Archive for Hope

It has been many years since I’ve had a moment of true pride in my government but yesterday I had such a moment.     Read more »

Spring Bird Festival
Saturday, 2010 May 8, 7 am – 4 pm
Tommy Thompson Park (Leslie Street Spit)

There’s a whole day of activities planned, some of which require registration.  From the Spring Bird Festival website:

Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at the 10th Tommy Thompson Park Spring Bird Festival!     Read more »

I attended the Canadian Organic Growers Toronto conference today, and could easily write a dozen posts.  I’ll write about just one speaker, Percy Schmeiser, who I had first listened to perhaps a decade ago or more at a Toronto Vegetarian Association event.  In those days I was not a food activist at all.  I just liked vegetables and wanted to be informed about what I was eating and feeding my family.  So I went to Mr. Schmeiser’s talk then not necessarily expecting to be convinced of the harm of genetically modified foods.

Mr. Schmeiser’s story is one of profound and infuriating wrong.  When I first heard him speak, he was embroiled in a legal battle with Monsanto, which had identified their genetically modified crop on his field, and demanded that he pay for using their patented product.  As a heritage seed developer, he certainly didn’t welcome Monsanto’s “contribution”, which had contaminated all his fields and destroyed 50 years worth of work.  All he did was refuse to pay.  And in retribution, Monsanto dragged him right up to the Supreme Court, counting on the fact that he would succumb to the immense pressure of overwhelming legal bills.     Read more »

I watched Avatar with my family on New Year’s Day and highly recommend it.  One of my friends described it as a futuristic Pocahontas story that ends well for the natives.  He also found it amusing that the substance for which mankind was willing to lay waste to the beautiful moon of Pandora was called unobtainium.  Spoilers ahead.     Read more »

May everyone have a happy, healthy and hopeful year.

I had a busy day today.     Read more »

I spent the day being inspired.     Read more »

Toronto-Danforth riding residents are all covered by the City of Toronto Solar Neighbourhoods program.  You can get help plus over $4,000 in government incentives to install a solar water heater.  Learn more at the workshop below.

Solar Neighbourhoods workshop
Danforth-Coxwell Library, 1675 Danforth Ave
Wednesday, 2009 October 14, 6:30 – 8 pm

Toronto-Danforth riding residents are all covered by the City of Toronto Solar Neighbourhoods program.  You can get help plus over $4,000 in government incentives to install a solar water heater.  Learn more at the workshop below.

Solar Neighbourhoods workshop
East York Community Centre, 1081 Pape Ave
Thursday, 2009 October 22, 6:30 – 8 pm

I’ll be participating in the Second Annual Danforth Multifaith Peace Walk and urge everyone to join me.  The walk begins at Glen Rhodes United Church and continues past the Danforth Jewish Circle, the Pakistani Community Centre and the Madina Masjid on Danforth to celebrate the newly renovated space, ending at Eastminster United Church.

Women are asked to wear a head scarf inside the Madina Masjid.

Second Annual Danforth Multifaith Peace Walk
Sunday, 2009 October 4, 1 pm
Glen Rhodes United Church, 1470 Gerrard St E

Around dusk yesterday, while out meeting people with a friend, we spotted two foxes.  They were beautiful.  One was probably a momma — she was more wary and I didn’t see much of her.  The juvenile was stalking some neighbourhood cats, flicking her ears, looking all adolescent and geeky on legs that looked too long for her.  Seeing her there, next to rumbling trains, cars, houses, streetlights and onlookers like me, I was filled with hope for the future.

Please watch your cats.

It was my friend William who first pointed it out to me.  The eligible voters who are declaring their intention not to vote in this election are coming from a most unlikely group.  We expect a good percentage of newly eligible voters to declare a lack of interest in politics.  But there are huge numbers of seniors now saying they are so confused or disgusted with politics that they don’t know how to vote and intend not to.  I’m hearing this more and more.  And seniors are generally regarded as the most reliable voter group by age.     Read more »

On this first day of Ramadan, my thoughts go out to my friends observing this time of reflection, patience and spirituality.

Let’s all take this time also to honour and respect Islam as one of the great religions of the world, well represented in this community.

