Blackfly Blog

Dearest readers

2007-11-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

I thought I should write something up explaining what's going on with Blackfly.

Basically, we're a group of volunteers who run this magazine. And, as volunteers, we've been stretched in many ways. We've had a hard time finding funding and finding time for the magazine.

Support and content have been no issue at all. Thank-you everyone who has written asking what's up and what they can do to help.

Right now, we're creating a pdf version of the magazine we were going to put out in the fall. It will be smaller than usual, but still the same type of content.

Our goal is to be back in print soon. And in the meantime we're trying to strengthen the core of the organization by incorporating, inviting new members in, creating a board and all of that fun business stuff.

If you have a subscription and you're worried you won't see another magazine, please feel free to e-mail me with your concerns at jenn@blackflymagazine.com.

Please bear with us. We all hope to be back running again as soon as we can.

Thanks,

Jenn Watt

Ontario's farmers' markets get a boost

2007-07-02T16:50:00.000-04:00

An interesting and hopeful trend seems to be arriving in the province:

Farmers' markets are booming across Ontario thanks to environmentally
conscious shoppers, but the province needs to help put local produce on
grocery
store shelves if the farm sector is to survive, advocates say.
...
The number of farmers' markets in the province has risen to 135 from 60 in
the past 15 years, with annual sales of almost $700-million, Mr. Chorney
noted.
The net sales for all Ontario farms were almost $9-billion,
according
to the 2005 census. Globe and Mail

Blackfly's article in the last issue by Nathan Swinn outlines more of the argument behind going to the farmers' market. You can also find a farmers' market near you by following the link above.

Ontario ombudsman to investigate police unit

2007-06-08T00:58:00.000-04:00

What do we do with the police investigators need investigating?

Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin is launching an investigation into allegations the police Special Investigations Unit isn't doing its job properly.

Marin says there has been a "troubling" increase in the number of complaints about the SIU, the civilian agency which investigates police actions in cases involving death or serious injury. CTV

Dudley George inquiry finally complete

2007-06-02T00:21:00.000-04:00

And, surprise, everything that activists were saying about the guilt of the Ontario Provincial Police was true. (Picture of Sam George, Dudley's brother).

Sam George led a tireless campaign that eventually resulted in a public inquiry into the death of his brother, who was shot by an Ontario Provincial Police sniper in September 1995 as police moved in on about 30 unarmed First Nations protesters occupying the park. CBC

The Globe and Mail has a very good interactive, narrated chronology of the case here.

For those not familiar with Ipperwash:

The shooting, on Sept. 6, 1995, came just two days after members of the Kettle and Stony Point First Nation occupied the park to reclaim a sacred burial ground. That night, the OPP, acting on false reports the protesters had guns and had attacked a civilian's car, abandoned its usual strategy of negotiation and sent in a riot squad to confront them.

When a protester, Cecil Bernard George, stepped forward to mediate, police beat him and dragged him away, prompting others to drive a school bus and a car at the police, who responded with gunfire.

Within seconds, Dudley George, 38, was shot dead by a police sniper. The Globe and Mail

Attention Writers/Photographers/Illustrators/Activists!

2007-05-30T01:33:00.000-04:00

Blackfly Magazine ( www.blackflymagazine.com) is looking for contributors for its fall 2007 issue.

As usual, we're looking for individuals who are willing to donate their time, talents, and energy to keep making this little magazine great.

If you don't know already, Blackfly's mission is to cover Ontario current events and political issues from a progressive perspective. That means we cover the news that mainstream media doesn't -- issues affecting marginalized communities (including, but not limited to, First Nations, women, people of colour, people with disabilities), as well as issues related to poverty, the environment, labour ( minimum wage/injuries at work/harassment in the workplace)social services (especially in small towns/rural/Northern Ontario), the impacts of government policy . . . the list goes on. We're also always looking for coverage of arts and indy projects.

