It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, May 02, 2023
BC
Moms of SFU football players lobby for program's reinstatement, wonder how well it's understood
Story by Karin Larsen • Yesterday
A group of moms whose sons' varsity careers were thrown into turmoil with the sudden cancellation of the Simon Fraser University football program has organized to bring a "female lens" to the campaign to save the team.
The SFU Football Mom Squad has been active on social media, presenting perspectives on the value of football and the role it plays in supporting the university's core values of inclusion, equity and diversity.
In an interview with CBC, a spokeswoman for the group also suggested that a gender bias by female leaders at SFU may have played a role in the decision to cut the predominantly male sport.
Launa Kremler, a mother of three sons who played for SFU, told CBC as women familiar with the game, they often run into women with misconceptions about the sport.
"I think that there are a lot of females out there that can watch the game and make assumptions about its potential brutality, or that it's just a man's sport, and then feel like that's something that they can dismiss because it's quote-un-quote old-fashioned or patriarchal," said Kremler.
"So yes, from the mom squad, there's definitely a suspicion that there have been decisions made by a primarily female administration that hasn't taken into account the female perspective on the sport."
In a statement emailed to CBC, SFU said: "The suggestion that the decision was affected by gender bias is not only incorrect but inappropriate.
"The decision to discontinue the SFU varsity football program is about not having a viable place to play in varsity football and was made by the SFU executive team after reviewing all of the available facts. The executive team is made up of three men, three women and the president." On April 4, SFU president Joy Johnson announced the program had been eliminated in a statement citing "ongoing uncertainty" caused by the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference announcing it was dropping SFU football after the completion of the 2023 season.
On the same day, SFU senior athletic director Theresa Hanson told players the decision was not financially motivated and called the process to join another conference "very complex."
The announcement shocked players and supporters who have loudly criticized administrators for pulling the plug on the 57-year-old program one season before the NCAA deal ran out and questioned why no effort was made to apply to other conferences like Canada West.
Kremler said SFU administrators could have avoided the backlash with a more transparent process.
"The real reason I believe there is such an uproar about this is because there was no consultation. There was no conversation with the key stakeholders," she said.
According to Kremler, the mom squad includes members who identify as single parent, Latino, LGBTQ+, First Nations and Black American.
"We decided the group of us is a really good slice of the pie in terms of demographic representation, and maybe our voices together as collective, impassioned, powerful and professional female voices might add another lens to the importance of the football team at SFU to another group of powerful and passionate females," she said.
The SFU Football Alumni Society met with Johnson and school officials to present a roadmap to keep the team playing in 2023 that included a roster of 80 to 90 players, a funding plan and a nine-game exhibition schedule consisting of four games against U.S. college squads and five versus Canadian university teams, including reigning USport champion Laval.
A pledge drive earlier last week staked by B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman raised over $700,000 for the program, while 11 former SFU star players, including B.C. Lions legend Lui Passaglia, have demanded removal from the SFU Sports Hall of Fame until the program is reinstated.
An injunction application filed by five SFU players claiming breach of contract against the university is being heard on May 1 in B.C. Supreme Court. If successful, the court could order that the program be reinstated.
WARMINGTON: We should never forget Florida Panthers' snub of Leafs Nation
Story by Joe Warmington • Yesterday
Toronto Sun
Canadians are allowed to spend billions while travelling in Florida but we’re now banned from supporting the Toronto Maple Leafs in the team’s quest for the Stanley Cup.
It’s the ultimate in hypocrisy, and a gross high stick to the face, that Canadian hockey fans should never forget.
“FLA Live Arena is located in Sunrise, Fla.,” and for the third and fourth games of the second round of the NHL playoffs between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, “primary sales to this event will be restricted to residents of the United States.”
This is a pic from a fan who saw the Leafs play in Florida against the Panthers in March when Canadians were welcomed — supplied photo
And don’t even think about trying to sneak in or get around this.
“Orders by residents outside of the United States will be cancelled without notice.”
Not exactly a warm reception from the Sunshine State which earns billions from Canadian investments and sees its hockey arenas frequented by snowbirds all winter. Those venues would be empty on many regular season nights if they didn’t
Somebody is worried that the Panthers game will be more like a Leafs home game!
Another celebrity appears set to join in the bidding war for the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.
Rap legend Snoop Dogg said on his Instagram account that he is joining a bid led by Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks.
Ian Mendes of The Athletic was the first to report the news.
Snoop Dogg is a hockey fan who sometimes wears NHL jerseys when performing.
Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, who co-owns Welsh soccer club Wrexham AFC, has been attached to a potential bid from real estate developers Remington Group to purchase the team.
The board of directors of Senators Sports & Entertainment announced in November that a process had been initiated to sell the club.
Senators owner Eugene Melnyk died March 28, 2022, at age 62 after battling an illness. He had previously said he planned to leave the team to his daughters, Anna and Olivia.
— This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
Fox says documentary about Canadian 'tyranny' won't air after Tucker Carlson's exit
POSTMEDIA CONTINUES PROMOTING THIS ANTI-TRUDEAU CONSPIRACY THEORY
OTTAWA — Does Tucker Carlson really think the United States should invade its northern neighbour to free it from the tyranny of Justin Trudeau's Liberal government? Canadians may not find out the answer.
A Fox News documentary focused on that question was set to be released on Monday, but it is off the schedule after the controversial host's abrupt departure from the network last week.
A spokesperson for Fox News said "there are no further episodes of Tucker Carlson Originals running" on the Fox Nation streaming service.
