Here's a copy of the commentary I read to begin the June 19 show:
Do any of you identify with a political party? Do any of you care whether you do or don’t?
I do. In fact, I’m going through a political equivalent of an identity crisis.
I’m going to tell you a little about that, at the risk of offending Liberals, Tories and New Democrats – and boring people who don’t care about party politics at all.
Throughout the 90s I was quite discouraged. Though not a card-carrying member, I’m a natural Liberal, but didn’t like Jean Chretien and never thought Frank McKenna was a Liberal at all. He was quite right-wing, actually - aggressively pro-business, and a social conservative who fought hard to keep Henry Morgentaler from setting up an abortion clinic in New Brunswick.
I was heartened when Paul Martin and Shawn Graham came along. But then Martin got clobbered by the Gomery inquiry, and we ended up with our very own George Bush in Stephen Harper. And then the Graham Liberals took a hard right turn when they took office.
They’re now energy hub boosters that pay scant attention to the environment. And social conservatives too. Last year, several Liberal cabinet ministers joined an anti-abortion rally on the streets of Fredericton.
You hear a lot of Saint John Liberals grumbling about the party, especially in wake of the debate on closing the university and the decision to scrap early immersion in French.
Some of those formerly loyal Liberals are mad enough, it seems, to vote Tory – even though the party has no leader, no clear policy alternatives to the Liberals, and are allied with the Harper Conservatives.
Here’s where my identity crisis comes in. I have voted Tory in the past because I supported local candidates. But I held my nose when I did it, and don’t think I could do so again. I voted NDP when there were standout candidates like Elizabeth Weir to vote for, but in general the party just isn’t relevant here right now.
What I really want is for the Liberals to liberal again – Trudeau Liberal, Martin Liberal, Louis Robichaud Liberal.
I just don’t know if that’s going to happen any time soon, at least not here in New Brunswick. Their latest policy proposal is straight out of right-wing Alberta - a tax reform program that would include a flat tax that would favour high-income earners, and significantly reduced taxes on big corporations.
On the show tonight, we’ll talk about the flat tax with a policy analyst from Alberta, the only province in Canada with a flat tax system.
Also on the program tonight: Mike Parker examines legislation that would give police the ability to crack down on suspected drug dealers. And UNB introduces a summer film series to be held at the New Brunswick Museum uptown.
But first up: Pop Goes the City - an 80s music festival for Saint John.
Here this episode online at: serrcitysj.mypodcast.com
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Rosie O’Donnell leads gay and lesbian cruise into Saint John
Serf City Exclusive: Rosie O’Donnell leads a gay and lesbian cruise into the Port of Saint John. On July 15th, the Norwegian Dawn will dock in Saint John with 2,200 people, mostly gay and lesbian families on a tour of the Maritimes. It will be an especially festive occasion for 21 couples that will get married on their stop here. On the June 19th edition of Serf City, Mark Leger spoke with Gregg Kaminsky, a partner in O'Donnell's company R Family Vacations. Here the interview at: serfcitysj.mypodcast.com
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Urban gardeners
On tonight's show: the urban gardeners - conversations with members of the north end community garden. Plus: the suburban songwriter. Ken Tobias relfects on life on a leafy street on the east side since he moved back from Toronto in 2004. And Mike Parker makes the ultimate sacrifice - a night with city council while his friends frolic beneath a setting spring sun.
Serf City is posting podcasts once again! Check out sercitysj.mypodcast.com or tune in Thursdays at 6 pm at 107.3 FM CFMH.
Serf City is posting podcasts once again! Check out sercitysj.mypodcast.com or tune in Thursdays at 6 pm at 107.3 FM CFMH.
Friday, June 6, 2008
The suburbanization of Starbucks
Here is the commentary I read to kick off the June 5th show:
When the Starbucks chain was originally launched in North America, it mimicked the cozy street-corner urban café - the kind of neighbourhood place you could walk to, and have a coffee with friends who lived or worked nearby.
Starbucks has moved a long way from that original concept – just go the new one on the east side and you’ll know what I mean.
It’s in box store country - surrounded by malls, chain restaurants, home improvement centres, and ironically enough, the corporate office of the Canadian Automobile Association!
Its most distinctive feature – for those of us more familiar with Starbucks in the downtowns of big cities – is the drive-thru!
Saint John is car country – Alberta East, you might say.
While the rest of the world is beginning to talk about the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Saint John is cranking up its dependence on fossil fuels – the explosion of box stores out east, the buzz around a new oil refinery.
The Telegraph-Journal calls Troy Northrup a visionary for blazing the trail of new mall developments out east.
The CBC has a weekly feature on the price of gas, which has a loyal following of suburban commuters anxious about skyrocketing fuel costs.
Not much talk here about conservation and alternative energies.
Perhaps this is why the provincial government is so behind other provinces that are enacting bold plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Why would the Graham government act aggressively when its voters are still so dependent on their cars and promise of economic growth from new energy projects?
Tonight, we’ll speak with environmentalist David Coon about how New Brunswick stacks up against provinces like B.C., Quebec and Ontario, all of which have adopted bold plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We’ll also talk with two dancers who are performing at Imperial Theatre tonight. Dancing Bodies: Sum of the Parts begins at 7 pm, just as we wrap up tonight’s show. So perhaps you can listen to the end of Serf City in the car on the way to the theatre. Or perhaps walk from your uptown apartment.
But first up on tonight’s show: an interview about the Mike Hughes Benefit concert series.
- Mark
When the Starbucks chain was originally launched in North America, it mimicked the cozy street-corner urban café - the kind of neighbourhood place you could walk to, and have a coffee with friends who lived or worked nearby.
Starbucks has moved a long way from that original concept – just go the new one on the east side and you’ll know what I mean.
