Montréalités Politics

High-Tide of Poverty in Montreal

2012-10-17T22:47:48Z

Intended Audience

The intended audience for my backgrounder will revolve around the general public, researchers and introduced sociologists as well as involved community members. It is also intended for the general public and the concerned citizens of Montreal and the politically active. Although poverty in Montreal has been reworded to synonymous concerns of the "economy" as well as increasing jobs within Montreal, poverty is an equal proponent and cause for concern. The positive outlook of an issue whether determining job levels or unemployment rates ultimately comes down tax-breaks the city of Montreal offers as well as education levels and Montreal's push towards increasing literacy and adaptability in a mixed cultural inner-city society and its varying wage-levels of its citizens.

Single Sentence Backgrounder - Statement of the Issue

This backgrounder aims to better understand the core issues and aspects of poverty levels within Montreal to better assess the situation in order to affirm correct governmental efforts towards relieving high levels of inner-city poverty.

Background Information

Montreal's poverty rates have been amongst the highest of the country since its scrutiny in the early 90's. During the 90s, it was at a staggering 41% in comparison to other cities ranging around the 20% mark (Edmonton Journal, 2000). Average incomes were about half of the intended income to live by, 14,500$. Montreal's poverty levels were definitely at an all-time high at the time, but what of now? In comparison to Ottawa and Vancouver, Montreal's poverty rates were at an all-time high mostly due to its lack of retirement program as well as longevity of a working force during its later years. Programs such as the Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement are credited as the main reasons for the drop, however if excluded from our statistics thanks to Stats Can (2007), the overall poverty rates remain the same, yet Montreal's rankings drop to third, fourth or even sixth. With the increase of minorities through the growing years, their overall extreme poverty rates have been high, however there are fewer minorities within Montreal than the other major Canadian capital cities, yet are the most impoverished. This could indicate that a sweeping lack of jobs throughout all sectors affecting all minorities and ethnic groups more so than contributing the issue towards one minority enclave over another. The lack of general jobs and the source of poverty has not been completely discovered yet and it could have to do with more opportunities for companies outside the province than within the city as well as the general bonuses towards the elderly more so than those prospering out of university, graduated and eager for jobs.

Current Situation & Implications

The implication of Montreal's poverty levels so distinguished from other major Canadian capital cities is that it highlights an underlining socio-infrastructure issue that is so impactful, that it differentiates Montreal's past rates and its current poverty levels. Currently, Montreal's income status sits at a 21.1% before taxes, 7% more than the metropolitan areas' average and 4% more than Quebec (Stats Canada, 2007). Studies from Citizenship & Immigration Canada highlights the irony of Montreal having the least minority population, but high impoverished areas and enclaves with minorities or even with minority ethnic groups living amongst dominant Caucasian neighborhoods. There is a core and underlying issue with Montreal's poverty levels across all ethnic groups and ages that needs to be revealed and highlighted. Is it the unions, the education degrees or lack of jobs due to outsourcing? This backgrounder aims to answer the high-levels of inner-city poverty. Only those 65 years old have dropped massively from 34.1% to the lowest: 14.5%. Programs such as the Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement are credited as the main reasons for the drop. So while rates have dropped massively nation-wide, it has been mostly for seniors and what was once perceived as optimism since our 1990's findings, is now returning to its true state, that poverty, for the working ages and adults, is still a major problem and many are still living below a comfortable level. This article helps separate and further eliminate potential reasoning to a reasonable high poverty rate.

Documentation - Annotated Bibliography

City-Data.com (2007) - Montreal's Income Levels (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 92-591-XWE. Ottawa. Released March 13 2007)

Though just a statistical graph of both Earnings, Income, governmental transfers, this will help determine just how much Canada pays in percentages due to taxes, how much it earns, how much more it is to Canada, to Quebec and more. These statistics, though a bit outdated by 5 years (2007), give us a ball-park of what to expect in terms of earnings, return back to the government and gender/age differentiations. These statistics are intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

CBC.ca (2000) - Montreal "poverty capital of Canada"

Not journalistic, however, this adds context to Montreal's poverty context in comparison to other capital cities such as Toronto and Ottawa. Poverty rate in the 1990s was as high as 41% based on the census data of '96, household income of '95 and took the government's low-income cut-off as its definition of the poverty line. This also helps us decipher how to interpret the 2007 statistics of incomes and earnings in our Stats Canada Catalogue. The study, though unnamed, is claimed to be back by many several Canadian municipalities. However, this cannot be used as a real reference, but purely to be aiding our Background Information section as well as implicitly dictate the current situation section. The news article makes some bold claims: "The report shows that despite government promises to eliminate child poverty by 2000, it has grown in step with adult poverty, a fact Lee doesn't find surprising." This news article is intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

Edmonton Journal (2000) - "Montreal's poverty worst in Canada: Across the country, number of poor up 34% during '90-'95"

