death

Wednesday May 3, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday May 3, 2023

Gordon Lightfoot (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023)

Gordon Lightfoot was more than just a singer-songwriter; he was a cultural icon whose music helped shape Canadian identity and inspired audiences worldwide. His unique blend of folk, country, and pop music, combined with his gift for storytelling, captured the hearts of millions and cemented his place in music history. Lightfoot’s impact on Canadian culture is undeniable.

News: Canadian folk music icon Gordon Lightfoot dead at 84  

August 24, 2013

Through his music, he celebrated the natural beauty of Canada, weaving stories of the land, its people, and its history. Songs like “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” became anthems of Canadian identity and pride, reflecting the spirit and resilience of the country and its people. Beyond Canadian borders, Lightfoot’s music resonated with audiences worldwide. His songs spoke to universal themes of love, loss, and the human experience, making him one of the most respected and admired singer-songwriters of his time.

However, Lightfoot was not immune to criticism. Some felt that his work could be repetitive, maudlin, sentimental, and nostalgic, and did not appeal to younger, more diverse audiences. Critics often pointed out that Lightfoot’s music seemed to rely on similar themes and motifs, and his ballads could come across as sentimental and overly nostalgic. Some argued that he struggled to adapt to changing musical tastes and remained firmly rooted in the folk and country traditions of the past. Additionally, Lightfoot’s music was often associated with an older, more conservative demographic, and it did not always resonate with younger, more diverse audiences.

Despite these criticisms, Lightfoot remained a beloved and influential figure in Canadian music. His impact on Canadian culture cannot be overstated, and his ability to capture the essence of the Canadian landscape and spirit continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans. He was a symbol of Canadian culture and a role model for aspiring musicians, inspiring generations of Canadian artists who followed in his footsteps and contributed to the country’s rich musical heritage.

News: Anne Murray, Jim Cuddy and Prime Minister Trudeau remember a quintessential Canadian, Gordon Lightfoot  

March 8, 2013

In a time when Canadian culture was often overshadowed by its larger neighbor to the south, Lightfoot’s music helped put Canada on the map. He showed the world that Canada was more than just a cold and distant land, but a place of beauty, creativity, and resilience. Ultimately, while Lightfoot’s music may not have been to everyone’s taste, it remains a testament to his enduring talent and the power of music to unite and inspire. His passing is a great loss to the music world, but his music will continue to be celebrated and enjoyed for years to come. (AI)

 

Friday January 27, 2023

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday January 27, 2023

COVID-19 misinformation cost at least 2,800 lives and $300M, new report says

August 7, 2020

The spread of COVID-19 misinformation in Canada cost at least 2,800 lives and $300 million in hospital expenses over nine months of the pandemic, according to estimates in a new report out Thursday.

The report — released by the Council of Canadian Academies (CCA), an independent research organization that receives federal funding — examined how misinformation affected COVID infections, hospitalizations and deaths between March and November of 2021.

The authors suggest that misinformation contributed to vaccine hesitancy for 2.3 million Canadians. Had more people been willing to roll up their sleeves when a vaccine was first available to them, Canada could have seen roughly 200,000 fewer COVID cases and 13,000 fewer hospitalizations, the report says.

July 15, 2022

Alex Himelfarb, chair of the expert panel that wrote the report, said that its estimates are very conservative because it only examined a nine-month period of the pandemic.

“It’s pretty clear that tens of thousands of hospitalizations did occur because of misinformation,” Himelfarb told reporters. “We are confident that those are conservative estimates.”

Himelfarb also said the $300 million estimate covers only hospital costs — the study didn’t include indirect costs associated with factors such as delayed elective surgeries and lost wages.

A number of studies have found that getting vaccinated can reduce the risk of COVID infection and hospitalization. But only 80 per cent of Canadians have been fully vaccinated, according to the latest data from Health Canada.

June 26, 2019

The CCA report defines two groups of vaccine-hesitant individuals: those who were reluctant to get a shot and those who refused. It says that reluctant individuals expressed concerns about vaccines in general and questioned the speed with which COVID vaccines were developed.

Vaccine refusers, on the other hand, were more likely to believe that the pandemic is a hoax or greatly exaggerated, the report says.

Beyond the health impacts, misinformation is depriving people of their right to be informed, said Stephan Lewandowsky, a professor at the University of Bristol’s School of Psychological Science in the U.K. and one of the report’s authors.

September 24, 2021

“In a democracy, the public should be able to understand the risks we’re facing … and act on that basis,” he said. “But if you’re drenched in misinformation … then you’re distorting the public’s ability — and you’re denying people the right — to be informed about the risks they’re facing.”

