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food & poetry, but mostly the poetry of food

Food • Writing • Poetry

If you were wondering why it seems we have no free press in this country, the point was driven home with even more force than usual when I received a notice from the Writers Union of Canada, regarding the Heather Robertson legal action against the unlicensed use of works by the Thomson Group.

The suit, which has dragged on through Canadian courts since 1996, and has finally resulted in a settlement, “concerns media outlets that reproduced the work of freelance writers and artists on electronic databases without consent or additional compensation.”(Deadline for claims is 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on January 18, 2010 by the way, unless a requested extension is granted; more details on the Cole & Partners website.)

The length of the list is staggering. It would have been easier, I think, for them to send out a list of titles that were not owned by Thomson. Here’s the first list they sent out, which consists of titles affected by virtue of inclusion on a searchable database; and here following is the supplementary list:

Dailies
Toronto Star
The Hamilton Spectator
The Record
Guelph Mercury
METROLAND TITLES
Weekly
Acton Free Press
Ajax News Advertiser
Alliston Herald
Almaguin Forester
Almaguin News
Almonte Gazette
Ancaster News
Annex Guardian
Anrnprior Chronicle-Guide & Weekender
Arthur Enterprise News
Aurora Era-Banner
Barrhaven Weekender
Barrie Advance
Beach Mirror
Bloor West Villager
Blue Mountains Courier Herald
Bobcaygeon Independent
Bracebridge Examiner
Bradford West Gwillimbury Topic
Brampton Guardian
Brock Citizen
Burlington Post
Caledon/Bolton Enterprise
Cambridge Times
Canadian Statesman
Carleton Place Canadian
City Centre Moment
Clarington This Week
Collingwood/Wasaga Connection
Dundas Star News
Dunnville Sachern
East York Mirror
Elmira Independent
Erin Advocate
Etobicoke Guardian
Etobicoke Guardian Apartment & Condominium Edition
Exeter Times Advocate
Fenelon Falls Gazette
Fergus-Elora News Express
Flamborough Review
Georgetown Independent
Georgina Advocate
Glanbrook Gazette
Grand River Sachem
Gravenhurst Banner
Grimsby Lincoln News
Guelph Tribune
Haldimand Sachem
Hamilton Mountain News
Huntsville Forester
Innisfil Journal
Iroquois Chieftain
Kanata Kourier Standard
Kawartha Lakes This Week
Kemptville Advance-Accent Weekender
Listowel Banner
Manotick Review
Markham Economist & Sun
Meaford Express
Midland/Penetanguishene Mirror
Milton Canadian Champion
Minto Express
Mississauga Booster
Mississauga News
Mississauga This Week
Mississippi Weekender
Mount Forest Confederate
Muskoka Sun
Muskoka Weekender
Muskokan
Nepean This Week & Weekender
New Hamburg Independent
Newmarket Era-Banner
Niagara This Week
North York Mirror
Northumberland News
Oakville Beaver
Oakville Today
Orangeville Banner
Orillia Today
Oshawa This Week
Ottawa South Weekender
Parry Sound Beacon Star
Parry Sound North Star
Perth Courier & Weekender
Peterborough This Week
Pickering News Advertiser
Port Colborne Leader
Port Perry Star
Renfrew Mercury & Weekender
Richmond Hill Liberal
Riverdale Mirror
Scarborough Mirror Apartment & Condominium Edition
Smith Falls This Week
St. Mary’s Journal Argus
Stayner Sun
Stoney Creek News
Stouffville Sun & Tribune
Stratford City Gazette
Stittsville News & Weekender
Thornbury Courier-Herald
Thornhill Liberal
Uxbridge Times Journal
Vaughan Citizen
Walkerton-Herald Times
Wasaga Sun
Waterloo Chronicle
West Carleton Review
Whitby This Week
Wingham Advance-Times
York Guardian
BLACK PRESS TITLES
Alberta
Red Deer Advocate (PD)
The Stettler Independent
The Castor Advance
Bashaw Star
Rocky Mountain Outlook
Ponoka News
British Columbia
Lower Mainland
Abbotsford News
Agaassiz Observer
Aldergrove Star
Bowen Island Undercurrent
Burnaby/New West News Lewader
Business Examiner Fraser Valley
Chilliwack Progress
Hope Standard
Langley Times
Maple ridge News
Mission City Record
North Shore Outlook
Peace Arch News
Richmond Review
Sought Delta Leader
Surrey Leader
The Tri-City News
WestEnder
Vacouver Island
Alberni Valley News
Business Examiner
Campbell River Mirror
Courtenay Commox Valley Record
Duncan News Leader and Pictorial
Goldstream News Gazette
Ladysmith Chronicle
Lake Cowichan Gazette
Monday Magazine
Nanaimo News Bulletin
North Island Gazette
North Island Midweek
Oak Bay News
Parksville Qualicum News
Peninsula News Review
Saanich News
Sooke News Mirror
Victoria News
Real Estate Victoria
BC Interior North & South
100 Mile House Free Press
Arrow Lakes News
Ashcroft Cache Creek Journal
Barriere Star Journal
Burns Lakes District News
Castlegar News
Clearwater Times
Fort Saint James Courier
Golden Star
Houston Today
Invermere Valley Echo
Kamloops This Week
Kelowna Capital News
Kitimat Sentinel
Kootenay News Advertiser
Kootenay Western Star
Merritt Herald
Northern Connector
Penticton Western News
Prince George Free Press
Quesnel Cariboo Observer
Revelstoke Times Review
Salmon Arm Lakeshore News
Salmon Arm Observer
Sicamous Eagle Valley News
Similkameen Spotlight
Smithers Interior News
Summerland Review
Terrace Standard
The Northern View
Trail Rossland News
Vanderhoof Omineca Express
Vernon Morning Star
Winfield Lake Country Calendar
Williams Lake Tribune
Wine Trails

