B.C. Backlash

Big night in Vancouver tonight as the province's artistic community assembles to protest the recent 92 per cent cut in funding imposed on the arts by the Campbell government. Yeah, you read that right. Ninety-two per cent. (Globe & Mail)

Pick of the Day: Mind the Gap!

I wrestled a bit with the piece I wrote on Mind the Gap! for the Nov. 5 issue of prairie dog. When I dropped by the Dunlop's main gallery the week previous, I had every intention of doing a more conventional review that would recount how the curators Amanda Cachia and Jeff Nye had travelled the highways and bi-ways of Saskatchewan in search of talented young artists, talk a bit about their purpose in doing so (to dispel the notion of Saskatchewan as a cultural wasteland where nothing much happens), then briefly discuss the work of a couple or three artists in the show.

I took a quick look at the exhibition, then fell into conversation with the gallery facilitator. I was born and raised in Saskatchewan. Unlike thousands of my contemporaries who fucked off once they were done university, I never bailed on the province. Instead, I stuck it out through thick and thin. There are things I like about Saskatchewan, obviously. I wouldn't have stayed here otherwise. But there are plenty of things that drive me nuts. The facilitator and I talked about how it was an interesting moment in Saskatchewan's history. Until Rod Gantefoer's Nov. 19 budget update anyway, and its projected $1 billion shortfall, the province had been on the economic upswing. No longer was it a poor sister of Confederation. But at the same time, over the last 20 years or so, there had been a definite shift to the right in political thinking with a subsequent hardening of attitudes on a host of important issues like the environment, crime, human rights, urban sustainability, poverty and the social safety net. Judging by the poor quality of our political representation in Ottawa, and in many sectors of provincial and municipal politics, we are definitely out of step with progressive thinkers in the rest of the world.

During our conversation, the facilitator and I talked about how, while the province may have no longer been an economic backwater, it still had a long way to go before it shed its reputation as a gap province. Really, what did Mind the Gap! prove? That there's good art being made in the province. I've been writing on art for 20 years now, that's not exactly a newsflash for me. I also know that the bulk of the cultural activity that occurs here is due primarily to the hard work and dedication of artists and other workers in the cultural sector who toil for peanuts to subsidize "the arts". Not only that, time and time again we've had to fight like hell to preserve what little cultural life we actually have here: remember the struggle the MacKenzie Gallery had in the late '80s to move to a modern facility with proper environmental controls where the art wouldn't rot on the walls; or when Queer City Cinema came under attack by the provincial Conservatives in 2000 for promoting "porn"; or when the RPL Board voted to close the Dunlop Gallery in 2003 to save money; or the over 15 year struggle to win approval for Status of the Artist legislation and improved funding for the Saskatchewan Arts Board to reflect the growing importance of the arts to the province; or the campaign late Conservative MP Dave Batters (Palliser) waged in 2007 to censor Canadian films by denying tax credits to films deemed non-family friendly?

I could go on. In fact, the day before our Nov. 5 issue hit the streets, Saskatoon-Humboldt MP Brad Trost made headlines with a petition in the House of Commons to revoke funding for the international chapter of Planned Parenthood on the grounds that it supports the right of women to make choices about their reproductive health. Check out Stephen Whitworth's editorial in our Nov. 19 issue for his thoughts on that travesty.

As I noted in the article I did write on Mind the Gap! survey shows like this do not lend themselves to a conventional review. Thirty artists, maybe six or seven different media, no unifying theme or subject. Instead of just doing a lame-o Leader-Post type recap I elected to question its basic premise. To a certain extent, I agree Saskatchewan does get a bad rap in Canada. But in many ways our reputation as a gap province is richly deserved. Having had the pleasure of writing for prairie dog for over ten years now, and knowing firsthand the struggles we've had to endure over that time simply to survive as an independent media outlet in what essentially is a small town where the modus operendi for success is: to get along, you go along, and if you don't, you're dismissed and demeaned; I stand by what I wrote.

As a survey show, I have nothing against Mind the Gap! It offers a useful introduction to the work of many young artists who I'm sure we'll hearing much more from in the future (pictured above, by the way, is an image from a dream-like video by Amalie Atkins). So by all means, check it out. It runs at the Central and Sherwood Village galleries until Jan. 3.

I (Blank) Regina

This is my first blog post ever.

I’m the sort of person who quickly tires of the sound of my own voice (or the look of my own typing, as the case may be), so I can make you exactly one promise right off the bat – I won’t over-blog.

Two quick thoughts about blogs:

1.) Are you familiar with the term “sophomore slump”? This is the phenomenon in which an artist pours a lifetime of ideas and experiences into their first major work, and then chokes on the second because they already used up all their good stuff and now have to start from scratch. I could so easily start rambling here, riffing on all my thoughts and feelings and ideas and opinions... and then burn myself out and wonder what to talk about next time. Not gonna do it.

