It has been on my mind, and on my to-do list, to write more about the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association Conference*, which I was fortunate to attend in May of this year. In my post twelve reasons i loved the pacific northwest labor history association conference, I listed: The
Continue readingTag: Canadian Culture
wmtc: the canoe family: reconciliation retreat
I’m in the middle of two amazing opportunities, one through my work, and one through my union. The work thing is complex — and important. Decolonizing the library: walking in two worlds Circle of Life, Trevor Hunt I am part of a small team that is creating a framework of
Continue readingwmtc: hard times: we are ruled by banks, corporations, and the governments that enable them. it doesn’t have to be this way.
In Canada this year, food bank usage hit an all-time high. In March 2022, there were almost 1.5 million visits to food banks — 15% more than there were one year ago, and a whopping 35% more visits than in March 2019, pre-pandemic. Food prices have ballooned at the highest
Continue readingwmtc: "they thought they were doing the right thing at the time": a harmful denialism that we must challenge
They thought they were doing the right thing. They thought they were helping children. Now we know better. I recently heard this from a library customer. They were referring to the residential “schools”, the accepted euphemism for the system of concentration camps that was used to destroy Indigenous families, communities,
Continue readingwmtc: things i heard at the library: an occasional series: #34
A customer said this. I tell my daughter I love her every day. I told my mother on her death bed, I’m not going to do what you did. I’m going to raise my daughter with love. My mother told me she hated me. She told me I ruined her
Continue readingwmtc: most useless and annoying advice ever: it’s cheaper if you make it yourself
I did not make this myself. Ever since moving to Canada, people have been telling me how I could make something myself for less money than I paid for it. Curtains, chair coverings, scarves. Kitchen gadgets. Dog needs. Skin care products. And food of all types. You can make that
Continue readingwmtc: national day for truth and reconciliation: bearing witness, finding meaning
On September 30, many Canadians will have the day off in honour of a new holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The holiday was created in response to the continuing revelations of mass graves located beneath the sites of the former concentration camps known as Indian Residential Schools. The
Continue readingwmtc: who else turned 60 this year: celebrating the bc ndp
The great Tommy Douglaswas an MP for a BC riding in the 1960s. I recently learned that the BC NDP — the party I vote for, the party that currently leads the provincial government — is 60 years old this year. There’s a website showing highlights of the party’s accomplishments.
Continue readingwmtc: thoughts on not celebrating canada day #cancelcanadaday
If it wasn’t clear why we should not be celebrating Canada Day this year, by now it should be. Three days after the discovery of 215 skeletons of children were found at the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, the remains of approximately 750 adults and children in
Continue readingwmtc: bearing witness: 215 tiny skeletons speak to us. canadians must listen.
The discovery, last week, of the remains of 215 children on the site of a former Indian Residential School has sent shock waves through Canada, especially through this province, where the gruesome evidence was found. The unmarked mass grave contained the skeletons of children, some seemingly as young as three
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Oh, Canada
Loyal subjects: that is what we have been trained to be – first to the British Empire, then to the American Empire, and now, to Beijing and the global coporate empire. But Canadians have another side: we are often witty, piercingly perceptive, compassionate, welcoming, valient and brave. It is the
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: the skin we’re in by desmond cole
Alternative title: It Happens in Canada, Too. Desmond Cole’s book, The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power may be a difficult book for white Canadians to read. That’s exactly why they should read it. Cole documents events most Canadians would call “US-style” racism — except they all take
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: all my puny sorrows by miriam toews
I’ve just finished reading All My Puny Sorrows, the haunting, heartbreaking, hilarious, and life-affirming 2014 novel by Miriam Toews. It’s difficult for me to write about fiction. I don’t like to describe plots, because for my own reading, I hate knowing plots in advance. I really enjoy letting the story
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: Canada, eh?
I did not know – Quebec is nearly triple the size of Texas or France…which makes it roughly the size of Mexico. Wow. And that is just one Canadian province. Vast country, eh. Good thing nearly all 37 million of us live within 100 km of the southern border, gathered
Continue readingwmtc: essential reading on anti-racism: "we can’t tinker around the edges. we need to dismantle systems."
During the current focus on systemic racism, this is likely the best essay I’ve read. It’s written in a US context, but it applies to Canada, both for Indigenous people and black Canadians. I hope you’ll read it and share it. * * * * * What the Courage to
Continue readingwmtc: "at your library" column in the north island eagle: two columns suddenly without relevance, part 2
This ran after the library was closed… and it’s about a resource that can only be accessed in our branches! Ancestry Library: Your Library Can Help You Discover Your Roots Many Canadians are interested in learning about their family background. After all, unless you’re an Indigenous person, your ancestors were
Continue readingwmtc: farmers concerned about harvest labour: improve working conditions, hire locally
I’ve read that the recent border closures, part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, have raised concerns in the agricultural sector. Farmers are worried that there will be a shortage of the seasonal workers they employ — and depend on — at harvest time. Farmers normally apply
Continue readingwmtc: help nominate tommy douglas as the face of the next $5 bill
There’s a movement to put the face of Tommy Douglas on the next Canadian $5 bill. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? And wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants to those who seek to privatize our health care system? Go here to nominate Tommy Douglas.
Continue readingwmtc: help nominate tommy douglas as the face of the next $5 bill
There’s a movement to put the face of Tommy Douglas on the next Canadian $5 bill. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? And wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants to those who seek to privatize our health care system? Go here to nominate Tommy Douglas.
Continue readingwmtc: help nominate tommy douglas as the face of the next $5 bill
There’s a movement to put the face of Tommy Douglas on the next Canadian $5 bill. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? And wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants to those who seek to privatize our health care system? Go here to nominate Tommy Douglas.
Continue reading