I write this as I head to yet another event in solidarity with the earthquake victims. I do so with a heavy heart which betrays the obvious. I am a product of that long, conflicted yet creative and generous land.

We are people of the Sun. We have at times overcome throughout our history a custom for suffering and saying “yes, but not so much” which has provided such good inspiration for our comedians.

We are crafty and ingenious even if now getting meat, oil or water for many may be a miracle only the Holy Virgin Mary could achieve.

I wanted this letter to be a rallying cry to make it all better, but the will is lacking as I begin this note. The truth is I have been missing Chile, I have been needing Chile. I have tried to stay strong but I am failing. It isn’t just the distance, it isn’t just nostalgia for a game of outdoor soccer (Pichangas) or the celebrations announced by church bells or wine or beautiful flying comets. (Volantines)

It’s really the people, these are really just words that love and have loved people there. As I surrender to my daydream and start my journey back trough the tunnel of time. I start at the beginning, I think of all I felt growing up there. Defeat and victories, indifference and passion, self pursuit and solidarity. I think of auntie Chabela for example who never once failed to make something delicious for that evening meal (Once) or my legion of brothers/sisters/cousins who barely allowed me to not sit on their laps as a child because they simply had too much affection to give. But I also think of their children I have yet to meet, who can’t sleep anymore for fear of the Earth shaking. I wonder if anyone out there reading this also wishes they could just give that protection and safety every child deserves. I wonder if my Karina’s, Vanessa’s, Eduardo’s or Ricardo’s and so many others bring out the same feelings in you. Not directly my children, yet mine nonetheless.

As I let my thoughts travel back to Chile I admit that I felt despair when I began this letter. That is no longer true, by reminding myself of the miracle of love of family and love of country I have given wings to this tired body which as a gift has reminded me that there is no time for despair, just solidarity and action. “Thanks to life that has given me so much” said Violeta and I believe her. As my daydream comes to a close I envision rebuilding the country from its beautiful ocean to its highest peak and more importantly rebuilding the circle of us where we will link arms with the ghosts of all those no longer with us. Once that circle is complete we will all dance, I promise you we will dance…

Broke

March 3-14 2010

Photographer: Nick Kozak

www.nickkozak.com

52 McCaul

By Alison Brown

I went to the opening of “Broke” The other night at 52 McCaul. Nick Kozaks Photography of the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake is riveting. A small child sits crying on its mother’s knee two fingers missing from its bleeding hand in the midst of chaos, a leg sticks out of a collapsed building, a bloating body lies covered in flies, a woman has just been found after days of being buried alive.

I walk the gallery viewing each picture posted on the white walls of 52 McCaul. All of a sudden I realize, these are shocking images but I find myself struggling to be affected by them.

My reaction scares me. These are real Images Real human beings being subjected to the worst possible nightmare. This isn’t a C.S.I. re-enactment these photographs don’t show fake blood and special effects. When you view these images you have to remind yourself of this. In these times where we are all subjected if not bombarded by negative imagery from television and film, I am afraid many of you, like me have become jaded.

Look at these images and realize they are real! I have heard many discussions about the tragedy of the Haitian earthquake. I hear remorse but it’s tinged with blame. Why are these people so poor? What nation is doing the most to help these people and what is the REAL reason they help? I hear conspiracy theories.

All of this speculation takes us away from the real story. Try to focus on the Haitian people as human beings in need of help from the world community. Forget the speculation forget the politics and just do what you can to help.

In conjunction with the show, 52 McCaul is running a fund raising initiative FIX to support Haiti through CARE Canada. All proceeds from the show “Broke” as well as any donations collected for its duration will go to help Haitians. Donations can be made online at

www.tinyurl.com/fixhaiti

52 McCaul is a place of collaboration for local and international contemporary
art and culture: a 2000 sq/ft community centre of sorts. Their mandate is to support and nurture
Toronto’s incredible art scene while broadcasting  talent globally. This new space is a social
experiment between local artists, curators, and the community at large.
Located in the heart of the city’s cultural district, this multi-use space features a curated boutique
and compelling programming in a gallery setting. Believing that Toronto doesn’t need just
another art gallery, 52 looks to engage new audiences, break down barriers and expand how
people experience art and culture.
As a venue, 52 McCaul was created to fill the gap between municipal type cultural centers and
the traditional role of a gallery. It is a community hub designed to house and host the type of
personable, dynamic events and vital conversations that bring people and communities together.
52 McCaul is a Well and Good initiative with many contributors and collaborators at any given
time. It is a privately run art centre, created and artistically directed by Steve Ferrara and Lisa
Martin of Well and Good for the community at large

In honour of my battered yet resilient country of birth and the wonderfully simple yet robust dishes we grew up with I’d like to introduce you to yet another classic dish so let’s keep all things Chilean!

