Quote of the week:

"Does it have an element of cheekiness to it? Yes." -Federal NDP leader Jack Layton, commenting on the party's new Web site (www.flyourflag.ca) that takes aim at Paul Martin's business background, in Monday's Globe and Mail.

Calls for
colour-blind law

The law is an ass, they say, but it pays to know it. Problem is, to know the law often costs a lot, either in terms of money, time or pain. That's why Black Youth in Action (BYIA), a local community organization, is setting up a free legal clinic to help serve the needs of Montreal's black population.

"We came up with the idea after we identified a need for information on legal rights, and what people's rights were," says BYIA co-chairman Peter Flegel. "We're doing this because of the tremendous need for it, especially in cases like racial profiling by police. We're finding that many people don't know what the police are allowed to do and what they're not allowed to do."

Flegel, however, says that the legal clinic will involve more than just the criminal law aspect. Also addressed will be immigration and refugee law, human rights, constitutional and business law. It will also operate in four languages, English, French, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

The clinic receives, at least for now, no government funding. Administered by BYIA and using the volunteer services of several black lawyers, it will, Flegel hopes, be "a completely self-sustaining process. We want to be able to offer this service for a while."

The clinic will open for business on Monday, Oct. 20. To contact it, call BYIA's Blackline at 488-9147. » Patrick Lejtenyi

Lush lawns vs.
healthy breasts

Deena Dlusy-Apel's breast cancer's been gone for 14 years, but that isn't making her any less vigilant. The 62-year-old Concordia art education prof is still active in the fight against breast cancer, but she wants people to know that they can avoid ever having it all, a point she'll be bringing up this Sunday, Oct. 19, in the second annual Prevention Is the Cure March, organized by Breast Cancer Action Montreal (BCAM).

The main message she wants to get through is how women can prevent breast cancer rather than supporting, managing and treating those who already have it. She says that much more resources are needed in order to minimize the risks of acquiring the disease, and that starts with educating people about where the culprits can be found-specifically, in pesticides.

"When they found my tumour, it was surrounded by fat, and in the fat there were all kinds of toxins and PCBs," she says. "And it comes from the food we eat and the fat we take in. So we're telling people to eat organic and eat less fat. Exercise of course is still the number one way to prevent breast cancer."

She admits that, scientifically, she can't back up her claim, but, she says, "We're acting on assumption rather than proof."

Sunday's march begins at 10 a.m. at the NDG YMCA (4335 Hampton), and will wind through neighbouring streets before returning to its starting point. She's hoping for a good turnout. For more info, visit www.bcam.qc.ca. » Patrick Lejtenyi

Fighting over
blue gold

Canadians stand to make a mint by selling our fresh water. But it would leave a pretty nasty taste in the mouths of a lot of people, from environmentalists and human rights activists to billions of people in the developing world. So starting today, Thursday, and running until Saturday, October 18, the Canadian Environmental Network (CEN) will be hosting its first International Conference on the Environment, with fresh water as the theme.

Gathering roughly 250 environmentalists from around the world to discuss the future of what's being called "blue gold," the conference will feature a series of panel discussions and international speakers, as well as a series of NFB documentaries.

"There will be talks about privatization, oil, gas and water, climate change and the potential for conflict and cooperation," says CEN project manager Rebecca Foon. "Water is a resource we all need, and certain countries have much more than others."

2003 being the International Year of Fresh Water, it's a resource that is in ever-increasing demand but limited supply. Foon says that water could become as much of a source of conflict as oil is today.

The conference, held at the Centre St-Pierre (1212 Panet), is open to the public. Cost is $5 to see individual speakers, but to register for the entire conference, contact Rebecca Foon at rebecca@gen-rec.org, or call (613) 728-9810 ext. 34. A wrap-up party is scheduled Saturday night at L'Alizé (900 Ontario E.), with Allakomi. Tix are $5. » Patrick Lejtenyi

REAR-VIEW MIRROR

12 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
October 17-October 24, 1991

On the cover: Director Jim Jarmusch, as his Night on Earth-five vignettes set in taxis around the world-comes to the Festival of New Cinema and Video. "Somehow the situation [taking a taxi] is very liberating, and as a writer it allowed me to create relationships between these people. They are not investing anything in each other so they are not worried about making a wrong move or being judged."

• Women's bookstore L'Essentielle closes. Author Mary Meigs, whose reading from her novel In the Company of Strangers was the store's last act, blames the government. "Everything they do seems to squeeze the artistic community," she says.

• The Mirror explores the cultural impact of music videos, which is mostly bad. "Think of the new pop music artists," writes Richard Bird. "Are any of them ugly? Do any not look really good in tight-fitting clothing, or none at all? What about all the incredible talented but incredibly ugly musicians out there?" Music, he concludes, is dying.

Angel >> Georgia Straight's official newspaper status Canada's oldest alternative weekly narrowly escaped a $1-million tax bill that threatened to put it out of business permanently last week. The Straight's publisher and editor, Dan MacLeod, said the tax bill was politically inspired and constituted the biggest threat in the staunchly left-wing paper's embattled 36-year history. Under B.C. law, a paper is exempt from paying sales tax if its content is at least 25 per cent editorial. But the provincial auditor ruled that its listings didn't count, and therefore it didn't qualify as a newspaper. Widespread condemnation of the move, however, helped convince the government otherwise.
Insect >> Small arms trade While the Americans and British are struggling to find Saddam's elusive weapons of mass destruction arsenal, the global small arms trade is flourishing. One person a minute dies as a result of small arms around the world, far more than from anthrax or botulism. A new campaign launched by Amnesty International, Oxfam and the International Action Network on Small Arms blames the growth of the arms trade largely on the U.S., as it buys dubious allies with weapons. The groups launched an online petition this week, aiming to collect a million signatures supporting their draft arms trade treaty, which they then hope will be adopted by the United Nations by 2006. The petition can be signed at www.controlarms.org.