Local wind energy project is dividing Thunder Bay residents

Ian Kaufman

Features Editor

To many people, the idea of opposing a wind energy development seems ludicrous. Wind farms, from their name up, conjure a compelling mix of pastoral and futuristic images: verdant fields and iconic, shining white structures often described as sleek and elegant. They are used to symbolize the growing sustainability and environmental movement. When Barrack Obama made wind energy a noticeable part of his platform during the 2008 election campaign, it seemed to epitomize his appeal: fresh, forward-looking, and idealistic, but practical and serious at the same time.

It is against this backdrop that a Toronto-based company, Horizon Wind Inc., recently announced their intention to build an 18-turbine facility in Thunder Bay. The company is looking to lease a 17,000 acre property on the Nor’Wester mountain range neighbouring the Loch Lomond ski hill. They say the development, named the “Big Thunder Wind Park”, will power 9,000 Thunder Bay homes.

A rough estimation of Thunder Bay’s energy situation puts the city’s potential generation around 1500 megawatts. Of that, hydro makes up about 700 mW, coal 525 mW, and natural gas 150 mW. With the McGuinty government’s plan to phase out coal by 2014, potential generation would be reduced to around 900 mW – still almost twice the peak energy use, which sits just over 500 mW.

The proposed wind project has divided many of the residents of Thunder Bay. While a facebook page supporting it has drawn over a thousand fans, but it has equally generated concerns and an organized resistance.

Wind’s green cred means that critics of wind projects often get pigeonholed as paranoid, anti-environment wingnuts. Meeting with some of the opponents of the Big Thunder project is enough to dispel this preconception. Anna Marchese, a member of the Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee, lives near the proposed development with her family. Like many other critics of industrial wind power, she initially welcomed the idea.

“At first, neighbours called [with concerns], but I didn’t think anything of it. I thought, so? It’s a windmill. Nothing to worry about. After two or three phone calls, I thought maybe I should start digging around. I went on the computer, I started asking other neighbours, I started asking my husband’s doctors.” What Marchese’s digging unearthed was surprising. Wind farms face a slew of criticisms on financial, technical, political, health-related, and even environmental grounds.

Financial

Wind energy is certainly more expensive than conventional energy; the province pays producers 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared to the average provincial cost of about 6 cents. “Wind and solar are great sources: they’re green, they’re clean. But they can be expensive,” says City Councilor Larry Hebert, who served as General Manager of Thunder Bay Hydro for 20 years.

“Ontario is very encouraging, under its programs, to get into those things, but there’s a cost to pay – and that’s starting to come home with the hydro bills that are coming out. It’s shown on the bills as ‘Provincial Benefit’ right now, and there’s a number of things that go into it, but one of them is the cost of green energy.”

Of course, factoring in “external costs” – the incalculable social and environmental costs associated with fossil fuels – may well justify this added expense. The city of Thunder Bay will receive $275,000 in taxes if the wind park land lease is approved. If so, it will be the first wind farm in Ontario on municipal lands – usually they are located on privately-owned agricultural land. On the flipside, critics counter that this sum will be counter-balanced by a drop in tax revenue with the possible devaluation of the homes near the wind farm.

Technical

The technical criticisms of wind power mostly focus on its unreliability. Birbal Singh, a Lakehead professor of Mechanical Engineering, explains the dilemma: “You cannot design a power plant for the normal demand;” rather, it must be designed for peak capacity. “The problem with wind is, if you want to guarantee 10 mW, you have to design for 100 mW, because sometimes it’s only running at %10 capacity. With oil and natural gas, if you want 10 mW, you get 10 mW, guaranteed.”

This unpredictability means that other sources of power will still be required as backups. Some charge that the resulting fluctuation in output on the part of the backup sources makes them less efficient, resulting in increased carbon emissions and energy use. In the case of the Horizon project, with its potential generation of 27 mW, this compensation would be minimal. This could, however, become an issue in the future.

Singh brings up a neglected angle in the wind debate: our energy expectations. Growing up in India gives him a different perspective on the issue. “Back home, we get electricity for three hours a day, and that’s not even guaranteed. People are used to that. Here, if you supply people three hours of electricity – first thing, they will freeze to death. But even in the summer, nobody will tolerate that. Wind power in India is increasing, and it’s a great idea. People are happy to get three hours a day.”

Political

The recently-passed Ontario Green Energy and Economy Act (usually referred to simply as the Green Energy Act) has stirred some controversy, especially with municipal authorities. The Act gives the province increased power over energy issues, at the expense of municipalities.

“They took away meaningful local input from the community,” says City Councilor Linda Rydholm. “So now we’re in a situation where the province has changed the rules; now approval for this energy project rests between the company and the province.”

Health-related

Health concerns surrounding wind farms may be the most divisive of the criticisms of wind farms. People who have lived in close proximity to wind turbines sometimes claim effects including heart arrhythmia, headaches, stress, and loss of sleep; however, there is a paucity of scientific evidence to back up these claims. Wind’s critics say that there simply has not been sufficient time to study these issues; defenders counter that anecdotal evidence is insufficient, and that health complaints are either psycho-somatic or attempts for fiscal compensation from wind companies.

Horizon is unequivocal in its dismissal of this anecdotal evidence. In a 2008 Media and Councillor Information Kit, they state: “In over twenty-five years and with more than 68,000 turbines installed around the world, no member of the public has ever been harmed by wind turbines.”

The health effects, if valid, stem from the noise generated by the rotation of the propellers. In the case of large turbines, like those proposed at Big Thunder, low-frequency sound is generated – often low enough that it falls below the human level of audibility. It is possible that the repetitive vibrations from the turbines disturb human health.

Says Marchese: “Doctors are not agreeing; some are saying it can’t make people sick, some are saying it can. Our position is that, if you don’t know, then you invoke the precautionary principle and you do a third-party study to find out.”

Currently, Ontario requires turbines to be a minimum of 550 metres from residences. Other jurisdictions have pegged the distance (known as “setback”) anywhere from 300 metres to 1.5 km. Marchese calls the legitimacy of the province’s number into question. “Ontario studied [setback distances] 18 months ago, but noone knows what reason they have for that distance.”

Environmental

The Nor’Wester Mountain Escarpment Protection Committee believes the proposed Big Thunder wind park is not as eco-friendly as it is marketed to be. They allege that the $75 million project will devastate the landscape with access roads and construction, threatening the structural integrity of the mountain and the health of the watershed, as well as posing a danger to birds and bats.

In a letter to the Chronicle-Journal, Lakehead President Fred Gilbert – never hesitant to voice an unpopular opinion – puts himself squarely in this camp. “The Nor‘Wester location is an ecologically sensitive area representing the northernmost extension of the Great Lakes Hardwood Forest, with attendant species not found elsewhere in Northwestern Ontario…

“The potential for habitat impact in an ecologically sensitive area is high with the Horizon Wind Inc. development and should have been considered seriously. It is now too late for sober second thought but city council ‘blew’ this one!”

However, some are more skeptical of these claims. Dr. Philip Fralick, professor of Geology at Lakehead, dismisses the concerns about the Nor’wester’s structural integrity, pointing out that the weight of the turbines is miniscule compared to that of the mountain, even considering that it is made up of relatively “light” rock.

Notwithstanding the numerous concerns brought forward by its opponents, Big Thunder wind park Project Developer Nhung Nguyen believes that the proximity of the turbines to people’s homes is the real sticking point. “I think all of the concerns about wind projects really boil down to setback distances,” she says. This is one thing upon which Horizon and its critics can seemingly agree.

“That’s our concern,” Marchese . “If you move [the turbines] away from people, it doesn’t interrupt their view-shed, it doesn’t interfere with their health, they’re not going to [contaminate] the water, they’re not going to destroy the mountain. If you put them further back, it’s problem solved.”

So is there any chance Horizon will compromise on this decisive issue? The company is set to make an announcement on Wednesday, April 7^th that Nguyen hopes will satisfy those who are concerned about the project.

“We’ve been really thinking about all of people’s comments. So next week, we’re going to be making an announcement,” she says. “We think that this will be a good response to people’s concerns.”

Will this mysterious response involve changes to Horizon’s contentious plans, or simply a rhetorical volley with the company’s critics? “It will be a modification of the plans,” Nguyen confirms. “With this change to the proposal, we hope that we’re being very accommodating. As to whether [those opposed to the project] will be satisfied with it, I can’t speak to that. But I can certainly say that we’ve tried our best.”

