September Ryerson Free Press

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Sept 11

“Don’t let them tell you that it can’t be done”

RIP Jack Layton 1950 – 2011

NEWS

‘I believe in you’

Jack Layton imparts inspirational message for youth in final letter

By Emma Godmere, CUP National Bureau Chief TORONTO (CUP) — Less than a month after announcing a break from federal politics to focus on cancer treatment, NDP leader Jack Layton died at the age of 61.

Layton, who became leader of the Opposition this spring after the NDP won a party-best 103 seats in the House of Commons, died in the early hours of Aug. 22, according to a statement from his family.

“We deeply regret to inform you that The Honourable Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada, passed away at 4:45 a.m. today, Monday, Aug. 22,” read the statement from his wife, NDP MP Olivia Chow, and children, Sarah and Michael Layton. “He passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family and loved ones.”

On July 25, Layton announced that he was stepping back from leadership duties to focus on treatment for a new form of cancer. He said that he was expecting to return to the House in the fall.

Despite a prostate cancer diagnosis in early 2009 and a broken hip earlier this year, Layton campaigned relentlessly in the weeks leading up to the May 2 federal election and successfully led the NDP to their historic 103-seat showing.

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NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan is one of the many rookies who ascended the Hill this year. The young Scarborough MP — also the party’s new post-secondary education critic — recalled first meeting Layton as a volunteer in the 2008 election.

“I remember when I met Jack; it was as if I was meeting an old friend,” she said.

“He was so easy to connect with, easy to have a conversation with … He was not the important MP that’s too busy or too big to talk to a new volunteer on the campaign. That’s the type of politician I wanted to see and that’s the type of politician I wanted to emulate.”

Early Monday afternoon, a letter from Layton and dated Aug. 20 was released. Alongside paragraphs addressed to his party, his caucus and all Canadians, Layton had dedicated an entire section to Canadian youth.

“As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world,” he wrote.

“There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth,

and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you.

“Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today,” the letter continued. “You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.”

To Sitsabaiesan, Layton’s words highlighted perfectly his commitment to young people.

“When he was doing talks across the country, he would talk about the youth he had running on his team and was very excited about the change and being part of the dreams of so many of us. He was a great source of inspiration,” she said.

“He’d say that we, the youth, were an inspiration for him, but he probably doesn’t realize how much of an inspiration he was — or he is — for us.”

Layton ensured that inspiration would last by concluding his final message with profound words dedicated to all Canadians.

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” photo: wyliepoon/flickr

Social Profiling Under Scrutiny A new report indicates little progress has been made in eliminating social profiling

By Natascia Lypny “We need to do a clean-up,” says Bernard St-Jacques of the homelessness problem in Montreal, which affects to 25,000 to 30,000 people according to the Réseau d’Aide aux Personnes Seules et Itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM).

St-Jacques is the community organizer for public space and jurisdiction at RAPSIM and the author of a report on social profiling released in August. Profilage social et jurisdiction: portrait de la situation dans l’espace public Montréalais contains the results of a questionnaire asking 40 Montreal organizations about their experiences—and those of the homeless people who use their services— with social profiling.

The report was inspired by a similar one done by the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission in 2009. Its most significant finding: homeless people receive a disproportionate number of fines from the police. The majority of fines were for minor infractions regarding “incivilities.” According to the report, Montreal’s homeless represent one per cent of the population but they were the subject of 31.6 per cent of the police reports in 2004 and 20.3 per cent in 2005. The report concluded social profiling contributed significantly to these statistics, and made a series of recommendations to the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).

Two years later, RAPSIM’s report commends the police on a few improvements in this area. SPVM documented a 30 per cent decrease in the number of fines given to homeless people between 2008 and 2009. It also partnered with the Équipe Mobile de Référence et d’Interventions en Itinérance whose members go on patrol with police, providing advice on approaching the homeless and suggesting alternatives to fines or arrest. “They (SPVM) have changed their directives: on the level of interventions, police officers are less encouraged to target homeless people,” says St-Jacques.

Still, 85 per cent of the respondents to RAPSIM’s questionnaire described the relations between homeless people and police as negative: 56 per cent reported being the victims of physical abuse and 46 percent reported verbal abuse or discrimination. 61 per cent indicated they still frequently receive fines.

The report denounces police for rarely following procedure when it comes to situations involving homeless people. St-Jacques says nothing has been done since the release of the Commission’s recommendations to correct or reprimand this misconduct. Clinique Droits Devant, RAPSIM’s legal aid service, dealt with 16 cases last year concerning police misconduct, and 63 per cent of respondents described their legal situation as poor.

“The attitude of police toward homeless people hasn’t really changed for the best; the mentality hasn’t really changed,” says Johanne Galipeau of Action Autonomie, a mental health advocacy and legal aid organization that participated in RAPSIM’s questionnaire.

“Maybe there are less fines, but there is a lack of respect. Abuse, brutality; these situations have not changed.”

She criticizes police for being quick to use a heavy hand on a person acting outside “societal norms.” As a result, the homeless have made a connection between the police and being escorted to the hospital or prison, she says. Losing confidence in the system means the homeless have ceased asking for help.

Galipeau says police tend to receive the brunt of social profiling accusations because they are the first responders.

RAPSIM’s report indicates 60 per cent

of respondents felt the treatment of homeless people in public spaces in general has improved little or not at all in the past five years—whether that treatment be from residents, business owners, other citizens or the police.

“Police members are not apart from society,” says Marie-Eve Sylvestre. “They’re part of it and their construction or their perception of homelessness and of some people who may have characteristics of homeless people are also constructed by society.”

Sylvestre is a civil law professor at the University of Ottawa and was one of two researchers involved in developing RAPSIM’s report. She says social profiling by police stems largely from society’s narratives of homeless people. For instance, the misconception that all homeless people are dangerous is often used as a justification for their arrest.

“We believe the police have constructed a perception of the harm caused by homeless people based on the needs and complaints of very few individuals who have some power in the neighborhoods [where the arrests and fines are occurring,]” says Sylvestre.

Making these complaints is possible, she adds, because some municipal bylaws and provincial laws concerning the use of public space discriminate against homeless people.

Prohibitions against public drinking, public noise, public gathering and public drunkenness target the homeless in particular. These laws apply to all citizens, but people living on the street are more likely to violate them because they have no private address. “The fact of not having private spaces, that your private space eventually becomes the public space,

tions recorded worse relations with the police during the summer and festival seasons. “It’s obvious,” St-Jacques says. “The marginalized population found themselves in the way of these projects.”

The inclusion of homeless people in these projects—and their reinsertion into society as a whole—could greatly deter social profiling, believes Richard Chrétien, director of Sac à Dos. His organization has strived to maintain positive relationships with the police officers, residents and business owners surrounding Sac à Dos’ Ste-Catherine/René-Lévesque location. Its members have worked in the community in urban development and cleanup projects, as well as with local stores and events like the Festival de Jazz and Francopholies.

“It helps in talking about people living on the street a little bit differently; not just seeing homeless people as a problem, but to see homeless peoples’ ability to integrate,” Chrétien says. “Plus, it attacks the problem itself.”

The problem of homelessness, he means.

Central to both RAPSIM’s and the Commission’s reports was the idea that homelessness is a societal failure leading to the denial of basics right to a part of its population. Both groups recommended a steep increase in services for the homeless and improved preventions to homelessness on the municipal and provincial levels.

In 2010, Mayor Gérald Tremblay announced an interdepartmental action plan for homelessness. Despite the plan’s acknowledgement of a social profiling problem, St-Jacques finds it insufficient for its lack of proposed changes to discriminatory municipal laws and police training in regards to the

The attitude of police toward homeless people hasn’t really changed for the best. There may be fewer fines, but there is a lack of respect. Abuse, brutality­— these situations haven’t changed. well, that impedes a protection of your rights,” says St-Jacques.

Between 2000 and 2003, more and more public places were being redefined as ‘parks’ or ‘squares’ meaning the city had more control over them, explains the RAPSIM report. It became illegal to use public installations, like park benches or low walls, in a manner for which they were not intended (i.e. sleeping.) It also became illegal to remain in public areas after their “closing times.” Céline Bellot, a researcher in the Centre International de Criminologie Comparée at the Université de Montréal who worked on RAPSIM’s report, documented a four-fold increase in the fines given out to homeless between 1994 and 2003.

St-Jacques also points to the development during this period of downtown Montreal’s infrastructure, housing, commercial areas, tourist attractions and festival spaces as a contributor to the police’s targeting of the homeless population. Downtown organiza-

treatment of homeless people. He is most critical of the minimal funding provided to programs and community groups working to improve the basic living conditions of the homeless. “We are far from having our demands met, especially on the jurisdiction and social profiling levels,” he says.

RAPSIM plans to continue its research in the area of social profiling. It will be teaming up with other organizations and the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission to create a farther-reaching monitoring system that will include a demographic breakdown of social profiling trends, and statistics specific to Montreal’s various neighborhoods. St-Jacques wants to develop a better method of documenting cases of police abuse and misconduct. He hopes the Commission will align this work with its portfolio on racial profiling to form a stronger attack on this issue.

Ryerson Free Press The monthly newspaper for continuing education, distance education and part-time students at Ryerson Address Suite SCC-301 Ryerson Student Centre 55 Gould Street Toronto, ON CANADA M5B 1E9

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Editor-In-Chief Nora Loreto

News Editor James burrows

Features and Opinions Editor Nora Loreto

Layout and Photo Editor Andrea Yeomans

Culture Editor manori ravindran

Cover Photo Meddygarnet/FLICKR

Contributors Sanjid Anik James Burrows Gwalgen Geordie Dent Emma Godmere Anastasiya Komkova Bob Lackie Natascia Lypny Haseena Manek Max Mertens Hafsa Mulla Ruane Remy Tyler Roach Kelsey Rolfe Rhiannon Russell Amy Ward

Publisher CESAR The opinions expressed in the Ryerson Free Press are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher.

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Originally published in The Dominion.

Ryerson Free Press september 2011 3

All Locked Up and No Place to Go Prisoners in New York have no emergency evacuation plan

By Tyler Roach As Hurricane Irene moved towards the east coast late last month, concerns began to be raised by U.S. civil liberties groups and independent media who are worried about the welfare and safety of those living in penitentiaries on the east coast. Special focus has been given to those prisoners living in evacuation zones, such as the Rikers Island Prison Complex in New York.