And here is a “poor man’s” dish – as they call them back home.

The idea behind a poor mans dish is that you should be able to grab whatever you have in your pantry/fridge throw it together quickly and cheaply and come out with a wonderfully textured meal. Add a traditional Chilean tomato and onion salad a good glass of wine and you’re good to go!

The thing about Chilean food is that its not meant to be exact- it’s about feeling your way through it, tasting as you go, it’s meant to be an experience… trust your instincts and change it up a little only one rule in mami’s house – keep it real

Viva Chile!

Here’s what you’ll need

• 3 lbs of peeled potatoes

• ½ a medium sized squash

• 2 cups chopped carrots

• 1 lb of ground beef

• Vegetable oil

• 1 large chopped Spanish onion

• 2 cups of corn

• 1 cup of peas

• cumin

• garlic

• oregano

• salt

Now get to work!
Chop the squash and potatoes and bring to a boil together until cooked
Boil the carrots, peas and corn together in another pot until cooked
Pour some oil on a pan and fry the onions, garlic, salt and spices until onions are golden
Add meat to fried onions and fry until fully cooked
Once everything is cooked in a large pot or bowl mash the potatoes and squash until fully mixed but not totally smooth – you should have some chunky potato bits in there
Add all other ingredients to the mashed potatoes/squash mix and stir until it’s one big mash up!

Serves 6 Chileans or 12 regular people (or one hungry Ted – my Canadian hubby)

The usually brilliant Martin Scorsese takes a turn to directing a psychological horror film. Two United States Marshals travel to an island off the east coast of the United States that reminded me of a cross between Alcatraz and an asylum. The film is very moody and the plot is twisty and supremely melodramatic, though few of the twists seem like new ideas. Real fans of the genre might be forgiven if they claim to have seen this before, but seldom seen in such masterful hands. Laeta Kalogridis wrote the screenplay based on a novel by Dennis Lehane.

The story goes something like this: A crazy lady has gone missing from a supposedly inescapable medical facility, and it falls to U.S. marshals Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) to treck to the outrageously creepy Shutter Island and figure out what’s going on. To tell you more would be to ruin this movie, but let’s just say things get creepy quickly so you might be at the edge of your seat more than once.

This is not the reinvention of the psychological thriller, but I do know the film is clear evidence of Martin Scorsese a true master filmmaker this time around having real fun with a classic genre. Add to that the excellent acting from DiCaprio and the whole cast and you get a smart, sharp, and classy chiller, Shutter Island is top notch entertainment.

This is an exceptional book commencing with the abduction of the 11-year-old Aminata Diallo from her village in West Africa. The title is based on an actual historic document and proves to be an amazing catalyst for Hill’s gut wrenching odyssey. It covers an amazing amount of history and does a fantastic job of educating the reader on just how deep the slave trade was a part of commerce and society in the British Colonies, the U.S. and in particular Canada. From South Carolina, to New York, to Nova Scotia, and to Sierra Leone - the hardships and wrongs experienced by Aminata follow her, guide her, and provide her with an enlightenment and understanding never to be experienced by many she interacts with.

The Book of Negroes (the actual document, not this book) is a true record of some 3,000 black people (mostly freed and indentured) who traveled by boat from New York to Nova Scotia. While the book is fictional in nature, it does stick very closely to historical events. This is a powerful read and a very good introduction to the slave trade in the 18th century.

This book also takes to task the idea that Canada was mostly a non participant in the very racist environment of the time. It should really be read as widely as possible because ultimately historical knowledge is certainly a real way to learn about our true heritage, both good and bad.

February is Black History month. I would invite everyone to take the time to join in this worthy event by reading Lawrence Hill’s “The Book of Negroes”. Hoping as always that racism and bigotry become a bad historical footnote.