Edmonton Journal confirms what CBC claims, with Montreal having the largest urban poverty in all of Canada during the 90s ('90 to '95). Ottawa has the smallest proportion of poor resident and 23.3% for Vancouver. Journalistic article's source is a major report called "Urban Poverty". Article states that the average rate income of the poor is 14,500$ (a quarter of average earnings). This article both affirms what the news article of CBC dictates as well as gives us more intended figures of Montreal's income levels, earnings and poverty rates in both the early-mid 90s to also declaring that the levels have slowly declined since (but we have Stats Canada of 2007 to follow-up on just how much its declined as well as the implications to why). This journalistic news article is intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

Citizenship & Immigration Canada (2009) - "Exploring minority enclave areas in Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver"

The study of minority enclaves (boroughs) tries to link both the socio-economic marginalization that may lead to poverty and a possible relationship. While it may be a concluding factor, it states that it is part of a bigger marginalization. Despite this, enclaves are of extreme poverty as well as the fact that Montreal has it the worst in addition to having the lowest population of visible minorities and those who live in enclaves. This article is especially good at distinguishing the differences of poverty, levels of minority groups and enclaves and circling Montreal as having the least of minorities, but the most impoverished, gaining its lead as one of the city's with the largest poverty levels and the effects of minority groups (even living amongst Caucasians). This study is intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

Andrew Heisz, Canada's Global Cities: Socio-Economic Conditions in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver (2006)

This article is both insightful and incredibly immense with information and facts ranging from Montreal's population growth, number of municipalities (60), labour markets, and income/low income. The article aims to understand the median standard of economic well-being, evidence of a widening gap between the rich and poor as well as what groups are at risk of exclusion based on having too little income. In addition to this, it applies the same information and fact-seeking to neighbouring growing cities we use to compare Montreal's levels to Vancouver and even Toronto, furthering establishing its usefulness in our exploration and questions. This study is intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

CanEquity.com, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver Top Out National Poverty Rates: Statscan (2011)

This article follows-up even further on the poverty levels of all three major cities. Overall, the national rate is at a near 10% (9.6), with Montreal now at 13.1%, lowering itself from 19.7% 10 years ago. The article goes on to contribute that services, housing and governmental benefits have lifted some problems, making Montreal, originally the top most impoverished city, now in third, following Toronto and Vancouver. While the article is good, it does not add much social context or reasoning to what are the contributing factors towards a still-high poverty rate. This study is intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

Poverty Trends in Canada (2007), National Council of Welfare, "Solving Poverty Information Kit"

The Solving Poverty Information Kit given by the National Council of Welfare for Canada does not give much insight into Montreal's poverty, but gives an over-arching foundational view of Canada as a whole and helps distinguish that although rates have dropped according to CanEquity in 2011, the National Council of Welfare distinguishes that anyone still working and below the age of 65 years, has had little to no change in their current income or, better stated: have had little effect on the poverty rates. From 16.2% to 16.8% in the last 25 years. Only those 65 years old have dropped massively from 34.1% to the lowest: 14.5%. Programs such as the Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement are credited as the main reasons for the drop. So while rates have dropped massively nation-wide, it has been mostly for seniors and what was once perceived as optimism since our 1990's findings, is now returning to its true state, that poverty, for the working ages and adults, is still a major problem and many are still living below a comfortable level. This article helps separate and further eliminate potential reasoning to a reasonable high poverty rate. This study is intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

Rudy Pohl, Street Level Consulting.ca, Poverty in Canada (2002)

Not necessarily related to Montreal's poverty, but this article will help define poverty in a more sociological format both in wording and to be in accordance with our statistics and findings. It also helps measure the validity of the statistics, what to interpret from it as well as the ability to measure poverty in Canada. This article is intended for all audiences ranging from the general public, to researchers and sociological students.

Be A Lady: Feminism in the 21st Century

2012-10-17T22:24:56Z

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Feminism, Canada, and Its Modern Implications

History

Amongst political ideologies there are few with a more spirited typecast figure than the feminist. To many the feminist invokes visions of burning bras and protest lines; to others it is another respectable and educated choice in political alignment. Feminism is a loaded term with many connotations and undereducated understandings. Much of what shaped feminism was that which directly opposed it: psychoanalytic theory (which would later be used consistently in the discourse) was greatly a reponse to hysteria (Hunter, 73), the terms Planned Parenthood and birth control were coined in the 1920s to gain recognition of women's health by the government (Engelmen, 182), and Morgentaler's work was a direct reaction to the institutionalization of family care(Wright-Pellerin, 7).

A feminist is "an advocate or supporter of the rights and equality of women" (Oxford (noun). Feminist theory is an academic extension of feminism into various fields. It includes: anthropology, sociology, economics, women's studies, literary criticism,art history,psychoanalysis and philosophy. Feminist theory seeks to understand gender inequality and focuses on politics, power, and sexuality.

First-Wave

The first-wave feminist movement began as early as the late nineteenth century. Though the entrance of women into the workforce during the First World War is often cited as a catalyst for the beginnings of the feminist movement the campaign for women's personhood began long before. Suffragettes sought access to education and equal employment along with their right to vote. During this time feminism acted as a form of binary opposition against the early twentieth centuries instilled standards of Christianity and sex-linked qualities. (Groves and Jenainti 73) Religion was an important factor in the early stages of the feminist movement, in fact it has been criticized for encouraging population and race control and pushing for a perfect race within Genome projects.

