Border Culture

Bridge Watch Detroit

2010-12-08T20:25:00.001-08:00

I know it's past the submission deadline - but did anybody else know about this blog? Just happened to stumble across it. Enjoy!

http://bridgewatchdetroit.blogspot.com/

Nato Thompson: Curating The New Geography

2010-12-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

Nato Thompson is the Chief Curator at Creative Time.

Since January 2007, Nato has organized major projects for Creative Time such as Democracy in America: The National Campaign (2008), Paul ChanÂ’s acclaimed Waiting for Godot in New Orleans (2007) and Mike NelsonÂ’s A Psychic Vacuum. Previous to Creative Time, he worked as Curator at MASS MoCA where he completed numerous large-scale exhibitions such as The Interventionists: Art in the Social Sphere (2004), a survey of political art of the 1990s with a catalogue distributed by MIT Press. His writings have appeared in numerous publications including BookForum, Art Journal, tema celeste, Parkett, Cabinet and The Journal of Aesthetics and Protest.

Creative Time strives to commission, produce and present the most important, ground-breaking, challenging and exceptional art of our times; art that infiltrates the public realm and engages millions of people in New York City and across the globe. We are guided by a passionate belief in the power of art to create inspiring personal experiences as well as foster social progress. We are thrilled when art breaks into the public realm in surprising ways, reaching people beyond traditional limitations of class, age, race and education. Above all, we privilege artists¹ ideas.

-Creative Time

In an interview by Rhizome Nato was interviewed about his role in the "Experimental Geography" exhibit.

The term "Experimental Geography" was coined by artist Trevor Paglen in 2002 and has become an umbrella term for a diverse and quickly multiplying range of art practices. Fittingly, Experimental Geography was selected as the title for a new exhibition, curated by Nato Thompson, that explores "the distinctions between geographical study and artistic experience of the earth, as well as the juncture where the two realms collide (and possibly make a new field altogether)." The traveling show, supported by the organization Independent Curators International, features an international group of artists, all of whom have made important strides in this new field. I interviewed Nato Thompson over email about the show. -- Lauren Cornell

LC: Your recent show "Experimental Geography" seems to me like an informal survey of artists working with mapping. It includes artists/ collectives that have been engaged with alternate cartographies for a long time, as well as new approaches. Certainly, it captures the energy and activity in this area. My first question for you is- why do you think there is so much work being done with "experimental geography" now?

NT: Actually, it isn't only artists working with cartography although there is plenty of that. The exhibition is more about a broad sense of geography ranging from the geologic to the urban, from the didactic to the poetic. I agree we live in a bizarre but compelling cartography zeitgeist. Maps seem to be everywhere! Chicago just had a festival of maps and museums all over the city have cartographic exhibitions. This project is certainly related but I am hoping to push the category beyond visualizing of information and space. Artist Yin Xiuzhen produces these sewn cities that emerge from a suitcase. Artist Ilana Halperin boils milk in the steam of a hot spring. There are more, but the idea is that the field of experimental geography (a phrase coined by one of the artists in the exhibition, Trevor Paglen) is more about the interpretation of space in a variety of forms.

Ilana Halperin, Boiling Milk (Solfataras), 2000

In terms of why the field itself seems to be growing (in particular cartography), I would hazard to say that inter-disciplinary practices are still finding their feet. Artistic production, as it wades its way through a variety of disciplines, is best at discovering new forms for conveying ideas or impulses. Not only in the field of two-dimensional imagery but also in walking tours, sound art, video installation, lectures. The ability to play with a form allows those that produce knowledge to bring information to a viewer in a more compelling manner, and also to interrogate the possibility that ambiguity is a productive intellectual tool. Ambiguity (that favorite tool of art) often feels antithetical to a practice of empiricism, but in fields where the post-modern turn has truly sunk in its teeth (like geography), ambiguity becomes a productive tool for engaging a variety of perspectives. Because geography has taken on the broad understanding that the world creates us, and we (people) create the world, it has been more susceptible to complicated forms of knowledge presentation.

-Rhizome

In an article entitled International Geographic: Interview with Nato Thompson, Nato was interviewed by the Art21 Blog.

Daniel Quiles: How did the idea for the Experimental Geography exhibition come about?

Nato Tompson: ...Looking around the contemporary art world today, we find numerous practices interested in experimental methods for understanding space itself—from the important work of the Center for Land Use Interpretation in Culver City, California, to the experimental walking tours ofFrancis Alÿs in Mexico City, to poetic interpretations confounding body and place such as with artist Ilana Halperin. The practices are out there and it felt as though the often used lens of art history was simply clunky in interpreting this work. So the exhibition is an opportunity to construct a new lens from an emerging form.

DQ: Many of the practices featured in Experimental Geography owe a clear debt to theSituationists, the radical pan-European group that explored artistic and political interventions in the city throughout the late 1950s and 1960s. In what ways would you say that they break with the Situationists? One convention that strikes me as somewhat un-Situationist is the guided tour that is utilized by groups such as the Center for Land Use Interpretation and e-Xplo. If the dériveprovides an open-ended discovery of capitalism’s effects on the wandering urban subject, the guided tour hints at something far less spontaneous, however poetic its readings of the city may be.

NT: You are absolutely correct that the Situationists are highly influential in numerous of the practices discussed. It is an interesting question to see where the breaks can be located. I must first say that there is so much of what I like to think of as Situationist-lite work out there. Lots ofpsychogeographic practices, which consist of tagging on billboards and uninteresting walking tours or pointless interventions in space, are in line with the practices put forth by the Situationists. Of course, they typically lack a reasonable class analysis and ultimately use the Situationists as a sort of fad to draw upon.

But enough with being a hater; the question you ask is much more interesting. What are the breaks? I would like to think that there is a healthy skepticism of avant-garde movements now. More and more, the type of declarative bombastic language so espoused by the post-’68 radical communities just do not appeal to activists today. They sound like white men leading the charge and well, many folks have productively moved past that. I think that is why people get confused about where the leaders are today. People are skeptical of leaders. I guess we are inherently more anarchist today (which the Situationists liked in theory but were too snide to question their own male power). I also think there is a healthy pragmatism working today. I never felt like the Situationists were really trying to build alternatives so much as they were in love with some of their poetic revolutionary language.

-Art21 Blog
You can read some other writings by Nato on The Huffington Post, like the articleIncreasing Public Space with Ice Cream, Karaoke and Magic.

Below you can watch a video of Nato Thopmson's Day Two Opening Remarks at the Creative Time Summit: Revolutions In Public Practice.

WINDSOR COPS GO UNDERCOVER IN DETROIT

2010-12-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

WINDSOR, Ont. — Windsor police Deputy Chief Jerome Brannagan says increased co-operation with U.S. authorities means Windsor cops will allow suspects to cross the border to be arrested in Michigan, where sentences are harsher.

He said police would allow a border crossing if there is limited risk of losing a suspect or illegal contraband and the public and police officers are not placed in danger. A recent case involving a 46-year-old Windsor man accused of trying to lure a 14-year-old girl for sex highlights the trend.

Such increased cross-border policing has faced some criticism.

"I have a concern with it, but I'm not surprised by it," said John Deukmedjian, an associate professor of criminology at the University of Windsor.

"This is consistent with the trend in policing in Canada and the United States. The two countries are aligning themselves with one another around security and intelligence, rather than justice and rights."

Pretty interesting, harsher sentences in the States gives Windsor police a reason to send suspects over the border? I don't know how the legalities of that works, but it doesn't seem right. "Collaboration" with Detroit police seems like a big move. More problems to worry about when crossing the border.

Airport Security?

2010-12-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

About 24 million Americans spent part of their Thanksgiving weekend standing in line at airports, waiting for either a body scan or pat-down.

And despite their growing outrage over these zealous new security measures, few of them put up a fight. They knew arguing wouldn't get them a free pass, but it could see them unceremoniously ushered out the terminal door.

Still, travellers going through U.S. air space have good reason to be annoyed, especially those who have to submit to invasive physical examinations. Even if someone decides a body scan is the lesser of all evils, not every airport has the technology. That means there's no choice but to surrender to a pat-down.

The process has revealed all kinds of unacceptable situations, from young children being stripped to their briefs to breast cancer survivors being forced to hand over their prosthetics for inspection.

We agree it's a difficult issue. But it's also a fact that a determined, resourceful enemy will always find a way. The real challenge is weighing the procedures against the outcomes. Will invading the privacy of millions of everyday travellers stop terrorism? We believe it won't.

No country has better airport security than Israel -- and no country needs it more, since Israel is the most hated target of Islamic extremist terrorists.

Yet, somehow, Israeli airport security people don't have to strip passengers naked electronically or have strangers feeling their private parts.

Does anyone seriously believe that we have better airport security than Israel? Is our security record better than theirs?

"Security" may be the excuse being offered for the outrageous things being done to American air travellers, but the heavy-handed arrogance and contempt for ordinary people that is the hallmark of this administration in other areas is all too painfully apparent in these new and invasive airport procedures.

Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/Airport+security/3927310/story.html#ixzz17BPcGlBH

http://www.windsorstar.com/travel/Airport+security/3915674/story.html

Know your rights.

2010-12-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

We pledge to cordially greet and welcome you to the United States.
We pledge to treat you with courtesy, dignity, and respect.
We pledge to explain the CBP process to you.
We pledge to have a supervisor listen to your comments.
We pledge to accept and respond to your comments in written, verbal, or electronic form.
We pledge to provide reasonable assistance due to delay or disability

http://nemo.cbp.gov/opa/audio/radio_lets_get_you_home.mp3

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. It is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA).

The goal of WHTI is to facilitate entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors, while strengthening U.S. border security. Standard documents will enable the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

The U.S. Extradition of a Canadian Citizen

2010-12-02T15:31:00.000-08:00

In 2007, CBC's The Lens did a documentary on Canadian marijuana activist, Marc Emery. The documentary goes into depth about Marc's seed selling business, which included the smuggling and illegal sales of marijuana seeds in the United States. Essentially, the U.S. government arrested him for this and wished to extradite him and have him serve an American jail sentence [10 years to life in prison, with no parole]. The documentary is called Prince of Pot: the US vs. Marc Emery.

There is a lot of controversy over this issue, as we see in Canada, the sale of seeds is seemingly no big deal. However, the U.S. government and the

DEA feel very differently. Marc Emery's charges are for drug trafficking, which is a very serious offence in the U.S. The prosecutors, as portrayed in the documentary, were almost treating his case as if he were a murderer. It seems like the DEA is blind to the multitude of studies on the actual danger of marijuana - which is very minimal. It is, to most Canadians, common knowledge that alcohol and tobacco - two legal drugs - are far more dangerous than marijuana. In fact, marijuana alone has killed zero people, in all of history. As stated in the documentary, "show me the bodies".