So . . . if you have an idea, send us a pitch!

For our fall issue, pitches are due Friday, June 15.
Final articles are due Friday, July 13.

We accept pitches for articles ranging in length from 500 to 3000 words.
We do NOT reprint previously published articles. We are NOT looking for opinion pieces.
We ARE looking for news, feature articles, and interviews.

In your pitch please include information about:
- how you will structure your article
- how long your article will be
- how you will research your article (who you will contact, who you will interview)
- yourself and your writing experience.

We are also interested in other media for our website such as audio files, extra images, and extended interviews. When you pitch, please indicate if any of these things will be included.

If you're interested in contributing but writing isn't your thing, we're also looking for volunteers to review books, shoot photographs, and draw/paint illustrations. If this is you, we'd love to hear from you.

Unfortunately, Blackfly does not (yet!) have the means to financially compensate its contributors (or its staff) but, as a (small) token of appreciation for your work, we will send you a year's free subscription.

For more information about Blackfly, please visit our website: http://www.blackflymagazine.com

(Blackfly is also always accepting pitches for articles and audio/video files to appear on the "Web Exclusive" section of our website, especially regarding issues that are too time-sensitve to appear in a quarterly publication.)

Send any inquiries to the editor, Jenn Watt, at editor@blackflymagazine.com

Code of Silence Award

2007-05-21T01:00:00.000-04:00

The Canadian Association of Journalists released the finalist list for the Code of Silence Award on May 15. The finalists are those government departments best at keeping information secret.

The finalists are:

1. The Department of Foreign Affairs for denying the existence of documents related to the treatment of Afghan detainees that were requested under federal Access to Information legislation. Even after complaints to the federal Information Commissioner, the department would only release a heavily excised version of a report to the Globe and Mail in which every reference to torture and abuse in Afghan prisons was blacked out. The federal Information Commissioner gave the Department of Foreign Affairs an "F" grade in his most recent annual report for failing to reply to 60 per cent of its access to information requests within the statutory deadlines, more than any other department audited last year.

2. The Immigration and Refugee Board for employing lengthy delays, misinformation, deceit and excessive fees to block Access to Information requests by journalist Roxana Olivera. In one case, the department claimed not to have any documents related to the granting of refugee status to Americans in Canada. Following a complaint to the Information Commissioner, the department confirmed it had conferred status upon four American citizens. The Information Commissioner also found "a serious deemed-refusal situation and lack of an up-to-date ATI support structure in the IRB's current policies, procedures, and technology."

3. The governments of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick for being the only remaining provinces in Canada that lack freedom of information legislation covering municipalities. As a result, the public in both provinces do not have the legally-backed right to know what municipalities are doing with their tax dollars.

4. Transport Canada for doggedly fighting for four years to keep basic aviation safety data out of the hands of journalists and the public. Following a formal request for the data by the Hamilton Spectator in 2001, the department dug in its heels, at one point claiming that information about commercial aircraft incidents constituted the personal information of the pilots flying the planes. Only a legal challenge before the Federal Court finally persuaded Transport Canada to release the data last year. Transport Canada was also nominated for failing to complete a Canadian Press request from February of last year for the new minister's briefing book on current issues and upcoming events.

5. The Ontario government for refusing to give the provincial ombudsman power to investigate hospitals. Ontario is the only Canadian province where hospitals aren't subject to the scrutiny of an ombudsman. Despite repeated public demands for greater transparency around one of the most costly and essential public sectors in the country's most populous province, Ontario hospitals remain outside the scope of both provincial freedom of information legislation and independent investigation.

Black Panther denied at Canadian border

2007-05-16T01:25:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, the leader of the New Black Panthers was stopped at the Canadian border on his way to speak at a rally at Queen's Park. Malik Zulu Shabazz, a defence lawyer in the USA, was supposed to speak at a protest organized by New Black Youth Taking Action. The protest was organized around the unfairness of the education system to Black youth. Of concern is the Safe Schools Act, introduced by the Tory government, lack of Black studies in school, and the construction of a super-jail in Brampton.