Second-Wave

The success of first-wave feminism had a large impact on the theology of second-wave. Because women were more educated the movement began to take both a theoretical and practical approach to women's issues. Theses issues were defined as women's liberation and women's rights, respectively, seeking independence and empowerment. (Groves and Jenainti 86) Having gained legal personhood, the ability to vote and basic rights women now sought to enforce social change in the cultural upheaval of the 1960s and 1970s. Second-wave feminists fought for equal pay, equal rights, right to initiate a divorce, illegalization of marital rape and domestic abuse, as well as new laws for sexual assualt.

Much of what we think of when we think of the stereotypical feminist comes from the women of the second-wave (although many claim that no bras were actually burned).

Third-Wave

Third-wave feminist consciously implemented masculine and female traits (analytical vs. emotional for instance) and embraced them as a method of liberation. Third-wavers continued to challenge the myth of the universal female experience and put a greater emphasis on race, sexuality, religion, and social class as factors in creating equality. Feminist scholar Ann Oakley wrote in the mid-eighties of the myth of biological motherhood. the myth that once a woman becomes a mother that is her role in society and it will never waver. Oakley also sought to disprove the maternal desire for a woman to birth her own children. Oakley believed that children can just as successfully be raised by a group of "social" or "collective" mothers, be them male or female, as had been done historically in villages and towns. (Groves and Jenainti 120-21)

Feminism in Canada

Canada has had is own history with feminism. Canada was one of the earliest countries to give women the vote (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in 1916) although Quebec women were not given the vote until much later in 1940. The Famous Five made up of Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Loise McKinney, and Henriette Edwards were behind the "Persons Case" in 1927 in which they asked, "Does the word 'Persons' in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons? Women were ruled as persons in 1929.

Much of Canada's second-wave movement mirrored that of the rest of the Western world with creation of women's organizations by both public and political funding, movement against battered women, and rights movements. A predominant role in Canadian cultural revolution was the creation and execution of both the Canadian Human Rights Act, 1977, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982. Canada differs from other countries in that it has no legislation for abortion, meaning it is decriminalized (since 1969) but there is no regulation. Henry Morgentaler is a famous Montreal doctor who attempted to give women reproductive freedom most notably in R vs. Morgentaler in 1988.

Third-wave feminism followed the rest of the Western world once more but many feminists put a greater emphasis on Quebec and Aboriginal women in their studies and work.

Current and Future Feminist Activity

There has been much debate surrounding feminism in the past decade. "Feminist" is often seen as a dirty word one may say, "I'm not a feminist but..." creating a generation of unfeminist feminists. Camile Paglia has been quoted as saying that contemporary feminism is faltering, "in a reactionary phase of hysterical moralism and prudery" (Craig, Julie Spring 2012) However, feminist tradition finding a new life online and in blogs. Websites like The Hairpin and Jezebel.com approach media and news with a feminist lens while remaining readable, informative, and entertaining. Current issues in women's rights (specifically health, representation and birth control) and the conservative war on women have been presented in the media as well. After excessive and recession many people are redefining their morals and beliefs and feminism is taking a direct hit. but with the help of established theories and the constant recruitment of new young feminists this way be turned around.

See this video for more information:

"What do Feminist Have Left? " with Guy Branum

#pussy riot a Russian feminist punk band

The government IS watching

2012-07-06T18:40:03Z

By: Virago

Image source Flickr

Back in February of this year, the Harper government boldly introduced a new bill entitled the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act , known officially as Bill C-30. It is a proposed amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code that would require telecommunication service providers to log all personal subscriber information such as their name, address, unlisted and cell phone numbers and IP address (one's online identity) for release to the authorities upon their potential request. More importantly, the bill would make backdoor functions mandatory, securing unannounced remote access to individuals' electronics and the information within them by bypassing the need for permission or passwords. And all of this, without a warrant! This bill would effectively grant the government the surveillance power to track and monitor the digital lives of all innocent and law-abiding Canadians - not just the very minute portion suspected of child-related crimes. The current government is not beyond meaningless bill name changes to sound more appealing, false justifications and childish proclamations, or even infringing on civil right in order to force through this privacy-invading bill under the guise of "protecting children".

The bill was presented by Conservative MP and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews as a necessary step to end child trafficking and pornography in Canada. He said, "This is legislation that civilized, democratic countries around the world recognize is important in order to deal with some very significant problems."1 (CBC News) The problem with that claim, however, is that beyond the mention of "protecting children from predators" in its title, the words "children" or "internet predator" oddly do not appear anywhere in the bill's actual content. Furthermore, Bill C-30 was originally labeled the Lawful Access Act - a name that mayhave rubbed citizens the wrong way, one that might confirm any uneasy feeling that the government would like access to more of our information. No wonder they decided to change it. Shortly after its appearance, the bill was quickly tabled. An hour or so later, an identical document reemerged carefully renamed the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act. Perhaps they thought this wording might better tug at people's heartstrings, yet Canadians still question its true intentions despite the latest unchanged incarnation.

