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#changecamp logo We consider ourselves to be pretty politically aware at This Magazine, which is why I'm excited to be attending an interesting experiment on Saturday, an "unconference" in Toronto called ChangeCamp. With the swearing in of Mr. Change himself yesterday, there's a lot of interest and energy pouring into new ways of organizing and influencing government and engaging citizens in the political process. Here's how the ChangeCamp organizers describe it:

ChangeCamp is a free participatory web-enabled face-to-face event that brings together citizens, technologists, designers, academics, policy wonks, political players, change-makers and government employees to answer one question: How do we re-imagine government and governance in the age of participation?

By "participation," they mean mostly social technologies that are flourishing on the web, connecting citizens and providing easy ways for large groups of people to collaborate together. Now, I'm a big nerd for these ideas, although it's also important to acknowledge that there's an awful lot of techno-utopian nonsense that comes with the territory. But I also think it's important to be there, to talk to people who are similarly excited about the possibilities for improving government responsiveness, boosting citizen engagement, and building more effective policy. This Magazine has always prided itself on studying and embracing (or, sometimes, rejecting) new progressive political movements. ChangeCamp isn't a movement yet. But it could be. The only way to find out is to go and see for myself.

Since the content of the conference is determined by the participants on the day, we don't know exactly what's going to happen. But it will be a diligently blogged and Twittered and YouTubed event, and I'll report back next week on what went down. You can follow the day's progress on Twitter (search for the term #changecamp or follow @changecamp) and on the conference website.

More entries on: Toronto

January 12, 2009

Giving the green shine to grocery shopping

Posted by Melissa Wilson at 09:19 AM ET | Comments (1)

Starting today, Toronto Loblaws patrons will need to stock up on canvas bags or start shopping at Metro if they want to enjoy the petroleum-based convenience of free plastic shopping bag, CityNews reports.

The decision was made last month to charge five cents for each plastic bag (a la No Frills) handed out in Hogtown. The new fee was set to hit stores on June 1st of this year, but Loblaws has apparently decided to start a bit early, pocketing five months' worth of plastic bag profits.

Critics of the program say that it's just another way for corporate chains to make a buck, and that the City of Toronto is just looking for a way to avoid recycling costs.

What do you think? Is this a get-rick-quick scheme or an earnest effort to divert non-biodegradable plastic from landfills?

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April 18, 2007

joy sighting in hogtown

Posted by john_d at 01:14 PM ET | Comments (0)

I hope everyone read R.M. Vaughn's hilarious piece in the weekend Globe about how you all hate Toronto only because our shiny surfaces reflect back your own inadequacies. It warmed my heart. Brilliant writer, Vaughn. You should go buy his books. If it makes it easier, think of him as a Maritime author like that other Torontonian David Adams Richards.

Anyhoo, one of my least favorite Toronto slights is the suggestion that we are an unhappy people -- that we cannot experience joy like they somehow do on the prairies, or beside an ocean. Being mostly joyless myself, I've always had trouble defending Toronto on this point, but now a bunch of local blogs and papers have come to my rescue. Below you see the remnants of the Joy Oil & Gas Station (thank you BlogTO for the photo), built in the 1930's and a longtime landmark on Toronto's western shoreline (corner of Lakeshore and Windermere).

The gas is all gone from that corner, but the joy remains, or did anyway, until recently when the City of Toronto officially moved its joy across the street to serve as an ice cream stand. So there. Toronto's joy will now pump out ice cream to little kids and old people walking by the lake. Stick that in your latte, Vancouver.

p.s. I'm very pleased they're doing something with this structure. It's been covered with white tarps for two years at least, and my kids now love it, screaming out "Ghost House!" when we pass it every day.

More entries on: Toronto

February 07, 2007

I know you are, but what am I?

Posted by jessica at 11:23 AM ET | Comments (4)

Sometimes I love the news. As if the astronaut love-triangle wasn't giggle-inducing enough, I was delighted to be greeted by the following headline in the Toronto Star waiting for the streetcar this morning:

Council bickers its way out of photo
'An all-time low' as councillors, mayor can't agree on seating plan

Some might wonder how these people are expected to run a city if they can't manage a photo shoot, but I sympathize with this situation. In daycare, my best friend and I were positioned at opposite ends of the bench for our class picture; in the photo (which I still have) she's looking at me, crying. I'd hate to see the scene repeated.

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November 22, 2006

State of Toronto's Arts

Posted by mason at 11:37 AM ET | Comments (0)

In a year City Hall is calling the Year of Creativity for Toronto, what is needed is an honest survey of the city's arts community: From expensive productions to hidden gems, how are the arts helping to shape Toronto? This Sunday, interested parties can take a step toward answering this question by attending a day-long book launch for The State of the Arts, the second book in Coach House Press's uTOpia series. This volume cuts a wide swath, with essays considering arts from just about every conceivable angle.

The launch will be equally ambitious. Joining forces with This Is Not A Reading Series and Wavelength, it will begin with panel discussions on official culture and unofficial culture, to be followed by performances from independent musicians The Phonemes, More or Les and Scarborough A/V.

Of note: several past and present This Mag contributors have essays in the book, including RM Vaughan, Lisa Rundle, Shawn Micallef, Carl Wilson, fiction & poetry editor Stuart Ross and publisher Lisa Whittington-Hill.

If you're in the Toronto area this weekend, drop by the Gladstone Hotel anytime after 3 for a taste of Toronto arts and culture.

More entries on: Lit | Toronto

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THIS MAGAZINE. BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS POLITICAL

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THIS MAGAZINE: BECAUSE EVERTHING IS POLITICAL

January 21, 2009

A #changecamp is gonna come

January 12, 2009

Giving the green shine to grocery shopping

April 18, 2007

joy sighting in hogtown

February 07, 2007

I know you are, but what am I?

November 22, 2006

State of Toronto's Arts