Please wish your Muslim friends a blessed Ramadan.

I get asked a lot about the garbage strike.  While there’s not a lot I can do to settle a municipal labour dispute as an aspiring MP, and people recognize this, as a Green MP I could do rather a lot to help Toronto achieve its stated goal of zero waste, which would make a garbage strike a lot less unpleasant.     Read more »

In many ways, the morning rain and overcast sky made this the best Pride Parade I’ve ever been in.  The cool weather gave us all extra energy.  Here we are waiting for the parade to start.  Thanks Soo Luen for the photo.     Read more »

While canvassing today, I met a nice man who recommended this site and movie to me.  I just watched it.  It sort of languishes lovingly over primarily aerial images of tremendous beauty, both natural and man-made, while soaring music plays in the background and frightening assessments are made about our climate, our energy sources, and our ability to feed and water humanity.  It ends with a worried but uplifting message of hope.  It’s well worth the hour and a half.

Postponed one day due to rain.

Hope to see you here.

Leslieville Tree Festival 2009
Sunday, 2009 June 21, noon-5pm
Leslie Grove Park, Queen and Jones, free

As a young woman, I heard the story of the Danish people wearing armbands marking them as Jews in solidarity with the Jewish people when their country was occupied by Nazis.  It turns out this detail is false.  Danish Jews were saved through the courage of their countrymen, primarily because a transport to neutral Sweden was arranged, not because Danish non-Jews also wore yellow stars.  But I find it inspiring to think of facing injustice by insisting on imposing the same limitations on yourself as those suffered by the people you are fighting for.  It is a powerful image.     Read more »

Just got notice today that Solar Neighbourhoods is sponsoring an information session about solar power in Withrow Park next to the Farmer’s Market.

A Solar Affair
Saturday, 2009 May 23, 10am-1pm
Withrow Park
northeast corner, near Farmer’s market and playground     Read more »

The Dalai Lama has signed a strong statement supporting a target below 350 ppm of atmospheric carbon.  This target is supported by a number of eminent climate scientists and is rapidly becoming the new consensus target.  It is, however, a very difficult target to meet because the current concentration of atmospheric carbon stands today at 390 ppm or possibly more.  It is good to see religious leaders recognizing and embracing the science of climate change.

Here‘s a Buddhist website devoted to climate change.  It includes a statement to sign.

I spent the day yesterday at the Green Living Show.  The Green Party had their booth there and most passers-by were happy to sign our petition to protect Canada’s navigable waters.  It feels good to be a Green at the Green Living Show.  A lot of the attendees are Green Party supporters.  People who support other parties feel the need to apologize.  Last year, the Liberal Party had an enormous booth and I spoke to the Young Liberals staffing it about their soon-to-be-released Green Shift plan.  With the Liberals now under an Ignatieff leadership proclaiming the importance of the tar sands, the Liberals were nowhere to be seen.

I have very mixed feelings about the show itself.  There is considerable expertise in green building, home retrofits, organic gardening and renewable power collected in one room.  The most efficient new products are on display for those in the market for a new car, a new appliance or even a lightbulb.  The speakers alone are well worth the price of admission.  Yesterday’s talk by Alanna Mitchell, for example, was informative, terrifying and inspiring.     Read more »

Yesterday I was nominated as the Green Party of Canada candidate for Toronto-Danforth for the next election.  I’m honoured and humbled by the supporters in this riding and their enthusiasm for starting the campaign.  Our success in the next election will depend on what the Green Party does best — building a community of people dedicated to building a better world and working respectfully together to achieve their goals.

In the next few months, I hope to be getting out and introducing myself to the neighbourhood.  I’m asking everyone who is interested in learning more about the Green Party to do one or both of two things.     Read more »

Electric cars, homes heated by the sun, hydro produced by the wind.   All these things will become commonplace, if not in our lifetime then in our children’s.   We’re definitely on the road to going green and it’s large projects like these that get a lot of attention. But there are green alternatives that you can use that will help save our planet and save you money, like green products for cleaning your house.     Read more »

The Green Party of Canada supports the coalition of opposition parties currently in Parliament. Please visit this Green Party sponsored website for more information.  Please see Elizabeth May’s statement below.     Read more »