movie – mackaycartoons

Tuesday March 1 2016

February 29, 2016 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday March 1 2016

Clergy victims doubt “Spotlight” Oscar win will bring change

Victims of clergy sexual abuse are reveling in the Oscar won by “Spotlight” — the story of The Boston Globe’s investigation into the scandal — but say they don’t hold out much hope that the elevated status from the film’s Best Picture award will prompt changes at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic church.

“Spotlight,” starring Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo, covers the Globe’s work to uncover how dozens of priests in the Archdiocese of Boston had molested and raped children for decades while church higher-ups covered it up and shuffled abusive priests from parish to parish.

February 19, 2016

The film was released in November to accolades from victims who said it gave them a sense of validation after years of struggling in silence. Even Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley — appointed to replace Cardinal Bernard Law after he resigned in disgrace — called “Spotlight” a “very powerful and important film.”

But victims say they have little hope that the film’s new status as an Oscar winner will lead to some of the things they’ve called for over the years, including complete transparency by the church and the criminal prosecution of church leaders who knew about the abuse but didn’t report the perpetrators to police.

“I don’t think the Vatican or the archdiocese will necessarily do more,” said Robert Costello, 54, who was sexually abused by a Boston priest from the late 1960s through 1976.

“I think what (the film) is going to do is educate the general public as to what their response or lack of response has been,” said Costello, who agreed to a civil settlement with the archdiocese.

The Globe series was followed by revelations of sex abuse in dioceses around the world. The series won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2003. (Source: AP)

Published in the Western Star, Corner Brook, Newfoundland

Saturday December 19, 2015

December 18, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday December 19, 2015

Province trying to prevent raccoon rabies epidemic

Ministry of Natural Resources officials are awaiting test results from dozens of dead and sick raccoons picked up over the past couple of weeks, to try to get a handle on the severity of a rabies outbreak in the Hamilton area.

There are five confirmed cases. One in the lower city of Stoney Creek, three on the Mountain and one in Cayuga.

But the results from more than 35 samples more recently acquired — and undergoing testing — will help determine whether a raccoon rabies epidemic in New York state has gained a foothold into Ontario.

The samples come mostly from Animal Services in Hamilton, which routinely picks up dead, injured and sick animals, including raccoons.

We’re all hopeful the outbreak in the Hamilton area will extinguish itself over the next several months.

“We are in the exploratory stage right now,” said Chris Davies, the Ministry of Natural Resources’ manager of wildlife research.

“We are trying to figure out how large the geographic extent of the current cases is,” he said.

The samples, from brain tissue in the deceased animals, go through two testing regiments. There’s a quick test that creates a short list of potential positive results. And then there is a more costly and elaborate procedure by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that roots out the false positive results of the first test. While the testing is being done, the ministry has been blitzing the Hamilton area with tens of thousands of raccoon rabies vaccine baits in hopes of containing a spread of the disease.

The rabies strain known as the South Atlantic/Florida strain has been moving northward from Florida over the past several decades.

It hit New York state 25 years ago, leading to an epidemic there. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Saturday November 14, 2015

November 13, 2015 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday November 14, 2015

Hamilton’s film explosion ‘beyond manageable’

The director of Tourism Hamilton says film production in Hamilton has been exploding and the city needs to do a complete review of how the industry is being managed.

Susan Monarch says the combination of a low Canadian dollar and provincial tax incentives to schedule film shoots outside of the Greater Toronto Area has led to a deluge of movie shoots in Hamilton. That has caused all kinds obstructed streets and aggravation to people and businesses.

“In September, there were 18 productions on downtown streets. That is beyond manageable. We need to look at this,” said Monarch.

In 2014, the number of productions filmed in the city shot up to 100 from 75 the year before. So far this year, there have been 84, showing the city is in line to likely surpass last year’s totals.

“It has become a major industry. We need to sit back and look at what are we doing as a community,” Monarch said.

On the table are big hikes in film permit fees, currently only $29, but also increases in parking charges and rental fees for city-owned facilities.

Ward 3 Coun. Matthew Green, the chair of the BIA advisory committee, says: “We have now attracted this incredible industry to the city but the fees don’t reflect the impact it has in the community.”

He believes the city needs to create a graduated scale of fees based on the size of the production. Increasing the revenue stream for the city would go some distance in recouping administrative costs of the city’s film office, which looks after applications from production companies.

As well, Monarch said the film application process needs to be updated with greater oversight to make sure film companies live up to their obligations.

City staff will look into the issue and produce a report for councillors. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)

From the MailBag

The ultimate Hollywood North Destination by Peter E. Evanetz

Tuesday February 28, 2012

February 28, 2012 by Graeme MacKay

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday February 28, 2012

Harper denies robocall charges

Standing firm amid questions and allegations of a political conspiracy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing in the robocalls scandal, and challenged the opposition parties to prove his Conservatives were guilty.

On the first day back for parliamentarians after a week off, the opposition parties used the majority of question period to demand answers from the government about what Conservatives knew about the robocalls and when they knew it.

A Postmedia News-Ottawa Citizen investigation revealed last week that Elections Canada has traced fraudulent phone calls made during the federal election to an Edmonton company that worked for the Conservative party across the country.

Opposition parties demanded the Conservatives come clean and provide information proving they were not involved in any telephone campaign to harass voters and direct them to non-existent polling stations.

“The prime minister must be tough on crime,” interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel said. “Will he commit all the necessary resources to investigate and prosecute and put an end to vote suppression?”

Harper rejected what he called “broad, sweeping” allegations from the opposition parties, and put the onus on the NDP and Liberals to provide evidence of wrongdoing.

“If the NDP has any information that inappropriate calls were placed — and we certainly have information in some cases and we have given that to Elections Canada — then I challenge that party to produce that information and give it to Elections Canada,” he said. (Source: Vancouver Sun)