Over the last 3 years, there has been an explosion of political and activist debate and action related to this case. With much less harsh marijuana laws in Canada, Canadians sought to have Marc sentenced here and perhaps saved. There have been many "free Marc" initiatives and campaigns, reaching out to Canadian marijuana-smokers or sympathizers, to help Marc, his wife Jodie, and the 2 employees who were arrested with him.

Attempts at saving Marc, or having his sentence served in Canada have failed, though compromises were made. His sentence was reduced to 5 years in an American prison, with a plea of guilty.

The documentary can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg9E2BOEHss [part 1 or 5]

Updates on this case can be seen in many places, including Marc Emery's myspace and facebook accounts, Cannabis Culture Magazine, which Marc owns, as well as several news sources. For those of you interested in following up with this case, the following links will be helpful.

http://freemarc.ca/

http://www.facebook.com/princeofpot

http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/2010/05/10/Its-Official-Conservatives-Extradite-Marc-Emery

http://www.myspace.com/prince_of_pot_marc_emery

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101201/bc_emery_101201/20101201?hub=BritishColumbiaHome&sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4cf6dac99a657b30,0

Border App for iPhone

2010-11-30T14:50:00.000-08:00

I just purchased an iPhone and I discovered a pretty cool application that has to do with borders. It's called Bordertimes and its a free application for the iPhone made by geogrant.com. This app lets you access U.S/ Canadian land border wait times from your iPhone. Offers both Northbound and Southbound views that lists all the land border's around you with a green, yellow, or red button which tells you approximatley how long the wait time at the each border is, as well as how many lanes are open. Pretty legitimate!

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/bordertimes/id374835487?mt=8

Caught this in my inbox:

2010-11-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

INGO VETTER & DETROIT TREE OF HEAVEN WOODSHOP
Umeå

Motor Show

For the last ten years Ingo Vetter has visited Detroit regularly to take extended photo series. MOTOR SHOW brings together a number of these series, from the early "Detroit Industry - Jax Carwash", realized in 2000, to the brand new "Resource and Nostalgia".

Detroit is shaped by the automobile and its industry, and mobility seems to be the keyword for this city. The car has come to represent everything from progress and desire to climate change and urban collapse. It is omnipresent but has lost its progressive potential. Instead, mobility is symbolized by people overcoming obstacles.

In 2005 Ingo Vetter, Annette Weisser and Mitch Cope founded the Detroit Tree of Heaven Woodshop, which works exclusively with wood processed from the Tree of Heaven, a resource unfailing in Detroit. Also known as ghetto palm, this plant (lat. Ailanthus altissima) populates abandoned lots and deserted factory sites all over Detroit. The Woodshop is set up as a loosely organized network of local specialists and develops art works and commissions for international art institutions. All frames, as well as other sculptural works in the exhibition, were specially produced by the Detroit Tree of Heaven Woodshop.

The exhibition is realized in collaboration with IASPIS and Umeå Academy of Fine Arts.

Bildmuseet
 Umeå university
 901 87 Umeå 
+46 (0)90 - 786 52 27
 info@bildmuseet.umu.se
http://www.bildmuseet.umu.se/

Exploit Detroit on TV

2010-11-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

I recently caught wind of a new fictional murder investigation TV show that debuted September 21, 2010 on ABC called Detroit 1 8 7.

According to wikipedia, the pilot episode was shot in Atlanta, but all other episodes to date were shot in Detroit. Right off the bat, the opening segment of the pilot (which doesn't appear in any other episode) has a view of Windsor behind a zoom of the ren-cen, with a voiceover saying "Detroit Michigan: birthplace of Motown, and once the heart of the automobile industry. Now, it has one of the highest murder rates in the country."

I won't give away much of the plot, but spectacle and exploitation of the city and the 'type of people' that live there seem to be at the heart of this TV show.

I can't help but think about the recent media uproar over the filming of A&E's The First 48 in Detroit. The film crew had been following Detroit homicide police for several months when they witnessed and caught on tape the killing of a 7 year old girl.

This makes me think about the article we read in class, Vigilant Visualities. In this case, a TV crew made to exploit and produce a spectacle of the real tensions and crimes in Detroit is now called to produce video evidence of a crime committed by the police.

Hmmm....what do you think?

Some Book Cover Kitch For Y'all

2010-11-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Always white and heroic, (sometimes gay?), riding horses and shooting pistols, the Border Bandit is not Mexican or impoverished. Hmm....

Possible Research Topic for Someone?

2010-11-01T08:46:00.001-07:00

While researching my topic for the Border Culture final project, I came across this great book which is available from the Leddy Library (HQ549 .T73 2008) that may serve as a starting point for anyone interested in researching issues involving women, family, immigration and social conditions around the U.S.-Mexico Border for their final project.

I thought I'd pass it along, as it doesn't fit with my research topic very well (Gendered spaces in Windsor)

Essays included in this book:

A demographic profile of children and families in the U.S.-Mexico border region / Yolanda C. Padilla and Ana Marie Argilagos

An overview of children and youth on the northern Mexican border / Catalina Palmer

The extended border: a case study of San Antonio as a transnational city / Harriett D. Romo

The complex picture of cities near the U.S.-Mexico border: the case of southern California / Belinda I. Reyes and Amanda G. Bailey

Maquiladora or cross-border commute: the employment of members of households in five Mexican border cities / Marie-Laure Coubes

Transborder interactions and transnational processes in the border community of Laredo, Texas / Raquel R. Marquez

Coming of age across borders: family, gender, and place in the lives of second-generation transnational Mexicanas / Patricia Sanchez

"I'm bien pocha": borderlands epistemologies and the teaching of english in Mexico / Mary A. Petron

The real and the symbolic: visualizing border spaces / Amelia Malagamba-Anstegui

Latina entrepreneurship in the borderlands: family well-being and poverty reduction policies / Barbara J. Robles

Public policy changes on the U.S.-Mexico border / Irasema Coronado.

Hope this helps!

Antarcttica

2010-04-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Antarctica is the least populated continent but it is the cause of some very interesting geopolitics. It's vast territory has the possibility of great untapped natural reasources.

As Antarctica was an unclaimed territory, several nations decided to claim portions of the continent. This is certainly not a new concept, to divide up a territory that was uncharted and unowned, but what is unusual about borders in Antarctica is the fact that they all follow lines of longitude and are completely straight. Seven countries claim wedges of Antarctica. These straight boundaries lead about 60 degrees south to the South Pole divide up the continent, in some cases even overlapping but also leaving large sections of the continent unclaimed - and unclaimable:

The Antarctic Treaty - claims that " Antarctica is to be used for peaceful purposes only; no military activities of any kind are permitted, though military personnel and equipment may be (and are) used for scientific purposes. Freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue. Scientific program plans, personnel, observations, and results shall be freely exchanged. No prior territorial claim is recognized, disputed, or established, and no new claims may be made while the treaty is in force. Nuclear explosions and disposal of radioactive waste are prohibited. All land and ice shelves south of latitude 60°S are covered, but not the high seas of the area. Observers from treaty States have free access to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment.(549)"
The treaty makes no mention of travelling restrictions or the prohibtion of travellors. Without travel restrictions, thousands have visited and have endangered Antarctica's ecosystem.

Useful link for final project?

2010-04-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

I was doing some research for the final project and found an interesting article that could be helpful for some students! Here is the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/03/AR2006020302747.html

heads up on travel delays!

2010-04-04T20:39:00.001-07:00

http://www.windsorstar.com/Tunnel+plaza+reno+begin/2763132/story.html

border.

2010-04-04T16:19:00.000-07:00

Heres an interesting video regarding border patrol along the US/Mexico border. I thought it was especially funny to see the spots in the wall in which people tried to go through that had been patched up. I also thought the fact that although border violence is down, the actual threat towards the border patrol officers is increasing? I wondered to myself why this was, and noticed the increase in fencing.
Video Here

Canadian Dollar and Travel

2010-04-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

With the increase of the Canadian dollars, its seems that shoppers will be flocking across the border for cheap goods. Normally it seems that Americans cross our border to take advantage of their strong dollar and to take in all the (sin) city has to offer, well now its our turn. Americans come over to take advantage of our lower drinking and gambling age, and not to mention the many forms of adult entertainment that Windsor seems to call home. At the same time, we Canadians cross the border to shop and maybe use the Detroit airport. We don't tend to eat, stay the night, or attend any cultural events, pretty much just shop. We enjoy the variety of shopping opportunities for our bargain hunters, while reinforcing the friendly, polite Canadian stereotype. I find it interesting, the difference between what those of us in our respective countries cross the border for. Canadians for good deals and Americans for good sins. However, soon the Canadian will fall like it inevitably does, so let's enjoy it while it lasts.

2010-04-02T13:08:00.001-07:00

A Very Short History of Early Border Medicine and the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1918

Beginning in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s a recognizable medical infrastructure was present in the cities of Windsor and Detroit. Albeit, this infrastructure still possessed many of the characteristics that one would associate with a eclectic frontier medical landscape in which regulations and institutions had yet to be consolidated. Nevertheless, the facilities and practitioners were in place to address the challenges to public health that the growth of industry and urbanization during the early 20th century would bring to the border cities.

Between 1917 and 1935 their was a rapid increase in the number of health care workers in the border city region. This growth in the healthcare professions matched the significant population growth that both Windsor and Detroit were experiencing at that time as a result of a burgeoning automotive manufacturing sector. This increase in population and health care workers brought with it a realization that the existing health infrastructure was inadequate to meet either of their needs and that there was an urgent need to create an updated infrastructure of public administration and urban services.

A Red Cross unit at Detroit's Utley Library

However, the main impetus for improving existing medical infrastructures in both border cities was arguably the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918. The epidemic took a heavy toll on both sides of the border and revealed the limitations of many of that periods public health institutions. In Windsor during the months of October and November 1918 influenza claimed at least 126 local residents. Newspapers reported that Hotel-Dieu hospital was overcrowded with patients and that at the peak of the crisis the areas medical institutions exhibited a “lack of uniformity in regulations governing the control of contagious disease.”

In Detroit Red Cross workers made daily rounds picking up the dead.

Detroit fared no better. In that same two month period the disease claimed 3,814 residents. Newspapers published long lists of the dead, quarantine signs became common, death wreaths and black bunting draped many homes. Funerals were hurried affairs with few mourners. Coffins stored near funeral homes were often stolen by impatient and fearful family members, while bodies were placed on porches for daily pickup. Hence, the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 jolted city officials awake and forced them to rethink the way public health was being delivered. The days of individual doctors treating individual patients was at its end. Health care on both sides of the border was now viewed as a public utility that needed to be regulated by government bodies and corporate concerns.

Sources:

When the flu ravaged the world. By Vivian M. Baulch. The Detroit News, August 31, 1996.