Shabazz was stopped at the border because he was charged with a misdemeanour offence six years ago, according to the National Post. That same article also says that Shabazz recalls being confronted with newspaper clippings by officers at Pearson Airport about his controversial stances.

Most troubling of the claims against him are that he has made anti-Semitic statements, particularly about Jews having advance warning of the World Trade Centre destruction of 9/11. The Post also stated that some organizers at the rally - which went on without Shabazz - blame the Jewish lobby groups in Canada as being too powerful.

Doing a search on the internet brings up some contradictory claims on Shabazz. Some say that he is blatantly anti-Semitic. Others say he is anti-Zionist. These two things are distinctly different and it is unclear whether either has truth.

From looking at interviews with him, it seems that he has been vocally opposed to the state of Israel and quite pro-Palestinian. What is most unclear is whether he is also anti-Jew. If he is, then the Black Youth group organizing the rally has some serious issues to deal with now.

All of this is really very unfortunate, too, because what the rally was supposed to be about are some serious issues that are going unaddressed in our school systems. How Black youth are treated and educated has come under intense scrutiny over the past year from Black leaders in the province, but not so much has been done by the politicians.

But in all likelihood this will be overlooked due to the controversial speaker stopped at the border.

Jenn

As an example of the differing views on Shabazz:
Here is a very pro-Shabazz interview done by finalcall.com
And here is a list of quotes by the Anti-Defamation League (anti-Shabazz/pro-Israel)

Globe calls train delays "injustice"

2007-04-22T02:37:00.000-04:00

I hate unsigned editorials. Unfortunately, they are a mainstay of newspapers in this country. The problem with them is this: editorials are seen to be the opinion of the newspaper. But they are written by one or a few individuals and really don't represent the body of journalists at a paper at all.

When I read an editorial in the Globe and Mail today about the Mohawks who blocked the VIA rail line in Deseronto, Ont., this point came back to me again. Here's a choice selection:

It is that time of year again when radical native protesters with one grievance or another engage in criminal acts dressed up as civil disobedience. They inflict injustice to draw attention to what they allege is an injustice done to them.

Now why can't we know who wrote this? It is a highly irresponsible way to deal with a very serious grievance of people in the province, and it taints the entire paper. This writer is equating the frustration and annoyance rail passengers experience with the very real pain and injustice of having land stolen from you by the state.

The editorial goes on:

There are always the courts. But the radicals don't want to wait; they think they know a better way.

To that, I'd say, probably no other group in Canada has so much experience dealing with courts. Perhaps this experience has shown them there are, indeed, "better ways."

So, besides this totally reactionary, offensive editorial, the news is that the blockade is down. Originally the Mohawks of Deseronto said they would keep the lines blocked for 48 hours. They made it to 30 under a great deal of pressure from government and police.

The dispute is over a quarry, which is being used by Thurlow Aggregates, trucking away gravel. The protesters say that the quarry is actually theirs and therefore the gravel cannot be taken like that. It's been simmering for a while now, with very little coverage.

They got it now.

Not afraid to sign my opinion,

Jenn Watt

Ontario set to vote on electoral system

2007-04-16T15:08:00.000-04:00

I've heard and read a lot about this citizen's assembly on electoral reform in Ontario. There are a lot of skeptics.

In issue #1 of Blackfly, we featured an article about the citizens assembly that will be recommending an electoral system for Ontario.

