Pupatello

Gerard Kennedy

Current standing: A close second with 1281 delegates in 106 ridings From: Windsor, ON Bill 115: Believes the collective bargaining process is outdated, agreeing that Bill 115, although unwanted, was a necessary step in getting the negotiating model back on track. Jobs: Wants to strengthen rural Ontario, particularly projects like the Ring of Fire extraction site in Sudbury. She is quoted in the Timmins Press saying that “I’ve got a particular interest in value-added activity linked to our natural resources.” As education minister (2006): According to ppforum.ca, a Canadian forum website for public policy issues, Pupatello was heralded during her tenure as education minister for proceeding with many renovation projects for high schools across the province as well as introducing Specialist High Skills Majors to secondary students wishing to customize their education.

Current standing: Rounding out the top 3 with 846 delegates in 97 ridings From: The Pas, MB Bill 115: Believes that Bill 115 is a mistake. Claims he would restore teacher’s negotiating rights if elected premier. Stated in The Star that “no contracts should be imposed using the controversial Bill 115.” In return, Kennedy wants to teachers and local education workers to hold off on further labour actions, including the restoring of extracurricular activities. As education minister (20032006): Michael Fulland, author and renowned international authority on educational reform has celebrated Kennedy’s “turnaround in publicly funded education in Ontario.” Similar to his tenure as CEO of Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank, which grew 40-fold under his watch, Kennedy ensured the $18 billion annual education budget was put to work, according to Fulland as quoted in the newswire.

UTSU/NSA Joint Statement on Idle No More - Expect a joint statement from the UTSU and the Native Student Association on the Idle No More movement, coming out as early as next week. Ecofest - The Sustainability Offices of all three U of T campuses are holding a joint environmental festival end of January - details to be announced. Varsity Referendum - A vote will be held on January 28 to increase the student levy going to The Varsity to help augment falling advertising revenue. Detailed information on Varsity expenses and content available on their website.

UTM Student Centre Fees Referendum - University of Toronto Mississauga is holding a referendum between January 29 and January 31 on increasing student fees in order to expand the Student Union-run Student Centre. Eligable to vote are full time undergraduate students at UTM and Faculty of Medicine students registered with UTM. More details on the increase on UTMSU’s facebook page. UTSU Task Force on UofT Food Service audit - UTSU has put together a task force to investigate how food services are run at U of T, examining prices, health concerns, and diversity of options. - Sebastian Greenholtz

Toronto police have arrested Mladen “Michael” Ivezic for assistance in the murder in 2011 of a U of T clerk. Allan Lanteigne was found dead in his home after a coworker reported to police that Lanteigne had not shown up to work. In November Lanteigne’s husband Demitry Papasotiriou was arrested for first-degree murder and a warrant was issued at the time for Ivezic. Now the case can finally close.

Shakeup in Leaf-land

The Toronto Maple Leafs made a surprise announcement during their Wednesday, December 9 press conference: GM Brian Burke has been fired. The former cup winner with the Anaheim Ducks was relieved of his duties after posting a 128-135-42 record in three seasons with Toronto. The top job has been given to Dave Nonis, former Vancouver Canucks GM. The arrival of Nonis, who is best known for bringing Roberto Luongo to the West coast, has already fueled speculation about a repeat trade to fill the gap between Toronto’s pipes.

Lockout over!

After an agonizing 113 days, the NHL work stoppage has ended. Despite the need to finalize a few details, a tentative deal has been reached between the NHL Players’ Association and team owners. The details include a 10-year collective bargaining agreement that splits hockey-related revenue fifty-fifty, meaning a 12.5 per cent pay cut for the players. The new salary cap will be $70 million dollars and long-term contracts are now limited to seven years. Fans should expect continued debate about NHL player participation in the 2014 Sochi Olympics because no decision was reached in this agreement. -Emerson Vandenberg & Sebastian Greenholtz

THE DEBATE

January 10, 2013

Idle No More on the wrong side of the law?

MOTION: Illegal actions associated with the Idle No More movement are effective and necessary to bring public attention to the First Nations’ plight. On December 11, 2012, Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence began a highly publicized hunger strike in an attempt to secure talks and potential negotiations with Prime Minister Stephen Harper over violations of First Nations treaties and protection of land and water claims. In its wake, a string of protests have popped up across the country as part of a movement known as Idle No More. Supporters of the movement have engaged in such activity as blocking roads, rail lines and border crossings -- actions that are technically illegal and inconvenience thousands of Canadians.