2.) When your editor asks you to contribute to a blog, and you already make part of your living as a freelance writer, isn’t that kind of like asking your buddy the massage therapist for a free foot rub? Well, maybe. But I don’t mean for this forum to replace my regular writing. I’ll just think of it as... sort of an open letter to a friend. Or a bunch of friends, most of whom I haven’t yet met.

My topic, for the first several posts anyway, will be the city I live in: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. City Hall has been promoting an “I Love Regina” campaign for a while now (or maybe it’s called “I heart Regina”) which is a nice enough thought, but it’s really not specific enough for me. I want the gory details of what people love about Regina, and I want other people to know what I love about it too. It’s becoming too easy for a city to become homogenized and lose its identity – all the quirks and eccentricities and diamonds (in the rough or otherwise) that make it unique and, ultimately, liveable.

One of my pet peeves is people who wander around saying things like, “This town fuckin’ sucks,” and then don’t do anything about it. So even on a lousy day when I look around the city and don’t much like what I see, I force myself to look harder. I might look for gargoyles on the tops of old buildings downtown, or buy fresh marzipan squares at Oskar’s Deli and think about how no one else on the planet is eating anything quite like that at that particular moment.

And before I start rambling on that topic, I’m going to call it a day. See you next time.

Pick of the Day: Riders Vs. Stampeders

From 1967-71 the Riders and Stampeders met in five consecutive West Conference finals. This was back in the day when the final was a best two-out-of-three affair, and the teams certainly had some memorable battles. In 1967 and 1969, it was the Riders, who featured the legendary tandem of QB Ron Lancaster and RB George Reed, who emerged victorious, while in 1968 and 1970-71 it was the Stamps, who were led by the fearsome LB Wayne Harris and wily QB Jerry Keeling, who advanced to the Grey Cup. Now, after a 38-year hiatus the teams meet again in the 2009 West final.

Last week I caught the West semi-final between Calgary and Edmonton with a couple of long-time Riders fans. When I asked them which team they'd rather face in the final they were unsure. On paper, the Stamps were definitely the superior team. But the game isn't played on paper. And when Esk QB Ricky Ray is on his game, as he often seems to be against the Riders, he can pick defences apart at will.

When Stamp QB Henry Burris is on, he too is a formidable force. But if you get enough heat on him, he can be rattled. Certainly, in the first-place showdown on Nov. 7 the Riders did a fine job of containing him, and although West Conference MVP nominee Joffrey Reynolds racked up some impressive yardage, the Riders still won 30-14. If the defence can rise to the occasion again, and the offence under West all-star QB Darian Durant can move the ball effectively and avoid turnovers, the Riders have an excellent chance of winning. Last year in the West semi-final, the B.C. Lions forced two early turnovers by then Rider QB Michael Bishop that took the crowd out of the game. If that happens here, the Riders could be in trouble. One final factor in the Riders' favour is that lately they've been getting some big plays on special teams. If Jason Armstead manages to break a return or three, it will go a long way to helping the Riders win the field position battle. Kick-off at Mosaic Stadium is 3:30 p.m.

Assuming the Riders win, and you're in the mood for a post-game party (or if they lose and you want to drown your sorrows) The Arkells are playing with the Novaks at the Exchange tonight. Here's the video for "The Ballad of Hugo Chavez" off the former's second album Jackson Square. (YouTube)

Saturday Morning Cartoon

What great bit of vintage animation will the prairie dog feature this Saturday, you ask? Does the Three Robonic Stooges in Canada count?



No. I didn't think so.

Pick of the Day: Cold Souls

The thing that pisses me off most about market fundamentalism is that it turns everything (and everybody) into a commodity. Under this "philosophy" if you can't put a price tag on something, it has no value. I also reject the idea that the market, by allowing people to act on their self-interest in competition with each other under the constraints of the law of supply and demand, functions as some sort of super-efficient mechanism for allocating scarce resources (the so-called "invisible hand" that Adam Smith wrote of in the 18th century).


To begin with, markets focus on short-term outcomes. But what's good for a person/corporation/society short-term does not automatically translate into medium and long-term well-being. Currently, we have a system that rewards uber-selfish greedheads who have no qualms about grabbing as much as they can, and when called on their bullshit behaviour, they simply shrug and say they're charging what "the market" will bear. And if you happen to be a person who doesn't base their entire self-worth on the amount of money you've been able to accumulate, and baubles of conspicuous consumption you've been able to buy, and instead prefer to strive for personal fulfillment and the long-term best interest of society? Well, what do you know you pinko commie bastard?

I'm paraphrasing there. But I'm sure you're familiar with the rhetoric.

What does the above rant have to do with Cold Souls, which screens tonight at the RPL at 9 p.m. and tomorrow at 7 p.m.? Usually in our society, the idea of a "soul" is confined to religion. But for me, "soul" has a much broader meaning, encompassing a sense of social responsibility, and a recognition that while material needs are important, they do not define all that we are as human beings.

