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The deadline to submit comments to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, voicing your opposition to the Melancthon mega-quarry, is midnight tonight . Please: 1. Sign the Avaaz petition: here . 2. Submit your comment to the Ministry: here . 3. Share these links with everyone you know. As Alison at Creekside asks: " If only 3% of land in Ontario is suitable for agriculture, why should any of it be lost to an open pit mine deeper than Niagara Falls to benefit US investors who acquired the land by passing themselves off as farmers ?" For some basic background on this swindle, see my post here , with material from both Avaaz and the Council of Canadians. It can be stopped. We can stop it.

Avaaz, the Council of Canadians, and other concerned groups are alerting Canadians to a threat to Ontario's farmland and fresh water supply. Please read, sign the petition and circulate it in any way you can. From Avaaz: An American hedge fund is about to break ground on a massive mining project that could poison a million people's drinking water and the headwaters for five major rivers, would create an open pit deeper than Niagara Falls and decimate thousands of acres of lush farmland -- and we have 4 days to stop them. For years, Highland Companies deceived residents, posing as a potato farming company and quietly buying up thousands of acres of land from local farmers. Then, it was suddenly revealed that the massive plot of farmland would be converted into a limestone quarry -- a 2300 acre pit so deep it would seriously interfere with the ground water system in the region. But, in order to start digging, Highland must win approval from Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jef...

I have been asked to write the final report for my portion of the research project that I've been working on this summer. There's a strict deadline - the grant ends on July 23 - and many, many loose threads to tie up. It's a great challenge. In keeping with my writing process, right now I'm a bundle of anxiety. I'm telling myself (as I always do), "This is the part where I freak out. This is the part where I think I can't do it." I adopted this method many, many years ago. At some point I realized that it was not down to experience, that these feelings would never go away. Much like an actor who has "stage fright" (that is, anxiety) before every single performance, no matter how much I write, no matter how many deadlines I meet, there will never come a time when I won't experience this anxiety. Once I understood this, I embraced the process. I don't deny the feelings, but I don't give in to them either. I feel them, but I also obs...

This Wednesday, July 6 TVO , Ontario's public television station, will broadcast "War in the Mind," a Canadian documentary about post-traumatic stress, depression and the rising suicide rate among soldiers and veterans. "War in the Mind," by British Columbia filmmaker Judy Jackson, features Romeo Dallaire speaking about his own battle with PTSD, and is narrated by Paul Gross. "War in the Mind" will premiere on TVO's "The View from Here," on Wednesday, July 6, at 9:00, with repeat broadcasts July 8 (midnight), July 10 (11:00 p.m., 2:00 a.m.), August 28 (8:00 p.m.) and August 31 (1:00 a.m.). From the media release: All the soldiers who bravely speak out in this film are doing so because they want us to understand what they endure. They also want to reach out to others who are suffering in silence, and may feel the only way of ending their pain is ending their lives. Senator and Lt. General (Retired) Roméo Dallaire also plays a major role in...

This past week, the Toronto chapter of the War Resisters Support Campaign hosted a fundraising dinner at the United Steelworkers Hall. These dinners, which we hold four times a year, are informal gatherings of friends and supporters, with music, campaign updates and a simple meal. Our turnout this time was better than we had anticipated - we had to set up an extra table - and the final fundraising total topped all expectations. As terrific as that is, the evening brought us so much more than money. Affirming that our supporters are still steadfastly behind us, urging their country to be a safe haven for men and women who refused to participate in the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, brings us joy and hope. Bruce Beyer is a war resister and peace activist living in Buffalo, New York. Bruce came to Canada during the Vietnam War, lived in Sweden (the other country that welcomed US war resisters) for a time, and eventually served time in prison. Bruce, his wife Mary and their daug...

From Canada Causes Cancer : Asbestos causes cancer and other deadly lung diseases. That's why asbestos has been banned in 52 nations, including the European Union. Not to mention, the Canadian government removed it from Parliament and the Prime Minister's home. Despite all this, Canada is still a leading exporter of asbestos to developing countries. Stephen Harper should ban it, or put it back in his home. Soon the Canadian parliament will consider a Private Member's Bill to end Canada's deadly asbestos exports. Will your MP support this crucial legislation? I'm sure my new Conservative MP will not support the bill, but that won't stop me from telling him how I feel. Please visit Canada Causes Cancer to sign the petition and send this message to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and your Member of Parliament: I call on PM Harper and the Canadian Government to: - Ban Canada's production and export of deadly asbestos. - Institute a just transition program for the...