If you’re not familiar with desertification, it might be time to get acquainted. The term describes the process where land in drier areas becomes subject to ‘extreme deterioration’ as a result of human activities. It can be caused by any combination of the following: overgrazing, extracting too much water from aquifers, rerouting of water from its natural sources to population centers, and yes, warming climate. And a new report in the International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment has some pretty terrifying news: over a 3rd of the world’s surface is in danger of desertification.

Desertification is a devastating process in many ways–it leads to rapid biodiversity loss, as wildlife dependent on the depleting water sources die out or evacuate the area. After land has been a victim of desertification, it can no longer be effectively be used for farming or be of productive value–true to its name, the process essentially leaves arid desert where ‘useful’, life-supporting land used to be.

And now an analysis of the global desertification threat has revealed that 38% of surfaces around the world are vulnerable.

Science Daily reports:

Researchers have measured the degradation of the planet’s soil using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a scientific methodology that analysis the environmental impact of human activities, and which now for the first time includes indicators on desertification. The results show that 38 percent of the world is made up of arid regions at risk of desertification.

Which is unfortunate news, to say the least. The study divided the world’s land into “15 natural areas or “eco-regions” according to their degree of aridity.” And 8 of those eco regions–that cover 38% of the planet–were deemed at risk of falling victim to desertification.

According to SD, the 8 areas most prone to turn into desert are:

* coastal areas
* the Prairies
* the Mediterranean region
* the Savannah
* the temperate Steppes
* the temperate deserts
* tropical and subtropical Steppes
* the tropical and subtropical deserts

The areas at greatest risk are the subtropical deserts–areas in

North Africa, Australia, and the Middle East were determined to have the highest desertification risk factor, a 7.6 out of 10. The Mediterranean region had the next highest risk. And mind bear in mind that while all of this sounds a little heavy on the doom and gloom side, it’s very real: there are estimates that in China, for example,1300 square miles of desert are created every year.

This sobering news means that an additional emphasis must be placed on land management and careful water conservation, especially in the most at-risk areas–unless we want to see a full third of the planet eventually get swallowed up in desert.

Peter: So you’ve been pretty busy lately. A couple new songs surfaced on the net lately can we expect a new album headed this way?

Francisca: Well we’re working on the pre-production of the new album so we’re kinda working on that and it will come hopefully this year and (that) everything goes correctly with the producers, engineers and the studio time. So hopefully yeah, the songs are ready and I have to build it up with the whole band and you know the new songs and all the new equipment ready.

P: Recently you’ve been asked to contribute for the tribute album for 31 minutos, a popular Chilean children’s show. How did that come about?

F: It came about because of the organizer of the tribute in being put together in Mexico and it was actually put together by one of the Café Tacuba musicians and the musicians from a band Los Liquits called who are huge fans of the Chilean TV show. The music of the show is crazy it’s really, really good, funny and smart and it’s all over Latin America now on Nickelodeon international-wise.

The guys who organized it in Mexico actually heard my album and saw me perform last year in Mexico and really liked what I was doing and came up and invited me to perform on the album. It was actually pretty last minute because the album was almost closed and put together so they emailed me on a Thursday and told me they need it by Tuesday ready and done. I was like “Oh God!”. So chose the song and that, and just recorded it in the studio with just one days work, it was live recording of piano and drums and a very distorted bass, altogether in like one take you know “live”? All live (as in) pretty noisy and garage-rock sounding and I did that and I participated in this amazing album which is now #2 in sales in Mexico. It’s coming up in Latin America during the year and it’s probably going to follow with a concert from Ximena Sariñana to Pedro Piedra or Los Bunkers, Café Tacuba, Natalia Lafourcade some of these people who I admire a lot and it’s nice to be in an album with them.

P: Do you find it a bit odd they thought of you when they needed someone to sing a song called “Doggy Style”?

F: I actually had to choose a song and there were only two songs left and “Doggy Style” I just loved it. It’s such a funny song and you know its kinda travieso (naughty) I guess you can say a little bit. But the song itself is pretty funny it’s about this dog character who gets left in a house and it’s so funny and had such a good time recording it. Like 31 Minutos is a “cult-thing” over here in Chile and the people here love it.