Although Nguyen could not reveal what that “modification of plans” will entail, the most obvious possibility is to move back the turbines closest to homes in the area – some will be within about 600 metres. This week could see the resolution of the conflict over this energy development – stay tuned.

A food-lover’s guide

Ian Kaufman

Features Editor

There are many reasons to take stock of how we eat, ranging from the grandiose to the personal: an interest in combating the environmental and social destruction that so often accompany the production of our food, health concerns, or simply a penchant for deliciousness. An answer to many aspects of these issues is the relocalization of food. Local food is by no means a cure-all for environmental or social ills, and it is not necessarily any healthier or more delicious – but it certainly tends in all of those directions.

Localization can create stable regional employment, as well as reducing dependence on fossil fuels used in food production and distribution. Aside from the economic advantages, it also means forging relationships in the community. Buying food from a local farmer (or growing it yourself) is far different from grabbing packaged goods at Safeway or Walmart. It affords us an awareness of the food’s quality and its social and environmental impacts – and it can be a lot more fun and satisfying.

Realistically, though, it can also be a lot harder. The siren song of convenience, in the form of fast food and well-stocked, 24-hour grocery chains, makes it difficult to stick to resolutions of local, healthy diets. With the right information and a little planning, however, you can steer clear of the neon glow of the Metros and McDonald’s of the world, eat better, and help foster a sustainable local economy. This guide lays out some of the best ways to go local in Thunder Bay: visiting farmer’s markets, frequenting stores and restaurants that stock local food, participating in CSAs and community gardens, and growing and preserving some of your own food.

Farmer’s markets

Country Market

The first and easiest stop for local food is the Country Market. If you do it right, you can pick up a significant portion of your groceries here. If it can be grown, raised, or made in the region, you will likely find it here: fruits and veggies, cheese, meat and fish, flour, bread and other baked goods, jams and preserves, honey, and a lot more – all produced within a few dozen kilometers of Thunder Bay.

In the summer, Derek Lucchese of Both Hands Bread serves pizza, freshly baked out of his innovative wood-fired oven/trailer; you can sit and enjoy breakfast from Nature’s Choice and a coffee from the Great Northwest Coffee Co. all year round. The market additionally hosts local potters, woodworkers, knitters, and other craftspeople.

Where: Dove building on the CLE grounds (Memorial St., beside Silver City theatre)

When: Saturdays 8am-1pm, Wednesdays 4pm-8pm

Downtown Artisan and Farmer’s Market

A relative newcomer, this market has quickly made a name for itself, helping to add some spice – literally and figuratively - to downtown Fort William. “You can see the front door of City Hall,” points out market owner Jim Garriock. “When towns first started, that’s where farmer’s markets were, in the hub of the city.” The market brings thousands of people through the downtown core, says Garriock. Although its focus is more on local craftspeople and artisans, it hosts its share of local food producers as well – mainly small farmers and bakers.

Where: 507 Victoria Ave. E

When: Saturdays 9am – 3pm

Community Supported Agriculture

Boreal Edge Farm CSA

Based out of Nolalu (40 km west of Thunder Bay), Boreal Edge has brought the increasingly popular Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model as an option to area residents. Members buy a share in the year’s harvest and receive 14 weeks of produce, which conveniently enough is dropped off at the university every Wednesday. Shares cost $600, which breaks down to just over $40 per week. Boreal says that shares comfortably provide a week’s vegetables for a family of four. But for those looking to save money, there is the additional option of a work share, which substitutes a weekly four hours of work for the cost of a share.

The farm offers a smattering of other options: they are partnering with other local food producers to provide bread and eggs with their shares for those who want them; for students who leave for the summer, there are “fall shares” that provide $100 worth of food at their Country Market booth for $85; there are also “storage shares” at that time including preserves, honey, and crops like potatoes, carrots, and onions for winter storage. There are still shares remaining for this year – check out their website (http://sites.google.com/site/borealedgefarm/home).

Community gardens

Every spring, Thunder Bay residents have the option of participating in a community garden. While some of these gardens operate on a principle of work-sharing and harvest-sharing, most prefer to allot individual plots within the garden. Some are free, and some charge a marginal cost. Here at the university, we have the campus community garden, a Food Security Research Network (FSRN) project. The campus garden offers over a hundred plots on a first-come, first-serve basis and is already booked for this year. If you are interested in an on-campus plot for next year, you would be well-advised to sign up early! The garden welcomes beginners as well as experienced gardeners.

Other community gardens are springing up more or less informally across the city. More information on these emerging opportunities for urban agriculture can be obtained through the city’s Community Garden Collective on the Thunder Bay District Health Unit website.

Grow it yourself!

Of course, there is always the option of starting your own impromptu vegetable garden in a backyard or a planter. Herbs like basil, mint, and parsley are a good place to start for beginners; tomatoes and beans are also relatively low-maintenance, and can be grown indoors by a windowsill.

Grocery stores

Despite paying lip service to organic and local food, large grocery chains have yet to really follow through. Smaller local operations are a little more open to the idea. George’s Market, for example, distinguishes itself by carrying local produce in the summer as well as local cheese, meat, and eggs. Baking is done on the premises. Maltese grocery, meanwhile, features some local meats, including lamb, rabbit, and beef. You can also find herbs, Thunder Oaks cheese, and baked goods.

Eating out

Thunder Bay’s restaurants, like its grocery stores, have yet to catch on to the growing demand for local food. There are a few exceptions, however. Partnerships between Thunder Bay’s farmer’s and some of its more imaginative restaurants have begun springing up.

The Growing Season Juice Collective

Don’t let their name fool you – The Growing Season offers a lot more than juice. They offer fresh, local pizza and bread courtesy of Both Hands Bread. Other baked goods are provided by Renate Nitsche of Nature’s Choice, who is also behind the Country Market Café and The Study’s baked goods. Local cheese and veggies are supplemented by sprouts grown in-house, and sometimes, local elk sausage.

The Organic Garden Café

A well-kept secret mostly known for their Friday veggie burgers, the Organic Café also serves a fair amount of local food. Besides a partnership with Both Hands Bread, the café apparently grows much of their own produce. Worth a visit, especially for the vegetarians and vegans walking amongst us.

Caribou Restaurant & Wine Bar

Although its higher prices mean students usually reserve their visits for special occasions, Caribou finds itself among the handful of restaurants making an effort to incorporate local produce into their menu. In the summer months, they use produce from Belluz farms and Debruin’s greenhouses, while Thunder Oaks’ famous gouda graces some dishes, including their popular mushroom crepes. They have also recently added beef from Terrymore Farms (located in South Gillies) and local maple syrup for desserts.

The Good News Café

Another good option for local dining is the Good News café, located in downtown Fort William. With a cozy atmosphere and a moderately fancy tone, it’s a comfortable compromise between fine and casual dining. It’s also vegetarian-friendly.

Photo by Cole Breiland

Thunder Bay Roller Derby League kicks ass, takes names, and is ready for more

Stacey Goyan

News Editor

It doesn’t take long for derby to evangelize you. Surrounded by drama props and music stands, fifteen women skate in a taped oval in the basement of the old Eaton’s Centre. They zip past in an intense blur of fishnets and stripes.

Two skaters come up from behind, wearing “panties” on their helmets marked with a star—they are the jammers. These women fight through the pack of “blockers” to get through and eventually score a point for their team – that is, if they’re not knocked out by members of the opposing team. They hit each other, they fall flat on their faces, and they laugh uncontrollably while doing it. This is roller derby.

The Birth of Derby

Roller derby is said to have been birthed by Leo Slatzer in 1930s Chicago. It began in the form of marathon roller skating, in which a team of one male and one female would take turns skating 57,000 laps or 4,000 miles.

Once it was suggested that body contact would boost audience attendance, Slatzer revised the sport to look more like what is seen today. Despite this, the sport experienced a decline during the ‘70s, but saw a resurgence with the introduction of aggressive all female teams.

Two distinct forms of derby emerged: flat track and bank track. Bank track, a form of derby on a slanted elevated surface, has been popularized through films like “Whip It,” and televisions shows such as “Rollergirl.”

Flat track is considered the more athletic of the two, requiring skaters to rely more on their own abilities than the track. As well, flat tracks can be set up anywhere and involve very minimal start-up costs. This means that sponsors aren’t necessary, giving more control to the individual skaters on how their team is run.