An independent assembly of citizens set up by the government voted overwhelmingly yesterday to have a referendum during this fall's provincial election on replacing the current winner-take-all system with a proportional representation system modelled on those used in Germany and New Zealand. The Globe and Mail

There are many who think that electoral reform would be bad for the province. Ian Urquart of the Toronto Star created this list of "consequences":

More politicians. There would be at least 22 more in the Legislature under MMP. Advocates say that would just restore the Legislature to its former size before Mike Harris cut it back by adopting the federal riding boundaries.
Bigger ridings. With just 90 constituencies, the average riding would have about 143,000 people, compared to about 125,000 today. Geographically, a northern riding like Kenora-Rainy River, which is already bigger than Italy, could grow to the size of France.
Permanent minorities. MMP is designed so that a party cannot win a majority of the seats in the Legislature without a majority of the popular vote, which no party has received in an Ontario election since 1937. The experts who advised the citizens' assembly tried to sugar-coat this point by saying that MMP would lead to "majority coalition governments," which is an oxymoron.
Seats for fringe parties. In the last provincial election, not even the Greens, with 2.8 per cent of the popular vote, exceeded the 3 per cent threshold established by the assembly. However, a forward-looking analysis of the proposed change suggests MMP would encourage votes for fringe parties so that not only the Greens, but also groupings like the Family Coalition (a pro-life party), could exceed the threshold. Toronto Star

Not everything he lists would actually be a bad thing. So-called fringe parties would no longer be the fringe -- as in, they would be able to impact decisions just like the "fringe" members of our society should.

By pulling out the pro-life party, his comments automatically scare the Left, but I don't think they should. If pro-life party can attain enough votes to get some seats, other progressive parties could do the same. The damage would really be minimal.

Further, permanent minorities are generally a good thing. When a party has majority control of the government, the Opposition is basically powerless. If parties have to work together, it means that all people's representatives are working together. Much better than being steamrolled over by the majority.

But, sadly, most predict that Ontarians won't understand the new systems proposed and we won't have any change at all.

Some links:
Fair Vote Canada
Ontario Citizens Assembly

Bus accident kills 10-year-old

2007-04-14T01:12:00.000-04:00

On Thursday, a 10-year-old boy named John Pham died on a school field trip in a bus accident near Brampton. At first, reports said he had brain injury, but later he was pronounced dead. The family had John's organs donated.

This case, of course, raises the obvious questions of seatbelts on school buses.

When I was growing up, I rode the bus to and from school every day and used to purposely choose to sit at the back because when the bus hit a bump, I would fly out of my seat.

Being older and wiser now, it seems this was a little unsafe and certainly could have had major consequences had my bus been in any sort of accident.

This is what our premier, Dalton McGuinty, told the press about calls for seatbelts:

While Premier Dalton McGuinty offered his condolences, he stressed that federal officials continue to advise "that it is safer for our children (on buses) not to have them in seatbelts." Hamilton Spectator

And Transport Canada:

Suzanne Tylko, chief of crash worthiness research for the federal agency, confirmed Transport Canada is looking into the crash, but noted this is only the sixth fatality involving school bus passengers under the age of 19 since 1995.
Tylko said school buses are currently designed with tall, padded seats that are placed fairly close together to minimize injuries in case of an accident.
Adding seatbelts to school buses wouldn't ensure compliance, she said.
"When you talk about a child, some as young as four, it becomes a very challenging responsibility to expect that young child not only to buckle in, but to buckle in correctly," Tylko said. Guelph Mercury

And this is what Transport Canada has on its website on passenger safety:

The seats are spaced and the seat backs sized to resist occupants being thrown around in an impact. A barrier is provided in front of the first row of seats. The seat backs and barrier are designed with a balance of energy absorption and strength.
A head impact area is defined together with a head impact protection standard that precludes, for example, simple overhead luggage racks. In other possible impact areas the joint strength standard reduces the possibility of sharp edges. The result is very few injuries inside school buses, even in severe crashes and those involving rollover.

It should be noted, that most reports of this crash say that the children were thrown around like "rag dolls" in the crash and John's injuries were to the head.

In my own childhood experiences, when I was riding that bus every day, one of the most coveted positions was that of the "bus monitor" who would help the children cross the road and resolve conflicts between children on the bus. Perhaps the monitor could also help the young children with their belts, should belts ever be put in place.