]]> Image source Flickr

Another alleged aim of Bill C-30 was to bring the current Canadian Criminal Code up to date by amending it to include digital age technologies like the internet and portable devices, that are often used in crimes involving children. The revision of such an important legislature to encompass modern technologies seems like a logical step in keeping with current trends and new threats. That is, until we recall another important detail adding to the suspicious nature of this bill - the fact that the Canadian Criminal Code was already amended, back in 2002, to incorporate the internet. From that point on, the Code has included new offenses that would "help combat the luring of minors by making it illegal to communicate with children over the Internet for the purpose of committing a sexual offense".2 (Stats Canada). The fact that the internet had already been integrated into the Criminal Code on this specific topic makes Toews' reasoning both inaccurate and misleading.

The Conservatives have also resorted to childish tactics and false proclamations in order to pressure people into supporting the bill. Embarrassingly similar to George W. Bush's famous attempt to gain followers in an illegal war, Toews stood in the House of Commons and boldly told another MP that he "can either stand with us or with the child pornographers."3 (The Globe and Mail) He publicly denied4 (www.canada.com) making such a statement the very next day, evidently forgetting about the video footage that would soon be broadcast nationally. If standing up for one's rights and freedoms, in this case to oppose a harsh privacy-violating bill that targets the entire country, makes an MP bark remarks as uncalled for as this, it might just be time to be concerned about our government.

Most important is the issue of human rights and freedoms at stake under this proposed bill. The Conservatives have been facing much criticism over their desire for unwarranted surveillance and expanded powers in cases not involving criminality. As it currently stands, police can obtain warrants allowing them to track information sent online, and to have courts force companies to preserve electronic evidence. So why the sudden urge to forego the need for a warrant? If there is reasonable suspicion of an individual's wrongdoings or one iota of proof, then a warrant can be awarded, and a legal search or invasion of said person's privacy will be performed. Why would they require the ability to attack everyone's personal information, and without their knowledge, if they can easily obtain that same information with a warrant, as is? The wording of this bill is so vague that it would allow, unofficially, access beyond the case of criminality. In the wrong hands, any sarcastic text in an email sent years ago by an innocent person could easily be taken out of context and be used against them. And as we know, no organization is immune to corruption. So much for "innocent until proven guilty". It does beg the question: why are they so eager to risk citizens' privacy? After all, this is the same government that brewed up hysteria over the gun registry, that fought tooth and nail against it in order to "protect the privacy" of a much smaller portion of citizens who actually own dangerous weapons. None of this makes sense.

In this digital day and age, we know the government already possesses enough information on everyone to make even the most innocent uncomfortable. However, knowing this same body is specifically doing everything in its power to make that a legal reality is cause for concern. But the real problem with Bill C-30 lies more with how they blatantly mislead, lie, pressure, and even contradict themselves in such a desperate attempt to elicit support, and all under such false pretenses. It seems they will stop at nothing to get this legislation passed. Surely a sensible bill without a hidden agenda would not be met with such friction, which leads one to ponder what their ulterior motives are.

REFERENCES:

1. News, CBC. "Internet Surveillance Bill Not Dead, Toews Says." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 16 May 2012. Web. 1 June 2012. .
2. Canada. Statistics Canada. Www.statcan.gc.ca. Child Luring through the Internet. By Jennifer Loughlin and Andrea Taylor-Butts. Statistics Canada, Mar. 2009. Web. 1 June 2012. .
3. IBBITSON, JOHN. "Tories on E-snooping: 'Stand with Us or with the Child Pornographers'" The Globe and Mail. Www.theglobeandmail.com, 13 Feb. 2012. Web. 05 June 2012. .
4. Schmidt, Sarah. "Http://blogs.canada.com/2012/02/15/can-you-spot-the-difference-on-lawful-access-bill/." Editorial. Www.canada.com. Postmedia Network Inc., 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 05 June 2012.

Does immigration hinder or help Canada?

2012-06-07T08:01:14Z

By Ottman Boutrig

With its long immigration history, Canada has a strong tradition of tolerance reflected in its ethnic diversity and cultural heritage; however, in these times of economic crisis, it's easy to find anti-immigrant sentiments. It's true that some Canadians think that immigrants hinder the country, but the majority of us support immigration and consider that introducing some changes to the government's policy should make immigrants a better asset to the country.
]]> Births and immigration in Canada from 1850 to 2000 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With its long immigration history, Canada has a strong tradition of tolerance reflected in its ethnic diversity and cultural background. However, in these times of economic crisis, it's easy to find anti-immigrant sentiments. It's true that some Canadians think that immigrants hinder the country, but the majority of us support immigration and consider that introducing some changes to the government's policy should make immigrants a better asset to the country.