In 2004, a small number of flat track teams gathered to form the United Leagues Coalition. By 2005, the league had amassed over 30 teams and changed its name to the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. The WFTDA coordinates games and provides insurance and resources for flat track teams.

Thunder Bay got its first taste of roller derby in November 2008 when Judzilla, a new girl in town, decided she wanted to make some new friends. She gathered a group of women and held some meetings. After teaching themselves the sport, they shared their experiences with new skaters, spawning the Thunder Bay Roller Derby League. Once they had honed their skills, they formed the Babes of Thunder, their first full competitive team.

Recently, the Babes competed against Winnipeg’s Murder City Maidens in a “First Blood” bout. Despite losing the match, the Babes say they are happy with their performance. “We made them work for their points,” says Brandy Poulice, a.k.a. Brandy Brews.

Home, not-so-sweet home?

It’s not easy coordinating derby in Thunder Bay. The girls found a home this summer at the Penalty Box, but once the rink was flooded for winter, they retreated to the basement of the old Eaton’s centre in downtown Port Arthur.

The track is formed with tape around three cement pillars that threaten to painfully halt a distracted skater in her tracks. As well, because the floor is tiled, the surface is much more slippery, making control more difficult than on a regulation surface. This makes holding games a challenge during the winter months. It’s a safety issue that the girls have to keep in mind; as one skater put it, “it’s frankly dangerous.”

So why not go somewhere else? Because no one will have them. The skaters are turned down from better facilities because owners fear damage from the skating and the rough play they see in Hollywood movies.

The girls say these ideas are misconceptions. Most roller derby skates are designed to not cause marks on surfaces, thus preventing damage. As well, there are no WWE style fights in this form of derby. The Babes of Thunder emphasize strategy and skill over crude blows and flat out violence. Regardless, finding sufficient practice space has proven a lingering challenge for the league.

This is not “Whip It”

Ladies looking to deliver a solid blow to the face will not find what they are looking for in Thunder Bay’s roller derby scene. While the league acknowledges the general accuracy of Drew Barrymore’s directorial hit “Whip It,” they are quick to point out the differences between the two different styles of derby.

First of all, forget throwing blows to the face. Babes of Thunder play a distinctly different type of roller derby called flat track, as opposed to the bank track featured in Barrymore’s film. In a flat track game, tripping or hitting with the arm is considered a minor penalty. A player who accumulates too many penalties will get sent off the track for a one-minute time out. Fighting or gross misconduct will get a player thrown out of the game.

Second, it’s not just about fashion and attitude. As Jolene Desbiens, aka Snach Drag’n, points out, “people forget we are athletes [and that] this is an athletic sport.” By the end of the practice, the girls’ hair is matted and their makeup starts to mingle with streams of sweat. Some Facebook pictures even boast markings from where fishnets have dug into their legs and left lingering marks. Despite this, women just old enough to drink play alongside middle-aged moms in the league, often with equal ability.

Third, and most importantly, derby isn’t a one-size-fits-all sport. Virtually every skater in “Whip It” fits the slender Hollywood female stereotype, as exemplified by Ellen Paige. Derby welcomes women of all shapes, sizes, ages, and fitness levels. “This is the only sport… that is all female, where it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you look like,” says Desbiens. “Nothing matters here; Everybody’s accepted equally.”

Derby girl culture

While it is first and foremost a sport, derby culture emphasizes individuality and camaraderie as much as it does beating other girls up. While “Whip It” emphasizes the glamour and fashion of derby culture, Brandy says that each girl brings their own expectations and experiences to the sport, ultimately resulting in a very unique manifestation of their derby girl persona.

Self-definition plays a large part in derby. The skater name has become tied to the sport and the icon of the derby girl. Sometimes a skater will pick something significant from their past, emphasizing personal experience. Other names emphasize things that are specifically female (Clint Taurus), aggression (Juanna Piece), or just plain funny (Jamburglar). There are no rules about how a skater can name herself. While she may choose a name right away, she is also able to take her time and name herself later on.

The derby girl’s image is her own to create. While the girls do wear team shirts with names and numbers on the back, accessories, hairstyles, and any other form of dress are left to the individual. Some women wear studded belts, fishnets, and skulls, while others simply skate in something comfortable. Snach Drag’n, a spritely blonde woman, skates wearing her signature “snachie” underwear. She says she’s so attached to her fishnet stockings, she wears them under her pants at work.

Sometimes the derby girl doesn’t come out at all. While attitude and a kick-ass persona are hallmarks of the sport, they aren’t requirements. What’s most important about roller derby is the game – the rest is just a bonus.

Wanna be “fresh meat?”

Diane Meronyk, also known as Clint Taurus, wanted to get involved in the league but wasn’t into hitting. Sporting white-and-black derby skins, Diane referees the scrimmages, making sure the girls follow the rules.

“I think that there’s some misconceptions that we’re really violent,” says Meronyk. Even terrifyingly named techniques like the “triangle of death” involve little more than the type of shoulder checks you would see in a hockey game. Two skaters on either side knock the middle girl with their shoulders. The hits aren’t alarmingly hard, and are intended to get the skaters used to the contact.

Moreover, the “fresh meat” decide when they are ready to start hitting and taking hits. The first few practices for a newbie involve learning how to skate and take a fall. A new skater won’t be hit until she says she is ready to be. Pulice says the only pain you’ll feel after the first practice is from the workout.

But before that, a skater needs her derby gear. While the league has spare equipment in the back for those looking to try it out, adequate equipment can range from $200 and up. Skaters require derby style skates, protective pads, helmets, and a mouth guard. The safety of the skater is the main priority.

Once the newbie has her skating down, the girls take the rest fairly slowly. Most of the skaters on the Babes of Thunder are self-taught and share their knowledge with newer skaters. When the skaters feel like they need more practice on something specific, they break off into smaller groups to work on the techniques they feel they need to improve.

While the first group wants to practice snowploughing (a blocking technique), another moves to a darkened corner to work on their tomahawk, which is a quick turn, and a third practices hitting. Males are also welcome to participate in the league, but not in the sport. Men looking to help can serve as coaches, volunteers, or referees.

Looking to the future

Ask any skater and they will agree that what bonds the league together is a friendship that is quick to form, and persistent. Derby is more than just a sport, it’s a sisterhood. Someone without a clue about roller derby could walk in and instantly make fifteen new friends, which is exactly what they are hoping for.

With one bout under their belt, the Babes say they will be looking to improve their skills. Fresh meat coordinator Maarit Wolfe, aka “Kwik E Mart”, says that the league will also be focusing on recruiting more skaters, volunteers, and referees to fortify the team before their next bouts. While no dates are finalized, the Babes of Thunder are hoping to bring the Winnipeg team to Thunder Bay for a few bouts over the summer.

Individuals interested in participating in the Thunder Bay Roller Derby league can find more information on their website, www.tbayrollergirls.com, or come out to their fresh meat information session on Sunday March 28^th in the basement of the Eaton’s building.