The Rikers Island complex is a small island built on landfill hosting ten prisons.

These facilities house as many as 17,000 adult and youth prisoners as well as prison staff. The groups concerned with the welfare of these prisoners began calling on the state and New York City to put into place and make public an emergency evacuation plan for prisoners living in the Rikers Island complex.

The primary demand was that “The City create an emergency evacuation plan by 5 p.m. to evacuate prisoners at Rikers Island in the event that other areas in Zone B or C around Rikers Island are evacuated.”

Currently Rikers Island is surrounded by small islands and barrier beaches already designated Zone A or Zone B. Zone A areas were under a mandatory evacuation order before the storm struck.

Current New York mayor Michael Bloomberg responded to concerns by stating that despite 370,000 people being issued mandatory evacuation orders for the lowlying areas of New York City around the prisons, the prisoners would not be evacuated.

Bloomberg cited other undisclosed “contingency plans” being put into place.

Many are worried about a possible repeat of the past horrors faced by prisoners living in New Orleans Parish Prisons where, during 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, no evacuation plan was put in place.

As the levies broke in 2005, extreme flooding began to be seen across New Orleans

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including inside the prisons. Fearing for their own safety guards at prison abandoned their posts leaving prisoners locked inside flooding cells. The prisoners remained in these conditions without electricity, food or water for days after the storm had passed.

Eric Balban of the National Prison Project has claimed, “The prisoners inside the Orleans Parish Prison suffered some of the worst horrors of Hurricane Katrina,” adding “Because society views prisoners as second-class citizens, their stories have largely gone unnoticed and therefore untold.”

Despite concerns Rikers Island is more vulnerable due to it being an island built on a land-fill, Bloomberg believed that Rikers Island “is higher than the Zone A areas and it’s perfectly safe.”

Those objecting to Bloomberg believe that the events suffered in the Parish Prisons add such urgency to the calls being made for the creation of emergency evacuation plans, not only for the prisoners in Rikers Complex, but for all those living in Federal and State prisons. Many feel that Bloomberg’s refusal to evacuate Rikers Complex, despite having ordered mandatory evacuation of all surrounding areas, echoes the comments made in 2005 by the then sheriff in New Orleans who stated that prisoners will stay “where they belong,” despite the mayor’s earlier decision to declare the city’s firstever mandatory evacuation.

As Hurricane Irene hit New York City it dropped to the level of a tropical storm, but still caused significant damage to the city, including power outages and flooding and forced many into emergency shelters. Although little information is being released it appears that those residing in the Rikers Island complex are safe but civil rights groups continue to push for better and more transparent plans to be put into place to ensure that the basic human rights of those living in custody are guaranteed.

photo: neal patel/flickr

“The largest act of civil disobedience in decades.”

Indigenous and environmental activists protest 1,700 mile pipeline in Washington

By James Burrows, News Editor Protesters took to the streets of Washington D.C. from August 20 to Sept 3 to protest the development of a 1,702 mile long Keystone XL Pipeline that is being proposed to stretch from the tar sands in Alberta to refineries in Texas.

Indigenous rights activists from Canada and the U.S. claim that this is “the largest act of civil disobedience in decades.”

A press release by the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) stated, “The purpose of these actions is to send a direct message to President Barack Obama to deny approval of the 1,702-mile Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline would be transporting pollution from the tar sands of Canada to the United States by carrying 900,000 barrels per day of thick, corrosive, toxic, synthetic crude oil for refining in Texas and the Gulf States.”

The IEN believes that “if this pipeline is approved, the Keystone XL would lock the U.S. into a dependency of energy intensive, hard-toextract dirty oil and create a massive expansion of the world’s dirtiest and most environmentally destructive form of oil development currently taking place in northern Alberta, Canada.”

The tar sands in Alberta currently produce as much as 1.5 million barrels per day and pipeline leaks have already affected the health of local indigenous communities.

The Keystone XL pipeline would travel south from Alberta and cross the states of Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Spills and leaks are common occurrences along pipeline routes and often disproportionately affect Indigenous communities.

Two major spills have already occurred in existing pipelines this year in both Alberta and Montana. The first occurred in May, near Peace River Alberta and leaked 28,000 barrels of oil into a wetland and could take two years to clean up.

The spill in Montana occurred in the Yellowstone River and released more than 1,000 barrels of oil.

More alarming to many is the nature of the oil taken from the tar sands. A spill in Michigan last year leaked 800,000 gallons. That spill has been called the largest spill in mid-western history but many claim that it would

normally have been cleaned up by now had it not been for the heavy and viscous nature of the oil the pipeline was carrying.

That oil originated from the tar sands.

Kari Lyderson, a Chicago based journalist, noted earlier this summer that, “raw tar sands oil, or bitumen, is so thick that it has to be mixed with a thinning compound, or dilutent -- a highly volatile derivative of natural gas that includes large amounts of benzene and other toxic chemicals -- in order to make it liquid enough to pump through pipelines.”

This combination of oil and chemicals is known as DilBit and when it was released into the environment and air in Michigan it forced many from their homes. Enbridge, the Canadian company that owns the Michigan pipeline was forced to buy many of the properties surrounding the spill when residents could not safely return.

Lyderson noted that normal ways of cleaning up this spill using surface skimmers and vacuums did little, “and a full year later, EPA officials and scientists are still working on a plan to remove submerged oil from about 200 acres of river and lake bottom.”

The IEN is attempting to warn the public of the scale of any potential spill, emphasizing that “the pipeline would run directly through the Ogallala aquifer, which supplies one-third of American groundwater used for irrigation, and drinking water to two million U.S. citizens.”

The protesters believe that these acts of civil disobedience in Washington are expressing, “the solidarity of Native Nations, standing with concerned citizens, workers, farmers, ranchers, unions, youth and a coalition of environmental groups from across the continent, in peaceful protest.”

Venezuela vs. Canadian Gold Chavez squares off against Canadian mining companies, banks

By Gwalgen Geordie Dent The nationalization march continues on in Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government has issued a decree nationalizing their gold mines. This comes off the backs of series of nationalizations undertaken by the government in the last four years that have targeted oil, steel, supermarket and glass manufacturing businesses and the entire cement industry.

Rather than entire sectors, the government has typically used nationalization to target companies it alleges are engaged in price fixing or illegal activities. It has also nationalized on the basis of strategic domestic importance.

Tuesday’s announcement by the government stated that the nationalizations were in relation to illegal mining in the Southern Bolivar province. The government states that illegal mining is taking away 60 per cent of Venezuela’s gold production.

However the announcement could also be due to a number of companies having recently fought heavily with the Chavez government: Canadian companies.

There are dozens of junior Canadian mining and exploration companies in Venezuela, however two of the biggest foreign-owned gold companies are Canadian.

Most famous of these is Toronto-based Crystallex, who (previously) owned the massive Las Cristinas mine, one of the largest gold deposits in South America. After being denied an environmental permit for the mine in 2008, the company sued Venezuela for depriving it of its gold interests in international-arbitration. The company was to develop a large low-cost project in the Las Cristinas area next to a similarly sized project by U.S.-based Gold Reserve Inc. Both are now instead suing the government for billions of dollars.

While Crystallex and Gold Reserve have massive claims, they have not been able to actually mine their deposits. photo: tarsandsaction/flickr

Most gold mining in Venezuela is carried out by state-run companies. The only active foreign company mining in the region is Canadian-Russian Rusaro Mining Corp. Because it operates joint projects with the government it may not have been nationalized. It has stated that it believes that Venezuela is only going after illegal mining in the Bolivar state. However it too has been fighting the government.

Rusaro, owned by a powerful Russian family and Canadian Frank Giustra, is headquartered in Vancouver and has two joint mines it operates with the government. It is now allowed to export out of the country 50 per cent of what it produces (up from 30 per cent) but has been fighting the government to be able to export more.

Venezuela has recently taken a number of actions to shore up their gold reserves both domestically and internationally. Venezuela has the world’s fifteenth largest gold reserves.

The country recently took the unprecedented step of starting to repatriate almost twothirds of their international gold reserves mostly from private companies in Britain, the U.S. and Canada’s Bank of Nova Scotia.

In addition, over 20 per cent of Venezuela’s cash reserves have been diversified from U.S. and other Western currencies into currencies from the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China).

Gold has globally shot up in price recently as concerns continue over a massive crash in the value of major currencies. It is likely that Venezuela is concerned that their reserves could be seized in an economic crisis or if sanctions are levied against them. China announced similar gold-repatriation measures in 2009.

Originally published by the Toronto Media Co-op.

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OPINION Ethics, fairness and News of the World

By Rhiannon Russell You don’t have to be a journalist to know that ethics are crucial to journalism.

Libel, misrepresentation, falsification and a lack of fairness have ruined many a reporter. There are all kinds of boundaries to ensure journalistic integrity and crossing those lines is frowned upon, and in some cases, even illegal.

In July, one of the world’s biggest newspapers shut down after claims that its staff broke privacy laws and disobeyed one of journalism’s most important commandments. Reporters at News of the World in Britain hired private investigators to hack into the phones of high-profile figures in order to publish exclusive stories.

Allegations of phone hacking had swirled around News of the World for years, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that the claims became inescapable.

The list of people whose phones were hacked include actress Sienna Miller, Prince William, murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler and relatives of British soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation owned News of the World, and after he shut the paper down on July 10, he published ads in the British papers apologizing for the “serious wrongdoing” that had occurred.

“It was very clear that they had to be hacking people’s phones to be getting the kinds of stories they were getting,” said Suanne Kelman, associate chair of the Ryerson School of Journalism.

The paper, like many British tabloids, was known for its gossip-fueled stories and juicy exclusives.

Over the years, News of the World published scoops about Prince Harry’s drug and alcohol abuse, Sarah Ferguson’s attempt to sell access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew, and David Beckham’s alleged affair with his personal assistant.

To date, British police have a list of 4,000 possible victims of phone hacking and text message interception.

Is it likely such a scandal could happen on this side of the pond?

“I don’t think it’s a problem for Canada,” said Kelman.

“We have very strict privacy legislation.”

As well, the Canadian news market is much smaller than Britain’s, eliminating cutthroat rivalry amongst papers.