The native settlement of Attawapiskat is rapidly becoming a flashpoint for Canada’s troubled relationship with its First Nation’s peoples. Years of financial mismanagement, federal neglect and environmental degradation have resulted in a state of emergency being declared by its chief, Teresa Spence. Since then, native rights and activist groups such as Idle No More have been protesting with the stated aim to “stop the Harper government from passing more laws and legislation that will further erode treaty and indigenous rights and the rights of all Canadians.” Although the economic and social disparity of many native communities across Canada is also an important issue for these groups, their most recent efforts have been focused on stopping Bill’s C-38 and C-45, proposed legislation that would eliminate much of the safety guidelines surrounding Canada’s water and fishery resources, while also making it easier for the government to lease land from native reserves and territory. Chief Teresa Spence has been on a hunger strike since December 11th in an effort to secure talks with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, while Idle No More has launched a campaign of flash mobs, social media, marches and the illegal blocking of certain roads and highways across Canada. A group believed to be affiliated with them even blocked the Canadian National railway in Belleville for approximately 3 hours in an effort to draw further public attention. Reactions to the protests have been mixed. Some argue that legal areas of protests, such as organized marches and online petitions, c a n only get a cause so far, and it is the more vivid and lasting impression that blockades and banners brings that will ensure success. Supporters of this strategy might point to the fact that Harper has agreed to meet with

a delegation of First Nation’s leaders, including Teresa Spence, on January 11th. This is a mistaken assumption. Firstly, Idle No More needs both public attention and public support. Petty acts of traffic disruption, trespassing and even vandalism will attract the public attention but certainly not their support. Secondly, native leaders need to maintain some level of legitimacy in the eyes of the Canadian government if they hope to negotiate with them. Too many illegal acts combined with a radical shift in public sympathy and they might find their hard won delegation revoked. In the end, the real root of the problem lies in the archaic and much maligned Indian Act, a system that breeds dependency in native reserves while ensuring that the comfortably looked after chiefs and leaders have no desire to change the status quo. Even among the current wave of protests, January 7th saw the inclusion of Métis and NonStatus Indians into the Indian Act. For real change to happen, an aggressive and multilateral approach has to be undertaken by the Federal government with the stated goal of finally ending the decades of hopelessness and neglect suffered by native communities across the country.

Idle No More has something to say, and Stephen Harper just isn’t listening. The recent protests have spread across the country--and into the States--at an incredible pace. While some of the tactics used have been highly controversial, they are absolutely necessary. Other Canadians should be learning from the movement’s effectiveness. The Idle No More movement is calling on all Canadians, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to reflect upon their political apathy. Harper passes omnibus bill after omnibus bill, barely batting an eye at opposing interests. This is not the first time a group has spoken out against Harper’s unwillingness to pay attention. In representation of Canadian Artists, Yann Martel sent Harper 101 books every two weeks in response to the Prime Minister’s arts cuts without receiving a personal reply. Last summer, scientists took over parliament hill protesting research cuts, similarly to no avail. Thus, legal protesters have not gotten very far. The First Nations people are nations, bound by treaty law relationships with the Crown’s Government of Canada (let it not be forgotten that Canada is still a Dominion). These treaties have been perpetually violated, most recently with omnibus Bill C-45 which affects Aboriginal rights to

land and water. Despite the illegality of the recent assaults on public transportation networks, they are in response to a far greater display of contempt of the law from Harper’s government. To oppose the violation of Aboriginal rights, protesters need media coverage -- coverage not easily come by if their plight does not seem to affect non-Aboriginal Canadians. The safe imposition of travel inconvenience may just be a necessary response to federal political neglect, if the message gets heard. The illegality of the actions would probably be overlooked by most Canadians were the protests not inconvenient. Yet how many travelers have been held up for several hours on VIA trains and at border crossings, and call it a regular afternoon? Idle No More protesters are working to build community, increase awareness, and assert political sovereignty. The protests have been safe, peaceful, and the vast majority well within legal boundaries. The nation to nation relationship of mutual respect for sovereignty built by Aboriginal ancestors and Crown agents must be repaired. This is an issue that affects all Canadians, and if a longer than usual train ride or a drum circle in the mall is what is needed to bring us out of idleness then, by all means: someone get me a drum.

SAMANTHA CHIUSOLO

Sarah Boivin

Jonas Becker

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THE INSIDE

Shaping the ‘people’s park’

GEOFFREY VENDEVILLE

What does the future hold for Canada’s first ‘urban national park’?

