Adam Bemma

Today being the day of Jack Layton’s state funeral in Toronto, I wanted to take the time to reflect on the man who always strove to motivate Canadian youth to get involved in politics instead of feeling disenfranchised like most do around the World. I’m reminded of the occasion I had to meet with Jack…

—Video by CUTV Carnage Day one at Heavy Metal, Montreal’s biggest and most extravagant metal festival, which takes place at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Once I arrived yesterday it was mayhem. Dust clouds, bloody noses, and a few metal-heads with broken necks. After 10 minutes, I saw a girl being put on a stretcher by medics on-scene…

Canada’s water is a precious resource. One that we, as Canadians, need to think and use responsibly. Bottled water companies like to take our water and sell it back to us, sometimes from our own tap at up to 10,000 times the price. Aboriginal Canadians living on native reserves rely mostly on bottled water for…

Not in my backyard seems to be the sentiment toward gentrification in Montreal. Many communities all over the city are fighting this process, which is seeing condo developers move in and rents increase. I wrote about this in an earlier post about what’s been happening in Saint-Henri, a former working-class area undergoing a massive transformation,…

The orange wave of support for the federal New Democratic Party in Quebec turned into an election night tsunami as NDP candidates were elected all over the province, turning their one seat in Montreal into a whopping 59. Many New Democrats were unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight by their huge upsets over the established Liberal,…

The federal election on Monday, May 2, 2011 was an historic night. I’m not talking about Prime Minster Stephen Harper gaining his sought-after majority government, or even the NDP and Jack Layton’s “orange wave” of MPs elected in Quebec. I’m addressing the historic occasion for supporters of the Green Party and it’s leader, Elizabeth May,…

I live in Saint-Henri, a working-class community in southwest Montreal. It’s a great neighbourhood, one that has so much potential because of it’s proximity to downtown and location along the Lachine Canal, which is great for cycling, running or walking. It’s really quite an exceptional place, especially for me because I’m two blocks from Atwater…

A few blocks from Southwest Montreal’s Verdun metro station, in what looks like an old elementary school turned into a makeshift community centre, an Afghan woman and a young French Canadian man sit opposite each other at a large table with a plate of cookies in between. “Salaam, chotor astyn?” the woman greets him in…

As the buzzer sounds, the ladies take to the court, one stops to wipe the bottom of her sneaker, which squeaks on the hardwood when put forward, then she takes her position. Standing along the sideline, with a tactic board in hand, is coach Trevor Williams, one of Montreal college basketball’s unsung heroes. This is…