It’s in box store country - surrounded by malls, chain restaurants, home improvement centres, and ironically enough, the corporate office of the Canadian Automobile Association!
Its most distinctive feature – for those of us more familiar with Starbucks in the downtowns of big cities – is the drive-thru!
Saint John is car country – Alberta East, you might say.
While the rest of the world is beginning to talk about the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Saint John is cranking up its dependence on fossil fuels – the explosion of box stores out east, the buzz around a new oil refinery.
The Telegraph-Journal calls Troy Northrup a visionary for blazing the trail of new mall developments out east.
The CBC has a weekly feature on the price of gas, which has a loyal following of suburban commuters anxious about skyrocketing fuel costs.
Not much talk here about conservation and alternative energies.
Perhaps this is why the provincial government is so behind other provinces that are enacting bold plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Why would the Graham government act aggressively when its voters are still so dependent on their cars and promise of economic growth from new energy projects?
Tonight, we’ll speak with environmentalist David Coon about how New Brunswick stacks up against provinces like B.C., Quebec and Ontario, all of which have adopted bold plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We’ll also talk with two dancers who are performing at Imperial Theatre tonight. Dancing Bodies: Sum of the Parts begins at 7 pm, just as we wrap up tonight’s show. So perhaps you can listen to the end of Serf City in the car on the way to the theatre. Or perhaps walk from your uptown apartment.
But first up on tonight’s show: an interview about the Mike Hughes Benefit concert series.
- Mark
Zen and the art of bicycle maintenance
Here is the commentary that I read to kick off the May 29th show:
When I was in Ghana last year, I traveled to the northern part of the country to deliver some workshops on journalism.
At a community radio station in a small town, a reporter asked me what kinds of stories they should be covering.
In Ghana, as in Canada, media outlets largely focus on politics and business. Elected officials and business people, here and there, get most of the ink and hog the airwaves.
I told them to speak more with everyday people. Talk to them about the things they do that are interesting, creative and contribute something to the community.
When we left the station after the workshop was over, a scene across the street caught my eye. There were a couple of kids riding a makeshift wagon, surrounded by five or six others, impatient for a ride themselves.
I walked across the street to have a closer look. It was a bike and auto repair shop. Old parts and half-built motorcycles and cars were scattered around the yard. The kids were riding this little wagon that looked like it had been built with spare parts.
The kids kept laughing and hollering; they took no notice of us, even though Westerners rarely visited this remote community.
A man emerged from the shop, smiling and hand extended in greeting.
He told us he made stuff like this for the kids in the neighbourhood.
No Wal-marts or Toys R Us here. If you want toys, you make them yourself. Needless to say, this guy was the hit of the neighbourhood.
I thought of him today when I met Paul Reeves. He’s known as the “bicycle man” in his north end neighbourhood for the cycles he fashions out of old bikes and spare parts.
He has an exhibition of his bikes at the Saint John Arts Centre. It’s called “Reecycles.” We’ll talk with Paul on tonight’s show.
Also on show: we’ll speak with Ashley Durdle, who won the Aliant Business Plan competition with her idea for The Happy Hopyard.
But first up: the rise and fall of the Loyalist City Music Festival.
When I was in Ghana last year, I traveled to the northern part of the country to deliver some workshops on journalism.
At a community radio station in a small town, a reporter asked me what kinds of stories they should be covering.
In Ghana, as in Canada, media outlets largely focus on politics and business. Elected officials and business people, here and there, get most of the ink and hog the airwaves.
I told them to speak more with everyday people. Talk to them about the things they do that are interesting, creative and contribute something to the community.
When we left the station after the workshop was over, a scene across the street caught my eye. There were a couple of kids riding a makeshift wagon, surrounded by five or six others, impatient for a ride themselves.
I walked across the street to have a closer look. It was a bike and auto repair shop. Old parts and half-built motorcycles and cars were scattered around the yard. The kids were riding this little wagon that looked like it had been built with spare parts.
The kids kept laughing and hollering; they took no notice of us, even though Westerners rarely visited this remote community.
A man emerged from the shop, smiling and hand extended in greeting.
He told us he made stuff like this for the kids in the neighbourhood.
No Wal-marts or Toys R Us here. If you want toys, you make them yourself. Needless to say, this guy was the hit of the neighbourhood.
I thought of him today when I met Paul Reeves. He’s known as the “bicycle man” in his north end neighbourhood for the cycles he fashions out of old bikes and spare parts.
He has an exhibition of his bikes at the Saint John Arts Centre. It’s called “Reecycles.” We’ll talk with Paul on tonight’s show.
Also on show: we’ll speak with Ashley Durdle, who won the Aliant Business Plan competition with her idea for The Happy Hopyard.
But first up: the rise and fall of the Loyalist City Music Festival.
Famine of feeling
Here is the commentary I read to kick off the May 22 show:
One morning last week, I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling, feeling anxious about the things on my to-do list – something university students, with their procrastinating ways, are prone to do. Unfinished papers, research work to do for a professor, a thesis to get started on. All manageable, small concerns, but they were troubling me nonetheless.
Then the phone rang.
A voice called out over a crackling line, “Hello, Mr. Mark.”
It was Victor, an old friend from my time in Ghana. He had lost his job, and couldn’t afford the school fees for his daughter. He asked if I could send some money so she could finish the term?
I said yes, and hung up the phone after a brief conversation.
Rather than return to bed, I made a cup of coffee and read the morning Globe and Mail. Burma and China still dominated the headlines: thousands of children died when schools collapsed in the Chinese earthquake.
My own concerns suddenly seemed so small. I sent Victor some money and also made a donation to the Red Cross relief fund.
But the next morning, I was still wide-awake at 4 am, preoccupied with my relatively ordinary concerns.