The frost covered Rouge Park, dubbed the “people’s park,” is at a crossroads where urban meets rural. Geoffrey Vendeville Taking in the view from the wooden lookout perched above the Little Rouge River, it’s easy to forget you are still within city limits. In the valley below, snowy pines and bare birch trees (and other trees a city slicker would be hard-pressed to identify) flank the narrow, windy river after which Rouge Park is named—an almost picture-perfect winter landscape. But the other side of the hill offers a different perspective: power lines stretching as far as the eye can see and, in the distance, a road frequented by TTC buses—reminders of the park’s so-called “near-urban” context. Occupying an area of 47km2 nestled between Scarborough and Pickering (to the west and east), and Markham and Lake Ontario (to the north and south), Rouge Park is at a crossroads where urban meets rural. It is home to hundreds of plant and animal species, some of which are nationally endangered or locally rare, including white-tailed deer; on the other

hand, the park also has a very long history of human habitation and farming, and contains an automobile recycler as well as a capped landfill. The park’s location at the doorstep of Canada’s most densely populated area has made it particularly vulnerable to urban sprawl. Since the mid1970s, farmers, conservationists, politicians, and local residents have fought, with much success, to protect the park from urban development. In 2011, the federal government announced that the park would be given the highest protection by being designated an “urban national park,” the first of its kind in Canada. Today, people are still fighting over what that title means. The transformation of Rouge Park—which Parks Canada has dubbed the “people’s park”— into a national green space is still ongoing. But critics of the government’s current plan for Rouge Park say that the original emphasis on conservation has gotten lost along the way. A different vision Jim Robb, who holds a B.Sc. in

Forestry from the University of Toronto, has led efforts to establish a park in the Rouge Valley stretching from Lake Ontario to the Oak Ridges Moraine since he joined the Save the Rouge Valley System movement in the 1980s. With the help of a local MP, the group managed to bring the issue of protecting Rouge Valley lands to the attention of the federal government, which extended its support for the project in 1988. When Premier David Peterson announced in 1990 that the province was on board, Robb recalls feeling “ecstatic.” However, Robb, now general manager of the conservation group Friends of the Rouge Watershed (FRW), says the government’s plan for the national park has gone off-track. “The vision that [Parks Canada] is putting forward now is completely different from the vision that was adopted in 1994,” he said. “It doesn’t even mention the word ecosystem or ecology … They’re threatening to gut 20 years of planning and take the ecological heart out of the park.”

Parks Canada could not be reached in time for print. Rouge Park’s farmers One of FRW’s greatest concerns, Robb said, is that under the current plan, most of the park is going to be reserved for tenant farmers and kept offlimits to the public. Agriculture in Rouge Park is nothing new; farmers have been working the land there since the 19th century. In 1972, the Ontario and federal governments expropriated thousands of hectares of land for an airport in Pickering, which was never built. Since then, local farmers have been leasing the land back from the federal government on a shortterm basis. Robb says the farmland in Rouge Park is now being used to grow industrial cash crops rather than local food, using harmful pesticides. In a letter to Premier Dalton McGuinty written in December, FRW urged the provincial government to “ensure that agricultural operations within the park are sustainable and compatible with the protection of water quality,

biological diversity and ecological health.” In an article in the Scarborough Mirror, a former general manager of Rouge Park suggested that the system of short-term leasing has discouraged farmers from making expensive investments in their land - for fear of losing it - and left them little choice but to grow cash crops. Under Parks Canada’s proposal for Rouge Park, tenant farmers could lease their land for up to 25 years. Although Rouge Park has been given the status of an “urban national park,” disagreements about the park’s future show that this label is still very much open to interpretation. For the moment, the people are still searching for that elusive compromise. Visit rougepark.com for information on programs and events taking place this month at Ontario’s “people’s park.”

THE ARTS

January 10, 2013

Photographing the folds of life and death

JEFF BIERK

Artist Jeff Bierk on the personal events behind prize winning series ‘Curtain’

Kelsey Stasiak On Friday, January 4, Queen West gallery O’Born Contemporary (OBC) hosted its second annual emerging artists exhibition. The prize of best in show went to photographer Jeff Bierk for work from his series entitled “Curtain.” Shot between 2010 and 2011, Curtain features photographs of hospital curtains. Bierk commented that the series is an attempt to further understand death and loss, and that the curtains are both a catalyst and metaphor for these deeply personal aspects of his own life. Jeff Bierk expands on his work in Curtain and the personal events behind it. the newspaper: What is the importance of curtains? Jeff Bierk: My father was an artist. He painted landscapes and also appropriated old masters’ paintings. These are the images I grew up with--Vermeer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio and Van Eyck. The curtains reminded me of them. The folds of fabric and the light, like something out of a painting. While [the curtains] act as

