An Interview with Almost Canadian Comedian James Mullinger (Plus Ticket Giveaway)
James Mullinger has a very interesting story to say the least. A few years ago, he was living a celebrity-filled life in London, England as an editor for GQ. Now, he lives in New Brunswick and is building a name for himself on the standup comedy circuit. FTB’s Hannah Besseau had a chance to speak […]
FTB Podcast 1.02: Quebec’s Religious Symbol Ban with Samantha Gold
Hosts Jason C. McLean and Dawn McSweeney talk about Bill 21, Quebec’s proposed Religious Symbol Ban, with special guest Samantha Gold Also: News Roundup, Survey Says, Dear FTB, Things You Did Not Know (Maybe) and Predictions! Recorded April 13, 2019 in Montreal Producer: Hannah Besseau Hosts: Jason C. McLean and Dawn McSweeney Special Guest: Samantha […]
All I Really Need is Raffi: A Legend Plays Theatre Maisonneuve
Anyone who grew up in Canada in the 70s and 80s grew up with the songs of Raffi. An Armenian born in Egypt whose family immigrated to Canada in 1958, he became a household name following the release of his first album in 1975. He was in Montreal on Sunday to do a couple of […]
Fare Jumping Is Not a Threat to Public Safety But Some Montreal Metro Security Guards Are
Last week we learned that Montreal’s transit authority, the STM, wants its security guards to have more “police-like powers” (whatever that means) despite recent incidents like the assault on a commuter at Villa Maria metro. The STM claims that this won’t involve arming the officers who patrol the Montreal Metro and STM buses with more […]
Spectacularly Boring: ROXOR presents the XXV Edition of MONSTER SPECTACULAR
If there was ever a slice of stereotypical Americana to come to Canada, it was Monster Spectacular XXV. Set in Montreal’s controversial Olympic Stadium, scores of mostly white people, some with kids, some without, filed in wearing variations of denim and camo to see what was supposed to be “a three-hour show with no time-outs […]
FTB Survey: Quebec’s Bill 21 aka The Religious Symbol Ban
Lately, talk in Quebec political circles has focused on the CAQ Government’s proposed law 21. Currently a bill before the National Assembly, it is better known as the Religious Symbol Ban. In a nutshell, it bars people considered to be public servants, such as teachers, bus drivers, nurses and police officers, from wearing religious symbols […]
A Law that Hurts Everyone: A Crash Course on Bill 21
Canada is a secular society, but we are a society that has recognized that secular laws and practices can coexist with many people’s religious beliefs and expressions. It is why in Montreal, for example, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and seculars live together in relative harmony. If Quebec Premier François Legault gets his way, this might all […]
Anjou Borough Councillor Proves Just How Ridiculous the Argument for a Religious Symbol Ban Actually Is
On Friday, Anjou Borough Councillor Lynne Shand had a problem with her eye, went to an emergency room, received, as she later called it, “excellent” treatment and then complained about it on Facebook the next day. The problem, for her, was that the doctor who treated her eyes was wearing a hijab. In the post, […]
Is Higher Education Still Needed?
In the 2018 film Jennifer Lopez film Second Act, the main character is dealing with being passed over for a position because she does not have the educational criteria that are needed for the job. She then gets a job under the false pretense due to a fake resume. Despite not having the education she […]
Montreal Will Remove the Crucifix in the City Council Chamber and the Cover of Secularism Some Bigots Use Online and On TV
Today, the Plante Administration announced that after City Hall renovations are complete, they won’t put the crucifix back in the City Council chambers. Yes, this move is about secularism of the state, as the Mayor made clear: “The crucifix is an important part of Montreal’s heritage and history, but as a symbol, it does not […]
I Saw STM Officers Attack a Man in the Metro for No Reason
On Thursday night, I was riding the metro home from a vernissage in the Plateau. I got on the Orange Line at Sherbrooke with a plan to get off at Villa Maria and take the bus from there. I was reading a book as I tend to do on public transit, riding what felt like […]
Fraud, Corruption, and the Upcoming Federal Election: A Crash Course on the SNC Lavalin Affair
The past few weeks have been insanely eventful on the political scene. In the US, the Americans are dealing with a president who is a white supremacist, a misogynist, and a fraudster seeking to keep the poor fighting each other so he and his fellow billionaires can enrich themselves with the very institutions established to […]