Canadian Crossing

ESPN writer grossly misuses Montreal mass-shooting reference

We have certainly run into instances of American journalism where their knowledge of Canada isn't up to speed. But when a Canadian writer gets involved, well, that is news.

Chris Jones is Canadian, but also grew up in Australia, and writes for ESPN magazine, based in the United States. Jones wrote a column about Jeffrey Loria, current owner of the Miami Marlins (nee Florida) and loathed former owner of the Montréal Expos.

Jones' column was warning fans of the Marlins that Loria would repeat himself and the Marlins would eventually be without a team. While the sentiment of the column was something we would applaud, this wasn't the most well-researched column and there are a number of holes, a la fromage Suisse.

The column in itself isn't why Jones got into trouble; he referred to what would happen in Miami as "Montréal Massacre, Part II." What Jones said he didn't know, and what the ESPN copy editors should have caught is that "Montréal Massacre" in non-sports terms refers to the Ecole Polytechnique shootings in 1989, when gunman Marc Lepine targeted women and killed 14 female students before turning the gun onto himself. The reference is more disturbing since the anniversary was in early December, and the Stephen Harper government is getting rid of the long-gun registration, which was originally inspired by the Montréal Massacre.

Once Jones realized what happen, he said he tried to fix the situation as best he could. While the online version was changed, the printed version contains the horrible phrasing.

Jones said he was living in Australia in 1989 when the shooting happened, and didn't associate the term with the shooting. For now, we can accept that explanation.

As someone who is a journalist, writer, and editor, writers have a requirement to stretch the language. Editors are paid to recognize when something can be disturbing or offensive. Even if the U.S.-based copy editors don't know of a Montréal Massacre, they should have taken out the violent element of the phrasing. An editor isn't always the popular one, but a good editor knows that being right is more important than being cool.

When writing about a culture that you aren't familiar with, you do have to go overboard to make sure what you are saying isn't taken badly because of circumstances that they know and you don't.

In the United States, a mass shooting involving 15 people is almost a ho-hum moment. In Quebec and Canada, the Ecole Polytechnique shootings were a big deal for the gender targeting and that 14 innocent people were murdered in the prime of their lives. It was, and still is, a big deal 22 years later.

Sports is sports, and real life is real life. Sports writers and editors (and I have been one) don't always get the difference. The folks at ESPN didn't set out to upset the people of Montréal and Quebec and Canada, but they should have been paying more attention to their copy. Normally, having a Canadian writer means Canada won't get as slighted as sometimes happens in American journalism. But journalism means double and triple checking, even when things are obvious.

Bob Elliott is first Canadian sportswriter in Cooperstown

A belated congratulations to Bob Elliott, the latest entree into baseball's Hall of Fame. Elliott won the Taylor Spink Award.

Elliott covered the Montréal Expos from 1978 to 1986 for the Ottawa Citizen and the Toronto Blue Jays since 1987 for the Toronto Sun.

Tom Cheek, long-time broadcaster for the Blue Jays, missed a chance to also get into the Hall of Fame.

In an interview shortly after hearing about his induction, Elliott told a fascinating story about traveling to Cuba to see Omar Linares. The Expos and Blue Jays wanted to sign Linares to play just the home games, since Canada didn't have an embargo against Cuba. MLB wouldn't let that happen, and Linares never played in the major leagues.

The Expos were unable to compete at the same level as other teams throughout most of its existence, especially after the strike of 1994. And the Blue Jays haven't been back to the playoffs since then. Though Canada doesn't have the repressive relationship with Cuba that the U.S. has, the Canadian teams were punished because of U.S. political actions.

Last year was a huge year for Canadian-related people in the Hall of Fame. Roberto Alomar, Pat Gillick, and Dave Van Horne all made it to the Hall of Fame in 2010. This year will sound a lot less Canadian, but will still be worth taping the ceremonies. The MLB Network runs the ceremonies in the United States.

Windsor, Canada snaps 26-month murder-less streak

While people on both sides of the border associate Detroit with “murder,” you might be surprised to know that the city right across the border, Windsor, Ontario, recently went almost 27 months without a single murder.

Yes, Windsor is 20-25% the size of Detroit, but to have a city with bad economic numbers with several hundred thousand people in these times and not have a murder for over 2 years, well that is very remarkable.

The streak got snapped when a young man was stabbed to death in what police have described as a dispute where the victim knew his killer. If you are worried about the sudden increase in crime in Windsor, know that the alleged killer has turned himself into police.

