#CBC diversity

[walrusmagazine]

The Superficial Diversity of Canadian TV

How risk avoidance shapes our entertainment

Interviews with executives and advocates within Canadian film and television point to the people in power—those who use imaginary risk as an excuse not to change—as the actual risk to everyone else. They are the biggest impediment to an inclusive television industry that actually reflects Canadians. In the words of Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of the Canada Media Fund (CMF), which helps finance most of the country’s domestic programming, “We don’t have a problem creatively. We have a problem with our structure that has to be blown up.”

Read more at thewalrus.ca.

Illustration by blackpowerbarbie (blackpowerbarbie.com)

[chameleon777-me]

Enjoying the grand opening of the @cbc news station in Lethbridge! It's nice to be a witness to a moment in Communications history in Canada! @cbcnews @cbcradio #cbc #news #radio #communication #talking #alberta #yql #lethbridge #canada #history #voices #diversity #celebrate #enjoy (at Lethbridge, Alberta) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnpdR6nvq1d/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[burntheedges]

Pas de Deux Chapter 1

Din Djarin x f!reader | 2.9k | fic masterlist | main masterlist | ao3

fic summary: When Din Djarin – principal dancer at Concordia Ballet Company and generational talent in the classical style – suddenly left CBC and joined the Nevarro Ballet Theater mid-season, it shocked the ballet world. You never would have guessed that he would change your life, too.

a/n: here we go! Chapter 1 starts sometime in late fall, November-ish. See my notes on the masterlist about reader in this fic and ballet in general. Thank you @katareyoudrilling for being the best beta, as always!!

chapter tags/warnings: gen, ballet terms (see end notes and the masterlist for definitions), a bit of angst

Chapter 1

“‘In a surprise move that shook the dance world, the Concordia Ballet Company announced yesterday that they have parted ways with principal dancer Din Djarin.’”

You could hear the sudden gasps through the open door of the large studio as you walked towards it. You recognized Clara’s voice as she read the news aloud, you assumed from her phone. 

“‘Djarin, 27, who trained at the rigorous Concordia Ballet School from a young age, has been with CBC for 10 years and is in the prime of his career. He was promoted from soloist to principal two years ago, as is the norm at CBC, where they do not promote dancers younger than 25 to principal. His performances have been highlights on the CBC schedule over the last two seasons, earning many rave reviews.’” 

You turned the corner to enter the studio and found most of the company class crowded around Clara as she looked down at her phone.

“‘The CBC press release did not indicate the reason for the split, which only makes this mid-season decision more disconcerting for fans and donors alike.’”

The group around Clara murmured and shifted their weight. You had just read the article on the bus and knew what was coming next. You slid down to sit against the wall by the door, watching.

“‘This decision comes amidst the company’s preparation for spring and for the last show on their fall schedule, Don Quixote, with no explanation as to how their roster of principals and other dancers may be adjusted to compensate for this enormous loss. Djarin is well known for his powerful physique, technical mastery, and classically perfect performances.’” Clara paused, and then continued, “then it talks about some of his work, we know all of that already, blah blah blah, ok whoa!” She gasped. “Ok. Listen to this – ‘Djarin has not been available for comment, but was seen boarding a flight to Nevarro two days ago before the announcement was made public!'”

You started to put on your shoes for barre and watched as everyone else in the room started to completely freak out.

“Here?!” Owen exclaimed, hand thrown over his mouth. “Is he coming here here?” He gestured around the studio as he asked.

Clara shrugged. “It doesn’t say, look, that’s the end of the article.”

Sophie had started rising up and down on the balls of her feet by one of the barres and you weren’t sure if she was aware she was doing it. Her tone was excited as she asked, “would he come here? Why? We’re, like, not his style.”

The room broke down into several noisy conversations at that point, and you felt your friend Adrian slip down the wall to sit next to you. “So, what do you think?” he asked, nudging your shoulder. 

You shrugged. “No idea. I can’t see any reason he’d even want to come here. CBC is so…” You trailed off, but he knew what you meant.

“Yeah. Traditional. Rigid. Not like us at all.” Adrian waved his hand towards the mismatched group of dancers in front of you and you both smiled. The Nevarro Ballet Theater was different from the Concordia Ballet Company in many ways, and the diversity of dancers in the company was one of the things that set NBT apart the most.

You nodded. “Right. If his flight destination even means anything.”

“If it does, what would that mean for us?” Adrian looked around the room. “We already have a full roster of soloists and principals.” He bit his lip. He looked nervous, and he wasn’t the only one — you noticed Sasha, Lu, Carlos, and Isaac were huddled around the bar, clearly worried. All principals, you assumed they were nervous about losing out on parts. For Adrian, you knew it was because he had just made soloist at the start of the season. A new superstar coming in might shake things up too much.