The sheer number of national daily newspapers in Britain, including the Sun, the Guardian, the Independent, the Mirror, the Telegraph, the Times, and until recently, News of the World, pales in comparison to Canada.

“It’s as if you had five or six Globe and Mails instead of just the Globe and the National Post,” said Paul Knox, journalism professor at Ryerson University.

The British papers must, therefore, compete for the most eye-catching, startling front page.

“It’s the relentless competition you face all the time to get the bigger and bigger scoops,” said Knox.

Plus, Canada has never had a vigorous tabloid press. We don’t have the starlets, the royals, or, it would seem, the same scandal-hungry public.

The British public certainly played some role, however small, in the phone hacking debacle. News of the World had, at its time of closing, a circulation of about 2.7 million copies sold weekly.

Obviously, people wanted to read these kinds of stories.

“This is part of human nature. People really like gossip,” said Kelman.

Both Kelman and Knox agree, however, that the public’s cravings for exclusive, dramatic stories do not, by any means, justify News of the World journalists’ tactics to get them.

“I think all journalists should be taught to say ‘no’ to

doing anything they consider unethical,” Alan Rusbridger, editor of the Guardian, wrote during a live chat on the paper’s website.

As well, journalists should take extra care to maintain their integrity, especially in an age where it’s easier than ever to get information.

“I would hope that journalists have their own personal code of ethics,” said Susan Clairmont, columnist at Hamilton Spectator. “[Ethics] come into play with everything we do as journalists.”

Most newsrooms have a code of ethics that they pass on to their staff.

For example, reporters at the Spectator, as at most papers, don’t contact a deceased person’s next of kin until they know the police have already notified them.

“There’s no legal reason,” said Clairmont. It’s just the ethical thing to do.

In the wake of the scandal, there have been cries for heavier regulations on journalists, but some question if that’s necessary or even possible.

“I’m not a fan of regulating news media. I don’t know how you’d do that without being unbelievably intrusive,” said Knox.

Kelman agrees. “You just have to enforce the laws that exist.”

After all, News of the World didn’t shut down merely because its editors made some poor moral decisions. It shut down because they broke the law.

“That’s a step that no regulator would ever achieve in a regulatory regime,” said Knox. “It’s a matter for the police.”

Although journalism is changing and newsrooms are adapting, the same basic principles of journalism: verification, objectivity and accuracy will continue to hold true.

Pakistan: change begins with us

By Hafsa Mulla Constant Twitter updates via various media portals flashed before my eyes, day and night. Each scroll revealed political turmoil, injustice and destruction. And one country in particular that dominated my timeline was none other than my motherland, Pakistan, home to nearly 187 million people.

Every outbreak, every horrid update, hit a little too close to home – a 90-minute plane ride from the comfort of my suede couch in Dubai, to the horrifying reality in the city of Karachi that is overlaid with terror, bloodshed, instability and horror atrocities done in the name of God, ethnicity, political leanings and power.

As an overseas Pakistani, yielding to the temptation of an easier life, I asked myself: what have I done for my country? How have I helped my people? What contributions have I made?

Besides sporadically donning a Shalwar Kameez, drinking Chai, and gloating over my father’s

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philanthropic involvement in attempts to resuscitate Pakistan, how have I played a part in being a devoted Pakistani?

The answer was clear as a bell – I hadn’t done my bit. And it’s people like myself who are to blame for Zia’s Pakistan, rather than Jinnah’s Pakistan.

When Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, addressed the Central Legislative Assembly in 1935, he said,“….Religion should not be allowed to come into politics….Religion is merely a matter between man and God.” The reality, however, is far off.

Today, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq’s rigid token of religious extremism encapsulates the State and an overwhelming majority of the Pakistani population that is ignorant, radical and bent out of shape is cultivating this extreme mindset.

Poverty-stricken, misinformed youth who are denied the basic right to education are caught in the cobwebs of draconian rules and are induced into practicing a distorted and violent “Islam.”

According to Jinnah, the youth are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow, but if a staggering 54 per cent of the Pakistani population is illiterate, where is the nation headed?

Is Pakistan’s future in shambles? If a 15-year-old suicide bomber can target worshippers in Jamrud mosque during Ramadan, a time of reflection and repentance for Muslims, and blow himself up, killing 55 people, then yes, Pakistan is in some serious predicament.

What we need is a progressive and tolerant Pakistan, not a theocratic State ruled by hard-line clerics who spew hate and manipulate the masses.

As Pakistanis, our patriotism shouldn’t be limited to setting a world record in singing the national anthem, speaking the language and devouring our ethnic delicacies while tragedy after tragedy continues to unfold in Pakistan. We need to go beyond that.

We must move forward and stay united. We should raise awareness and invest in Pakistan.

We can salvage the nation’s troubled economy by investing sufficiently in education and higher education in order to transform the unschooled youth into productive, worthy, principled citizens of this country. Failure to commit and support is not an option.

Pakistan has many peaks to conquer.

This rocky road ahead may seem long and strenuous, but steps must be taken to work towards betterment, because with cooperation and unity among Pakistani citizens, the nation’s fate can be altered – one that shows willingness to succeed and allows the existence of opinions and beliefs. photo: dvidshub/flickr

Out with Rob Ford And in with Forget Margaret Atwood, Amy Ward delves deep into the world of Toronto stardom and encourages us all to support her picks for Toronto’s next mayor In the latest battle in the war between Conservatives and artists, first brother Doug Ford said library-defending author Margaret Atwood should run for mayor if she wanted to have a voice in local politics. While Atwood mulls the speculative fiction that is Toronto politics, here are some other Toronto celebrities who might want to throw their top hats in the race.

Don Cherry He showed his pink political stripes during Rob Ford’s inauguration, but who wouldn’t love some Rock’em Sock’em governance? Instead of all-night council sessions to air voter grievances, Cherry could implement a sudden-death overtime round: the last councillor without a concussion gets his or her motions passed.

Backwards Rider Straight off his starring role in his self-titled Bicycle Film Fest documentary, Leslie Slowley, the reverse-cycling daredevil, could show some fearlessness in the face of Toronto’s bike-car wars. First motion: restoring the Jarvis bike lanes. As Slowley writes on his blog, “Fordwards is backwards and Backwards is forward,” a sure sign of progressive leadership in a post-Ford era!

Richard Florida University of Toronto scored an academic star by wooing the Rise of the Creative Class author from Carnegie Mellon University in 2005 to head up its Martin Prosperity Institute.

The sociologist knows a theory or two about building a prosperous city (hint: keep the creative types happy), and the beleaguered artist class could use a compassionate ear while they gather at galas to whine about their grants.

Terri-Jean Bedford Canada’s most famous dominatrix is on extremely familiar terms with many of the city’s movers and shakers and keeps her skeletons uncloseted so she’s virtually unblackmailable. As applicant and media spokeswoman in a legal challenge to declare Canada’s prostitution laws unconstitutional, Madame de Sade stood up for the rights of women and small business owners everywhere. She also knows her way around a whip, so she’ll have no problem dealing with unruly councillors.

Galen Weston, Jr. New York hasn’t imploded under the rule of its billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg, so why not roll out the mayoral carpet for Canada’s second-wealthiest citizen, Loblaws heir Galen Weston, Jr.? From the company that brought you Joe Fresh clothing and no-fee Presidents Choice banking, the company figurehead would be the President’s Choice for keeping quality city services at low cost to taxpayers. No worries about the gravy train; it’s from the low-fat Blue Menu.

Jeanne Beker City Hall would be more stylish with Fashion Television’s queen designing the future of our city. Forget public service cuts: this season is all about maxi-length civic investments, bespoke community engagement and retro subway expansions. A little colour at City Hall can go a long way.

Russell Peters Low turnout at council meetings? Not with Brampton’s most famous comedian at the mic. Mayor Peters could pay off the city’s budget deficit by selling DVDs of election speeches and returning all constituent phone calls...for $1.99 a minute plus a 99 cent connection fee. Opposition councillors beware, somebody’s gonna get hurt real bad.

Rachel McAdams Hollywood sweetheart and Annex resident McAdams could charm the voters while releasing her inner Mean Girl in council chambers. The actress would base her policy decisions on long-term outcomes revealed to her as the Time Traveller’s Wife. And if the crime rate gets worse, she can always call Sherlock Holmes.

Frank Gehry The postmodern architect of the AGO’s renovated Dundas Street presence has been called “the most important architect of our age” by Vanity Fair. Although he now calls Los Angeles home, Toronto could woo the starchitect home with ample opportunities to apply his eye for criticism of societal goals and the functional necessity of urban planning. Perhaps the new Fort York pedestrian footbridge should be redesigned to resemble his Lady Gaga hat.

K’naan The hip hop Troubadour is a uniter, not a divider, showing an affinity for working with acts as diverse as Metallica, U2, and Amadou & Maryam. This would translate well to City Hall negotiations. His work with the UN and calls to end violence in Somalia convey a message that transcends the political squabbling to get at the heart of the issue. Exactly the kind of Wavin’ Flag that City Hall needs.

Doug Ford Wait, never mind.

photos: ctv.ca; david johns; attit patel; dave o.; kris krÜg

Ryerson Free Press september 2011 7

FEATURES RyersoN May halt conflict of interest allegations

By Kelsey Rolfe

On August 5, in a Notice of Motion filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Ryerson University acknowledged there is “insufficient evidence” to continue with their conflict of interest allegations against Dr. James Norrie.

James Norrie, frequent media persona on behalf of Ryerson and well known in the information technology (IT) world, sued the university after he was suspended on March 31 over vague allegations of conflict of interest and harassment.

In his statement of claim against the university, Norrie said he was presented with a suspension letter that indicated he was placed on “paid leave pending the outcome of two investigations” and that he was being removed “immediately from the workplace.”

Norrie claimed he was not given “any particulars of the allegations against him,” and only after “multiple written requests” did the university disclose that there was a “potential conflict between [Norrie’s] involvement as a university representative and also as a paid member of the CIO Summit.”

Norrie’s statement of claim states that he was given written permission from the university to take part in the summit, which provides professional development for executives.

In their Notice of Motion Ryerson said, “It appears that the conflict of interest issue may not be dealt with by way of an investigation since at this time there is insufficient evidence to support a claim of conflict of interest.”

When asked for comment, Norrie’s lawyer, Laughlin Campbell, said, “Ryerson did not, and never did, have any evidence to suggest that Dr. Norrie was [engaged in] a conflict of interest of any kind.”