I have spent a number of days in Windsor during this murder-less streak, and have always felt comfortable even late at night in the downtown area. In the last two trips, I was out until about 2 a.m. at least once each trip and never felt concerned. The same can't be said of downtown Detroit, where I have been temporarily while waiting to cross the border and for the bus to go back home, though I was only there in daylight.

Windsor has plenty of crime and you can't judge a city by its murder rate. However, a blue-collar city in the shadows of Detroit going more than 2 years without a murder means Windsor and Canada are doing something right.

But who gets the credit led CNN to a bizarre take on Windsor, Canada, gun laws, and taxes.

According to this Windsor Star columnist, CNN showed its ignorance over guns in Canada. While the columnist think this is about bias, my take is that CNN combined its extreme ignorance about Canada with some lazy journalism.

CNN interviews one Windsor resident who may or may not know all of what is going on. If a non-expert source tells you there are no gun shops in Windsor, an editor might ask the reporter to make sure there are no gun shops in the city. I haven't seen one myself, but I would believe it. The columnist says there are three such shops. Either the source or the columnist are wrong. My money is on the columnist.

Canadians pay higher property, income and education taxes than in the United States, Blaine said. "It's going to cost more to live in Canada."

Windsor, while having low-income areas, does not have slums, he said. A social welfare system is designed "to keep people from falling in the gutter."

Almost felt like CNN had to explain elements of Canada in what was essentially a murder story in a blue collar town, a bit of overreach.

Rick Perry tripped up by obvious Canadian satire of Occupy Toronto

 

Good to know presidential candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry reads the Globe and Mail. Next, Perry should learn the difference between satire and news.

What is with conservative politicians being foiled by Canadian humorists? First, we had Toronto Mayor Rob Ford confused by "This Hour Has 22 Minutes." Now we have Perry clearly confused by satire as he quoted from a Mark Schatzker column in the Globe and Mail on Occupy Toronto.

The Schatzker column was a satire of the one-week anniversary party of Occupy Toronto and all that they had accomplished in less than a week. Whether you think that is funny, in reading the content, you realize it isn't real and, by the way, the column is labeled satire.

"It's weird protesting on Bay Street. You get there at 9 a.m. and the rich bankers who you want to hurl insults at and change their worldview have been at work for two hours already. And then when it's time to go, they're still there. I guess that's why they call them the one per cent. I mean, who wants to work those kinds of hours? That's the power of greed." – Jeremy, 38

That is the original quote for the satirical column. This is Perry's summary:

"I guess greed just makes you work hard."

Admittedly, the satire is subtle, especially in that context. However, when you read passages such as this one, you should be able to see the value of humor:

"Looking back, I can't believe what we achieved in a few incredible days: government-funded health care, a well-regulated banking system, and a cap on corporate political donations. Our work is done." – Tracy, 20

Nothing globally works that fast. Even liberals don't expect change that quickly. Though Canadians do have government-funded health care and a well-regulated banking system, neither of which the U.S. can claim.

In the video, Perry said he got this from his son, but what isn't clear is whether his son send him the article or just one paragraph. Usually when you pass on a story, you send a link. Perry and/or someone in his campaign should have checked the original to make sure what Perry would say would be valid.

This does remind you of another presidential candidate, Michele Bachmann, who passed on something without checking it out first when she told us that a woman told her that the HPV shot led to her daughter's retardation. In both cases, vetting wasn't done.

As funny as Gov. Perry's faux-pas was, other conservatives reacted poorly to the satire, mainly assuming that Perry was correct without checking any details. So you had conservative media not vetting the candidate who wasn't vetting what he said.

Satire lends itself more to liberals more than conservatives, a statement where both sides of the aisle can agree. Still, if you are running for high office, and someone tells you something that sounds unusual, you should make sure that what you saying is true. From the Daily Show and Colbert to This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Onion, we live in a satirical world. Politicians are obvious targets in this world, and until they figure out what is happening, well, we'll have plenty more to write about, especially when Canada is involved.

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Kudos to those in Canada who have been taken by the spirit of Occupy Wall Street. Toronto and Vancouver are just two of the Canadian cities that have their own version of Occupy. We note that the Canadian economic situation is much better in the United States, but this doesn't mean that Canadians don't have economic issues, especially in younger demographics, similar to what is happening in the United States.