Human beings have big hearts, but I’m often struck by our limited capacity to truly emphathize with the world at large. Most us remain preoccupied day to day with our little worlds – our families, friends, and co-workers. Every so often, we awaken to the outside world – a call from a poverty-stricken friend in a developing country, or an earthquake in a place like China.
I often wonder I could keep the concerns of the world always top of mind.
Buddhists have a form of mediation called metta practice. Metta means “loving kindness.” The idea is to meditate on the compassion you have for yourself, your family, friends, and even enemies and strangers. Some Buddhists believe this practice can actually have a healing effect on people a world away.
Last night, I meditated with a group in the north end. We were asked to include the suffering people of Burma and Myanmar in our practice.
Personally I have a difficult time actually feeling that compassion, and an even harder time believing it really does any good. But I suppose people must be credited for at least trying to transcend the cares of their own families and immediate communities.
Tom Hayden is an anti-poverty activist and well-known leader in the 1960s student movement. He says we must care for the entire world, not just the world around us. In reference to the persistent poverty in the developing world, he says the affluent West is suffering from a “famine of feeling.”
On the show tonight, we’ll speak with someone who is certainly not suffering from a “famine of feeling” when it comes to China. Li Song is here to talk about a fundraising campaign for the victims of the Chinese earthquake. She is from China and a graduate of UNBSJ.
Also on the show tonight: James Wilson, the Hampton photographer who is on the shortlist for this year’s Strathbutler award for excellence in the arts; and Ashley Durkle, who won this year’s Aliant Business Pitch competition for her plan to start an organic hops farm.
Listen to the entire show at: serfcity.mypodcast.com
- Mark
One morning last week, I was lying in bed staring at the ceiling, feeling anxious about the things on my to-do list – something university students, with their procrastinating ways, are prone to do. Unfinished papers, research work to do for a professor, a thesis to get started on. All manageable, small concerns, but they were troubling me nonetheless.
Then the phone rang.
A voice called out over a crackling line, “Hello, Mr. Mark.”
It was Victor, an old friend from my time in Ghana. He had lost his job, and couldn’t afford the school fees for his daughter. He asked if I could send some money so she could finish the term?
I said yes, and hung up the phone after a brief conversation.
Rather than return to bed, I made a cup of coffee and read the morning Globe and Mail. Burma and China still dominated the headlines: thousands of children died when schools collapsed in the Chinese earthquake.
My own concerns suddenly seemed so small. I sent Victor some money and also made a donation to the Red Cross relief fund.
But the next morning, I was still wide-awake at 4 am, preoccupied with my relatively ordinary concerns.
Human beings have big hearts, but I’m often struck by our limited capacity to truly emphathize with the world at large. Most us remain preoccupied day to day with our little worlds – our families, friends, and co-workers. Every so often, we awaken to the outside world – a call from a poverty-stricken friend in a developing country, or an earthquake in a place like China.
I often wonder I could keep the concerns of the world always top of mind.
Buddhists have a form of mediation called metta practice. Metta means “loving kindness.” The idea is to meditate on the compassion you have for yourself, your family, friends, and even enemies and strangers. Some Buddhists believe this practice can actually have a healing effect on people a world away.
Last night, I meditated with a group in the north end. We were asked to include the suffering people of Burma and Myanmar in our practice.
Personally I have a difficult time actually feeling that compassion, and an even harder time believing it really does any good. But I suppose people must be credited for at least trying to transcend the cares of their own families and immediate communities.
Tom Hayden is an anti-poverty activist and well-known leader in the 1960s student movement. He says we must care for the entire world, not just the world around us. In reference to the persistent poverty in the developing world, he says the affluent West is suffering from a “famine of feeling.”
On the show tonight, we’ll speak with someone who is certainly not suffering from a “famine of feeling” when it comes to China. Li Song is here to talk about a fundraising campaign for the victims of the Chinese earthquake. She is from China and a graduate of UNBSJ.
Also on the show tonight: James Wilson, the Hampton photographer who is on the shortlist for this year’s Strathbutler award for excellence in the arts; and Ashley Durkle, who won this year’s Aliant Business Pitch competition for her plan to start an organic hops farm.
Listen to the entire show at: serfcity.mypodcast.com
- Mark
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Check out this week's podcast
Listen to the May 22nd episode: serfcitysj.mypodcast.com. On the show: Jarrett Laughlin, a researcher with the Canadian Council on Learning, talks about why Saint John is one of the top five improved communities on the nationwide Composite Learning Index. Hampton photographer James Wilson is one of three finalists for the Strathbutler award for the arts. Li Song and Summer Mu, graduates of UNBSJ, raise money for the earthquake relief effort in China. Plus: tunes from musicians who will perform at next week's Loyalist City Music Festival.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
The Odd Couples
Here is the commentary that kicked off last Thursday's show:
Norm McFarlane seemed like an ideal mayor when he was elected back in 2004. A former Tory cabinet minister, he appealed to business people and social conservatives. But he also seemed open-minded enough to please younger people and social progressives. Not that long after he was elected, McFarlane and deputy mayor Michelle Hooton were out raising the gay pride flag together in front of city hall.
I should have spotted a sign of things come on election night 2004, though. A bit giddy because I voted for someone who had actually won, I went down to McFarlane’s campaign office to congratulate him.
He and his campaign managers were outside smoking victory cigars – the ultimate old boy ritual. All that was missing were plush leather chairs and a backroom.
He would ultimately retreat to that back room less than a year later, ending a long honeymoon period in which council had actually gotten along most of the time.
The secret tax deal he negotiated with old blue eyes, Kenneth Irving, would divide council for the rest of its term.
On Monday, we saw the end result: an incumbent mayor in a boom economy remarkably finished in fourth place. Ivan Court, the fiercest and most consistent critic of that deal, is now mayor.