The report says misinformation relies on simple messages meant to evoke emotional reactions. It says misinformation is often presented as coming from a credible source, such as a scientific publication. (CBC) 

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro …

Letter to the Editor – The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday January 31, 2023 

MacKay unfair to anti-vaxxers

Again the tolerant and inclusive left shows their magnanimous humanity. Has MacKay explored the arguments of the side pushing back against the mandates, lockdowns, and other infringements on Charter rights, or is he content to show them as loudmouths dying for their freedom?

DeWitt Shainline, Hamilton

 

Thursday September 9, 2022

Elizabeth was our Queen, too

The death of Queen Elizabeth at her Scottish residence of Balmoral Castle on Thursday has plunged the United Kingdom into mourning. Union flags at official buildings were immediately lowered to half-mast. Political foes suddenly spoke as one to extol her 70 unbroken years of service to their country in what was rightly celebrated earlier this year as the longest reign in British history. And a nation in which most citizens could not remember a time before Elizabeth sat on the throne was left pondering what the future — under King Charles, her oldest son — now holds.

June 10, 2022

But the passing of Elizabeth at the age of 96 was also immediately felt — and deeply so — on this side of the Atlantic by many, many Canadians. She was our Queen, too, and has reminded us of that over and over again ever since ascending the throne and becoming our head of state in 1952. The bond she forged with Canadians was more than ceremonial and more than symbolic; it was visceral, based on mutual respect, admiration and, quite arguably, love. And that was never because of the bejeweled headpiece known as the crown. It was because of the woman who wore it with grace, dignity and even humility.

June 4, 2012

As an institution in the U.K., Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms in which Elizabeth was head of state, the monarchy has had its ups and downs. Perhaps more downs in recent years. The odd behaviour — and misbehaviour — of some members of the Royal Family go a long way to explaining that. But the Queen herself was different and universally perceived as such. Yes, she represented the monarchy. Of course she embodied its highest values, devoted as she was to duty and acting more as a servant than ruler of the people. But on a personal level she was far bigger than this ancient, and in some minds, anachronistic institution.

June 11, 2016

While one of the most recognizable people in an era of history that is coming to a close, she was timeless. The Queen may have enjoyed fantabulous wealth. She certainly spent much of her time in the rarefied atmosphere of palaces surrounded by splendid objects d’art, with her needs met by an army of servants. But the way she lived each day often seemed as much middle-class as aristocratic. Indeed, during family vacations at Balmoral, Elizabeth was famous for doing the washing up. No wonder her name became synonymous with the term “work ethic.” Her steadfast commitment to making the performance of her job her highest priority could well be her greatest legacy.

Canada gained from that commitment, too. Her reign encompassed the tenures of 12 Canadian prime ministers. She made 22 official visits to Canada before the frailties of age convinced her to leave overseas travel to her children and grandchildren. And each visit offered in its own way a recognition of how Canada was changing, from a post-Second-World-War country still profoundly and uncertainly tied to its colonial past to one that was more confident, diverse and truly master of its own destiny. Canada prizes evolution over revolution. Elizabeth helped us evolve.

April 10, 2021

While she represented tradition, she was unafraid of change. And it was also her calling to provide something constant in the midst of that change, an anchor in often turbulent waters. She was here in 1959 to open the engineering marvel that is the St. Lawrence Seaway. She returned to celebrate Canada’s Centennial in 1967 and the start of the Montreal Olympics in 1976. But without doubt, Elizabeth’s most memorable moment in the life of this country came in 1982 when she arrived to sign the Constitution Act that introduced the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That stroke of the pen also gave Canada the lasting power to change its founding documents without the consent of the British Parliament. That was true independence.

In coming days there will be many discussions about the future of the Canadian monarchy, and that is appropriate. But this is a day to reflect on the passing of Canada’s Queen. And we mean Canada’s. In her last public statement, which was issued on Wednesday just hours before she died, the Queen proved how much this country meant to her. In that message she expressed her deep sympathy for everyone impacted by last weekend’s stabbing rampage in Saskatchewan, a place she knew from six personal visits. “I mourn with all Canadians at this tragic time,” she said. Now, all Canadians can mourn for their Queen. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Wednesday April 6, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 6, 2022

In Bucha, death, devastation and a graveyard of mines

March 12, 2022

The Russian forces had not been in town for long before they came to the home of Volodymyr Avramov, a resident of Vokzal’na Street in the quiet Ukrainian suburb of Bucha.

Three Russians kicked in the doors and threw in a grenade, the 72-year-old Avramov said. Inside were Avramov, his daughter, and his son-in-law, Oleh.