“The university is now, in my view, trying to retroactively ignore that issue per chance that [the] civility complaint...justified the suspension,” he added. “They’ve now acknowledged — been forced to acknowledge — that they shot first and asked questions later.”

Representatives at Ryerson declined to comment and their lawyer, Stephen Gleave, could not be reached.

Norrie is seeking $575,000-plus in the case, for damages incurred, and a written apology to be published in a national newspaper of his choosing. He is also claiming defamation of his professional reputation.

Apart from teaching one course in the Winter 2010 semester, for which a replacement could not be found, Norrie is not allowed on campus, the court filing stated.

On June 13, Norrie was granted an injunction that allowed him to attend convocation

later in the week.

Norrie was involved in the precursor to what became Lavalife. He was on an episode of Dragons’ Den in 2006, an appearance for which he is well known, when his interruption prompted the Dragons to rip up a $200,000 cheque for a group of Ryerson entrepreneurs.

Norrie became a tenured professor at Ryerson in 2007, and in 2008 he took on the position of associate dean, a contract that is in effect until 2013. He regularly speaks with audiences outside of the university, and is the author of four books. Along with Ryan Chong and Ken Killin, Norrie founded Speechbobble, an enterprise social networking company.

Norrie’s claim also states that the university did not follow proper processes when dealing with the allegations against him, specifically that he was not “provided with an opportunity to provide any input.” Despite being told he would hear from an independent investigator regarding the conflict of interest issue, Norrie’s statement says he did not.

Ryerson claims the harassment allegations against Norrie are being investigated under a Ryerson human resources policy called A Guide to Civility, and include “profanity directed at persons, ridiculing or belittling persons, and other inappropriate action.” The procedures outlined in the guide have not been followed, according to the court documents.

Ryerson’s actions have, according to the statement of claim, “materially breached” Norrie’s contract of appointment, and have caused him mental distress. He is seeking a statement from the university of this, as well as an admittance that he is no longer associate dean. He wishes to return to teaching, and to be allowed to take part in student and school-run events.

The university has yet to file a Statement of Defense.

Norway was Attacked by Al Qaeda?

By Anastasiya Komkova

As the news about the July shooting and bombing in Norway were first surfacing, media were quick to falsely portray Al Qaeda as the organization responsible.

Even though Anders Behring Breivik, the one allegedly responsible and in custody for the murders, was a Norwegian Christian, who killed 77 people to draw attention to the fact that he believed Muslims should not be able to immigrate to his country, Al Qaeda was still either compared or directly blamed for the massacre by many journalists. The mistake was eventually revised and corrected by most news sources, but why were these conclusions drawn when nothing about a particular moment is certain?

CTV for example, gave the impression that it could have been Al Qaeda. When Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Peace Research Institute in Norway, was interviewed on the show he was asked who could have been responsible and if Al Qaeda had anything to do with it. Harpviken replied, “It’s of course far too early to say anything specific about who is behind this, but as you indicate the most concrete trends that has been directed at Norway in the recent few years has indeed been by Al Qaeda.” Not exactly damning evidence, but this didn’t stop CTV from asking questions only about Al Qaeda’s motives. The idea that this attack could have been executed by anyone else never came up.

CNN’s ‘terror expert’ Paul Cruickshank said that it was too early to say who was behind the attacks but that they bore the resemblances of Al Qaeda bombings. However, FOX news did not even hesitate. Laura Ingraham on the Bill O’Reilly show led with “Two deadly terror attacks in Norway in what appears to be, once again, the work of Muslim extremists.”

This misunderstanding could have occurred when Will McCants, a terror analyst, translated a statement by Ansar al-Jihad al-Alami (the Helpers of the Global Jihad). In the statement the group indicated that Norway was attacked be-

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cause its forces are in Afghanistan and because six years ago Norway reprinted cartoons depicting Prophet Muhammad.

The group also seemed pleased that Norway was punished but nowhere in the message did they take credit. That is not, however, how McCants saw it and not how journalists decided to portray it.

Other news sources, such as the New York Times focused on Al Qaeda being the inspiration for the event. It was written that Thomas Hegghammer, who is a terrorism specialist at the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, said, “It seems to be an attempt to mirror Al Qaeda, exactly in reverse.”

Since September 11, 2001, Islamic terrorists have dominated the news. Organizations such as Al Qaeda are notorious and made out to be feared by the general population by scandal-hungry media outlets. Therefore, Al Qaeda makes sense to be laid the blame, since it is already so familiar. Local terrorists trying to attract attention to their message are unknown and their motives are not as appealing. Al Qaeda opens up more topics for discussion than Breivik. A group of terrorists is scarier than one psychopath, since a group can strike repeatedly.

Even though real journalism should be about reporting with as much accuracy as possible, mainstream journalism actually seems to be about getting a story out which is going to create interest and more sales. Fact checking becomes secondary to sensationalizing.

Terrorism statistics collected by the FBI show that during from 1980 to 2005, Latino organizations carried out the highest number of attacks in the United States, which was 42 per cent of all incidents. Only 6 per cent were organized

by Islamic extremists. However, it was the attack by Islamic extremists that killed the most people at one time in an extremely shocking and alarming manner. It is the reason why news about Al Qaeda still evoke so much emotion and hatred

to this day.

Another reason for unreliable and flawed news comes from the importance of being the first to report major news in an accurate tone. This is because the publicity and recognisability of that newspaper or news show will increase dramatically. The first to report the story, even with only a hint of accuracy, will most often get credited as the official source.

The same story reported by other media networks will just be restating what was already said and will not be as important, dramatic or attention-grabbing. It is easier to print a retraction than to print the news late.

Since Al Qaeda seemed to be the most likely attacker at first, it was reported as fact. The media needed to put together a story and this one seemed the most plausible, the most interesting and the most thought provoking as it can be easily tied in to other topics, such as the debate of building a Mosque blocks away from ground zero in New York City.

While it may be understandable why journalists will resort to deceitful stories about what they “think” has happened instead of actually trying to uncover the truth, it is unfortunate. This over-sensationalizing by journalists is simply fear mongering. However, introducing fear into everyone about Islam without explaining that not every Muslim is a jihadi warrior and not every man with a turban is Osama bin Laden is quite dangerous. This fear generates hate and instigates hate crimes against innocent people.

After 9/11 some Sikh men were killed in the U.S. and Canada by people who confused Sikhs with Osama bin Laden, as if that is some sort of defence. The confusion resulted because they were wearing a turban.

Islamaphobia is growing amongst people because they believe that every Muslim person goes to the Mosque to plan a new attack on the non-believers.

This is simply not true and our mainstream journalists are not doing enough to make this clear. photo: tomflemming/flickr

Veteran journalist Tony Burman joins the Ryerson community

By Kelsey Rolfe Against the suitable backdrop of the bustling Starbucks on Church and Gerrard, Tony Burman can’t sit still. For the duration of a 45-minute interview he remains, remarkably, in motion — gesturing wildly, as if to assist him with his point and, to drive something home, smacking the table with the side of his palm.

And for someone who has spent the majority of his life in an “intense, 24-7 pace,” that isn’t the least bit out of character.

But the king of speed himself is planning to slow down. As Ryerson’s newly-appointed Velma Rogers Graham Research Chair, Burman said he’s looking forward to “us[ing] my brain as much as I’m using my legs” come September, when he joins the school.

It certainly will be a change of pace.

Burman, 63, got his start in journalism working as the editor of Loyola College’s newspaper, Loyola News, for two years, though his subjects of study were actually political science and history.

After he graduated he moved onto the Montreal Star, where his father worked as an editor. Burman remained there for “about four or five years.”

Montreal in the late 60s and 70s was the perfect place to be for an up-and-coming journalist. With the political tension, FLQ crisis, and talk of separation, the country was in constant distress.

Because of his position as an education reporter, Burman said he was required to cover a lot of the main events, as it was “really the schooling sector in Quebec that was most in turmoil.”

“For somebody in my early twenties, it was a fascinating period,” he said. “I had a sense that I was in the middle of a historic period in Quebec, which turned out to be the case. And the fact that I was able to write and try to interpret that for a wider audience in Montreal was really quite exciting.”

After his stint at the Star, and a year and a half traveling through South America, Burman moved to Toronto and took a job at the CBC. He worked his way up through the corporate ladder, as a writer, editor, executive producer of The National, and by the 1980s was the CBC News European producer. In that position he was able to report on the Lebanon Civil War, the fall of photo: ictqatar/flickr

the Soviet Empire, and the imprisonment and release of Nelson Mandela.

The latter, he said, was a story that has a special meaning to him. Prior to Mandela’s 1991 release, Burman produced a documentary on the man, which included a reenactment of the trial that unjustly put him in prison. Winnie Mandela had seen the footage, and gotten it into the prison so her husband could view it as well. Because of that documentary, the CBC was chosen as one of the three networks to interview Mandela on the day of his release.

“I have a photograph of Barbara Frum, Nelson Mandela, and myself [from that day], and it’s one that I totally cherish,” he shared.

Burman continued his rise through the CBC, doing current affairs and international documentaries for The Journal, and then entered management, spending seven and a half years as Editorin-Chief. When he left, he said, it was “getting repetitive, so it was really time to leave, and it was a very natural thing.”

Though his plan at that point was to do consulting work for international networks, that wasn’t what fate had in mind.

Around a year after leaving the CBC, Burman was invited by Al Jazeera to come to Qatar. Thinking he would be involved in the network in a “part-time, consultative way,” Burman hopped on a plane, only to be presented with a job offer: the Managing Director position.

“I fell backwards,” Burman said, “And said ‘obviously I can do that from Toronto, can’t I?’ They said ‘no, you can’t.’ So the issue of moving to Qatar became very serious for me, but it was an opportunity that I was given.”

Burman spent the next two and a half years in Qatar, flying back and forth to Toronto to see his family. Around the time he planned to return to North America, Western interest in Al Jazeera piqued so the move to Washington, to take over as Chief Strategic Advisor, seemed only natural. During his time in that role, Burman brought Al Jazeera to Washington and all of Canada.

In September Burman’s role will change drastically. At the university he’ll be teaching Journalism and Politics in the winter semester, as well as doing research into privacy and censorship issues, and the role of emerging technologies on the practice of journalism.