representations of death, loss and the trauma inside hospitals, I have found them to be sublimely beautiful outside their original context. These seemingly lifeless, inanimate folds of fabric say much more to me. They embody the personal loss I have experienced and my incessant desire to search for the beauty in the realities of life. TN: How were these images inspired? JB: I was in the hospital with my girlfriend, the woman I loved and shared a life with. I was overwhelmed with feelings, worried about her health and also disturbed by memories. I watched both my parents die in hospitals. I wanted to break everything, to tear it all down. I started to take photographs as an escape from these feelings. So, the series began as an instinctual reaction, an examination of my surroundings at a time of fear and uncertainty. When I sat with the images and looked at them, I was drawn to the curtains. What’s given this series even

more weight, is that my girlfriend died unexpectedly last January. These images mean more to me than I could ever put into words, or explain. TN: Your latest work, which includes portraits of the homeless, people doing drugs and voyeuristic images of people sleeping on benches, share the same feeling of sadness that Curtain evokes. How are these series related? JB: I don’t look at my work as being divided into projects. I’m always shooting, and even though there are individual ideas, or series, I feel like I’m building one body of work. I’m interested in my experience, understanding it, and honouring it. Photography allows me to do this. I’m constantly collecting images and stories, that through reflection, reveal some of my own story, of addiction and loss. TN: You recently participated in the open critique at O’Born Contemporary commercial gallery. What was it like to present your work to artist professionals, galler-

ists and artistic peers? JB: It was an incredible experience. I was really nervous. I’m uneducated. I never graduated high school, so I had absolutely no experience with critiques or any idea what to expect. It went really well! My work is honest, and I think that shows. It was great to put it out there and see how people responded to it. I think that’s one of the greatest things as an artist, to create work that people react to, or feel, or are affected by. TN: How do you feel about winning best in show at O’Born Contemporary’s Emerging Artist Exhibition? JB: I’m very honoured to be a part of this exhibition. My life has changed so much in the last year. I have so much respect for [OBC directors] Lili Huston-Herterich and Natalie MacNamara, and for O’Born. I admire the artists they represent--Mark Peckmezian and Dominic Nahr are two of my favorite photographers. It’s really special to show work with such talented people too, Kyle

Brohman and Ben Freedman are both people, and photographers, that I really look up to. I’ve been working really hard and it just feels good to have people appreciate what I’m doing. TN: What projects are on the horizon? JB: My camera broke and I’m shooting film, which has slowed me down a lot. I think it’s a good thing. I have so many ideas. I’ve started to paint a little bit, into photographs. My dad painted into photographs and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I’m really interested in access, I crave it. I want to take my camera into places I’m not supposed to be. I would really like to go back to Peterborough, my hometown, and explore with my camera. A goal for this year is to make a book, a really nice book, a collection of photographs and stories. Jeff Bierk’s work will be on display at O’Born Contemporary until January 19. To see more from Curtain and his other work, visit jeffbierk.com.

THE ARTS

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This is War highlights humanity in Desert Storm Tarragon Theatre play presents soldiers’ version of Afghan War

ODESSA KELEBAY

This Is War is a play written by Governor General Awardnominated writer Hannah Moscovitch about the issues a handful of Canadian soldiers face in the Afghanistan city of Panjwaii. There are four characters, all Canadian soldiers of differing rank, age and profession; three are male and one is female. The characters provide their point of view of an overarching plot revealed incrementally with each new character. Every soldier, as if addressing a reporter questioning them about a fateful incident, tells the story in the ‘present’ before acting out the reality. The viewer sees a repetition of events, but from different perspectives, and with light shed on the actions and motivations of each character. The full sequence of events, predictably, is not fully revealed until the final character has told his side of the story. This style of plot delivery works well in keeping a sense of near-suspense; the audience may know the basic sequence of events, but with each retelling of the story, more is

CYLLA VON TIEDEMANN

Jon Dundas

revealed, the more questions there are to answer. The set is small, with just enough room for the four characters to act comfortably. Walls and ceilings are covered in netting intertwined with tan leaves, much like a soldier’s ghillie suit. The actors, in desert camouflage uniforms, blend in with the background.

