Caribana Reflections Toronto’s Caribana is the world’s largest Caribbean-themed celebration. Due to the spread of COVID-19, earlier this year Caribana was cancelled for the first time in 52 years. Although it will now be taking place in a very limited capacity, given the current political climate and the progress of Black Lives Matter, the lack of a full-blown celebration in the…
The Working Women of Newfoundland Joann Greeley had to pose as a man to get a job in her trade. After returning to school at 35 to become an electrician and graduating with top marks, she phoned every electrical company in St. John’s, only to be told they had no opportunities for her, while her male colleagues got hired. “I…
Nunavut’s Young Hunters:Program in Iqaluit aims to pass on Inuit tradition to next generation It was an unseasonably warm sunny day last October, yet myself and half a dozen Inuit youngsters were bundled up in parkas and snow pants to keep us warm from the Arctic winds blowing up from Frobisher Bay. Alex Flaherty and Kevin Kullualik, experienced hunters and…
Taking on Nestle: How a grassroots movement in small-town Ontario is fighting a water extraction giant The first thing Donna McCaw heard from her neighbours when she began speaking out against the opening of a newly proposed Nestle-owned well alongside a small number of vocal community members was “you guys are crazy.” She now more frequently hears the phrase “I…
A Vanishing Land: Canada’s Arctic feels impact of climate change as coastline disappears into the sea When a big storm hit Tuktoyaktuk on August 4, Beaufort Drive – the community’s main drag – was bustling with activity late into the night. Everyone’s eyes were on the Point, the north end of Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula that has made national news several times…
Vie De Rang: Dispatches from Northern Quebec It’s October. Leaves fall, marking the end of autumn. It is while following roads of our region that I discover the inhabitants of Saint-Adelme, a small municipality of Matanie in Gaspésie. I have a certain fascination for remote places. I sink into the the numbered rows on which the town is laid out,…
Becoming Canadian: “The Ends Of The Earth” Ten years ago, I emigrated to Canada from France. I took an oath. Immigration officers were there to check if we moved our lips. Then we all shook hands and I felt that we had shared something, beyond the administration, immigration quotas, and questionnaires. When I thought of queens, flags and hymns, I…
When I Fell: Victims of Syria’s War On Nov. 2015, 9-year-old Basil Al Riyabi was struck by a landmine that cost him both his legs, his left hand and left eye. “I didn’t know it was a mine, so I started playing with it and it exploded. All my friends died,” said Mohammed, as he sat on his bed at…
The first time I met Colt, he was shooting paper plates with a bow and arrow from horseback at a gallop. Most days after school and helping with chores, Colt takes a BB gun and goes trail riding on his pony, taking potshots at anything that moves. Other times he’ll head out on foot to his treehouse and wait patiently…