Burman cited the Arab Spring as an example of that growing trend. “When Tunisia [and] Egypt started exploding, there was

Burman will teach Journalism and Politics at Ryerson in the winter semester, as well as doing research into privacy and censorship issues. a real inability for journalists to be able to do their work publicly,” he said. “There had to be a reliance on people, collectively, to contribute. There’s a serious dimension to emerging technologies, [and] social media...that’s well beyond whether Charlie Sheen should be hired by CBS.” “[Emerging technologies are] the way the next ten years will be defined,” he said. “The fact that the journalists who are students now will eventually replace people like me in the wider world, it’s important that they understand as much as possible what’s coming around the corner.”

Ryerson Free Press september 2011 9

Dear Friends, Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.

Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.

I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.

I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.

A few additional thoughts: To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don’t be discouraged that my own journey hasn’t gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.

To the members of my party: we’ve done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward. Let’s demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.

To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.

To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada’s Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.

To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today.

You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.

And we’ll change the world.

All my very best, Jack Layton

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His vision can still be won A country mourns Jack Layton

By Haseena Manek At 61, Jack Layton was by no means a young man. He had lead a long and full life compared to most.

But as the first NDP leader to make the New Democratic Party official opposition in Canadian history, I would say he still had a lot of life to live.

The one thing we can do, as Canadians, is to make sure that his visions and his hope and optimism for Canada’s future did not die with him.

This year’s federal election was a first in many ways. It boasted the a higher voter turnout than the previous election, but what’s more important, those votes changed the landscape of Canadian politics.

The majority of Quebec’s ridings were won by rookie NDP MPs, and rendered the Bloc Quebecois more or less obsolete as it lost party status for the first time since its first election.

The Liberal party, for so long considered Canada’s natural governing party, fell into third place.

Neither of the party leaders, Gilles Duceppe and Michael Ignatieff managed to secure even their own ridings, never mind a foothold for their parties in Parliament.

Elizabeth May became the first Green Party candidate to win a seat in the House of Commons.

As of May 2 the view from Ottawa was a majority blue (how that happened I will never understand) but with a strong contrast of orange, and maybe a few drops of green.

But above all, the view was a hopeful one. For the first time in my living memory, there appeared to be a chance for reform in Canada at the federal level. I’m convinced the only person that could possibly inspire hope after seeing a conservative majority was Jack Layton.

His post-election speech was seriously awesome (in the biblical sense), I remember being at a loss in understanding how it was Harper was still in power, and there was Smiling Jack, up on stage, waving his cane like a banner, barely able to get a word in above all the cheering.

As far as I am concerned, Jack Layton won the election. He secured official opposition, a huge achievement, and was ready to use that influence to make some serious change in parliament.

Now that he has left us, we cannot lose that hope he had in the face of another term with Harper. If he could look to that future and still have hope, so must we as well.

I refuse to believe that without Jack Layton the New Democratic Party will fall from its current state of grace. We cannot allow his success to be fleeting. Though I feel this incredible despair with his passing. I believe his winning the official opposition really was a historical moment and I pray that his hope and optimism (so refreshing in our culture of apathy) do not become a blip in Canadian political history.

In a letter to written two days before his death, Jack Layton said to the youth: “I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.”

I hope that young people really acknowledge the importance of his accomplishments and recognize that we need to carry on in that same direction if we are going to see a change in the face of Canadian politics. We are at a tipping point. We can either carry on and really see a difference in Canada and its international role, or fall back to the same destructive, oppressive, conservative system.

To all Canadians, Jack Layton said: “ We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change.”

Jack Layton may not have lived to make the changes he dreamed of and worked for, but he laid the foundation for it. He left us early, but he left us with an official opposition that can and will challenge the Harper government.

He left us with a totally new political terrain for Canada.

He left us further ahead than I think we have been in a long time, and finally, he left us with hope. Let us not give up that hope.

“Don’t let them tell you it can’t be done,” Jack closes his letter.

In Jack Layton’s memory, let’s fight for a better Canada.

photos: castorp republic/flickr; matt jiggins/flickr

Ryerson Free Press september 2011 11

STOP THE Mega Quarry Photos by Sanjid Anik

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Ryerson Free Press september 2011 13

CULTURE An open letter to cyclists and drivers

By Max Mertens I am a cyclist. No, I don’t own a pair of lycra shorts or a brightly-coloured spandex racing jersey. No, I’ve never raced in the Tour de France. No, I’m not a card-carrying member of any Toronto cycling group, union or non-profit organization. I’m not writing this to push a “bikes are good, cars are evil, end of story” agenda on anyone that happens to be reading this. Unlike several of my classmates and friends from Ontario, I have my full driver’s license. Growing up in a rural community in Nova Scotia, I couldn’t imagine not getting my license.

Since I moved to Toronto, though, my bicycle has been my primary mode of transpor-

tation, mainly because I can’t stand the cost and unreliability of the TTC. The debates and issues between cyclists and drivers in Toronto aren’t always black and white, with one side being right and one side being wrong. I firmly believe that just like there are good and bad drivers, there are also good and bad cyclists.

That said, the last few months haven’t been the easiest for cyclists in this city. While it would be easy to put the blame on Mayor Rob Ford, it certainly hasn’t helped that he was once infamously quoted as saying, “I can’t support bike lanes. Roads are built for buses, cars and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it’s their own fault at the end of the day.” In mid-July, city council voted in favour of eliminating bicycle lanes on Jarvis, Birchmount and Pharmacy Streets. My first reaction to this news was, “Oh great. Now my mother can worry about me being run over by a car, on top of her son living in the most expensive city in Canada.” (The Globe and Mail had published a story several days earlier about Toronto surpassing Vancouver as the most expensive city in the country.)

But rather than packing it in and moving to a more two-wheel-friendly city, Toronto’s cycling community has refused to go away quietly. Pink buttons with the slogan “Bike Riding Pinko,” introduced by Toronto-based magazine Spacing, became the hottest fashion accessory last winter. The BIXI bike-sharing program was finally brought to the city this summer. On July 20, approximately 1,000 cyclists gathered at Allan Gardens and rode to City Hall to protest city council’s decision to remove the bike lane. In August, the Toronto Bicycle Film Festival drew some of its largest crowds ever for a three-day event that included short films about cycling, art shows, panel discussions, live music and parties.

These are just some examples of how Toronto cyclists have built a tight community in the face of rising challenges and problems.

So where do we go from here? Despite the resolve of the Toronto cycling community, there still exists a rift between them and drivers. We need to take a look at how other cities such as Amsterdam and Montreal have balanced the needs of both parties, study their models and see what changes Toronto can adopt. This won’t be an overnight process of course: it’ll take time, resources and, above all, cooperation between city council, planners, cyclists and drivers.

For now, we can work on rebuilding and strengthening relationships between cyclists and drivers. At the risk of sounding preachy, a little civility and respect for one another goes a long way. There’s enough room for everybody in this city.

A sense of self Why I self-published my first novella

By Kelsey Rolfe

When I was still in high school, romanticizing my future as a writer, I made myself a promise: I would publish a novel before I turned 20.

I was given the opportunity to do just that after winning National Novel Writing Month in November 2010, and I took it. By the end of the year, I had accomplished my goal, and within the next couple of months, if all goes as planned, I’ll do it again.

Being able to say I’m an author under the age of 20, put it on my resume, or bring out my novella at odd and inappropriate times are probably three of the best feelings in the world. It’s just an added bonus that it inspires a certain look of awe from friends, family and former teachers: I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of that.

But when I tell my audience I self-published, sometimes I see those looks of awe diminish slightly. And I can understand why: self-publishing doesn’t have quite the glitz and glamour of signing a book deal with a major (or even minor) publisher. Not only am I the writer and my own editor (which is, in itself, a flawed and ill-advised practice), but I’m also responsible for finding someone infinitely more talented than myself to design a cover. The royalties are minimal at the outset, and

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reduced further by a large number of border-crossing taxes that I don’t totally understand.

I’m sure it also looks a little lazy, or at the very least comes across like I couldn’t sell my own piece. What kind of writer am I? Obviously not a very good one, some may think, if I have to resort to doing the publishing myself.

Not to mention that self-publishing makes anyone an author — or, at least, anyone who can pay the fees — regardless of their actual talent.

Because of this, sometimes you end up with authors like the one who submitted her novel to an indie bookreviewer to garner some attention. Instead of saying “thank you” for the much-needed constructive criticism she received, she thought it would be more appropriate to wage an Internet war because she couldn’t see past herself to realize she’d made several mistakes and hadn’t taken the time to edit them out of her final draft. Those kinds of people make self-published writers look unprofessional, untalented and completely ungrateful.

On the other hand, there’s Canadian author Terry Fallis, who, after self-publishing his debut novel The Best Laid Plans, submitted it for the Leacock Medal for Hu-

mour, won the prize, got a book deal and then went on to win Canada Reads 2011. There are always exceptions to the general rule.

But, for me, the question of the hour remains: is self-publishing really that special?

I have struggled with this probably as long as I have called myself an author. Is being published really an exciting novelty if it’s something I had to do myself?

I think that, ultimately, it is. Knowing that I alone am responsible for not just writing a story, but for catching all the errors in it has made me a more vigilant editor than I had ever expected to be. I made my fair share of mistakes with my first book because I rushed (let’s not talk about it), but I’m learning from them.

Moreover, for writers who don’t have the time to research publishing houses and send several query letters, those who just want to see their novel bound and sitting on their bookshelf, or eager beavers like me who are determined to achieve a goal using whatever means necessary and legal, self-publishing is a wonderful opportunity.

It may not be the most thrilling option, but for now, I am content and that is enough.

photos: joanna mccunn/flickr; jonaylor/flickr

exhibitIKEA thinks outside the cardboard box

By Kelsey Rolfe From August 18 to 21, King Street West was home to an art exhibit with a less-than-conventional theme: IKEA. About two months prior, the popular lifestyle store approached four local artists with a bizarre proposition: put together a piece inspired by IKEA products. The result was four large-scale works as unique and creative as the artists who made them.

Bruno Billio, a sculptor with a penchant for displacing found objects, graced the gallery’s lobby with his piece: two curved, vertebrae-like columns of black-and-white IKEA chairs, stacked 60-high each, with mirrors underneath to accentuate the height.