Border City Medicine: Windsor’s History of Innovative Health Practice. Steven Palmer and Steve Malone. Cultures of Health: A Historical Anthology, October 7, 2009.

ALL EYES ON THE BORDER

2010-04-01T08:44:00.001-07:00

All eyes on the border

BY BARBARA YAFFE, CANWEST NEWS SERVICEAPRIL 1, 2010

The all-important Canada-U.S. economic partnership is in serious jeopardy, according to a new economic analysis by the Fraser Institute.

A malaise has developed following an avalanche of post-9-11 border restrictions, writes Simon Fraser University Prof. Alexander Moens, one that "will eventually frustrate the entrepreneurial spirit, and investment and trade will decline."

Moreover, pending U.S. climate change legislation, a stronger Canadian dollar and declining American consumer prosperity all are poised to further aggravate a troubled situation.

Moens, a specialist in American politics and foreign policy, notes that, while bilateral trade in the energy sector has been growing, "the once dynamic integrated supply chain in manufacturing, including automotive, appears to be stagnating (and) trade in manufactured goods ... has been declining since 2005."

Foreign Affairs figures show the U.S. accounted for 73.1 per cent of Canada's trade in 2004, but only 67.8 per cent by 2008. The outlook is bleak, writes Moens, given that financial and housing crises have caused a 20-per-cent drop in U.S. household net worth since 2007, and economists are projecting that Canada's dollar is expected to go slightly over par with the American greenback by next year.

The one trade sector that continues to boom is energy.

In 2008, crude oil exports to the U.S. accounted for half of Canada's total export earnings. Those crude exports, totalling $23.3 billion in 2001, were up to $72 billion by 2008.

This one bright spot, however, is going to be severely challenged as Americans move to enact climate change legislation, predicts Moens.

First, the Waxman-Markey bill, which would implement a cap-and-trade scheme stateside to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contains a provision prohibiting Washington, D.C., from using fuel extracted from the oilsands.

Second, the bill, approved by the House of Representatives last June and now in the Senate, could result in Congress moving to levy punitive tariffs on energy imports from Canada. It would do so under a pretext of protecting American energy producers from unfair competition from countries with less stringent greenhouse gas emission standards.

Even if Canada matches a U.S. cap-and-trade scheme -- as Environment Minister Jim Prentice is planning -- "small regulatory differences would still expose Canadian industry to American trade action," warns Moens. And, "given the history of Canada-U. S. trade, this is no idle threat."

Western Canada's oilsands industry stands to be particularly hard hit, he says, endorsing Prentice's go-slow approach on a Canadian plan to address climate change.

The last productive period in the Canada-U. S. relationship was under prime minister Brian Mulroney and president Ronald Reagan, when agreements were penned on free trade and acid rain.

While these days, "most American politicians are not focused on this problem," Canada should be pushing to get rid of all non-tariff barriers to trade through harmonization of regulations and product standards. In addition, urges Moens, it also should try to negotiate a full reciprocity accord on government procurement.

It's all well and good to develop strategies for trade diversification that would have Canada capitalize on growing economies in India, Brazil and China, writes Moens.

But "our history shows that diversification is difficult. It is more likely that Canada's long-term prosperity will depend, to a large extent, on renewed American prosperity."

Even so, the Harper government appears less focused on the Canada-U. S. trade dilemma than it did last year when a freshly elected, wildly popular Barack Obama visited Ottawa.

Alas, with the bloom off the Obama rose, Ottawa has appeared less interested in actively engaging the Americans.

byaffe@vancouversun.com

Balloon Outrage

2010-03-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

A company from the United States is testing a new, sky-high surveillance technology along the border of Sarnia, Ontario and Port Huron, Michigan. A 15 metre long balloon shaped like a plane’s wing was placed above Port Huron with a camera aimed at the St. Clair River, which flows past downtown Sarnia. Officially this balloon is called an Aerostat. This helium-filled craft floats more than 240 metres above the ground and zooms to survey the water and the two bridges the link Sarnia to Port Huron. It is controlled by a ground crew in a trailer at a launch site near the river. The company that owns it, Sierra Nevada Corporation, wants to see if it can be sold to U.S. Homeland security to help monitor the border and coastlines. The Aerostat has to follow Federal Aviation Administration flight rules and must be pulled down out of the sky each night at 11:30 p.m. It is permitted to go back up at 6:30 a.m.

Most of Sarnia residents are outraged saying that this technology is "going too far."

But Bradley Lott, the retired U.S. Marine who is running the Aerostat testing in Port Huron, said the company's plan is to see what the aircraft can do and how it can be used in a variety of situations -- including for use in rescue operations after natural disasters or airline accidents. He said the camera would not be capturing images of buildings or people along the Sarnia waterfront, and it would focus only on the waterway and bridge.

In April, the U.S. border patrol said it would erect video surveillance towers to monitor boats leaving the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair. The $20-million security project will involve the installation of 11 video surveillance towers along Michigan waterfronts.

Sarnia residents have already put up with surveillance from helicopters, boats, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other patrols along the Ontario-Michigan border. Not to mention the flying drones that will start patrolling the border next year. It goes beyond the issue of U.S. defence concerns for many Sarnia residents, who say they simply do not want to be spied upon. Having a camera peering into Sarnia is a violation of their privacy and our sovereignty.

The Mayor of Sarnia, Mike Bradley, is upset at this violation, and is additionally upset that no one in Sarnia was asked as to whether the city wanted the Aerostat flying over its horizon.

He's even written to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, though Bradley said he has not yet received a response about the Aerostat issue.

On facebook, a group was made to "Moon the Balloon". Residence of formed a line, turned their backs to the U.S. border, drop their drawers, and point mooned Michigan.

Canada-U.S. border crossing faster than before 9/11: ambassador

2010-03-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

Quicker today than before 9/11, Jacobson claims
Susan Delacourt Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA – Security may be tighter, but getting across the Canada-U.S. border today is faster than it was before the terrorist strikes of 2001, U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson says.

Jacobson, in his first major public remarks on Canada-U.S. border concerns, told an Ottawa audience Tuesday that for all the worries about “thickening” of the border between the two countries, the reality is that things are getting better.

“We’re already making progress. Border wait times today are, on the average, less than they were prior to Sept. 11,” Jacobson told a sold-out crowd of politicos, lobbyists and business people at the Chateau Laurier. “In fact, since 2007, average border wait times for passengers have been cut by almost a third and during that same period of time for goods, wait times have been cut in half.”

This progress has come despite concerns about all the extra security measures and passport requirements, Jacobson noted, as well as a perceived rise in U.S. protectionism since the economic crash of 2008. Some Canada-U.S. experts have suggested that wait times are down because overall trade traffic is also on the decline since the downturn.

Continued here

Canada-U.S. trade: Borderline insanity

2010-03-29T11:56:00.001-07:00

How the U.S. obsession with security is crippling our economy.
By Thomas Watson

Consider the predicament of Greg Bavington, CEO of Toronto's National Rubber Technologies, a leading North American supplier of engineered products and materials derived from recycled rubber. The factory he runs is populated with machines so big, he says, they're "anchored to the centre of the earth." He can't exactly move operations closer to his customers in the United States. As a result, the company is stuck in this country, where Bavington spends a lot of time protecting razor-thin margins from U.S. border-security measures. "The people we use to cross the border are sophisticated brokers," he says. "But shipping 1,000 kilometres to the border is still significantly cheaper than driving 1,001 km and crossing it. The border costs us money. And for what? To stop guns coming this way and hydroponic drugs going south. That seems ridiculous if you've been to Europe."

Those executives who, like Bavington, dream of a European-style common market for North America, with borderless trade and harmonized standards will, for the foreseeable future, just have to dream on. An indication of just how poor the state of free trade is came in early February. After months of negotiations, Ottawa and Washington belatedly came to terms on the so-called Buy American issue. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that he had won an exemption that will enable businesses to bid on contracts stemming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. "We really have established the notion that Canada is fundamentally different," Harper said, "and the relationship between Canada and the United States is fundamentally different." Yet, with most of the US$787 billion in stimulus funds already spent, our late-stage inclusion seemed to show how low a priority the Americans are putting on trade with Canada.

Continued here

Matty Moroun climbs Forbes richest list

2010-03-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun climbs Forbes richest list

Moroun 556th richest, magazine says

By Dave Battagello, The Windsor StarMarch 12, 2010Comments (57)

In this 2006 file photo, Matty Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan is all smiles as he donates $2 million to help the University of Windsor pay for its athletic stadium complex.

Photograph by: Jason Kryk/File Photo, The Windsor Star

WINDSOR, Ont. — With a net worth of $1.8 billion, Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun is tied at 556th among the richest people in the world, according to the annual list released Thursday by Forbes magazine.

The 82-year-old transportation mogul, who resides in Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., saw his net worth increase substantially from a year ago when hit by the economic downturn reduced his wealth to $1 billion -- tied at 701. In 2008, Moroun's net worth was listed by Forbes at $1.5 billion.

Moroun this year is tied at $1.8 billion with such notables as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, 67, CNN founder Ted Turner, 71, Subway founders Peter Buck, 79, and Fred DeLuca, 62, FedEx founder Frederick Smith, 65, and William Randolph Hearst III, 60, the grandchild of newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst.

Officials at Moroun's company head office in Warren, Mich., declined comment on the Forbes rankings.

The business magazine, in a brief profile of Moroun, said the trucking tycoon is "battling Canadian government to maintain his priceless monopoly over the Detroit River border crossing. Owns Ambassador Bridge, conduit for 25 per cent of commerce between U.S. and Canada; bridge handles 8,000 trucks a day, $100 billion worth of goods each year."

It said Moroun is "scrambling to build second bridge before Canada builds its own. Filed lawsuit to block construction, claiming Canuck plan will displace minority residents in U.S. Ottawa reportedly considering a bid for Ambassador Bridge."

The secretive Moroun for decades has guarded his financial holdings behind an array of private companies, so his true wealth has always been difficult for Forbes and others to determine. A 2006 Windsor Star investigation revealed he owns a wide variety of businesses: insurance companies, logistics firms, railways, air cargo companies, constructions firms, about 25 real estate companies and dozens of trucking companies on both sides of the border.

His empire stretches to nearly every corner of the world with shipping connections in Australia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, China and Japan. His trucking interests include companies and affiliates across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have most often held the top two spots on the Forbes list, but this year Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helu, who amassed his fortune through telecom holdings, including America Movil, was named the wealthiest person with an estimated $53.5 billion -- up $18.5 billion since last year. Shares of America Movil are up 35 per cent in a year.

Microsoft owner Gates, who has held the title of world's richest 14 of the past 15 years, is now worth $53 billion at second -- up $13 billion from a year ago after shares of Microsoft rose 50 per cent in 12 months.

Buffett, in third this year, saw his net worth jump $10 billion to $47 billion on rising shares of his company Berkshire Hathaway.