Despite a growing anti-immigrant attitude, the majority of Canadians still support immigration. Canada is facing a looming labor shortage, and this is one of the main reasons why we need immigrants. According to a recent study, a million jobs would go unfilled across the country by the year 2021 because of lack of skilled workers. The shortage in skilled labor could be as high as 1.8 million according to the ministry of finance. Since most immigrants arrive here when they are aged between 25 and 40 years old, immigration is also a solution for our future demographic crunch. According to the Institute for Research on Public Policy, there will be only two workers for every senior citizen in Canada in 2036, compared to 6.6 in 1971 and 4.2 in 2012. Rather than hindering Canada, multiculturalism is also a valuable resource that has long characterized the country. The different immigration sources are reflected in the richness of our identity as each ethnicity brings its own contribution to the common social and cultural image of the country.

Even if the Country's immigration policy has been mainly positive, we should change some of its aspects to make it more effective. It's unwise to stop immigration completely, but the government should probably consider adjusting the intakes of immigrants in times of economic hardships to respond to the mounting pressure against immigration. To make the settlement experience less challenging, we need to adopt new ideas for mentoring new-comers. To this end, we definitely need to hear both from immigrants and community workers. More immigrants should also head west instead of flocking to Ontario and Quebec.

We should respond to anti-immigration attitudes because they generate a bias towards ethnic minorities and endanger our social stability. Stirring up discriminatory behaviors, hostile attitudes of this kind do not affect only new immigrants but extend to minorities who actually may be citizens and even born in the country.

Image source: Flickr

The World According to G.O. GRAPHMAN

2012-04-20T18:32:24Z

In the world of Planetary Politics, where's the race?

Hailing from the planet Erehwon, G.O.Graphman attempts to understand our planetary politics while trying to help us avoid what Erehwonians call "planetary lamination." Environmental concern is the primary reason for this earthly visit, so take the quiz-like Environmental Awareness Booster found below, and spread this link to as many people as possible. The Environmental Awareness Booster is not a test, but an engaging way to inform the public about some pretty shocking facts and statistics about the Eco-system of this global sphere called Earth.

]]> Clicking the Environmental Awareness Booster found below opens an application which will maximize the quiz in your browser. No personal information is being collected at all. The app closes when you complete the quiz-like booster, and brings you right back to this page.

Check back in daily, as there is always fresh content like interviews, videos, articles, and even comics. At the bottom of this page, you'll even find a World Clock that keeps you updated on second-to-second statistics about the world like country to country, death, illness, environment, energy, crimes, food...ah just go check it out, you'll love it! Resource Links provided below the Environmental Awareness Booster will also guide you to other online goldmines of great information.

Important Note: This Environmental Awareness Booster takes at least
15 minutes to complete.

Click Here to open the Environmental Awareness Booster

Hyperlink Resources for Environmental Awareness Booster:
Coop La Maison Verte
Environment Canada
World Clock Statistic Meter
Nation Master
Humanist Canada
Eco-Bites
WebEcoist
Red Flag Deals / Shocking Facts
Grist
RealClimate

Although all of the informational videos you need to complete the Environmental Awareness Booster are embedded in the presentation, here are other videos on this page that will supplement awareness about the state your planet is in.

Alberta Tar Sands Project:

Dioxins and Nutrition:

Acid Rain:

Landfills and Plastic Bottles:

There are also many great articles on the Montrealites.ca website that deal with environmental issues that G.O.Graphman presents. There's even a handy search bar on the Homepage.

Don't forget to check out this amazing World Clock!

Poodwaddle.com

Our Federal Government: Dystopian Rule

2012-03-13T18:11:40Z

The true north strong and free? What do these words even mean now that the Canadian senate, our representatives, and our public have allowed Bill C-10 to pass? It is called "the Safe Streets and Communities Act," which sounds disproportionately urgent when considering that crime has steadily decreased since the early 1970s. Mandatory sentences will strip judges of their rights to practice that which is inherent to the nomenclature of their positions - their better judgement. It will also create the need for gigantic prison complexes to educate our wayward youth in the ways of deeper criminality. Vital funds have already started being siphoned away from our educational systems, our healthcare facilities, and our environmental and sustainability projects. Rather than investing in preventive social programs, and in education itself, the conservative government prefers the wrath of old testament consequences to tangible social reform.

]]> After exhaustive research, it seems that the primary beneficiaries of this dystopian policy are the developers who gain chubby contracts to build and operate the prisons. I have so far heard some argumentation along the lines that Bill C-10 is designed to make life safer for children by more severely punishing pedophiles. Although this in itself seems like a worthy pursuit, one that pulls on the heartstrings of anyone who wants to protect children, the government has downplayed the fact that the targets of Bill C-10 extend far past the scope of monitoring and arresting sexual predators; any citizen deemed as a potential threat by the federal government will be subject to electronic monitoring and physical searches. Jennifer Stoddart, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has written an open letter expressing concerns over these matters. It is interesting to note that Greenpeace has recently been labelled as an "extremist threat" by the federal government.

In the light of journalistic integrity, I urge anyone with positive, negative, or balanced information regarding Bill C-10 to please post comments in the section below. You can even do so anonymously, as we will all soon be subject to the electronic monitoring and Exceptional power to search proposed under the new legislature.