Of all the relationships that soured on council in the last four years, perhaps none was more unfortunate than the rift that grew between Hooton and McFarlane. In both mayors’ debates, they saved their most venomous comments and nastiest sidelong glances for each other. You could have been forgiven for thinking that they were the two frontrunners, not John Ferguson and Ivan Court.
Hooton and McFarlane had come a long way down from that day at city hall, which was so full of optimism and promise. The young progressive woman, and the older conservative man - both there for the raising of the gay pride flag, a symbol that a city so proud of its past was also willing to embrace its future.
They’re both gone after only term in office, and now we look forward to a new council, led by Court and deputy mayor-elect Stephen Chase.
We’ll speak with both of them on tonight’s show.
Well also talk to Arlyn Bradley of The Mahones, the Canadian Irish punk band performing tonight at Ellwood’s. Arlyn is the band’s bass player and a native of Saint John.
But first up, interviews with The New Odd Couple – Ivan Court and Stephen Chase.
Norm McFarlane seemed like an ideal mayor when he was elected back in 2004. A former Tory cabinet minister, he appealed to business people and social conservatives. But he also seemed open-minded enough to please younger people and social progressives. Not that long after he was elected, McFarlane and deputy mayor Michelle Hooton were out raising the gay pride flag together in front of city hall.
I should have spotted a sign of things come on election night 2004, though. A bit giddy because I voted for someone who had actually won, I went down to McFarlane’s campaign office to congratulate him.
He and his campaign managers were outside smoking victory cigars – the ultimate old boy ritual. All that was missing were plush leather chairs and a backroom.
He would ultimately retreat to that back room less than a year later, ending a long honeymoon period in which council had actually gotten along most of the time.
The secret tax deal he negotiated with old blue eyes, Kenneth Irving, would divide council for the rest of its term.
On Monday, we saw the end result: an incumbent mayor in a boom economy remarkably finished in fourth place. Ivan Court, the fiercest and most consistent critic of that deal, is now mayor.
Of all the relationships that soured on council in the last four years, perhaps none was more unfortunate than the rift that grew between Hooton and McFarlane. In both mayors’ debates, they saved their most venomous comments and nastiest sidelong glances for each other. You could have been forgiven for thinking that they were the two frontrunners, not John Ferguson and Ivan Court.
Hooton and McFarlane had come a long way down from that day at city hall, which was so full of optimism and promise. The young progressive woman, and the older conservative man - both there for the raising of the gay pride flag, a symbol that a city so proud of its past was also willing to embrace its future.
They’re both gone after only term in office, and now we look forward to a new council, led by Court and deputy mayor-elect Stephen Chase.
We’ll speak with both of them on tonight’s show.
Well also talk to Arlyn Bradley of The Mahones, the Canadian Irish punk band performing tonight at Ellwood’s. Arlyn is the band’s bass player and a native of Saint John.
But first up, interviews with The New Odd Couple – Ivan Court and Stephen Chase.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Odd Couple
Tonight on 'Serf City': Saint John voters take a left turn by electing Ivan Court mayor...or did they take a right turn by electing Stephen Chase deputy mayor...we'll speak with both men about the recent campaign and their plans for the next four years. Plus: an interview with Mahones lead singer Finny McConnell and bass player Arlyn Bradley, a native of Saint John. The Mahones play tonight at Elwoods.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
It's never to late to say your sorry, Mr. Irving
Here is the commentary that opened last Thursday's show:
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
The tax deal that Irving Oil brokered with the city and the province in 2005 is still a very controversial topic here.
It’s been a central debate in the municipal election campaign, with Norm MacFarlane still very much behind his original decision, and Michelle Hooton and Ivan Court still very much against it.
It’s an old debate now, and people’s attitudes and opinions are entrenched, for and against. It’s actually gotten a bit tiresome, because we’re rehashing the same arguments with seemingly no chance of a resolution or peace on the issue.
The politicians also only ever seem to point fingers at each other. But it takes two to tango, or cook up a tax deal in a back room.
And the Irvings, with extensive experience dealing with governments at all levels, must have known there was something wrong with negotiating with a mayor in private and then imposing a deadline that didn’t allow for proper debate.
This week, someone at Irving Oil expressed regret for dealing with the city in this way.
Well, he might have expressed regret…or I may just be reading into a statement by Irving Oil spokesman Daniel Goodwin.
On Tuesday, the Telegraph-Journal published a commentary he wrote in defence of the tax deal. Near the beginning piece, one line in particular jumped out at me. About the decision-making process of 2005, Goodwin wrote, “everyone involved, including the Mayor, city councillors, and city management did the best they could in a difficult situation, and everyone on city council voted according to their beliefs about what was best for the City of Saint John.”
The “difficult situation” that Goodwin refers to was actually brought on by Irving Oil, which gave the city a tight deadline that did not leave room for a thoughtful, reasoned debate about what was "best for the city."
The company undermined the democratic process by demanding a decision on such short notice. The councilors, both for and against, were compelled to vote without being able to properly discuss the issue with each other, city staff, and most importantly their constituents, the people of Saint John.
At the mayors’ debate organized by the Telegraph-Journal, Michelle Hooton accused Norm MacFarlane of threatening her in a meeting with Irving officials. The true threat came from Irving Oil, not MacFarlane. It was the party that demanded the concession, without which it would drop the LNG project altogether. It gave the tight deadline that didn’t permit a considered and comprehensive debate.
It’s time to stop placing all of the blame on a small-city mayor who would have felt tremendous pressure in the face of a billionaire accustomed to tough negotiating practices. It’s time for the company to accept its share of the blame.