Ian Kaufman

The party’s over. The tourists, athletes, journalists, and members of the International Olympic Committee’s prestigious “Olympic family” have all gone home, weighed down with medals, souvenirs, and other Olympic loot. And with last week’s closing ceremonies bringing the games to a conclusion that would have been laughable, were if not for the colossal squandering of resources it represented (around $40 million, together with the opening ceremonies), it’s generally understood that the media moves on to talk about something else – gender-neutral O Canada lyrics, anyone?
But although the medal count is already etched into the proverbial history books, for Vancouverites – and, to a lesser degree, all Canadians – the story of the 2010 Olympics is still playing itself out. This is something the citizens of Montreal, who finally paid off the debt on their 1976 Olympic stadium in 2006, know all too well: the full effects of holding the games often aren’t clear until long afterwards. It’s still early, but Vancouver’s Olympics look to have cost $6-9 billion. Meanwhile, BC has posted a record deficit and slashed social programs.
But some ask, isn’t hosting the Olympics like throwing a big party? Most of us unbegrudgingly spend money on booze, snacks, and maybe some decorations when holding a party – and we know that a few weeks later, a friend will do the same for us. Olympics boosters point out that two years later, another place bears the cost of holding the event, opening their city up for the world’s biggest party. This reasoning appeals to all the rosiest ideals of global community and reciprocity. But it’s worth asking: who pays for the party, and who pulls a profit?
The first nail in that metaphor’s coffin is that this is one hell of an expensive party: when was the last time you spent six or seven times your annual budget to show some friends a good time? This Magazine recently assessed the total cost of the 2010 games to be over $9.2 billion. To put this in perspective, Vancouver’s annual budget is around $1 billion, while BC’s total spending for this year is estimated at $40 billion. This may have highballed the tab a bit, depending on who’s counting, but it seems certain that the figure is at least $6 billion, and possibly much more – a far cry from the $1.76 billion official budget of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).
The crucial variable in tabulating the cost of the games is infrastructure, such as the expansion of the Sea-to-Sky Highway connecting Vancouver and Whistler. This Magazine factored the expansion into their estimate, saying the work would not have been undertaken if not for the Olympics. As one of the province’s most dangerous stretches of road, however, it was destined for some kind of renovation. But pressure from the IOC, who made the expansion an unofficial precondition of awarding Vancouver the bid, was related to speeding up the travel time to Whistler, not increasing safety. Without this pressure, work would certainly have proceeded at a more measured pace.
That might have saved the section of Eagleridge Bluffs that was blown up and paved over for the project. The Bluffs are a gorgeous chunk of BC’s coastline, home to a handful of endangered species and rare trees. The decision to build the highway over the Bluffs rather than running a tunnel under them (the lesser of two evils) might have been avoided, had Vancouver followed the twenty-year timeframe proposed for the expansion before the Olympic bid. Perhaps environmental activist Harriet Nahanee would not have had to spend some of her last days in prison after participating in a blockade of construction on the Bluffs. Nahanee, who was in poor health at the time, was sentenced with contempt of court, contracted pneumonia in jail, and died shortly after her release.
A less contentious example of Olympics-related infrastructure spending is the Canada Line, a high-speed rail project connecting Vancouver International Airport with Richmond and downtown Vancouver. The line is touted as a “green” project with the potential to save hundreds of thousands of car trips per day.
Both the Sea-to-Sky expansion and the Canada Line can be generously seen as projects which would have taken place regardless, albeit much more slowly and cheaply. Still, if we completely remove both projects from the Olympic ledger, as BC Premier Gordon Campbell insists, this leaves the total bill at around $6 billion.
The other notable slices in this multi-billion dollar pie are the original bidding process, venue construction and upgrading, the Athletes Village, expenses for government and IOC members, and security. In a remarkable example of teamwork, the three levels of government somehow managed to rack up $1 billion in security costs. Official projections had allotted only $175 million – but that’s the cost of holding the games in the “post-9/11 world”, according to the IOC.
So who pays for all of this? VANOC’s $1.76 billion budget is financed roughly equally by three sources: provincial funding, federal funding, and the %49 of sponsorship and television revenue not claimed by the IOC. Although that budget is technically supposed to cover the full cost of staging the Olympics, the extra four or five billion dollars will be made up by Vancouver, BC, and Canada. Governments must assume legal responsibility for overruns in order to be selected by the IOC, as well as granting the organization tax-exempt status.
While it’s all well and good to talk about the legacy of the Olympics in dollars, all of those zeros can obscure the real effects of holding the games. Government money may increasingly seem to come out of nowhere, but a week after the games wrapped up, some palpable effects of this diversion of funding can already be observed.
BC posted a record $2.8 billion deficit in September. This cash crunch made itself felt in the province’s social programs, while the province spared no expense for the upcoming Olympics. After featuring the arts prominently in the opening and closing ceremonies of the games, the BC Liberals are now reducing arts funding by at least a third. Post-secondary student aid was cut by $17 million, while an anticipated $110 million in school maintenance grants was scrapped. Healthcare funding was cut by $360 million. The province is also set to eliminate more than one tenth of government jobs over the next three years, which adds up to about 3,500 full-time position lost.
These cuts in social programs take place against a backdrop of swelling poverty rates and homelessness, a phenomenon much harder to quantify. The PIVOT Legal Society estimates that homelessness in Vancouver has more than doubled since 2002, largely thanks to evictions and the abandonment of affordable housing programs.
Neither Vancouver’s social issues nor BC’s economic problems are ultimately attributable to the Olympics. But what is certain is that the 2010 Olympic games leave Vancouver’s citizens, and to a lesser extent all Canadians, with a debt that will take years to pay off. As is becoming increasingly clear, this debt manifests itself in the exacerbation of existing problems, thanks to cuts to social programs.
What makes all of this especially infuriating is the culture of corruption that infamously surrounds the IOC. In their expose The Lords of the Rings, Vyv Simpson and Andrew Jennings portray the Olympics as they are experienced by the members of the IOC and their families. “All Olympic gatherings are a constant and glittering round of first-class travel, five-star hotels, champagne receptions, extravagant banquets, mountains of gifts and lavish entertainments. And frequently, not even an athlete in sight.”
With politicians, businessmen, IOC members and their families being wined and dined with Olympic money, citizens paying to attend the events and to use the facilities once the games are over, and our governments picking up the tab, the Olympics are looking increasingly like just another way to transfer public wealth to private hands.

As I watched the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympics, I couldn’t help but be conflicted in condemning or condoning the spectacle. The ceremonies are supposed to draw on the ancestry and heritage of the country that is presenting the games to the rest of the world. They are an invitation to catch a glimpse into the host nation’s culture.
From the torch relay to the opening ceremonies to the Olympic logo, there has been a distinctive “Aboriginal brand” to these games. Alongside this, most of the Olympic venues are located on traditional lands of the Lil’Wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh, who together make up the Four Host Nations Society. The society is an official partner of the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) in the hosting of the games. This partnership has been a component of the games since the bidding process began, and has generated millions of dollars for the four Aboriginal bands. Yet it’s worth asking what this branding and so-called partnership has done in regards to indigenous people within this country.     Native arts and culture were a prominent presence at this year’s games. The use of Aboriginal culture and symbolism was conveniently placed in the entertainment components of the Olympics. When it comes to actual Aboriginal participation, however, the games were largely lacking. Canada’s Olympic team had only one Aboriginal athlete: snowboarder Caroline Calvé from Quebec. Close to 4 percent of the Canadian population identify as Aboriginal; if the team were to truly reflect the face of Canada, we would have had 7 or 8 Aboriginal athletes on the 200+ Canadian team.
Thanks to the prominence of Aboriginal imagery at the games, Canada’s Indigenous peoples are experiencing unprecedented international exposure. The Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Licensing and Merchandising Program marks the first time an Olympic organizing committee has partnered with Indigenous people in creating an official licensed merchandising program — a program that showcases excellence in Aboriginal arts, culture, and enterprise in Canada. Some say this will bring global attention to Aboriginal artists and businesses.
Chief Leah George-Wilson of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation (TWFN) believed that, if the Olympics were going to occur in Aboriginal territory no matter what, a partnership with VANOC – which meant having a direct say in the implementation of the games - would have the greatest positive effect on their communities.
We only have to look as far as the controversy between the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) and the Cowichan tribe over the Olympic sweater to see the complexity of Aboriginal involvement in the games. HBC won the bid to produce Canada’s clothing line for the 2010 games. Their Olympic sweater, which features a design very similar to the iconic maple leaf and elk featured on the traditional Cowichan hand-knit sweater, has been one of the clothing line’s most popular items.
The Bay says it considered using Cowichan knitters to produce its sweaters, but felt they could not meet its strict standards. Cowichan Tribes general manager Ernest Elliott revealed in an interview that HBC wanted the knitters to produce 700 to 800 sweaters in a 10-month period. The job could have been done for less than $300 per sweater with about 25 knitters, he estimated. “I can’t describe what we would have felt if all the Canadian athletes walked into the opening ceremonies with genuine Cowichan sweaters,” Elliott said.
Instead, the Hudson Bay Company opted to make “contemporary sweaters” that bear a strong resemblance to the traditional Cowichan sweater, for a selling price of over $350. After much dispute, HBC finally came to an agreement with the Cowichan Tribes to sell genuine, hand-knit Cowichan sweaters - but only in the company’s flagship Olympic store.
It seems, then, that HBC stole the look of the Cowichan sweater, developed and produced a poorer quality garment – selling it for more than the genuine Cowichan sweater would have cost – and then tried to save face in response to protests and terrible publicity. Is that what you would view as a “partnership”?
In 1999, the International Olympic Committee adopted Agenda 21, a document that called for Olympic host nations to use the Games as a means for creating sustainable development for traditionally disadvantaged groups, including Indigenous peoples. The following year, the Sydney Olympics gave Australia’s Aborigines a role to play in the Games, highlighted by a memorable performance at the opening ceremony.
Though the world was exposed to Aboriginal culture, the scene was very different away from the media spotlight. Some of Australia’s Indigenous leaders called for protests during the Sydney Games because of long-simmering disputes over land rights and the lack of economic opportunities available to their people. Other games held since the adoption of Agenda 21 have had Indigenous participation but, like in Sydney, the role was limited to performance. When Canadian tribal representatives took part in the 2006 closing ceremony at the Torino Olympics, it seemed that the trend of following Agenda 21 on a purely cosmetic level would continue.
The four host First Nations were a visible presence in Vancouver this February, as was the culture of Indigenous people from other parts of Canada. The Aboriginal Pavilion, a structure built specifically for the Games, is the centerpiece of this cultural promotion. But it is the behind-the-scenes participation of the host First Nations that may truly set these Olympics apart in terms of sustainable economic and social development.
In recent years, the Olympics have been valued by the host nation for the economic opportunities created. VANOC supposedly focused on taking steps to include Aboriginal people, not just in those aspects of the Games that receive media coverage, but on a more grassroots economic and social level as well. Will all this talk turn into action on sustainable development for Aboriginal communities across Canada or is this too only a cosmetic partnership? Only time will tell.