If you have no knowledge of the laws presented in Bill C-10, and the consequences they will inevitably cause, I urge you to watch this short video:

Inform yourself as soon as you can.
The future of our county's social justice is at stake.
More to come.

Riding the Kony Pony...an oddly balanced perspective.

2012-03-12T00:25:51Z

For anyone who has not learned about what happened and is still happening with this world wide scandal, these videos are very fun and informative.

]]> I did about twelve hours of research on this subject, but it only took about twelve seconds before my scam detectors nearly deafened me with high-pitched warning signals. Since I am not exactly the sharpest pencil and all that, how is it possible that after all we have seen in the past twenty years that people on such a massive scale can still be fooled by such obvious propaganda? Using that little boy to tug at the heartstrings of millions was deplorable, and I hope he isn't scarred for life once he gets old enough to realise what they made him do.

This is the funniest way to learn about what the hell happened and is still going on:

And this is for anyone who doesn't like rap:

If you have comments or other videos about this subject, please paste their urls into the comment section, and I will add it to this post.

Harper Wants Your Kids to Be Better Criminals!

2012-02-18T21:24:25Z

Our Lady Empress: Restauration of a Cultural Bastion.

2012-02-11T10:00:03Z

What does Restauration mean?
It is the French word for restoration, which has deep cultural roots in both politics and theater. It is also commonly employed when restoring works of art or buildings to their once and former glory. Many times during the following interview at Shäika Café on the corner of Sherbrooke and Old Orchard, just across the street from the Empress Cultural Centre, I questioned whether or not the term could be applied to one's faith in elected political leaders. I believe it can.

The following is an interview with Peter McQueen, City Councillor for NDG, who was halfway through his term at the time of this interview in October. He will be up for re-election in 2013.

]]> Montrealites: So Peter...what are the main goals of your political party?

Peter McQueen: Project Montreal wants to reclaim the street life of Montrealers by reclaiming its transport mode.
I do drive a car, I own a car, so I don't want this to sound anti-car, but we can have a better, safer, greener, more culturally and economically vibrant city by making sure people get around safely and conveniently by bicycle, by foot, and through the public transit system. The main idea is to make it safe for people to enjoy their neighbourhoods, and to get services there so they don't have to go far or to so many places to get them. A perfect example would be daycares.
In our opinion, the Quebec government totally dropped the ball as it introduced daycares over the last 20 years in terms of waiting lists, calling one place or another so many times, and then finally, maybe you're in. And then having to shuffle the kids halfway across town back and forth... it's ridiculous. I mean, they should have associated daycares with every single primary school, or several for each primary school, right in the neighborhood. These daycares should have served in those neighborhoods.

Montrealites: As a father I have to agree. We were on waiting lists for over two years, and it took a lot of wrangling to find a daycare for my youngest son. Admittedly, I did find one within a four minute walk from home. In that way I'm one of the lucky ones.

Peter McQueen: One of the very rare and lucky ones. What we're trying to do is encourage people to take their kids to daycare on foot, or on the back of their bicycles as much as possible. I mean, occasionally I take my own kid in a car, like on a rainy day or if it's way too cold. But even when you need to do that, it's better if the daycare is just a few blocks away, but sometimes it's halfway across town.

Montrealites: There must be a massive carbon-footprint for daycare travel?

Peter McQueen: Yes! And for what? It's an issue that can be resolved with a bit of planning.

Montrealites: So other than the environmental and safety issues surrounding transportation, what are some main goals?

Peter McQueen: So yes, transportation is a main thing, but it's completely related to where our conversation is going today in terms of cultural facilities.
Why should people always have to travel to the Plateau or downtown for cultural facilities or events? We feel that there is enough of a need here. The people of NDG and the boroughs have a lot of talent. They're interested in performances and so forth. We think the Empress should reopen as a cultural facility for people in NDG, Westmount, Cote-St-Luc and the wider West-end. Hampstead and St. Henri could come to view performances here, Anglos and Francos alike.

Montrealites: This might seem a little left field, but who do you respect most from all the opposing parties, and why?

Peter McQueen: Oh....respect most? I have an easy answer to that. One of my opponents here in NDG is David Hanna who ran for the Division Party. He's a professor at UQAM. He's a very intelligent, personable individual. We agree on most everything and we're good friends. Well, I haven't known the guy for 20 years, it's not like that, but before the election I knew him some, and after the election I furthered that relationship because he's a professor of urbanism, urban planning, so I want to get his point of view. I have complete respect for Professor Hanna, and he has respect for me.

Montrealites: Speaking to people in the area, I got the impression that your popularity here is inspired by the job you're doing. How has holding office been so far?

Peter McQueen: It's been a learning experience; I've learned a heck of a lot and the learning is continuing with one goal in mind: I, We, haven't been able to put our platform into effect just yet, either citywide or in eastern NDG, and believe me, I am eager to. We have to take the power in order to implement our vision of the city.

Montrealites: What presents the main obstacle to your vision?

