villagevibe Photos: Sharon Tiffi n
Photo: Veronique da Silva
April 2007 : News and views from the heart of Fernwood
Fresh in Fernwood
Suzuki rides again >> by Susi Porter-Bopp
and what our politicians are saying. “I know that Canadians like to think of ourselves as good global hy are our collective actions so citizens. We need to tell our governments that this is different from our collective beliefs? what we want our role to be.” According to the World Wildlife Starting in Saint John’s, Newfoundland, Suzuki Fund’s 2006 Living Planet Report Canadians have visited more than 40 communities and thousands of the fourth largest ecological footprint in the world. Canadians in each province during the 30-day tour We are amongst the most unsustainable creatures before taking those concerns and ideas to Ottawa this planet has ever seen – and, with Australia and in early March. At every stop, supporters were the US, part of what environmentalists recently encouraged to make 20-second “If YOU were Prime labelled an ecological “axis of evil.” British author Minister…” videos and upload them to the tour’s and Guardian Weekly columnist George Monbiot youtube group through davidsuzuki.org. In Victoria, passes a damning judgement in the foreword to the the 71-year old biked the final few kilometres of Canadian edition of his most recent book, Heat: the tour from the Inner Harbour to Mile Zero with How to Stop the Planet From Burning: “You think about 20 other cyclists and an escort of bicycle police of yourselves as a liberal and enlightened people, before heading to the sold-out event. The event was and my experience seems to confirm that. But you jointly hosted by Fernwood NRG, the Sierra Club could scarcely do more to destroy the biosphere if of Canada (BC Chapter), and the BC Sustainable you tried.” Energy Association. Why do we suffer from this doublethink? “This IS the moment,” Suzuki repeated What can get us past it? throughout his talk. “We are the most numerous Canadian scientist, television personality, and mammal in the world. We have become a new kind environmental activist, David Suzuki, has wondered of force on the earth - what I call a superspecies. And the same thing. He put this question to Victorians for the first time in history, we have to ask ourselves: at the final stop on his “If YOU Were Prime ‘what is the collective impact of 6.5 billion of us?’” Minister what would you do for the environment?” Suzuki encouraged the audience to start by writing to cross-country marathon on February 28th. “What Prime Minister Harper and asking him to commit to people tell me they’re concerned with bears so little meeting the Kyoto Protocol on global warming. resemblance to what the politicians are talking While critics have pointed to Suzuki’s lack about,” he told a captivated audience of nearly 900 at of a truly systemic critique of the failure of the the First Metropolitan United Church in Fernwood. environmental movement, he is an inspiring and For Suzuki the answer is clear: there needs to be a “re- often empowering mobiliser. The tour marked a shift connection” between what Canadians are saying from the Suzuki Foundation’s focus on
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>> by Joseph Avi Lambert Mom’s Market has just opened one block from the corner of Fernwood and Gladstone where so much has been happening. Mom’s takes over the space from Sam Kwan, who ran the store for 15 years. The building, which sits at the corner of Stanley and Gladstone, has consistently housed a family-run business since it was built in 1907. Tracey Maguire is Mom, and she comes by the title legitimately. She is the mother of six children ranging in age from almost five to 27. Two of her children will be helping her at the store – her daughter Corrine at the till, and her youngest son Cullen, will be the stock boy. Her other children are Carmel, Carolyn and Katie and you’re bound to see them helping out around the Market as well. Pop is Tony Maguire. He tells me lots of people call Tracey mom – from her children’s friends to people
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in this issue Dogs in the Hood Page 3 Feature: Giving a hoot about endangered species Page 4 Real Estate: It’s smart to buy in Fernwood Page 6