Angel >> Montreal bodybuilder James Lavigne, gold medalist at the Gay Games Once a prize-winning bodybuilder, Lavigne slipped into cocaine addiction and gained 100 pounds. Only 18 months ago, he vowed to clean up his act and compete again. Not only did he compete, he won gold in the men's welterweight division at the Gay Games in Amsterdam last week. In the process, he became the first person from outside the United States to win bodybuilding gold in the 20-year history of the Gay Games. And he almost came home with a second medal: he and his partner Joseph Le Blanc finished fourth in the pairs competition. Canada finished the games with four gold medals, 10 silver and 10 bronze. Congratulations to all the medal winners, and kudos to all our athletes.

Insect >> Garbage and the landfills in which it lies How many times are ecologically minded citizens going to have to repeat the mantra "reduce, reuse, recycle" before governments finally understand? With garbage and landfill problems plaguing Montreal and its surrounding communities, the PQ government went 18 months without any policy on new landfills. Last week, they finally made the new policy public. In a nutshell: landfill projects do not require public consultation; there are no provisions regarding the three Rs; and according to the Montreal-based eco-group Action RE-buts, it even encourages landfill owners to bribe residents by earmarking some land for baseball fields or hockey arenas.