P: You’ve recently been asked by DJ Bitman to appear on not one but two of his tracks on his album “Colours”. Both these tracks being in English. Your debut album was mostly in Spanish with the exception of Queen? How do you decide what songs come to you in English or Spanish. Do you find your artistic voice lyrically or vocally in English or Spanish?

F: Well mostly I say responding to your second question I think Spanish is the most accessible thing just because I’m in “Spanish” circumstances.

P: You mean immersion right?

F: Right! Where I develop my day-to-day life its all in Spanish so general to be able to communicate with what you want to say and understand it directly and communicate in a more clever way that’s more ingenious, poetic and accessible. So I guess in that sense Spanish comes first.

But at the same time when I grew up in the States however English would always come first and would only write in English. When I got to Chile (however) there was no one around (that spoke English). I would only perform in English practicing very difficult jazz-type, Tori Amos-type of songs and everyone’s like you should give Spanish pop/rock a try! (Groaning) And I was like no I wanted to do something more complex, more jazzy and then it naturally it came to me where I wanted to sing in Spanish. Like the lyrics and messages are important! Here it’s much more valuable to contribute in Spanish since the mainstream society doesn’t have the most exquisite English so in that way I would say Spanish.

But…I think it depends on the song! I think Queen was inherently in English it’s a jazz song and because you know jazz and Spanish really doesn’t work in general, unless it’s Bossa-Nova or something folklore. Jazz is in English you know? So the thing with Bitman it also happens because reggae and dub influences are more rico, you know like delicious in English and also because his album was an international album. He was excited to have a person who could naturally speak English without a big (heavy) accent, so he said: “I would love for you to be on the album, blah blah blah…”. So he gave me the grounds, the foundations of the music and began to work with that and came really naturally with the “Help Me” hook and I love having the possibility to sing in English and another style and sing all over the place. We were invited to a bunch of international festivals this year and to have kind of another area where my music may not have music may not taken me to like on TV shows or like little concerts or clubs as where as my music was more like bigger rock concerts. So it was a really good combination and good opportunity or exercise with my “English” ability to write lyrics and stuff.

P: You were born in San Francisco to Chilean parents other than giving you that bilingual edge how has that shaped you culturally now that you’ve returned to Chile?

F: It totally influenced me and shaped me when I was growing up in the States. You know San Francisco is like one of the most diverse and tolerant places ever (laughs)? And I had a lot of family that lives there but I think it was a great to live in a place that was so naturally diverse, so naturally tolerant, civil and respectful where as the arts and the creative processes were more like hippie communities (they) were very well accepted and pushed. Everyone wanted me to write short stories, debate, and paint, take art classes, dance, piano and blah, blah, blah… all these extracurricular activities and I think all of that made me kind of naturally inspired me to explore the arts and write much, much more precociously.

If I were living here (Chile), which is very traditional and Catholic: tie, nine hours with no art, no music, no anything. So I think in that way it gave me a first hand opportunity to explore freely and very richly being exposed to a community that was so tolerant, so respectful, and so diverse. Then when I came over to Chile I was like I couldn’t believe what was happening here, (that) I couldn’t believe it was such a homogeneous community that was so conservative and people would speak poorly being very racist, totally xenophobic and totally intolerant especially the conservative older people and the very ignorant poor and uneducated were not very tolerant of gays, lesbians and alternative lifestyles and could not believe it (exclaiming)! And what I think I’ve been doing with my kind of personal experiences is being able to contribute to the more public kind of thing.

I know I’m Chilena (Chilean) but at the same time I did have this opportunity and had these valuable civil community values that need to be integrated into society and have had the opportunity to speak for pro-gay movements, pro-women with female reproductive rights such as the fact abortion, morning-after pill is still prohibited and the inclusion of immigrants. These things in San Francisco are over (and done). So that’s what’s been going on.

P: Now what most people don’t know is that you’re an accomplished writer and you’ve starting writing at such a young age too. You’ve wrote your first poetry compilation Defenseless Waters at what age 12? What inspired you and why did you decide that you wanted to publish your material?

F: I guess I was always writing obsessively (laughs) since I was very little and began to kind of participate in a lot of contests just like the in the back of magazines and sending my writings to different publications to when I was about twelve or thirteen living in the states still.