Peter McQueen: Umm...heh... (mayor) Michael Applebaum. You see, I'm a lone opposition Councillor, but they are a machine - a well-organized machine that's entrenched; it's been there for a long time, so I think that they still believe perhaps that my victory was a fluke, like a one-time shot that they somehow missed, like they didn't see me coming or something. We'll see in 2013 if the people of NDG think that, or if they think it's time for change.

Montrealites: Time to talk about our lady Empress. For the people who aren't familiar with her history: What is the Empress, and as of right now, where does she stand?

Peter McQueen: OK, the Empress was a cinema built in NDG facing Girourd Park, right on the corner of Sherbrooke and Old Orchard. It was built in 1927 in art-deco style specifically with an Egyptian motif. To put this in perspective, it was one of the larger cinemas with more than 1000 seats, and it also had Vaudeville theater performances.

In its heyday during the 1930's and '40's, a thousand people a night from across NDG and the West-end would take streetcars to come see performances here. Can you imagine what it was like in that time? I mean, this is before TV or computers or Facebook; people were more social, more invested in the social life of going out and coming together for different kinds of performances. It was a much more prevalent part of the community back then. (...) And the Empress was the largest of a number of cinemas, it wasn't the only one. There was also the Monkland, the Kent, the Clairemont, the Snowdon - these places were full on a regular basis.

Montrealites: What's going on with the Empress now?

Peter McQueen: What's still great is the exterior, and the location. The problem is the interior. The first tragedy of the Empress starts in 1967 or '68 when a decision was made to break it into two theaters, and corrupt the Egyptian motifs inside. A solid concrete slab was put into place that would be very hard to demolish and remove. Also most of the Egyptian stuff is covered up by gyprock, boring colors, plain international modern style. So right away, it loses a bit of its historical appeal.
The second problem is that it slowly runs down in the 1980's and '90's due to lack of investments. Cinemas changed into 5, 12, and even 30plexes because that's the way to make money in the movie business. Other theaters in repertory cinemas had difficulty too. So the Empress closes in '93.
Finally, there's a small fire that does some damage. And then the owner at the time steals some of the Egyptian motifs, rips up some of the walls and moves them to New York apparently. There's some water damage, especially on the roof where the water gets in and causes more ongoing damage. We're not telling anyone anything new in saying that the inside is in pretty bad shape.

Montrealites: There is quite a severe mold problem. I considered renting space upstairs where the offices of Head and Hands used to be, but just one whiff turned me away. The damages were too extensive. It would take hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars and ostensibly years to restore it to any usable condition. Still...
Members of the community seem to feel very strongly about saving the Empress.
How would it be possible to get people to put their money where their mouths are?
What would be a viable strategy to propose to anyone willing to help preserve the Empress?

Peter McQueen: The existing board of the Empress Cultural Centre is a competent, trustworthy organization.
A viable strategy is exactly what they are currently following. We need a public/private partnership because the ground level retail has appeal to private investors. For example restaurant, bookstore, things like that on the ground level. This would then allow the upper floors to be used, the performance spaces especially. A number of NDG groups like Head and Hands and J2K for instance would hold cultural activities here instead of having to travel to the Plateau or elsewhere. Community and professional performances, as well as repertory cinemas could do well. So a mixture of all those things makes it clear that some private money is what's needed. As for as a community's involvement, I think everybody's just waiting for someone to get the ball rolling.

Montrealites: The community has tried drawing attention to the plight of the Empress for over twelve years, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. So really now, for purely practical purposes, try playing Devil's Advocate: Imagine yourself to be a Real estate developer with the primary goal of making money with the property. What plan would you implement in taking over and developing the Empress?

Peter McQueen: Before addressing the Empress directly, I think we'd need to do something with the vacant lots near the Empress along Sherbrooke, and we have our eye on several of them from Decarie to Marcil. Then there are air-rights.

Montrealites: What are air-rights?

Peter McQueen: The borough should increase the density allowances, allow larger taller buildings, and in return get a Community Benefits Agreement from the developers to help finance the Empress. And it's a win win... If those higher densities and higher buildings were allowed, that would be like creating money (snaps his fingers) out of thin air. That money could then go into creating the arts and cultural center at the Empress, and that would make the street vibrant, bring more people, make it a more trendy, interesting district. This would benefit the developers when selling their condos. See, I'm not against condos. I'm just against condos on the Empress.
There's a vacant lot that is under construction now, right on the corner of Prud'homme and the expressway where the arts old gemst gallery had been.

I favoured the idea of building a tower there, a twenty-story tower. I'm not going to mince my words, I mean it's not like it would be out of place; there are already several twenty-story towers along Sherbrooke from here to Decarie Blvd. It's right against the expressway so it seems to me that the higher up people live, the better off they are being far above the traffic. I don't think this would be a bad thing, and if it could help get the Empress open it would be a great thing.

(...available in March...Click to read a more detailed account of City Councillor Peter McQueen's ideas for repairing and revitalizing the urban fabric of the CDN-NDG area.)