When planning to voyage to unknown lands, it’s common practice to get a few books out of the library, rev up the old computron, and inform oneself on the culture, architecture, and environment of your destination. While these things are all important, there is an additional consideration we seldom take – what are the sexual mores and laws going to be like where we’re going? While by no means exhaustive, this guide gives an overview that will at least get you thinking about this element of travelling. It might even save you some jail time – or your life.

Having a gay old time

While there is no shortage of things to keep in mind when visiting Iran, perhaps the most important is to refrain from being gay. The country’s legal system defines sex between men a crime punishable by death. Of course, unless you travel with your partner, this shouldn’t pose much of a problem: As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pointed out to an audience at New York’s Columbia University, “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country”. Women can expect the lesser punishment of 100 lashes for engaging in homosexual activity.
Iran’s laws surrounding homosexuality are uncommon only in the severity of their punishments, as the savvy traveller is no doubt aware. Over 40 countries deny entry to lesbian, gay, and bisexual visitors, while homosexuality is illegal in more than 80 countries; only four besides Iran, however, apply the death penalty (Sudan, Mauritania, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia). On the bright side, your conviction for any kind of illegal sexual activity in Iran is only possible with the testimony of four adult male witnesses. Unfortunately, this makes pressing charges for rape nearly impossible.
It will perhaps come as a surprise to many that the Vatican City does not prohibit same-sex sexual activity. So with its impressive architecture and its lush gardens, which cover more than half of the city, the Papal state is one hell of a romantic get-away, whatever your sexual orientation.

Going South of the border

Thanks to laws varying radically from state to state, the U.S. can be a haven for sexual depravity as easily as a prudish tyranny. Take, for example, bestiality: only around 30 states have expressly outlawed the practice, although most of the rest prosecute the act by way of animal cruelty legislation. That still leaves at least three states in which zoophiliacs are apparently free to pursue their passions without fear of legal reprisal: Arkansas, Montana, and North Carolina, where laws prohibiting bestiality have been struck down as unconstitutional.
Then there’s the prudish side of the coin: If you and/or your partner are under 18 and like to dabble in the thoroughly modern art of “sexting”, you may want to avoid venturing north of the border. Dozens of teens in at least five states have been charged with sexual abuse or possessing, manufacturing, and disseminating child pornography as a result of “provocative” pictures sent over cell phones.
Seventeen Pennsylvania students faced those charges after a teacher found a series of pictures after confiscating one girl’s phone during class. By agreeing to a plea deal in which they attended a ten-hour class on pornography and sexual violence, most of them avoided the potential consequences: jail time and registration as a sex offender. You might not be so lucky!

Eat, drink and be married

Fornication – that is, sex between people who are not married – is illegal in a handful of countries, nearly all of them in the Middle East (the exceptions being Morocco, Malaysia, and Sudan). Although these legal stipulations can cause major problems for the citizens of these countries, the only travellers affected appear to be drunken hooligan tourists – not that this demographic necessarily deserve any lesser degree of protection under the law.
Case in point: two British citizens were sentenced to three months imprisonment after getting caught in a compromising situation on a Dubai beach. They even went so far as to rush a civil marriage ceremony in hopes that it would reduce the severity of the sentence. The catch: they had just come from a posh all-you-can-drink event, and it has been suggested that the woman attempted to attack the police officer who happened upon them.
Whether or not you’re married, think about curtailing PDA when visiting the region – although rarely illegal, it is often frowned upon. Research the legalities surrounding sex before you travel somewhere, and be aware of the cultural mores as well. In this case, that would mean refraining from having sex on a public beach. In short, use your common sense.

Melissa G

To bot or not to bot… that is the question? It’s 2010, and according to 1960s sci-fi pop culture, we should be fully immersed in a technologically rich society complete with flying cars, teleportation devices, and robots.
Okay, granted, our contemporary society may not be as beautifully futuristic as Kubrick’s 2001, A Space Odyssey would have us believe. Let’s face it: HAL is a less-than-friendly depiction of one of them robots. Maybe we can see a friendly go-getter from I,Robot, arrive in our living rooms to replace the television for entertainment; television is really just like a robot anyway, only presumably not sentient.
We’ve already seen significant progress in bionics within the last few years. Bionics allows the organic flesh and artificial machine to merge into one entity with the help of a neural prosthetic. The advancements of bionics increase the success rate of transplants, optimistically making prosthetics, whether limbs or eyes, more manageable. Bionics has yet to perfect a smooth, flowing prosthesis, but technology is allowing for a physical and visual representation of a mechanical human.
At this rate, we might see a more widespread acceptance of cyborgs, rather than the fear so often portrayed in pop culture. Our fear of technological beings persists in films from Terminator to The Matrix. We seem to believe are inevitably destined to dominate and control humans. But what if we chose not to fear the robots, and to love them instead?
Bladerunner and Battlestar Galactica taught us that replicates and cylons need love and affection. The examples of cyborgs found within these narratives have sex with other cyborgs, and with humans too. Ethically, where does this leave the human or the cyborg? Is it ethical for humans and robots to have sex? Would humans be the only factor in the moral equation, or are the robots factored in as well? In the case of Battlestar Galatica, the main representation of the cylons is a highly sexualized and beautiful Number Six, portrayed by Tricia Helfer. And she is, after all, just like a human, isn’t she? She desires, she lusts, she fantasizes. She can have consensual sex, and she does.
Robotic sex apparently is at humanity’s fingertips. Reminiscent of the creepiness of the Stepford Wives, the world’s first robotic sex doll was released in January 2010. Meet Roxxxy – a 5’7, 120 lb interactive sex robot. She’s programmable, so she is guaranteed to get along with anyone who buys her. She is designed to communicate and have conversations. Not only is her personality programmable, but her skin tone, hair colour, eye colour, makeup, and pubic hair style are customizable. Yes, Roxxxy has the option of styled pubic hair.
For the required monthly fee, Roxxxy connects to an operating system for software updates and technical support. The same company that created Roxxxy is currently developing a male version named Rocky.
So, life-size robotic sex toys are available. But having sex with a robot that resembles a human can generate a bit of controversy. Aside from the moral considerations, how socially acceptable is this, if at all?
Lars and the Real Girl portrays a lonely male who purchases a sex doll for companionship. Initially, the community rejects him, but they gradually come to accept and even care for the doll. Sex dolls like Roxxxy and Rocky challenge what is seen as sexually acceptable in our society. Their life-like features and programmable personalities eerily replicate human identity.
Are Roxxxy and Rocky pushing sexual boundaries too far, or are they merely an extension of previous phenomena – in essence, just a large sex toy? For now, those seeking robotic release will have to content themselves with the smaller scale dildos and vibrators, a more socially acceptable, and affordable, form of electronic pleasure.

