Rose's Place

Further to yesterday’s post about what some women have endured at the hands of police while detained by Toronto’s horrific police force during the G20 demos in Toronto, here is a compendium of links put together by my friend, Pete Garden, who runs Turning the Tide Bookstore in Saskatoon. Dear friends, fellow community members and supporters of Turning the Tide Bookstore, As many of you know, 20 of the most powerful people in the world and their respective entourages gathered in Toronto and Huntsville, Ontario for the G8/G20 meetings. Protecting them was a $1 billion dollar security … [Read more...]

I am so angry I am sick to my stomach. I’m about to cry because what I’ve discovered is too horrendous! Amy Miller is an independent journalist aka a freelancer who was throttled and taken down then detained for 13 hours in Toronto on the weekend. She tells of harassment by the police — threats of gangbanging and rape — as well as of one woman who was strip-searched by a male officer and inappropriately touched, i.e. fingered. This is absofuckinglutely reprehensible! Watch it here and then let’s determine how we, as the feminist movement, will respond to these … [Read more...]

The Regina Mom has just learned that she’s going here to work on her next book of poetry.  And so she needs to raise money–fast. As a result, she’s hosting a Sizzling Summer Salon and Silent Auction with writers, artists, and musicians of her acquaintance on Wednesday, July 14 at 7:30 p.m. 30 tickets are available and they’re $25 in advance, $30 at the door, providing there are some left by then. Note that a Paypal link will be in place by tomorrow.  Note also that any money raised over and above that necessary to attend the prestigious writing school will be used to buy … [Read more...]

Ugh!  Have you seen this? That’s John Baird, a Minister in Steven Harper’s cabinet.  You know what he’s doing?  He’s engaging in abusive behaviour.  It is not only verbal abuse; it is also abuse of power and privilege. Whether he was correct in his assessment of the rules and regulations for committee workings is irrelevant.  His behaviour is unbecoming a Minister, let alone a parliamentarian! It is entirely unacceptable! Yet, a majority of the Members of the House of Commons who bothered to vote on the matter of Parliamentarian of the Year selected John Baird … [Read more...]

This came my way via the PAR-L email list.  Huge thanks to Kathleen Lahey for this work.  It puts a light on the inherently sexist economic system in which women exist, a system Stephen Harper is determined to prop up, regardless how much it hurts women and their children. Kathleen Lahey Mar. 5, 2010 The big picture: Women are half the population in Canada and nearly half the official labour force – but still do 62% of all unpaid work, and receive only 40% of after-tax incomes. This Budget: The government claims that it is providing one last $19 billion ‘stimulus’ package this year, … [Read more...]

I wrote this for rabble.ca some time ago but never did blog it.  I’ve been trying to find it for some time because it’s in need of an update. Here it is.  Please feel free to use the comment box below to add the other places Harper’s axe has landed since this was written. What Harper’s Done to Canadian Social Programs by Bernadette Wagner In September 2006 our boy, Steve Harper, pulled out his axe. Here’s a little review of where the axe fell.* Aboriginal Programs Indian and Northern Affairs Canada “operational efficiencies” = $3.5 million cut “Unused funding” … [Read more...]

O Canada, I believe: A ‘No Prorogue’ poem O Canada, I believe we have a problem. PMS: Prime Minister Steve. Canada’s Prime Minister prefers to ignore advice from scientists and diplomats in the warfields, silence watchdogs and whistle-blowers and shutdown dissenters and to let Parliament decide–Later*. A mere war-criminal or -monger, he is Disaster, Capital’s arrogance and greed, personified. O Canada, I believe our system needs some medicine. When it allows abuses of democratic power by a Minority government leader to evade investigations into the torture of detainees– … [Read more...]

Apparently — and this, according to video footage of our Prime Minister — if you are a woman you are a member of one of those “left-wing fringe groups.”  Who knew? Watch the abbreviated version of Harper’s statement below (or catch the full meal deal here). Antonia Zerbisias, a columnist at the Toronto Star, immediately took issue with our PM’s statements: I’m thinking of making T-shirts: “Proud to be a member of that `left-wing fringe group’ called `Women.’” Well, with support of a Facebook group that’s grown to almost … [Read more...]

In the centre, at the Speaker’s left hand, a pony-tail in her hair, is my daughter as she serves the Parliament of Canada as a Page. Wow! It’s really for real! House of Commons Question Period A screen capture from the CPAC website. … [Read more...]

I got the first-born moved into residence at the University of Ottawa.  The husband is back to work.  The second-born is back to school.  The leaves are changing their colour.  The rodents  are eating my garden. And I’m revelling in some time at home all by myself! Instead of using my time to rant, I thought I’d let you know about the good work the Cathedral Area Community Association is up to: For immediate release                     September 8, 2009 Cathedral Village showcases green living “Changing the world starts at home.” That’s the idea behind the … [Read more...]

From the Voices Education Project Alice Walker is one of my favourite American poets and political activists. She is, I believe, a role model for all poets and all citizens of the world. In her recent essay, OVERCOMING SPEECHLESSNESS: A Poet Encounters “the horror” in Rwanda, Eastern Congo and Palestine/Israel,” she details the horrors of hatre,d and the amazing capacity of women to survive, with references to each of those locations, most particularly Gaza. There is no hiding what Israel has done or what it does on a daily basis to protect and extend its power. It uses weapons that … [Read more...]

Saskatchewan Premier, Brad Wall, is attempting to pull off the biggest scam in the province’s history.  He called together a cabal of his cronies, an all-male group posing as a panel of experts, and named them the Uranium Development Partnership. Their report, “Capturing the full potential of the uranium value chain in Saskatchewan” is, quite simply, a propaganda piece on behalf of the nuclear industry.  It tries to sell the idea that “nuclear industry is enjoying a global renaissance” when, in fact, it is dying.  According to The Nation, The fact is, nuclear power … [Read more...]