David Thomson -- a major player in the world media market through Thomson Reuters -- is the top Canadian on the list at 20th with a net worth of $19 billion -- up considerably from $13 billion last year. Among the Thomson family's holdings are CTVglobemedia, The Globe and Mail and dozens of TV channels and radio stations.

Other noteworthy Michigan billionaires include Mike Ilitch, 80, and his family with a net worth of $1.5 billion with holdings that include Little Caesars pizza, MotorCity Casino, the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers. Also on the list are mall developer Alfred Taubman, 86, at $1.5 billion and auto tycoon Roger Penske, 73, at $1.3 billion.

This year's Forbes billionaires list includes 1,011 members, short of the record 1,125 in 2008.

Click here for the Digital Edition of The Windsor Star

Windsor-Detroit border still busiest, most valuable

2010-03-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

Windsor-Detroit border still busiest, most valuable

By Dalson Chen, Windsor Star

WINDSOR, Ont. -- The Windsor-Detroit border is still America’s busiest and most valuable land transportation gateway, says a new study by the U.S. federal bureau of transportation statistics.

Based on 2008 data, the study ranked our local border crossing the top U.S. land-based freight gateway and fifth out of all U.S. freight gateways (including sea and air) in terms of total value of shipments.

According to the study, the Windsor-Detroit crossing (which includes the Ambassador Bridge, the tunnel, the rail tunnel and truck ferries) moved $120 billion in U.S. trade in 2008 — $54 billion in imports and $66 billion in exports.

That’s 15 per cent of the value of all U.S. land trade, states the study.

The study found that 1,510,000 trucks entered the U.S. via the Detroit gateway in 2008 — which is actually a decline compared to 2007 figures.
The study predicts that the downward trend in truck traffic may continue, stating that “the decline in production by the Big Three automakers... and the overall slowdown in heavy manufacturing activities are likely to continue to influence freight traffic at Detroit's land facilities and in the freight transportation corridors they serve.”
Nevertheless, the study still makes special mention of the Windsor-Detroit crossing as being important in the context of NAFTA and border security.
“The confluence of transportation issues presented at the Detroit gateway underscores the complexity that characterizes the flow of land trade today,” states the study’s introduction.
Congestion, infrastructure management, and environmental impact remain “critical concerns,” according to the study.
The study devotes a couple of paragraphs to summarizing potential crossing improvements — including the DRIC project and the privately planned but unapproved twinning of the Ambassador Bridge.
However, the study does not make any specific recommendations on the situation.
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration, which co-ordinates U.S. Department of Transportation research, released the study last week. Prior to that, their most recent study on U.S. freight transportation gateways was done in 2004.
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star

Obama administration supports DRIC's Bridge

2010-03-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Obama administration supports DRIC's Windsor-Detroit bridge, ambassador says

By Chris Vander Doelen, The Windsor Star, March 24th 2010

WINDSOR, ONT. -- The Obama administration supports construction of the proposed DRIC bridge over the Detroit River but the border here will never again be as easy to cross as it once was, says the new U.S. ambassador to Canada.

With the DRIC project now the only bridge-crossing application still standing for U.S. regulatory approval after the Ambassador Bridge’s disqualification, “my government supports the DRIC,” said David Jacobson. “We think it’s a good thing.

“We believe there is probably demand for both” crossings, Jacobson said in an interview Tuesday, prior to delivering the annual Herb Gray lecture at the University of Windsor. “But certainly there is enough for the DRIC.”

David Jacobson, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, spoke at the Faculty of Law at the University of Windsor Tuedsay.

Jacobson, a lawyer and Democratic party organizer, was appointed the U.S.’s 22nd ambassador to Canada by President Barack Obama six months ago — a posting he describes as his “dream job.”

Fixing the Windsor-Detroit border will be part of that job, but it “is going to take time,” Jacobson warned. “We’ll have to be patient.”

In the interview, he declined to answer questions regarding the financing of the U.S. half of the project, saying the money end was out of his pervue.

But he said improving border travel between the two countries has become a major focus of his job in Ottawa and will probably continue to be so during the duration of his tenure there.

But even when the infrastructure of the border at the Windsor-Detroit frontier is finally fixed, he said, it won’t likely duplicate the ease of crossing that existed pre-9/11.

“The world has changed, unfortunately,” Jacobson said. “I wish it were not so, but that is the reality. There are people in the this world who wish us ill.”

“It’s probably never again going to be the way it was when your grandfather crossed,” he told a student who asked how the border could be improved. “Probably not again during our lifetimes.”

Growing up on the Border

2010-03-25T09:03:00.001-07:00

You know you have lived in Windsor a long time when . . . .

you remember when the age of majority dropped to 18 in Ontario and all of a sudden Detroit students thought Windsor was cool.
your first concert was at Olympia Stadium or Ford Auditorium (Cobo Hall) or Pine Knob
you remember hockey at Olympia Stadium
your grade school field trips included the DIA and the Detroit Zoo
BOBLO was heaven

the Freedom Festival had activities on both waterfronts
Belle Isle is a beautiful place in your memory
you had to wait until 9pm for the CBC to broadcast the Maple Leafs game if the Red Winds were playing in town
the Big 8 ruled music on both sides of the border
you attended Windsor night (usually Monday's) at Tiger Stadium
the Elmwood Casino & Night Club was advertised as being in Detroit

your grade 8 prom dress came from either Woolco in Windsor or Kresge's in Detroit
you remember stubby beer bottles in Windsor and 32oz. pours in Detroit
Better Made potatoe chips and Stroh's ice cream were sold in Windsor
you remember that Channel 9 was the only Canadian station and 'Bill Kennedy at the Movies' was the only thing on during the day if you were at home sick.

Oakland Mall was better than Devonshire Mall
you knew who Rita Bell, Bozo the Clown and Sonny Elliot were
Lafayette Coney Islands - need I say more!
everyone had American currency at home (for that quick trip across the border)
the BOBLO Boat (actually two of them) docked in Windsor and Detroit
the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press were delivered on Sunday's
when the 'Top Of The Flame' building changed it's lights to correspond to the season or holiday.
the Red Wings played an exhibition game every year at Windsor Arena
walking down Woodward Avenue at Christmas was a truly special event and a wonderful sight to behold

Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun files suit against U.S. and Canadian government

2010-03-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

WINDSOR, Ont. — Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun has filed a federal lawsuit against the Canadian and U.S. governments and several prominent government officials in the Obama administration, claiming interference with his bid to build a twin span.

He filed the 48-page suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, alleging both governments are in violation of existing legislation that grants him the right to proceed.

The U.S. Coast Guard earlier this month returned Moroun's permit application for the project because of unresolved property issues and several pending court actions regarding the bridge company.

The Michigan Court of Appeals last week upheld a lower court decision which ruled the bridge company must demolish its duty free store, gas pumps and toll booths on the Detroit side because they were constructed on city property and in violation of government agreements under the US$230-million Gateway Project.

Moroun's twin span application has been stalled on the Canadian side since he has not yet provided information requested by federal authorities guiding the environmental assessment for the project.

Moroun's court documents ask the courts to order the governments to allow him to proceed with his second span proposal.

http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Moroun+sues+Canadian+governments/2721152/story.html

Virtual Border Training

2010-03-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

While searching for ideas for the border book assignment, I came across the most interesting border patrol training idea. Virtual Border Training. If there was not a video, I may not have taken this seriously. The Canadian Border Services Agency has incorporated a mixed reality simulation of border crossing encounter in their training classes. It is training, like training videos at most retail stores, but in the virtual world to learn how to guard real world national borders. How do you teach interview skills using a Second Life simulation? How does this virtual reality properly train an individual for real world situations (with real guns, real people, real drugs, etc)? Check out the weblink to see what our Border Service Agency is putting their funds towards....enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCUWcpVPtMM

Integrated Border Enforcement Teams

2010-03-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

After seeing the interesting relationship between the Indian and Pakistan Border I was curious to know how our own country conducted business. Despite the elaborate dance moves The RCMP is just as methodical and nationalistic when paroling our boarders in cooperation with the U.S. below is the out line for the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams from the procedure manual for the RCMP.

IBETs enhance border integrity and security along the shared Canada/U.S. border, between designated ports of entry, by identifying, investigating and interdicting persons, organizations and goods that threaten the national security of one or both countries or that are involved in organized criminal activity.

IBET units protect both Canada and the United States from potential threats of terrorism and impede the trafficking/smuggling of people and contraband.
Partners

The five core IBET agencies – each having law enforcement responsibilities for areas at or near the shared border – are:

* Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
* Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
* US Customs and Border Protection/Office of Border Patrol (CBP/OBP)
* US Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
* US Coast Guard (USCG)

The Integrated Border Enforcement Team Program is comprised of both Canadian and American law enforcement agencies. The bi-national partnership enables the five core law enforcement partners to work together daily for more efficient sharing of information and intelligence.
IBETs:

* Secure the shared border between Canada and the United States, while respecting the laws and jurisdiction of each nation
* Focus on national security and target organized crime and other criminal activity between the ports of entry
* Collaborate with municipal, provincial, state, federal and First Nation law enforcement agencies, stakeholder agencies and related government departments

IBET is a cooperative bi-national initiative that ensures that borders are open for trade, but closed to crime.

Cross-Border Gun, Drug Ring Busted 22 - arrests made in Windsor and Toronto area

2010-03-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Last Updated: Thursday, March 11, 2010 2:17 PM ET: CBC NEWS

Ontario police say they have smashed a sophisticated organized crime group that was smuggling illegal weapons and drugs into the province from the U.S.

The co-ordinated effort by police in Canada and the United States — code-named Project Folkstone — resulted in 22 arrests and hundreds of charges stemming from gun- and drug-related offences, Insp. Steve Clegg of the Ontario Provincial Police said Thursday.

"There are some staggering results," Clegg said. "Most notably, 18 crime guns …were seized along with a substantial amount of drugs. Additionally, stolen vehicles, including cars and motorcycles, have been recovered."

Many of the search warrants were executed Wednesday in the Toronto area and Windsor, but police released scant details.

On Thursday, Clegg told a news conference the raids dealt "a significant blow to a firearms and drug trafficking network operating primarily in the Greater Toronto Area, with import routes through the United States."
One of the men arrested during raids in Toronto on Wednesday is escorted by police. (CBC) The guns and drugs entered Canada from the U.S. through Windsor, police said. Two Windsor men were "the primary source" for the organization's illegal weapons, which police said originated in Kentucky.

"We have information that approximately 80 firearms were supplied to the traffickers in Windsor," Clegg said. " To date, 30 firearms, 18 through Project Folkestone and 12 others recovered through police activity in the GTA, have been recovered.

"This organized crime group in Ontario was very sophisticated and, we believe, has been operating for a number of years while avoiding police detection."