Probably the biggest existential crisis our culture faces is the need to realize that seeking self-fulfillment through material gain is an impossible proposition. We can never have it all. There's always a new product, a new service, being rolled out. It's the nature of our modern economy. True peace of mind stems not from having more than everyone else, and lording it over everyone with obscene displays of conspicuous consumption, but from being true to yourself, and not compromsing your principles in the pursuit of short-term rewards that are largely illusory anyway.

The challenge, of course, for those who wish to protect and nurture their souls is how to do so when we live in what amounts to a soul-destroying world. In this surreal U.S./French co-production directed by Andrij Parekh, Paul Giamatti stars as an actor in rehearsal for a production of Chekov's Uncle Vanya who decides to seek relief from the burden of his soul by visiting a New York company that specializes in the extraction and storage of souls.

Intrigued? Here's the trailer. (YouTube)

New Dog!

The new prairie dog should be just about everywhere by now. It's not too bad. You should grab a free copy. There's a thing on football, a report on the Saskatchewan government, a whole pile of stories on the Saskatchewan publishing scene, a really cranky column by John Conway, a super-snarky editorial by me that's a little wordy but overheats nicely by the end, a better-than usual letters page, Gwynne Dyer on the Fort Hood massacre, David Suzuki on the ocean ecosystem massacre, a preview of some of the bands playing soon, a bunch of movie and CD reviews and OF COURSE regulars like News Quirks, 14 Days, Queen City Confidential, a bunch of Top 6s, My Music and Street Wear.

The whole thing is more fun that a knapsnack of extra-cute kittens. Give a prairie dog a home today. Available at over 400 locations city-wide.

The Afternoon News

1 MURRAY MANDRYK TEARS THE SASK PARTY A NEW ASSHOLE Well said, sir. (Leader-Post) And here's my own editorial comment: is there anyone out there who doesn't honestly believe the NDP would've managed this situation better? Seriously? Because they would have. by far. They've earned their gloat. besides, the Sask. Party proved Sask. voters respond to attack politics. Karma's a bitch.

2 REGINA RECREATION PLAN A-COMING Much ado about hockey rinks and stuff like that. (CBC)

3 MORE MONEY FOR MELTDOWNS Right now if a Canadian nuclear reactor goes kerblooey, it's only liable for a maximum $75 million in damages. The government--in fact, the Conservative government, which readers may recall I slightly despise--is bringing in legislation to raise that limit to $650 million. Critics say it's not high enough, and they're probably right. But this sounds to me like a step in the right direction. So credit where due: good for Stephen Harper. (The Globe And Mail)

4 THEN AGAIN, THERE'S THAT WHOLE TORTURE THING The Toronto Star's editorial board slams the Conservatives for their reaction to Afghan prisoner torture revelations. (Toronto Star)

5 MONTREAL CAFES TORCHED, AND IT LOOKS SUSPICIOUS Molotov cocktails and mysteriously silent victims? Sounds like something from an early Scorsese movie to me. (CP/Winnipeg Free Press)

6 OPRAH'S GOING BYE-BYE Thanks to the power of prayer, apparently. (New York Times)

Friday Afternoon Kitty!

Special Call Of The (not so) Wild edition!

1.) A cougar! Being cute!



2.) Bobcat! Purring for two minutes! It just goes on and on! SOOOO HAPPY!



3.) Baby Black Panthers! Squeal!



4.) Extreme cougar violence! Adorable!



DISCLAIMER: Don't adopt a pet big cat. Even if they are totally woogy-boogy cute-ums. There is a 99.999999999% chance it's a terrible idea. They pee on EVERYTHING.

Pick of the Day: Genesis

It's a busy night in Regina. To begin with, Vancouver-based indie rockers Mother Mother, who you might remember from their main stage performance at the 2007 Regina Folk Festival, are playing a 19+ gig at Riddell Centre. To give you a taste of what they have to offer, here's the video for the title track off their 2008 album O My Heart (YouTube)

Local favourites The Polymaths, who graced the stage along with Rah Rah and These Estates at prairie dog's 15th anniversary party in February 2008, have a CD release scheduled for tonight at O'Hanlon's Pub. I wasn't able to dig up any video of the band on YouTube. I did learn, though, of the existence of a death metal band called The Polymath. Don't confuse the two. While a rockin' good band, The Polymaths won't make your ears bleed -- trust me. For more info on the band, which includes Craig Fink, Matthew Blackwell, Jenn Bergen, Patrick Barks and John Cameron, check out James Brotheridge's preview in our Nov. 19 issue.

Finally, tonight and tomorrow night at the Performing Arts Centre the Youth Ballet Company of Saskatchewan (pictured above) is presenting it's annual fall recital. A mix of contemporary dance and classical ballet works, Genesis, as the title implies, also marks a new beginning for the company. After 15 years at the helm, Connie Moker-Wernikowski stepped down as artistic director this spring. She was replaced by Richard Zimich.


To ease the transition, Zimich was joined this fall by guest artist-in-residence Karen Rose from Toronto. Works choreographed by both her and Zimich will be featured in Genesis. Also on the bill are excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. To whet your appetite, here's an excerpt from a 2004 performance of the former ballet by the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. (YouTube)