10 years after Tahrir Square protests, Egyptians grapple with lessons of failed revolution

© Nahlah Ayed/CBC 

Anti-government demonstrators hoist the Egyptian flag during the 

Arab Spring protests in 2011.

It's been one cruel decade since Egyptians dared to disrupt the status quo of living in a suffocating police state.

The first month of 2011 was marked by the early days of Egypt's uprising, part of a wave of Arab Spring protests that many saw as brave, hopeful and inevitable.

Now, with a pandemic capping off a decade of violence, horror and mass displacement in the Middle East, the protests in Tahrir Square are, at best, consciously forgotten by skeptical Egyptians as a naïve footnote or, at worst, cursed as original sin.

Many of the ills that made Egypt ripe for an uprising in 2011 have only been exacerbated in 2021: the lack of jobs, the lack of political participation and the utter lack of freedom.

Under President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt has outdone itself as a prolific jailer and executioner — Human Rights Watch recently estimated the number of political prisoners at 60,000 and rising.

According to activists, the government has also deployed a persistent campaign aimed at framing the revolution as the harbinger of Egypt's myriad woes and the reason it has been "brought to its knees."

Egypt is now a country where the "Tahrir people" — as they're pejoratively referred to by supporters of the regime — are either out of the country, if they haven't been arrested, or keeping a silent vigil.

Many of them find it "very, very painful" to revisit those two and a half weeks in 2011, says celebrated Egyptian novelist and commentator Ahdaf Soueif, who participated in the protests.

© Nahlah Ayed/CBC 

Jubilation among Egyptian protesters on the night in February 2011 that longtime strongman Hosni Mubarak stepped down.

According to Soueif, they "keep the 18 days in a place where they can be safe, where we protect them against accusations of having been a collective hallucination," she said in an interview with CBC Radio's Ideas.

"I hope the day will come when we draw inspiration again from those 18 days."

Weeks of demonstrations

It took 18 days of protests in Tahrir Square for the uprising to bring down Egypt's longstanding strongman president, Hosni Mubarak. Defying predictions of certain failure, the protesters took over the square, bringing Christian, secular and Islamist Egyptians — as well as affluent and poor citizens — together in idealistic common cause.

After Mubarak's fall, the country saw a military council take charge, followed by the election of a president from the Muslim Brotherhood, vast counter-revolutionary protests, a military coup and the subsequent massacre of hundreds or more at a Muslim Brotherhood sit-in in August 2013.

The 2011 protests spread beyond Egypt to neighbouring Libya — currently all but a failed state — as well as Syria, which was plunged into a horrific civil war that has seen intervention from the region and abroad and has killed tens of thousands and displaced many more.

Other countries swept up in the Arab Spring are either in the grip of violence (like Yemen) or in a repressive political vice-grip (Bahrain or the UAE). Only Tunisia, where the wave of protests began, appears to be on a relatively peaceful path of post-revolution political reform.

Hard as it may be to talk about Tahrir, given the loss of life and the crackdowns, some veterans of the revolution insist there is something to be salvaged from its ashes.

"Yes, society has changed," said Soueif, who wrote a book about the protests called Cairo: My City, Our Revolution. "Everybody believes that something different is absolutely necessary, but [they] don't quite know how to go about getting it."

But while there may have been subtle positive consequences from the uprising — like a greater awareness of the rights that have been denied to many people — she cautioned, "I really hesitate to say it because the price has been so high and continues to be so high."

© Chris Hondros/Getty Images 

Anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square react after a speech by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak in February 2011 saying he would not step down.

On top of what happened to so many Tahrir activists, Soueif's blogger nephew and activist niece are currently in prison. Last year, Soueif was briefly arrested herself for protesting the conditions in their prison during COVID-19.
Greater politicization

The Tahrir revolution may have laid the groundwork for future action, whenever conditions permit it.

For example, it has led to mass politicization among Egyptians, says journalist and blogger Hossam el-Hamalawy, a longtime blogger and activist who was also involved in the 2011 protests and helped document them.

One major lesson from that time is that "public squares do not bring down dictators and do not change regimes," he said from Berlin, where he now lives.

"The real power is in the factories, it's in the workplaces and it's in the civil service offices."

Countless strikes were going on during the revolution and workers were "chanting the same chants that we were chanting in Tahrir… and they declared their solidarity with the revolution," said el-Hamalawy.

"That's when I knew that … we're going to win. Victory was on our doorstep."

But ultimately, there was no victory.

Destined to fail?

Activists say they found themselves wedged between forces much larger and more organized than they could hope to be — namely, an Islamist vision of the country espoused by the well-established Muslim Brotherhood; the military's iron grip; and the geopolitics of the region, which has long favoured dictators who insisted real democracy was not compatible with stability.

There was also the very practical problem of organizing a leaderless movement and marshalling it beyond the streets. The cracks showed immediately after those 18 days.

"This was a missed opportunity," said Khaled Fahmy, an Egyptian historian and professor of modern Arabic studies at the University of Cambridge. He happened to be in Egypt when the protests started. Unusually for a historian, he was both an observer and a participant during a revolutionary moment.