What happened was and fortunately my parents have been totally supportive of everything I’ve been doing and very involved and got to the point where I was taking poetry classes during summer break and Haiku workshops and all those ridiculous things. My parents were like: “What are we going to do with this girl! What are we going to do she’s already taking all these summer classes? She’s already participating in these festivals these community cultural open houses.” So (my parents) they knew within the Latin American community this Argentinean woman who was a literary critic from Stanford.

We sent her my stuff and we emailed her questions what should we do where should go to study can you recommend a good workshop or a good teacher and what can I do with this writing ability and writing obsession I have. So she wrote back and I think these are good enough to publish and like my parents went like: “This kid is like twelve-years-old. Don’t be ridiculous!” We sent her then a hundred poems and some short stories as well and she’s like “Ok give me a week I want to see what I can do because I’m very excited about this new material.” So the week passes and on the on other hand I sent my poetry to a very cultural Latin magazine called “El Andar”. “El Andar” published the poems in the magazine and got in touch with this critic and they actually said you know we’re going inaugurate a new editorial and publish this editorial and have her design it. I did all the illustrations in the book and then asked my mom how to divide the pages with the colors and everything.

So it actually happened and it got to the bookstore to Isabel Allende and of course being Chilean everyone knows each other. So she actually read my poetry and invited me to her house and I was like twelve or thirteen and she wrote on the back flap of my book which is a huge deal! She’s one of the most important literary references in the world outside of Chile. She kinda helped me out and became my godmother and she got me into touch with her huge Spanish editorial and they published huge editorial with a collection of short stories and poetry. The critique came out in El ABC and El País in Spain and was thirteen and fourteen and how amazing was that! But it was super comfortable, spontaneous and natural and got the amazing opportunity to perform on the tour with my keyboard and guitar. Basically with braces I’d be reading my poetry and be like “I’m ready for my chocolate milk now!”. I would just write about anything and they would be often very social about observations in society, injustice and women; stories all in my head. There were be like poetry about women killing their husband defending their children or beaten or that would have to work five jobs to keep their kids. Or there was poetry about the butterfly in the garden. It was a wide spectrum of vocabulary and topics and ideas.

P: You’re an avid reader in politics and you’ve even studied political science in university and then attended the renowned music academy Berkley. Tell me more about that? Was their ever a backup plan besides writing music?

F: Totally I actually study journalism now and I don’t what I’m doing this year. So I’m probably going to congelar (freeze or put on hold) for the year. But I think music kind of made its way being the first thing. I think when I began to perform in high school and do festivals, competitions, restaurants and jazz bars. I was always thinking I wasn’t going to do this for real. I did a course at UC Berkeley in International Studies during the summer then I went to Berkley School of Music and did another internship. But I wanted to study journalism, political science and law even and then it kind of just made its way to be the most important thing. I then began to performing with a band and everything began to work out just by itself, having good time and it was so exciting to be doing something I didn’t even know I was somehow good at. It began to work out and in a year I was all over Chile performing, then last year I’ve just been doing all these all alternate projects and learning how to produce and record. I come from a family where no is a musician and had no musician friends, so I was totally on the other side of engineers, scientists and plastic arts, but I’ve never done music and been involved with musicians. So I was kind of afraid of all whole musician horror with so much partying, the industry and the coolness and thought well I didn’t really belong in there. Things just kind of came through and love to compliment it with other activities, I still go to university still have read and to do other things, and its important to nourish yourself because I think the arts or acting for example can cause you to be very narcissistic you know?

P: There’s something rather strange about the Chilean popular music scene. As it always had an indie aspect to it and in many cases is reflective of Chile’s political turmoil especially since the days of Nueva Cancion. You’ve wrote several songs that were some what political in nature. Take Los Poderosos and Salvador for example. It may seem rather obvious but why do you think that Chile’s independently produced musicians inevitably get involved in politics?

F: I think it’s because in general the mainstream population is very political in the sense that all the big artists and the real artists were in exile. So there was always this idea and fantasy that all the true artists were in exile and thrown out of the country, suffered and many of them were killed. You know like Victor Jara? Like these (exiled) artists came back and had to be in touch with the idea that I left the country which I love in turmoil and now I’m back. Even the cultural activities we have always have this kind of feel. You know the very left wing get together the unions and the people get together which is such an exciting thing to be part of but it the same time it’s all very political.

