|
PAPARAZZI TURN OUT FOR MASTER CHIEF: The iconic hero of Microsoft’s Halo 3 made a publicity appearance at the game’s official launch party on Monday night at a Vidéotron store on Mont-Royal E. The hugely anticipated game, available only on Xbox 360, may challenge Spider-Man 3’s $151-million take for the biggest entertainment launch ever PHOTO BY RACHEL GRANOFSKY
Quote of the week
“I want to put aside the project of the referendum because I think we have to talk about the country … [and] the life of the citizens.” —Newly elected PQ leader Pauline Marois, dismissing plans to hold another referendum on sovereignty if the party returns to power, on Monday.
Candles for
native women
Despite being raised by his single Mohawk mother, Irkar Beljaars says he was “as ignorant as everybody else” regarding the dire situation faced by native women, until he started his career in radio. Now a producer at CKUT’s Tuesday night Native Solidarity News, he says he was so shocked by the hardships they face that he was prompted to start a vigil on his own. Next Thursday, Oct. 4, the Sisters in Spirit vigil will makes its Montreal debut, at 7:25 p.m. at Dominion Square.
While the missing women of Vancouver are the county’s best example of native women falling between the cracks, Beljaars says the situation is as bad in the rest of the country. And women are especially at risk because, he says, there is a distinct lack of resources available. “Native women are spending more time in prison, they’re more likely to be considered alcoholics or drug addicts or homeless,” he says. “They’re really at the bottom of the ladder.”
Although there will be a larger event in Ottawa the same day, organized by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Beljaars says he is expecting some of those participants to make it down to Montreal in time for the candle-lit vigil.
by Patrick Lejtenyi
Amnesty ping-pong
As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games shambles ever closer to its Aug. 8 kick-off, more and more attention is being paid to host China’s lamentable human rights record. Amnesty International is among the leading voices critical of the Communist regime, and this Saturday, Sept. 29, hopes to make its point heard via a lively game of outdoor ping-pong at Phillips Square.
“We have four major concerns,” says Amnesty’s local spokesperson, Anne Ste-Marie. “First is detention without trial; then the death penalty; then how the country treats its defenders of human rights; and the freedom of the press.” Amnesty says the country has made no progress in any of these areas since it was awarded the games in 2001 and charges that China executes an estimated 10,000 people a year.
When asked why ping-pong, which is massively popular in China and at which the Chinese excel at international games, Ste-Marie does playfully acknowledge the sport’s relevance to the country in question, but also because it’s easy to organize. “It’s easier than a bike tour around the island, and besides, we didn’t want any doping scandals.”
The balls drop at noon. All are welcome to watch or play. For more info, see www.amnisite.ca.
by Patrick Lejtenyi
More
Brian foes
Despite the fact that it’s been over a decade since he’s been in a position of real political power, people seem to hate Brian Mulroney as much as ever. Although it seems likely that his 1,100-page autobiography and his irritating TV-pseudo-celeb boy are helping to fan the fires of hatred, apparently people are just plain bitter about the lasting effects of policies he made during his time in office.
Social housing activist group Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) will make an appearance at the Windsor Hotel ballroom (1170 Peel) on Thursday, Oct. 4, when the Fraser Institute, Quebecor and the Montreal Chamber of Commerce will honour the former Canadian Prime Minister for helping create the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in 1987. FRAPRU, along with Mouvement Autonome et Solidaire des Sans-Emploi (MASSE) and Project Genesis plan on awarding Brian with their own “special prize,” a top-secret symbolic gesture to acknowledge the effects of his policies on social housing.
“Mulroney killed social housing in Canada when he announced the federal government’s withdrawal” from funding programs, says FRAPRU coordinator François Saillant. “This symbolic gesture will let him know how the people feel.”
For more info, visit www.frapru.qc.ca.
by Steve Zylbergold
Sweat, step
against cancer
If you’ve lived long enough, chances are there’s somebody you care about who’s wrestled with cancer. And if not, then rest assured, it’s only a matter of time until the disease enters your happy world. Good times, man.
For 24 hours this weekend, commencing at noon on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Percival Molson Stadium (475 Pine W.), approximately 150 inspired young adults will be raising funds for cancer research as part of Step Up for the Cure, a stair-climbing extravaganza which, according to event founder Dan Fischer, “symbolically represents, in a way, the struggle of a cancer patient. The goal is to climb one stair for each of the estimated 11 million people who will be diagnosed with the disease worldwide in 2007, but with only 150 climbers, it’s going to be extremely difficult to reach that number.”
Hence Fischer is calling on all Montrealers to come out for the occasion and do their bit to help find a cure. “There’ll be entertainment all weekend too,” promises Fischer. “Justin Trudeau will be hosting the opening ceremonies, and Chris Velan will be providing the music.”
For more information, go to www.stepupforthecure.com.
by Chris Barry
Rear-view mirror
10 YEARS AGO-SEPT. 23–OCT. 2, 1997
On the cover: A member of the first-ever Chorale de l’Accueil Bonneau, a choir of 20 homeless men, playing the Montreal Busker Festival at Concordia. “This is my first steady job ever,” says singer Nicholas Allaire.
• The Mirror is re-designed. Changes include the introduction of “Angel and  Insect,” Sasha’s move from sex reporter to sex-advice columnist, the guest-authored ThinkTank and new music/trend column Upside/Downside.
• The Mirror’s French sister publication, Ici, is launched.
• Angel of the Week: The Farha Foundation, for its fifth annual walk. Insect: Bill Clinton, for not banning landmines.
• In ThinkTank, Paget Williams compiles tributes for former GrimSkunk and Groovy Aardvark manager and Indica Records founder Simon Galipeault who was killed in a skateboarding accident.
• U/D’s Highs: Bran Van 3000 Lows: Puff Daddy.
• “There’s nothing more pathetic than a man who’s begging to poke you in the bum,” writes Sasha, in response to “Mike’s” question about trying to initiate anal sex with his girlfriend. She suggests renting “backdoor pornos.”
 Angel >> The HPV vaccine In a move being praised by the Canadian Pediatric Society, the government of Quebec announced this week that it will be funding a voluntary HPV vaccination program for girls and women starting next fall. The vaccine, against human papillomavirus, has proved highly effective against the spread of cervical cancer. In the U.S., the vaccination program met with some controversy from dopey religious fundamentalists, as HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, and vaccinating girls as young as nine was considered a tacit approval of pre-marital sex. Thankfully, more intelligent policies are pursued in Canada: Ontario, Nova Scotia and PEI have already stated they will launch similar programs.
Insect >> Ville-Marie going clean crazy Following a rather (relatively speaking) explosive couple of weeks in the downtown Ville-Marie borough, with the defections of borough mayor Benoit Labonté and councilor Karim Boulos from Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay’s party, came budget day. The borough ratified its 2008 $79-million budget on Monday, with a provision to double the fines levied against scofflaws who break the borough’s already stringent cleanliness laws. According to La Presse, the borough hopes to bring in some $365,000 next year in fines, up from 2007’s $140,000. This, without additional funding for municipal cleaning crews. Keeping downtown clean is a nice thing, but does it have to be so expensive? |