Carlson, who was one of the network's most popular hosts, occasionally targeted Canada and its federal Liberal government on his show and was a vocal supporter of last year's "Freedom Convoy" movement.
Nearly a year after people demonstrating against COVID-19 measures took over downtown Ottawa and several border crossings, Carlson questioned why the United States hadn't yet taken action in response to Canadian public-health restrictions — which by the time of his comments had largely ceased to exist.
"Why are we not sending an armed force north to liberate Canada from Trudeau? And I mean it," Carlson said Jan. 26.
Moments later, Carlson laughed and added, "I'm just talking myself into a frenzy here."
A former U.S. ambassador to Canada said in an interview that that kind of comment, combined with Carlson's dominant presence in the media landscape, was dangerous.
"You know, some people in Canada thought this was humorous and a joke," said Bruce Heyman, who was former president Barack Obama's representative in Ottawa from 2014 until the day of Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2017.
"But it was not a joke, because of the people that he attracts and inspires," Heyman said of Carlson's viewers.
"I feel he was a dangerous actor."
Joke or not, Carlson's comment prompted condemnation north of the border, including from NDP MP Matthew Green, who sought unanimous support from his colleagues on Jan. 31 for a motion condemning the comments. He didn't get it.
Carlson mocked the failed motion the next day, saying he thought Canadians would enjoy his comments "because they're always flattered when you talk about them. ... They don't really know how to handle it or what it means, but it doesn't matter — they're excited."
Last month, Fox released a trailer for "O Canada."
It featured a montage of people being arrested — including People's Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier and prominent members of the "Freedom Convoy" movement — spliced with clips of several former U.S. presidents talking about liberating the citizens of other countries.
Bernier said he did an interview with Fox in January or February for the documentary on the subject of his arrest for violating public health orders in June 2021, when he was appearing at a variety of rallies against COVID-19 restrictions.
Carlson had interviewed Bernier on his show not long after the arrest, which took place in Manitoba.
"I was put in jail for a non-crime for 12 hours," Bernier said in an interview Monday.
He insisted that Canadian media organizations did not cover the event adequately: "I know that a lot of Canadians didn't know what happened to a leader of a national party fighting for freedom of choice."
Media reports at the time quoted an RCMP spokeswoman who said Bernier was arrested for the "continuation of the offence of violating the current public health orders in Manitoba."
Bernier said he thought Carlson was making a joke, and does not agree with the idea of the U.S. interfering in Canadian affairs. But he said that Fox was "the only platform" for him to talk about his message, because Canadian media organizations have been ignoring him.
"They asked me to speak about my experience as a national leader, and I did," he said.
He added: "I'm not there to judge how Tucker covered the Jan. 6 event," referring to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol Hill riots.
The New York Times reported that in the lead-up to a Dominion Voting Systems defamation trial against Fox News, executives discovered private messages in the company's legal filings that were sent by Carlson and contained "highly offensive and crude remarks."
The Times report said the messages were a "catalyst" in Fox's decision to cut him loose. The lawsuit, which accused the network of making false statements about the company's voting machines and tabulators, was settled out of court at the last minute.
Heyman said that the network and its hosts' embrace of conspiracy theories around the results of the 2020 election were hazardous.
"Not only did Fox News, Tucker Carlson and others portray the set of circumstances around Jan. 6 in a false way, but they knew it, and they knew it in advance and they went ahead anyway," he said.
Carlson averaged 3.03 million viewers in 2022, and his was the second-most popular program on cable television.
That reach extended into Canada, where he "emboldened any number of people" during the "Freedom Convoy," Heyman said.
In a video posted to Twitter last week, Carlson hinted at a possible return.
"Where can you still find Americans saying true things? There aren't many places left but there are some and that’s enough. As long as you can hear the words, there is hope. See you soon."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
— With files from The Associated Press.
Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
Tucker Carlson and the Right The big question for the G.O.P. during the Biden era is whether the legacy of Carlson’s culture wars adds up to a viable platform for a major political party.
By April 30, 2023
NEW YORKER Illustration by João Fazenda
When Tucker Carlson was fired from Fox News last week—so suddenly that he reportedly learned about it only ten minutes before the world did—the most acute notes of regret came from young conservative intellectuals who had seen his nightly hour of programming as an interesting, and perhaps essential, experiment in what right-wing populism could be. “The Tucker Realignment,” Ross Douthat called that experiment, in the Times, adding that young conservatives “increasingly start out where Carlson ended up—in a posture of reflexive distrust, where if an important American institution takes a position, the place to be is probably on the other side.” Part of what was appealing about Carlson’s point of view to thinkers on the right was that, in his curiosity about fringe ideas and his occasional highlighting of antiwar (Ukraine) and anti-corporate (Silicon Valley) themes, he was testing out a form of conservative populism that did not hinge on Donald Trump personally. Michael Brendan Dougherty, of National Review Online, wrote, “Since January 2016, Tucker Carlson has consistently and relentlessly advanced one thesis about American politics: ‘This isn’t about Donald Trump, but our corrupt liberal elite.’ ”
Ever since Trump lost first the political initiative, in the twists of a covid crisis that he could never get ahead of, and then the Presidency, to Joe Biden, Carlson’s programs have been where the right’s future was incubated. They could be racist (stoking fears about the “great replacement”), bizarre (proposing that men tan their testicles as a solution for apparently declining levels of testosterone), and fixated on liberal power in a way that could be hard for an unindoctrinated viewer to follow. But Carlson was smart enough to identify ideas that could travel.