The funny thing is since democracy came back in the 1990s with the all musicians back and everyone can speak freely again, the left has always been in power. So the left and their open values has always been associated with the music and put a lot of money into the music and they do itineraries and festivals all over the country. I think it is important it has to do with this colonial heritage and rejecting the aristocracy, there is still a notion or maybe in Peru, Bolivia or Mexico where there’s such a small group that has the power. Well in the States it’s the same, but it’s so much bigger that like there’s such a small aristocracy with the power and are very conservative and the church has so much influence. It’s also a reaction to that and that there are still many people who currently in Chile that supports the dictatorship.

So it’s also a reaction to that how in the 21st Century with this openness that these people are still supporting a dictator that offended human rights and killed off a good part of the population or what not and it has to do with that. I think it’s very exciting because people make music that’s with much more purpose and people take it very seriously. Just two weeks ago we performed the last government because Michelle Bachelet was in power for the last four years and they lost the first time to the year in ten years. So we were in this last event for the government and it was very political, as in we don’t want our country being sold to the right-wing, just because we don’t want our country going back to the 1970’s. Also because Chile I noticed when came back, the country still has such a level of poverty and underdevelopment that it blows your mind like real poverty. Not like in the States where poverty can mean with a television, a roof over your head and a car. You can have poverty with pee in the bushes, no roof, no school and no education. So it has to do with that and it makes the country kind of get to the point and get conscious to help the country with so much to do.

P: If there would be one message you want to particularly convey in your musical career either political or non-political what would it be?

F: I don’t know. I guess it would have be the right to speak your mind and be outspoken and the respect for others to be tolerated from the left and the right. I include myself in the left, more liberal but I think you start to be more intolerant with the right as well with the conservative and religious values becoming a cultural war (laughs). I would say to be respectful on one hand to be outspoken and be helpful and tolerant. But in general I think my major cause would be the integration of Chile of women, gender equality, the physically disabled because there’s so much unavailability for the handicapped, the integration of natives and the reproductive rights of women and civil rights. For example, there still hasn’t been an anti-discrimination law that can fire you for being gay, black, a woman and things like that.

P: So you can write, sing, play the piano and the guitar anything else we should know?

F: No and talk. Talk a lot and very fast (laughs).

P: Do you have any other super human abilities?

No. That’s about it.

P: Before I leave you off anything you want to say to your adoring male fans?

F: Ah….! No nothing (laughs).

P: No one ever answers that one. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today.

F: No thanks so much it was a great interview. They were good questions and it was really interesting.

“The deaths represent a structural issue. Conditions need to be exposed and access has to be allowed for everyone,” Chris Ramsaroop from the Justice For Migrant Workers organization said.
Ramsaroop is concerned that migrant workers are not properly protected under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario. He is also worried that when many migrant workers are injured they are often deported back to their home countries. He believes that in some cases when migrant workers try to put in a claim with the Workman’s Compensation Board deportation occurs before the benefits can be approved.

Ramsaroop along with other labour and migrant activists are calling for increased labour standards enforcement from the Ministry of Labour to prevent the 488 worker deaths that occurred in 2008 and the 317 031 work related injuries and diseases that occurred in the same year. In a recent Toronto Star article Patrick Dillon of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council stated that the Ontario Health and Safety Act along with employment and workplace standards legislation needs to be revised. Meanwhile NDP representative Cheri Di Novo (Parkdale High Park) said that only 1% of Ontario workplaces are visited by an inspector and that often these inspectors do not have construction backgrounds.

Other concerns for activists include the lack of coordination between the Ministry of Immigration and the Ministry of Labour particularly on migrant worker deaths. Ramsaroop wants to see increased forms of protection for migrant workers who are often hired by independent contractors who are used as they do not often require benefits or workplace insurance coverage.

“We want protection not prosecution, “Ramsaroop said as he stressed that new measures should not punish migrant workers some of which may be working without immigration status. He highlights the fact that migrant workers have been given status in the past such as Dutch farmers after WWII and wonders why the same rights are not given to current migrant workers. He believes that many current migrant workers may be denied status based on race.

The Attorney General is being pressured to initiate a criminal investigation into the accident while the Ministry of Labour is conducting an open investigation to see if there were any contraventions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. A concern of activist groups is that a stop work order was issued against the Metron Construction company before the accident but it was then lifted one week before the tradgedy. Reports have also shown that there weren’t any safety harnesses used to secure the workers to the platform.