The Canadian International AutoShow affords a peek at the future direction of automotive creation

Sohaib Zahid

Valentine’s Day comes with the promise of infecting everyone with love, but when it involves no flowers, no chocolates, and no candlelight dinners, that love might seem a little bizarre to some. Well, I think love has no definition or boundaries, and that is why my Valentine’s Day was without promises or candy. It was this boundless love that made me step into the Metro Toronto Convention Center this year for the 2010 Canadian International AutoShow. Mid-February is usually a time for flowers and romance, not car nuts, but this 10-day love-fest for cars is a better definition of love than Valentine’s Day for any car enthusiast.

The Auto show that runs from February 12-21 is a little disappointing this year. Rather than “concept cars flooding the exhibit” or “new model launch ceremonies”, the manufacturers rolled out more compacts and subcompacts in a push for better fuel efficiency and emissions reduction. The venue this year is also dedicated to global economic recession, I guess: With the shrinking floor of Canada’s biggest auto show, the organizers said, they have shaved off about 130,000 square feet (15 percent of presentation space) by confining the auto show to the Metro Toronto Convention Center, eliminating the need for the Rogers Center for the first time in years. With the absence of brands like Aston Martin, Bentley and Rolls-Royce, the exhibit was a little lacking this year.

In a whole day of wandering around the Convention Center, riding endless escalators and passing and re-passing exhibits, here is a subjective top-ten list in no particular order, of cars that caught my eye:

Chevy Volt: Mark Your Calendar, the first Volt rolls out in November

I saw the volt at last year’s Autoshow. It is nothing new this year, but the launch date is something that will get your attention. The brand that killed electric car is relying on an electric car for its revival - what irony!

The Volt is an electric car that can create its own electricity. Plug it in, let it charge overnight, and it’s ready to run on a pure electric charge for up to 40 miles, gas- and emissions-free. After that, the Volt keeps going, even if you can’t plug it in. The car uses a range-extending gas generator that produces enough energy to power it for hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas.

Chevy’s Volt is a true electric hybrid coming to Canadian market by the end of 2010. Some dealer reps have confirmed the launch of the volt at the auto show. As one representative at the show said, “obviously this is all preliminary, but the great news is that it is in writing, which marks a milestone to seeing first road version of Volt.” Well, official GM representatives were hedging GM’s bets and wouldn’t confirm the date of November 1. The exact date may fluctuate in preparation for launch, but we will find out soon. There is still no word on price; it looks like the car will come in at around $40,000 before the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

Honda CR-Z: The intersection of Sport and Hybrid

The CR-Z seems like an impressive little car from Honda. The company is trying to bring a sporty image to the hybrids, a label usually associated with gas-guzzling V8 coupes. A hybrid that’s more fun, really! The front end seems in sync with Mazda’s new philosophy of zoom-zoom smiley face. The estimated mileage of 36 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway is impressive.

One of the CR-Z’s more unique features is its 3-mode drive system: Sport, Normal and ECON. This allows the driver to tailor the driving experience to conditions or personal preference. Some drivers may prefer to conserve fuel at all times; Some may prefer to have all of the CR-Z’s power on tap at all times; Others may want a combination of the two, but with the option to pick either depending on the situation.

The CR-Z’s 1.5-liter i-VTEC is estimated to generate 122 hp, which won’t set any speed records. But the point of the CR-Z was never to produce outrageous horsepower numbers. Honda is more interested in squeezing every last ounce of performance out of a vehicle.

The CR-Z strikes a unique balance and will broaden the appeal of hybrids. It’s a hybrid for drivers who enjoy driving and are unwilling to sacrifice handling and exhilaration for mpg and environmental accountability.

Lexus LF-Ch Concept: Winning the hybrid war

The Detroit and Frankfurt auto shows caught the first glimpses of this exotic hybrid concept. For Canadians, the Toronto AutoShow was the first showing of this advanced hybrid propulsion technology, built into a premium compact car. It is hoped that Lexus will use this concept as the foundation of a new compact hybrid vehicle. Lexus has done an amazing job with the concept, featuring blacked-out B-pillars, an integrated spoiler and rear door handles that blend into the C-pillar’s trim. Of course, the uniqueness of the LF-Ch comes from the latest generation of Lexus Hybrid Drive, which gives the driver full control as well as the choice between Normal, Eco, EV and Sport modes, the latter function improving throttle response. It is rumored that the same hybrid engine that powers the current HS 250h will be found in the Lexus LF-Ch. Even though this is a model that will most likely go into production soon, the official title of the LF-Ch is a concept. In the meantime, we’ll have to be patient and simply admire the vehicle’s spectacular style, reflecting the sportier lines of the more aggressive Lexus models.

Infiniti Essence Concept: A hybrid least expected

Again, not a new launch at the Toronto auto show. The first official showing of the Essence in Canada took place at the Montreal show last month. The Infiniti Essense concept served as the blueprint for the new M designers and engineers, and was also on-hand at the show. Infiniti featured this stunning hybrid super-car concept at the Toronto auto show in celebration of its 20th anniversary. The concept showcases the brand’s future styling direction and its dedication to developing hybrid technology beyond its gracefully bizarre styling. The Essence features a powerful hybrid drivetrain, the heart of which is a 3.7-litre direct-injection V6 that develops 434 hp. On top of this, an electric motor adds 158 hp for a total just shy of 600 HP. Despite its performance credentials, Infiniti predicts that the Essence could achieve an average fuel consumption of about 8L/100 km. For now, there are no plans to produce the Essence, but if the public reacts positively, Infiniti might change its mind.

Mini Beachcomber Concept: All about being cute, standing apart and having fun.

When it comes to being cute and glamourous, Mini owns the podium. The Beachcomber combines fun retro styles and is the ultimate expression of the beach bum’s car. The folks at BMW understand the definition of glamour perfectly and had it piloted by a Shark-boy and two bathing suit-clad beauties at the Canadian International Autoshow Launch. The Mini Beachcomber takes us back to the disco era of the original Mini Moke with a four seat, open body concept. Today’s Beachcomber pushes the 60’s Moke to the limits of contemporary design. It is of course equipped with a four-wheel-drive system that allows it to roam off the beaten track for that exhilarating wind-in-your-hair feeling. This is a dream car for the Barbie and Ken generation: with the lack of doors and an open roof, you’ll get a golden tan. While Mini won’t produce an exact copy of the concept, it will be making a toned-down road version called the Countryman. The concept’s removable doors and fabric roof won’t make it to the road version, but the all-wheel-drive and turbocharged four-cylinder probably will.

Mercedes SLS AMG: “I’ll be back…”

The new SLS AMG’s signature design element is its “gullwing” doors, a tribute to the original 1950s 300SL. Like the previous SLR, the SLS is a front/mid-engine design, jammed with the latest high-tech goodies AMG could find in its well-stocked cupboard. Following its Canadian debut in Montreal, the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG replaces the outgoing SLR McLaren (which debuted way back in 2003) as the German automaker’s flagship performance offering. It will offer AMG’s naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 with 563 hp and 479 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox via a carbon-fiber driveshaft. Performance is SLR-like: 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds. Yet compared to the $500,000 SLR, the new SLS AMG looks like a deal at an expected $198,000 price tag when it goes on sale in Canada later this year.

Mazda 2: Zoom-Zoom, Concentrated

Mazda 2 is featured as the 2Evil and Mazda 2 Surf concept at this year’s Autoshow. The 2011 Mazda 2, which will roll into the showrooms sometime this summer, pushes the zoom-zoom philosophy a little bit further.

A more aggressive set of front bumpers sets the Mazda2 Surf apart. It’s also shod in Yokohama Advan tires, fitted over 17-inch wheels and equipped with a roof rack and H&R suspension kit. It is indeed stunning. The 2Evil concept is said to be a tribute to Mazda’s 787B racing car, winner of the 24 Hours of LeMans race back in 1991 (Mazda’s only victory there). Building on what is essentially a subcompact world car for Mazda, the new Mazda 2 is a “watch-out car” for this summer’s showroom.

Ford Focus: Ford finally learns the compact car segment secret

Even though the next generation of Focus is almost a year away from hitting the showrooms, it is definitely worth the wait. In 2012, Ford is making the Focus a world car, and what’s more, they are promising that it will cross the Atlantic intact. Unlike the current model, which is a warmed-up version of the late ’90s original, the 2012 model is entirely new, designed and developed in Europe. The 2012 Focus will be available in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles.