Along with the guns and drugs, police recovered money and stolen vehicles.

"We have seized in excess of $75,000 in Canadian currency, as well as 10 vehicles valued at over $175,000," said Clegg.

Police say the investigation into the crime ring is continuing and that further arrests are possible.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2010/03/11/project-folkestone.html#ixzz0i5MqvBrK

Canadian Bigotry : the case of Gustavo Gutierrez

2010-03-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

CBC Radio's The Current ran a story a few days ago about a Juarez police detective commander, Gustavo Gutierre, whose application for asylum in Canada had been rejected: http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2010/201003/20100310.html. Gutierre has had repeated threats on his life (and that of his family) for refusing to take bribes from various drug cartels in a city that is plagued by organized crime.

While it is increasingly common knowledge that the situation in Mexico is particularly dangerous for those working in law enforcement, our current hard-line policies on refugee claims from Mexican citizens should really cause us to be ashamed. This policy is clearly adopted to please our neighbors to the south and we are quickly losing our reputation as a country that promotes fairness and tolerance towards both future immigrants and refugee claimants.

Writing on this story for Embassy Magazine, Jim Creskey suggests that "Its Time for Canada to get up to speed on Mexico's realities". He continues:

"There is a reason why Mexican police and military wear balaclavas when they are participating in raids or acting in a very public capacity. They know that if the wrong people identify them, they and their families are no longer safe.

And that is exactly the point. The people who are most responsible for carrying out public security in Mexico are no longer safe themselves. The Mexican government is powerless to protect them. Yet when these same people turn up in Canadian cities asking for asylum, they are turned down.

Reading Canadian court decisions on Mexican refugee claimants is a frustrating exercise in rearview mirror decision making. Canada's courts and quasi-judicial Refugee Board are still acting on a tragically outdated way of looking at security in Mexico.

Windsor and Detroits' 4th border

2010-03-05T08:15:00.000-08:00

The vast majority of Windsor and Detroit citizens know that the international border between Canada and USA runs down the middle of the Detroit River. Consequently, unless you owned a boat, the closest you would come to that imaginary line in the river would be when you crossed the Ambassador Bridge, drove through the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, or transversed the International Rail Tunnel. Yet, there are a few people on either side of the river that work within 50 feet of the border each and every day. The employees of the Canadian Salt Company and The Detroit Salt Company, work within 50 feet of the border on a regular basis.

A rather large salt deposit was formed in our region some 300 million years ago. The international border cuts through the salt deposit from Amherstburg, through Windsor and Sarnia, then on into Lake Huron. The border must be respected, and surveys are done inside both salt mines to assure that the international border is not breached.

The Canadian Salt Company mines salt for our dining room table, as well as for salting the icy roads of Ontario (and other parts of Canada/US) during the winter months.

Salt mining is carried out at a depth of 1,000 feet in an area 20 feet high. Widths of the salt tunnel are 40 feet and "pillar" type mining is used to keep the ceiling of the mine (and river bed) from collapsing.

The salt pillars can be as large as 25 feet in diameter and are spaced approximately 20 feet apart. Forty percent of the salt is left for "pillar" support.

So, when it comes to person made borders, the salt mines of Ojibway cannot be overlooked. In fact, this is one of two (the other is on the Czech / Poland border) operating salt mines in the world that cross an international border.

Boarder Discrimination

2010-03-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

After a recent trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua I noticed that there was a certain expectation of being discriminated against simply for being from a different country. I saw this on several occasions as the car that I was traveling in (which had Costa Rican plates) got pulled over at ever chance by the Nicaraguan police and was questioned fairly heavily, even though the driver had done nothing wrong.
This observation made me think of the ways in which this type of discrimination can be seen in our local area. I know its not as extreme as the police trying to exploit someone for money (as was the case in Nicaragua) but it can still be seen to some extent in Windsor. There are bars downtown that don't allow entry to Americans and if they do, they are charged more as an entrance fee. I know people that hold a certain amount of hostility towards Americans simply for just being Americans. I don't know why these feelings are generated in people but it seems that there can be a kind of resentment towards people of a different country, even extremely similar countries such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua or Canada and The U.S.

Stephen Brunt - What These Games mean to Canada

2010-02-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

While watching CTV's Olympic coverage this weekend I encountered an interesting segment narrated by Stephen Brunt which talks about how these Olympic games have instilled a sense of patriotism in all Canadians that has never been there before. He mentions that not only in communities in the Greater Vancouver area are you finding signs of patriotism but also in communities throughout the other Canadian provinces and territories. He states that we as Canadians "like to think of ourselves in contrast to our neighbours in the south, as self-effacing sports who don't need flag wagginf and pledges of allegions" and that in comparing ourselves to our overtly, and often obnoxiously patriotic American neighbours we have defined ourselves by knowing that this is what we are not. However, he suggests that these Olympics have brought a change to our country, giving us as a nation something to be proud of. Shani Davis, an American speed skater, mentions that he was not aware of how patriotic Canadians can be, that he always thought that Americans were the most patriotic fans, but that now his opinion on that has changed. I found this segment very interesting as I too have seen myself becoming more patriotic as these games progress. For example, I myself have never even watched Men's Moguls Skiing before but I found myself glued to the television cheering on Alex Bilodeau as he won the first Gold medal for a Canadian on Canadian soil. Within an hour of Bilodeau's win I watched his facebook page grow from 94 fans to 2,000 fans. I was wondering if anyone else has found themselves in this same position, acting more and more like our American counterparts as these games continue?

I have linked the video to this posting for anyone interested.

Video

Some Interesting Border Disputes and Anomalies

2010-02-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

Reflecting on Daniel Draches essay “Borders Permeable and Impermeable” were he talks about how the Canada-U.S. border really represents a symbolic battle-line were the two countries have a history of quarrelling over issues of resources, security, cultural visions etc. to advance their own strategic interests, I found an interesting article on contemporary U.S.-Canadian border disputes and border anomalies. Admittedly most of these disputes are not very exciting. However, the one in the Beaufort Sea has a lot of strategic value and might take on greater significance as we begin to exhaust our fossil fuel resources. Also, like the Beaufort Sea but on a larger scale, I think we can include the emerging dispute over Artic boundaries (potential oil and gas reserves) as a future location for a clash over resources.

Four contemporary border disputes

The Dixon Entrance: is a strait between B.C. and Alaska about 80 km long and wide in the Pacific and is the main entry point for Prince Rupert, B.C.

Beaufort Sea: the two countries disagree over who has sovereignty over part of the northern sea between the Yukon and Alaska due to oil and gas located below the water.

Strait of Juan de Fuca: is a body of water connecting Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean between Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.

Machias Seal Island: is a treeless rock located between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine near Grand Manan Island New Brunswick and Cutler, Maine. Canada has had a lighthouse there since 1832.

A couple of border anomalies.

Point Roberts: a peninsula that juts out into the Strait of Georgia on the West Coast, but the bottom half belongs to the state of Washington. Americans have to drive 45 minutes through B.C. to get to the American part of Point Roberts. A treaty signed on June 15,1855, between the British and the Americans drew the border along the 49th parallel across the peninsula, but the border was adjusted to include Vancouver Island as part of British territory.

The Northwest Angle: Minnesota's Northwest Angle (a peninsula attached to Manitoba) was created by accident due to mapmakers' vague conceptions of the origins of the Mississippi River. When the river turned up south of where they expected, the border dropped down too, leaving an isolated 390 square km piece of the U.S. appended to Manitoba. About 100 Americans call that piece of land home.

Checkpoint America?

2010-02-21T11:35:00.000-08:00

I find it interesting that the current militarization of the U.S/Canadian border is viewed by many Canadians as a post 9-11 phenomenon and that it is still characterized by Canadian officials and the media as the “longest undefended border in the world.” This is evident in the general reaction to the stationing of Predator drones along the border in 2009 in what many saw as a challenge to the border's distinction as being undefended. Most people tend to think of a militarized border as a border divided by razor wire and concrete walls, defended by soldiers armed with military grade weaponry. However, just because the 49^th parallel doesn’t resemble the 38^th parallel, doesn’t mean that the U.S/Canadian border has always been open and undefended. The numerous cross border agreements between the two countries concerning everything from security and trade to intelligence sharing and the militarization of customs officials on the U.S side (U.S. Customs agents are armed as well as any militarized urban American police force) were all in place prior to 9-11. Moreover, the U.S. Coast Guard has always patrolled the waterways between the two countries and despite the flap over the use of live ammunition during training exercise’s, their ships have always been armed. Hence, our border with the U.S. has always been defended and our security apparatuses have always worked together to a certain degree. 9-11 only brought these realities into focus.

USA, Canada rivalry has evolved over time

2010-02-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

I found an interesting story on nhl.com today about the "Border War" as they are calling it between USA and Canada regarding hockey. The article starts by talking about how this rivalry goes back "to the days when there only were six NHL teams, the Original Six and though 95 percent of the players were Canadians, two-thirds of the teams were based in American cities. In those days, NHL scouts would check on American players only if absolutely forced to and U.S.-born skaters would be greeted with dismissive gestures, if not derogatory comments, from their Canadian teammates upon entering NHL dressing rooms". I found that pretty interesting, because I sometimes like to believe that Canadians would not do things such as make derogatory comments to Americans, especially in "our" sport! This article also talks about how this rivalry is often related to, or "wrapped up in geopolitics as well and the unique relationship between two bordering countries that couldn't be more alike and friendly in most ways. The larger nation to the north traditionally has been a bit wary, if not envious, of the military, political and cultural clout of the far more populous nation south of the 49th Parallel".
Check out the article! It's getting me even more excited for the Canada/USA game tomorrow!

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=518285&navid=DL|NHL|home

Windsor Star Questions Canadian/American Divide

2010-02-11T11:26:00.000-08:00

Measuring Canadians and Self-reliance

By Leonard Stern, Ottawa Citizen February 10, 2010

There is, everyone knows, a tradition of anti-Americanism in Canada. It can be genuinely hostile, like when Canadian parliamentarian Carolyn Parrish said she hates "those bastards," or it can be mocking, like when Rick Mercer went to the U.S. to investigate just how stupid Americans really are. (I've always wondered what Mercer did with the outtakes of Americans who, refusing the bait, didn't embarrass themselves on camera.)

Underlying our attitude toward Americans is the assumption that we are different from them -- and that typically means superior. The catalogue of differences is thick, but it comes down to the conceit that Canadians have an egalitarian and community-minded ethos that is absent in the U.S.

Turns out that those long-standing Canadian assumptions are wrong.

Full Article here...

This study reminded me of the first day of class where we listed stereotypical cliches of what it meant to be either Canadian or American. And as Canadian students we played right into the stigma of hate that many Canadians harbour, stating that American's were opportunistic, greedy, and had an obsession with a "larger then life" attitude toward everything they hold dear. This study looks at the qualities that we fault the Americans for are often the qualities that we praise in ourselves. And that despite the media presentation of the differences, that seem to put us worlds apart, they are actually the similarities that bring us together as neighbors.

