Throwback Thursday – This Magazine

Throwback Thursday: Rape’s Progress

Kelsey Braithwaite — Thu, 08 May 2014 18:34:08 +0000

In the last decade, the definition of sexual assault has grown to encompass more hateful or taboo acts. Most Canadians now recognize terms like incest, molestation, pedophilia, rape, and victim blaming. Many people even recognize these words can be a painful trigger to victims. Unfortunately, this does not mean we know the meaning of these words. Even with more commonly used terms—like consent or rape—the nation still has trouble recognizing it for what it is. Especially in terms of consent and consent and consent.

For a long time, many Canadians never wanted to talk about rape. Some still don’t. When the nation finally started talking about it, people believed rape was only executed by strange, unknown men to an unsuspecting women. Some still do. Now we’ve moved on to knowing rape can happen to men, to trans women, to trans men, and to women who know their attacker. But maybe hearing the cases and “knowing” is not the same as understanding.

Thirty years ago, This Magazine discussed the ever controversial meaning of rape. Much has changed, but sometimes I have to squint to spot the difference. From our August 1984 issue by Anne Innis Dagg, “Rape’s Progress”:

Throwback Thursday: The Death of Public Broadcasting

Kelsey Braithwaite — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 18:51:52 +0000

We were told that journalism was in a bad place. Just not this bad. CBC News recently announced it will cut $130 million from its budget this year, which will eliminate about 660 jobs within two years. This is because of “funding shortfalls and revenue losses,” says the CBC article.

This Throwback Thursday looks back on a time when journalism first saw the chilling signs of a “slow dissolve” as told by writer Mark Starowicz. He explained the need for exclusively Canadian-owned radio and television broadcasting and suggests where it needs to grow to achieve this. He believed our culture was disappearing into that of the U.S.. It’s a familiar feeling as we learn CBC lost its rights to Hockey Night in Canada to Rogers and will “no longer compete for professional sports rights.” Still, Starowicz speaks fondly about Canada’s will and strength when our cultures are tested. Hopefully, we will see these beliefs represented again.

Throwback Thursday: Q&A with Sally Gaikezheyongai

Simon Treanor — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:46:35 +0000

With the recent murder of Loretta Saunders, and the growing outcry for a national public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women (which was denied last week), it seems more relevant than ever for us to understand the battle aboriginal women face daily. Today’s Throwback Thursday revisits a Q&A with Sally Gaikezheyongai, an aboriginal mother of five who works with communities in Toronto to promote equality between all people. She is a former president of Toronto’s Native Women’s Resource Centre, and has worked with many other services to provide support to aboriginal urban women. In the interview with Mary Jankulak, Gaikezheyongai discusses the role of feminism, particularly when it comes to aboriginal women, and what changes are needed.

Throwback Thursday: “The Conversion of Doom”

Simon Treanor — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 18:21:29 +0000

The current turmoil in Ukraine has sparked fears of a “Second Cold War.” But where are these fears coming from, and what do they mean today? For this edition’s Throwback Thursday we revisit “The Conversion of Doom” by Stephen Dale from our 1990 October/November issue. In it, Dale looks at the post Cold War era’s struggle to prevent such “cold” aggression from reoccurring, especially in Canada and the U.S. As part of this, he examines a proposal to replace the production of weapons and military might with investments in technology and social reform, turning battlefields to market shares. Read on and judge for yourself how well the world succeeded (or not) in converting war and, as we put it then, doom:

Throwback Thursday: Out in the cold

Simon Treanor — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:27:59 +0000

Today at This Magazine, we’re excited to introduce our new blog feature, Throwback Thursday. With our 50th anniversary fast approaching (!!!), we’d like to look at some of our best articles that never made it to the digital stage. In all cases, these articles are still relevant today: They are the issues that stick with us, ones that we still haven’t solved, ones that make us shake our fists, people that continue to inspire us, and stories that remind us what fights we’ve won and how far we’ve come.

Plus, it’s always fun to revisit our best reporting and writing, from the very talented contributors who helped make This Magazine what it is today, and what will continue to shape it in the future.

Our first Throwback Thursday is “The Streets of Iqaluit” by Gordon Laird from our 2002 March/April issue. This story examines the homelessness in Iqaluit—where Inuit line up at soup kitchens and fill homeless shelters—and what this says about modern Inuit life and the fight to maintain traditional ways (plus Canada’s tendency to ignore the North’s myriad struggles). Too sadly, and despite Stephen Harper’s love affair with the North, for all that makes the territory amazing, Nunavut remains both underfunded, under-resourced, and replete with challenges, making Laird’s story especially poignant today.