One Woman. One Blog.

Building Bridges and Delivering Trains: Can Del Mastro Do It All?

"The Kelowna Accord...there is no such thing. It was nothing but a press release."
- Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro,
newly appointed Parliamentary Secretary
to Heritage Minister James Moore

It will be interesting to see how other members of the Peterborough community respond to Dean Del Mastro's appointment as Parliamentary Secretary to Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore.

We've already heard from the arts community, but cultural workers aren't the only ones who will be affected by Del Mastro's appointment.

Canadian Heritage is responsible for arts and culture, citizenship and identity, international activity (international events, international expositions, trade and investment), diversity and multiculturalism, sport, and youth. See this comprehensive A to Z index for an overview of everything this Ministry oversees. 

The Peterborough business community will no doubt be enthusiastic, looking for opportunities to benefit from trade and investment opportunities abroad.

And the sports community will be delighted to have sports being overseen by someone based in Peterborough. (Peterborough has long claimed ownership to anything related to the world of hockey, as any local can attest.)

But as for those parts of our community affected by government decisions related to diversity and multiculturalism; citizenship and identity; and youth -- they may not be quite as enthused.  Along with arts and culture, there are many parts of the Canadian Heritage file where Del Mastro has more learning and much bridge-building to do.

It sounds as if Del Mastro is going to be busy. Very busy. And yet he told the Peterborough Examiner that he won't be too busy to deliver the goods as an MP: "Ultimately I won't allow it take away the focus away from delivering the many things I have been working on for our riding."

Good thing. On top of all his new responsibilities, he still has to follow through on his promises to deliver the train, the battery plant, the Little Lake resort, and the legislation guaranteeing property rights. Etc.

Peterborough: Possibility City

"I'm so disappointed in Peterborough. Now I remember why I ran away when I was 16."
- A Peterborough voter commenting on the election results, quoted in today's Peterborough Examiner.

I believe in Peterborough and its potential to become something more. This is what I think about when I think about Peterborough and its potential.

Peterborough, the ethical city; Peterborough, the just city; Peterborough, the visionary city; Peterborough, the creative city; Peterborough, the innovative city; Peterborough, the eco-city; Peterborough, the multicultural city; Peterborough, the all-ages city; Peterborough, the hate-free city; Peterborough, the bullying-free city; Peterborough, the no-one-goes-hungry city; Peterborough, the barrier-free city; Peterborough, the entrepreneurial city; Peterborough, the healthy city; Peterborough, the active city; Peterborough, the sustainable city; Peterborough, the local foodbasket city; Peterborough, the welcoming city; Peterborough, the politically engaged city; Peterborough, the public spaces city; Peterborough, the indie media city, Peterborough, possibility city.

A lot of people are working towards these various ends.

And not all progress has to come through political channels.

We can take a two-tiered approach to working for change in our communities:

1. Add your voice to the loud chorus of Canadians insisting on democratic reform now;
2. Work for change through all channels available to you as a citizen.

Don't give in to cynicism or apathy. Let frustration fuel your resolve to work for change.

Recipe for Media Monotony -- and a Lack of Voices: Media Consolidation

The Canadian Association of Journalists has deep concerns over the loss of local content, and thus local voices after a recent Sun Media Corp. move dictating that its newspapers run national editorials and mandatory chain-wide opinion columns. More

My personal opinion? There are few things more annoying than opening your hometown newspaper and noting that the obligatory summer safety tips (or some similar generic story) isn't local at all. It was picked up off the wire service and features interviews with people you'll never met. It's no wonder more Canadians are turning to the alternative press or the Internet for slice-of-life, grassroots stories of what's really going on in their communities. They can't count on the big chain media outlets to deliver on a consistent basis -- even though those chains (via the hometown daily) are happy to cash advertising cheques from local businesses.

And as for diversity of voices -- I don't have time to do the soap box justice on this topic today, but I will say this. When a handful of people own most of the publications in a particular city, province, or country, they exercise undue influence over what issues do and don't get covered. The political and social consequences can be considerable.

Related:
Media Ownership: Who Owns What in the Canadian Media?
Rogers buying TV stations from CTVglobemedia
CanWest, Goldman Sachs buy Alliance Atlantis for $2.3B
CRTC to review 'diversity of voices' in broadcasting
CRTC

Cahoots Magazine

Here's what Cahoots Magazine has in the works for upcoming issues -- good info to have if you've been meaning to pitch the magazine an article, send in some art from your portfolio, or otherwise get involved with this one-of-a-kind magazine for Canadian women.