Tuesday 23 February 2016

Adjustin' Justin



Trudeau Backs Conservative Motion Condemning BDS Movement Against Israel
Canadian Press, 22/02/16




OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals have joined forces with the Official Opposition to overwhelmingly approve a Conservative motion condemning Canadians who promote the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel.

About a dozen Liberals refused to vote on the motion, which passed by a vote of 229-51; one Liberal voted against it.




Nevertheless, the fact that Trudeau and most Liberals supported it prompted NDP Leader Tom Mulcair to charge that the prime minister is once again aligning himself with the Tories to suppress the civil liberties of advocacy groups.
Mulcair says Trudeau did the same thing last year when he chose to support the Conservative Government's controversial anti-terrorism legislation (C-51), which New Democrats and other critics maintain equates legitimate dissent with terrorism.





The Tory motion calls upon the government to condemn any attempts by Canadian groups or individuals(!!!) to promote the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement which it describes as promoting "demonization and deligitimization" of Israel.

"This goes against the freedom of expression we hold so dear in our society," Mulcair said following the vote Monday.


  

"I am thrilled that the great majority of Liberals voted in favor of it when we had a free vote," said Anthony Housekeeper, Liberal MP for the Montreal riding of Mount Royal, whose riding includes a large Jewish population.



Controversial vote by McGill students supports BDS
Montreal Gazette, 23/02/16

There were celebratory cheers and dancing as students at McGill University voted for the first time on Monday to support a highly controversial and divisive motion in favor of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS).



   















If you're not at the table - you're on the menu.
                                         Jim Hightower 
                                         Columnist






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Monday 8 February 2016

Fernie: The Arts Station and How It's Done!



From
ARTiculate - Fall/Winter 2015-16
by
Jesse Bell

THE FERNIE ARTS STATION CELEBRATES
There is a historic railway station in downtown Fernie that has been transformed into a bustling community space, helping turn this small mountain town into a hub for all things arts and culture.
The Arts Station, with a glorious Rocky Mountain backdrop and a vibrant atmosphere, is a quaint cultural space - a home, really - that celebrates its 25th anniversary.
.......
  

Built in 1908 as an original Canadian Pacific Railway Station, the building survived neglect and vandalism, avoided demolition and was (moved and) refurbished in 1991 by volunteers. A space for newcomers, artists and art-lovers to gather, The Arts Station has offered live theatre, workshops in photography and pottery, quilting and painting ever since.

Today the station is painted soft blues and yellows, surrounded by a wraparound deck and beautiful barrels of flowers in the summertime. The town name is painted proudly on the roof of the building.




The main lobby acts as a gallery, with new art featured monthly. The original ticket office is the space of an energetic restaurant, the Blue Toque Diner, and the 100-seat theatre - at one time used as a baggage room for train passengers - brings in both local and out-of-town musicians. The basement is a space for musicians and potters, while quilters, painters, weavers and other textile enthusiasts have the upstairs studio.


The station is home base to the Fernie & District Arts Council, which works tirelessly to bring art and community together, playing host to summer socials and supporting various cultural ventures year-round. The motto of The Arts Station is Create + Connect which it continues to do with great pleasure.

www.theartsstation.com


   












Differences in repurposing the station in Fernie and Nelson are striking.
The Arts Station's focus is to give to the community: multi-discipline socio-cultural development in an imaginatively used setting. Fun!
The NDCC Station's focus - thus far - is financial profit in an underutilized setting. Fun taken to the bank!




What Fernie - considerably smaller than Nelson - and its Fernie & District Arts Council saw 25 years ago was the need for a cultural centre downtown - a heart.
I have previously proposed - and propose here again - a similar place as the centre of Railtown. Giving it - thus Nelson - a cultural heart-beat. Its sound then drawing like-minded, visionary investment. Providing a reason.
By their nature and focus - neither the NDCC Station nor a part-time Cottonwood Market can be/do that for Railtown. A weaker pulse.




In support of THE HEART I am quoting from post
To/At/From THE HEART
14 Dec, 2015

THE HEART
is a multi-purpose meeting-place of exceptional design and function in Railtown.
Among others it facilitates:
Easily convertible meeting-, class-, in/outdoor-performance space
Rental/lease based on specific need/time
Easily convertible recording-, studio-, gallery-space
Rental/lease based on specific need/time
Easily set-up/taken-down Cottonwood Market
Lease permanent part-time
Cafe
Lease permanent part/full-time

Nelson lacks spaces such as these: providing/combining them all gives cultural focus, makes THE HEART a continuous draw for locals and tourists: users and visitors.


 
Cottonwood Market at THE HEART
Several convincing arguments present themselves for making the market part of this centre - the whole City-owned/supervised under one roof.
1.
What locals and tourists appreciated about the old market was its homey-folksy-funky ambiance, its visible history - appreciated regardless of parking-and-whatever-else issues. This ambiance will be lacking in a sanitized, stand-alone, parking-for-days farmers' market. 
It is naive to assume that the reincarnation can enjoy the same popularity - ever!
2.
The centre and market under one roof are of symbiotic benefit/support: crowds coming for one are there for the other.
3.
While a stand-alone market only operates on a part-time basis: off-time upkeep and security must be of major on-going concern.
4.
There is no detailed documented relationship between Council and the EcoSociety concerning a new market - aside from Council (too hastily!) approving $12.000 of tax-payered funds for a pre-plan plan(!?!). To be generated by a hitherto silent private company: while local - not introduced in Council. Since that cash-transfer: nothing!
This pre-plan plan - as a basis for the real thing - by now should have been presented to Council for approval. Because - even though a definitive design (supposedly!) eventually has to be approved - once presented with that - clearly rather later than sooner - Council will hardly say no. The EcoSociety's pressure-clincher then undoubtedly: Too late for changes! The market must be up NOW!!!

Not so: the market can easily be held on Baker St. until its new quarters within the cultural centre are ready!

Has Council repeated the Hall St. fiasco: signing-off on hear-say only - and now/then what?
5.
Funding is more prudently channeled into an all-inclusive cultural/community centre - quite naturally including a farmers' market.
6.
Combining infra-structure - including roads/parking - for THE HEART/market allows for a more frugal use of available space.
7.
Leaving the best bits of City-owned Railtown property to a very part-time, very privately run City-market means NO! to other possibilities.


 

With a cultural/community centre: Fernie has been "there" for 25 years - Nelson finally must (and has an opportunity to) get "there" now! An advantage THE HEART has: it can conceptualize from scratch - no limits! And while downtown, there are green, quiet outdoor-possibilities: essential!


  



Baffling: Nelson's cultural development ambitions - while concentrating efforts (and copious funding) on unconnected bits-and-pieces of limited shelf-life - have never yet envisioned a permanent home-base.



It is not good enough to leave planning of Railtown to a very large group of individual profit/ego-driven stakeholders - with their diverse interests roughly coming together. And then needing all that to be (seamlessly?) smoothed-out by an outside-consultant. This can only end in a compromise-plan: with its results - dictating Railtown's development for years - we may come to regret down the line.

I suggest that those guiding the planning-process of Railtown connect with the City of Fernie, the Fernie & District Arts Council and other smallish towns with cultural centres. And the impact these centres have on the towns' development thus tourism.
Then plan according to founded-in-sensibility example - instead of inexperienced-in-this very special interests.


 

  
Time to grow(-up) - think bold!




All images - except that of the hearts - are of The Arts Station
oldnurse.com
ferniefix.com
bcmusicianmag.com
nonstopfernie
theartsstation.com
offtomexico.com
trip-suggest.com
brusheezy.com