2010-02-05T17:50:00.001-08:00

While researching for our presentation on O'Gorman's article Detroit Digital: On Tourists in the Apocalypse this past Thursday, I ran across an article on Dynamite's new monthly comic adaptation of Robocop. And while Robocop IV may still be in the distant future the inked version promises to "continue to explore more of the dangers of Detroit, its citizens, and Officer Murphy's (Robocop) continued dealings with the scum that stalks the streets".

Hollywood, over the years, has built Detroit up, or more literally torn it down, in the global mind as a post-apocalyptic wasteland in these types of movies. The abandoned buildings undulating with graffiti dot a sporadic landscape of vacant streets and high fenced grassy tundra. To the outsider Detroit is fraught with these danger exploration scenarios and loss of innocence narratives which are made ever more "real" through the media and thrill seeker fanfair. Williams' plays with the fear evoked by Detroit's virtual image bringing his character back to his roots by "taking away some of the layers that were built over the years – while it's the most difficult thing in the world picking and choosing what is canon and what isn't. You make decisions and hope you're right... I think that I can come out and say that without the violence, the cutting edge shockingly violent nature of the first movie we wouldn't be talking about RoboCop. We want the first RoboCop movie [and] that's what made it so great.  "

By exploiting the violent nature of Cinema Detroit are comic's like Robocop promoting the tarnished stigma of a post-apocalyptic forgotten city? By reinforcing the ruin exploration discourse would it be possible for Detroit to prosper from the publicity or is it just another enticement for the adrenaline junkie thrill seekers to set off spelunking through the abandoned decay of warehouses and factories. I guess only time and the blogs will tell.

The series, written by British writer Rob Williams (2000AD, Star Wars), will launch later this year.

Algorithmic Walk

2010-02-04T07:08:00.000-08:00

The following images are the result of the experience we gained from walking to a list of rules and directions through the eastside of Wyandotte.

City [Windsor] cleans up act as Detroit spews sewage

2010-01-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

It was of interest that I read Dave Battagello's article in the Windsor Star (January 20, 2010) about the woes of Detroit's 80 billion gallons of excess sewage and other hazardous materials being dumped into the rivers and lakes bordering both cities. It would appear that as Windsorites we can now take that high road with regards to finger pointing as to the primary culprit (Detroit) for the sewage issues downriver and in Lake Erie. It was not that long ago that Windsor was the third largest polluter of sewage (in the province). The two current Windsor projects will eliminate 90% of the sewage overflow when completed, yet I do not think it is necessary to look across to our neighbours and ask "when will you fix your portion of our mutual problem". Windsor allocated the monies for the upgrades when the city coffers were abundant. Today, Detroit is in virtual bankruptcy; little chance for the city (or state) to allocate 2 billion dollars for the necessary upgrades. Windsor's foresight (luck?) in allocating funds when they (and the provence) did is not something to crow about. It is unlikely that the same funds would have been allocated today; our coffers are not abundant. The issue needs resolution, but it is not the City of Detroit's highest priority. In fact, I would be astonished to see the upgrades on any Detroit capital budget anytime over the next 10 to 15 years. Environment versus jobs - no contest in today's economy.

Windsor cleans up act as Detroit spews sewage into river

2010-01-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

DETROIT -- While Windsor builds a $60-million riverfront basin to stop raw sewage overflows, the City of Detroit is dumping billions of gallons of untreated waste into the Detroit River.

The Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday Detroit’s ancient sewer system allowed 37.2 billion gallons of raw and partially treated waste into our shared waterways the past two years.

The newspaper studied state records and found record levels of bacteria polluting the river and other area water because of outdated and inadequate sewers.

“The City of Detroit’s wastewater treatment plant is the largest source of sewage-related contaminants in the entire Great Lakes,” said Matthew Child, director of watershed restoration for the Essex Regional Conservation Authority.
Story Continued Here

Detroit should really pick up the slack with this issue. We share this water source and should not be held accountable for their mess. To be fair, I am unaware of how much waste we put into the river, but 37.2 billion gallons of sewage over two years should be a major concern to all parties.

Spike Bell's "Memoirs of a Border City"

2010-01-18T19:30:00.000-08:00

In light of our first assignment to find pictures which symbolize our proximity to the international border, I thought it was particularly interesting that I came across the release of a new book titled “Memories of the Border City” by Spike Bell. The Windsor Star featured an article on January 9 discussing this book and the author’s development of the book throughout his career. The book includes photographs of events, people, and monuments in both Windsor and Detroit since the 1950s. In doing so it provides a useful tool for tracking the history which shaped both Windsor and Detroit and the relationship between them. It may be one of the first books which recognizes the international relationship and the way the border has effected both neighbouring cities.

2009-04-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

I was reading Celia's post on illegal immigrants passing through the Mexican border through a man-made tunnel. I found an article about a photographer from National Geographic, who crossed the Mexican border with a group of migrants. The problem with magazine articles and the media's approach to illegal immigration is the realities they construct. Media constructs reality. Is that reality based upon a perceived global perspective or a baised opinion? I want to question what I read and hear critically because I have never been to the Mexican border, so how do I know what is occuring? There are different levels at which illegal immigration is connected to.

Photographer Recounts Crossing U.S. Border With Mexican Illegal Immigrants
National Geographic Adventure magazine
January 23, 2003

The busiest gateway for illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border for the past five years—a 261-mile-long (420 kilometer) stretch of Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona—is now considered the deadliest point of entry as well. According to the Border Patrol, this remote corridor—which also contains Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, considered the country's most dangerous national park—claimed at least 134 illegal immigrants' lives last year, more than any other region along the border.

To shed light on the life-and-death struggle of migrants entering the U.S., photojournalist and author John Annerino began documenting their story twelve years ago. He shares his experiences in his book Dead in Their Tracks: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands., in the February 2003 issue of National Geographic Adventure magazine (read an excerpt from "National Park War Zone"), and in this online-exclusive interview.

In 1987, you crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with four other migrants. What was that journey like?
We started out about four or five [o'clock] in the afternoon—migrants usually leave for the border around then. Three of the men had walked the route before, which had been handed down from one generation to the next. So they weren't following a trail per se. They were keying off geographical landmarks like mountain ranges.
During the summer, the Barry M. Goldwater Range is very grim country. We walked until midnight without taking a rest. One [migrant] had a flashlight. There was enough ambient light so your eyes grew accustomed to the dark. But still you'd bump into a prickly pear or cholla cactus and have to stop and pull the thorns out of person's leg or shoe.
Then we rested—as much as you can [when you're] tossing and turning on the hot sand in your t-shirt. We were up by 4:30 a.m. ready to roll, and walked until 8 p.m. If you're trained and acclimated to the heat, you really don't notice it until you become dehydrated. Your muscles become cramped from lactic acid and from the number of hours you're standing upright. You get dizzy, feel nauseous. You can't hold down water. Mine lasted for about 40 miles [65 kilometers] and then I was out. We just made it because it was starting to cool, and the goal was in sight—in this case Interstate 8. We could actually hear it miles off. So that spurred us on, as did the camaraderie of the group.

What did you learn from the trip?
The extraordinary lengths that human beings will go to make a better life for themselves. If we had another five miles [8 kilometers] to go, we might not have all made it. And they were doing this to feed their families.

How easy is it to cross the border without being apprehended?
Very easy, if you know what you're doing. There are those who believe that if they walk these extraordinarily long distances across the desert, they'll evade the Border Patrol. And again, we're talking 30 to120 miles [50 to 190 kilometers]. You can make it if can handle the heat and distance—and if you don't get caught.
But there are other groups of people who are more knowledgeable. Some cross through a hole in the fence [along the border], from Nogales, Sonora [Mexico], to Nogales, Arizona, hire a taxi, and a mile [1.6 kilometers] south of a Border Patrol checkpoint, the riders will get out of the car, walk into the desert maybe a mile [1.6 kilometers], then north for another two miles [3.2 kilometers], and the taxi driver, having gone through the checkpoint, will be waiting alongside the highway or access road off Interstate 19 to pick up the group and take them to Phoenix. They don't run the risk of dying in the desert.

I had no thought about immigration—I was just climbing this beautiful peak, and enjoying the beautiful desert landscape. Several years later I started seeing trash and the trails [left by migrants] and I began wondering who was doing this and why—and that changed my perspective. So of course it bothers me to see a park like Organ Pipe get trashed, but on the other hand, you see the human side—our neighbors suffering and dying on American soil—and that's very painful for me.

SAVE MCS!!

2009-04-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

Detroit city council has voted to tear down Michigan Central Station

Detroit City Council has given the owner 30 days to propose a plan for development of the building or front the bill for demolition.

Tragic

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090407/METRO/904070421/Detroit+council+votes+to+demolish+Michigan+Central+Depot++charge+owner

Windsor Related Songs

2009-04-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

While doing some research I found tons of songs referencing Detroit, but barely any about Windsor. I was wondering if anyone knows of any?

Conestellations of Los Angeles

2009-04-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

An interesting pyschogeography project posted in Archinect.com

from archinect

Let us say and imagine, in Los Angeles, urban scale "planned points of interests" are indeed constellations. They are places in this vast metropolis. They are formed by the grid, by the politicians and their supporters, developers, engineers, and, as far as the buildings go, the architects.

Separated by mere 15 miles and sometimes as close as the next lane, urban core of Los Angeles is indeed 'the house of everything.' All the variables contrasted and occupied. The grid goes for hundreds of sq. miles. These special constellations let us to assume, experience, imagine and expect while driving. They are vortices of our stories in an horoscopic sense. These are the lines of our reality and the reasons of our act.

http://archinect.com/features/article.php?id=87171_0_23_0_C

Russia and the Scramble for the Arctic

2009-04-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

The National reported last night on the developments of the arctic confrontation between Canada and Russia and the oil which potentially lies below the ice. Chilingarov the Russian political figure leading the effort of Russian sovereignty belittled Canadian claims to the arctic. Chilingarov is the man responsible for the planting of the Russian flag below the ice as a message directly to Canada that Russia has both the right and ability to control the North Pole region.

Russia has until next year to prove its claim to the North Pole to the UN, Canada has until 2013. With 25% of the world's oil and gas reserves could be located here and the race is on for either Canada or Russia to claim its ownership.

Last week Russia announced that they will soon be positioning troops in this region of the arctic, creating stations under the control of the Federal Security Service. (The successor of the KGB)

Chilingarov told CBC that there is no cold war today and that it is useless for Canada to fight for control of the arctic. He argues that only Russia has the ability to establish a presence in this region, thus giving them rights to the region through a military presence which will soon be underway. Even if Canada wanted to stake claim to the North Pole, Chilingarov says that Canada does not have the equipment to do so. He also pointed out that merely saying that the arctic is Canadian territory is not enough, but a physical presence is needed. Action must be taken on the part of Canada if they even want to contend.