"There was no attempt to think, OK, now Tahrir — then what? How do you transform this into a movement?"

Decades of military and one-party rule in Egypt have made it difficult for national opposition parties to flourish.

© Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters 

A former army general, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power after a military coup in 2013, and has overseen an unprecedented political crackdown, silencing critics and jailing thousands.

Another lasting injury from longtime repression, said Fahmy, "is [our] inability … to imagine another world" in which the state as it is today did not exist. That meant the absence of a model of a more open society to point to in Egypt's history.

Does all that mean the revolution was destined to fail?

"If the revolution had been adopted and protected by the people who had the guns and given the space to work through these decisions and these visions that were coming from the ground up, then it would have worked and we would have had something amazing," said Ahdaf.

Tahrir Square's role

Beyond serving as the site of protest, Tahrir Square itself provided space and inspiration for discussion of ground-level proposals for an "ideal" Egypt that might have seen the light of day had there been a way to channel them into practice.

One example, said Fahmy, was the idea of a demilitarized police force that would be designed to serve the people rather than the state — a novel idea for modern-day Egypt.

A far more basic achievement for the square was that it brought people together to talk.

"This sounds banal," said Fahmy, but not in a place like Egypt. "Our cities, our country, our political system is designed in a way to deprive us of not only free speech but the ability to listen to others."

That kind of conversation is the starting point of compromise, he added.

Fahmy believes the revolution continues, at least on some level. The 2011 protests, he said, "is one phase."

© Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters

 Protesters gathered again in central Cairo in 2019 for anti-government protests, this time against President el-Sisi.

Soueif agrees. But not el-Hamalawy.

"No, it's not ongoing. The revolution got defeated," el-Hamalawy said. "There will be another revolution, but not anytime soon, I'm afraid."
Contested legacy

Indeed, even among those who participated in the Tahrir revolution, the lessons and the legacy are contested.

After years of instability and the return of fear, the old argument that stability trumps freedom resonates among many Egyptians and others throughout the region.

That resonance is unsurprising given the state of the Middle East after the protests spread and crackdowns of varying levels of brutality ensued.

The message from Egypt's rulers now — as it was during Mubarak's time — is "give up your freedoms and we will give you security," said Fahmy.

"It's a Faustian deal and many people accepted that. And the result is that people have not only given up freedoms, they've given up their dreams. That's the most dangerous thing."

But el-Hamalawy said Tahrir's legacy cannot be forgotten wholesale.

Because of the internet, "the whole visual memory of the revolution, it is saved," he said.

"Now there is a younger generation that's growing up and on YouTube, they know quite well that their older brothers were protesting in Tahrir.

"The memory is there. Tahrir is there. And it will remain there."

This episode of CBC Ideas was produced by Nahlah Ayed and Menaka Raman-Wilms.

AOC Accuses GOP Senator Josh Hawley of 'Trying to Wiggle Out of Inciting a Riot'

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Republican Senator Josh Hawley on Saturday for saying he was merely "representing my constituents" when he voted against the election certification for Joe Biden after deadly riots broke out at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Five people died in the violence

.

© Drew Angerer/Getty Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) slammed Senator Josh Hawley for saying he was representing his constituents when he voted against the election certification of Joe Biden. Here, AOC speaks outside of the Democratic National Committee headquarters on November 19, 2020 in Washington, DC

"Sen. Hawley is trying to wiggle out of inciting a riot that killed 5 by saying 'I was just representing my constituents' - but only those who wish to overturn the election and resurrect the Confederacy," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Saturday.

"Hawley is Senator of Missouri. His constituents are ALL the people of Missouri - which is the same state that JUST elected sister @CoriBush, the first Black woman to ever represent MO in Congress," she added.

"So Hawley really needs to clarify who he considers a constituent & who he doesn't," she wrote.

Sen. Hawley is trying to wiggle out of inciting a riot that killed 5 by saying “I was just representing my constituents” - but only those who wish to overturn the election and resurrect the Confederacy. https://t.co/39MdcfRwwc— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 23, 2021

Ocasio-Cortez has accused both Hawley and Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, for inciting a mob of pro-Trump rioters to storm the U.S. Capitol.

Hawley was the first senator to publicly announce that he would object to the election certification of President Joe Biden.

Following the riot, politicians accused Hawley and other GOP lawmakers of misleading rioters into falsely believing the election outcome could change.

Democrat Ocasio-Cortez has since called for her GOP colleagues to be removed from office and accused them of "supporting the insurrection."

"If we've got time on our hands, then we should actually be bringing justice to the members of Congress... who also helped support this insurrection," Ocasio-Cortez said on Friday.

"If they don't resign, they should be expelled from the Senate."

But Hawley has vehemently defended his position. In an op-ed published in the Southeast Missourian on January 14, Hawley said he objected to the vote to reflect the views of "many, many citizens in Missouri [who] have deep concerns about election integrity. For months, I heard from these Missourians—writing, calling my office, stopping me to talk."

