During a brief stopover in Ottawa yesterday, a gracious member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery took me for a sail on the Ottawa River, where I snapped this photo: In case you don’t recognize the building, it’s the posterior of 24 Sussex Drive, home of Canada’s Prime Minister. Even without Bruce Cockburn on board, I was struck by the wondrous want of any obvious standing on guard for Stephen Harper. Our small party boarded my friend’s sailboat at the Hull marina, just across the street from the Museum of Civilization. No one checked our ID, demanded we sign a register, or x-rayed...

26 September, 2011

Workers install security fencing near the CBC building on Front Street in Toronto in preparation for next week's G8 and G20 summits. This is not the perimeter fence, but one of a series of internal fences that will form - take your pick - an obstacle course, security sub-zones, or guides to assist in herding any demonstrators who may penetrate the outer perimeter. The National Post has a graphic depicting the scale of the $1.2 billion security lockdown to be enforced by 7,100 police and para-police. Facilities to be closed during the weekend include the Rogers Centre, the Princess of Wales Theatre,...

19 June, 2010