Gene Simmons (finally) marries Canadian Shannon Tweed after 28 years of 'courtship'

We have poked fun at celebrities marrying Canadians: Hilary Duff, Scarlett Johansson, Carrie Underwood, Vince Vaughn. Well, Gene Simmons has been living with Shannon Tweed for 28 years, and they have two adult children. Yet, Simmons and Tweed finally got married on Saturday.

Though she has made it big in the United States, Tweed has definitely not forgotten her Canadian roots. In lieu of gifts, wedding guests were asked to make donation to the Saskatoon, SK Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Simmons and Tweed certainly haven't been shy about their relationship, given their reality TV fame. And Simmons is known almost as much for his tongue and career with Kiss.

Shannon Tweed doesn't get enough credit for her long ago career as Playboy Playmate and actress. In an era where many a pretty lady tried to act, Tweed proved that you could be stunningly beautiful and still be able to act.

Tweed always had a nod to what she was and why she was there. She had a sense of humor about it all, and actually proved to be a rather decent actress. Not a Meryl Streep but any means, but she could hold her own.

Tweed was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and also spent some of her childhood in Saskatchewan. Tweed was Playboy's Playmate of the Year in 1982. You might also know her sister, Tracy, also an actress who has posed nude in Playboy.

Unlike some of the other marriages, Tweed is an accomplished celebrity in her own right. And we are damn proud that she is a Canadian.

photo credit: IMDb

Dick Cheney's Vancouver book tour stop brings protests and calls for war crimes arrest

George W. Bush has spent very little time in Canada, mostly because getting into the country requires a waiver because of his DUI conviction. Since January 20, 2009, Bush's only time in Canada was in conservative-friendly Calgary.

Even then, Bush was subject to those who wanted him arrested for war crimes. So you can't be surprised that those same cries came for Dick Cheney when he made an appearance in Vancouver to promote his memoir, "In My Time," at a $500-a-plate appearance at a Vancouver book club.

The case against Bush or Cheney entering Canada is pretty clear cut, especially with Cheney's admissions. Don Davies, the NDP immigration critic, called for Cheney to be denied entry into Canada.

"Sections 35 and 36 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act have a number of provisions that directly state that anybody who has engaged in those practices is inadmissible to Canada," said Davies. "So I'm just calling on the immigration minister to enforce the law."

What is left ambiguous is interpretation, in part because the United States, for numerous reasons, hasn't pursued the matter. This doesn't prevent Canada from enforcing those laws on its own, though Canada likely wants to avoid an international incident, especially with Conservatives in charge.

Canada did deny entry to two Code Pink members in 2007 simply for being arrested in war protests.

What is a little surprising is that Cheney was in Vancouver at all. True, Vancouver is a major metropolis and Olympic city within Canada, but its politics and overall karma don't attract too many conservatives. Still, Cheney's skin has proven to be thicker than Bush's, especially since Bush used an underground tunnel to avoid crowds when he spoke in Calgary.

Vancouver loses Economist's most livable city status; 3 Canadian cities in Top 10

The Economist had consistently ranked Vancouver as the "most livable city" in the past, but lowered British Columbia's largest city over highway troubles ... on Vancouver Island.

Yes, astute readers know that Vancouver isn't on Vancouver Island. The good news is that Vancouver is #3 on the Economist list, still pretty high.

From the report:

"In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest survey for July 2011, a small adjustment in Vancouver’s score for transport infrastructure, reflecting recent intermittent closures of the key Malahat highway, resulted in a 0.7 percentage point decline in the Canadian city’s overall livability rating."

Now it has been 3 years since I visited Vancouver, and transportation was quite good then. Since my visit, Vancouver added a light rail line from the airport through the Olympic village to downtown. Other cities should "suffer" as badly as Vancouver does in "transport infrastructure."

And if we are talking interest in housing, where most of North America has seen its housing market crash, Vancouver is the hottest housing city on the continent.

Melbourne, Australia and Vienna, Austria rank first and second on the magazine's list. Vancouver had been #1 since 2002 when it tied Melbourne for the top spot.

While most of the coverage focused on Vancouver's fall from the top, three Canadian cities are in the Top 10, with Toronto (#4) and Calgary (#5) remaining in their same positions from last year.

Victoria, which is on Vancouver Island, is considered very livable by different standards than The Economist might want. But the climate is ideal if you can afford to live there. And Montréal may not be as livable, but a heck of a place to visit.

Wall Street Journal presents narrow and conservative view of Canada

"Why Canada Is Beating America" is a headline that you can't really ignore, especially when the article is in The Wall Street Journal. Turns out the opinion piece talks about why Canada is doing better financially than its neighbors to the south.