You nudged his shoulder with your own. “I was thinking about that when I read it on the bus. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I heard what Karga said, about how good you are.”

He nodded, but didn’t look reassured. “At least you don’t have anything to worry about, Ms. Soon-To-Be-Principal.” 

You rolled your eyes and shoved down the anxiety lurking in your stomach. You’d made soloist a couple of years ago, and then first soloist this season. There were some people (including Adrian) who seemed to think you’d be promoted soon, as early as the end of the current season. But there were at least a few critics who disagreed, and for months you’d been having trouble putting the words of one in particular out of your mind. You could quote it from memory:

“While her lyricism and skill are undeniable, one wonders if she has the artistry or stage presence to carry a narrative. She more than deserves the promotion to first soloist, but is this her ceiling?” 

You wished you’d never read the article, but it had seemed to be the usual season preview and you hadn’t been expecting the targeted commentary. You’d spent the last few months trying not to think about it too much, or you knew you would get all in your head about it.

“Shut up.” You nudged him again and he laughed.

He opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by the door opening next to you. It wasn’t your teacher who walked in, though, and once you saw who it was you both leapt to your feet.

Greef Karga, director of the Nevarro Ballet Theater, looked happy, but then he usually did. 

“Good morning, dancers!’ His voice was deep and loud and you all scrambled into a semi-circle facing him at the door, where your ballet instructor, Alexa, followed him in. You chorused a “good morning” in response.

“I’m sure you’ve all seen the news,” Karga continued, with a knowing smile on his face. “And you must be wondering why I’m here!” You glanced in the mirror and noted that everyone did indeed look both curious and a little wary. “Well, I am very pleased to confirm that Din Djarin will be joining us for the rest of the season here at NBT.”

There was some general murmuring and shock in response, but he was not deterred.

“I know we’re in the middle of the season, with many roles already planned. Din and I have agreed to try not to disrupt that too much this year. We’ll be adding some things to the anniversary gala and the mixed programs.” That made sense — the latter were showcases of the work of different composers and choreographers and could be more easily rearranged to include a new dancer. “We won’t be making any changes to Midsummer, Swan Lake, or Cinderella, which I know we’re already planning for and rehearsing.” You felt Adrian take a deep, relieved breath beside you. He was supposed to be Puck this year for the first time and it sounded like that wasn’t going to change. 

“Din will start joining your classes and the rehearsals for the gala and other programs over the course of the next two weeks. Please introduce yourself and welcome him — we are very excited to have him join us.”

You all nodded, of course, even though you knew a lot of your fellow dancers would be wary of the newcomer. 

“Well!” Karga clapped his hands together and smiled. “I’ll let you get started. Continue with your rehearsals as normal unless you hear otherwise. Have a wonderful day, everyone!”

Alexa moved towards the stereo system in the corner as Karga swept out of the room, and you turned to look at Adrian. 

“Well,” he said, turning towards his usual place at the barre. “This should be interesting.”

You nodded as Alexa turned on the music and you took your usual spot next to him at the barre. It definitely would be.

…

After all that excitement, you didn’t even see Djarin for a few days. He didn’t join the morning company classes right away, but you couldn’t really blame him — moving suddenly across the country wasn’t easy. It didn’t stop you from glancing around every room as you entered, trying to catch sight of your elusive new company member. 

You heard from the others that he’d dropped by a couple of rehearsals, and they’d overheard him talking about plans for the mixed programs with some of the choreographers and other staff, including Talia and Jee. You wondered if he’d ever met Kuiil, the current guest choreographer in residence, who traveled and usually worked with different companies every few years. You somehow doubted it — Kuiil’s style was much too contemporary for CBC.

You’d been in rehearsals for Nutcracker and Midsummer all week, though, so you weren’t really surprised that you hadn’t run into him yet. 

Finally, on Friday morning, you arrived early for class to find a group of your fellow company members huddled by the mirror and staring awkwardly across the room. You followed their gaze and found Din Djarin, in the flesh, warming up at the barre. For a moment you couldn’t reconcile the sight of him in your familiar space. He was tall and imposing, and dressed all in black — black ballet shoes, black tights, black sweats that cut off below his knees, and a tight black long sleeve shirt that showcased the breadth of his shoulders and just how strong he was. His curly brown hair was tousled. His signature mustache, somewhat uncommon in ballet, was in place, though you knew he often shaved for performances — there had been articles about his daring breach of the Concordia status quo when he didn’t. At least at NBT he’d be allowed to keep it, you thought. His face was blank, completely expressionless as he stretched. 

You knew he had to know the rest of the group was watching him, and when you glanced back and found them still huddled you sighed. You felt someone step into the room behind you and turned to find Adrian taking in the standoff. 

He shook his head. “Great start.” His tone was dry, and you laughed under your breath. 

“Should we say hello?” You sat to put on your ballet shoes and Adrian sank down beside you.