The Government of BC is seeking public input on cosmetic use of pesticides as they consider whether to ban pesticides in BC; email form makes it easy at the Canadian Cancer Society website.

Screenings of A Chemical Reaction – documentary about community action against pesticides and cancer – is being sponsored by the Canadian Cancer Society. Here’s the trailer, followed by two screening times. I think the book that’s being signed might be Paul Tukey’s Organic Lawn Care Manual. But I’m not sure.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTcvO-o8NTA]

VANCOUVER
Jan. 20 — 7 p.m.
(doors open at 6:30)
Park Theatre
3440 Cambie Street
Admission by donation
Book signing
For more information, contact:
Kathryn Seely, Canadian Cancer Society
kseely@bc.cancer.ca or
604-675-7108

VICTORIA
Jan. 21 — 7 p.m.
(doors open at 6:30)
David Lam Auditorium
University of Victoria
Admission by donation
Book signing to follow
For more information, contact:
Nancy Falconer
nfalconer@bc.cancer.ca
or 250-380-2358

On a final sad note, we in BC – and everywhere her poetry touched – are mourning the loss of our lovely poet PK Page, whose poem Planet Earth sparked much admiration, and a frenzy of glosas in this part of the world.

We of the high minds will inevitably run into problems if we try to follow our principles to the letter. If we are pursuing sustainability in all realms – food, finance, environment – we will find along the way some aspect of our lives that does not fit completely, that cannot be perfectly adapted. We are human, living imperfect lives in an imperfect world.

One such imperfection is pets; in my case, elderly dog Anton. The higher principles under which he came to join my household are that he was abandoned – his owner unable to look after him – at too great an age (aged 9, five years ago) to be adoptable. His temperament is not one that allows him to live happily with other dogs, and he is potentially dangerously grumpy if manhandled, which would probably exclude most households with children. So had he ended up in a shelter he’d probably not have made it out the door to a new home. And now we are 14, the complaints and considerable expenses of age are descending with some force.

A recent article in the Calgary Herald points out the large ecological footprint dog ownership leaves, which likens the overall burden to that of a carelessly driven gas-guzzler. The concerns are many: food (largely meat and cereal, usually packaged in plastic bags or plastic-lined tins); poo bags (any old plastic bag has been the norm till recently); water and food dishes (metal and plastic); pet toys (usually plastic, often very cheap and breakable); mileage (driving to walks, grooming, obedience training or veterinary appointments); leashes and collars (a lot of plastics involved); dog houses (lots of plastics unless you build your own); beds (very often man-made fibres covering pillows made of plastic foam or styrofoam beads); veteriarian and grooming supplies (plastic bottles of pharmaceuticals and grooming supplies, pesticides to treat external parasites, plastic syringes, chew collars, combs, brushes, hairdryers, toothbrushes etc); and a whole other world of expenses if you get into dog trials or invest in extras like raincoats, boots, reflective or illuminated clothing/collars, etc. When you look at that list you can see the problem. Which was already indicated by the very presence of pet superstores.

We have got away from the idea of the family dog as a working animal who eats scraps, chews on sticks and defends the household, washing itself when it swims and getting veterinary attention (or the shotgun) when injured. Though some still work – as guide dogs, sniffers or farm animals – more often today’s pet is a sporting or fashion accessory, living therapy to shut-ins, or friend to those isolated by modern life or circumstance. These four-legged child-substitutes end up requiring the same array of appointments as humans – vaccinations, dental treatments, pedicures. We are the problem, and modern pet ownership is costing us dear.