“It’s a very stunning shape,” he said, “[It] comes in and out of itself.”

Thrush Holmes, a painter whose rise in the art world was stunningly quick, did not limit himself to his own medium. While he did paint something specifically for the exhibit — potted flowers inspired by IKEA tapestries, in neon colours with a bright yellow frame — his contribution was a neon-and-graffiticovered shack constructed out of the store’s brown cardboard boxes. Inside was a bedroom, quaint and romantic in nature. Holmes said he was trying to convey that “[the boxes the products came in] don’t adequately represent the possibilities of the content.”

David Dixon, a 1993 Ryerson alumni and popular designer of contemporary women’s clothing, not only created a clothing line for the event, but also took part in designing his exhibit’s stage: a dream closet.

An enormous PAX wardrobe, with inspirational sayphotos: kelsey rolfe

ings written along the top, covered the side wall, and the rest of the room was adorned with cushy couches and chairs in neutral tones that matched his line’s colour scheme.

Dixon said the inspiration for his line, which followed his usual M.O. of quiet, timeless silhouettes and playful patterns, came from Twiggy and the “early ’70s, Scandinavian movement.” His fabrics were picked from IKEA’s large selection — though, usually, their purpose is to cover pillows.

George Whiteside, a renowned fashion and design photographer and self-proclaimed “collector,” adorned the walls of his room in the gallery with 52 photographs of IKEA vases, all with faded and written-on notebook paper as their background.

Whiteside’s inspiration came from still-life painter Giorgio Morandi, and he titled the exhibit “Morandi Notes.”

The theme of his exhibit seemed to be monochromaticity: every photo had a colour scheme — usually a neutral shade, or occasionally a pop of blue or pink vases — and Whiteside even admitted to painting the vases that weren’t the right colour. “I like matchymatch, as you can tell,” he said, chuckling.

Though there was a large chance an exhibit of this kind could flop — or look like product shots for the IKEA catalogue — it was an unquestionable success. When given a challenge as unusual as this, all four artists shone. And, on IKEA’s part, it was a clever marketing ploy.

Don’t tell me you thought this was only about art.

Ryerson Free Press september 2011 15

Season’s

The RFP’s Bob Lackie breaks down all the new series and returning shows you’ll want to tune in to this September Sunday, September 4 Lost Girl (Showcase) | 9:00pm | Season 2 Premiere Anna Silk stars in this urban fantasy drama as headstrong, sexy succubus Bo, who uses her abilities as a Fae to help people in their time of need. After a well-received first season, this Canadian series received a full 22-episode order for season two, a definite sign of confidence from Showcase.

NEW SHOW — Up All Night (CTV) | 10:00pm | Series Premiere A couple unexpectedly finds out they are pregnant and must deal with the ups and downs of parenthood. The show stars a brilliant comedic trifecta of Christina Applegate, Will Arnett and Maya Rudolph, and has an unexpectedly charming trailer that puts it at the front of the pack. Arnett, in particular, steps away from his typical gimmick to portray a character that seems believably human.

Tuesday, September 13 Thursday, September 15 22 Minutes (CBC) | 8:30pm | Season Premiere A Canadian standard in sketch comedy since 1993.

Camelot (CBC) | 9:00pm | Season 1 Canadian Premiere This Irish/Canadian co-production revisits Arthurian legend with Joseph Fiennes and Casino Royale’s Eva Green.

Parenthood (Global) | 10:00pm | Season 3 Premiere The busy family drama starring Peter Krause and Lauren Graham, among a crowd of other standouts, returns for its third season.

Wednesday, September 14 Dragon’s Den (CBC) | 8:00pm | Season Premiere This Canadian reality show about would-be entrepreneurs returns with another round of pitches facing the dragons Arlene Dickinson, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary, Jim Treliving and new addition, Lavalife cofounder Bruce Croxon.

Survivor: South Pacific (Global) | 8:00pm | Season Premiere Another round of survival competition, with Ozzy Lusth and Coach Ben Wade each returning for their third run at the prize.

America’s Next Top Model (CTV Two) | 9:00pm | Season Premiere Tyra Banks’ modeling competition returns for its seventeenth and eighteenth cycles, with the former featuring a cast of all-stars.

NEW SHOW — Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays (CBC) | 9:30pm | Series Premiere This new Canadian comedy from Slings and Arrows creators Martin and Don McKellar stars Matt Watts as the neurotic patient of Bob Martin’s therapist character, who hopes to use the young man as his chance at writing a pop psychology best seller.

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The Vampire Diaries (CTV Two) | 8:00pm | Season 3 Premiere The third season of the dark and twistfilled supernatural drama, starring Nina Dobrev, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, is coming off a highly rated and well-received second season.

Friday, September 16 NEW SHOW — Ringer (Global) | 10:00pm | Series Premiere Sarah Michelle Gellar, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, returns to the small screen playing the double roles of identical twin sisters Siobhan and Bridget. The two are caught up in a whirl of intrigue when Bridget dies and Siobhan steps into her life. Reviews for the pilot have been middling, citing poor direction and lack of overall vision, but the show could definitely find its feet a few weeks in. Also starring Ioan Gruffudd and Lost’s Nestor Carbonell.

best friends (Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, Alyson Hannigan and the ever-present Neil Patrick Harris) return in this New Yorkbased comedy about love, fate and friendship.

NEW SHOW — Two Broke Girls (CityTV) | 9:30pm | Series Premiere Kat Dennings stars as hard-edged Max, and Beth Behrs stars as down-on-her-luck former heiress Caroline, two unlikely roommates and co-workers dreaming of something better. The two strike up a friendship and realize they may share a dream: opening their own business together. Not only was Two Broke Girls adored by prospective advertisers and test audiences, but it was received well by critics, though there were some concerns about executive producer Whitney Cummings scaling back her influence to focus on Whitney, and leaving Sex and the City alum Robert Patrick King at the helm.

NEW SHOW — Whitney (CTV) | 9:30pm | Series Premiere A star vehicle for comedian Whitney Cummings, who executive produces and stars as the leading lady, the show paints Whitney as an opinionated woman engaged in a five-year committed relationship wondering if she should rethink her negative stance on marriage. Critical reaction has been muted, with great praise for those behind the show belied by lukewarm reviews of the pilot itself.

Sunday, September 18

Castle (CTV) | 10:00pm | Season 4 Premiere The charming will-they-won’t-they dramedy starring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic, as an author and a cop working together to solve murders, returns for its fourth season after a cliffhanger ending that left one character struggling for her life after a gunshot wound.

Battle of the Blades (CBC) | 8:00pm | Season Premiere The Americans have Dancing with the Stars, clashing their love of performance and Hollywood in a frothy mix of fame and flamenco. Canadians, instead, have reality show Battle of the Blades, in which NHL players and figure skating partners compete in teams to win the hearts of a judging panel.

Hawaii Five-0 (Global) | 10:00pm | Season 2 Premiere One of few breakout hits from last season’s rookies returns with Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim and Grace Park as a special investigative force in Hawaii. The show will have a treat for fans of NCIS: Los Angeles, with Daniela Ruah crossing over into Hawaii Five-0 sometime this season.

NEW SHOW — Cover Me Canada (CBC) | 9:00pm | Series Premiere A musical talent show that aims to highlight the talent of its Canadian contestants by judging their performances of popular Canadian songs.

Monday, September 19 How I Met Your Mother (CityTV) | 8:00pm | Season 7 Premiere Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) and his four

Tuesday, September 20 Glee (Global) | 8:00pm | Season 3 Premiere The breakout hit about a high school show choir will return in its third season with some tweaks after a successful-butshaky second season. For the first time, the show will have a full writing staff, and the season will amp up toward the graduation of many of its key characters. The show will feature 7-episode arcs for The Glee Project

winners Damien McGinty and Samuel Larson, and 2-episode arcs for runners-up Alex Newell and Lindsay Pearce.

NEW SHOW — The New Girl (CityTV) | 9:00pm | Series Premiere Zooey Deschanel comes to television as the bubbly, awkward Jessica Day who moves in with three men after a sudden break up.

The show also stars Max Greenfield, Jake M. Johnson, Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris, as well as the brief tenure of Damon Wayans Jr., forced to leave the show when Happy Endings was renewed for a second season. Reviews have been positive for the comedy, with Deschanel being the centre of praise.

Wednesday, September 21 NEW SHOW — The X Factor (CTV) | 8:00pm | Series Premiere Groomed by Simon Cowell to be the beast that succeeds American Idol as the next big talent show hit, The X Factor enters the field with huge expectations. The show is a massive hit in its native Europe, which only increases the pressure on the new show, which reunites Cowell with Idol sparring partner Paula Abdul.

Modern Family (CityTV) | 9:00pm | Season 3 Premiere The hit family comedy, sharing the wealth between three related-but-different families, returns.

CSI (CTV) | 10:00pm | Season 12 Premiere The show returns after a few turbulent seasons, performing a second reboot of sorts by shedding lead Laurence Fishburne and bringing on Ted Danson as a new head of the team.

Thursday, September 22 Community (CityTV) | 8:00pm | Season 3 Premiere The third season of the community college comedy, starring Joel McHale and co-starring Chevy Chase, premieres. The Wire alumn Michael K. Williams has joined the recurring cast as a biology professor, in a season where creator Dan Harmon has specifically noted taking inspiration from The Wire.

The Big Bang Theory (CTV) | 8:00pm | Season 5 Premiere The nerdy comedy from powerhouse Chuck Lorre, starring Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons, returns.

Parks & Recreation (CityTV) | 8:30pm | Season 4 Premiere Amy Poehler’s showcase, the critics’ darling Parks & Recreation, returns for a

Greetings fourth season with Patricia Clarkson guest starring as the much-foreshadowed Tammy Swanson I.

Grey’s Anatomy (CTV) | 9:00pm | Season 8 premiere The once-hot hospital soap returns for an eighth season after a limp and messy year that offered few breakout moments, besides a very charming wedding between Sara Ramirez and Jessica Capshaw. With news of the original cast’s expiring contracts, the hope is that the oncoming exits of some of its key players will force the staff to up their game.

The Office (Global) | 9:00pm | Season 8 Premiere After the exit of lead Steve Carell, all eyes are on the mockumentary comedy in its eighth year, with even non-fans curious about the shape of the show now that its lead has moved on. With the casting of James Spader in a key recurring role but no new ‘Michael Scott’ figure, the show is definitely going to be different.