“Who, us?” Adrian raised an eyebrow at you. “Do I look brave to you?” 

You laughed again, and were about to suggest going together for moral support when Alexa walked in. She took in the situation and sighed, shaking her head as she crossed the room to where Djarin was still warming up alone.

“Look! Alexa took care of it.” Adrian nudged you and smiled. “No need for us to take one for the team after all.”

The two of you watched as she spoke with him, though you couldn’t hear what they were saying. He nodded at her, and she smiled before walking towards the stereo.

“Alright, let’s get started!” She called out without looking to see if anyone listened, but you all did. You realized as you took your normal spot that you were diagonal from Djarin across the space between two of the barres in the middle of the floor. You’d be able to see him whenever you were working your left side, and somewhat in the mirror on your right. You resolved not to stare.

You only sort of succeeded.

The problem, you quickly realized, was that his movements were beautiful. Even while doing simple pliés or tendus you could see the power in his body, the strength in his muscles, the rigor of his training. Every movement was precise, clean, and perfectly placed. The elegant line of his arm and the curve of his hip drew your gaze like a magnet, over and over again. His effortless coordination and control were mesmerizing. You watched the slow extension of his leg into grand battement until you had to force yourself to tear your eyes away.

Well, you thought, he certainly lives up to all of the hype about technique. CBC had a reputation and he more than exceeded it.

It made you painfully aware of the limits of your own abilities. You knew you were good – you’d made it this far, of course, and now you were first soloist, despite having what was seen as a late start in ballet (at age 7). And despite what the critics said, you were considered to be one of the better technicians at NBT. But you were no match for his level of skill, for the rigorous training you’d heard about at CBC. That much was obvious just from looking at him. 

You tried to clear your mind as the class continued, knowing your worries would start to show in your movements if you let them. It was hard to do that when so much strength and technical perfection stood only five feet away from you, demonstrating the ideal version of every move and transition that you attempted.

As you finished at the barre and quickly put on your pointe shoes to work in the center of the room, you finally put it out of your mind. There was no use in comparison, you’d learned that a long time ago. In the end, the only dancer you could compete with was yourself. And NBT was not a company that encouraged that kind of competition among dancers anyway.

You found your feet going across the floor, letting yourself sink into it as you moved through some jumps and short combinations. You tried to feel nothing but the pull in your muscles and pattern of your breath. By the end of the class you felt a little steadier, a little more centered.

Alexa dismissed the class, and you started to gather your things. As you slipped off your pointe shoes, you felt someone brush past you, heading for the door — Djarin didn’t look back as he crossed the threshold into the hall. You realized as he did that he hadn’t spoken a single word for the entire class. You wondered if he was unhappy to be here, after all. 

By the time you stepped into the hallway, he was nowhere to be seen.

Adrian fell into step next to you as you walked towards the larger rehearsal studios at the other end of the building. He hooked your arms together and looked around quickly to see if anyone was nearby. He leaned in to whisper, “did you see that? He was amazing!”

You nodded. “I know. I didn’t think anyone could live up to all that hype, but he does.”

Adrian shook his head, looking dismayed. “I know they said some roles wouldn’t change but, ugh. I wouldn’t blame them.”

“Hey,” you elbowed him lightly. “Don’t. You’re going to be amazing as Puck. And you know that role plays to your strengths. I don’t see him taking that one from you. It’s not really his style.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I guess. Ok, let’s hurry, I need to tape my knee before Nutcracker.” You winced in sympathy, knowing how much he’d be jumping in practice for both the Russian dance and the jack-in-the-box roles. But his words jogged your memory.

“Shit.” You froze in the hallway. “I left my tape in the studio. Go ahead, I’ll meet you there.”

He nodded, but you were already turning as you said it, waving him on.

You heard him jog off towards the rehearsal rooms behind you as you walked quickly back the way you’d come, turning past the bathrooms and the administrative offices. It didn’t take long and your tape was right where you’d left it. 

Tape in hand, you turned around again and started walking back down the long hall. 

As you approached the offices, though, the sound of Karga’s raised voice stopped you in your tracks, just around the corner from his office door.

“We talked about this, Din. It's part of this company’s identity. You want to break away from them? You need to make a statement.” You heard the slapping sound of one hand against another and imagined Karga hitting his hand with his fist for emphasis. 

“No, Greef, listen. I don’t—“ You startled. It was the first time you’d heard Djarin’s voice and it was much deeper and more pleasant than you would have imagined. 

Karga interrupted him. “No, you listen. Din, you can do this. I know you can. And it will show them everything they’re missing, everything they let slip through their fingers. They are so stuck in their ways, they have no idea what you can really do. What you’re capable of. Let me help you get there.”

You heard Djarin sigh. “This will go badly and I’m going to blame you.”