Is that what Goodwin was trying to do, perhaps unwittingly, by acknowledging the “difficult situation” of a few years back, when elected officials were asked to accept this mammoth tax break, or lose the LNG facility altogether and the jobs that would have come with it?
Or is this just wishful on my part? That Irving would take some responsibility for a decision that divides the community to this day.
- Mark
P.S. Listen to podcasts of 'Serf City' at: serfcitysj.mypodcast.com
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
The tax deal that Irving Oil brokered with the city and the province in 2005 is still a very controversial topic here.
It’s been a central debate in the municipal election campaign, with Norm MacFarlane still very much behind his original decision, and Michelle Hooton and Ivan Court still very much against it.
It’s an old debate now, and people’s attitudes and opinions are entrenched, for and against. It’s actually gotten a bit tiresome, because we’re rehashing the same arguments with seemingly no chance of a resolution or peace on the issue.
The politicians also only ever seem to point fingers at each other. But it takes two to tango, or cook up a tax deal in a back room.
And the Irvings, with extensive experience dealing with governments at all levels, must have known there was something wrong with negotiating with a mayor in private and then imposing a deadline that didn’t allow for proper debate.
This week, someone at Irving Oil expressed regret for dealing with the city in this way.
Well, he might have expressed regret…or I may just be reading into a statement by Irving Oil spokesman Daniel Goodwin.
On Tuesday, the Telegraph-Journal published a commentary he wrote in defence of the tax deal. Near the beginning piece, one line in particular jumped out at me. About the decision-making process of 2005, Goodwin wrote, “everyone involved, including the Mayor, city councillors, and city management did the best they could in a difficult situation, and everyone on city council voted according to their beliefs about what was best for the City of Saint John.”
The “difficult situation” that Goodwin refers to was actually brought on by Irving Oil, which gave the city a tight deadline that did not leave room for a thoughtful, reasoned debate about what was "best for the city."
The company undermined the democratic process by demanding a decision on such short notice. The councilors, both for and against, were compelled to vote without being able to properly discuss the issue with each other, city staff, and most importantly their constituents, the people of Saint John.
At the mayors’ debate organized by the Telegraph-Journal, Michelle Hooton accused Norm MacFarlane of threatening her in a meeting with Irving officials. The true threat came from Irving Oil, not MacFarlane. It was the party that demanded the concession, without which it would drop the LNG project altogether. It gave the tight deadline that didn’t permit a considered and comprehensive debate.
It’s time to stop placing all of the blame on a small-city mayor who would have felt tremendous pressure in the face of a billionaire accustomed to tough negotiating practices. It’s time for the company to accept its share of the blame.
Is that what Goodwin was trying to do, perhaps unwittingly, by acknowledging the “difficult situation” of a few years back, when elected officials were asked to accept this mammoth tax break, or lose the LNG facility altogether and the jobs that would have come with it?
Or is this just wishful on my part? That Irving would take some responsibility for a decision that divides the community to this day.
- Mark
P.S. Listen to podcasts of 'Serf City' at: serfcitysj.mypodcast.com
Thursday, May 8, 2008
'Serf City' now podcasting!
The folks at 'Serf City' are belatedly entering the 21st century after realizing that some people have many, many things to do at 6 pm on Thursdays, and often can't listen to the live edition of our humble broadcast. Past editions and interviews to come...
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
Sex and the ancient Greek city
- Brenda Murphy, of the Urban Core Support Network, talks about the Statistics Canada report that showed a 4 per cent drop in Saint John's poverty rate.
- UNBSJ professor Rob Moir joins us for a discussion on how corn crops are hurting, not helping, efforts to feed the world's poor.
- Telegraph-Journal columnist Chilibeck and CHSJ news director Gary MacDonald give us a progress report on the mayor's race in Saint John.
- Saint John poet and director Clyde Wray is staging 'Lysistrata' at the Saint Arts centre. He'll speak with just an hour before the first performance.
The folks at 'Serf City' are also belatedly entering the 21st century after realizing that some people have many, many things to do at 6 pm on Thursdays, and often can't listen to the live edition of our humble broadcast. Past editions and interviews to come...
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
- UNBSJ professor Rob Moir joins us for a discussion on how corn crops are hurting, not helping, efforts to feed the world's poor.
- Telegraph-Journal columnist Chilibeck and CHSJ news director Gary MacDonald give us a progress report on the mayor's race in Saint John.
- Saint John poet and director Clyde Wray is staging 'Lysistrata' at the Saint Arts centre. He'll speak with just an hour before the first performance.
The folks at 'Serf City' are also belatedly entering the 21st century after realizing that some people have many, many things to do at 6 pm on Thursdays, and often can't listen to the live edition of our humble broadcast. Past editions and interviews to come...
http://serfcitysj.mypodcast.com/
Friday, May 2, 2008
The Good Hands People
I read the following commentary to begin last night's show:
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to Serf City on CFMH on 107.3 FM.
I went on the campaign trail last Saturday with mayor candidate Michelle Hooton; we handed out signs and pamphlets and she talked with the few residents who weren’t out somewhere enjoying the sun.
Walking down an uptown street, we ran into a young man out strolling with his baby. He and Michelle engaged in small talk, and at the end of the conversation she asked him for his support. He said he would be happy to, but he was actually moving out of the city in June.
The election is in May, though, she pointed out. Vote for me and leave the city in good hands.
I was impressed by her quick wit. Leave the city in good hands. I never come up with good lines like that on the spot.
Clever lines aside, though, out-migration – either to the suburbs or elsewhere in the country – is the city’s biggest problem. It’s shrinking the tax base and sucking the vitality out of the city centre, in particular.
Hooton and other mayor and council candidates believe tax cuts will help bring people back from the suburbs, because they pay so much less in the outlying areas.
