Tag: Grassroots

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 30: Ruth Fox discusses the loss of her son to drug poisoning, Moms Stop the Harm, and failures of Canada’s drug policy

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

On this episode, Ruth Fox, Regional Director for Moms Stop the Harm, spoke to me about her experience losing her son, Trevor, who died from accidental drug poisoning in his home.
Trevor was 25 years old and had a full and promising life ahead of him in his community. He was a valued employee in a career he enjoyed and was adored by a supportive family and numerous friends.
Ruth became aware of Moms Stop the Harm shortly after Trevor’s death and has found the community of understanding, compassion and support the organization offers invaluable. Through the work the group does, she learned more about the harms caused by Canada’s failed drug policies and the way people who use drugs are treated.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 26: Earl Wyvern on arts, music with The Beards, Beaver Slap, Angry Spells and ‘horrendous progressive politics’

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

In this episode, Barrie Ontario musician Earl Wyvern discusses their history and involvement in the DIY Arts Collective, which progressed to a deep involvement in music, promoting shows through Gay Ass Productions and slamming eardrums on recording and stages for the past ten years. They are currently playing with Angry Spells and digging deeper into what they refer to as their “horrendous progressive politics” with Earl Wyvern and Spare Parts.
Essentially, their horrendous politics, which they describe as “queer” and “militant,” are just a wish for people to be treated fairly and not single out specific segments of society with excuses not to be kind to them. Wyvern describes this as “what-aboutism” and that when people set out to do good for people, they don’t discriminate about who deserves help in times of need.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 25: UK musician, poet, and activist Joe Solo on socialism, antifascism, and community building

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

On this episode, award-winning musician, writer, poet, activist, broadcaster and washing machine engineer Joe Solo speaks about spreading his message of social justice, anti-fascism, and socialism in his music and books from Scarborough. Not the Scarborough that will jump into the minds of people raised in southern Ontario, but the one across the Atlantic on England’s North Sea coast.

Solo began his musical journey in 1987 and has seen him leaping around with pop-punk upstarts Lithium Joe or his solo albums hammering out his unique brand of Folk, Punk and Blues. His songs bring to mind great lyrical thinkers like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joe Hill, and Billy Bragg.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 24: Celeste Trianon on the rise of anti-trans hate, how to oppose the hatred, name and gender marker change in Quebec  

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

As anti-trans rhetoric gets normalized across Canada, activists stand up to the hatred.  This episode highlights the work and activism of Celeste Trianon, a trans-feminine jurist and activist. On the legal front, she helps people in Quebec with name and gender marker changes. Across Canada, she has been involved in activism, resisting hatred directed towards the 2SLGBTQIA community, specifically trans, two-spirit and non-binary people.

“Almost obscene” Dipping into Listowel Ontario’s cultural history

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

This is the first of three pieces I am reprinting from local media that dove into a strange incident that shook the foundations of Listowel, Ontario. When this issue flared into a fervour of debate among the town council and local authorities, my father told me, “You are ahead of your time; this town is not ready for you yet.” It seems that this is still the case. Yet, I’m still here.  

Originally printed in the edition of the Listowel Banner on Wednesday, September 20, 1995, this story had no byline attributed to it.  Although the newspaper has gone through several ownership changes since then, it has been printed continuously since 1866, and back issues can be found at the archives housed in the Stratford Perth Museum.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 18: Sue Spahr discusses the Wishbone Animal Rights Lab and veganism  

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

“We come together with this common caring of respect for animals and our planet,” states Sue Spahr, one of the founders of the Wishbone Animal Rights Lab in Toronto, which opened its doors at the end of March.

This episode features a conversation with Spahr about the lab’s role as a hub for animal rights activists, a lending library of equipment and information and a studio for making animal-positive podcasts and videos.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 17: United Way’s Kristin Crane discusses living wage, universal basic income, food insecurity and more

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

This episode features a conversation with Kristin Crane, director of Social Research & Planning for United Way Perth Huron, about the living wage, which leapt over $3 from $17. 55 to $20.70 when the most recent calculation was announced in November 2022. The numbers used in this discussion are from the area in which this podcast is produced: Perth and Huron County.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode 14: Garth Mullins talks overdose crisis, safe drug supply, defunding the police, starting drug activist groups, and more

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

On episode 14, Garth Mullins, host of the award-winning Crackdown podcast, drew on his experience as a drug user and activist to discuss harm reduction and the overdose crisis, the challenge of distributing a safe unadulterated drug supply, defunding the police, the positives and negatives of British Columbia’s decriminalization pilot, starting a grassroots drug user activist group, and his new band Low Dead Space.

Woodstein Media Podcast Episode Ten: Slaxx director Elza Kephart chats about films and climate emergency action

Posted on by Colin Burrowes

Episode ten features a discussion with Elza Kephart, director of the feature films, Graveyard Alive, Go in the Wilderness and most recently, Slaxx, a socially conscious satirical horror-comedy that sharply informs on the evils of fair trade, corporate globalization and, fast fashion.
Although we do discuss the films and series, Kephart is developing. Much of this conversation focuses on her climate activism with Extinction Rebellion, the Ministry of the New Normal, and as a member of SCALE (Sectoral Climate Arts Leadership for the Emergency), and the Directors’ Guild of Canada’s National Sustainability and Climate Action Committee.