Who Is Josh Hawley, Republican Senator Facing Growing Calls To Be Censured?

"They want Congress to take action to see that our elections at every level are free, fair, and secure. They have a right to be heard in Congress. And as their representative, it is my duty to speak on their behalf. That is just what I did last week," he added.

In the aftermath of the riot, Hawley has since seen his approval rating drop among voters in Missouri, including Republicans.

The GOP senator has also faced calls to resign from protesters who have gathered in downtown St. Louis, chanting slogans like "No Hawley. No KKK. No fascist USA."

On Thursday, seven Senate Democrats requested an ethics review of Hawley and Cruz, and said that they "amplified claims of election fraud that had resulted in threats of violence against state and local officials around the country."

"The Senate Ethics Committee should investigate their conduct to fully understand their role," the letter to the Senate Committee on Ethics said. "The actions of which we know demand an investigation and a determination whether disciplinary action is warranted. Until then, a cloud of uncertainty will hang over them and over this body."

Newsweek has reached out to Hawley. A spokesperson for Ocasio-Cortez declined to comment.

Navigating a toxic workplace is a risky and lengthy process, experts say

TORONTO — In the wake of Julie Payette's resignation from the role of governor general on Thursday after an investigation into harassment allegations, some Canadian workers may find themselves relating to the rank and file at Rideau Hall

© Provided by The Canadian Press

In many cases however, workers who have the courage to complain about mistreatment from their managers find all too often that their boss doesn't face any consequences, notes human resources consultant Janet Candido.

"If it's somebody that nobody likes, or if it's a fairly low-level person, companies are usually much more apt to take action," says Candido, founder of Candido Consulting Group.

"The problem really comes in when the person is very senior, or popular, or a good producer. And then people turn a blind eye."

Candido says that any employee experiencing bullying should take detailed notes about each clash, including the day, time and whether there were any witnesses. Workplaces should focus on anti-harassment training that empowers managers from other departments to step in when they see a fellow manager bully a subordinate, she says.

"Don't expect a subordinate to be able to stand up to their boss and say, 'You are harassing me and haven't stopped,' she says. "They're afraid of being ostracized. They're afraid of their career being finished."

Many workplace policies, however, do exactly that, says Fredericton employment lawyer Dan Leger. Most workplaces are required to have policies to deal with harassment, but many vary in how they define harassment or require employees to start with informal discussions.

"It all starts with confirming to the individual that behaviour is not welcomed," says Leger. "We all know what it looks like, at the far end: If somebody's making a sexual advance to a subordinate employee, that's easy to classify. But what about the employer or the boss or the manager who decides to shun an individual in the copy room?"

Leger says workplace policies are often designed to mediate and diffuse disputes without ever reaching the point where investigators are called in. A good policy, Leger says, includes at least one backup mediator if an employee cannot safely complain to the manager.

"That's not uncommon in workplaces: A boss might have an employee in the management team that they've worked with, that they go camping with, and employees know that," says Leger. "If you can't go to your immediate supervisor, then who is the default after that, and who was the default after that?"

Leger says any workplace policy should also have a clause that protects good-faith complainants from retaliation. If violated, that could be a violation of a work contract — and entitle the employee to monetary damages, Leger says.

Ottawa lawyer Yavar Hameed says more workers have reported feeling isolated and vulnerable to difficult employers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hameed says that there are several different routes of recourse for workers who are being bullied. For example, a unionized workplace may allow an employee to file a grievance.

If an employer request is unlawful, discriminatory or a threat to health and safety, Hameed says that merits workers raising an instant alarm, and can open the door to the province's human rights tribunal or Ministry of Labour. A traumatic workplace incident that ends in a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder means that an employee now has a medical condition that must be accommodated by the employer, Hameed says.

On the other hand, if a workplace is proven to be so toxic that a worker is impeded in carrying out their duties, Hameed says an employee could try to build a legal case for constructive dismissal, sometimes called "quitting with cause."

But each legal option has its risks, Hameed says, as does the option of "going public" with complaints without having a lawyer or union to advocate for you.

"The caveat for all of these kind of interventions is that legal processes are long and drawn out," says Hameed.

"The danger of going public with something is ... you have to have the confidence that then you will be able to weather a vigorous response by the employer."

When harassment is between two co-workers, the worker on the receiving end should make a complaint to management requesting protection, says Hameed.

"The liability of management is triggered when you let management know that this co-worker is harassing you, and they just condone that behaviour," he says.

What's tougher, he said, is when management is accused of abuses. Hameed says workplace complaints are more likely to be investigated if there are multiple employees willing to come forward with similar experiences — which, he admits, is easier said than done.

"Even if there's a group of them, they may still not feel that they have that safety," says Hameed. But, he adds, when it comes to a group complaint, "in most circumstances, it would be highly imprudent of management to just sort of whitewash that or dismiss that."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 22, 2021.

Anita Balakrishnan, The Canadian Press

Taxi companies lose court bid to quash Uber, Lyft approvals in British Columbia

VANCOUVER — Several Metro Vancouver taxi companies have lost a court bid to quash the approvals of ride-hailing operators Uber and Lyft in British Columbia.