I think it’s a combination of factors that are difficult to tackle, most notably the industrial pollution and the fog. And given all the hype over the energy hub, it may be easier to chase the fog away than slow the pace of industrial growth and with it environmental degradation.
But try we must to change the things we can, thus the heated debate over tax cuts.
There is also discussion over how to revitalize the urban core, which has been emptied by suburban migration and the malls on the east side.
Two weeks ago, we talked to Hooton about a recently released plan to revitalize the culture and economy of the city centre.
Tonight we’ll talk with two young people who have some ideas of their own.
We’ll also talk about blog coverage of the city council campaign. Personal blogs and facebook pages are reaching people not paying attention to mainstream coverage of the campaign.
We'll also some young people from the Interaction Children’s Theatre Company, which is staging The Wizard of Oz next week.
But first up, we’re talking civic politics. You’re listening to Serf City on CFMH 107.3 FM.
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to Serf City on CFMH on 107.3 FM.
I went on the campaign trail last Saturday with mayor candidate Michelle Hooton; we handed out signs and pamphlets and she talked with the few residents who weren’t out somewhere enjoying the sun.
Walking down an uptown street, we ran into a young man out strolling with his baby. He and Michelle engaged in small talk, and at the end of the conversation she asked him for his support. He said he would be happy to, but he was actually moving out of the city in June.
The election is in May, though, she pointed out. Vote for me and leave the city in good hands.
I was impressed by her quick wit. Leave the city in good hands. I never come up with good lines like that on the spot.
Clever lines aside, though, out-migration – either to the suburbs or elsewhere in the country – is the city’s biggest problem. It’s shrinking the tax base and sucking the vitality out of the city centre, in particular.
Hooton and other mayor and council candidates believe tax cuts will help bring people back from the suburbs, because they pay so much less in the outlying areas.
I think it’s a combination of factors that are difficult to tackle, most notably the industrial pollution and the fog. And given all the hype over the energy hub, it may be easier to chase the fog away than slow the pace of industrial growth and with it environmental degradation.
But try we must to change the things we can, thus the heated debate over tax cuts.
There is also discussion over how to revitalize the urban core, which has been emptied by suburban migration and the malls on the east side.
Two weeks ago, we talked to Hooton about a recently released plan to revitalize the culture and economy of the city centre.
Tonight we’ll talk with two young people who have some ideas of their own.
We’ll also talk about blog coverage of the city council campaign. Personal blogs and facebook pages are reaching people not paying attention to mainstream coverage of the campaign.
We'll also some young people from the Interaction Children’s Theatre Company, which is staging The Wizard of Oz next week.
But first up, we’re talking civic politics. You’re listening to Serf City on CFMH 107.3 FM.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The green, green grass of home
Here is a copy of the commentary I read to kick off tonight's show:
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
Montreal Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden was a hero of mine when I was a kid. One day, I read a story about how he made money on his own for the first time. He told his dad that he’d rid the lawn of dandelions, plucking them one by one out of the grass. His dad said yes, and agreed to pay one or two cents for every one he picked.
I can’t remember the amount exactly, but I do remember that he picked enough to buy a set of encyclopedias and a globe. The story was meant to inspire kids about the value of hard work and spending your money wisely.
I made the same proposal to my dad, but he turned me down flat, saying the dandelions would be dead in a few weeks anyway. He was right, especially with us kids tromping all over them playing baseball in the back yard.
Some years later, dad would start paying to have them removed by lawn companies that sprayed herbicides and pesticides.
He’s since grown wary of the health risks and now uses more environmentally friendly ways of attacking bugs and weeds.
But that’s not true of everyone, including the church across the street from my parent’s house. My nephew and I played hockey in the churchyard one day last fall, much like I did when I was a kid.
At that age, though, I don’t remember having to stay off the grass to avoid chemical residue.
These days, there are signs posted on many lawns, warning people to keep kids and pets off grass that has just been sprayed. Playing hockey that day with my nephew, we had to be so careful not to shoot the ball onto the lawn. But of course it happened many times by accident. The poor little guy was terrified of touching the grass and getting it in his mouth, and so was I.
So why do we still spray lawns with potentially dangerous chemicals just to keep our lawns bug and weed free?
On Earth Day, Ontario announced a ban on the practice. Will New Brunswick follow Ontario’s lead? On tonight’s show, we’ll talk with two people about this subject. They have both tried to have chemical spraying banned here.
We’ll also talk to Cory Richardson about his recent trip to Uganda, where he taught people how to make hammocks, for their own use and to sell them to buy essentials like food and clothing.
But first up, we’re talking with artist Glenn Hall about his upcoming show of new work, 'Paintings off the Grid'.
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
Montreal Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden was a hero of mine when I was a kid. One day, I read a story about how he made money on his own for the first time. He told his dad that he’d rid the lawn of dandelions, plucking them one by one out of the grass. His dad said yes, and agreed to pay one or two cents for every one he picked.
I can’t remember the amount exactly, but I do remember that he picked enough to buy a set of encyclopedias and a globe. The story was meant to inspire kids about the value of hard work and spending your money wisely.
I made the same proposal to my dad, but he turned me down flat, saying the dandelions would be dead in a few weeks anyway. He was right, especially with us kids tromping all over them playing baseball in the back yard.
Some years later, dad would start paying to have them removed by lawn companies that sprayed herbicides and pesticides.
He’s since grown wary of the health risks and now uses more environmentally friendly ways of attacking bugs and weeds.
But that’s not true of everyone, including the church across the street from my parent’s house. My nephew and I played hockey in the churchyard one day last fall, much like I did when I was a kid.
At that age, though, I don’t remember having to stay off the grass to avoid chemical residue.