Despite the meager set, lighting plays a big part in creating a believable setting. Through the ceiling’s netting, change in the overhead lights are used to mimic the time of day quite convincingly. Regardless of whether it’s sunrise or sunset, the electrically illuminated interior of a base building, or the uncertainty of complete dark-

ness, the use of lighting remains one of this play’s strongest attributes. The actors, as troubled soldiers, become suitably emotional with a preference of realism over drama. Ian Lake, who plays a wounded character, does a dead-on impression of PTSD-twitches and the shaky memory of a soldier just

back from war. However, the actors manage to present nuanced portrayals of their characters’ issues both physically and emotionally, for which they deserve praise. The play does not concern itself with giving a grand moral stance on the war. Instead, it’s about the trials of the individual soldiers in a distant land. The only message, if any, is that no one in their home country knows the details of what they went through across the sea. This is highlighted by the interview-style narration; the soldiers reporting their stories to “us,” the media. Truly, there is nothing glorious about war, certainly not in this day and age. This Is War depicts how those individuals who participate in such a purgatory react with their decisions and surroundings, giving the audience a rarely-seen glimpse at the impact of warfare. Regardless of one’s stance on this particular conflict, the show is worth attending. The play runs until February 3, every day except Mondays, at the Tarragon Theatre located at 30 Bridgman Avenue.

A cinemagraphic experiment with a time machine

Documentary style film captures the creation and passage of time David Stokes The End of Time, a film written and directed by Canadian Peter Mettler, is currently playing at Tiff Bell Lightbox as part of the public screenings associated with “Canada’s Top Ten.” It is a lovingly and expertly crafted filmic exploration of time and takes viewers on an invigorating flight through a labyrinth of thought and feeling. It is as much a whole-hearted search for understanding as it is an art film. Mettler chose locations where the human relationship to time can be captured cinematographically in overwhelmingly rich and mysterious visuals. This includes the subterranean lair of the enormous CERN particle accelerator in Switzerland, with which scientists are recreating the conditions of the birth

of time; a lava flow in Hawaii where a man lives alone as the land around his home reverts to the fiery state of the young earth; the crumbling Detroit neighborhoods where rave DJs and enviro-anarchists create paradises amid the postapocalyptic-meets-instagramready patina of decay; and the cotton-clouded mountain peak that houses a battalion of space telescopes whose metal eyes capture light from five billion year-old explosions. Scenes from these and other main subjects are separated with splinters of Planet Earthesque beauty shots that illuminate a world of dramatically varied textures and concurrent happenings. Far from being mere poetic interludes, the shots act as recurring spokes of a wheel, signalling that the film has endless places it needs to go.

Through the patient and sensitive eyes of Mettler the visual toll of time speaks for itself. Mettler used his camera to dream; he used long stretches of lingering shots, with a sparse narration functioning only as a plucky poetic trill. Mettler takes obvious delight in playing with time, filling the film with visual wormholes, vortices, and loops— such as reversed shots, the doubling back onto previous scenes, and even letting the camera fall inexplicably into the womb-like eternity of his editing room. The film is itself an experiment with a time machine. Resembling a guided mediation, Mettler’s film sketches the ineffable. By offering us a mirage, the viewer is hardpressed not to complete the picture with one’s own thoughts, feelings, and memo-

ries. This is perhaps the most exciting aspect of the movie, for inasmuch as Mettler has surrendered his film to an idiosyncratic, personal, and nonhurried portrayal of time, the long shots of the film prompt the viewer to look inward and find their own perception of time’s movement. The film ends with one final swoon-inducing psychogeo-

graphical headtrip sequence before it closes with shots of Mettler’s mother. It feels like the only way this intensely tender and affecting movie could possibly end--and, paradoxically, begin. Visit tiff.net for screening times and more information on The End of TIme.

THE END

January 10, 2013

Jan. 16 - 18 Sid Smith Bldg 1st Floor Lobby

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the newspaper is looking to fill the following positions this semester - Arts Editor - Associate Arts Editor - Design Editor - Associate Design Editor - Web Designer

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For details on how to apply, visit thenewspaper.ca. Interested in contributing? Attend our open meeting Thursdays 7PM at 1 Spadina Crescent, Suite 245

the campus comment

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On Wednesday, January 9, the earth experienced a close encounter with what’s been nicknamed the “Doomsday Asteroid,” allowing scientists to predict the asteroid’s return in our lifetime at even closer distances with a slight chance of collision.

the newspaper asked: If 2013 were your last year on earth, what would you do?

KARIMA 4th year, Architecture “Drop out of school and use my tuition fee to make my first and last complete building as an (unqualified) architect!”

WILL 4th Year, Public Policy “Something I would never do like steal a car or rob a bank. And then run away.”

NATA 4th year, English “I would hug my mom”

SEBASTIAN 1st year, Latin American Studies and Statistics “Finish the completed works of Lenin and Trotsky.”

KELSEY Photographer “Have sex. Fall in love. Take photos.”

BODI BOLD

PARSA 2nd year, Ethics, Society & Law “Skydiving somewhere nice from an airplane”