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Nine cab companies filed a petition asking the B.C. Supreme Court to overturn the decisions of the provincial Passenger Transportation Board that allowed the two major ride-hailing providers to operate.

The cab companies argued that the board's decisions were "patently unreasonable," because they allowed Uber and Lyft an unlimited fleet size while the number of taxis is capped.

The companies, including Yellow Cab and Black Top Cabs, claimed that the board failed to consider whether there was a public need for an unlimited number of ride-hailing cars in the province.

The board also did not consider whether granting unlimited licences to Uber and Lyft would promote "sound economic conditions" in the passenger transportation business in B.C., the cab companies argued.

The cab companies said that the board had extensive evidence before it describing the economic harm suffered by taxi operators in other jurisdictions as a result of allowing unlimited ride-hailing.

However, Justice Sandra Wilkinson said in a written ruling this week that the board carefully considered fleet size and decided not to limit ride-hailing cars at this time, but left the issue open for future review.

"In each of the decisions, the board devotes numerous paragraphs to discussing whether an indeterminate fleet size will promote sound economic conditions in the passenger transportation industry," she wrote in the decision dated Jan. 20.

"This is not a deferral of a decision or a failure to consider the issue of fleet size. I would go so far as to say that the board made a very common sense decision in the circumstances."

Video: Vancouver Taxi Association files new lawsuit against Passenger Transportation Board (Global News)

The board's decisions were made one year ago, on Jan. 23, 2020.

Wilkinson added there is nothing in the board's decisions that is "obviously untenable" or "clearly irrational," and therefore they cannot be considered "patently unreasonable."

She dismissed the petition and granted costs to Uber and Lyft.

The B.C. Taxi Association, Yellow Cab and Black Top Cabs did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the ruling.

Uber said in a statement that the ruling of the justice is clear and speaks for itself.

"Uber is excited to be celebrating one year in Metro Vancouver this weekend, and looks forward to making the app available in more communities in 2021," it said.

Lyft said it is encouraged by the court's decision and looks forward to continuing to provide drivers and riders access to its platform in Metro Vancouver.

"Navigating the pandemic has made it clear that Lyft helps connect individuals with essential needs and we're committed to continuing to provide that service," it said in a statement.

The arrival of ride-hailing in Metro Vancouver early last year, long after it was already common in many other Canadian cities, was contentious.

The provincial government has said it spent two years developing legislation and regulations in advance of ride-hailing licences being approved by the Passenger Transportation Board.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2021.

Laura Dhillon Kane, The Canadian Press

Dr. Maya Angelou Barbie To Be Sold In Canada This Year


One of the world’s most phenomenal writers is being memorialized via the world of kids toys. And unsurprisingly, she’s so popular the toy version of her is already sold out.

Mattel announced Thursday that Dr. Maya Angelou, the late civil rights activist and author of “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,” is the latest inductee to their “Inspiring Women” collection, which so far has nine other doll replicas of noteworthy women like Ella Fitzgerald and Rosa Parks. © Provided by HuffPost Canada A Dr. Maya Angelou Barbie will soon be available through Canadian retailers.

The tiny version of the iconic Black feminist carries a copy of her critically acclaimed autobiography and is depicted with care for authenticity: Mattel’s announcement makes note of her body shape, (SHE LOOKS LIKE BARBIE; SKINNY) her head wrap, and her floor-length dress.

Barbie on Instagram: ““If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” #Barbie is proud to honor the extraordinary…”

A press release stated that the company “knows children’s early childhood experiences shape what they imagine to be possible, so it’s important that all girls not only see themselves reflected in product and content, but to also see role models who’ve come before them.”

The doll is priced on Mattel’s U.S. website for $29.99 USD, or roughly $38 for Canadians. But by the time of this post’s publish, all the stock was sold out.

A Mattel spokesperson told HuffPost Canada that the Angelou doll will soon be available in Canada, but didn’t share an exact date. Families looking to purchase the doll can do so at Walmart and Indigo when they carry stock.

Angelou’s son said he was ‘delighted’ the doll for honouring his mother, who died in 2014, in a statement quoted by Today.

“My mother, Dr. Maya Angelou, was a pioneer and an activist with an invincible spirit for justice,” said Guy Johnson. “Through her words and actions, she developed a unique ability to create deep connections with people around the world. She used to say, ‘I write from the Black perspective, but I aim for the human heart.’ ... I hope the Barbie Maya Angelou doll will inspire new generations of teachers, writers and activists.”

© Provided by HuffPost Canada A close-up of Mattel's Dr. Maya Angelou doll.


The doll’s announcement accompanied good news about Mattel’s future creations: “In 2021 and going forward, more than 50 per cent of global role models featured will be Black, Indigenous and women of colour.”

As Oprah Magazine noted, the doll is part of Mattel’s ongoing commitment to do better by Black communities, which many corporations pledged to do in 2020 following the police-caused death of Black American George Floyd.