NEW SHOW — Person of Interest (CityTV) | 9:00pm | Series Premiere The highly-buzzed new drama, from The Dark Knight scribe Jonathan Nolan and starring Jim Caviezel and Lost’s Michael Emerson, has the potential to be a huge hit.

Its home network in the U.S., CBS, is betting big by giving it the timeslot once guaranteed to CSI. Critical reaction to the pilot has been middling to positive, with critics most frustrated with Caviezel’s performance and vague mythology.

Friday, September 23 NEW SHOW — A Gifted Man (Global) | 8:00pm | Series Premiere This promising show, starring Patrick Wilson and with the pilot directed by Jonathan Demme, seems to be one with fantastic

photos: trainman74/flickr

talent and little chance of seeing a second season. Its Friday airdate is a big sign that the network expects it to flop, which is a shame. Wilson stars as a surgeon who, after many years of selfishness, is prompted by the ghost of his ex-wife (Jennifer Ehle) to pursue a more altruistic path. Margo Martindale, Rachelle Lefevre and Pablo Schreiber are among the talented supporting cast.

Nikita (CTV Two) | 8:00pm | Season 2 Premiere The sleek spy drama remake, starring Maggie Q, returns for a second season.

Fringe (CityTV) | 9:00pm | Season 4 Premiere After a mindbending final twist, the fringe science show starring Anna Torv, John Noble and Joshua Jackson returns for its fourth season.

Saturday, September 24 NEW SHOW — Dussault Inc. (CityTV) | 8:30pm | Series Premiere This Canadian reality show follows celebrity designer Jason Dussault and his model/entrepreneur partner Mashiah Vaughn as they work to rebuild the businesses that were wrecked in the economic downturn. Look out for many celebrity cameos, like Nickelback’s guitarist, Lou Ferrigno and Bai Ling.

Call Me Fitz (HBO Canada) | 8:30pm | Season 2 Premiere This Canadian cable comedy starring Jason Priestley returns for a second season, after a critically-praised opening run.

Desperate Housewives (CTV) | 9:00pm | Season 8 Premiere The housewives return for a final season, so get ready to bid Teri Hatcher’s Susan Meyer, Felicity Huffman’s Lynette Scavo, Marcia Cross’ Bree Van Camp, Eva Longoria’s Gabrielle Solis and even newbie Vanessa Williams’ Renee Parry a fond adieu full of secrets, betrayals, mystery and suburban intrigue.

The Good Wife (Global) | 10:00pm | Season 3 Premiere The critically-lauded lawyer drama centering on Julianna Margulies’ embattled ‘good wife’ Alicia Florrick returns for its third season.

NEW SHOW — Pan Am (CTV) | 10:00pm | Series Premiere The high-flying drama set on the iconic airline stars Christina Ricci, and is reportedly much better than advertisements would suggest, with a number of big twists that make it one of the most promising new dramas of the season.

Insecurity (CBC) | 8:30pm | Season 2 Premiere The Canadian spy comedy, starring Natalie Lisinska and William deVry, enters its second season after a successful initial run. Critical reviews were negative early on, though reports indicate the show has since settled into a good rhythm.

Mike & Molly (CTV Two) | 9:30pm | Season 2 Premiere Chuck Lorre’s newest comedy, starring Billy Gardell and Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy, returns for its second season.

Wednesday, September 28 Happy Endings (CityTV) | 9:30pm | Season 2 Premiere Last season’s surprise renewal, ‘group of friends in relationships’ comedy Happy Endings was also surprising in the support it slowly built from critics. Few would call it brilliant, but the mild praise it received from key critics calls to mind the small redemption Parks & Recreation saw in the closing episodes of its first mini-season, before breaking out into critic’s gold in its second.

Thursday, September 29 Monday, September 26 Sunday, September 25 The Amazing Race (CTV) | 8:00pm | Season Premiere The ‘round the world’ reality show and Emmy favourite returns.

The Simpsons (Global) | 8:00pm | Season 23 Premiere The iconic cartoon continues into its 23rd year.

Being Erica (CBC) | 9:00pm | Season 4 Premiere Erin Karpluk stars in this Canadian drama as the plucky Erica Strange, who is tasked with revisiting different times in her life in therapy. Except Erica does it literally, by being sent back in time to take a second look at her choices.

NEW SHOW — How to Be a Gentleman (Global) | 8:30pm | Series Premiere Though Entourage has been a lame duck for a few years now, Kevin Dillon has always done great work with one of the show’s more clearly comedic roles. Now, he plays against David Hornsby¸ with Hornsby as a prissy ‘gentleman’ and Dillon as a rough’n’ tumble ‘man’s man’, a combination more promising than it may seem. It might just succeed despite the cliché it is buried in. Dave Foley, Rhys Darby and 24’s Mary Lynn Rajskub co-star.

Ryerson Free Press september 2011 17

Reviews

MUSIC Colin Stetson: No Longer Just a “Freaky Saxophone Player”

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he height of my musical career came in Grade 8. At my high school, we were expected to take a music class for two years and learn an instrument. I chose the alto saxophone based on the fact that a) it looked cool and b) that episode of The Simpsons where Homer pronounces it “sax-a-ma-phone.” My music teacher Mrs. Zinck - bless her heart! - was patient with me, but after two years, I decided that my future was not as a musician. Perhaps it’s my failed mastery of the instrument that makes me appreciate Colin Stetson’s music even more, but I’m not the only one paying attention to the Montreal saxophonist these days.

His sophomore album, New History of Warfare Vol. 2: Judges, was named to the shortlist for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. The award is given out annually to the best Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales or record label, as chosen by a jury of 200 Canadian music journalists, bloggers and broadcasters. Stetson also played on two of the other albums nominated for the Polaris this year: Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and Timber Timbre’s Creep On Creepin’ On. He played on Bon Iver’s self-titled sophomore album and appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel with Justin Vernon & Co. in June. Not a bad year for the Michigan-born, Montreal-based musician who jokingly refers to himself as a “freaky saxophone player.”

“I think the ‘freakishness’ of being a saxophone player can work in your advantage or disadvantage,” says Stetson on the phone from Montreal. “One way or another, you’ll have people watching and listening to you.” It is several weeks before the musician will find out about his Polaris nomination for Judges, and he is busy getting ready for a summer tour with Bon Iver, as well as solo performances at festivals across the country. When you play a four-foot-tall baritone saxophone for the duration of an hour-long set, it requires great physical preparation. “If I have an hour set, I need to play that set twice a day in the week leading up to the show,” says Stetson. When performing live, he employs a circular breathing technique that allows him to sustain notes for longer and make audiences wonder, “How the heck does one guy make so much racket?”

When it came to recording Judges, the saxophonist went through a highly atypical process. In order to make music that Stetson describes as a “physical entity,” his saxophone was hooked up to multiple microphones, as well as several other mics being strategically placed around the room. The album was made without the use of loop pedals, no pitch-shifting studio technology and minimal overdubbing. Stetson recorded all his parts in four days. He wrote lyrics for several of the songs, so he called on Laurie Anderson and My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden to contribute guest vocals and record their parts separately from New York. The result is an album that defies an easy classification. It’s jazz music, but not in the traditional sense of the word, like the kind of jazz that musicians like Miles Davis or John Coltrane play. It’s experimental music, but Stetson insists the songs are more structured than improvisational. The songs are a study in contrast; they can go from being incredibly fast-paced and dissonant, to slower and more melodic in a matter of minutes.

The extra work has paid off for Stetson. He’s gone from opening for acts such as Arcade Fire and The National to headlining his own shows in Canada and the U.S. When I ask him if audiences are more receptive to his music, as well as the use of horns in indie rock and pop in general today compared to in the past, he considers the question for a minute before answering. “In the early and mid-1990s there was a huge push against technique,” says Stetson. “Bands became more experimental and raw. The core of indie rock is a different aesthetic in the fundamentals. I would only assume that people have gotten more worldly.” — Max Mertens

Maroon 5 and Train at the Molson Amphitheatre

S

ay what you want about Maroon 5 and Train, but there is no denying that they certainly know how to put on a show.

Their summer-long tour stopped in Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre, on Monday, August 22, for four hours of pure rocking and rolling. Though Gavin DeGraw was scheduled to appear as the opening act, he was replaced by Nikki Jean after the singer was recently mugged and hit by a cab in New York City.

Though I had been quite excited to see Gavin DeGraw perform, Nikki Jean, clad in a bedazzled blue mini-dress, was an excellent replacement — alternately sassy and sweet, with a great sense of humour and a smooth, soulful voice, she kept the crowd entertained for her allotted half hour. Given her shamelessly silly stage presence, and ability to break down a quasi-rap without so much as a stutter, she actually came across as a slightly classier version of Nicki Minaj.

Maroon 5 kicked off their half of the show just after 8 p.m. with their latest hit “Moves Like Jagger,” which got the crowd up and cheering right away. Following with “Harder to Breathe,” which began to the opening of Kanye West’s Power, it was clear that the set list was going to be essentially devoid of mellow songs.

However, when it came to crowd pleasers, it was clear that “Wake Up Call,” featuring Adam Levine on the electric guitar, “Stutter” and “This Love” received the largest reception. But it was “Won’t Go Home Without You” that stole the show for me.

The band was, unquestionably, at their best, opening the show with four or five songs that faded into each other, with no break for water. Levine knew how to get the audience giggling, drawing laughter from the crowd when he admitted his biggest concern was getting up on stage and belting out one of Train’s songs. “That’s the problem with touring with Train,” he said, before beginning the band’s encore performance of “She Will Be Loved.” “I get their shit stuck in my head!”

He then proceeded to “remix” his final song with a riff of Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister”.

Though I knew very little of Train’s songs, barring two songs, I was wowed by their half of the concert. The band included “If It’s Love”, a sweet but upbeat number that provided a lyrics video on the amphitheatre’s big screen, among their first three songs, and this was one of their best decisions, resulting in a sing-along that even included audience members who didn’t know the words (i.e. me).

Pat Monahan, Train’s frontman, was delightfully unconventional and unexpectedly funny, inviting “Train-ettes” up onto the stage to sing with him (and then poke fun of them afterwards), and making his way through the audience during the band’s slowest and most beautiful song, “Marry Me.” He was even game to engage in a salsa dance with his only female bandmate.