Send us your pictures of your favourite Ontario roadside attractions!

2007-03-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

As any dedicated Blackfly reader knows, Blackfly's back page ("Pit Stops") always features a photo and stats about an oversized, Ontario roadside attraction. In the past we've featured Gravenhurst's giant Muskoka chair, and Colborne's giant apple, but now it's your turn...

We're asking our readers to submit high resolution images of their favourite oversized roadside attractions for the chance to have them featured on Blackfly's back page.

For your photo to be considered for our next issue, to be released May 2007, please send your photo and contact information to Hannah Draper at hannah@blackflymagazine.com.

International Women's Day and who cares?

2007-03-08T16:56:00.000-05:00

The world hasn't been getting any better for women lately. At least, that's what I've noticed.

Harper cuts to the Status of Women Canada went without much media coverage (sure, there was a little).

News of rapes and murders of women air on nightly television without any mention of why women are the targets so often.

Women's groups seem non-existent in many cities -- including Blackfly Magazine's home base in Toronto -- and it seems there is no popular movement to get them running again.

Today, International Women's Day (IWD), also happens to be Blog Against Sexism Day. I suppose, with this posting I'm doing just that. But I think these "day-for-such-and-such" things are bordering on useless. That includes real and virtual realms.

Why do we have to wait around for a day to do something? Why do we congratulate ourselves when we participate in one day against or for something? Sexism isn't happening just today. Why just have today be IWD?

Now, despite this sentiment, I will be participating the IWD march on Saturday. And, I did feel compelled to blog today about this topic. But are my actions useful? Do 500 women marching in Toronto on one, pre-planned, pre-packaged day make any difference for the rest of the year?

I'll be there because I'm hoping it will lift my spirits and lead to more action. I'm hoping the huge gush of women (and like-minded men and transgendered people) will make me think more is possible out of the floundering feminist movement. Maybe others will too.

Jenn Watt
Editor

Goodbye light bulb!

2007-02-21T23:47:00.000-05:00

Ontario is considering becoming the first province in Canada to follow Australia's lead in banning old-fashioned, energy-sucking light bulbs, Environment Minister Laurel Broten said Wednesday as the province draws up a plan to cut its greenhouse gas emissions.Globe and Mail

Couple that with Al Gore's recent appearance in Toronto and we may see some change.

The environment has been front-and-centre in the media for an exceptionally long time. It is refreshing.

We're hiring!

2007-02-21T22:42:00.000-05:00

PLEASE FORWARD
Blackfly Magazine Advertising Sales Representative
Start Date: April 2007
Hours: Set your own
Positions: 1
Salary: Commission: 30% of all sales made

JOB DESCRIPTION
• Represent Blackfly Magazine to prospective advertisers and sponsors
• Arrange advertising spots in quarterly magazine and online
• Book ad insertions in multiple issues of the magazine
• Maintain relationships with advertisers

QUALIFICATIONS
• Ad sales experience
• Ability to work independently
• Experience with progressive organizations
• Demonstrate a commitment to social justice issues
• Anti-oppression training or equivalent

Deadline for applications is March 14, 2007 at 5:00 p.m.
Please send your cover letter and resume to: jenn@blackflymagazine.com
To view our ad kit please see http://www.blackflymagazine.com.

We thank everyone who applies for their interest but only applicants
selected for an interview will be contacted. Blackfly Magazine
encourages members from oppressed communities including, but not
limited aboriginal people, immigrants, members of non-dominant ethnic,
linguistic, religious and/or cultural groups, people of colour, people
with disabilities, working class people, queer people, single and
sole-support parents, transgendered and transsexual people to apply
and to identify as an employment equity candidate in their cover
letter.

COME ON!

2007-01-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

People can be truly silly. Yet again, out-of-town angry white people are rushing down to Caledonia to get mad at Six Nations people.