These days, there are signs posted on many lawns, warning people to keep kids and pets off grass that has just been sprayed. Playing hockey that day with my nephew, we had to be so careful not to shoot the ball onto the lawn. But of course it happened many times by accident. The poor little guy was terrified of touching the grass and getting it in his mouth, and so was I.
So why do we still spray lawns with potentially dangerous chemicals just to keep our lawns bug and weed free?
On Earth Day, Ontario announced a ban on the practice. Will New Brunswick follow Ontario’s lead? On tonight’s show, we’ll talk with two people about this subject. They have both tried to have chemical spraying banned here.
We’ll also talk to Cory Richardson about his recent trip to Uganda, where he taught people how to make hammocks, for their own use and to sell them to buy essentials like food and clothing.
But first up, we’re talking with artist Glenn Hall about his upcoming show of new work, 'Paintings off the Grid'.
Tonight on 'Serf City'
Off The Grid With Glenn Hall: A conversation with the artist about his new series of paintings. Plus: a conversation with Cory Richardson about his recent trip to Uganda, and a discussion about whether the province should follow Ontario's lead and ban cosmetic pesticide use. Tune in to 'Serf City' at 6 pm tonight on CFMH 107.3 FM. You can also listen online at: shoutcast.com
Thursday, April 17, 2008
A wealth of reports on wealth creation
This is a copy of the commentary I read to open tonight's show:
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
I became interested in Joel Plaskett and municipal development issues around the same time.
I imagine you wondering to yourself, “What is the connection between an ECMA award-winning musician and tedious civic discussions about fixing potholes and sewage systems?”
Well, let me explain.
It was 2003 and I was the editor and co-owner of here. It was the early days of the public angst about the brain drain, and city leaders were holding meetings and conferences and press briefings about how to keep our young people from leaving for the big cities in Canada and the U.S.
At here, we saw ourselves as the voice for that lost generation – lost, that is, by the city to more prosperous and interesting places. City leaders were anxious about the situation, and there was plenty of hand wringing at heretoo. We published ad nauseam stories and editorials about the problem and possible solutions.
Joel Plaskett was an inspiration in that context, because he was so committed to staying in Halifax rather than pursuing a music career in a bigger city. I remember seeing him in 2003 for the first time, before a packed house at the old Il Fornello restaurant on Canterbury Street. He struck a chord in me when he played, “Work Out Fine,” which contained a verse about his friends moving away to Montreal and Toronto.
All my friends, where did they go?
To Montreal, Toronto
All my friends, they split too soon
They split town with the fork and the spoon
They all split town and they left me
Sitting with a bottle of wine
Gonna pop the cork
Say my goodbyes
And everything'll work out fine
Halifax is a bigger urban centre than Saint John, but it still suffers from the same small-town anxieties.
Not much has changed since then. We seem to be marking progress more by issuing reports than by making concrete changes to the city that would make it a better place for young people to live and work.
In the early part of the decade, the Growth Strategy and waterfront inner-harbour land use plan were the blueprints for economic growth and regeneration of the city core.
These days, it’s the Benefits Blueprint, which we talked about on last week’s show, and Uptown Saint John’s new wealth creation strategy, which we’ll talk about on today’s show.
We’ll also speak with Joel Plaskett. He’s playing two sold-out shows in Saint John this weekend.
Also on the show tonight: an interview with Saint John native R.M. Vaughan. Vaughan is a successful writer and video artist living in Toronto. He recently published “Troubled,” a collection of poems about a failed relationship he had with his psychiatrist.
- Mark
Good evening. I’m Mark Leger. Welcome to ‘Serf City’ on CFMH 107.3 FM.
I became interested in Joel Plaskett and municipal development issues around the same time.
I imagine you wondering to yourself, “What is the connection between an ECMA award-winning musician and tedious civic discussions about fixing potholes and sewage systems?”
Well, let me explain.
It was 2003 and I was the editor and co-owner of here. It was the early days of the public angst about the brain drain, and city leaders were holding meetings and conferences and press briefings about how to keep our young people from leaving for the big cities in Canada and the U.S.
At here, we saw ourselves as the voice for that lost generation – lost, that is, by the city to more prosperous and interesting places. City leaders were anxious about the situation, and there was plenty of hand wringing at heretoo. We published ad nauseam stories and editorials about the problem and possible solutions.
Joel Plaskett was an inspiration in that context, because he was so committed to staying in Halifax rather than pursuing a music career in a bigger city. I remember seeing him in 2003 for the first time, before a packed house at the old Il Fornello restaurant on Canterbury Street. He struck a chord in me when he played, “Work Out Fine,” which contained a verse about his friends moving away to Montreal and Toronto.
All my friends, where did they go?
To Montreal, Toronto
All my friends, they split too soon
They split town with the fork and the spoon
They all split town and they left me
Sitting with a bottle of wine
Gonna pop the cork
Say my goodbyes
And everything'll work out fine
Halifax is a bigger urban centre than Saint John, but it still suffers from the same small-town anxieties.
Not much has changed since then. We seem to be marking progress more by issuing reports than by making concrete changes to the city that would make it a better place for young people to live and work.
In the early part of the decade, the Growth Strategy and waterfront inner-harbour land use plan were the blueprints for economic growth and regeneration of the city core.
These days, it’s the Benefits Blueprint, which we talked about on last week’s show, and Uptown Saint John’s new wealth creation strategy, which we’ll talk about on today’s show.
We’ll also speak with Joel Plaskett. He’s playing two sold-out shows in Saint John this weekend.
Also on the show tonight: an interview with Saint John native R.M. Vaughan. Vaughan is a successful writer and video artist living in Toronto. He recently published “Troubled,” a collection of poems about a failed relationship he had with his psychiatrist.
