THIS IS WHAT ONE-THIRD OF $745-MILLION GETS YOU: The brand spanking new de la Concorde metro station, one of three servicing Laval, was unveiled this weekend to major hoopla. The 5.2-kilometre extension cost a total of $745-million—well above initial estimates, but well within international norms. Photo by WILL LEW

Quote of the week

“Quebecers don’t feel the team represents them at all.” —Bloc MP Luc Malo, on Shane Doan, currently captain of Team Canada at the IIHF championship in Moscow. Malo and others feel that Doan, who allegedly “said disrespectful things” about French-Canadians in December 2005, should be removed as captain. Doan denies making the remarks.

Photos for freedom

Today, Thursday, May 3, is World Press Freedom Day, and journalists’ rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is launching another edition of their impressive—and financially important—photo albums, available today. This year’s album is presented in partnership with the Cannes film festival, and offers 100 photos covering 60 years of film industry glitterati. The book costs only $13, but is the principal fundraising tool for the international organization.

“We use the money to both help journalists in trouble and support the organization’s efforts at supporting journalists in conflict zones,” says RSF Canada’s Charlotte Perrin. As free-wheeling freelance journalists often don’t have things like life or travel insurance or bullet-proof vests, RSF funds help them cover costs of plying their trade in some of the world’s toughest spots.

And while no big events are scheduled in Canada this year, RSF’s Paris HQ has been hosting conferences and carrying out awareness-raising activities. They have a lot of work to do: according to the group, 21 journalists and helpers have been killed in 2007 alone, and another 132 have been imprisoned. Places like Iraq, China, Pakistan and Sri Lanka remain the most hazardous locations for working journalists.

by Patrick Lejtenyi

March for status

A series of coordinated demonstrations across Canada for the rights of immigrants and refugees are being held this weekend. In Montreal, Solidarity Across Borders, a network of organizations engaged in activism for the rights of newly arrived and non-status immigrants, will be holding a demonstration on Saturday at noon, starting at Jean-Talon and Châteaubriand outside of Jean-Talon metro and ending with a community festival at 3 p.m. in Park Ex’s Athena Park (de l’Épée and Bloomfield).

It is estimated that there are approximately 500,000 non-status immigrants in Canada who usually work under the table in the construction or service sector. “In every pizza shop, in every office building, non-status people are working without rights, while playing a critical role in the economy of Montreal,” says Solidarity Across Borders’ Mostafa Henaway.

In recent years, there have been growing calls for the government to institute a regularization program for non-status immigrants living and working in Canada.

“In recognition of the harsh reality of non-status people, we will be marching on the streets to demand equality for all in Canada,” says Henaway, “marching against a system in Canada which affords rights to certain people and not others.”

Roller derby debuts

Bring on the dancing girls! Or rather, the roller-skating ones. Montreal’s two roller derby teams, les Contrabanditas and les Filles du Roi, face off for the first time this Saturday in a venue that’s open to the public. This will be Montreal’s first roller derby bout in decades.

“This is our season kick-off,” says Alyssa Kwasny, Contrabanditas captain and president of the Montreal Roller Derby League. “It’s finally a chance for Montreal’s two teams to play against each other. We all like to talk, but we don’t actually know who will win yet. It’s time to put our egos in motion!”

In addition to flat-track frenzy, the bout features a halftime show with an all-girl skateboarding crew, a penalty wheel—“The players with the most penalties from each team have to spin the wheel and face the consequences”—and male cheerleaders, some of whom have been part of the Rocky Horror Show cast.

“It’s gonna be a ridiculous night,” Kwasny enthuses. “There’ll be skates, booze, madness. And girls! Yay!”

The game takes place on Saturday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Arena St.-Louis (5633 St-Dominique). Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. For more info, tickets, and a full season schedule, check out www.mtlrollerderby.com.

by Andrea Zanin

Party network

Given it’s as good a reason as any to throw a party, to celebrate their name change, new board of directors and new and improved direction, the community organization formerly known as La 20taine will be hosting a major wingding on Thursday, May 10 at l’Alizé, (900 Ontario E.) beginning at 5 p.m. Now flying under the handle Droit de Cité, the group is dedicated to improving life opportunities for the 18–35 set, with spokesperson Anne-Marie Angers confirming that “The new name speaks to our new mission to develop initiatives that will help young workers and artists network to improve their working and living conditions through community-based action.”

Among the highlights of Thursday’s highly anticipated bash, alongside “an eclectic array of performances and happenings,” will be the unleashing of several new art projects from the group’s in-house artist collective, including one “surprise” video presentation that Angers promises “is a new kind of art.”

And just in case that isn’t motivation enough to attend, a free drink is being offered to the first 50 partygoers—a pretty sweet deal given admission to the event is free.


by Chris Barry

Rear-view mirror

14 years ago-April 2–may 6, 1993

On the cover: A face with padlocks over his eyes, symbolizing censorship. Three articles look at the state of free speech in Canada (“Censorship,” reads the introduction to all three, “is the Canadian way…. The Kremlin,” it continues hyperbolically, “has nothing on the CRTC”): one looks at feminists versus pornography, another at Nazi sympathizer Douglas Christie and a third at Pierre Falardeau’s film Octobre.

• Rhinolift’s lyrics speak of “hatred, disgust, filth and violence,” says guitarist Dave Curran, but are vague enough to be interpreted in any number of ways.

• Steve Kokker examines the new wave of exploitation flicks like Roger Corman’s Hard to Die, Greg Hippolyte’s Animal Instincts and Jan Marlyn’s California Hot Wax. “I truly don’t see Animal Instincts as exploitative of women,” says Hippolyte. “All I try to do is make some interesting comments on human sexuality.”

• Letter-writer and raver “Sean L” is “truly disgusted” by “the unprofessionalism shown in clearly associating certain people’s names with drugs” in an April 15 Mirror story on Rave culture.

Angel >> Brand new bike paths The City of Montreal announced this week that it will be building a new four-kilometre, $3.5-million bike path on de Maisonneuve, from Berri to Greene, this summer. The news was greeted generally positively (although there has been some grumbling that Sherbrooke would have been better, as it’s wider and bikers wouldn’t have to climb the slope above lower downtown), and it’s a welcome step to make the city generally better for alternative, and safer, transportation: An estimated 12,000 cyclists were injured in Montreal last year, and some 50 people died. New bike-parking spots will be added as well.

Insect >> Tory Environment Minister John Baird Loyal, scrappy and partisan, John Baird lived up to his reputation this week by dismissing criticism to his ineffectual green plan as “knee-jerk.” Both Al Gore and David Suzuki called the plan, which promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent below current levels by 2020, a big disappointment, as it effectively surrenders Canada’s adherence to the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for reductions of six per cent below 1990 levels (current emission levels are about 30 per cent above those). Baird blamed the previous Liberal administration (with justification) for doing nothing, but doesn’t hide the fact that the Conservative green policy is still focused on intensity reduction.