Fiat 500: Sex and the City - the real deal

One of the sexiest cars at the auto show is the Fiat 500. Chrysler Canada unveiled it at the 2010 Canadian International AutoShow this year. Featured for the first time in Canada, this vehicle will provide Chrysler with an expressive new entry into the small car segment.

The Fiat 500 offers a unique balance of style, youthfulness, and fun, combined with the outstanding fuel efficiency Canadian consumers demand. Named European Car of the Year in 2008, the Fiat 500 will arrive in showrooms within a year. To tease the senses of the Canadian consumer, Chrysler Canada is displaying two European versions of the 500: a stylish white Fiat 500 model and a powerful black Abarth 500.

Ford Fiesta: It’s Fiesta time

As the first new car in Ford’s global ‘One Vision’ strategy, the Fiesta has to accommodate the smallest 2.5 percentile female up to the lardiest 97.5 percentile male, everywhere from Beijing to Baton Rouge, and all points in between. For now, the engine pick is the 1.6L Twin Independent Variable Cam Timing (Ti-VCT) I4 engine. This sporty power plant delivers an estimated 119 hp and 109 ft-lbs, mated to a 5-speed manual or an optional 6-speed automatic. I think all the basics are done neatly; it sure is a fiesta for Ford.

The World Bank endorses privatization – others aren’t so sure

Ian Kaufman

Features Editor

In 1968, an article called ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’ was published in the journal Science. Its author, Garrett Hardin, proposed that without coercive measures, humanity would soon breed itself into oblivion. He related this tendency of humans to overshoot carrying capacity to the eponymous dilemma, the tragedy of the commons.

In a nutshell, the concept works like so: the benefits of committing acts detrimental to the environment accrue to the individual, while the adverse effects, or costs, are spread amongst everyone in that society. It follows that in a “rational” calculus, the benefits will outweigh the costs for an individual to commit these detrimental acts.

His chosen example was that of a herdsman living in a society with pastures held communally. The profit from adding an animal to one’s herd would go wholly to the individual; the damage to the pasture from overgrazing would be shared by all of the herdsmen. For each herdsman, therefore, the rational decision is to keep adding animals, although it will eventually result in the destruction of that society’s land.

“Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit - in a world that is limited,” Hardin concluded. “Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.”

How can this dilemma be resolved, you ask? Private property. Once a person’s livelihood is tied to the land they use, there is an incentive to preserve its value. If you choose to add too many animals to your herd, you will suffer the full cost of overgrazing instead of only a portion of it. Since the institution of private property apparently solved the dilemma of common pastures, Hardin asked, could it resolve contemporary problems as well?

The ultimate commons

While land has been systematically privatized in most parts of the world, there remain other kinds of commons: parks, streets, libraries, the education system, seeds, the internet. There are attempts to privatize all of these around the globe, many of them finding an ideological basis in Hardin’s arguments. The ultimate commons, though, is water. The move to privatize it has been gaining steam in the last few decades. But does water fit into Hardin’s model of the tragedy of the commons, requiring privatization? More importantly, was his model correct in the first place?

These questions could not be more timely, in light of the World Bank’s forecast that two-thirds of the world’s population will run short of clean drinking water by 2025. That there is a global water crisis is beyond debate – how to deal with it is another matter.

Proponents of privatization typically describe its advantages as the ability to leverage capital (which municipalities often have trouble doing), cheaper operating costs, and superior expertise and innovation. In Asia, Africa, and Latin America – home to the majority of the 1.4 billion people with little or no access to clean drinking water – they say that only private capital can create the infrastructure necessary to provide universal access to this basic amenity.

The record, however, tells a different story. Obviously, corporate fuck-ups tend to generate more press than do success stories. But even accounting for this, instances of improved service under privatization are few, whereas the horror stories could easily fill up the rest of this paper – and most of them would be even scarier than ‘Boo-niversity’.

Water privatization worst practices

With the election of the African National Congress in 1994, water services in South Africa were extended beyond white communities. In a country where about a third of the population does not have access to clean water, however, this is a massive challenge. While the government made significant progress, the financial stresses of the undertaking induced it to do two things: seek assistance from the private sector, and try to recoup the costs of water delivery from its citizens.

When many people ignored their water bills, unable to afford them, some municipalities simply cut off their water supply. Others installed water meters that worked with pre-paid cards; the water flowed as long as the card was inserted into the meter, and the card’s value declined accordingly. “The municipality loves it and private sector providers love it because it avoids the hassles and costs associated with trying to collect the money,” South African researcher David Hemson explained to the CBC. “It also deflects the bad publicity… of having to go in and cut [people] off.”

Ultimately, that bad publicity was only deferred. By forcing people to seek water elsewhere, often dirty lakes and rivers, the user pay system resulted in South Africa’s worst cholera outbreak in recent history. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected, and around three hundred died. “The cost has been tremendous,” Hemson reported, “and just imagine if all that money had been spent on providing services in the first place.”

In 1996, just over a year after entering into what the Center for Public Integrity called “the largest public-private partnership of its type in North America”, Hamilton was responsible for one of the worst sewage spills in Ontario history. The company hired to process the city’s wastewater, Phillips Services, had cut about half of the facility’s staff over the first seven months. After denying responsibility for the spill for three years, during which time at least three more serious spills occurred, Phillips eventually settled out of court with the city and affected homeowners.

Probably the most famous instance of water privatization took place in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Weeks after a multinational consortium took over responsibility for the city’s water in 1999, prices tripled or quadrupled in some areas. For many citizens, this meant spending more than a quarter of their income on water.

In response to the privatization, the workers of Cochabamba staged a four-day general strike and occupations of the city’s central plaza. In clashes with the police and the army, hundreds were injured and at least one person killed. Only after months of civil unrest was the consortium was ousted and water put back in the public sphere. Many journalists and other commentators allege that the World Bank named water privatization as a precondition for loans, as it has done with other countries.

Mutual coercion

Despite these examples – a few among many - policy wonks, politicians, and organizations like the UN, the World Bank, and the IMF still tend to advise water privatization, or at the very least a user pay system. Take the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, a Canadian group appointed by the Prime Minister to play an advisory role to the government. In order to create a “more rational” water system, they suggest, water shouldn’t be subsidized with tax dollars. Instead, they endorse a “full cost, user pay” principle.

Their reasoning is reminiscent of Hardin’s: “Canadians use excessive amounts of water due to subsidized prices… Water infrastructure is deteriorating, maintenance is being deferred, service delivery is less efficient, and ecosystems are stressed in various ways.” As long as water is a commons, they believe, people will continue to abuse it.

It’s true that Canadians use excessive amounts of water – more per capita than any other country besides the United States. According to the Council of Canadians, the average North American uses almost six hundred litres of water a day; the average African uses six. And it’s not just in comparison to developing countries that our water use seems profligate – we use more than eight times as much as Denmark.

According to Hardin, though, that information won’t guilt you into reducing your consumption. At the end of ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’, he asserts that appeals to morality will never convince people to change the way they act. It is only coercive and enforceable measures that will have any effect - “mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon by the majority of the people affected”.

To wit: In 1994, Canadians paying for water by volume used 263 litres per day, compared to the 450 litres used by those paying a flat rate, according to Canadian Geographic. In other words, where appeals to morality may or may not have played a part in the three or four percent reduction in Canadian water use over the last decade or so, the coercive device of the “user pay” system reduced it by 39%. “Bam,” as the kids say.

Where this system fails, though, is precisely where reform is most needed – places where people have a hard time accessing or affording water. As we’ve seen, attempts to introduce user pay water systems in poor areas generally don’t go very well. The user pay system seems to work very well as a coercive measure only in middle class or well-off areas that are consuming too much water. Involving the private sector, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be effective anywhere.

A self-fulfilling prophecy

Much of the privatization of water began in the 1980s, spurred by the Thatcher and Reagan regimes. While these governments touted the private sector’s supposed ability to provide services more cheaply and effectively, economist Harry Shutt believes the real reason for privatization was simply a shortage of public capital: “Growing public-sector deficits had reduced the state’s capacity to provide the necessary investment – although it should have been obvious that this was largely a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Shutt’s “self-fulfilling prophecy” plays out like this: State revenues are reduced by tax-cutting, resulting notably in increased corporate profits. With reduced revenues, the state finds itself no longer able to keep up with the cost of public utilities and services. The resulting financial gap must be filled by private investment, which is possible in part because of increased profits from corporate tax cuts. In short, water privatization was part of a wider transfer of public wealth into private hands that quickly became a vicious cycle.