BC COASTAL GAS LINK

'We're still in it': Wet'suwet'en push forward on rights recognition

Tensions had reached a boiling point over a natural gas pipeline in northern British Columbia when a Wet'suwet'en hereditary chief said he made a phone call that changed everything. 

© Provided by The Canadian Press

Na'moks, who also goes by John Ridsdale, was among a group of hereditary chiefs whose opposition to the project on Wet'suwet'en traditional territory last year sparked demonstrations and rail blockades across Canada, and provoked debates about Indigenous rights and reconciliation.

He was on his way to Victoria to stand with Indigenous youth occupying the B.C. legislature steps when he called home as the new coronavirus spread across Canada.

"I thought we were making great strides," Na'moks said in an interview.

"We made a few calls home and they said, no, you're coming home."

Na'moks said he has been at home near Smithers ever since.

Very little seemed like it could draw attention away from the movement but a global pandemic met the threshold.

Nearly one year later, talks between the hereditary chiefs and the provincial and federal governments over a rights and title agreement are behind schedule but ongoing. With the pipeline excluded from the agreement, however, tensions remain poised to rise again as work continues and the consequences for both resource development and reconciliation hang in the balance.

"We're still in it," Na'moks said. "It makes it difficult. Who expected a pandemic? But that doesn't mean we've stopped."

———

National attention turned to a remote forest service road in northern British Columbia after the B.C. Supreme Court granted Coastal GasLink a new injunction against opponents who blocked the route to a work site.

It was the second time in two years that the company turned to the court and ultimately the RCMP to clear the path for its workers after it said attempts at dialogue were unsuccessful.

The 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline was approved by both the province and all 20 elected First Nations councils along its path to transport natural gas from northeastern B.C. to a processing and export facility on the coast in Kitimat.

However, Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs claimed the project had no authority without consent through their traditional system of governance, inspiring supporters across the country to act in solidarity. The hostilities diffused in March when the chiefs announced alongside B.C. and federal officials that they'd reached a tentative agreement setting terms to discuss rights and title. They announced they would sign the agreement in April, opening negotiations over its implementation.

The chiefs were in their second or third round of consultations with community members over the agreement when Na'moks said the pandemic made it impossible to meet.

Talks with government officials have resumed virtually, but they're delayed by about a year, he said.

Although the pipeline is not part of the agreement, the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs have a number of other areas of concern. They include full recognition of their jurisdiction over child wellness, water and 22,000 square kilometres of territory.

Na'moks said they want to be clear that the relationship is a nation-to-nation one.

"This in no way resembles any form of treaty, we're not here for a treaty," Na'moks said.

———

Some elected Wet'suwet'en council members who argued last year that they should be at the negotiating table remain disappointed that they're not.

Karen Ogen-Toews, a councillor with the Wet'suwet'en First Nation, said the pipeline conflict exacerbated rifts within the community that still need healing. She believes the rail blockades meant provincial and federal officials signed under duress.

"Our people have been divided," she said. "That needs to be dealt with before we can move forward as a Wet'suwet'en nation."

The elected councils may be colonial constructs, she said, but it doesn't change the fact that they've played an important leadership role for decades and want the best for their people, too.

For Ogen-Toews, who is also CEO of the First Nations LNG Alliance, signing an agreement with Coastal GasLink was an opportunity to continue that work. Jobs on the project represent an opportunity to close the socio-economic gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people, who face greater rates of poverty, unemployment, poor housing and poor health.

It doesn't mean she isn't critical of the company either.

"I think the procurement opportunities can be increased, can be better," she said. "We don’t want just the bare minimum. We would like more opportunities."

Coastal GasLink did not respond directly to a question about procurement opportunities.

But in a statement, the company said it is delivering significant benefits to Indigenous and local communities. To date, nearly $1 billion in contracts have been awarded, $875-million of which has been won by Indigenous groups or businesses, the statement said.

Until the governance question is sorted out, Ogen-Toews said she believes the rights and title issue should come to halt.

"At the end of the day it's our people, it's our clan members, our band members who are the same people who will be impacted."

———

Work continues on the Coastal GasLink project and opponents are still resisting, even if gatherings are prohibited under public health orders.

Molly Wickham, who also goes by Sleydo, is the spokeswoman for the Gidimt'en checkpoint, one of the camps along the forest road where Mounties arrested pipeline opponents in 2019 and 2020.

She said she never expected the Wet'suwet'en resistance to dominate the front pages of newspapers forever and has spent a lot of the past year thinking about more lasting change.

"We all know, who are in this movement, that there's a lot of work and a lot of strategizing and a lot of thinking about, how do we make this a sustainable movement for Indigenous sovereignty for the long term?"

The answer she's landed on is "quite complex," she said.

Occupying the territory is a major step. It's not only important for Indigenous people to reconnect with ancestral lands, but also adds weight to any arguments they make in Canadian courts, she said.

Wet'suwet'en members began reoccupying the territory before Coastal GasLink was proposed, she said. She moved her own family into a cabin on the territory in 2014.

Reclaiming systems of government is another step forward, even if some knowledge has been interrupted by colonialism, Wickham said.

