Tuition Protest Yields Police Violence on McGill Campus

Yesterday, thousands of Quebec CEGEP and university students took to the streets to protest a proposed elevation in tuition and fees. The route brought people together near Berri-UQAM (a metro stop) and then back to the McGill campus. This is where things got ugly. Not only did someone call in riot police on the protesters, …

Phonautograph + Really?

First, the Cabinet event last night was amazing and a lot of fun. Also it is probably my first and only-lifetime appearance in Time Out. Sari Carel (my copanelist with curator Leah Abir), her partner Justin and I are talking about some kind of “Explore the Phonautograph” website once she’s done with her Semaphore Island …

Yet Another Layton Obit (upon reading today’s Globe & Mail)

When I arrived in Canada in 2004, I was blown away by the mere existence of Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe. Here were two politicians who spoke the truth, had roots in labor and consistently and unambiguously promoted left values. Layton was of course frequently red-baited by both the liberals and press (a fact conveniently …

Canadian Election 2011: Instant Analysis (before reading the morning papers, anyway)

There will be lots of talk about this or that epoch changing development. That’s great for pundits, but we need only look back to the ADQ’s recent victory and then subsequent demise in Quebec politics for a cautionary tale. The New Democrats have a chance to really become a major force nationally, but that is …