Dog lovers have responded with suggestions on ways to lessen the impact, which are feeble at best. But I’ve been working on changing some of my things that can be done.

Food is something I think a lot about. I do spend about $65 a month on good quality dry dog food, packaged in large paper bags. It is made of meat and cereal, which do have those giant ecological footprints. I supplement this with home made wet dog food, which is made from rice, potatoes, grains and (usually discounted) meats like heart, liver, kidney. I used to buy carrots and frozen spinach, but now incorporate table scraps – very few of these since I seldom cook meat nowadays – and peelings instead, which I throw into the freezer till I have enough. It’s an imperfect mix, but it puts some variety into the dog food. Moreover I found that I could put wet food in the blender, add a bit of starch and bake it for dog cookies – though they also need an energy-intensive spell in the dehydrator as well, to store properly.

Suggestions like biodegradeable dog poo bags are kind of annoying, since biodegradeable plastic won’t degrade if it’s buried within the anaerobic mountain of a landfill. (Compostable bags – which at last sighting cost somewhere around 50 cents each – might do better; and a digester – placed away from food plants – would probably be best.)

The mileage question is a tricky one, and I’ve been thinking that although I can probably cope without a car, even in public-transport-starved Victoria, I can’t cope long-term without a car as long as I am responsible for an old dog. Unlike London, at least in days of yore, there is no option to take a dog on a bus here (unless you can put him in a carrier). Depending on the ailment, I can walk Anton to the vet for most things. But he’s old, and his joints are going, and some of his recent visits have been for cuts in his feet (I suspect thanks to local youth who find evening entertainment in smashing bottles on sidewalks). And the vets within walking distance might not be the ones who give best care. Because he gets hysterical in groomers, I end up having to drive him to a saintly woman in Sidney (about 25km away) for pedicures once a month or so: his nails were not well-tended from the start and do get overgrown and, particularly now he’s getting doddery, cause him mobility problems in the house.

Other things – leashes, collars, dishes – could and should be recycled through thrift stores. Bedding can be made from old blankets and cushions. Home grooming saves money and driving. I grew up with pets, often dogs, which were always treated as animals: they stayed on the floor and they ate what they were given and in return they gave us exercise, affection and entertainment. I am not ready to pull the trigger on old Anton, but when this dog has finally had his day I will have to think hard about whether to replace him.

Chicken is a pretty easy food to like, if you’re a meat eater. It can be made to suit almost any taste, and it’s grown remarkably cheap in my lifetime. The much quoted “chicken in every pot” promise made by – well, it turns out to be Henry IV of France (1553-1610) – suggests it was once a far more exotic food than we make it out to be today.

As usual, it’s a question of getting what you pay for. If you want to eat cheap and easy fast-food chicken strips or nuggets, you may be aware just by looking at them – assuming that you are familiar with what chicken meat looks like that these are certainly not made from strips of meat; rather, from a lot of re-formed chicken bits (mostly skin and fat) surrounded by a lot of salty batter.

If you buy skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or ready-to-cook products, read the label: is there a mention of “seasoning” among the ingredients? If so, you might well be paying for, in essence, salty water which plumps the meat up, adding weight that it will lose when this oozes out during cooking. All quite legal: Canadian Food Inspection guidelines allow it. And the Americans do it, as does Britain and the rest of the EU.

It’s not just chicken that is “seasoned” in this way: our guidelines allow any kind of meat to be injected with flavoured water. But in its industrialized state, chicken breast in particular is so lacking in flavour and texture that it needs something – anything – to try to make it remotely palatable. And if that’s what you get used to eating, that’s what you’re going to think chicken is. Someone told me recently about a colleague who doesn’t much like to cook, so buys those whole rotisserie chickens for the family; but none of them likes anything but white meat, so once they’ve stripped that off, they chuck the rest of the carcass.

And I’ve met people on my dog-walks who buy fresh chicken breasts to feed to their dogs. Indeed, I think Anton’s previous owner, if her departing instruction is to be believed, fed him this way as well.

Honestly. Do we deserve to eat chicken? If it’s only to provide cheap food for the white meat eaters and dog-cosseters that we subject all those miserable birds to short, sad lives, then we don’t deserve our plucky friends.

However, should you wish to right some wrongs and rear your own, wouldn’t it be lovely to do so in one of these darling Eglus? You can meet some other chicken lovers in this sweet documentary, Natural History of the Chicken, which is available (in 6 parts) on Youtube.

