picture by Ali Farzat He copies phrases from foreign newspapers into a notebook. Then he copies his notes into a larger notebook with a flag and a band of gold on the front. His mouth imitates the words of the state TV channel, and the words of undead clerics, and the words of puff-eyed men […]

With all the attention focused on the BC Liberals and NDP leadership races, you may not have noticed: the next federal election campaign is already under way.   The vote will take place in late April/early May. The first visible sign were those negative TV ads launched by the federal Tories a couple of weeks […]

So, I must be the only person in town who doesn’t ski. Well, actually my father doesn’t ski either, so there’s two of us. My love affair with snow ended at about the age of 13, when it started to become more of a feeling of burden on my body and soul than the excitement I felt as a child when winter came. I resented shovelling....

Over the past few months I have talked to people who have experienced difficulties at the US border.  Often this involves having to leave one’s vehicle and being subjected to intense interrogation.  What has, in the past, been a routine “friendly” crossing has turned into a “negative” interrogation by abusive American border guards. There appear […]

Tony Blair, with the blood of Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine dripping from his fingers, says Egyptian dictator Husni Mubarak is “immensely courageous and a force for good.” The opinion is based on working “with him on the Middle East peace process.” Mubarak’s record on the pacification process involves helping the Palestinian Authority transform itself into a […]

The focus of politics has shifted over the past two to three decades from issues to personalities. Media reports refer to Conservative or Liberal governments or to Harper or Campbell governments, as if federal and provincial governments were owned by political parties or their leaders. Such references are indications that our parliamentary democracies have become […]

Saturday. I knew I was in trouble within the first few minutes of the remarkable Ski Bum musical, when everyone around me began roaring with recognition at each bum-based joke and I caught myself identifying sheepishly with the awkward anthropologist. In brief, the trouble is this: I love my toque, but I still take it off...

 Dear Editor, There has been some discussion in your paper about the Canada European Free Trade Agreement (CETA).  The Centre for Civic Governance (CCG) last year commissioned the law firm of Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP to provide a legal opinion of this agreement.  Mr. Steven Shrybman, a lawyer with the firm, submitted a 22 page […]

Parliament resumed yesterday and Canadians could be forgiven if they decided they would rather stick pins in their arms than watch another round of Stephen Harper’s cynical manipulation compete with Michael Ignatieff’s inept political meandering. I haven’t seen a recent poll on whether or not people want an election, but it wouldn’t surprise me if […]

Dear Editor, As most people will recall, the NDP sent out a cartoonish flyer last fall, which discussed the Canada-European Union: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, also known simply as CETA.  Since then, there has been much discussion about the issue and recently, our current MP has spent time criticizing both local constituents and the […]