“Save Me, San Francisco,” the title track of their newest album, and their encore performance of “Drops of Jupiter”, were the undisputed top performances. (Let’s face it, having Pat Monahan direct you to yell “Oh hell no!” is going to be the best moment.) However, there was no denying the collective anticipation to hear “Hey, Soul Sister” (and the spirited sing-along that ensued when it was finally performed).

I have no trouble saying that this was the best concert I have ever attended. If you have the opportunity to see either band, I suggest doing so. — Kelsey Rolfe

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photo: kelsey rolfe

STAGE White Biting Dog

S

oulpepper theatre company’s recent production of Judith Thompson’s 1984 play White Biting Dog delivers a two-sided perspective on the female experience, in a dark circus of family drama. After being saved from jumping off the Bloor Viaduct by the call of a white dog, Cape (Mike Ross) quits his law practice and moves in with his ailing father (Joseph Ziegler) who pines after estranged wife Lomia (Fiona Reid). Dog-loving friend Pony (Michaela Washburn) provides the naive-yet-insightful voice of wisdom when Cape’s melodramatic mother returns with her boy-toy lover (Gregory Prest) in tow.

The story is a feminist take on two extremes of womanly extravagance, from the virgin to the whore, reflecting both female characters in shades of that white canine. That a dog is used in the title as stand-in for that less-polite moniker for all women emphasizes the primary importance of the females in the play, even as the narrative appears to focus on the men. First-time director and Soulpepper founding member Nancy Palk adds another layer of feminine interpretation to the production, without underdeveloping the male side of the story.

Thompson’s black comedy weaves a tight leash of humour and pathos, with moments of great dialogue that reveal why the Toronto playwright earned two Governor General’s Awards and the Order of Canada.

As with many Soulpepper productions, one of the performance’s greatest strengths is in its casting and portrayals of complex comedic characters. Company regulars Ziegler, Ross and Prest disappear into their conflicted roles as father, son and other man. Reid steals the show as the attention-seeking mother, lending grace to the desperation of a middle-aged woman still relying on her body for self-worth. Washburn is sweetly naive in her Soulpepper debut as the psychic savant Pony, pushing the stereotype of a coarse backwater girl from Kirkland Lake as far as it will stretch.

The first act is strong, turning constantly from despair to comedy, often in the same bite.

The second act is enjoyable but grows tiresome as Pony’s northern Ontario naivety begins to grate with too much airtime and too little evolution. Pony’s character is not complex or redeeming enough to sustain the simplistic portrayal as she faces emotional strain in the second act. By the climax, the male characters fade into despair while the women swallow their parallel self-destruction in what becomes a momentary feminist drag. Soliloquies about starving oneself for love may have raised stronger questions about empowerment in the 1980s but today seem like another after-school special. Thompson’s ideas of the struggles of a modern femininity work best when they tiptoe beneath the surface rather than being whacked with a dual-edged stiletto.

Fortunately, the sound design is more subtle in its ominous tone, with Ross’s trance drumming solos echoing the rhythm of Thompson’s more powerful dialogue. The set is simple as well, uniting the theme of a bridge with the domestic setting, and the actors succeed in softening the sometimes-overtold script with physical nuance. Palk’s eye for big-picture direction should suit her well beyond her maiden attempt.

This year, Soulpepper featured White Biting Dog as part of its Top Women program to highlight the contributions of female artists to the theatre. It’s a credit to the company to encourage opportunities for women in the field, not only for playwrights and directors, but also with more complex female roles for actors. Given its audience-luring lineup that favours the classics, Soulpepper productions don’t always offer so many juicy female parts for their talented artists to stretch their talents, particularly in roles designed to convey maturity or traits other than sex appeal. This program, while not changing the status quo overnight, is a step towards strengthening the talent base and inspiring the next generation of female dramatic artists. That Judith Thompson has been so prolific and well-received in her 30-plus-year career is a strong encouragement to those who wish to follow in her path. — Amy Ward

Exit the King

Maria Severa

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W

hat if you knew when your final act was up? Exit the King leaves His Royal Highness, King Berenger, with the knowledge that when the play is over, he will be dead. A pretty heavy subject if Oliver Dennis as the 400-year-old king wasn’t magnificently funny. The production did not skimp on the ridiculous, leaving the majority of the performance ultimately hilarious—until the sobering reality of the end.

The first time we see the king, he briefly displays himself in full form: his long red locks with tips curled outwards, as if he were a trendy woman of the late 90s and early 2000s; scepter in hand and crown on head, his train sweeps the stage following his still upright form, his regal expression commanding authority.

The next time we see Berenger, he hobbles on stage in a faded-blue, adult onesie.

The ills of his kingdom parallel his own fatal ailments. In Berenger’s universe, Mars and Saturn have collided, thunder has become mute and the Milky Way has curdled. The young have left behind the old and decrepit. Drought, famine and multiple wars (sound familiar?) have devastated the land and the economy.

And everything, one by one, falls into the hole, literally.

French playwright Eugène Ionesco had a keen eye for the absurdities of life and a desire to laugh at death. “Death is our main problem. All others are less important,” Ionesco said. When he wrote Exit the King in 1962 he was struggling with his own mortality. The show was resurrected by actor Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech), who wrote the current translation with director Neil Armfield (Candy). At Toronto’s Soulpepper theatre, it seems Ionesco thought, even amidst reality’s tragic mix of humour and horror, that the best way to deal with death is to prepare for it.

The voice of reason cutting through the king’s denial is his first wife, Queen Margeurite (Brenda Robins). Robins bears the burden of the most serious role: she is surrounded by comedic characters who are privileged to receive the comforting laughter of approval from the audience. But, thanks to her dry humour, Marguerite does get a few laughs.

Queen Marie, the party girl, is the king’s second, younger and favourite wife. She prefers to shield her husband from reality. Karen Rae as Marie is doting, naïve, lovely and self-centered.

The scene-stealer, however, is Trish Lindström as Juliette the maid and nurse. From her gait of a tired, hardworking servant to her distinctive voice to her comedic timing, Lindström’s presence on stage is missed during her absences. It is Juliette’s life of routine that Berenger envies near the end. He points out the simple pleasures she enjoys that he will never again experience.

Derek Boyes as the guard—a reliable source of jokes—and William Webster as the doctor—both comic and realist—round up the cast.

During the performance, some jokes fell flat. The realities of dying and the desperation of wanting to live are on occasion uncomfortable, specifically when Berenger begs to possess the perspective of a suicide victim. But facing death is not meant to be comfortable, making the need to laugh necessary. The intentionally serious scene is the finale after everyone has left the king, except for faithful Queen Margeurite. All joking ceases as Berenger accepts his fate. Although it is completely appropriate to treat this time with the seriousness it deserves, the scene drags on.

Nothing, however, can detract from the production’s golden moments: from the witty script to the physicality of Dennis’ performance. The image of the king leaping from what seemed like death while wearing only briefs, a white sheet and a toe tag remains priceless. — Ruane Remy PHOTo: cylla von tiedemann/soulpepper

aria Severa, playing at the Shaw Festival, takes audiences back to the Mouraria, a poor part of Lisbon in the mid-1800s. There we find Maria—a soon to be famous singer—and her friend Jasmine—a runaway Brazilian slave—selling sex. On this miserable night, Maria meets the bullfighter Count Armando de Vimioso, a pairing that will lead to passion and tragedy.

Based on a true story, the tale of Maria is also the tale of fado, songs born from the struggles of the working class. Fado comes from the Portuguese word for fate, which seems appropriate, as playwrights Jay Turvey and Paul Sportelli were inspired to create this musical during a holiday in Portugal.

Turvey and Sportelli, through their rich characters and lyrics of daily life, suffering and desire, arouse affection for fado, fadistas (those who sang) and the characters who would impact the legend of Maria—the mother of fado, the original fadista.

Julie Martell is Maria Severa Onofriana and the first to sing on stage what will hopefully become musical classics, “Between a Man and a Woman” and “But I Do”. In the latter, she asks, “Why do I reach out for more, when what I want I cannot touch?” It is the essence of longing for better than we possess that can be easily translated across social class.

Saccha Dennis, also in Shaw’s production of My Fair Lady, plays Jasmine. She and Martell belt out one of the more upbeat songs when we find them working the streets on a slow night. “Where’s my bread and butter?” they ask the stinking sailors, horny husbands and boozy bastards who have neglected to show. Maria and Jasmine lay out the realities of sex work, all the while sprinkling humour along the way with a heavy hand—a trend that permeates the entire production.

The characters all have a sufficient backstory making it easier to connect and appreciate each of them. But even without such stories, the actors provide telling performances. Armando (Mark Uhre) is the handsome daredevil who lives beyond his means. Fernando (Jonathan Gould), his brother, is the jealous drunk. The two of them sing “It’s in the Blood”, an amusing number not to be missed. Their upper-class mother Constança de Vimioso (Sharry Flett) is desperate to refill the family’s coffers. Clara da Silva (Jacqueline Thair) is the rich, sweet and suppressed girl who aches for freedom and who Constança intends on using, by marriage to Armando, to regain wealth.

Isabel Onofriana (Jenny L. Wright), known as Mama, is Maria’s mother who has had a hard life and makes no apologies for being herself, but remains a source of comic relief. Wright does not hold back in the song Fountain in the Square, an unexpected highlight. Father Manuel (Neil Barclay) is the jovial priest who is victim to fear. And Carlos Carvalho (Jeff Irving), guitarist and Maria’s fellow songwriter, is an unrequited lover, faithful till the end.

Highlights of the play also include fashion thanks to Sue LePage, costume designer. Maria and Jasmine’s dresses are not just fun to look at, and most likely fun to wear, but they definitely impart a feeling about their personalities. Maria’s red and black is representative of her desire and grief, and how she always expresses her emotions, as raw as they sometimes may be. Jasmine’s dress, perhaps a taste of her Brazilian flare, is lighter with more earthy tones and hints at her ability to look at the brighter side of life.

The production leaves audiences with a feeling of satisfaction. The timeless and seductive sound of the Portuguese and acoustic guitars, thanks to the live musicians, lingers beyond the performance. The woman sitting next to me teared up at the end, so to Turvey and Sportelli, I say mission accomplished. — Ruane Remy

Ryerson Free Press september 2011 19