There's also strength in numbers. There's no way government would have agreed to negotiate had it not been for others, like Mohawk supporters who led rail blockades in Ontario, she said.

"I see it as a collective struggle," she said. "Absolutely every situation is unique but we're all in this together."

Wickham said she doesn't believe the rights and title negotiations affect what happens on the ground with Coastal GasLink. As long as the work is ongoing, she's prepared to resist.

"It doesn't matter whether they talk for another year or another 10 years. The Wet'suwet'en remain opposed to this project and will take action in accordance with our government," she said.

Occupations on the scale seen in 2019 and 2020 aren't likely while COVID-19 remains a real threat. In the past, the opposition relied heavily on allies who flocked to the territory to occupy the camps, so elders wouldn't be put at risk, she said.

But local members have begun occupying new parts of the territory nonetheless, including a hunting blind in a ravine near Wedzin'kwa, also known as the Morice River, which has been a focal point of the movement to protect the land.

The river is critical habitat for salmon and is central to Wet’suwet’en identity and survival, she said.

A Coastal GasLink work schedule suggests the company plans to divert part of the river to lay pipe and locals are prepared to fight if that happens, she said.

Coastal GasLink did not respond directly to a question about whether the new occupations were affecting progress or whether diverting or drilling under the river was planned in spring.

———

Beyond the pandemic, the provincial election also saw a new Indigenous relations minister take charge of the Wet'suwet'en file.

Murray Rankin served as British Columbia's lead negotiator in talks with the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs in 2019 before replacing cabinet minister Scott Fraser, who did not seek re-election last year.

Rankin, who has a background in Indigenous law, sees his role as offering assistance as the Wet'suwet'en mend internal conflicts and confirm a governance structure.

"It's obviously for them as a nation to decide amongst themselves how they wish to go forward. I want to do whatever I can in assisting in moving forward in a positive way," Rankin said.

The unresolved issues could be seen as dating back to 1846, when Britain asserted sovereignty. Or it could date to the 1997 Delgamuukw case, which won the Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs and their Gitxsan neighbours recognition of their Aboriginal title as an ancestral right in the Supreme Court of Canada. The court did not specify where it applied.

"The chief justice said we're all here to stay and encouraged the governments of Canada and British Columbia to negotiate a lasting resolution. Well, here we are a generation later and we're doing that work," Rankin said.

"I wish we had done it earlier, but there's no time like the present to make progress."

During his time as negotiator, Rankin said it was made clear that the agreement over rights and title would not affect Coastal GasLink, which was a permitted and approved.

"They were coincident in time, but our work did not involve CGL, nor does the current negotiation involve that particular project," he said.

The tentative agreement is only a starting point to engage the province, federal government and Wet'suwet'en nation in a process for determining what their relationship looks like in the future, he said.

In addition to the ongoing negotiations, the province is also working with non-Indigenous communities and others with a stake in the outcome.

"We want to make sure that when we do come up with an agreement that it attracts the support of the communities affected," he said.

Of course, the pandemic isn't helping.

"You can imagine how difficult it is to negotiate by Zoom, negotiating by Zoom is never easy. The pandemic has required us to honour the health protocol," he said, but "that is to the detriment, I think, of the honest conversations that occur when you're sitting around a table."

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett declined an interview request, but in a statement she said the Supreme Court encouraged parties in the Delgamuukw case to pursue good faith negotiations and that's what Canada is focused on.

"We firmly believe strong and self-reliant Indigenous nations that are able to fulfil their right to self-determination will lead to healthy and sustainable Indigenous communities with improved well-being and economic prosperity. Supporting Indigenous communities as they choose their path to rebuild their nations is critical to reconciliation and renewing our relationship," the statement said.

"Our commitment to continue our negotiations to implement Wet’suwet’en rights and title is strong."

———

When Coastal GasLink announced in 2018 that it had signed agreements with all 20 First Nation along its proposed path, then-president Rick Gateman declared it an important milestone.

"When we first began this project over six years ago, our goal was to build more than just relationships with First Nations communities in B.C.; it was to build trusted partnerships, and that has made all the difference," he said in a statement at the time.

Gary Naziel, an elected councillor of the Witset First Nation on Wet'suwet'en territory, called it a testament to what can be achieved when industry and First Nations work together.

In addition to opposition from the hereditary leadership, the project has faced the added challenge of COVID-19.

In an update Friday, the company said one quarter of construction is complete but long-term impacts on the project schedule were still being assessed.

The company declined to make anyone available for an interview but provided a statement on what happened a year ago.

"When we reflect on the events of early 2020 and the blockades across Canada, we are reminded of the importance of constructive dialogue based on mutual respect, working together to resolve the issues that affect all of us and perhaps more importantly, the vital importance of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples," it said.

"These are discussions that transcend a single project."

The company continues to communicate with Indigenous communities across the route, including hereditary and elected Wet'suwet'en representatives, it said.

"While we understand there are those who will never support the project, we appreciate the opportunities to remain engaged in open dialogue."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2020.