Provincial police officers holding the middle ground in a standoff between aboriginals occupying a former housing development and non-aboriginal protesters turned their police line toward Six Nations residents Saturday for the first time since a raid of the contested land last spring.

A tense situation in which some 150 aboriginals stood only metres away from, and jeered, a dozen Canadian-flag waving protesters in this southern Ontario community saw some two dozen police in full riot gear on standby.
Toronto Star

Even OPP chief Fantino said that the group was being counterproductive. Negotiations are happening, Aboriginal people are holding the land, calm down out-of-towners!

Ex-cabinet minister John Snobelen faces gun charges

2007-01-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

Anytime an ex-Harris cabinet ministers get into trouble with the law, an angel gets her wings.

Police are checking the history of an illegally owned handgun after former provincial cabinet minister John Snobelen was arrested yesterday and charged with illegal possession of a firearm and related offences.
Snobelen, 52, turned himself in at a Milton detachment of Halton regional police where he was charged and released on his own recognizance, police said.
Officers seized a Colt .22 calibre semi-automatic pistol and ammunition while executing a search warrant at his residence north of Milton on Tuesday.
Toronto Star

Looking for New Ontario Music to Review

2007-01-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

Blacklfy Magazine - Issue 1.2

Blackfly is looking for new Ontario musical artists to review on our website and in our next print issue.

If you would like to have your music reviewed please email us at hannah@blackflymagazine.com or send a CD (with a note!) to:

Blackfly Magazine
10574- 998 Bloor St W
Toronto, ON
M6H 1L8

Please forward this message to anyone you think might be interested.

For more info about Blackfly, check us out at www.blackflymagazine.com.

Writers Needed: Spring 2007 Issue

2007-01-11T18:46:00.001-05:00

Writers Needed

Blackfly Magazine is looking for writers for its third issue on wide-ranging matters concerning Ontarians.

We want pitches for articles between 250 words to 3000 words in length.
We are most interested in articles about marginalized groups and underrepresented subjects.

Some areas we're interested in for the spring issue:
• Environmental impacts of governmental policies or industry activities in the province
• Other Environmental issues (nuclear power/logging/water/air quality)
• Women's Issues
• Queer issues
• Social services in small town/rural/Northern Ontario
• Labour issues (minimum wage/injuries at work/harassment in the workplace)
• Ongoing issues on reserves and amongst aboriginal communities

But don't feel contained by those topics – as long as it's Ontario progressive and interesting, we want to hear about it!

If you are interested in reviewing books or cds, or in writing an article but don't know what to write about we also encourage you to get in touch.

We are also interested in other media for our website like audio files, extra images and extended interviews. When you pitch, please indicate if any of these things will be included.

Pitches for articles are due Sunday, January 28, 2006 at 11:59PM
Completed articles are due Wednesday, February 28, 2006 at 11:59PM

Pitches should be sent to Jenn Watt: editor@blackflymagazine.com.
For more information on how to pitch and to read about Blackfly, please visit our website: http://www.blackflymagazine.com

Blackfly Magazine still does not have the funding to financially compensate anyone (including its staff), but as a (small) token of our appreciation all writers will receive a free subscription and t-shirt for their contributions.

(Blackfly is also always accepting pitches for articles and audio/video files to appear on the "Web Exclusive" section of our website, especially regarding issues that are too time-sensitve to appear in quarterly publication.)

Minimum wage set to increase

2007-01-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

The Liberals have made the minimum wage increase official. On Feb. 1, we'll see it go to $8/hr. Certainly, much better than the $6.85 it was stuck at when the Liberals took power.

But as Cheri Di Novo NDP points out, it still keeps those working for minimum wage among the poor.