Karga chuckled. You tried to picture Djarin looking amused, too, and failed. All you could conjure was the expressionless mask he’d kept in place for all of class that morning. Karga continued, “I’ll take it happily. This is going to be great, don’t you worry! We’ll ease you into it. Now, let’s go share the news.”

You heard them start to move around in the office and startled into motion. As you turned the corner, the door to Karga’s office swung open in front of you and Din Djarin stepped out of it. He was moving quickly, shoulders hunched, brow furrowed. He barely glanced in your direction, but when he did, you took a surprised step back at the fierceness of his glare. It was the most emotion you’d seen from him so far, and it wasn’t exactly pleasant. He didn’t stop, though, and quickly turned away from you to move down the hall towards rehearsal. You blinked, frozen mid-step, unable to shake the look he’d just given you. What was that about?

...

| next

a/n: sooo what do you think? ballet terms in this chapter:

see the masterlist for principal, soloist, class vs. rehearsal, season

plié - a bending of the needs (you've probably seen dancers standing at the barre and bending their knees -- that's a plié)

tendu - tight or stretched out - stretching one leg out long, often in brushes along the floor

grand battement - the leg is raised from the hip into the air and brought down again, both knees straight (with apparent ease)

barre - the rail that ballet dancers use in class (don't lean on it!). usually you'd wear normal ballet shoes at the barre and switch into pointe shoes (toe shoes) to do exercises in the center or go across the floor

and if you'd like a visual aid, one of the dancers I'm mentally modeling Din after is Carlos Acosta, who you can see in this compilation (~6:49) doing a variation from Don Quixote.

tag list coming in a reblog!

[scheherazades-vigil]

When I was younger, the Band-taileds would descend en masse to the feeders, still tentative but ultimately brave with need (not very brave at all). There would be lookouts, naturally, but they gave only false positives and failed at spotting true threats. Never forget the Pigeon Head Bob, though. It's adorable, if necessary.

When I say en masse, well, in the day it was dozens per large feeder. We'd spot flocks 100+ strong, easily. In multiples. They'd amass on the ground, like giant, clueless Towhees. We'd scatter extra for those stragglers; those that fit nowhere, plus the ground birds. SOSP, SPTO, DEJU, etc. Yeah sorry I'm lazy RN and it doesn't actually matter. They were birbs. Birbs of shrub and soil.

That was decades ago. By the time the neighbor's cats had taken their bridge toll, the snakes and frogs (the bigguns and small) were gone. The Trillium and gentler flowers, forgotten. The Grand Fir were dying off. Even the gentle willow. The various berries. The Cowbirds were outpopulating their warbler hosts. The Barred Owls had driven the small owls out. Even the Great-horneds left.

Rare the bear and bobcat, common the coyotes. Gone apladontia, gone shrew and jumping mouse and garter snake and red-legged frog, gone salamanders of any kind, and the Band-taileds dropped down, to the single digits, until they stopped coming at all.

For those of you who doubt the effects humans may wield against their own habitats, against ecosystems too beautiful and frail to comprehend: I have seen it firsthand spanning aforementioned decades. It's a horror to behold. Where now the horse and the rider, the Pileated Woodpecker; that's how it goes, right?

Clear-cutting/deforestation, even around acres of contiguous woodland (ours) could not help but kill it all. Someone paving over the fucking marsh and driving out the rails and blackbirds certainly didn't help. Who even knows who did it, and does it matter in the scale of such widespread brutality? Yes and no.

The cats died to owls and coyotes, but real talk, they were so murderous and common in our world, the toll so high... We never did anything, but fuck, we should've called animal control. I didn't know my options at the time. I was a kid. They lived in squalor and danger besides. Bad for everyone.

We were afraid of retribution. It'd obviously be us, the reporting. No dozen neighbors of possibility. They seemed the type to hold grudges, and we had too many animals to risk, then. Past unpleasantness... was suspected.

Also the wind blocks were gone and trees fell dangerously. Please, don't purchase forested land in rural settings only to clear-cut it. I beg you. The cost is so high, even to your neighbors' safety.

I apologize for the unintended post hijacking. I just feel this need be said.

I pray for the Pigeons. Rock even, in the cities. But especially my Shy Bois.

Fighting for the beat, pigeons roil among themselves and their vibrations seeking scraps of grain, spoiled fries minimally covered in mayonnaise, and breadcrumbs laid by the caring passersby. A cooing male is in heat and recommends his beatnick beatitude to the dying heat as the pigeons ponder his poverty among the dying heaps of grain sent out by unworried onlookers.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Nicole Brockbank, Angelina King

Published: Sep 13, 2023

Harry Potter, The Hunger Games and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

Those are all examples of books Reina Takata says she can no longer find in her public high school library in Mississauga, Ont., which she visits on her lunch hour most days.