Amy Smart, The Canadian Press

GM to invest C$1 billion in Canada plant to manufacture electric vans

(Reuters) - General Motors Co and labor union Unifor said on Friday they have reached a tentative deal for the automaker to invest nearly C$1 billion ($785.42 million) in its CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, to manufacture commercial electric vans.

© Reuters/CHRIS HELGREN The General Motors Co (GM) 

CAMI assembly plant is seen in Ingersoll

Under the tentative deal, which is yet to be ratified by the union workers, GM has agreed to begin large-scale commercial production of EV600, an electric van, at its CAMI plant, Unifor said in a statement.

The Detroit automaker said in a separate statement that work would begin immediately at the plant.

The new deal builds upon recent investments by GM in Canada, which in November had agreed to invest C$1 billion in its Oshawa plant to expand production of its full-size pickup trucks.

The Canadian government welcomed the deal and said it would confirm its support as soon as the union members ratified the deal.

"We await the results of the ratification vote," Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a statement.

Unifor, the union representing hourly workers in Canada, said more details of the deal would be presented to local members of the union at an online ratification meeting scheduled for Jan. 17, the results of which are scheduled to be released a day later.

($1 = 1.2732 Canadian dollars)

(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru with additional reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

WE NEED #UBI & #WAGES4HOUSEWORK

Canada Seeing ‘Dramatic Widening’ Of Income Gap Amid Pandemic: CIBC

© Provided by HuffPost Canada

Canada’s income gap is growing rapidly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report says ― but it’s not just because many low-wage jobs have been lost, it’s also because of an unexpected surge in high-wage jobs.

Canada ended 2020 with some 640,000 fewer jobs than it began the year with, but the loss of those jobs was not evenly spread.

“Not only did high-wage earners not experience job loss, but in fact they have gained almost 350,000 jobs over the past year,” CIBC economist Benjamin Tal wrote in a report issued Tuesday.

Meanwhile, more than 20 per cent of jobs in the bottom quarter of wages disappeared over the past year, Tal’s analysis found.© Provided by HuffPost Canada Employment change by age range

The data offers “a much clearer sense of the dramatic widening in the income gap due to COVID,” Tal wrote.

This wage gap could be reflected in a widening of the gender gap as well. Women, which are over-represented in low-wage service jobs, have seen larger job losses than men during the pandemic.

As of December, employment among women 25 and over was down 2.3 per cent of all jobs, compared to 1.8 per cent for men.

Tal says his main concern here is children being taught remotely during lockdowns, “which is impacting the participation rate of women more than men (as we saw earlier in the crisis),” he told HuffPost Canada. “The hope is that it will not last beyond the crisis.”

RELATED
Canada's Women Of Colour Left Behind In COVID-19 Job Recovery

Canada’s Health Inequalities Between Rich And Poor Exposed In New Study

Canadian Housing Forecasts Call For A Boom ... Or Worst Crash In 40 Years

In an interview with Bloomberg News, the CIBC economist suggested Canada could see tax hikes ahead as governments struggle with ballooning budget deficits at a time when higher earners are seeing rising fortunes.

“We are talking about this cash sitting on the sidelines, we’re talking about this pent-up demand. We know where the money is, and we know that there’s more money where the money is than we thought, because of this huge increase in well-paying jobs,” he said in the interview.

“Here we see a very, very significant asymmetrical picture, and it would be very tempting for governments to actually look at taxation down the road when we are safely far away from the crisis to raise taxes, and I think they will.”

In an email exchange with HuffPost Canada, Tal said he isn’t “recommending” a tax hike, but suggested that governments would likely look at capital gains taxes as a potential source of revenue.

“I think better job-loss coverage and protection for the gig economy is needed,” he added. “And I think that recent moves by governments establish the plumbing for that.”

SHE WENT TO WESTMOUNT HIGH

Inauguration of Vice-President Kamala Harris stirs pride in Montreal

© Provided by Global News Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Kamala Harris made history on Wednesday as the first woman to become vice-president of the United States. She is also the first woman of colour and the first woman of south-Asian descent to hold the office.

Watched around the world, the inauguration ceremony was celebrated in Montreal -- the place Harris once called home.

"It was so chilling and moving," said Wanda Kagan, a classmate of Kamala Harris while they both attended Westmount High.

"She called just before being sworn-in, having those few special moments of conversation on the eve before going in is what I think had me much more emotional than I expected, tears and all."

Read more: Kamala Harris makes history as America’s first woman vice president

It's in Westmount High that one can argue the seed to serve was implanted for Harris.

Kagan and Harris were best friends while they both attended the school. She says Harris helped her get through an abusive situation in her home.

Years later, Harris became a prosecutor, saying she was inspired by her friend: "to protect people like her," Harris said in a video released in September.

"It's an amazing feeling for me," Kagan said. "I've always known how much she impacted my life, but to know that I impacted her career path and her path to the White House ... That made it all the more special."

Video: Biden inauguration: Kamala Harris takes vice-presidential oath of office

At the new vice-president's alma mater, Westmount High students took some time off school to watch the historic moment unfold.

