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dundas

Friday November 11, 2022

November 11, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday November 11, 2022

Greene’s call for ending U.S. aid to Ukraine isn’t about the money

December 20, 2016

Speeches presented at Donald Trump’s rallies are not renowned for their detailed presentations of carefully considered policy proposals. That’s not why people go to rallies in general, of course, much less this specific genre of rally. Attendees show up to show their support for Republican candidates — and to hear excoriations of the political left.

That’s the context in which we should consider the contribution by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to a rally Thursday in Iowa: Her arguments about funding for the war in Ukraine were political rhetoric, not considered analysis. The question, instead, is what political aim she intended to advance.

Greene’s mention of Ukraine stemmed from a riff about the border. Greene accused Democrats and the news media of ignoring an alleged “crime spree” involving undocumented immigrants, including that there are “drugs flooding across our border, with fentanyl poisonings every single day.” One reason you’re hearing about fentanyl so much this year is that overdose deaths have increased, as the media have reported. Another reason is that Republicans are using the fear of fentanyl as a way to bash Democrats on border policies — although most fentanyl is smuggled in through existing border checkpoints, often by U.S. citizens.

June 18, 2022

Regardless, that was the setup for her comments about U.S. spending to help Ukraine.

“Democrats have ripped our border wide open,” she said in Iowa. “But the only border they care about is Ukraine, not America’s southern border. Under Republicans, not another penny will go to Ukraine. Our country comes first.”

See the logical jump there? From “Democrats care too much about Ukraine’s border” to “we shouldn’t spend on Ukraine at all.” It’s not clear how one follows from the other, but consistency on such things is not how Greene has built her political reputation.

June 15, 2021

While not the official position of the GOP, Greene’s “not another penny” line met with some applause. That’s not surprising, given that polling has shown increasing Republican skepticism about providing aid to Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders. As The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake noted Thursday, nearly half of Republicans now think the United States is doing too much in support of Ukraine.

But the United States is doing relatively little — particularly when considering the historical context of its effort to contain Russian aggression.

May 5, 2000

U.S. defense spending has increased dramatically since the end of the Cold War, the period in which U.S. opposition to Russian strength was most overt. That’s largely because of the increase in spending that followed the 9/11 attacks, including for the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But it’s also because spending has increased broadly and because of inflation. Relative to total government spending, defense spending (here meaning Department of Defense outlays) has been fairly flat. (The Washington Post) 

 

Posted in: Canada, USA Tagged: 2022-38, Canada, Donald Trump, dundas, fascism, Kevin McCarthy, lest we forget, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Remembrance Day, Republican, statue, tyranny, USA

Saturday July 17, 2021

July 24, 2021 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 17, 2021

Is the former town of Dundas next to be renamed?

Dundas Street West and Dundas, Ont., both named after Henry Dundas, who delayed British abolition of slavery

July 10, 2021

Toronto will rename Dundas Street West because of its ties to a racist from centuries past, but what about Hamilton’s suburb with the same name?

Toronto City Council voted in favour of a motion of changing the name of the west-east traffic artery. While there are no public calls to have the town of Dundas renamed, the downtown Toronto street and community in Hamilton have the same namesake.

Both were named in honour of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville — an 18th-century politician from Scotland who used his power to delay the freedom of slaves in Britain. He entered politics in the late 1700s, gaining status and influence as home secretary and secretary at war.

He later became known as “The Great Tyrant” for tweaking an anti-slavery bill that would delay the abolition of the slave trade by roughly 15 years. His actions froze the freedom of roughly 630,000 slaves. He still has a monument in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital and it has been the target of vandalism and a source of controversy.

September 1, 1999

Dundas no longer formally exists as a town, since Hamilton, its surrounding suburbs and the region of Hamilton Wentworth were amalgamated in 2000, so it’s not clear what a campaign to remove the name would mean.

But signs are still up identifying it as Dundas, the name is still in common everday use, it exists as a postal address and is still part of the riding name for the area – Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas.

Ontario’s NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who grew up in Hamilton, supported the idea of renaming the Toronto street on Twitter.

“Henry Dundas blocked the abolition of slavery in the UK by years, a delay that cost tens of thousands of lives. Removing his name to reflect our values isn’t about rewriting shameful history — we can’t do that,” she wrote.

“It’s about rewriting our present day. Rename Dundas Street.”

It’s unclear if she supports renaming Dundas, as her office did not respond for comment.

August 15, 2015

Ward 13 Councillor, Arlene VanderBeek, who represents the Dundas area, did not return calls for comment.

Ameil Joseph, a McMaster University associate professor who studies critical race theory, told CBC News it’s important to think about the “how” and “why” of naming and renaming.

“If we’re thinking of Dundas, you would have to think about what it was before — Cootes Paradise. Thomas Coote was a British officer, also involved in a colonial project. Are we going to rename Bathurst, Jarvis — Jarvis who is a slave trader? Yonge? It’s all around us,” he said.

“When we think about removing statues and street signs, we have to think about how we do it differently, how we can tell the story in a way that’s more comprehensive rather than more erasure.”

