Mega(city)transect
Megatransecting Mexico City In 1999, American biologist J. Michael Fay set out on a project to map and survey the vegetation of Africa’s entire Congo …
Blog Archive
Election 2011 and the Rise of Ethnoburbia
Election results in Toronto in 2008 (top) and 2011 (bottom) Red is Liberal, blue is Conservative, orange is NDP Canada held its 41st federal election …
In Defense of Street Art
Ai Wei Wei projection graffiti, Hong Kong. Photo by Cpak Ming This month, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles opened a new exhibition …
Escaping Your Disease
My eighteen-year-old sister Jessica has been on over thirty-five airplanes and jumped out of all of them.Without wings, she dives back towards the ground at …
Marching For Ai Wei Wei
Ai Wei Wei has become a cause célèbre in Hong Kong since his arrest by mainland Chinese authorities on April 3rd. In the week since …
The Bizarre Rise of Celebrity Politicians
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," is undoubtedly the most memorable quote in the American Declaration of Independence; one could argue that "happiness" (read: …
The Green Room is a Bar I Went to Once That Has Since Burned Down
A DJ at the Green Room. Photo by Flickr user Nika. There used to be a bar on St. Laurent Street in the Mile End …
Choi Sai-ho's Music for the Kinetic Metropolis
Every so often a musician comes along that captures the mood of a city, or at least a certain subset of its time and population. …
The Architecture of War at the CCA
Chrysler Tank Arsenal, Warren township, by Albert Kahn Associates and Chrysler Corporation, 1941. Photograph by Hedrich-Blessing. © Chicago History Museum, HB-06539-C When you think of …
How Canada Votes, Street by Street
Election signs in Calgary, 2006 Canada is in the midst of yet another federal election, one that will, if the current trends hold steady, result …
What is a "Home"?
“Where is home for you?” I was recently asked this question, and I found myself speechless and confused. The only answer that came to mind …
The Pixies and the Resurrection of the Album
“These are what we call ‘deep cuts,’ in the album world” – Kim Deal Twenty-first century music culture is rife with seemingly contradictory realities. For …
Campus Intervention: McGill Grads Make Benches, Nachos and Friends
Debbie So putting the finishing touches on a bench destined for McGill campus. University students are not typically expected to make changes to campus furniture—unless …
How Cairo's Cabbies Fueled Egypt's Revolution
Photos by Peter Morgan (top), and MatHelium (bottom) Hop in any cab in any city of the world and you’re likely to be treated to …
Hosni Mubarak's Egypt, Hiding in Plain Sight
Photo by Sarah Carr I couldn’t quite glimpse Hosni Mubarak from my balcony in Garden City, but simply knowing that his portrait was nearby made …
Why We Will Never Forgive Chris Brown
Why haven’t we forgiven Chris Brown? I’m not suggesting that we should, mind you. But pop culture has a rather fascinating ability to forgive, if …
Arming Libya’s Rebels: Lessons From Afghanistan
An Afghan National Army soldier keeps a casual watch from inside a guard tower at a Base in the Panjwai District west of Kandahar City. …
In Defence of the Tailor: A Short Essay on Individuality
Photo by Liliana Amundaraín In this era of unbridled individualism, it is ironic that tailors are disappearing from public life. They are our best instruments …
Montreal Comfort Food: Poutine
Photo: “Maamm Bolduc” from Majamonster on flickr The best poutine in Montreal is a highly debated subject. Many a happy, drunken night has ended in …
Between Rwanda and Sierra Leone: Canada's Beer Drinking Habit
Something about booze loosens the tongue and blurs the hard, critical lens through which we see the world. In glazed-over states, we begin to speak …