“The energy has been absolutely palpable the past few weeks in the school,” said Westmount High Grade 10 student AJ Itovitch.

“There's such an amazing sense of pride watching one of our own Knights be sworn in."

Itovich said that over the past few weeks, students put up flyers and posters, "doing all we can to just take in all of this.”

"It's just that sudden feeling when you look around you in your classroom and you think to yourself, 'one of us could be the next Kamala Harris,'" Itovich said after watching the inauguration.

Read more: 

U.S. vice president-elect Kamala Harris congratulated by students of her Montreal alma mater

For A'Dejah Edouarzin Merriman, a Grade 11 student, watching Harris shatter a glass ceiling by becoming the first woman of colour to hold the office was an inspiring moment: "seeing people like me out there and knowing that I can do that too," she said.

As the task ahead to heal a nation divided seems huge, Harris can always look back to her former home for encouragement, where a legion of fans and friends stand behind her, cheering her on.

"If anybody can do it, she can do it," said Trevor Williams, who went to Westmount High with Harris's sister. "She's going to do a great job, I'm rooting for her."

Video: Biden Inauguration gives Americans in Montreal high hopes

Cartoonist elated 'Kamala in Canada' included in Canadian Biden inauguration event

© Provided by The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG — A Winnipeg cartoonist says he is honoured to play a small role in a historic moment after his comic book about U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris was included in a Canadian celebration of Joe Biden's inauguration. 

“Kamala in Canada” by Kaj Hasselriis was part of a swag bag given to people who attended a virtual inauguration event at the United States embassy in Ottawa. 

The comic follows Harris during her time living in Montreal as a teenager.

Hasselriis says he was inspired when he heard how a young Harris staged a protest after her landlord banned kids in her apartment building from playing soccer in the courtyard. 

He says many kids may have given up, but Harris chose to take action.

Hasselriis says he hopes the book shows children that they can make change happen and inspires them to get involved in politics. 

“It’s useful for them to know that politicians were once kids themselves,” he said. “And if you are a kid, that means you could one day grow up to become a leader.”

Hasselriis decided to create the comic when Biden named Harris as his running mate. It was published just before the vice-presidential debate in October. 

Harris lived in Montreal for five years from the age of 12 until she graduated from Westmount High School in 1981. 

Hasselriis said his book also looks at the climate around the Quebec referendum in 1980 and how that may have affected the new vice-president's view of politics. 

“There’s no way that Kamala Harris could have lived as a teenager in Montreal without having this huge political issue hanging over her head,” he said.

Hasselriis previously wrote a comic called “Politikids” which tells childhood stories about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and former Green party leader Elizabeth May.

In the lead up to the 2019 Canadian federal election, he was able to deliver a copy to each of the politicians during their stops in Winnipeg. 

Hasselriis said he’s not sure if Harris has seen the book about her childhood in Canada yet. He sent a copy to her Senate office after it was published. 

Copies of the book were also purchased by the U.S. consulate in Montreal.

Hasselriis said he hopes the comic will make it into the vice-president’s hands one day. But for now, he’s happy to know that it was included in the inauguration celebrations at the U.S. embassy in Canada. 

“What it means is that they are celebrating the election of the first woman vice-president, the first woman of colour, the first Black woman,” Hasslriis said. 

“It’s a historic moment. It’s a big deal.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2021

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

DIY SOLIDARITY MUTUAL AID

Edmonton's Sikh community is coming together once again to make sure those in need have food on the table

© Sikhs For Humanity/Facebook Sikhs For Humanity volunteers serve up food in this photo from 2019. 

Edmonton's Sikh community is coming together once again to make sure those in need have food on the table

Sikhs For Humanity, an initiative started seven years ago to help those who cannot afford to feed their families, is giving away groceries.

Previously, the group served prepared meals like pasta, samosas, coffee and tea in a tent set up at Hope Mission every Saturday during the summer.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the group decided to offer free groceries instead.

"A lot of people are going through difficult times nowadays and people lost their jobs and things like that," volunteer Manjit Nerval told CBC's Edmonton AM. "We decided to help out as many of you can."

The first event of the year took place a week ago in the parking lot north of Sherwood Park Costco on Buckingham Drive.

Nerval said they were prepared to give away groceries to 400 families but only 100 cars showed up.

"We had some extra food and we ran it down to a few of the apartments around Sherwood Park, lower income apartments," he said.

He said from his conversations with people he learned many were out of jobs and in need of their service.

"They really appreciate it," he said.

He said members of the group pool money together and then individuals go on grocery runs. Some people donate food and perishables.

Nerval said they plan on distributing groceries for the next few months and then hope to move their work to a new kitchen they are building in downtown Edmonton.

"We plan on opening mid-April so we can serve the people," he said.

Helping the less fortunate in the community is part of Sikh faith. Temples, called gurdwaras, house community kitchens and dining halls.

"It's somehow in our blood," Nerval said. "We are taught to help others because we consider everyone to be like our own brother and sisters, because we are all one."