Both the movement against the teaching of critical race theory and the right-wing interest in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary blossomed on Carlson’s show. J. D. Vance rode regular appearances on it to a seat in the U.S. Senate. After Senator Ted Cruz called the January 6th insurrection a “violent terrorist attack,” Carlson forced him to walk back that comment. Carlson grilled Governor Greg Abbott, of Texas, about why he hadn’t called up more National Guard soldiers to the border, and Abbott did so. The host also suggested that, if people who live in places like Martha’s Vineyard were so keen on diversity, someone should send undocumented immigrants there. Not long afterward, Governor Ron DeSantis, of Florida, took him up on it.
What these initiatives shared was not just a political orientation but an apocalyptic sensibility—Carlson once called abortion “human sacrifice”—and a foxhole atmosphere in which the future of conservative politics depended on relentless resistance. Conservative politicians across the country adopted them in arguing against public-health authorities, rights for trans people, teaching about race and gender in schools, and “woke capitalism.” DeSantis, Trump’s main opponent as the conservative standard-bearer, has spent much of the past year attacking Disney, one of the largest private employers in Florida, which, under pressure from its employees, had protested the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” law; the anti-Disney campaign escalated when Carlson said that the corporation was acting like a “sex offender.”
The big question for the G.O.P. during the Biden era is whether all this adds up to a viable platform for a major political party. How many people are there, really, who see the world the way Carlson does? His audience—about three million viewers—was formidable by the standards of cable news. But mainstream advertisers largely avoided the show; commercial breaks involved a heavy dose of MyPillow.com. When Rupert Murdoch, Fox’s corporate chairman, decided to fire Carlson, he did so without any public explanation.
Murdoch is Murdoch, and his reasons were widely speculated upon: maybe it was a consequence of Fox’s settlement in the Dominion defamation suit; or of the discovery of private messages in which Carlson used what the Times reported as “highly offensive and crude” terms; or of a couple of lawsuits from a former producer for Carlson, who has accused him, his executive producer, and the network of creating a misogynistic and antisemitic work environment (which Fox denies). Maybe the thought of paying a person twenty million dollars a year to rage against élites had run its course. Or maybe Murdoch, who is ninety-two, and reportedly recently broke off an engagement to a conservative radio host who referred to Carlson as a “messenger from God,” was just sick of hearing about the guy.
Carlson himself released a cheerful two-minute video on Wednesday, in which he made no direct reference to his exit but said that he has come to notice how “unbelievably stupid” most debates on television are, and how the “undeniably big topics, the ones that will define our future, get virtually no discussion at all.” (He mentioned war, civil liberties, emerging science, demographic change, and corporate power.) He added, “This moment is too inherently ridiculous to continue, and so it won’t.”
You could take that as a commentary on the state of our society. But it also parses pretty well as an observation about Carlson’s own central role at Fox News, where he arrived after losing shows on CNN and MSNBC, and where he rose through the ranks in part because other Fox News grandees kept losing their jobs, some over sexual-misconduct claims. After the Trump earthquake, Republican politicians still needed ideas, but, in truth, the ones they took from Carlson mostly required only that they intensify positions they already held. It reflects both on Carlson and on the G.O.P. that his occasional rants against corporations, say, have not had much impact on the Party’s policies. But when he showed Republicans places where they might weaponize a more aggressive social traditionalism and nativism, and how they might make use of distrust, they paid close attention.
Still, if culture-war maximalism is Carlson’s political legacy, its future isn’t looking too bright at the moment. It did not produce a red wave in last year’s midterm elections. The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and ensuing attempts by extreme conservatives to ban abortion are serving to further isolate Republicans on social issues. DeSantis has lost polling ground to Trump, and his own donors have been complaining about him to reporters. The conservative movement will be less interesting without Carlson in its most prominent media seat, but in the end he didn’t shift the movement very far. Conservatism for now comes in just two slightly different variations. There is Trumpism with Trump, and there is Trumpism without him. ♦
Published in the print edition of the May 8, 2023, issue, with the headline “Carlson’s War.”
REST IN POWER Gloria Cranmer Webster, first Indigenous woman to graduate from UBC, dies at age 91
Gloria Cranmer Webster, the first Indigenous woman to graduate from the University of British Columbia and a trailblazer in the field of repatriation in Canada, has died at age 91.
Cranmer Webster was born in Alert Bay, B.C. in 1931, the eldest daughter of Kwakwaka'wakw hereditary chief Dan Cranmer.
Cranmer Webster graduated from UBC with a degree in anthropology in 1956. She received an honorary doctorate in law from UBC in 1995 and was appointed an officer of the Order of Canada in 2017.
She paved a new pathway for museum curation and Indigenous reclamation, says the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs.
"She will be truly missed by those who were privileged to witness her passionate and tireless advocacy for the reclamation of First Nations culture, language, and traditions," it said in a statement.
Cranmer Webster was hired as an assistant curator at UBC's Museum of Anthropology (MOA) in 1971 when it was still located in the basement of the univeristy's main library— now known as the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre — says a release from the museum.
When Cranmer Webster learned federal and provincial authorities raided a 1921 potlatch hosted by her father, she set out to find the items and return them to the community.
She, alongside other Kwakwaka'wakw leaders and community members, were successful in repatriating most of the collection, which included masks, rattles, regalia, and other family heirlooms, says the museum.
Webster went on to open the U'mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay in 1980, where the returned potlatch items are displayed.
Some of these items are also displayed in the Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre at Cape Mudge on Quadra Island.
Daughter Kelly Webster says her mother was very hospitable, and often opened their home to family and friends who needed a place to stay.