They dragged Oleh outside and made him kneel – then shot him in the head as Avramov and his daughter watched, he said. The two then had to shelter in a basement for weeks as the fighting continued.

“Oleh was laying on the street for a month. I could not come close or bury him, nothing,” he said.

Images of dead civilians lining the streets of Bucha have shocked the world in recent days and heightened concerns that Russian soldiers are committing war crimes in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called it genocide.

March 1, 2022

“There were piles of dead corpses lying here, without arms, without legs, without skulls,” Avramov said. “You wouldn’t see it in a nightmare. It’s horror.”

Stories resembling the one told by Avramov have been documented by Human Rights Watch, which found evidence of execution-style killings of civilian men in multiple Ukrainian cities, including Bucha.

Now Ukraine has intensified its calls for the West to provide more military aid and take greater action against Russia, in hopes of tipping the scale as the fight shifts from Kyiv to eastern Ukraine.

“If we had already got what we needed – all these planes, tanks, artillery, anti-missile and anti-ship weapons – we could have saved thousands of people. I do not blame you — I blame only the Russian military. But you could have helped,” Zelenskyy said in a speech Monday.

February 20, 2014

As part of the effort, Ukrainian authorities have organized tours for foreign journalists to see the extent of Russia’s devastation of Bucha: Destroyed homes, blackened buildings, blown out windows, and the apocalyptic Vokzal’na Street – a half-mile-long graveyard of burned out tanks and cars.

Amid the ruins, members of a demining crew showed journalists some of the explosives that have been recovered from homes in the city. About 4,000 were found on Monday alone, officials said, a mix of mines, ammunition and unexploded missiles.

The bodies of some 200 civilians have been recovered so far in the Bucha area, officials say, and more are uncovered each day as crews work to remove mines and clear rubble. (NPR) 

 

Saturday April 10, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday April 10, 2021

Prince Philip loved Canada, and knew this country in good times and bad

Prince Philip, in personal encounters, had a special ability to put you immediately at ease at the same time as he kept you on edge. It was his style: he loved to demystify the monarchy so you didn’t sound like a blithering idiot when you were addressed by a member of the family. But at the same time, he also brought to conversation a degree of forthright questioning that sometimes could turn you into … well, a blithering idiot.

October 3, 2002

He loved Canada and probably visited this country more than any other on the planet, both officially with the Queen he served so dutifully and lovingly all those years, and privately on many more occasions, especially in connection with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards or the World Wildlife Fund.

In a life spread throughout most of the 20th century and well into the 21st, he met thousands of people and graced hundreds of institutions. When he made one of several visits to Massey College in the University of Toronto during the Golden Jubilee Year (2002) to become the college’s first Honorary Senior Fellow he was asked — inevitably — to unveil a plaque honouring the visit. The college flag was draped somewhat ornately over the plaque and he went up to it with a certain degree of familiarity:

June 11, 2016

“You about to see the handiwork of a master unveiler of plaques,“ he said with a wry smile. Then he took one corner of the flag and with a few twists of the wrist made it twirl in the air which made everyone laugh.

He wrote later that he had “a soft spot” for Massey College. He had laid its cornerstone in a previous visit in 1962 and he was a particular friend of the college’s founder, Vincent Massey, the first Canadian-born governor general. It was part of a much larger soft spot for Canada as a whole.

January 23, 2021

And he knew the country in good times and bad. Famously, during the troubled visit of 1964 during the height of the Quiet Revolution Quebeckers backs were turned on him and the Queen as their official car headed for the provincial legislature. Later at a press reception, he pointed out that if Canada was tired of being a monarchy perhaps we could try to end it with a bit of civility. “We don’t come here for our health,” he pointed out. “We can think of other ways of spending our time.”

Although a deeply intelligent and inherently kind man with an extraordinary sense of duty, it was his testiness that was a big part of his appeal, and also what got him into trouble. Depending on your views of the monarchy, his off-the-cuff quips were either a sign of the blatant ridiculousness of the Crown or proof of its enduring power. It was usually a matter of perspective.

April 9, 2002

He certainly understood the often murky deal between the Crown and the media that both sides played. On the one hand, there was deep resentment within the Royal Family and those officials who served them at the brutal way the media could often push into their lives during troubled periods. At the same time, the media has for some time now been the leading handmaiden in securing the Crown’s hold over people’s imagination, to the equal irritation for their own reasons of republicans and royalists alike.

He was a man marked for life by his earliest experience of being poor but royal, impoverished but often in the presence of vast wealth, alone in the world but determined to survive and make his mark. And it was all done with a sense of duty that has few parallels in our own time. (National Post)