Joseph said it is important to remove monuments that only tell one side of the various ethnic atrocities in Canada’s history, but the emphasis needs to be on replacing them with full context of past events, instead of only portraying the view of powerful.

You Might Be From Hamilton If…

“We’re in a historical moment where we can unpractice that, but it’s all about how. If we’re talking about our histories of Hamilton and Dundas, what’s beneath that? Beneath that is what’s always been here, these are traditional nations of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations,” Joseph explained.

“A renaming would have to be something that speaks to Black communities who have been here since before Hamilton was Hamilton … these things are deeply implicated all around us. I don’t think pulling things down is just the answer.” (CBC) 

 

Posted in: Hamilton Tagged: 2021-26, colonial, dundas, Flambasterdas, Henry Dundas, history, Ontario, sign, slavery, valley town

Wednesday November 11, 2020

November 11, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday November 11, 2020

Remember our war dead and a nation that endures

There will be no parades of aging veterans marching to Canada’s war memorials on this Remembrance Day and in this pandemic year.

May 8, 2020

There will be fewer wreaths laid at these monuments to the nation’s war dead and fewer people to lay them or stand silently to hear “Last Post” played at 11 a.m. by buglers who must keep their distance from everyone else. 

In some places, the public has been ordered to stay away from the cenotaphs to stop the spread of COVID-19 and participate at home in virtual ceremonies or, alternatively, to simply put on a poppy and pause for two minutes wherever possible.

That’s how it must be. No matter where you are in Canada, this Remembrance Day will be unlike any in memory, and for this full blame lies with a microscopic and potentially lethal virus.

June 6, 2019

But there’s no reason this Remembrance Day can’t be as meaningful and, yes, instructive as every one that preceded it. In fact, as Canadians cope with a pandemic that has changed every aspect of their lives, what this country went through in the past facing enormous threats under extreme duress can inspire us today, in a very different kind of national emergency.

Of course, more than anything else, this Nov. 11 is a day when every person in this country should recall the sacrifices hundreds of thousands of Canadians made in two world wars, in the Korean and Afghanistan wars and in decades of peacekeeping and even peacemaking missions in the world’s hot spots. 

June 6, 2014

More than 100,000 Canadians died in those 20th century wars and another 158 soldiers from this country perished in Afghanistan earlier this century. Hundreds of thousands of other Canadians have been permanently injured in body or mind by war. 

Those who have served in this country’s military and emerged unscathed by the experience should be in our minds, too. Many of them put their lives on the line. All were in one way or another defending the interests of their country when it called. They all deserve our recognition and unflagging gratitude.

That deliberate act of remembering in this very strange year may bring unforeseen benefits, too. Like us today, the Canadians who lived through two world wars — the second of which was the most deadly and devastating in human history — also faced terrifying dangers, witnessed great suffering, experienced the painful loss of loved ones and had massive changes thrust upon them.

May 5, 2000

But the country got through it. For instance, in the Second World War, which dragged on six years, basic foods such as sugar, butter, tea, coffee and even meat were strictly rationed to Canadians at home so those serving overseas would have enough to eat. 

The rationing of gasoline and tires limited travel and getting in or out of the United States became difficult. On the east coast, blackouts were strictly enforced with air raid wardens going door-to-door to ensure blinds were drawn so enemy submarines would not see merchant ships illuminated by city lights. Taxes were hiked as Ottawa ran up massive deficits to fund the war effort.

Pandemic Times

Renowned historian J.L. Granatstein has accurately described that war effort as “a complete mobilization of Canadian society” in which “Canadians consciously and deliberately set aside their individual desires for the common good.”

On this Remembrance Day, wear a poppy for the sake of those who served Canada and, too often, paid the greatest sacrifice in doing it. But remember, too, what other generations of Canadians have endured, what they gave up and how they prevailed. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial) 

 

Posted in: Canada, International Tagged: 2020-38, Canada, cenotaph, Coronavirus, covid-19, dundas, memorial, pandemic, Pandemic Times, Remembrance, Remembrance Day, social distancing, veteran

Wednesday June 28, 2017

June 27, 2017 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 28, 2017

Councillors vote to sell disputed Dundas alley

The city is poised to close and sell a controversial Dundas alley regularly used by school children despite increasingly loud opposition from local residents.

August 15, 2015

Members of the public works committee voted unanimously Monday to sell a short section of unserviced lane parallel to Sydenham Street to adjacent landowner Len Medeiros, a well-known Dundas developer whose construction company does sewer and water work for the city.

David Jones, a spokesperson for many residents opposed to the sale, said he would speak to a lawyer about what opportunities exist to appeal the decision. But he also expressed hope city council would reverse the decision in a final vote required Wednesday.

More than 30 people publicly urged councillors to reject the proposed sale Monday, with several complaining about what they saw as the city’s willingness to sell a public asset to a “well-connected” buyer over the objections of the larger community. Others suggested it was wrong to “reward” Medeiros after he previously paved a portion of the public alley without permission and briefly erected a fence to block pedestrian access last summer.

Medeiros declined an interview after the meeting, but Dundas Coun. Arlene VanderBeek publicly addressed allegations of favoritism ahead of Monday’s vote.