While Russia says that they will abide by the decision set by the UN as to who has control over the region, they feel that with lack of Canadian initiative or presence they have already proved their claim.

Border Watching: A New Hobby?

2009-04-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

I came across this CNN news article (link at the bottom) recently about US citizens who have been monitoring live online feeds from the US/Mexico border in the hopes of reporting any suspicious activities captured on camera. The website is http://www.blueservo.net/ . I haven't gone through the hassle of signing up, but I think any one can become a member and stare at a grainy video image for as long as you want. Apparently participants do it as part of their "civic duty".

As a side link in the article, I discovered http://www.borderstories.org/ which has a collection of truly fascinating short videos about the US/Mexico border as seen through a wide variety of participants. Well worth your time to go through them.

On a different topic, as used for a source in the Contested Spaces presentation, the blog "Strange Maps" (http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/) finds and collects unique maps of all sorts.

Furthermore http://www.archive.org/details/Contested-Spaces-Video-Project is a site with a collection of 20 minute videos on contested spaces worldwide. The Cyprus video shows a good example of a "fold border variety" where a UN buffer zone established a ghetto region in the capital city.

CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/12/border.security.cameras.immigration/index.html

Border Patrol Agents Discover Crude Cross-Border Tunnel

2009-04-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

"(Monday, March 30, 2009)
Otay Mesa, Calif. - Early yesterday morning, a crudely built cross-border tunnel was discovered by Border Patrol agents in Otay Mesa after surveillance cameras observed a large group of suspected illegal aliens attempting to enter the country.

Inside of a cross-border tunnel in Otay Mesa, Calif.
At about 12:45 a.m., Border Patrol surveillance camera operators observed several individuals in Mexico running up to the primary border fence about one mile west of the Otay Mesa port of entry.
About 30 minutes later, the camera operators spotted two people north of the border fence, while a third person was following by crawling out of a hole in the ground. Agents responded and were able to apprehend one of the individuals, as the other two re-entered the hole and returned to Mexico. ..." Exerpt for San Diego SectorCBP Public Affairs News Release. http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/03302009_8.xml

Defiantly

2009-03-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

CBC's the National held their broadcast from the AGW here in Windsor this evening. The second half of the news broadcast was completely devoted to Windsor-Detroit economic issues and discussed how these cities are interrelated and dependent upon each other. The news cast is again worth watching and provided below. It's great to see how the issues we discuss here in Windsor are being brought to national attention!

The portion on Windsor-Detroit begins at 25:05

March 31, 2009

Canada Catching On?

2009-03-31T06:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, CBC's the National held two reports on the central issues which we have been examining in our class. Firstly, the U.S. - Mexico border was considered, taking a look at gang violence and the development of drug trafficing out of Mexico. The report considers how weapons are suggled into Mexico and in return drugs are smuggled out to establish this circle of 'trade' with the States. Secondly, there was an investigative report on the Detroit economy in light of the recent recession. CBC highlighted emprical data to establish the position of Detroit, green economy potential, the incredibly low prices of housing (low as a dollar as we discussed), and how residents are copping with the ever steeper decline.

I've posted a link to the entire newscast. The segment on Mexico begins at the 19:25 mark, and right after the Detroit investigation begins at 23:40.

CBC National March 30, 2009

2009-03-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

I was wondering how many border crossings there are between Canada and the United States. Altogether there are 109 crossing areas. My question is, since Canada is so large of a country and the border crossings are located along the Canada-U.S. area, then how is the northern area of Canada being kept secure?

Canada's Answer to Security in Northern Canada:

Alert, Nunavut is the most Northern part of Canada. "It also has many temporary inhabitants as it hosts a military signals intelligence radio receiving facility at Canadian Forces Station Alert (CFS Alert)(Wikipedia)."

Canada says will defend its Arctic

source: Google News

(AFP) — The Canadian government on Friday reaffirmed its Arctic claims, saying it will defend its northern territories and waters after Russia earlier announced plans to militarize the North.
"Canada is an Arctic power," Catherine Loubier, a spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, said in an email to AFP.
"The government is engaged in protecting the security of Canada and in exercising its sovereignty in the North, including Canadian waters," she said.

Loubier pointed to the planned acquisition of Arctic patrol vessels, construction of a deep water port and eavesdropping network in the region, annual military exercises and boosting the number Inuit Arctic rangers keeping on eye on goings-on along its northern frontier.
Earlier, Russia announced plans to turn the Arctic into its "leading strategic resource base" by 2020 and station troops there, documents showed, as nations race to stake a claim to the oil-rich region.

The country's strategy for the Arctic through 2020 -- adopted last year and now published on the national security council website -- says one of Russia's main goals for the region is to put troops in its Arctic zone "capable of ensuring military security."

Do you think Canada's Arctic is secure enough against other countries?

"Crossing borders"

2009-03-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

I was doing some research and I came across this film "Crossing Borders" which deals with the U.S Mexico border. The film was made by some Canadian students who went to the border of Douglas Arizona and Agua Prieta, Sonora in Mexico where they documented the stories of local youth living on either side of the border. They were actually the winners of the Young Cuts International Film Festival in 2008.
This particular section of the U.S Mexico border that's documented in the film is one of the most dangerous to cross at, but also one that Mexicans illegally cross often because its also quite hard to patrol.
What's really interesting in this film is the story line about a 17 year old girl who is in a rehabilitation center in Mexico because she has a drug addiction. I was aware for various reasons the drug trafficking that takes place in Mexico, but never really related it to a sex industry. But apparently a lot of female youth in this area may get into drugs, and then to make money to keep up the habit, start prostituting themselves for cash. When I think child prostitution I usually think of countries in Asia, never really Mexico. But unfortunately it is a reality there and a cross border industry. Tourists will come to these places to have sex with 15 year old's, it's heartbreaking.
The film is also interesting because it talks to youth in Douglas, and how they view the other side of the border. It's interesting to see the how the youth on the American side can't quite comprehend the reality of Meico without having grown up there themselves. There take on it plays interestingly against the reality the film presents.
When you start to think about borders it's odd to try and wrap your head around the drastic difference in realities of either side. How a simple line can demarcate poverty and wealth.
It's a neat film, try and watch it if you have a chance its not to long either.
http://doc.freethechildren.com/en/film/doc/crossing-borders

Motor City Burning

2009-03-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

If anyone is interested in racial tensions building upto the 67 riots in detroit, there is a great documentary on youtube, its a radio broadcast and is almost 3 hours long, but the first 40 min explains alot on its own - thats as far as ive got...

This talks alot about racial problems in the big 3, with the police force (a biggie), in schools, and housing all of these tensions leading upto the 67 riots.

The full series can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=5E6787ECB252C5D2

They're watching you

2009-03-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

I came across this photo the other day when doing some image research on the Minutemen Civil Defense Corps, a vigilante group that began in Arizona, California and Texas. However, this burly fellow was apparently monitoring the Canadian border from Washington State in 2006. Since 2005, the Minutemen have established chapters in Maine, Vermont, Michigan and Washington state, along with their usual holdouts on the southern border. They must be really bored. I think it would be interesting to begin a counter movement to monitor the minutemen.
http://pro.corbis.com/search/Enlargement.aspx?CID=isg&mediauid={23A3D25F-6CEF-4598-84F7-519CDE0BB259}

2009-03-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

With Chris and Shane's presentation on Thursday, the topic of 'terrorist preventative' designs for buildings came into topic. The example of the Windsor CAS building was a good example of this, concidering they have had several disgruntled drivers attempt the destruction of CAS property. the image at: www.fixcas.com/news/2008/b2008b.htm
In this particular case, landscaping has helped take preventative measures against further damage of their property, clever.
You guys also discussed how borders control the inflow and outflow of people through funnels, pipes, folds and enclosures. It is interesting to conciser how these methods are used for other spaces such as stadiums, airports and even shopping centres. It seems as though we are being hearded through spaces like cattle.
Mike Davis evaluates some clever methods used to prevent certain behaviour in spaces, such as the 'bum bench' in L.A. Have you ever concidered the similarities between these designs of controlling human behaviour and methods used for controlling animal behaviour? Example: a common way for companies to prevent birds from settling on their signs and buildings nests is to place spikes on top of the signs. This prevents the birds from resting where they are not intended to rest. This has a similar intent as the 'bum bench'- the curved bench designed to prevent homeless people from sleeping on them in parks.
Are we ushered like heards in and out of spaces? It seams we are increasingly being directed where to enter and exit and told where we can and can't sit.

Lindsay Whalen

Eco Friendly Idea for Windsor

2009-03-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Since we do live in a border city we get more pollution due to the traffic and trucks that go over the bridge daily. While looking up new ways to make windsor a more green friendly place I came across Minnesota building a new piece of architecture. The piece is put on I-35W which is a busy traffic route to a bridge.(Sound familiar?) This sculpture uses something called photocatalytic skin which "converts gases like carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide to higher oxidized states," in other words sucks up some harmful pollution. A great idea would to have the art community or even the U of W art students to create a couple of sculptures to be put along huron church or even along the water front using this material!!

Mural Art

2009-03-24T18:48:00.001-07:00

I came across a few links to some mural artists. With a little bit of research, its become apparent to me that mural art is a hugely important medium in Mexican culture, which is clear when we look at the art along the Mexico/U.S. border.

Check these out:
The Art of the Mural
Hector Duarte

Rappers unable to cross the border

2009-03-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

I found this article in Macleans.ca very interesting. I thought I would share:
rapper's war with border

Its about American musicians, particularly Chuck D. from Public Enemy, who are given a difficult time in crossing the Canadian border to play shows here. He states he is severely questioned treated with heavy security that he says resembles the Berlin Wall (something that was more humane.)
An immigration lawyer further discusses the topic saying that they are given a hard time due to minor offenses given in the states such as possession charges and DUIs. And this is not always of the musician but of someone in their entourage that is essential to the show.
Personally, I am glad Canadian Customs is strengthening their procedures and not giving way just because the ones crossing are famous celebrities. I believe everyone should be questioned thoroughly when entering the border no matter race or job description or status.
Anyways, check out the article. What is even more interesting is what Canadian rapper Belly says about Canadian customs officials.

Post production a new industry for windsor?

