Adam Bemma

I made my way down to Place Bonaventure this afternoon and took part in Montreal’s 2009 Salon du livre. Remembering what it was like last year, I knew I’d have to put up with throngs of people. So I braced myself and entered the massive showroom. Once inside, I marveled at all the booksellers and…

Okay, it’s been only a week since the municipal election in Montreal and I’m already anticipating the next political squabble. Tommorrow, federal by-elections are happening across the country, including one here in the city’s east-end Hochelaga. But that doesn’t give me the dose I need of the drama on the hustings…. On the subject of…

The candidates: Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay has been plagued by accusations of corruption. The city’s water meter scandal broke this year, which may just cause him and his Union Montreal party the job. Newcomer Louise Harel, the leader of Vision Montreal, is looking to take the top spot in the city. Harel is no stranger…

U.S. President Barack Obama‘s plan to make health care available to all Americans is causing serious controversy. On Tuesday, when addressing Congress about how undocumented immigrants wouldn’t receive care under the new program, Republican representative Joe Wilson accused Obama of lying. The President responded saying “that’s not true” and continued his speech. Lately there’s been…

In Honduras, the small Central American country, democratically-elected President Manuel Zelaya was ousted from office in June. Public pressure has been mounting from Latin American leaders and now U.S. President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper have spoken out on the issue, and would like to see the military reinstate Zelaya.

Iranians of all age have continued their struggle against the theocratic regime in Tehran. June’s disputed presidential election has given the Iranian people a chance to take to the streets and challenge their government structure. By demanding democracy, they’ve been able to put pressure on the international community to act and support their cause. Meanwhile…

Neda Agha-Soltan was a 26-year-old Iranian woman on her way to music class when she was shot to death by pro-government militia. The 40-second video clip of her laying on a Tehran street bleeding to death sent shockwaves around the world and made millions condemn the brutal repression faced by pro-democracy protesters in Iran. Now…

As a journalist, I love websites that are taking my profession to the next level. Here are two that have grabbed my attention lately and I look forward to contributing to sometime in the future. In the U.S. a non-profit organization named ProPublica is dedicated to serving the public interest by providing investigative stories online.…

Since the government of Sri Lanka escalated the violence against its minority Tamil population, setting off a civil war with the Tamil Tiger (LTTE) rebels in the north, there have been many calls of ethnic cleansing and genocide. In Canada and around the world, Tamil’s have lead demonstrations and hunger strikes to put the spotlight…

‘Imagine: The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko’ is an art installation at Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts (la Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal) which tells the story of Lennon and Ono’s 1969 Bed-in For Peace at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. This exhibit is free to the public and displays photos, films and drawings, all…