- Mark
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Joel Plaskett and R.M. Vaughan on 'Serf City'
Thursday, April 17, on 'Serf City': feature interviews with ECMA award-winner Joel Plaskett, who is playing shows in Saint John this weekend; and Saint John native R.M. Vaughan, author of 'Troubled' - a book of poems about a failed relationship with his former therapist. Plus: a wealth creation strategy for uptown Saint John. Tune in to 'Serf City' at 6 pm Thursday night on CFMH 107.3 FM.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Resourceful companies spread the wealth
When I was living in Ghana, West Africa, last year, I visited Nigeria, a large and notorious oil-producing nation.
It’s notorious, for those of you that don’t know much about the country, for the pollution and human rights issues that plaque the Niger Delta, the region where all of the oil exploration takes place.
It’s also notoriously dangerous for foreign oil workers, who are often kidnapped for ransom or as a form of political protest. The day before we arrived, four Chevron employees were abducted there.
I stayed in capital city Lagos, and visited the city’s largest daily newspaper while I was there. In a meeting with news editors, I asked if it was safe to visit the Niger Delta. Initially they all laughed, and then said ‘yes’, of course, would you like to go there? I laughed nervously, not knowing if they were serious or not. As it turned out, I would have no such opportunity to test my courage. The Niger Delta was eight hours away and we were leaving the country the next day.
Nigeria has become a symbol for everything wrong with oil exploration. The Niger Delta is heavily polluted, and the residents are very skeptical about promises from the government and oil industry to make things better; to clean up their villages and share the wealth that would help lift them out of crushing poverty.
For other African countries that have since discovered oil themselves, Nigeria’s experience serves as a cautionary tale, a reminder that natural resources often further impoverish countries, rather than enrich them.
I went back to Ghana after my visit to Nigeria. A month later, oil was discovered offshore and the Ghanaian government and the people celebrated the find. A major community rally was held at the central square in the capital city of Accra.
They have not yet begun to extract the oil. It remains to be seen if they indeed do learn from Nigeria’s experience.
I tell this story for two reasons. One, it’s a reminder of where our oil comes from. We can become so consumed by the issues that surround the refining of oil in Saint John. It’s good to bear in mind that the negatives aspects of the oil business are much worse in the developing world.
Two, it reminds us of the importance of sharing resource wealth, at home and abroad.
On the show last night, we tackled both of these issues.
We talked about Benefits Blueprint, the industry and government initiative to ensure that all New Brunswickers, not just the oil companies, share in the wealth that will be created by projects like the proposed second oil refinery.
We also discussed the politics of oil in Africa with John Ghazvinian who published a book called Untapped: The Scramble for Africa's Oil. He spent time in Angola, where Irving Oil’s partner BP drills for oil offshore.
- Mark
It’s notorious, for those of you that don’t know much about the country, for the pollution and human rights issues that plaque the Niger Delta, the region where all of the oil exploration takes place.
It’s also notoriously dangerous for foreign oil workers, who are often kidnapped for ransom or as a form of political protest. The day before we arrived, four Chevron employees were abducted there.
I stayed in capital city Lagos, and visited the city’s largest daily newspaper while I was there. In a meeting with news editors, I asked if it was safe to visit the Niger Delta. Initially they all laughed, and then said ‘yes’, of course, would you like to go there? I laughed nervously, not knowing if they were serious or not. As it turned out, I would have no such opportunity to test my courage. The Niger Delta was eight hours away and we were leaving the country the next day.
Nigeria has become a symbol for everything wrong with oil exploration. The Niger Delta is heavily polluted, and the residents are very skeptical about promises from the government and oil industry to make things better; to clean up their villages and share the wealth that would help lift them out of crushing poverty.
For other African countries that have since discovered oil themselves, Nigeria’s experience serves as a cautionary tale, a reminder that natural resources often further impoverish countries, rather than enrich them.
I went back to Ghana after my visit to Nigeria. A month later, oil was discovered offshore and the Ghanaian government and the people celebrated the find. A major community rally was held at the central square in the capital city of Accra.
They have not yet begun to extract the oil. It remains to be seen if they indeed do learn from Nigeria’s experience.
I tell this story for two reasons. One, it’s a reminder of where our oil comes from. We can become so consumed by the issues that surround the refining of oil in Saint John. It’s good to bear in mind that the negatives aspects of the oil business are much worse in the developing world.
Two, it reminds us of the importance of sharing resource wealth, at home and abroad.
On the show last night, we tackled both of these issues.
We talked about Benefits Blueprint, the industry and government initiative to ensure that all New Brunswickers, not just the oil companies, share in the wealth that will be created by projects like the proposed second oil refinery.
We also discussed the politics of oil in Africa with John Ghazvinian who published a book called Untapped: The Scramble for Africa's Oil. He spent time in Angola, where Irving Oil’s partner BP drills for oil offshore.
- Mark
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Benefits Blueprint for Saint John...and Africa
This Thursday on 'Serf City': a benefits blueprint for Saint John and Africa. Feature interviews with Bob Manning, chair of Benefits Blueprint; Kurt Peacock, UNBSJ Crabtree Scholar; and John Ghazvinian, author of "Untapped: The Scramble for Africa's Oil". Plus: Gordie Tufts talks about Backstreet Records' climb to the top of the charts of independent record stores. That’s ‘Serf City’ Thursday, April 10, at 6 pm on CFMH 107.3 FM.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The publisher, the curator and the activists
This Thursday on 'Serf City': feature interviews with Ken Langdon, the publisher of the Carleton Free Press, which has filed an unfair competition complaint against Irving-owned Brunswick News; Peter Buckland, who is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his art gallery in uptown Saint John; and community activists from the Crescent Valley neighbourhood group in the north end. That’s ‘Serf City’ Thursday, April 3, at 6 pm on CFMH 107.3 FM.
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