CitizenShift will be involved in ACA Gallery’s presentation at this year’s Nuit Blanche. This event will include an outdoor art projection accompanied by music, an interactive collaborative art project and a “speakers corner” where participants will be videotaped sharing their opinions on how art can change the world. Subsequently, these video clips will appear on CitizenShift’s blog. The event takes place this Saturday, September 29, 2007 in Toronto’s Moss Park (located on Queen Street East between Jarvis and Sherbourne)from 7:03 p.m. till sunrise! Hope to see you there!
Pangea Day (May 10, 2008) looks like a really interesting social issues event that’s gaining some momentum. Basically, it’s a four hour globally networked film festival, including music, inspirational speakers and focusing on bringing the world together through film.
There are a lot of celebrities like Goldie Hawn, Meg Ryan and Cameron Diaz endorsing the project, but there are also people like Chris Anderson (author of The Long Tail, and editor of Wired Magazine) and Deborah Scranton (director, The War Tapes) serving on the advisory board.
They’ve got a YouTube group where contributors can watch and upload content.
Our mascot for the trip was a little wooden canoe intricately carved with love and attention to detail. Alan has been photographing the canoe on our journey in various situations- in rapids, on the beach, on the rocks. We even have a shot it on the glacier early in our trip, hitching a ride on my backpack.
The little canoe is pictured here on some free flowing natural bitumen we saw oozing into the river at a place called Bitumount. The bitumen flows freely into the river in certain places- evidence of the energy resource in this area. Bitumount was one of the first places that bitumen was extracted in what turned out to be a failed experiment in the quest for energy. It is a small mining camp that has today been abandonned. Today, this area and the bitumen resource has attracted much attention again due to the political stability of Alberta and the high per barrel price of oil. When you hold this thick gooey stuff in your hand you realize our energy situation today- this is “bottom of the barrel” energy- in the words of the former CEO of Shell Canada, it’s “crap oil”. We have so little oil left in the world today that we are reduced to mining our oil instead of drilling for it. If you believe that there is plenty of cheap oil today, then ask yourself why we are going to the trouble to get this “crap” out of the ground. It’s expensive, time consuming and environmentally damaging. The things our society will do to avoid change!! Check out this fact sheet on Bitumount and the oilsands.
We had stopped to do some photography on the side of the river in a quiet and peaceful place. We were in the middle of nowhere, enjoying the peacefulness of the place, when all of a sudden we heard this dull roar. It grew louder and louder, and I started to get a little frightened- was one of the plants nearby experiencing a meltdown or something? What on earth could that sound be?
Then, we had the answer. Across the river, the nose of a 747 jet poked out from the trees and began its upward climb. We were quite puzzled as to why there would be an airstrip out here in the middle of nowhere. It turns out that oil companies have built landing strips large enough for 747’s to fly their workers in to work in the mines. Later, as we flew over the oilsands, we could see the construction of several of these landing strips. I guess this gets us around the problem of housing in Fort McMurray! Just fly straight from Calgary to camp.
See my next post for links to all the information I present in this post.
This was the last stretch of our journey on the Athabasca river from Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan on the shore of Lake Athabasca. I am fortunate to have witnessed the beauty of this environment. By interviewing some people during these few days on the river and researching a little I learned about the rich history of this river and its surroundings. Archeological evidence shows that Aboriginal people have inhabited the Wood Buffalo region for more than 8000 years, long before fur traders arrived in the early 1700s. With the start of the fur trade a large number moved into the area and the river became an important transportation route.
Wood Buffalo National Park borders the Athabasca River to the south-east. At 44,807 km2, Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada’s largest national park and the second largest in the world. The park was established in 1922 to protect the free-roaming bison herds of the area. Today, the park supports and protects many unique natural and cultural resources, from diverse ecosystems and rare species to the traditional activities of Aboriginal residents. Wood Buffalo National park is a remote wilderness park and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In the same area we also find wetlands of international significance. In 1982, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) designated the Peace-Athabasca Delta and the whooping crane nesting area as Ramsar sites in need of protection as critical habitat for migratory birds
Once an important transportation route, travel along the Athabasca River has now declined to a level where businesses such as general stores, gas stations and post offices along the banks have been closing their doors. This transportation route does, however, remain the only connection between Ft Chipewyan and Ft McMurray other than by plane. A winter road is available for a short period when winter conditions allow. The secluded geographical position of the communities living on the river and in Ft Chipewyan raises a common concern regarding the decreasing water level of the river. Boats often get caught in the shallow sections of the river. As outlined by the Northern River Ecosystem Initiative - NREI , this situation might worsen with the dry climate trend observed over the past 2 decades combined with increasing water withdrawals by oil sand industries.
