Monday Magazine's Russ Francis is saying "au revoir" to the Georgia Straight. In today's edition of the Vancouver alternative newspaper, Mr. Francis, one of British Columbia's best known muckrakers, writes "this is my final (Victoria Secrets) column for the Straight. Over the last year and a half, I've enjoyed working with the Straight's staff." So why is he leaving? Speaking with Public Eye, editor Charlie Smith made it clear he's been "happy with Russ's work." In fact, Mr. Francis is welcome to continue contributing articles for publication in the Georgia Straight.
But Mr. Smith says wants to run world affairs journalist Gwynne Dyer's opinion pieces more frequently. "Vancouver, as I see it, is becoming much more of an international city," he explained. "And my feeling is that the bonds between Vancouver and the rest of the province are diminishing and increasing in-terms of internationally." And there simply wasn't enough space in the newspaper for both Mr. Francis and Mr. Dyer.
That being said, though, Mr. Smith says "it wasn't a pleasant or thrilling" decision to shutter Mr. Francis's column and "I'm not happy about it." But he added the Georgia Straight will still continue to cover provincial politics "through feature articles and with a multitude of voices" - focusing on how the Campbell administration's policies "are playing out on the ground" in Vancouver.
I used to be a regular Straight reader, excited to read the interesting and provocative stories about our community. A real rebel the Straight was, I often put the paper down with more questions and even cause to act... used to. Now they are saying that there simply isn't enough space in the paper for local politics because we're more international.
I wonder then, how they justify the pages upon pages of condos and porn for sale. Will they have to increase their porn advertising pages to subsidize the international points of view?
Who the hell is Russ Francis?
I used to have a lot of time for the Georgia Straight, but in the past couple of years it's changed. And Russ Francis isn't the only columnist they've lost. Bill Tieleman left some time ago. I think this is particularly clear in the case of urban and environmental issues where it's become something of a propaganda sheet.
If you go to the Straight site and do a search on either "Port Mann" or "Gateway", what you'll get is a slew of articles which are mostly opinion pieces and are all adamantly opposed to twinning Port Mann and widening Hwy 1, a project that is absolutely essential to Canada's economic growth and international competitiveness and most of which occurs on existing highway rights of way. Yet you will look in vain for anything pointing out that the South Fraser Perimeter Road will involve major additional losses of farmland and incursions on Burns Bog, except maybe in the last couple of weeks when all the media have reported this. And you won't find a bunch of articles criticizing the Hwy 99 expansions that involve incursions into recreational wetlands in West Van, either.
The Straight's political reviews litmus test local and provincial candidates on one single thing, whether or not they are in favour of or opposed to the Port Mann-Hwy 1 project. The Straight's posture on this one goes far beyond mere editorial stance and reaches the proportions of a propaganda campaign.
It's really a big disappointment, because it's obviously being driven by the needs of certain Vancouver real estate interests. From alternative paper to house organ in three decades. Congradulations, Dan MacLeod!
Russ Francis has been around for a while and is always a good read. I agree with LED that the GS's advertizing market certainly isn't international unless its the girls from California.
I also agree with whoever suggested the Straight has lost its purpose, unless, of course, profit is the only motive now.
In fact the Straight is now a sad cross between an entertainment rag and one of those generic things the David Black gang churn out in far too many communities, which, by-the-way, already offer Gwynne Dyer.
So I guess that means all those dozens of tri-weeklies, besides keeping an eye on the local dog catchers are now "international" publications thanks to Gwynne Dyers' arrival. I hear the terrorists quickly fled Pouce Coupe when Dyer's first column showed up.
But I must say the Straight was bang on about the twinning of the Port Mann auto dealers dream.
If anyone thinks more internal combustion engines on wheels is the answer to Canada's economic concerns they ought to get a grip.
Better to twin the raillines, hire real urban planners, kick out the auto industry lobbyists and get rid of the the trucking industry, which is a dirty polluting industry that is being subsidized by every fool who drives a car.
Budd, we don't need more gridlock, we need proper planning.
Gwynne Dyer is usually a good read. If he could only get rid of the old leather jacket he wears like a uniform. I'm rather surprised he got connected to the Straights. So we shall have to watch and see what he writres of interest. He does have considerabaly more experience that Russ who has worked at the provincial level .
I hate to agree with Budd Campbell, but he's bang on about Russ and the Port Mann expansion. Georgia Straight is a bloated cash cow that embraced Gwynn Dyer when he finally jumped off the left side of the wharf. Who needs local comment when you have Hollywood puff pieces as a core business?
Russ was good in Monday Magazine but I didn't see the same flair the GS for some reason. Maybe as the paper is 99% ads and fluff entertainment pieces.
But I must say the Straight was bang on about the twinning of the Port Mann auto dealers dream. If anyone thinks more internal combustion engines on wheels is the answer to Canada's economic concerns they ought to get a grip.
Better to twin the raillines, hire real urban planners, kick out the auto industry lobbyists and get rid of the the trucking industry, which is a dirty polluting industry that is being subsidized by every fool who drives a car.
Budd, we don't need more gridlock, we need proper planning.
