Masthead Article
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
years ago with the City of Toronto’s plan to PEOPLE IN PRINT dump its garbage in Adams Mine near the northern community of Kirkland Lake—an initiative supported by dodgy environmental assessments and deemed by one geologist familiar with the site as a potential “disaster” since the mine’s fractured bedrock might not Charlie’s in the House contain the waste thus putting 300 million litres of groundwater at risk. Former HighGrader editor now Heritage critic Angus helped orchestrate various acts of civil BY WILLIAM SHIELDS disobedience, including roadblocks, to protest that and other, more toxic schemes. HighGrader under his editorship was as rousing a voice as icked off by rising postal you would expect from a one-time punk rocker. costs? Troubled by a Listen to him describe the city muckamucks federal government eyeing his backyard as a dump. “Like a mouthy, that’s short on answers? drunk rich kid in a blue collar bar, Toronto City So is Charlie Angus, Council is walking smack dab into a haymaker,” Tfounder of HighGrader maga- Angus wrote in 2000.“And like a kid who’s never zine, covering Ontario’s taken a real punch, the City fathers have totally Northland. These days, howev- underestimated the resolve of their opposition.” er, Angus is in a much better The garbage ended up going to Michigan. position to do something about “Adams Mine wasn’t an environmental battle,” it. Last June he was elected in the says Angus, born and raised in nearby Timmins. hinterland federal riding of “It was a rural uprising.” Timmins-James Bay on the New Bill Enouy, the pro-dump mayor of Kirkland Democrat ticket; he serves as Lake, was often parodied in the pages of Angus’s Heritage and Agriculture critic magazine. Says dump fighter and area entrepre- in the party’s shadow cabinet. neur Pierre Bélanger, “Bill would have to eat Of course, he’s no longer affiliat- Rolaids by the handful when he was reading the ed with the crusading bimonth- HighGrader.” Not true, says the right-leaning ly that he launched with his mayor, who praises his new MP for his “tireless” wife, Brit Griffin, in 1995 from work ethic, protection of Northern interests and their home in Cobalt, Ont., for his intellectual honesty. Adams Mine is water some 600 kilometres north of under the bridge now, he says, and he’s come to Toronto. While the couple sold respect Angus, his old foe. “I’d probably vote for the title following his election, him right now, which is kinda scary.” he’s still in tune with the needs “[Angus] isn’t some grim socialist reformer,” of magazine publishers. Many know Charlie Angus as leader of The Grievous Angels, a folk band says Bélanger. “He’s an unusual mix. He’s ideo- Part of his mission is to sen- that’s given voice to the North’s quiet desperation. The MP for Timmins- logical but not dull. People relate to Chuck. He sitize Heritage minister Liza James Bay is shown here on bass performing in Elk Lake, Ont., last summer has a feel for the common man. He’s a great guy Frulla to a postal subsidy that is being under- to deal with funding plans in a very fragmented to crack a beer open with.” mined by the post office. “The Publications way. It seems when a crisis arises, [individual] Reflecting on his days at the HighGrader, Assistance Program is one thing, but it seems cultural organizations will put on a lot of heat Angus shares what is perhaps the secret to any that everything that’s been put in from the fed- and the government responds somewhat with a successful magazine. “At the end of the day, as TORONTO STAR , eral government to support Canadian maga- one-year plan or an emergency plan. But what much as we crusaded, our main emphasis was to zines is being taken away by Canada Post in rate it does is continually destabilize cultural organ- put out an enjoyable read. And a lot of people increases,” he says, before pointing to a bigger izations. We need a long-term commitment and who read us faithfully,” he says, bursting into issue. “One of the problems we’re facing with a very clear policy.” laughter, “had an extremely different political this government is that they do not have a larg- Angus, 42, is no stranger to opposition. viewpoint than we did, and we enjoyed that, we er policy framework for the arts. They continue Witness his over-my-dead-body battle a few enjoyed mixing it up and allowing debate.” M PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE RUSSELL Saturday Night editor Gary senior vice-presi- muter paper Dose. TRANSITIONS Ross is building his staff as dent with Lavalife And Tara Pain former acting managing editor Corp.’s Global Web Rowlands has with files from Patricia Holtz has left the division. joined On The Bay MastheadOnline.com magazine and is succeeded by In the design as art director. She St. Joseph Media’s move into Adrienne Guthrie, who worked world, Spafax succeeds founding one location last September with Ross as managing editor Canada, publisher AD Susan Meingast, has resulted in some redun- at now-defunct book publisher of enRoute, has who is pursuing dancies, says group president Macfarlane Walter & Ross. hired Roland- Adrienne Guthrie Roland-Yves Carignan Rolf Dinsdale other projects. Greg MacNeil. Consequently, Mark Pupo, former associate Yves Carignan to occupy the editor. Lisa Walker joins 2, the Rolf Dinsdale has been IT manager Gino Del Re and editor at Toronto Life, comes newly created position of cre- lifestyle mag for couples, as art appointed associate publisher, production director Anne aboard as senior editor; Ben ative director. For Carignan’s director. She was formerly con- advertising, at The Walrus. Edwards—both of whom Leszcz, former assistant editor, redesigned enRoute, look for tributing AD at Toronto Life. 2's Dinsdale was previously had logged about 18 years of is now associate editor. the May issue. Also at the founding art director Jaspal director of advertsing at service—are no longer with Former Toronto Life publish- inflight title, Jennifer Edwards Riyait is now creative director Kontent Publishing’s the firm. er Marina Glogovac is now climbs aboard as associate of CanWest’s new daily com- Inside Entertainment. MASTHEAD MARCH 2005 21.