Jason Clemens, the opinion writer, praises Canada for its business practices in terms of its unemployment rate, better deficit and debt numbers, lack of bank bailouts, and actual GDP growth. Yet he says now that Canada has a majority Conservative government, "the country has an opportunity to vault forward."

Wow! We already thought Canada was forward, but not forward enough? Makes the U.S. look extra bad in this person's view since the U.S. is behind a country that isn't even forward.

As for that lack of bank bailouts, one reason is that the banking system wasn't undercut by legislation passed by a Republican Congress (and signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton) in the late 1990s. And those deficit and debt numbers came about as a result of strong leadership from Liberal governments, led mostly by Jean Chrétien.

Clemens notes that Canada has two concerns: "health reform and taxes." Conservatives love pointing to Canada's health care system and saying how bad things are because patients have to wait longer for MRIs. And Canada's system does have problems, but one major reason is that those cuts that reduced the deficit came from health care money. Still, even with Canada's "problems," the country gets more health care with less money per person than the United States spends.

His other concern is taxes, but again, with U.S. tax rates at a 60-year low, Canada's taxes help make sure the deficit and debt is smaller: a hypocrisy on the part of the opinion writer. Yes, Canada is a country where the rich are taxed at a higher rate than the United States, but Canada gets something for its tax money.

Clemens' solution is to follow the U.S. method of starving domestic spending to reduce the impact of government.

To implement meaningful income tax cuts, the Conservative government will also need to be more proactive with spending reductions. As demonstrated in the 1990s by their Liberal Party predecessors, spending reductions now will result in a balanced budget sooner and an opportunity for large-scale tax relief.

So Clemens praises Canada for beating America, and his solution is to make Canada more like the United States. Seems like the solution would be to make the U.S. more like Canada.

You can read the WSJ article for yourself and feel free to respond below in the comments section. We welcome those of all stripes: liberals, conservatives, NDP, Greens, Tea Party, libertarians, etc.

Saskatoon's The Sheepdogs make Rolling Stone cover

Getting the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine has been a dream even before Dr. Hook devoted a whole song to that goal. Most bands have no shot at stardom, much less the chance to be featured in that treasured fashion, the epitome of success.

So even when the magazine runs a contest where an unknown band gets a chance at that coveted ideal, you still wouldn't think a band from Canada would have a chance, especially one from the prairies.

Well, The Sheepdogs from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan have won the contest, and yes, will be on the cover of the Rolling Stone.

If the cover was enough, that would be impressive. But the band also gets to cut an album (or whatever the &%$# the kids are calling it these days) with Atlantic Records and have received coverage on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on NBC.

From listening to and watching The Sheepdogs, you might have thought you were back in the time when people read rock and roll magazines with more fervor than, let's say, the 21st century. Less like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and more The Midnight Special (ask your parents about that).

I first heard The Sheepdogs on a report from CBC radio when the band was part way through the contest. I confess I found the story to be charming, but never entertained that a Canadian band, especially one so different from the current scene, could pull it off.

People have their stereotype of Canadian bands from Rush and Triumph to Neil Young and the Guess Who to Gordon Lightfoot and Anne Murray to Alanis Morrisette and Sarah McLachlan to, yes, Celine Dion.

Well, The Sheepdogs from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan have put a new spin on what people will think about Canadian music. And you need no other proof than to check out an upcoming cover of Rolling Stone.

'The Onion' expands to Canada, asks for winter coats up front

Canadians are certainly exposed to American irony and satire, but those in Toronto will have a new source coming this fall. The Onion is expanding beyond the United States and its first non-American market is Toronto.

Torontonians already enjoy the satirical Web site online, as Toronto is in the top 10 cities that enjoy the paper's Web site. The Toronto Star has agreed with The Onion to carry its paper and its sister publication, the A.V. Club, in the newspaper. While the Globe and Mail has the most significance, the Toronto Star has a higher circulation than any other Canadian newspaper.

Toronto and New York City are the two cities in North America that still has a rich newspaper battle for readership. The Star is looking at this move as a way to draw in younger readers, many of whom read alternative newspapers.

The New York Times, in its attempt to be Onion-esque, posted a headline that read: "The Onion Expands Internationally, if Canada Counts." Ha ha. Extra stories about Canada aren't part of the deal, though The Onion hasn't been shy about writing about the Great White North in the past. The A.V. Club will have Toronto listings.

If The Onion ever makes it to Montréal, the name should change to L'Oignon.