"She would say, if you need somewhere to stay, come and stay with us and we will house you and we will feed you," said Webster.
She recalls former governor general Adrienne Clarkson stayed at Cranmer Webster's home in Alert Bay while visiting the island.
Webster also said her mother did a lot of work around language revitalization.
Cranmer Webster worked with linguist Dr. J. Powell to write a series of language books and an alphabet sheet of the Kwakwaka'wakw language, which Kelly says is still used today to educate people in their community. Foundation of repatriation
Karen Duffek, a curator at the museum of anthropology, says Cranmer Webster helped build the foundation for the repatriation process in Canada.
"Repatriation at that time wasn't common practice ... it was a process that had to be created and negotiated and worked out," said Duffek.
Duffek, who collaborated with Cranmer Webster on projects over the past decade, says she will remember her as a smart, vibrant, and curious person.
"It was great to be able to stop by her house and to visit her and sit around her kitchen table because she was such a character," Duffek said. "She just had such a rich life and accomplished so many things."
Duffek says MOA staff would regularly reach out to Cranmer Webster to ask her opinion on curation and research matters.
"She had such a idea of what could be possible, what to strive for, what would be good for the community," said Duffek.
REST IN POWER
Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Singer/Songwriter, Dies at 84
Story by Katie Atkinson • Yesterday
Billboard Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Singer/Songwriter, Dies at 84
Related video: Gordon Lightfood dead at 84 (cbc.ca) Duration 3:14 View on Watch
Gordon Lightfoot, the Canadian singer/songwriter behind the folk hits “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Sundown” and “If You Could Read My Mind,” died at age 84 on Monday (May 1), his family has announced.
“Gordon Lightfoot passed away this evening in a Toronto hospital at 7:30 p.m.,” a statement on Lightfoot’s Facebook page announced, promising “more to come.”
Earlier this month, Lightfoot had canceled his upcoming U.S. and Canada tour dates due to health issues. “Gordon Lightfoot announces the cancellation of his U.S. and Canadian concert schedule for 2023,” a statement read at the time. “The singer is currently experiencing some health related issues and is unable to confirm rescheduled dates at this time.”
Lightfoot’s six-decade career began in the early 1960s on the Toronto folk circuit and went worldwide in the 1970s thanks to a string of influential hits. He scored four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the ’70s, starting with “If You Could Read My Mind,” which peaked at No. 5 in 1971. Next up were “Sundown” — his lone No. 1 — and “Carefree Highway” (No. 10), both from 1974’s Sundown — also his only No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.
Finally, there was the most epic song of his catalog, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” which was released in 1976 and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100. The song told the story of the fatal sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald a year earlier in Lake Superior, which killed all 29 men aboard the Great Lakes freighter. “They might have split up or they might have capsized/ They may have broke deep and took water/ And all that remains is the faces and the names/ Of the wives and the sons and the daughters,” the poetic lyrics read.
Lightfoot was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. He won 13 Juno Awards in his native Canada, capped by his induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986. He won four Juno Awards for male vocalist of the year (1971-73 and 1975) and two for composer of the year (1973 and 1977). Lightfoot was nominated for four Grammys (but never won) — best folk performance for Did She Mention My Name (1968), best pop vocal performance, male for “If You Could Read My Mind” (1971) and song of the year and best pop vocal performance, male for “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (1976).
Lightfoot is survived by his wife, actress Kim Hasse, whom he married in 2011. He had six children from his past relationships, including two previous marriages.
Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Folk-Rock Troubadour, Dead at 84
Story by Andy Greene • Yesterday
Rolling Stone Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian Folk-Rock Troubadour, Dead at 84
Gordon Lightfoot — a genius-level Canadian singer-songwriter whose most enduring works include “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Sundown,” “Carefree Highway,” “Early Morning Rain,” and “Rainy Day People” — died on Monday, the CBC confirmed. He was 84.
Lightfoot’s deceptively simple songs, which fused folk with pop and country rock, have been covered by everyone from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash to the Grateful Dead, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffett, and the Replacements.
He scored a series of hits in his native Canada throughout the Sixties, but most Americans first heard his work in 1970 when “If You Could Read My Mind” reached Number Five on the Hot 100. The deeply personal song chronicles the agonizing breakdown of his marriage, casting much of the blame on himself. “I never thought I could act this way,” he wrote. “And I’ve got to say that I just don’t get it/I don’t know where we went wrong/But the feeling’s gone and I just can’t get it back.”
“I can’t think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don’t like,” Bob Dylan once said. “Every time I hear a song of his, it’s like I wish it would last forever.”
Lightfoot was born November 17, 1938 in Orillia, Ontario. His parents recognized his singing ability at a young age and placed him in Orillia’s St. Paul’s United Church. He eventually taught himself piano and guitar, playing in large-ensemble pop-folk groups across Canada. After a stint at the Westlake College of Music in Los Angeles, he began playing in folk clubs around Canada. He released two singles in 1962 (“It’s Too Late, He Wins” and “(Remember Me) I’m the One”) that charted regionally, and his profile grew considerably when Ian and Sylvia, the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Judy Collins turned his songs — most notably “Earning Morning Rain” — into hits.
