By Julia Beazley There’s been a lot of muscle flexing in Ottawa lately. Many of us have watched (perhaps, with amusement… and some measure of bewilderment) as the media published images of MP Justin Trudeau (Lib – Papineau) and Senator Patrick Brazeau (CPC – Quebec) flexing their shirtless muscles and talking smack as they prepare… Read More
By Julia Beazley The other day I stumbled across a web site that deeply troubled me. The particular post that led me there in the first place was one that had, by its own admission, intentionally and misleadingly ‘cited’ studies revealing that women, particularly college women, who were victims of acquaintance rape, not only didn’t… Read More
(As originally published in the January/February 2012 issue of Faith Today) Journalists, politicians and concerned Canadians have all recently struggled to learn the proper pronunciation of Attawapiskat, and to comprehend the deplorable conditions of this northern Ontario community suddenly thrust into the national spotlight. The severe poverty and critical needs for health, housing and sanitation… Read More
The other morning as I scanned news headlines related to human trafficking, I came across two – one after the other – that stopped me in my tracks. “Ottawa police are trying to track down a 22-year old man on a Canada-wide arrest warrant in relation to human trafficking…” And, “A Toronto man has been… Read More
In the past few months, one of my street friends has become involved with a 20 year old ‘working girl’, as he calls her. As you might expect, it’s not been a simple relationship. Both struggle with addiction and deep brokenness. There is a significant age difference. And he’s never entirely sure when she is… Read More
Guest Blogger: Karen Stiller, Associate Editor, Faith Today Magazine I’m certain that it is unprofessional to break down and start crying during an interview for a magazine story — especially when you’re the one doing the interviewing. But that’s what I did recently, near the end of a gruelling hour-and a-half long conversation with Katarina MacLeod.… Read More
Today is the 21st anniversary of Parliament’s unanimous resolution to eliminate child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. As it does each year on the anniversary of the resolution, Campaign 2000 has released its annual report card on child poverty. This year’s report, entitled Reduced Poverty = Better Health for All, reveals that 1… Read More
Canada’s Justice Minister, Rob Nicholson, has called on Craigslist to immediately shut down its erotic services listings across the nation. Joining five provinces that have initiated similar action, Minister Nicholson noted he had sent a letter to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster demanding the site shut down its erotic services ads. Listings such as those on… Read More
Wow. That line is the conclusion of an article in the Life section of today’s Globe and Mail, titled, How to Revel in Porn and Feel Good About It. I started reading, hoping – and I’ll admit, expecting – to find that the title was intended to be ironic. Instead, the piece is a matter-of-fact,… Read More
As part of my ongoing research, I subscribe to a number of ‘google alerts’. A handy tool for getting a quick look each day at what’s out there in cyberspace on issues of interest to you. At a glance, I can scour headlines from around the world on issues of poverty, homelessness, human trafficking. And… Read More