“There is no special privilege involved here, for anyone,” she said. “The issue of importance here is safety … safety for children and residents.”

VanderBeek pointed to the city staff report, which cited traffic department concerns with residents — particularly children — exiting the alley mid-block on Alma Street on the way to a nearby school. There is no sidewalk on that side of the street, she noted, and no safe path to the nearest intersection with a city crossing guard.

The city could be liable, she argued, if children are encouraged to “jaywalk to get where they want to go.”

Residents repeatedly argued the pedestrian-only lane was a safer, less dirty and noisy walking option than busier parallel streets like Sydenham. (Source: Hamilton Spectator) 

 

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Posted in: Hamilton Tagged: Alma, Arleen VanderBeek, citizens, dundas, Dundasians, laneway, people power, Sydenham, wall, ward 13

Friday October 14, 2016

October 13, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday October 14, 2016 Harvest Picnic organizer sues talent agency, performers, for millions The organizer of the annual Harvest Picnic music festival has filed a lawsuit against one of Canada's largest talent agencies, as well as musical acts Jann Arden, Johnny Reid and the Cowboy Junkies, seeking more than $26 million in damages due to breach of contract. The lawsuit also says both the Harvest Picnic and the annual Hamilton Music Awards are in danger of collapsing. Local promoter Jean Paul Gauthier alleges The Feldman Agency, based in Toronto and Vancouver, Reid and the Cowboy Junkies both breached contract provisions preventing them from playing within a certain radius of Hamilton within 90 days of the Aug. 26 to 28 Harvest Picnic at Christie Lake Conservation Area. His claims against Arden relate to concert date announcements. Feldman acted as the booking agency for those festival acts. The allegations, which have not been tested in court, were made in a 15-page statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court under Gauthier's company, September Seventh Entertainment, which also runs the annual Hamilton Music Awards. "The events that September Seventh produces and owns, namely the Harvest Picnic and Hamilton Music Awards, are now at great risk of ceasing to exist due to the unconscionable conduct, high-handed conduct or conduct in bad faith and breaches of contract by the defendants," the statement of claim says. This year the Harvest Picnic expanded from one to three days. Crowds were noticeably lower than the previous five years. Meanwhile, several artists, many of them local, have said they have not been paid by Gauthier. "I got a bounced cheque," said Hamilton singer-songwriter Tomi Swick, who performed twice at the festival. "It's a sad situation. (Gauthier) has always been pretty good to me. It was a good festival.Ó Other musicians who have not yet been paid by the festival include

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 14, 2016

Harvest Picnic organizer sues talent agency, performers, for millions

The organizer of the annual Harvest Picnic music festival has filed a lawsuit against one of Canada’s largest talent agencies, as well as musical acts Jann Arden, Johnny Reid and the Cowboy Junkies, seeking more than $26 million in damages due to breach of contract.

The lawsuit also says both the Harvest Picnic and the annual Hamilton Music Awards are in danger of collapsing.

September 10, 2016

September 10, 2016

Local promoter Jean Paul Gauthier alleges The Feldman Agency, based in Toronto and Vancouver, Reid and the Cowboy Junkies both breached contract provisions preventing them from playing within a certain radius of Hamilton within 90 days of the Aug. 26 to 28 Harvest Picnic at Christie Lake Conservation Area. His claims against Arden relate to concert date announcements.

Feldman acted as the booking agency for those festival acts.

The allegations, which have not been tested in court, were made in a 15-page statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court under Gauthier’s company, September Seventh Entertainment, which also runs the annual Hamilton Music Awards.

“The events that September Seventh produces and owns, namely the Harvest Picnic and Hamilton Music Awards, are now at great risk of ceasing to exist due to the unconscionable conduct, high-handed conduct or conduct in bad faith and breaches of contract by the defendants,” the statement of claim says.

This year the Harvest Picnic expanded from one to three days. Crowds were noticeably lower than the previous five years.

Meanwhile, several artists, many of them local, have said they have not been paid by Gauthier.

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Saturday August 24, 2013

August 24, 2013

“I got a bounced cheque,” said Hamilton singer-songwriter Tomi Swick, who performed twice at the festival. “It’s a sad situation. (Gauthier) has always been pretty good to me. It was a good festival.”

Other musicians who have not yet been paid by the festival include the Toronto-based band The Rheostatics, Hamilton singer-songwriter Lori Yates and Hamilton native Jeremy Fisher.

“I honestly feel bad for (Gauthier),” said Fisher’s manager Mike Renaud, owner of Hamilton-based Hidden Pony Records. “I think he just got in over his head. I don’t think he’s a malicious person. But I don’t think this (filing a lawsuit) is the best way to handle it.”

Calls and emails to Gauthier were not returned. A representative of The Feldman Agency offered The Spectator no comment on the lawsuit, but Feldman president Jeff Craib told CBC News that it was “frivolous and vexatious.”

In a statement emailed to The Spectator, The Rheostatics said the band felt “let down.” (Continued: Hamilton Spectator)

 

Posted in: Hamilton Tagged: attorney, dundas, festival, Hamilton, Harvest Picnic, lawyer, legal, Music
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