He signed a management contract with famed manager Albert Grossman in 1965 that helped land Lightfoot spots on The Tonight Show and the Newport Folk Festival. He played an acoustic set shortly before Dylan made history by playing his first electric set. “I remember Albert and the musicologist Alan Lomax getting into a wrestling match in the afternoon of that day,” Lightfoot told Rolling Stone in 2019. “Joan Baez, Donovan and I, we all stood around and watched. It was over the drum kit. They were trying to stay traditional, and somebody brought the drum kit onstage for the first time. It was quite a kerfuffle over it. It was a hot day in Newport. And a dry day. And I remember the dust was flying.”
In 1966, he released his debut LP Lightfoot!, which he followed up the next year with The Way I Feel. The latter album featured drummer Kenny Buttrey and guitarist/bassist/harmonica player Charlie McCoy. Later that year, Dylan used them as his backing band on John Wesley Harding. “I heard the sound that Gordon Lightfoot was getting,” Dylan told Rolling Stone in 1969. “I figured if he could get that sound, I could. But we couldn’t get it.”
The success of “If You Could Read My Mind” in 1970 was the start of a stunning run of hits, including “Sundown,” “Carefree Highway,” and “Rainy Day People.” The biggest came in 1976 after he read an article in Newsweek about the the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. He called the epic maritime disaster song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
“It was quite an undertaking to do that,” he said in a 2014 Reddit AMA. “I went and bought all of the old newspapers, got everything in chronological order, and went ahead and did it because I already had a melody in my mind and it was from an old Irish dirge that I heard when I was about three and a half years old….I think it was one of the first pieces of music that registered to me as being a piece of music.”
Despite the huge success he had as a recording artist, many of his songs are best known by their cover versions. Bob Dylan included his own rendition of “Early Morning Rain” on his 1970 LP Self Portrait, and Elvis Presley covered the same song two years later. “I was really impressed with the recording,” Lightfoot said in 2015. “It was probably the most important recording that I have by another artist.”
Lightfoot developed a severe drinking problem in the late Seventies that took a tremendous toll on his personal life and career. “I was either writing, recording, touring, or doing television,” Lightfoot once told Low Country Today. “I drank way too much. But I gave that up in 1982 thanks to the help of my sister and a bad breakup. I knew I had to quit to keep myself sharp and stay in the game.”
By the time he sobered up, MTV was ascendent and his album sales took a major shift downward. But he continued to tour and record heavily. He was back in the news in 1986 when he noticed that Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All” was melodically very similar to “If You Could Read My Mind.”
“The first time I heard [“The Greatest Love of All”] was on an elevator,” he told Alabama.com in 2015. “What I finally figured out was there was a total of about 24 bars that were just really, really … It was really obvious and I noticed it. So what I did was I actually initiated a lawsuit for plagiarism but three weeks later I let it go because I understood that it was affecting Whitney Houston who had an appearance coming up at the Grammy Awards and the suit wasn’t anything to do with her. The suit was against her producer (and the song’s cowriter), Michael Masser. Now they’re dragging Whitney into this and I withdrew it. I said, ‘Forget it. We’re withdrawing this.'”
In 2002, Lightfoot suffered an abdominal aortic aneurysm and spent six weeks in a coma. He eventually recovered after four surgeries. “I was ashamed at the amount of blood they went through,” he told Rolling Stone. “It would have been better off if I had died. I think it was 28 units.”
Doctors performed a tracheotomy on him during his hospital stay, causing vocal cord damage that greatly weakened his singing voice, but he was back onstage by 2004. “I wanted to recover, I wanted to sing again,” he told the State Journal-Register. “I wasn’t sure — they had to take a lot of muscles out of my stomach and I wasn’t sure if I would have the kind of breathing control that I would need. But gradually it worked back and I started practicing.”
In 2019, he was the subject of the documentary Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind. Around that time, he celebrated his 80th birthday with an extensive tour that wrapped up last October at the Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg. He was due to return to the road in April, but canceled at the last minute due to unspecified health problems. “We thank you for respecting his privacy,” his team wrote in a statement. “He continues to focus on his recovery.”
Gordon Lightfoot Dies: Canada’s PM Justin Trudeau Remembers ‘One of Our Greatest Singer-Songwriters’
Gordon Lightfoot, the late, legendary Canadian singer and songwriter, is being remembered for his contribution to his country’s folk songbook, and for inspiring generations of musicians and fans.
Lightfoot, who wrote the songs “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Sundown” and “If You Could Read My Mind,” and many other across a celebrated, decades long-career, died Monday (May 1) in a Toronto hospital at age 84.
Born in Ontario, Lightfoot’s six-decade career began in the early 1960s on the Toronto folk circuit and went worldwide in the 1970s thanks to a string of influential hits. He scored four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the ’70s, starting with “If You Could Read My Mind,” which peaked at No. 5 in 1971. Next up were “Sundown” — his lone No. 1 — and “Carefree Highway” (No. 10), both from 1974’s Sundown — also his only No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.
During his lifetime, he collected 13 Juno Awards in his native Canada, capped by his induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986, and in 2012 was elevated into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led tributes. “We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” he states. Lightfoot “captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever. To his family, friends, and many fans across the country and around the world: I’m keeping you in my thoughts at this difficult time.”
As the sad news spread on social media, fans and fellow artists chimed in.
“This one is really hard to write,” reads a statement from countryman Bryan Adams. “Once in a blue moon you get to work and hang out with one of the people you admired when you were growing up. I was lucky enough to say Gordon was my friend and I’m gutted to know he’s gone. The world is a lesser place without him. I know I speak for all Canadians when I say: thank you for the songs Gordon Lightfoot. Bless your sweet songwriting heart, RIP dear friend.”
Brian Wilson, Belinda Carlisle, author Stephen King and many others weighed in on the passing of a great. See the reaction on social media below.