In May, Takata says the shelves at Erindale Secondary School were full of books, but she noticed that they had gradually started to disappear. When she returned to school this fall, things were more stark.

"This year, I came into my school library and there are rows and rows of empty shelves with absolutely no books," said Takata, who started Grade 10 last week. 

She estimates more than 50 per cent of her school's library books are gone. 

In the spring, Takata says students were told by staff that "if the shelves look emptier right now it's because we have to remove all books [published] prior to 2008." 

Takata is one of several Peel District School Board (PDSB) students, parents and community members CBC Toronto spoke to who are concerned about a seemingly inconsistent approach to a new equity-based book weeding process implemented by the board last spring in response to a provincial directive from the Minister of Education. 

They say the new process, intended to ensure library books are inclusive, appears to have led some schools to remove thousands of books solely because they were published in 2008 or earlier.

Parents and students are looking for answers as to why this happened, and what the board plans to do moving forward.

Prior to publication, neither Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce's office, nor the Education Ministry, would comment on PDSB's implementation of Lecce's directive when contacted by CBC Toronto.

But in a statement Wednesday, the education minister said he has written to the board to immediately end this practice. 

"Ontario is committed to ensuring that the addition of new books better reflects the rich diversity of our communities," said Lecce. 

"It is offensive, illogical and counterintuitive to remove books from years past that educate students on Canada's history, antisemitism or celebrated literary classics."

Weeding books by publication date raises concerns

The process of weeding books from a library isn't new.

Libraries across the country follow weeding plans to dispose of damaged, mouldy and outdated books and to ensure their collections remain a trusted source of current information.

But Takata, who is of Japanese descent, is concerned weeding by publication date doesn't follow that norm and will erase important history.

"I think that authors who wrote about Japanese internment camps are going to be erased and the entire events that went on historically for Japanese Canadians are going to be removed," she said.  

"That worries me a lot."

Libraries not Landfills, a group of parents, retired teachers and community members says it supports standard weeding, but shares Takata's concerns about both fiction and nonfiction books being removed based solely on their publication date.

The group is also concerned about how subjective criteria like inclusivity will be interpreted from school to school in the later stages of the equity-based weeding process.

Tom Ellard, a PDSB parent and the founder of Libraries not Landfills, said teachers reached out to them to help raise awareness about the weeding process.

"Who's the arbiter of what's the right material to go in the library, and who's the arbiter of what's wrong in our libraries? That's unclear," he said. "It's not clear to the teachers who've provided us this material, and it's not clear to me as a parent or as a taxpayer."

Ellard says he's talked to the parent council, his son's principal and his school board trustee. He's also contacted members of the provincial government, but says he hasn't received a substantial response about what happened in the spring and how the process is intended to work.

School board defends process

CBC Toronto requested an interview with the PDSB to discuss how the weeding process works and how the board plans to proceed in the wake of concerns from parents and students. A spokesperson said staff were not available to speak as they were "focusing on students and school families this week." 

The board did not address questions about empty shelves, the volume of books removed and reports about weeding books based on the date of publication.

Instead, the board issued statements explaining that the process of weeding books from school libraries was completed in June and has always been a part of teacher librarian responsibilities within PDSB and at school boards across the country.

"Books published prior to 2008 that are damaged, inaccurate, or do not have strong circulation data (are not being checked out by students) are removed," said the board in its statement. 

If damaged books have strong circulation the board says they can be replaced regardless of publication date, and older titles can stay in the collection if they are "accurate, serve the curriculum, align with board initiatives and are responsive to student interest and engagement."

"The Peel District School Board works to ensure that the books available in our school libraries are culturally responsive, relevant, inclusive, and reflective of the diversity of our school communities and the broader society," said the board.

Weeding a response to minister's directive

CBC Toronto reviewed a copy of the internal PDSB documents Ellard's group obtained, which includes frequently asked questions and answers provided to school staff by the board, and a more detailed manual for the process titled "Weeding and Audit of Resource in the Library Learning Commons collection."

The documents lay out an "equitable curation cycle" for weeding, which it says was created to support Directive 18 from the Minister of Education based on a 2020 Ministry review and report on widespread issues of systematic discrimination within the PDSB. 

Directive 18 instructs the board to complete a diversity audit of schools, which includes libraries.

"The Board shall evaluate books, media and all other resources currently in use for teaching and learning English, History and Social Sciences for the purpose of utilizing resources that are inclusive and culturally responsive, relevant and reflective of students, and the Board's broader school communities," reads the directive.

How weeding works

PDSB's "equitable curation cycle" is described generally in the board document as "a three-step process that holds Peel staff accountable for being critically conscious of how systems operate, so that we can dismantle inequities and foster practices that are culturally responsive and relevant."

First, teacher librarians were instructed to focus on reviewing books that were published 15 or more years ago — so in 2008 or earlier.

