Arts & Culture

re: May’s work works for some (Letters April 4)

Elizabeth May is a lone voice in the wilderness and yet she has made her presence known in our riding far more than Gary Lunn who only appeared when there was a tree to be planted or a highway to open.

Elizabeth May cares and she is willing to stand up for what is right. The federal government under Harper is in a sad and sorry state when retirement for pensioners’ age is increased, the CBC is deprived and 20,000 people laid off so Harper can purchase fighter jets. For what purpose? Canada has come a long way from our peacekeeping roots.

It is a sad day for us all. 

Lili Soleil-Garbutt
Sidney

Members of Gulf Islands Secondary School’s senior improv team are back at home after an intensive week of cultural experience in Ottawa for the national tournament games earlier this month.

Improv coach Jason Donaldson said the the trip from April 2 to 9 included visits to museums and galleries in addition to a full schedule of training workshops and performances among Canada’s top 20 high school improv teams.

“The accomplishment feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these students. It’s pretty unbelievable to take eight students from the Gulf Islands to the National Arts Centre,” Donaldson said.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May is profiled in the current issue of The Walrus, where she weighs in on parliamentary procedure and decorum — two of her favourite issues. The profile, which touches on May’s upbringing and life as an environmental activist, centers mostly on whether May – “the country’s hardest-working politician” – can actually change political culture in Ottawa.

From the issue:

[May] believes civility can be established as a tipping point in the practice of politics. Heckling “tunes people out of their democracy,” she says, and if MPs behave more respectfully, Canadians might tune back in. It’s a long shot, and idealistic. Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae, who views May through the experienced lens of his years as a parliamentarian, says civility is “a nice thought.” But in the face of an implacable government, “it’s hard not to throw snowballs at the car,” he says. “There’s a sense that it’s one of the things you have to do in order to get any attention. Now, Elizabeth doesn’t do that, but she has relatively few interventions that she can make in the House.”

Saanich-Gulf Islands representative Elizabeth May is one of five Canadian MPs to receive all-star status and compete for votes to sit in the “hot seat” for political affairs show #FAQMP’s season finale.

The show, which airs Monday evenings on ichannel, incorporates public interest by selecting participants and asking them questions according to the input received on its website.

“Throughout the season we’ll interview the most popular MPs, using the questions you’ve sent,” promotional material for the series promises.

Parishes looking for a green path to God, or even just lower heating bills, can explore the possibilities at the fourth annual Green Choices for Faith Communities Forum March 25.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May will be the keynote speaker at this year’s event, organized by the Green Awakening Network and Greening Sacred Spaces. The noon to 5:15 p.m. conference costs $35 per participant with the deadline for pre-registration falling March 21.

The event will be held at the Noor Cultural Centre, 123 Wynford Dr.

For more information or to register go to www.greeningsacredspaces.net or call (905) 771-5124 ext. 25.

March 8 is International Women's Day and in honour of that day we've compiled a list of Canadian women worthy of note. Because no list is exhaustive, we know there are many names we've left off. Add your thoughts on who should have been included on our Facebook page.

Elizabeth May - As the current leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May is a prominent environmentalist. In the 2011 election, she became the first Green Party candidate to be elected into the House of Commons.

Andrew Scheer continued the Speaker’s tradition of hosting a Robbie Burns dinner. Scheer does not own a kilt but did wear a plaid tie. Green Leader Elizabeth May said grace before MPs dug in. May, who had to put her theology studies on hold after moving to B.C., sported a plaid dress she bought at Suttles & Seawinds in Nova Scotia, and plaid shoes she’s had since 1991. Since she rarely wears them, they’re in pretty good shape, she says. Associate Defence Minister Julian Fantino sported a small pin of an F-35 and Canadian flag. “We’ve procured this one,” quipped the minister, whose department’s multi-billion-dollar fighter jet procurement process has been hitting some snags.