Author: admin

I used to consider myself an anarchist. As a teen, I had very little to rebel against—my parents were reasonable, our social standing was enviable, and most of the rules and laws I followed seemed pretty fair, really—yet I needed some way to explore the idea of “freedom,” so I embraced the ideal of a…

There’s something in the air… well, something other than novel coronavirus (which is not in fact airborne, but practice social distancing anyway because some people have projectile sneezing capabilities). Maybe it’s the hint of spring, arriving just in time to give us a mote of hope in a deeply anxious time. But I think it’s…

March 15, 2020 “Beware the Ides of March,” the Soothsayer warns Caesar. “You shall not stir out of your house today,” insists his wife, Calpurnia, on the morning in question, before delivering this remarkable catalogue of bad omens: Caesar, I never stood on ceremonies, Yet now they fright me. There is one within, Besides the…

It was a full and fascinating week of climate action in Cape Breton. It began bright and early on Monday, Jan. 20, when the City Council and Mayor met with staff and public stakeholders to discuss the city’s Climate Action Plan, which was commissioned and written way back in 2014. Then on Wednesday, Extinction Rebellion…

I have never been much of a crier. It cuts both ways: I weep with grief or despair about as often as I weep from joy, which is once in a blue moon. Sometimes I blame the patriarchy for this inability to express my feelings; sometimes I blame my own upbringing; but mostly I just…

I can’t believe I’m typing these words, but: Let’s talk about Don Cherry. Full Disclosure: I’m not a hockey fan. For most of my life, I have only been tangentially aware of Don Cherry’s role in Canadian popular culture. Unlike many fans for whom Cherry’s rants are a beloved tradition, I have no skin in…

The public profile of Extinction Rebellion skyrocketed this month, thanks to many global acts of civil disobedience calculated to sound the alarm, get people talking, and put public pressure on elected officials who mostly know there’s a crisis but won’t take the necessary action to address it. Given this surge of coverage, I thought I…

No formal newsletter this week, just a quick note. As I write this, polls are closing on the east coast of our sprawling country, but it will be many hours before the western ballots are counted. And since it’s shaping up to be a very close race, we might not even get conclusive results in…

I am not generally prone to tooting my own horn. Having worked in theatre since before I could vote, I got used to seeing my name in newspapers and on marquees. Bragging about it seemed redundant. Every year or so, I list my achievements in a diary or notebook. And of course I update my…

When I first heard the name, I found it off-putting. Who would want to join a group called “Extinction Rebellion”? In late 2018, both words smacked of the lunatic fringe. The public discourse surrounding climate change (it wasn’t a “crisis” yet) mostly revolved around ideas like “sustainable development” to avoid “extreme weather events.” No one…