Another concern shared by many is the potential contamination of fish and water. In its 2006 report, the Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program - RAMP Report Section 6 states that the concentrations of contaminants in the river water were high relative to previous years, likely due to low water levels in summer and fall 2006. Chemicals such as chlorinated organic compounds, including dioxins and furans, PCBs and DDT are toxic, persistent and can bioaccumulate in food chains. Findings of the NREI outlined that even though dioxins and furans are no longer detectable in the water of the northern rivers because mills have changed their pulping process, scientist still found traces in fish and river sediments on the Athabasca River. The source of these contaminants is not known, but it is possible that bottom sediments are still contaminated from previous pulp mill effluents. PCBs have also not declined in fish and river suspended and bottom sediments. There is no evidence that pulp mill or municipal effluents contain PCBs, so there may be old dump sites or other sources from the past in these urban areas. Another possibility is that PCBs from past releases are still being recycled through the bottom sediments, algae and invertebrates downstream
My concern regarding these findings is that some people living on the river don’t have access to fish consumption advisories. They may be without Internet access, and unable to travel to offices where information is available. These individuals are also more likely to include fish in their diet. By questioning people fishing on the river I found that one of the favorite fish was the Northern Pike (Jackfish). They happen to be a top predator and consequently accumulate higher concentrations of contaminants. Furthermore, what will happen to contaminant concentrations if water flow levels continue to decline? Are we going to see increases in contaminant concentrations in water and later in fish tissue? And if the river requires dredging for navigation, will downstream communities and the Peace-Athabasca Delta species be more at risk?
Hopefully the answer to these questions is that we will find ways to reduce contaminants in the Athabasca River system, but I am not confident that this is what the future holds for the river.
Here is an aerial shot of one of the upgrading plants beside the river. Note the proximity of this plant to the Athabasca river.
Photo: Chris Evans, www.oilsandswatch.org
Outside of the photo on the opposite side of the river is the actual mine- massive yellow trucks ferry the bitumen across the river for upgrading. The sand and oil are seperated using steam (i.e. using lots of water from the Athabasca) then upgraded and put into pipes that go all they way to Chicago.
There is a thin dyke that that seperates the process affected water (e.g. toxic) from the river water. The Alberta government states that concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH’s) are very small, in the nannograms (these chemicals are a known carcinogen). However physicians in this area as well as first nations groups are complaining of higher than normal cancer rates, specifically bile duct cancers. To date, no comprehensive study has been conducted that we are aware of. Spills of toxic chemicals into the river in the past have been recorded.
Keeping this much poison out of the ecosystem is quite a task indeed.
It was one of the those unique opportunities that documentarians dream of- the chance to be a part of a story actively unfolding. That’s a time when you drop whatever production schedule you have to take advantage of opportunities that fate extends you.
Alan, Nivea and I arrived in Fort McMurray in time to take part in a protest flotilla. The idea was for various environmental groups and concerned citizens to join together in a flotilla that paddled past the oilsands plants on the Athabasca river to a first nations settlement called Fort Mckay. The end result was a 17 boat expedition (good thing the Athabasca is a wide river at this point) that lasted two days.
Various groups took part. It was organized by the Pembina Institute, with the Sierra Club, CPAWS, Toxics Watch and others lending their support.
One surprise for me was the proximity of these operations to the Athabasca River. As we pulled around one bend of the river we were able to see the mighty yellow trucks ferrying back and forth a mere 150 metres from the banks. Around the next bend we found a forest of flare stacks where once the boreal forest had been.
It must have been an odd site- tiny colorful canoes floating past the massive stacks. This is a part of the world where the human footprint is felt in a very visceral way- the sickly sour gas fumes gave me a splitter headache.
We camped on a sandbar on the Athabasca. Beside us was a large open pit mine- the trucks and machines worked day and night non-stop. Looking at the mine one had the impression of a scalped head drying in the sun.
