Occupy the Right: Ezra Levant and the Redefinition of Canadian Character

Ezra Levant’s The Enemy Within

I recently wrote a book review for the Toronto Review of Books, an outstanding new publication edited by the dynamic Jessica Duffin Wolfe. The TRB is a really remarkable entity, and the issue I wrote for — its fourth — is its first “themed” issue. I chose to write on Ezra Levant, a compelling and infuriating figure in Canadian media and politics. Levant is a demagogue of the first rank, and undoubtedly a highly intelligent fellow. What a shame, then, that this latest book is more rant than critique: I think he’s capable of producing substantive ideas on Canadian culture, but this is not one of them.

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Who will save the Paramount Theatre?

An event in Ottawa hopes to bring support to a threatened building, and a struggling community

Across Canada, communities are slogging through an economic downturn. Industrial cities are particularly hard-hit during such times: when their primary means of employment collapses, it often leads to moments of profound soul-searching. Saint John, NB is one such case: a city trying to find itself in the midst of tumultuous times. There are some in the area who want to find opportunity in this situation, but it’s the question of “how” that’s at issue.

Interview: Rampaged Reality’s Justin Page

N.C. Winter's "Ramona Flowers"

We all have our own personal routines after we’ve started up our computers. Some of us go right for the email; some of us peruse a news service of choice; others will scan Facebook or Twitter for any mentions or trends. I have a new “first visit” site: Rampaged Reality, lovingly built and curated by the designer Justin “Rampage” Page.