Posted by bleedingheart on January 4, 2007
I agree we need proper planning. Do you? Rail is fine for major freight traffic going east, but what about the freight that's going to your local shopping centre? You cannot have rail lines running to every warehouse and retail outlet. The trucking industry is not going to go away any time soon.
People should not fall into the false dichotomy of believing this is an either/or choice. The Lower Mainland needs both more freeways, especially connecting the lower density suburban areas, and more rail capacity too, especially heavy rail like the West Coast Express. Road improvements compliment efficient rail movement when they eliminate level crossings.
What is definitely not needed is more LRT systems being used as a substitute for a metro system, a clever bit of maniupulation that is really designed to impede transportation, not facilitate it, in order to prevent the arrival of a more efficient and competitive real estate market.
Twinning the Port Mann is essential for this nation’s commercial freight traffic to move speedily. Please remember, bleedingheart, that this is the Trans Canada we are talking about, and trying to paint this as a local commuter project is utterly wrong. It’s in the national interest, and it will go ahead sooner or later no matter what, because the other provinces whose trade with China is at stake will demand that the federal government build it if the province ever shirks the job. If some commuters in cars use it too, and are paying a $2.50 toll as well as all the gas taxes that are paying nearly all the costs of operating the transit system, what is the problem, bleedingheart?
The truth is that the opposition to Port Mann and Hwy 1 comes from real estate interests. Gordon Price himself made this clear when he said that he was afraid that a new Port Mann bridge, in conjunction with a new Pitt River Bridge and a new Golden Ears bridge, would create a triangular route in the eastern end of the Metro region around which new developments would gravitate. He mean industrial and commmercial developments, since residential is already going east because of land prices.
Vancouver and Burnaby are opposed to this project because they fear losing the control of the industrial and commercial tax base, and because they and their residents fear an eventual loss of political status and prestige if Surrey and Langley grow too much in the future. And last, but hardly least, Vancouver and Burnaby homeowners are as worried as ever that if the Surrey-Langley area grows in terms of jobs, and if travel there is more rapid, that there will be adjustments in residential real estate prices that will favour the outlying areas at their expense or those located closer in, which up to now have commanded a tremendous premium. If you were one of the lucky people sitting on top of a million dollars in non-taxable, capital gains equity in your three bedroom Point Grey bungalow, you’d be pretty damn mad if the BC Govt were to use your sales and income tax dollars to build a project that will result in your house going down in price by even just 5%, because that’s $50,000 to you.
Finally, bleedingheart, I thought I made it clear that the Straight’s environmental objections to Port Mann and Hwy 1 were as fake as Stephane Dion’s green credentials. The Straight and the politicians it gives high marks too, like David Cadman, have put the lie to their environrmental schticks by their failure to make any complaint at all about either Hwy 99 or the South Fraser Perimeter Road. They claimed these projects, which do involve environmental and agricultural losses, were just fine, it was only Port Mann and Hwy 1 that was a problem. I think that it’s important to redo Hwy 99 as well, but it could have been done differently and better for another 10% in costs. The South Fraser Perimeter Road needs to be approached with care and with appropriate environmental mitigation that will undoubtedly raise its final costs, too. Not a word about this from the real estate obsessed Georgia Straight, nor the politicians it endorses.
The Straight's coverage of international affairs is interesting and eclectic, but that's certainly not the first place most of us would go looking for that sort of thing in an age where so many great publications are readily available online.
Apart from the occasional first-rate cover feature, the Straight's loss/lack of local/regional coverage is a weakness and that's the hole they should be trying to fill, IMHO. Especially given the context of a BC market where the traditional media are so weak in serious regional coverage (vs. crass boosterism or the superficial "local" veneer offered by the branch plants of national operators).
All the big issues have a local angle and a local story worth telling -- one that's probably a lot more compelling for the average reader who picks up the Straight around town.
I wonder if people who are posting on this site actually read the Georgia Straight.
Dawn Steele mentions the lack of local/regional coverage. Did she bother reading Nick Rockel's stellar Georgia Straight cover story last month on the growing gap between rich and poor in Vancouver? Or Rob McMahon's feature story last September about how Vancouver school libraries are being shortchanged because of Campbell government policies.
You want more local stories. How about Mitch Anderson's brilliant feature article in the November 23-30 issue called "Underwater real estate", which dealt with the impact that climate change could have on Richmond? Critics of the Canada Line might want to look at this.
The Straight covered Fred Bass's decision to seek a mayoral nomination, unlike every other Vancouver media outlet. The Straight was also the only media outlet in Vancouver to cover a recent meeting of about 40 womens' rights activists, who are trying to stop the Harper government from cutting programs for women. We devoted almost 2,000 words to this issue.
Carlito Pablo's article in this week's issue of the Georgia Straight ("NATO faces a bloody future in Afghanistan") is superb. I highly recommend it for anyone who questions Canada's military policy in Afghanistan. He also wrote a nice piece in the previous issue on the B.C. Liberal government's surplus.
I don't mind hearing the criticism on the Port Mann Bridge, because there is some validity to the claim that we've focused a lot of attention on the critics as opposed to the proponents. But it's not easy to bring forward the proponents' views when cabinet ministers don't return calls.
Just don't try to claim that we don't cover local issues because it's simply not true.
Charlie Smith
Editor
Georgia Straight