Then, librarians were to go through each of those books and consider the widely-used "MUSTIE'' acronym adapted from Canadian School Libraries. The letters stand for the criteria librarians are supposed to consider, and they include:

• Misleading – information may be factually inaccurate or obsolete. • Unpleasant – refers to the physical condition of the book, may require replacement. • Superseded – book been overtaken by a new edition or a more current resource. • Trivial – of no discernible literary or scientific merit; poorly written or presented. • Irrelevant – doesn't meet the needs and interests of the library's community. • Elsewhere – the book or the material in it may be better obtained from other sources.

The deadline to complete this step was the end of June, according to the document. 

[ Dianne Lawson, a member of Libraries not Landfills, says teachers told her The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle were removed from their school libraries as part of the PDSB weeding process. ]

Step two of curation is an anti-racist and inclusive audit, where quality is defined by "resources that promote anti-racism, cultural responsiveness and inclusivity." And step three is a representation audit of how books and other resources reflect student diversity.

When it comes to disposing of the books that are weeded, the board documents say the resources are "causing harm," either as a health hazard because of the condition of the book or because "they are not inclusive, culturally responsive, relevant or accurate."

For those reasons, the documents say the books cannot be donated, as "they are not suitable for any learners." 

A PDSB spokesperson said the board supports its schools "in the disposal of books in a responsible manner by following Peel Region's recycling guidelines." Peel Region allows for the recycling of book paper, as long as hard covers and any other plastics are removed first and put in the garbage. 

Books removed based on date, board heard

It was during the first stage of the new equitable curation cycle, that Takata, Libraries not Landfills, and at least one trustee, say some schools were removing books strictly based on publication date.

CBC Toronto recently reviewed a recording of a May 8 board committee meeting focused on the new equitable weeding process. In it, trustee Karla Bailey noted "there are so many empty shelves," when she walks into schools. 

"When you talk to the librarian in the library, the books are being weeded by the date, no other criteria," Bailey told the committee. 

"That is where many of us have a real issue. None of us have an issue with removing books that are musty, torn, or racist, outdated. But by weeding a book, removing a book from a shelf, based simply on this date is unacceptable. And yes, I witnessed it."

Bernadette Smith, superintendent of innovation and research for PDSB, is heard responding on the recording, saying it was "very disappointing" to hear that, because she said that's not the direction the board is giving in its training for the process.

Dianne Lawson, another member of Libraries not Landfills, told CBC Toronto weeding by publication date in some schools must have occurred in order to explain why a middle school teacher told her The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank was removed from shelves. She also says a kindergarten teacher told her The Very Hungry Caterpillar had been removed as well.

"She has read it to her classes for years, they love it," Lawson said, referring to the Eric Carle picture book. 

"I can't find any sedition in it, or any reason why you would pull this book."

Process 'rolled out wrong,' trustee chair says

Trustee and chair of the board, David Green, told CBC Toronto the weeding process itself "rolled out wrong." 

That's why he says trustees briefly paused the process until the board could get a better understanding of what was actually going on. 

A motion was passed at a May 24 board meeting to ensure that, going forward, those weeding books during the anti-racist and inclusive audit in the second phase of the curation cycle would need to document the title and reason for removal before any books were disposed of.

"We have to make sure that we are meeting the needs of the students and not just rolling something out because we were told to do it," said Green. 

When it comes to removing all books published in 2008 or earlier, Green said the board of trustees has heard that, too. 

"We have asked the Director [of Education] again to make sure that if that is taking place, then that is stopped, and then the proper process is followed," he said.

Green also said they have plans to communicate with parents about the weeding process.

In the meantime, students like Takata are left with half-empty shelves and questions about why they weren't consulted about their own libraries. 

"No one asked for our opinions," she said. "I feel that taking away books without anyone's knowledge is considered censorship."

==

Even given it was "rolled out wrong," it's interesting that some librarians saw no issue with the actions they took.

Which doesn't bode well for the overtly ideological "second phase," in which classic and of-the-time literature is judged through the shallow, postmodern "microaggressions" of present-day activist librarians.

It's always been the people who most want to ban books like "To Kill A Mockingbird" who are the ones who most need to read them.

This is what a purge of history looks like.

[terriwriting]

More than 400 Canadian artists from the worlds of music, film and literature are denouncing what they describe as "alarming and destructive" anti-trans legislation in an open letter released Sunday by music superstars Tegan and Sara.

The list of stars who signed the letter includes actor Elliot Page, Great Big Sea frontman Alan Doyle, actress Elisha Cuthbert, folk music legend Neil Young, recent Grammy winner Allison Russell and the two surviving members of classic children's entertainment act Sharon, Lois and Bram.

"The anti-trans policies taking root in Canada go beyond discrimination — they present a clear risk to the mental and physical well-being of trans individuals throughout the country," reads the letter.

