Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Spring 2005 Finally, the gates to the Old Burial Ground on Barrington Street are open. Just inside, there’s a map showing who’s buried where, so it takes just two minutes to find him. He’s got a box grave—one of those above-ground concrete boxes about the size of a coffin. It’s a […]
Canada
Posted inNews + Opinion
Loss of status
There were banging pots, placards with messages against inequality and shouts of, “Stephen Harper doesn’t like women, he wants us back in the kitchen! That’s OK, we’ve got the solution—let’s cook up a revolution!” These are just a few of the sights and sounds from a protest held last Friday outside of federal Status of […]
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World class
Smriti MehraPassport: India Smriti Mehra says her films are not hers. Not because they’re Dogme films, that cinematic genre where the director must not be credited. Is it humility then? “Not really,” says the petite Indian of her creative role in making Neerinakallu (Water Stone), a beautiful “non-fiction film” which traces the movement of clothes […]
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International embarrassment
On a recent visit to Halifax, former American president—now international HIV/AIDS activist—Bill Clinton appealed to the audience to ask themselves three defining questions: 1) What do you want to see happen in the coming century? 2) How can that be accomplished? 3) Who’s going to do it? On August 13, Clinton will be in Canada […]
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The Haitian debate
Patrick Elie was not exactly given a warm welcome by the Canadian government. The Haitian human rights activist and former government minister, who spoke in front of an audience of 75 at Dalhousie University last week as part of a national speaking tour, arrived in Canada on February 21st, only to be informed by agents […]
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On the day before the ashes
Part eleven, the last chapter, of Submerged: An evacuee’s journal by Michael Tisserand The devil stood in the middle of the street, refusing to budge. “I don’t care if a car hits me,” said the devil, tightening up her face. “I’m just going to stand here.” It was Mardi Gras afternoon, and my family was […]
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Invisible city
Launched earlier this year, a slim volume of short stories and poems by local writers (or ones with Halifax connections), aptly called To Find Us, hit two important marks. First, thanks to the book’s editor Sue MacLeod, HRM’s inaugural poet laureate, the book proves new writing happens in this city, about this city. Second, the […]
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Democracy watch
Canadians have learned a few things about Haiti from our mainstream news outlets. We’ve learned that it’s the birthplace of our governor general, Michaelle Jean. We’ve learned it’s been affected by Atlantic storms this hurricane season, and we’ve learned that the UN is playing its part to disarm local gangs. What we haven’t learned is […]
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Leaving
Shortly after I arrive at the party in New Orleans, a woman hears that I’m leaving town. “So why are YOU moving?” she asks, narrowing her eyes. Her meaning is clear. Why am I not pulling on my gloves and strapping on my facemask and pitching in to help clean things up on Magazine Street, […]
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Toxic art
I love New Orleans. But after anchoring myself there for half my life, I still don’t understand it all that well. If this city has a soul, I think I’ve only caught fleeting glimpses of it. One of these glimpses occurred in 1993, when I had the chance to interview musician Danny Barker. He was […]
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Part 1: Getting out
“Some people got lost in the flood, some people got away alright.”—Randy Newman, “Louisiana 1927” New Orleans is gone. I left it behind me on Saturday, with my two kids in the backseat, the soundtrack to Shrek on the CD player. My wife, a pediatrician, was on call for the weekend and stayed behind. She […]
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Part 2: City of the dead
“I can’t go back there,” says my wife, Tami, talking on the cell phone. We’re driving from Carencro into Lafayette to find an insurance office and check out the food stamp line. She listens to the caller, a friend of mine from high school. “That would be great,” Tami says. They’re talking about Minneapolis. Every […]