Tributes came fast across social media following the news of the death of beloved Candian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot on Monday night.
The folk icon died Monday at the age of 84, according to his tour publicist.
The Orillia, Ont.-born singer-songwriter, known for such hits as The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald and If You Could Read My Mind , had most recently cancelled all of his North American tour date due to “health issues” that weren’t specified.
A cause of death wasn’t immediately known.
“We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters. Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations and may his legacy live on forever,” Prime Minster Justin Trudeau tweeted.
Added author Stephen King: “He was a great songwriter and a wonderful performer. Sundown, you better take care/If I catch you creepin’ ’round by back stairs.”
Broadcaster Joe Bowen added: “Very sad day with the passing of Canadian Icon Gordon Lightfoot. His longtime drummer Barry Keane arranged for us to meet Gordon several times. A huge piece of Canadian Music History has left us. RIP Gordon
Canadian George Stroumboulopoulos also shared a tribute. “He sat on top of the mountain. He shared what he saw. For so many around the world, they knew our stories because of him. Rest in peace Gord. Golden forever. Gordon Lightfoot 1938-2023.”
Listen To Lightfoot's New Music Exclusive 'I Got Sick And Was Out Of The Game' Postmedia News • Yesterday
Awards, admirers and key albums: Some facts about Gordon Lightfoot Story by The Canadian Press • Yesterday
Some facts about Gordon Lightfoot, the folk singing legend who died Monday night at age 84.
Born: Nov. 17, 1938, Orillia, Ont.
Musicians who have performed Lightfoot songs: Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Ian & Sylvia, Richie Havens, Glen Campbell, Anne Murray, Nana Mouskouri, Harry Belafonte, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, George Hamilton IV.
Awards: Order of Canada, Governor General's Award, inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame, the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, 12 Juno Awards (including one in 1970 when it was called the Gold Leaf), as well at four top folk singer RPM Awards — the 1960s predecessor to the Junos — and four Grammy nominations.
Albums include:
"Lightfoot!" (1966)
"The Way I Feel" (1967)
"Did She Mention My Name" (1968)
"Back Here On Earth" (1968)
"Sunday Concert" (1969)
"If You Could Read My Mind" (1970)
"Summer Side Of Life" (1971)
"Don Quixote" (1972)
"Old Dan’s Records" (1972)
"Sundown" (1973)
"Cold On the Shoulder" (1975)
"Summertime Dream" (1976)
"Endless Wire" (1978)
"Dream Street Rose" (1980)
"Shadows" (1982)
"Salute" (1983)
"East Of Midnight" (1986)
"Waiting For You" (1993)
"A Painter Passing Through" (1998)
"Harmony" (2004)
"Solo" (2020)
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
The Canadian Press
Gordon LightFoot Last Video 3 hours Before Death. He Knew it
Cricket Star
Premiered 10 hours ago #gordonlightfoot #gordonlightfootdied
Gordon Lightfoot's musical career began at a young age. Growing up in Orillia, Ontario, he learned to play piano and drums before picking up the guitar at the age of ten. His parents were both musically inclined, and his mother was a choir director and pianist. His interest in music led him to perform at local events and eventually to form a band, The Two Tones, with his friend, Terry Whelan.
In 1958, Lightfoot moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, but he struggled to find success in the competitive music scene. He returned to Canada and settled in Toronto, where he began to make a name for himself in the city's burgeoning folk scene. He was soon signed to United Artists Records and released his first album, "Lightfoot!", in 1964.
The album featured the hit single "Early Morning Rain," which quickly became a classic and has since been covered by countless artists. Lightfoot's distinctive voice and intricate guitar work caught the attention of music fans and critics alike, and he soon became one of Canada's most popular folk singers.
Over the next few years, Lightfoot continued to release successful albums, including "The Way I Feel" (1967), "Did She Mention My Name?" (1968), and "Sit Down Young Stranger" (1970). His songs often dealt with themes of love, loss, and nature, and his poetic lyrics and haunting melodies captured the hearts of listeners around the world.
In the 1970s, Lightfoot's popularity continued to soar. His albums "Don Quixote" (1972), "Sundown" (1974), and "Summertime Dream" (1976) all received critical acclaim and were commercial successes. He also became known for his powerful live performances, and his concerts drew crowds of devoted fans.
In 1976, Lightfoot suffered a near-fatal illness when an abdominal aortic aneurysm ruptured. He underwent multiple surgeries and spent several months in the hospital, but he eventually made a full recovery and returned to music. He continued to tour and record throughout the 1980s and 1990s, releasing albums like "Salute" (1983), "East of Midnight" (1986), and "A Painter Passing Through" (1998).
Throughout his career, Lightfoot has received numerous awards and accolades. He has been nominated for 16 Juno Awards, Canada's top music award, and has won six times. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 SOCAN Awards.
Lightfoot's impact on Canadian music and culture is immeasurable. His songs have become part of the national consciousness, and his voice and guitar work have inspired countless musicians. He is often referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter and is considered a national treasure in his home country.
Despite health issues and a slowing of his touring schedule in recent years, Lightfoot continues to perform and record. He remains an active presence in the music world and a beloved figure to his legions of fans.
The Edmund Fitzgerald sunk in Lake Superior on today's date in 1975 taking 29 men with her.
It was far from the deadliest shipwreck in the history of the Great Lakes. But none are more enduring. November 10 marks the anniversary of the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a 729-foot ore carrier in Lake Superior that was lost amid one of the worst storms in Great Lakes history on Nov. 10, 1975. All 29 men on board the Fitzgerald were lost and researchers still debate the cause of the wreck, which remains in the public consciousness.