The letter calls out Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's planned pronoun policies for gender diverse children in schools, as well as proposed restrictions for youth seeking gender-affirming care.

[communicationspot]

The Impact of Convergence in Daily Media Habits

I have noticed an increasing dependence on media convergence in my personal media consumption in recent years. The convenience of having all media available at my fingertips is incredible, and as humans we are so susceptible to finding the path of least resistance and taking the easy route. However, between the threat of losing locally produced media content and the echo chamber effect of receiving news from the same source, it is never more important to consider the importance of applying critical thought in personal media use.

The world has undergone lightening-fast transformations in the growth of technology during the ever progressing digital age. Traditional broadcasting faces challenges to survive in the modern world. It is critical that traditional sources adapt to maintain diverse media content in an online age. For a Canadian example, I recall watching many hours of broadcasting from the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) when I was a child. At that point in my life, my media consumption was almost exclusively Canadian; watching episodes of shows on CBC such as “The Littlest Hobo” and “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” provided almost exclusive regulated Canadian content and allowed me to view the world through more of a local lens. Nowadays, my media content is from a vast amount of sources, as shown on my log. While this does have the benefit of providing a broader world perspective, the vast majority of these are not local, or even Canadian, sources.

Another concern with media convergence is the issue of an echo chamber effect, where the content the audience is exposed to is catered to their previous consumed information. This plays a significant influence on the spread of information, particularly through social media. Even with deliberate choices for diverse sources, this can cause bias in information gathering and education online. Therefore, it is always important to apply critical thought and consider the sources of the media which we consume.

[walrusmagazine]

The Superficial Diversity of Canadian TV

How risk avoidance shapes our entertainment

Interviews with executives and advocates within Canadian film and television point to the people in power—those who use imaginary risk as an excuse not to change—as the actual risk to everyone else. They are the biggest impediment to an inclusive television industry that actually reflects Canadians. In the words of Valerie Creighton, president and CEO of the Canada Media Fund (CMF), which helps finance most of the country’s domestic programming, “We don’t have a problem creatively. We have a problem with our structure that has to be blown up.”

Read more at thewalrus.ca.

Illustration by blackpowerbarbie (blackpowerbarbie.com)

[apesoformythoughts]

Two years after Valérie Plante's administration said a new housing bylaw would lead to the construction of 600 new social housing units per year, the city hasn't seen a single one.

The Bylaw for a Diverse Metropolis forces developers to include social, family and, in some places, affordable housing units to any new projects larger than 4,843 square feet.

If they don't, they must pay a fine or hand over land, buildings or individual units for the city to turn into affordable or social housing.

According to data released by Ensemble Montréal, the city's official opposition, and reviewed by CBC News, there have been 150 new projects by private developers, creating a total of 7,100 housing units, since the bylaw came into effect in April 2021.

None of the units have yet been made into affordable housing, with all the developers of those projects opting instead to give Montreal financial compensation. Only 550 units are big enough to be considered family housing. Five developers ceded a piece of property to the city instead of creating affordable housing.

The money from the fees paid by developers goes into either the city's affordable housing fund or its social housing fund. Those fees have so far amounted to a total of $24.5 million — not enough to develop a single social housing project, according to housing experts

— CBC

[labelleizzy]

Diversity win: more kinds of people to be represented in medical textbooks!!!

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A welcome sign in the lobby of Montreal's newly renovated city hall depicting a woman wearing a headscarf will be removed in the name of secularism, Montreal's mayor says, following criticism that the image is offensive. Valérie Plante said during a talk show that aired Sunday night that the drawing of a woman wearing what looks like a hijab, or Islamic headscarf, will be taken down because of the "discomfort" it causes but also because institutions must strive to be secular. In the image, which is in the style of a pencil sketch, the woman is standing between two men — one who seems younger and is wearing a baseball cap and overcoat, and an older man with his hands crossed in front of him. "Welcome to Montreal City Hall!" is written in French above them. "I think we can talk about diversity — the great cultural wealth of Montreal — while favouring secularism," Plante said on the Radio-Canada talk show Tout le monde en parle.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[subiysu-chan]

Dark fantasy

Main food crops for the country I am worldbuilding:

Here are the temperatures:

Low-lands:

Jan: 0*C

Feb: 0.5 *C

March: 2 *C

April: 5*C

May: 8*C

June: 10.5*C

Jully: 15*C

August: 13.2*C

September: 10.1*C

October: 5*C

November: 2*C

December: 1*C

(Making this technically a Cbc climate)

500m above sea-levels:

Jan: -3.25*C

Feb: -2.75*C

March: -1.25*C

April: 1.75*C

May: 4.75*C

June: 7.25*C

Jully: 11.75*C

August: 9.95*C

September: 6.85*C

October: 1.75*C

November: -1.25*C

December: -2.25*C

Oats and rutapagas with in 0 to 200m in altitude would have planting would mean two harvests of oats (one sown in mid March and harvested in mid June and one sown in early August and harvested in late October) and one of rutapagas (summer).