"Symbolically it's appalling and in actuality it's appalling," said DiNovo. "We have people out there at $7.75 an hour – now even when they're raised to $8 an hour they're still well below the poverty line, working 40 hours a week."
"Over two-thirds of those are women, many of them with children ... and a lot of them are immigrants," she said in an interview.
-Toronto Star

This comes just weeks after all MPPs gave themselves a 25 per cent raise.

What was good about 2006?

2007-01-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

Our last post was pretty down-and-out, lamenting a bad year in Ontario.

But Seven Oaks has brought us some joy.

Check out what they say are the seven "highlights" from 2006.

Underrated and overrated

2007-01-01T19:05:00.000-05:00

Welcome 2007. This past year in Ontario has been brutal: Aboriginal stand-offs, terrorism arrests, 70 murders in Toronto, federal cuts (affecting every province) to social programs, no movement on social assistance programs by the province, and MPP salary hikes to finish it all off.

Here's hoping that 2007 will bring much better things to us.

By far this past year, the most underrated story has been the environment. Yes, there was lots of reporting on federal environmental politics. Harper's Clean Air Act was a bust and The Weather Makers was a bestselling book, but what about McGuinty?

John Bonnar, our online contributor extraordinaire, brings us video from Santa and his elves taking a lump of coal to our provincial Liberals.

Appropriately, the gift symbolizes McGuinty's failure to shut down coal-fired energy plants in the province. Once upon a time, he promised to eliminate coal power by this year. 2007. Now he says he's not sure when it will happen.

There has been little political pressure on this front. Therefore, the most underrated story of the year.

Most overrated: 17 arrested terrorism suspects in Toronto.

I'm glad that the media reported on this. Arresting a group of young Muslim Canadians is a big deal. But the way that this case was reported on makes it overrated.

There was no real evidence to comment on. The courts enforced a publication ban immediately after the suspects were arrested. And yet the media continued digging into the lives of these men and boys, took pictures of the women in their families showing up to court in burquas, and basically convicted them in the media.

And so, GOODBYE 2006. Please bring a more peaceful, friendly 2007.

- Jenn Watt

Blogging the news

2006-12-06T16:06:00.000-05:00

We've had a couple of reviews of the magazine now, the most recent being by a blogger named D.B. Scott. He had some interesting things to say about our little magazine -- one of them being that we should turn this blog into something more newsy.

Of course, we've thought of that before but, with time constraints, never thought we could pull it off.

Today is Dec. 6 an no better day exists to start blogging, really. It is the 17th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre. A day when 14 women were shot dead because they were "feminists." To the killer, feminist meant they went to school.

Things haven't changed much since then.

This fall in Pennsylvania, four young Amish girls were shot dead at their school. The boys were ordered to leave.

Certainly, boys and men are killed all the time, too. But in the cases where women are selectively targeted, we need to be asking why. When women and girls are raped, bullied, abused, we need to question what role gender played in those things.

One cannot argue that these things happen regardless of gender. If women are victims of violence so much more frequently than men, it has to be because of their gender.

Once at that understanding, we must conclude that there is prevalent misogyny in this culture. That those who are violent against women exclusively, hate women.

And it happens a lot.

From the Status of Women Canada (which is closing most of its offices, thanks to the federal Conservatives): "During the period 1961 to 2004, there were 873 spousal murder-suicides in Canada. Wives were the victims in 97 percent of the cases."

The last thing we need is a Conservative government dead set on removing all of women's "equality" and resources.

So what are we going to do about it?

Jenn Watt
Editor

Next issue out in January

2006-12-03T12:11:00.000-05:00

Due to financial constraints, we are unable to put out Blackfly this December. But don't worry -- it's coming. We've found the funding necessary and the next issue will be on stands in January.

This also helps us align with a truly quarterly format, starting at the beginning of the year.

Any questions can be directed to editor@blackflymagazine.com

Jenn Watt

Election fever

2006-11-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

Now that the municipal elections are over, it's time to start setting the agenda for our politicians.

That doesn't mean they'll listen to us, but at least if we articulate our needs, we have something concrete to hold them to.

