In more than a decade of journalism, political and social issues have been a central focus of my work.
From award-recognized coverage of missing and murdered aboriginal women, to reporting from the election campaign trenches at the federal, provincial and municipal levels, my work has been published in the National Post, Toronto Star, The Tyee, Briarpatch, THIS Magazine, and Vancouver Observer.
Below are some samples from my politics portfolio.
Vancouver’s housing crisis worsened in the Downtown Eastside in the past year, according to a report released yesterday by an activist housing group, with fewer and fewer Single Resident Occupancy (SROS) rentals within reach of many residents’ budgets.
Explosive allegations of gang rape, widespread abuse and anti-Native racism have rocked Canada’s national police force, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), which vowed on February 13 to investigate the claims by one of the world’s leading rights groups.
Idle No More’s founders and leaders are determined to keep the movement’s momentum going and to maintain pressure on aboriginal leaders and the federal government to enact concrete change.
When the housing crisis in Attawapiskat First Nation made headlines worldwide in October 2011 after the community declared a state of emergency, few had heard of the band’s chief, Theresa Spence. Now, because of a hunger strike she launched in the shadow of Parliament Hill, Spence has become a household name across Canada, and a symbol of the still-growing Idle No More movement.
You’ve heard the names. You’ve seen the headlines. But what, exactly, is Enbridge – the key player behind Canada’s most controversial industrial proposal?
As Idle No More explodes across the country–galvanized, at least initially, by controversial omnibus legislation–two First Nations in Alberta have taken the federal government to court over the matter.
If we are serious about dealing with the heterosexism and transphobia that young queer people face in the school system, it requires doing far more than having GSAs, says Gary Kinsman. Photo published in Xtra!
As one of the four Saskatchewan women who founded the Idle No More movement late last year–a phenomenon which in only two months has transformed the conversation in Canada around Indigenous People – Sylvia McAdam has faced a steep learning curve about social activism, political manoeuvering, and media spin.
As Idle No More prepares for its next day of action on January 28, Indigenous activists and thinkers are taking time to reflect on the grassroots movement
Ontario is leading the way towards an American-style private health care system, says the Ontario Health Coalition. But communities are mobilizing to protect medicare.
David P Ball 