A fellow I met who worked in the mines said it best: “They move mountains out here”.
I’ve included some photos here to give an idea of the area.
Introducing Jim Munroe, “a novelist who left HarperCollins to showcase and propagate indie press alternatives to Rupert Murdoch-style consolidation.” Jim is also the founder of NO MEDIA KINGS.
He is screening his lo-fi sci-fi movie called INFEST WISELY as part of vidfest Sunday Sept 23rd at 4pm at The Vancouver Film Center. This ‘episodic’ debuted on the web in installments and can still be seen there- but, of course, you have the opportunity to meet Jim and ask him questions if you attend the event.
Also of note (but only open to vidfest full conference pass holders): on Monday Sept 24 at 10:20am is a panel called The Wisdom of Crowds: Web 2.0 Democracy or Mob Mentality?
Jim will be in full debate with Andrew Keen, a fellow who wrote a book called ‘The Cult of the Amateur’, and talks about how non-professionalism on the web is dumbing us down.
Miro, that stalwart of open source media players, is facing a budget shortfall in the next few months. If you are anything like me and are counting on Miro to be the iTunes killer we dream for it to be, then why not toss them a bone?
Their goal is to raise $50K in September to pay the modest salaries of the programmers working on this non-profit project. From the horse’s mouth:
Massive corporations are spending millions to try to build internet video monopolies and restrict the material their users can access. They want to force all creators to use their proprietary software and they want to use Digital Rights Management (DRM) to limit what people can do. Miro is developed by a non-profit (501c3) organization that is dedicated to fighting for users, building an open system with no gatekeepers, and working for net neutrality. We don’t need to have a small group of corporations control the future of video: help us build a truly open system.
Cinema Politica’s main objective is to promote, disseminate, exhibit and promote the discussion of political cinema by independent artists, with an emphasis on Canadian works. Their screenings are starting back up, after the summer break, so check out listings in your area-or better yet-start up one of your own!
MONTRAEL
This is the first Cinema Politica screening of the year!
WHAT: SHARKWATER
Don’t miss your chance to see it projected on large-format 35mm film print on Concordia’s H-110 screen, a full sixty feet wide. WHEN: Monday, September 17 at 7:30pm WHERE: Room H-110, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve COST: Free or by donation
VANCOUVER
8 weeks into the city’s civic strike both sides returned to the table today under a media blackout...here’s hoping that community centers and libraries will reopen and garbage and recycling will resume collection!
WHAT: IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS WHEN: Friday, October 19 at 10:30pm WHERE: Alice Mckay Room, Vancouver Public Library, 350 West Georgia Street WHERE? any ideas for an alternative venue if the strike persists? COST: Free or by donation
1. A film night called DECONSTRUCTION will have work that re-uses found objects, archival footage, internet imagery, old films, old videos, books and whatever else and re-interprets it.
It’s a FREE outdoor show at Cathedral Square Park (corner of Richards and Dunsmuir) on Friday Sept 7th at 9pm.
Let’s hope it doesn’t rain.
2. An event called LIVE CINEMA will allow participating artists to re-use sounds and visuals from several old NFB productions and incorporate it into their synchronized audio-visual performances.
$15 at the Scotia Bank Dance Centre, Wednesday September 12th at 8pm
Speaking of performance and reusing: here is a really fun song and dance doc about dumpster diving: SURFING THE WASTE
Montrealer in her mid-twenties.
Freelance journalist and photographer,
with an interest in human rights and sustainable living.
Has a cheerful disposition.
Tynesha is CITIZENShift's summer intern from Concordia University's Communication department (Mtl., QC). Brimming with interests, she states "I enjoy school, I sing in a choir and I am also involved in community radio and volunteer work with youth. In the future, I look forward to developing a company that merges my three great passions in sound, community engagement, and music."
David Widgington was the event coordinator for the Citizen Media Rendez-vous 2010 (http://citizen-media.ca). He is a mobile journalist (MoJo) who is well-versed in community radio, video and print and web-based media practices. He has a particular interest these days with diaspora communities returning to Southern Sudan since the end of the war. He is script-writing a documentary project on the subject. (http://southsudaninfo.net).