Here at Blackfly, since we're a quarterly, we're compiling silly election moments for our next issue.

You may not be surprised by the winners, but there are certainly surprising antics coming from municipal candidates.

Watch for it around the new year.

And, if you have your own stories of hilarious candidate gaffs, e-mail us, we'll put it in.

Jenn Watt
Editor

Online Exclusives -- Now Up and Running!

2006-10-04T18:12:00.000-04:00

In addition to the audio files, pictures, charts, graphs etc. that can already be found on the Blackfly website to compliment our magazine articles, this week marks the launch of a new online-exclusive section of our website.

The first online-exclusive article is an opinion piece entitled "V-Fest Paradigm Shift" by James Sandham.

We are hoping to have regular online-exclusive articles posted to our website that are too time-sensitive to wait for the next issue of Blackfly, as well as new Book and CD reviews that can't be found in the magazine. So make sure to check the website often! http://www.blackflymagazine.com

- Hannah Draper, hannah@blackflymagazine.com

Tentative article line-up for next issue

2006-09-21T11:22:00.000-04:00

We're in the planning stages of our next issue and things are looking good.

The pitch deadline hasn't passed yet (it's tomorrow at midnight, so if you're pitching, do it soon!), but we've got some good articles ready to go already.

Angela Browne will make another appearance with an article on mental health. John Bonnar is also back interviewing a women's rights activist about violence against women. Jen Moore will be covering land reclamations and Adrian Ma is writing on immigration. Lisa Byers will question whether progressive academics live up to their word when harassment enters the academy.

Of course, there will be blackfly bites, the pit stop and how-to, just like last issue.

We're excited. Are you?

Jenn Watt

IT'S ON THE STANDS!

2006-09-14T18:12:00.000-04:00

This is all so very exciting, and official. After some concerns and a some searching, Blackfly Magazine is out there and on the shelves. Keep your eyes peeled in Chapters/Indigo, the Bookshelf in Guelph and various other places across the province (I don't have a list in front of me at the moment).

And to add to the official nature of this post, here is a link to a press release we sent out earlier this week: PRESS RELEASE

Thanks for all the support so far!

j-me

Writers Needed for December Issue!

2006-09-04T22:18:00.000-04:00

Blackfly Magazine's first issue is on stands now and planning for issue two, on stands December 2006, is beginning.

We're looking for new writers and fresh stories about wide-ranging matters that concern people in Ontario.

As with the last issue, we want pitches for articles between 250 words to 3000 words in length. We are also most interested in articles about marginalized groups and underrepresented subjects.

Some story ideas (feel free to use these):

· Impacts of anti-terrorism laws on people of colour
· Social services in small town/rural/Northern Ontario
· Environmental impacts of governmental policies or industry activities in the province
· News updates (250 words – 500 words) for our Bites section
· Reviews of local bands/CDs/books/artist shows etc.
· Ongoing issues on reserves and amongst aboriginal communities

But don't feel contained by those topics – as long as it's Ontario, progressive and interesting, we want to hear about it!

We are also interested in other media for our website like audio files, extra images and extended interviews. When you pitch, please indicate if any of these things will be included.

Pitches for articles are due
Friday, September 22nd 2006 at 11:59PM

Completed articles are due
Wednesday, November 1st 2006 at 11:59PM

Pitches should be sent to Jenn Watt: editor@blackflymagazine.com

For more information on how to pitch and to read about Blackfly, please visit our website:

http://www.blackflymagazine.com

Blackfly Magazine still does not have the funding to pay anyone (including its staff), but as a (small) token of our appreciation all writers will receive a free subscription and t-shirt for their contributions.

Here is what it looks like!

2006-09-04T14:39:00.000-04:00

Keep an eye open for this:

Issue #1 hits the stands September 4th!

2006-09-02T00:11:00.000-04:00

Look for the magazine in stores next Monday.