“I think that’s one of the reasons that the Fitzgerald stays with people,” said Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. “No one really understands why it sank, and it’s still a mystery. It’s sort of the age old, man-versus-elements aspect.”
The Fitzgerald, which was based in Milwaukee, was the flagship of the Columbia Transportation division of Cleveland mineral concern Oglebay Norton. It was launched on June 7, 1958 and quickly became one of the most revered ships on the lakes. Though it was no longer the longest ship on the inland seas by 1975, it was still considered the “Queen of the Lakes” both on and offshore.
The ship regularly made ore runs between upper Lake Superior and ports southward, and on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 9, 1975, loaded at Superior, Wisc. for another routine voyage. In the past week alone, the Fitzgerald had sailed from Toledo to Silver Bay, Minn., loaded for a run to Ashtabula, Ohio, and sailed back to Superior to load again for a scheduled run to the Detroit area.
The Fitzgerald finished loading 26,000 tons of taconite pellets, which held substantial qualities of iron, and left Superior just after 2 p.m. in mild conditions. By evening, though the weather started to deteriorate, and by Monday afternoon and evening, recorded gusts of 90 miles per hour were coupled with blinding snow squalls and 30-foot seas.
"It’s hard to compare the bad storms throughout the years, and shipping has changed over time, with better weather reporting and safety procedures,” remarked Lynn. “But there’s no doubt that the 1975 storm was clearly one of the worst.”
One of the few options was to reach safety in Whitefish Bay in northern Michigan. Trailing behind the Fitzgerald was another giant ore carrier, the Arthur M. Anderson, which kept in radio contact with the Fitzgerald during the storm.
Seeking some protection, the Fitzgerald hugged the northern shoreline of Lake Superior, but around 3 p.m., the ship is believed to have sailed over Six Fathom Shoal, a treacherous reef that was not properly documented on industry maps. Shortly after, Fitzgerald captain Ernest McSorley radioed the Anderson that he had “a bad list” to starboard and indicated his pumps were not keeping up.
Many, including Anderson captain Bernie Cooper, believe the Fitzgerald suffered damage in the incident that may have proven fatal. Around 4 p.m., the storm disabled both of the Fitzgerald’s radars, and to make matters worse, the weather also knocked out the light beacon at Whitefish Point, at the top of the bay.
Around 7:10 p.m., with the Fitzgerald nine miles from Whitefish Bay and traveling at reduced speed because of the horrific conditions, the Anderson made its last radio contact. McSorley’s last words were “we are holding our own.”
Shortly before that, Cooper reported two massive waves as high as 35 feet that rocked his ship. Cooper and others since have wondered if the enormous waves caused the Fitzgerald, riding low from its earlier damage, to be lifted from the rear and driven downward into the frigid, swirling water.
No distress calls from the Fitzgerald were made, and only fragments of debris, including remnants of two lifeboats and several unused life preservers, were found in a three-day search. The ship was later discovered laying in two sections at the bottom, with debris and its load of pellets spilled in between.
In a highly controversial finding, a Coast Guard Marine Board of Inquiry determined in 1977 that hatch covers on deck had not been properly tightened, causing water to infiltrate the ship. The finding has been bitterly denounced by many mariners and researchers.
"The truth is, we really don’t know why the Fitzgerald went down,” commented Lynn. “There are a number of theories, and it’s a tough call. It’s still being debated today.”
In 1976, Canadian folk-pop singer Gordon Lightfoot wrote The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which further captured the imagination of the North American public and helped ensure the ship’s place in lore. The haunting melody and lyrics launched the song to #2 on the Billboard charts and remains a favorite on classic radio today.
The Fitzgerald is the last major shipwreck on the Great Lakes, where Lynn and others estimate that over 6,000 ships have been lost. However, small planes and watercraft are routinely reported missing on the five lakes.
Lynn says the Fitzgerald is “by far, the most famous shipwreck on the lakes. It’s the one that most visitors to our museum talk about, and our exhibit on the Fitzgerald draws the most attention. The Lightfoot song, the mystery that surrounds the ship, it’s a combination of factors. It’s a really good story, and one that still resonates.”
Tom Emery is a freelance writer and historical researcher from Carlinville, Illinois. He may be reached at ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
In an online survey done by ThinkHQ, 43 per cent of provincewide respondents approved of the new Calgary event centre deal and 50 per cent disapproved.
For the 245 Calgarians who participated in the survey, those numbers flipped, with 50 per cent approving and 45 per cent disapproving.
The online survey of 789 Albertans was done between April 26 and 29, the days immediately after UCP Leader Danielle Smith announced the deal in Calgary as premier, along with the province’s commitment of $330 million for area infrastructure improvements and a community arena.
The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the provincewide respondents is 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. For Calgarians' responses, that comparable margin of error is 5.8 per cent.
ThinkHQ president Marc Henry said the results weren't "especially surprising" and track with the decade's previous event centre proposals. But he said there may be political impact in this election.
"This is not the issue that is going to win a lot of new votes for the UCP in Calgary – in fact, it may cost them votes in the ridings surrounding Edmonton," Henry said in a statement. "That said, it is an issue that could cost the NDP the election if mishandled, i.e., if they threaten to stop the deal as government." WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT
At the launch of the UCP campaign on Monday, Smith clarified her thoughts on the new Flames arena as an election issue. “I didn't anticipate it being a campaign issue because I thought it was so obvious that whoever was running would want to support Calgary,” Smith said.
