Same-sex marriage – does love really conquer all? By Douglas Allen ABC’s television show Modern Family is amazing entertainment. It is brilliantly written and acted, and well-deserving of its numerous Emmy and Golden Globe awards. It is also post-modern propaganda. The show is centered around Jay Pritchett and his immediate family members. Jay is a 60-something wealthy [...]
Justin Trudeau still defining himself on the public stage By James Anderson To a great many voters, Justin Trudeau evokes memories of his famous father, a man who ruled Canada for almost 16 tumultuous years, a period during which Canada saw rates of inflation so high that the government felt it necessary to impose wage [...]
Christy Clark setting herself up to lose her own riding in BC Election 2013 Christy Clark’s world is a simple place. She says something borderline outrageous. Her opponent is supposed to rush to the microphones and cameras and say something outrageous in return. That way, Christy Clark ends up looking like the moderate one. Lather, [...]
Canada and its history if often rewritten by Hollywood By Fred Donnelly “Eliding” is the process by which something is made to disappear or fade away. Canadians saw the beginnings of eliding of the country’s reputation when Hollywood named Argo Best Picture for 2012. Directed by and starring Ben Affleck, the movie, which gives an account of [...]
Good luck to Justin Trudeau, he’ll need it By Margo Goodhand I am not a member of the Liberal Party. I have voted everything from Green to NDP to Liberal, depending on the candidate in my area. But I’m watching new Liberal leader Justin Trudeau these days as he goes up against Team Harper, [...]
Social media sites need to develop new policies and rules By Terry Field Looking at pictures of a smiling Rehtaeh Parsons is heartbreaking. The Halifax teenager took her own life after a photo that allegedly depicted her being sexually assaulted by a group of boys was shared, and quickly reached everyone she knew. Bullied [...]
Boston Marathon bombing almost certainly terrorist act By Jean-Sébastien Rioux The Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013 was horrifying. We saw countless scenes of wounded marathoners and their families and friends caught in the blasts, as well as the image of young Martin Richard, the eight year-old victim of this murderous act who [...]
Fuelling up the family minvan creates demand for oil, which necessitates pipelines like Keystone XL By Dr. Jennifer Winter The approval of Keystone XL by Nebraska Governor Dave Heinemen has caused a lot of media excitement, as did the State Department’s latest environmental assessment. A consequence of “positive” developments in the approval saga is [...]
Margaret Thatcher neoliberal revolution deserves to be condemned Oh my – quelle horreur! – naughty Britons still appalled by the depredations visited upon their country by the Margaret Thatcher government have shocked and appalled the world by pushing “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead!” to the top of the charts. In case you missed it, the former British prime minister, [...]
Leftists say the Canadian abortion debate is closed – is it? By Jackson Doughart The attitude of the Canadian political left toward the Canadian abortion debate can be best described as petulant, informed as it is by an insatiable annoyance with dissent on this perennial issue. For pro-choicers, the prospect of discussing the ethical [...]
Suzanne Somers promotes alternative therapies for cancer treatment By Jonathan Kay The term “conspiracy theory” summons images fromThe X-Files and the stories of Thomas Pynchon. But as I argued in my 2011 HarperCollins book,Among the Truthers, conspiracy theories can have real and corrosive effects on the marketplace of ideas and on the political sphere that [...]
Federal government can meet greenhouse gas targets if it acts now By Clare Demerse Let’s say you’re a government with a bit of a green image problem. You also happen to have an oilsands sector that’s facing challenges on environmental grounds everywhere you turn. You’ve already tried giving speeches. Sending minister afterminister to the U.S. doesn’t seem to have convinced [...]
Northern Gateway provides too few jobs for risk to environment I’m just an average BC citizen who doesn’t want to see our coast along with First Nations and our wilderness become victims of the Tar Sands. Specifically, I’m referring to Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. I am not a member of any environmental organization ie: [...]
Public sector pensions issue could favour BC Conservatives in close ridings The average citizen has a number of expectations that they bring with them. Unfortunately, some of them are wrong. One of the big ones is the notion that tax dollars go for programs. Few recognize the commitments that come first, taking tax dollars away from [...]
Ralph Klein was a great guy to tipple with, even if he wasn’t a great premier The scene: Just before Christmas 2001 at the Legislative Press Gallery’s Holiday “Gala,” a conversation takes place amidst of a swirl of intoxicated journalists, politicians, public relations flacks, lobbyists and other political hangers on. The cast: Ralph Klein, premier of [...]
Sharkwater director Rob Stewart launches latest film ‘Revolution’
‘Revolution’ documentary is anticipated follow-up to Rob Stewart’s ‘Sharkwater’ Canadian filmmaker Rob Stewart was in Calgary yesterday promoting a follow-up film to his award-winning documentary Sharkwater. Stewart spoke to The Beacon News about his latest film Revolution. Stewart’s mission is simple, if a little ambitious – save humanity. The Canadian conservationist has expanded the scope of his [...]
The Arts must innovate to survive in today’s world
Giving value to the arts and culture By Shawna Stirrett Traditional arts groups such as orchestras, ballets, operas and theatres that neglect to think about how they fit into the broader social context and respond accordingly will fail. This might not happen today or the next day, but the writing is on the wall. While [...]
Historic Barkerville exhibit to tour British Columbia and China
Barkerville exhibit captures Chinese experience during Cariboo Gold Rush An exhibit depicting the lives of Chinese immigrants during the Cariboo Gold Rush will travel to China next year thanks to a $20,000 grant from the B.C. government. The Barkerville exhibit is put together from archives kept in the historic gold rush town, which capture the [...]