The testimony of Oscar Olivera, one of the leading protesters in Cochabamba, would seem to confirm Shutt’s analysis. “The privatization hasn’t benefited the country much,” he told the Multinational Monitor. “Services are more and more expensive. As a result, now that the state no longer has money for public services, what it wants to do is privatize the public service sector.”

What’s wrong with the commons?

Many scholars have called the legitimacy of Hardin’s paper into question. Many cultures, including the English pasture system to which he alludes, have had common property systems that worked just fine. As economist Carl Dahlman points out, “similar conditions existed for many hundreds of years all over northern Europe, and the open field system was quite similar and very stable across cultures and time.”

There is one idea in particular about which we can hope he was mistaken: our “natural tendency to do the wrong thing.” Small movements around the globe are trying to prove him wrong by working to restore the commons (for more information on these movements, visit onthecommons.org).

By Kyle Lees

Is facebook a “toxic mimic” of community?

Ian Kaufman

Features Editor

When people’s actions seem bewildering - which is, increasingly, most of the time - I often refer back to Kurt Vonnegut’s “First Law of Life”. Back in 1971, when the internet was still a twinkle in the U.S. military’s eye, Kurt Vonnegut delivered an address to the National Institute of Arts and Letters. It’s fitting that he chose such a mundane event to expound on the meaning of life.

“We are full of chemicals which require us to belong to folk societies, or failing that, to feel lousy all the time,” he told the gathering. “Older persons form clubs and corporations and the like. Those who form them pretend to be interested in this or that narrow aspect of life. Members of the Lions Club pretend to be interested in the cure and prevention of diseases of the eye. They are in fact lonesome Neanderthalers, obeying the First Law of Life, which is this: ‘Human beings become increasingly contented as they approach the simpleminded, brotherly conditions of a folk society.’ ”

Back when it first started gathering popularity, nothing seemed more bewildering to me than facebook. Raised in a home where newfangled gadgets like microwaves and washing machines, cable TV and dial-up internet were tolerated reluctantly, if at all, I was appropriately disdainful of this strange development. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew something wasn’t quite right.

I think I can remember the precise moment when these amorphous misgivings about facebook came to a head: When I was informed of the birth of my friend’s daughter by an invitation to be her “friend” on facebook. The thought that her entire life would play out on facebook made me a little queasy. My mind flashed to the image of a couple updating their relationship status during their wedding ceremony (this actually happens) – was this going to be the norm for her generation?

It’s easy to dismiss these kinds of misgivings, particularly since warning that a new generation’s habits will leave society in tatters isn’t exactly anything new. Often these concerns are pretty silly, and very much overblown. Nobody knows this better than the boomers. This sometimes absurd tendency was skewered in Doonesbury, the comic strip emblematic of that generation, back in the ‘60s, when one of the young character’s dads got into a tizzy over faded jeans:

“Why do you take a perfectly decent pair of trousers and ruin them before you put them on? I just don’t understand it! What is this destructive impulse that people your age have? You know, you kids do the same thing to your blue jeans that you’ve done to the whole fabric of our national life!”

At the risk of seeming as hopelessly outdated as he did, I think it’s fair to say that we kids do the same thing to facebook that we’re doing to the real world. That is, remove anything that isn’t human, unless it exists to serve our interests. It’s this aspect that’s most disturbing about the “parallel universe” online: it’s the ultimate playground for the first generation in history to live mostly in cities. For kids raised in an urban landscape where we’re surrounded almost completely by artefacts of our own making, facebook just seems like a logical extension of the real world.

The interesting thing is that, surprisingly, young people today seem to share my reservations. When asked how much they use facebook, for example, their answers are almost invariable apologetic, their estimates couched in excuses. Most volunteer the acknowledgement that they know they should use it less, but [fill in excuse here].

Our generation supposedly are like “fish in water” when it comes to technology – we don’t even think about it, we’re so used to it. We’re often portrayed as brats spoiled by technology, blithely texting and tweeting on our BlackBerries and iPhones on the commute to work (in our hybrids, no doubt), tragically unaware of the fragile social bonds cracking under the weight of our accumulating techno-gadgets. But talk to a young adult today and they’re usually the first to admit doubts – and sometimes even shame - about their use of msn, facebook and twitter, among other things. So here’s the kicker: why does a generation defined to a large extent by their use of social networking sites have such a guilty conscience about it?

I think this is where Vonnegut’s simple insight comes in: Most apparently baffling social phenomena are explained by our submerged longing for the conditions of what he calls “folk society” – societies where everyone knows everyone else, and these bonds last for life. At the end of his address, he says that “the National Institute of Arts and Letters don’t really give a damn for arts and letters, in my opinion. They, too, are chemically-induced efforts to form a superstitious, affectionate clan or village.”

If you asked Kurt Vonnegut, he may well have surmised that facebook was a shiny new car driving towards that most ancient destination, the folk society. And he would certainly have told you that it would never make it. If you buy into the idea that facebook is one more tool we’re using to try to sidle up to those primordial inarticulated communal needs, the site becomes even more interesting, but it also looks sorely lacking.

Behind all of the cutting-edge techno-wizardry lie the most ancient and simplistic human desires – for community, communication, exploration and self-discovery. But services like facebook can too often be a toxic mimic of those things – “friends” lists in place of community, witticisms in place of communication, voyeurism in place of exploration, narcissism in place of self-discovery.

The early precursors to so-called social networking sites in the1990s, before the internet exploded in popularity, were online journals, where people would often share more with strangers half-way around the world than they did with their friends and family. Since going public, the internet had served as that kind of social refuge, housing alternative communities based on mutual interests – or just mutual disinterest in the people around you in real life. Perhaps more importantly, it allowed an amount of control over your identity that is impossible in real social interaction.

The internet looks less and less like that alternate universe today. As someone who’s been online since the mid-1990s put it, “now that these people’s moms are online, they’re not as interested anymore.” Facebook, in a way, is the ultimate rejection of the early ethic of the web, used more to keep in touch with people we already know than to connect with strangers. It’s led to a blending of people’s real and online lives that was unthinkable back then – something that’s been hard for many long-time users to adapt themselves to.

The site also turns the early ethic of the web on its head in another way: facebook is a marketing executive’s wet dream. Not just in the obvious sense, that it compiles detailed demographic information, consumption habits, and interests into an incredibly comprehensive consumer information database. We’re well aware of this, and most of us aren’t terribly concerned. But on a more visceral level, the success of facebook seems like final proof that the masses have bought into marketers’ version of the world, not just financially but mentally and spiritually.

What facebook has succeeded in doing is providing a platform for people to essentially market themselves to the world. When someone elects to spend an hour grooming her “personal profile”, deleting photos that make her look bad, posting witticisms on other people’s “walls”, carefully considering her “status” and which bands and movies to list as her favourites instead of walking around and talking to real people, it represents the triumph of the glossy image over imperfect reality. This is the way advertising has been trying to convince us to think for decades.

I know, I know – but facebook is such a great way to keep in touch with old friends and organize your social life. It helps get people out to political rallies and book clubs, organize communities around issues that affect them, and, yes, has even been known to play a role in political decision-making (see Dalton Mcguinty’s withdrawal of restrictions on young drivers after a facebook “protest”).

That’s all great. But let’s be honest: the vast majority of the network’s use isn’t about these things. It’s about creating what former Lakehead philosophy student Stephen Trochimchuk calls “a positive or idealized representation of one’s self”. In his paper The Emergence of “Web 2.0” and the Death of the Author, Trochimchuk refers to this online identity as “a highly personalized product [whose purpose is] to represent or ‘sell’ the self to other Facebook members.” And while there is an undeniable – if often morbid – appeal to that, I’m not so sure it’s a good thing. In fact, I suspect it’s a very corrosive thing.

Of course, all this philosophizing is all well and good, but most of us are far more pragmatic in our decision-making. While we might mistrust facebook and even rue its effects on society, that’s usually not enough to get us to leave. As part of my “research” for this article, I asked my friends their opinions of facebook.

“I’ll tell you what I think,” one told me. “For the longest time I didn’t really use it, and I wondered why all these parties were happening and I wasn’t ever invited. One day I logged on and I had over 100 event invitations for these parties. So now I use it.”