The UCP leader said she was “surprised” that Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley “opposed” the deal.
Last week, Notley called to have more details of the deal be made public before the election ends on May 29. She also wanted to see an independent review of the deal before further commenting on the provincial commitment.
Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. would be responsible for $356 million, or 29 per cent of the total $1.22 billion project.
The previous deal the CSEC pulled out of at the end of December 2021 was a 50-50 split between the Flames ownership and the city for an originally estimated $550 million. But costs ballooned to $634 million. The nearly doubling of the project's price and increased proportion of taxpayer dollars gave the Alberta NDP pause. “Taxpayers – people who want us to be good stewards of their tax dollars – expect us to get the details,” Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Monday. “We know there are details that we haven't had shared with us yet. And so I look forward to looking at those details and getting an assessment of how to move forward in the best interests of Calgary taxpayers and Alberta taxpayers in the days to come.”
The latest deal is the third proposal since 2015 for a new event centre in Calgary, aiming to replace the Saddledome which first opened in 1983.
B.C. coroner's jury says Vancouver police should expedite use of body cameras
BURNABY, B.C. — The jury in the British Columbia coroner's inquest into the death of Myles Gray after a beating by Vancouver police nearly eight years ago is recommending the department expedite its use of body-worn cameras for all patrol officers.
The five-member jury made just three recommendations in its verdict on Monday, but the suggestion for body cameras equipped with audio-recording capabilities was at the top of their list.
Gray, who was 33, died in August 2015 after the beating that left him with injuries including ruptured testicles and fractures in his eye socket, nose, voice box and rib.
One paramedic told the inquest he arrived at the scene and saw bruising so severe, he initially thought Gray was not a white man.
The jury found Gray died by homicide, a death due to injury intentionally inflicted by another person, although coroner Larry Marzinzik advised the jury before it began its deliberations that it was a neutral term that doesn't imply fault or blame.
The jury forewoman said the verdict was not unanimous, with four of the five members agreeing.
Ian Donaldson, a lawyer for Gray's family, told the media the homicide finding is significant because the police position had always been that Gray died of natural causes.
Several officers told the inquest they believed Gray had been experiencing "excited delirium," characterizing it as a life-threatening medical emergency.
"From my perspective, the jury's verdict puts an end to that. We know what the cause of death was," Donaldson said at the conclusion of the inquest. "We heard it from the forensic pathologist and the jury endorsed and accepted that."
Dr. Matthew Orde, the pathologist who performed the autopsy on Gray's body, testified last week that on occasion, it had been thought "so-called excited delirium syndrome" could result independently in death, but analysis of the published data suggests that's "quite unlikely."
He said "acute behavioural disturbance" is a better description for what Gray was experiencing on the day he died.
Gray's extreme physical exertion while police struggled to restrain him was also among the "perfect storm" of factors that led to his death, Orde said.
Related video: B.C. recommends independent police over RCMP for Surrey (The Canadian Press) Duration 2:11 View on Watch
He told the inquest Gray died of a cardiac arrest complicated by police actions, pointing specifically to "neck compression," blunt force injuries, the use of pepper spray, forcing Gray onto his stomach and handcuffing him behind his back.
"In the context of someone who's extremely fatigued, (whose) body is fully ramped up ... I think these issues would be enough to tip him over the edge," Orde said.
The inquest opened with testimony from Melissa Gray, who described her brother as goofy, kind and loyal.
She said Gray had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder around 1999, but he'd been stable ever since. He operated a business on the Sunshine Coast.
The initial 911 call was about an agitated man who had sprayed a woman with a garden hose.
The jury's second recommendation for Vancouver police is to review and enhance the crisis de-escalation and containment training officers receive.
In particular, the jury suggested adding more frequent in-person and online training focused on how to make ongoing health and safety assessments and reduce risk to someone experiencing a mental health disturbance.
Several officers testified that Gray was behaving in an "animalistic" way, and he appeared not to feel pain as they hit him with their batons and knees, punched him in the face and wrestled him to the ground.
The Vancouver Police Department said in a statement it appreciates the work done by the coroner's jury and everyone who participated in the inquest.
"We will take some time to review the recommendations before speaking further."
Before the jury returned with its verdict on Monday, the inquest heard from Shelley Horne, the Vancouver police superintendent overseeing personnel services, who said she expects there will be a pilot project by this fall to equip 80 to 100 front-line officers with body cameras for up to nine months before the results are evaluated.
The third recommendation was aimed at the Provincial Health Services Authority, suggesting the CEO review its policies on keeping toxicology samples from people whose deaths are under investigation. The inquest heard Gray's samples were destroyed six months after his death, but they could have been used to provide greater detail about any substances that may have been in his blood.
While an initial drug screening report suggested Gray had a plant-based psychoactive compound in his system when he died, a forensic toxicologist told the inquest that followup testing revealed a concentration that didn't meet the threshold for detection. If the drug was present in Gray's blood, it was not at a level that would be considered toxic or lethal, toxicologist Aaron Shapiro testified.
A years-long investigation by B.C.'s police watchdog found reasonable grounds to believe an offence may have been committed and it submitted a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.
The service announced in late 2020 that it would not pursue charges against the officers involved in the struggle to arrest Gray, saying police were the only witnesses and the Crown couldn't prove any offence had been committed.
However, Donaldson said the evidence presented at the inquest is different than what the pathologist had to work with in 2015, and the information the prosecution service had in 2020.
"I think there’s a good argument that it should be looked at again," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2023.
