Die-Ins, No Nukes, Health, And More

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. Towards the end of October, I went to three rallies in four days. First came the International Day of Climate Action on October 24. Greenpeace held a die-in on the steps of the Legislature, where a group of about 100 of us lay down to show that we were "dying" for leadership in Canada in terms of the climate. For once, I decided to hand my camera off to someone else and take part. Our group shot made it into the local media. Here are the photos taken by the daughter of one of The Raging Grannies, who sang as we lay dying.

October 26 was yet another healthcare rally, organized by Friends of Medicare. It was short and sweet during the noon hour. Not as huge a turnout as some of the other healthcare rallies, but important nonetheless. Here are some photos.

The next day, a rally was held outside the Legislature calling to Keep Alberta Nuclear Free. It was a colourful and spirited event, despite the rain. Here are some photos and this is a short video.

Last week, I went with a friend to hear Andrew Nikiforuk speak about the Tar Sands, in particular the effects of the resulting pollution affecting Aboriginal communities who live downstream. I videoed the presentation - it is about an hour and worth watching. I saw Mr. Nikiforuk speak again on Saturday afternoon as part of the Global Visions documentary film festival after two films dealing with the Tar Sands were shown. He had a major update to report, in that the doctor who had been treating Aboriginal patients in Fort Chipewyan (John O'Connor), was cleared of all charges brough on by Health Canada. He had been accused to causing "undue alarm" in the community because of his questioning the connection between the Tar Sands and the high prevalence of rare cancers amongst his patients.

Another documentary I watched at Global Visions was Broke, about a pawnshop owner and his relationship to an Aboriginal man who helps him around his shop. The film was shot in the very inner city community where I spend most of my time, and it was extremely interesting to see the area on film. A lot of neighbourhood folks were at the screening (it was a repeat screening and was previously shown on opening night) and they all had different reactions to the film, the pawnshop owner, and how he conducted business. I'm gathering these opinions for an article in the next issue of Boyle McCauley News.