In areas of 500 m of altitude, it means two harvests (one sewn in late April to early May and gathered in Jully and another one sown in late Jully to early August and gathered in October) and one harvest of rutapaga (sown in early August and gathered in late October).

In areas of were the elevations are a mixted of them can have up to four harvests per year, with grain coming in in June, Jully and October. Most make do with two oat harvests, thanks to the special varieties. Rutapagas would have one harvest per year, two in case of mixt elevation, Jully or August in the low-lands and August or September in the higher lands.

It means starchy foods in the region of the setting would come in when the elevation is mixted:

June, Jully, August, sometimes September, and October. However, villages and areas of a single elevation would have to make do with only two starchy harvests).

Shallots are a favored condiment and source of nutrition, and they developped some moisture-tolerant varieties, since it tolerates well acidic soils and mild frost. It is mostly gathered in Fall. Garlic is more rare, and only gathered in early spring. However, berries are abundont in the summer, and sauces based on blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries and yellowberries are common and appreciated. A mixture of finely chopped nettle, berries and shallot all perserved together in lactic acid.

Radishes are a favorite for their short growing season and beets for their hardiness.

The Southern Regions of the country are 0.5 to 2 degrees warmer, allowing them to grow barley and buckwheat, sometimes rye in more highland regions that are not as moist. Apples are also much more present in those regions, although they are usually small and bitter.They also use more apples and cabbages.

These regions cannot produce their own wheat and rice, and those grains are imported through colonies.

Despite their drabby climate, the people are usually hearty bon-vivants roman Catholics that don't tolerate being explained to that they should deprive themselves of the pleasures of life. Their capital is rather relaxed when it comes to sex (to the point their women have an international reputation for being loose), but the countryside and other cities are more prudish. Tasty foods, dances and carnivals are universally enjoyed. The exeption is in the magistrature and in villages recovering from mass sexual abuse.

This encourages a diverse and sophisticated cuisine based on bread and rutapagas stews.

[scottishaccentsareawesome]

I’m Canadian, but my TV has mostly American programming/channels on it. But I’ve started watching more Canadian programming lately, because I am a proud Canadian, and I want to be more supportive of Canadian TV shows.

So I watch CBC quite a bit, and let me tell you...

 - The sitcom “Run The Burbs” is hilarious (starring Andrew Phung from “Kim’s Convenience”, about a Korean-Indian Canadian family living in the suburbs. It’s extremely smart and funny, and has an extremely diverse cast without making anything stereotypical)

- The reality show “Bollywed” is my new obsession (a reality show about an immigrant Indian family who has been running a successful Indian clothing store (specializing in wedding outfits) in downtown Toronto for the past 37+ years. The son is trying to get his dad to accept more modern ways of doing business, specifically opening a second location because they are running out of room in their current store - this show is FANTASTIC)

- I am finally getting into “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” (It’s literally been on for 30 years, so I figure better late than never. It’s great sketch comedy that’s relevant to Canadian society :) )

[daisyachain]

sometimes the way that local news covers ‘diverse’ human interest stories is extremely bad and stupid. We live in The Texas Of The North during a wave of hyperconservative backlash. If you publish a story with ‘[adjective] [adjective] [adjective] Did Something Cool’ for a headline you are setting yourself up as a cringe lib punching bag and doing a disservice to the local artist you’re trying to expose. Don’t by any means whitewash or hide the subjects of stories, but by putting what the general public views as nonsense labels up front and then backloading the actual content (cool work by cool people), it takes away the art from the artist and almost purposefully bounces off like 20% of the reading/listening populace (considering that your average CBC listener is going to be more liberal than your average Albertan)

[atlanticcanada]

Some Islanders spend the Victoria Day long weekend looking to replant trees lost in Fiona

Tree nurseries on P.E.I. are reporting a boom in customers as Islanders whose trees went down during post-tropical storm Fiona seek to restore their properties with diverse plantings.

from CBC | Prince Edward Island News https://ift.tt/GUTc6oh

[dailymantra]

anyway netflix’s constant cancelling of shows with even a sniff of diversity and representation has me thinking about Lilly Wachowski’s tweets

and also how Dan Levy stressed that Schitt’s Creek only go to win so many awards and finish it’s run in its entirety cause CBC let it actually fucking breathe and find an audience.

like these shows (first kill, warrior nun, imperfects, tbsatdh, midnight club, etc) are important and i’m glad they get to exist but it does feel like a constant rug pull and lack of actual concern or care towards the shows themselves. it’s an exercise in futility. like what the fuck are we doing here?