Montrealites: So basically, higher buildings would mean more people living in the area, which would help it thrive while creating higher demand for a large, historically relevant cultural community center in a convenient location?

Peter McQueen: Yes. Say, five towers, two hundred apartments each. That's a thousand apartments - two thousand, three thousand people minimum, right here, walking distance from Vendome metro. I mean the street life around here, which, don't get me wrong is already good, would be great. And if the Empress were open too, this would just be a rockin' neighborhood.

Montrealites: So what about the people who would use that theory as ammunition for gutting the interior of the Empress to build condominiums, or worse, tearing it down completely for the same purpose?

Peter McQueen: There are two things: the first is that we're trying to save the outside of the Empress. It has great deal of architectural value; it is a beautiful building.
And second, We want a cultural center in it. It would become the heart of NDG, as it once was. Also, there are already a number of lots where condos are being built, can be built, and I don't think there's any need to tear down the Empress to build condos at all.

Montrealites: What impact would losing the Empress, for whatever reason, have on the community?

Peter McQueen: A part of our history would be lost, and the dreams of a number of people here in NDG... let's just say they would be disappointed.

Montrealites: Are you at liberty to name some of the people who go to bat for the Empress?

Peter McQueen: Of course. People like Jason Hughes at the co-op has worked so hard on this; and Sharon Leslie, former City Councillor of Loyola has worked incredibly hard; David Hanna who I mentioned before has worked hard, and people close to him. That really is to name just a few...

Montrealites: ...and Peter McQueen, City Councillor for Notre-Dame-de-Grace...

Peter McQueen: Absolutely. Also, a good thing that's happened here is a great number of meetings where discussions of the history of NDG has taken place - even that is an excellent corollary of what is happening. It's almost like a little NDG historical society has formed.

Montrealites: It's obvious that you are knowledgeable about this topic, and have clearly given it a lot of thought both professionally and personally. On a personal note, what is your first and/or fondest memory of the Empress?

Peter McQueen: I grew up in NDG on Oxford just near NDG Avenue so the Empress was close. It was called cinema five then I went to see many movies there. Rocky Horror, Swept Away, and other films by Lina Wertmüller, it was my cinema education. It played a huge role in what I learned through the more daring movies I saw at that time. I can tell you a funny anecdote, probably my one of the first memories... A few buddies and I went to see a 3D movie there, we were really young, maybe fourteen, fifteen. Well, one of my friends, John, got sick, really sick - he had imbibed a bit too much before the movie, and he puked in the cinema while wearing the 3D glasses that were crooked on his face. Everybody at the time thought it was incredibly funny in the way he was ill and disoriented with those glasses.
A little bit later than that, I dated a young woman who was the cashier. I am probably 20 or 21 so I'm not just hanging with the buddies anymore...so I'd been there a lot and she was a cashier and that's how I met her, and asked her out. So that was a fond memory. It didn't last very long, but it was a nice experience.

Montrealites: Love in the Empress, at the Empress, and for the Empress. What could be done at a grass-roots level to support her?

Peter McQueen: As I said I have complete confidence in the current board. You can visit their website, there's a regular newsletter. And you could donate money there, you can donate your time; they are always looking for volunteers. They will put you on track as to which politicians to write. Clearly Mayor Applebaum is one of them so keep working it. You know...Mayor Applebaum has made somewhat encouraging moves...I'm not...put it this way, I really did not like Jeremy Searle's article in the Gazette about a month (before this interview), "Ohh, just sell it for condos..."

Montrealites: I remember that, but I remember your online reaction to it even more.

Peter McQueen: I prefer Mayor Applebaum's vision to Jeremy Searle's vision. It's just that Applebaum has lost confidence in the current board which I don't think is fair or productive, but he does now seem committed to opening it as a cultural facility and I respect that. So encourage Mayor Applebaum to continue on that track, but just, you know, encourage him to keep negotiating with or including the current board, even if he has other partners interested to help too, because I think the more partners the better.
Generally to make a cultural center work financially, you'd be using it 24/7, well maybe not 24/7, but as much as possible. Cultural activities every matinee and evening, all days on the weekends with children's groups, with adults, theater stuff, rep-cinema stuff. So yeah, the more people involved the better.

Montrealites: In your previous comment, you mentioned that we could make donations. What would you say to people worried about the allegations or rumours over gross mismanagement of funds? People I've interviewed seem wary to hand over cash fearing it would just to go to waste.

Peter McQueen: Oh yeah I can be clear on that - I cannot speak for right at the beginning when Sonya Biddle, who was the city councillor at the time, first started the project. I cannot speak for what happened then. Perhaps, but I don't know, maybe there was a problem then, I don't know. But I can assure you that the current group has been administering its funds wisely and parsimoniously. And the board before as well with Mr. Mccausland from the brewery, and a number of other people, also honest and hardworking people did their best I can assure you of that. I cannot assure you about what happened 10 to 15 years ago, but in the last five years it's all been good people working hard trying to get the Empress going.

Montrealites: So any donation$ would be put too good use?

Peter McQueen: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.