“We take injury and death seriously,” said a representative from the Ministry of Labour. The representative also stressed that the Occupational Health and Safety Act applies to all workers in Canada, migrant or other. Following the Christmas Eve accident the Ministry has instituted a 90 day blitz to inspect sites and states that there are a total of 430 inspectors hired to ensure the safety of Ontario workers. Also last week the Ministry appointed Tony Dean, the former Deputy Minister of Labour to head an independent panel to look at the safety prevention and enforcement systems in the province.

A recent rally at the Kipling accident site drew hundreds of mourners many of whom believe that the workers died because of their immigration status. “This is a matter of immigration status; those who died falling from that building died solely because they were migrant workers, “said Naveen Mehta from the UFCW recorded on the NoOne is Illegal organization website.

One worker remains in the hospital waiting to see if he and his family will receive workman’s compensation or if he will be sent back to his home country. Workman’s compensation is also being sought for the families of the victims. One can only hope that the protections that are afforded for citizens will be given to migrant workers so that basic rights can be enjoyed by everyone in this province.

Maggie had the awesome idea of taking text from old adult novels and pasting the original content into pendants to be worn around your neck. There several different necklaces to choose from, but there was no way that I was leaving the store without the one featuring the word ‘twat’ taken from Chastity Bell’s 1970 novel Sensual Student. I mean really, who doesn’t want to walk around wearing cute jewellery that upon closer inspection contains cheeky sexual lingo?

This isn’t Maggie’s first venture into the accessory world; she has also created a line called Neogami Original Jewellery (www.neogami.com) which consists of earrings, necklaces and pins made from origami paper.

If the necklaces are too racy for your taste or you’d rather admire the retro erotica print on the walls of your home; you can purchase the pages of text and illustration, like the one that originally caught my eye, all nicely matted and framed. Each piece is completely original and is bound to be a much talked about addition to your interior décor!

XXX LittWear can be found on Esty.com or at these stores in Toronto:

Periwinkle on Bloor - 2137 Bloor Street West
Ransack the Universe - 1207 Bloor Street West
Made You Look - 1338 Queen Street West

A woman once labeled a radical and jailed for her suspected involvement in the killing of judge Harold Haley in 1970, stood before the crowd speaking as any professor might. This lecture was far from ordinary as Davis, with her signature Afro now with tinges of Grey, electrified the crowd.

There was a feeling while listening to the rhythmic lull in her speech that this would be a thrilling moment to be told to future generations. With the passage of time Davis has been accepted by post secondary institutions and has become a bit of a heroine. While in the 60s and 70s she was persecuted for her communist beliefs and her criticisms of the American prison system. It was hard to believe that to hear her speak at one time would have been an act of radicalism and defiance.

In her speech she outlined that Black History has been a series of struggles for liberation. With imperialism, slavery and colonialism these struggles for liberation have become necessary. She went over a few momentous events that happened in February, the month now labeled as Black History Month. In February 1960 there were sit ins at segregated lunch counters in the states; in February of 1965 Malcolm X was assassinated; the civil rights activist W E. DuBois was born in February of 1868; and in February of 1919 the Pan African Congress met in opposition to imperialism.

She talked about the need to continue the fight for liberation even if there is a black president in office.¨We assume we have reached the pinnacle. But a black man in the white house doesn´t cancel out the black men in the big house.¨ This spoke to her continuing discussion of racism in the US prison system.

She also stressed that we have to honour all of those who have been a part of freedom movements and that we can’t put a messiah on a pedestal like Martin Luther King Jr. She reminded us that the Montgomery Bus Boycotts were organized by women. They were mostly poor black women who chose to walk miles to their domestic worker positions rather than to take the segregated bus in Montgomery. ¨Ordinary people are responsible for changes,¨ she said.

She spoke about her fear that the movement for liberation had receded. That the fight for all oppressed people had been weakened. ¨Justice is indivisible,¨she stated. All communities need freedom including undocumented immigrants, prisoners, and the LGBT community.

She ended her speech by quoting Nelson Mandela. ¨I have walked that long road to freedom..But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.¨ And so we keep fighting.