And if you’re in Victoria, you could come to the next meeting of the BC Sustainable Energy Association, Burnside Gorge Community Assn., 471 Cecelia Road, off Jutland Rd., 7-9pm, where we’ll have a talk about meat and methane from Dr. Peter Carter, of of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment:

Getting to Zero Carbon: What’s Meat Got To Do With It?
Not only is the industrialized livestock industry one of the biggest emitters of potent greenhouse gases (methane and nitrous oxide as well as CO2) in the world, but
refraining from eating meat is the easiest and quickest way for individuals and families to reduce their carbon footprints on the way to the new age of renewable energy and zero carbon. Dr. Carter will focus on the methane part of the meat equation, since research shows its importance in potential runaway global heating.

And I imagine we will be referred to the UN’s report (also cited by Mark Bittman, in Food Matters), Livestock’s Long Shadow.

Let me in closing refer you to this fine poem, Chicken Pig, by Jennifer Michael Hecht.

It’s new year resolution time, and the tireless Guy Dauncey offers a few departure points for inspiration on his Climate Challenge page – including a Week-by-Week Guide for people wanting to join with others in “climate challenge circles.” I like his link to the Eat Low Carbon Diet Calculator.

Meanwhile I’ve already seen a couple of inspirational movies this year. Not new ones, but worth digging out from your library or video rental store.

Addicted to Plastic is surprisingly upbeat. It is not shy of the issues, but balances them with lots of airtime for people making positive changes to the consumption and waste of plastic. It starts in the North Pacific Gyre and explains there and in the sections about plastic that is in contact with our food and drink about plastic’s gift for attracting toxins and how these toxins travel into our food system. It’s not exactly news that the chemicals end up in our bloodstreams through ingesting seafood, which accumulates toxins up through the food chain in our oceans; or from the plastic bottles many of us have started avoiding already. But there is plastic lining our food tins as well, and the lids of glass jars – and artifical wine corks, come to think of it. The scientists quoted in the movie were certainly avoiding plastic food packaging in their own lives.

So. It will be tough going, but I’m going to double my efforts to avoid buying plastic this year.

Here’s the trailer for the movie:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daSFXZT-HYk]

The grimly amusing Radiant City, filmed in Calgary, finally unlocked some of the cultural attitudes I really dislike about North America, and reminded me of why I had been in no hurry to move back here from England. It shows the damage that has been done to the cityscape, the sense of community and the economic environment by building the monster single family dwellings that now mar the landscape around Calgary and Edmonton, and anywhere in North America where development is running rampant – more and more built on fertile land even here on Vancouver Island. Some trade-off.

The houses are huge, and remote from urban centres, turning occupants into commuters; all single-occupancy, these developments provide dwellings (per square kilometre) for too few people to make public transport viable, so what might be on offer is patchy. Which means every family living there needs at least two vehicles; the children raised in such an environment will expect likewise to own their own car, as they’ll be used to being driven everywhere. One statistic cited was that North American suburbanites typically spend the equivalent of 55 eight-hour weekdays driving each year.

Since the housing development areas are vast, there is nothing within walking distance, and all amenities are offered through malls. That means no common local meeting places, and that food and other consumables will have to be purchased almost entirely from chain stores owned by multinationals.

Each home is fronted by a massive garage, so each home literally looks inward, and discourages contact with neighbours. It reminded me of a house I visited here in Victoria, where the existing bungalow – in that neighbourhood, probably built sometime between 1920 and 1950 – had been torn down and replace by just such a house: I remember feeling riled by the sheer size of the home, and by the fact it had no front, just a massive driveway and garage. Somehow that garage really got to me, it seemed so unfriendly. The occupants told me that their neighbours had been offended by this new home, and I’m not surprised, faced as they would have been by big new walls. This kind of building is mercifully rare – so far – in existing Victoria neighbourhoods, although it’s certainly contaminating new developments.

It’s a struggle to be sociable in any modern urban environment nowadays, but I find it doubly offensive that isolation is being built into the equation, and that the developers have appropriated the term “community” to describe their pods of detachment. What lunacy is this to think we can live independently and separately from those with whom we share this planet and its future?

The vision of suburbia shown in the film – and by any visit to Calgary – is spectacularly unsustainable in just about any way you could think of, but particularly in anticipation of rocketing fuel prices. I suppose – if the developments actually offer back yards – it is possible there will be some room to grow food (though I imagine most of the topsoil will have been scraped away during development).

Here’s the trailer for this one:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFNdQDBy2rY]