2009-03-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month there was an article published in the Windsor Star about the wave of film making that's taken place in Michigan over the last year. As a way of bringing revenue to the city, the government has offered filmmakers generous tax breaks for shooting in the state. As a result, last year they generated $126 million in spending. They state also plans to create three new ventures which will generate as many as 6,000 new jobs.
Here in Windsor we have many talented independent filmmakers, as well as university students hoping to break into the business. The problem is is that when most of these students graduate they'll likely leave looking for a better developed industry somewhere else. Losing talent is never good, but the saddest part is that Windsor really is a great city to make films.
The article talks about current Ontario tax breaks for shooting in this province, but as far as I can tell the incentives don't quite beat Detroit. On the plus side, our proximity to Detroit puts us in a good position to house a post production facility which a local filmmaker is hoping to build. This would allow the filmmakers to shoot in Michigan, and come here to use the state of the art post production facility to do their editing etc. This would create a variety of jobs in Windsor and bring much needed revenue to this city.
I think Windsor is a great city for film making, but it's potential is underdeveloped. Windsor allows for a big city feel, but quite country side is just 15 minutes away. Our unique border position to an even bigger city with lots to offer the industry is also advantageous. I think Windsor should try and work in collaboration with Detroit to try and bring the industry to the area as a whole allowing both cities to create a cross border film industry. People always talk about how we need to find a new "niche" to generate more money in our economy, I think movie making would be an exciting and profitable way to do that.
Here is the article that ran in the star, the address may need to be copy and pasted.
http://www.windsorstar.com/entertainment/movie-guide/Hollywood+migrates+Michigan/1334743/story.html

The Windsor Riverfront

2009-03-22T22:09:00.000-07:00

I know this picture is old, but I have a serious problem with it. My problem is that the Casino is the largest visible property in ALL of Windsor. I know it's meant to draw Americans to our side of the river, but it just makes our city look bad because the casino is just so prominent. It makes it seem as if there is nothing is worthwhile here, while in fact that it over shadows various other wonderful buildings and monuments in Windsor.

Although it brings in a lot of revenue for the city, the casino's infrastructure does not do the city aesthetic justice.

That's just how I feel.

Detroit Unrealestate Agency arrives in Windsor

2009-03-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Detroit UnReal Estate Agency has been running for close to a year now detroitunrealestateagency.blogspot.com.
This weekend I acted as a Canadian agent for this group in bringing Windsor into the fold of UnReality by posting signs at sites of current and former big three territory. It was especially difficult getting anywhere near Chrysler as there are security fences and private patrol cars circling about the plant quite frequently.
Stay tuned for more UnReal Estate action as we team up with Broken City Lab this Spring. If you're interested in contribting to this project in terms of location scouting/documenting, please let me know.

2009-03-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

This is part of my write-up for the Border book, section on Crossing the "Detroit River: The historical and contemporary issues of illegally crossing the boarder." I see a connection between the history of the Underground Railroad and illegal immigration.

Today the Detroit-Windsor boarder has high security after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Canada’s Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day says ,“People cannot come into this country without proper documentation and consequences will follow if they do”(CTV News Staff, 2007). Windsor’s unemployment rate is around 10%, so having unemployed refugees are a problem economically.

ICE (U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Detroit, deals with
homeland security issues. ICE investigates cases of human trafficking and smuggling. What is the difference between human trafficking and smuggling? According to Ice, “victims are trafficked into the international sex trade and into forced labor situations throughout the world” (ICE, 2009). Human smuggling deals with the transportation of illegal immigrants.

On the Canadian side, the Citizenship and Immigration Canada handles the immigration applications. The Immigration Control Officer Network was designed to combat illegal immigration through set protocols, through reports, and resource materials (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 2001).

The argument stands, are illegal immigrants wrong in seeking freedom in Canada and is there racism behind who can and cannot cross the boarder?

CURRENT CASES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:
January 3, 2006

“Since May, about 12 people have been arrested at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, above, or Ambassador Bridge on immigrant-smuggling charges. Robert Johnson was down on his luck and short on cash last month when a man named Hunt offered him $800 to smuggle two Chinese immigrants in the trunk of his car into the United States through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel” (DAVID ASHENFELTER, 2006).

Ashenfelter, D. (2006). Free Press. Asked to smuggle? Beware Border police on alert for illegal immigrants.Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.freep.com

February 15th, 2006
“WINDSOR, Ontario (AP) - A human smuggling ring that charged Asian and Eastern European migrants thousands of dollars to send them across the Canadian-U.S. border - sometimes hanging on the sides of freight trains or stuffed in car trunks - was brought down yesterday with the arrests of 17 people, U.S. and Canadian authorities said. U.S. authorities said they intercepted 74 illegal aliens being smuggled from Canada into the United States. Canadian officials said 24 migrants were stopped going into Canada” (Michigan Daily, 2006).

Michigan Daily. (2006). Authorities topple human smuggling ring. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http:// www.michigandaily.com

May 31, 2007
“A couple from Cameroon was sentenced for involuntary servitude and related charges. Joseph Djoumessi, 49, was found guilty of conspiracy, involuntary servitude and harboring for financial gain. ICE agents in Detroit began an investigation in 2000 after receiving information regarding a young girl who was possibly being held against her will. A 17-year-old girl from Cameroon was discovered in the Djoumessi home, living under a false identity and in questionable circumstances. The girl had been brought into the United States illegally when she was 14 years old” (ICE, 2009).

ICE. (2009). Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.ice.gov

Why illegally immigrate to Windsor?

If slaves from the Underground Railroad could live freely in Canada, then what about an immigrant seeking the same freedom by crossing the boarder by “illegal standards”? Would the negative opinions surrounding illegal immigration change, if people could hear the personal stories of the ‘illegal’ immigrants?

“I don’t know if what I was told about coming here was correct or not, but what am I going to do about it now?” said Pedro Palafox Marin, who said he paid $800 to the organization before driving through the night to Windsor with his wife and children.
“I could smell the freedom when I crossed over,” said Ms. Gonzalez, 25. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but the pressure of worrying about getting caught never let you sleep well.”

MONICA DAVEY and ABBY GOODNOUGH. (2007). Windsor Star. Illegal Immigrants Chase False Hope to Canada. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from http://www.windsorstar.com

Both of these statements were made by illegal immigrants, who came to Windsor, Canada seeking freedom.

Over time, the Detroit-Windsor boarder has functioned as the route for the freedom of immigrants, whether through the Underground Railroad or contemporary illegal immigration. Boarders shape lives not only locally,
nationally, but on a global scale. The past is found in the present and the present is found in the past.

“A modern democracy is a tyranny whose borders are undefined; one discovers how far one can go only by traveling in a straight line until one is stopped.”
Norman Mailer

Hans Island, Canadian Earth

2009-03-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

All of Canada's borders might not be as definite as you may expect.
While Canada is a sovereign nation, there are several territorial disputes which exist with its neighbors, Denmark (Greenland) and the United States. These conflicts of international borders pertain mainly to areas of uncertainty in the Arctic region which previously may have stood as insignificant. Though recently with the phenomenon of global warming, Arctic sovereignty has become a hot topic issue as there will be a scramble to establish these waters as international or national as the melting icecaps will allow new shipping lanes.

Hans Island, named by Elisha Kent Kane in 1853, is little more than a rock, is at the center of this debate as Canada and Denmark both claim for it to be on their side of the border line. It is a small, uninhabited area measuring 1.3 km² and is located in the center of the Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait which separates Ellesmere Island from Greenland and connects Baffin Bay with the Lincoln Sea.

The history of the dispute is little more than several flag mounting efforts by both Canadian and Danish authorities, beginning in 1988 and continuing to the present day. Dome Petroleum (Calgary based) preformed research on the island in the early 1980's. In 2005 the Canadian Defense Minister made a symbolic visit to the island and there have now been mutual efforts between Denmark and Canada to build a mutual weather station on the island. Satellite photos from July 2007 now show the border to be going directly though Hans Island, though dispute over its sovereignty remains.

The situation here is not unique to Canada and Denmark as there are several islands around the world which give rise to heated debates in respect to their sovereignty. Dokdo Island in the sea of Japan is an example of this where South Korea and Japan both claim control over what is little more than a group of rocks with the size of 0.18km2. Dokdo has officially remained in South Korean possession since 1954, though the Japaneese have continued to claim it as theirs. Check out this blog which proclaims 'Korea's ancient title to the Dokdo region': Dokdo in Korea!

Here is a list of other Canadian disputed territory:

Machias Seal Island: New Brunswick and Maine

North Rock: New Brunswick and Maine

Straight of Juan de Fuca: British Columbia and Washington

Dixon Entrance: British Columbia and Alaska

Portland Canal: British Columbia and Alaska

The North West Passage in the Arctic waters is currently the most contested as with the melting icecaps, new shipping lanes will be available which naturally the U.S. feels entitled to utilize.

Cental American Borders

2009-03-18T09:39:00.001-07:00

The majority of our personal experience with the border be it here in Windsor or abroad has probably been in the context of customs when traveling. In Central America they have border issues which are far more complex than length of stay and goods purchased.

Last week, El Salvador held a historic election where the hard right wing conservative party ARENA fell after years of power and was replaced for the first time by the left wing national liberation party, FMLN. Pictured is a civilian road blockade to stop people from Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua from entering the country to vote illegally - with fake voter identification provided by the ARENA government.

If you were caught doing the bidding of the ARENA party, I'm sure you were not just sent on your way peacefully.

The sign translates to "I'm not an ARENA supporter because I am not a millionaire, I don't sell out my motherland, I am not corrupt, I don't have shit in my head, and more..." These people are passionate about their politics.

Worlds Smallest International Bridge?

2009-03-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

The world smallest international bridge is said to be between Canada and the United States, residing in the Thousand Island area of the St. Lawrence River, between New York and Ontario. The pair of islands referred to as Zavikon (happy wigwam?) is joined by a bridge spanning about 32 feet and thus acts as the shortest international bridge crossing. The larger of the two islands is Canadian territory with a full house, while the smaller belongs to that of the United States and acts as the backyard. Having traveled here as a child, I was told the story that this was the smallest international bridge, though Wikipedia seems to suggest that this is just folklore and that both islands are part of the county of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, Canada. Internet based sources seem to be divided some suggesting that this is the smallest international bridge, and other that is acts merly as a symbolic representaion of the friendly Canadian - American relationship.

Google Earth, which acts as evidence for those who shout that this is inaccurate, shows the Canadain - American border to not be passing inbetween these islands, though has Zavikon placed completely in American waters. This renders the argument to be very confusing with people advocating every position possible. Could Google Earth be inacurate? It is known that in the division of the 1000 Islands, no island was to be cut in two though it seems odd that people would write that both are Canadian if they are sitting in American waters. Why would people have been under these false pretenses?

Nevertheless, whether entirely Canadian, American, or split down the middle it provides a fun perspective on international border crossings. I’m sure it is one which will not be causing any political strife!

Algorithmic Walk Leads to Robbery

2009-03-17T18:49:00.000-07:00

The algorithmic walk taken in January led us to The Gourmet Emporium (1799 Wyandotte St. E.) We notice that this restaurant had an unusual interior. It was not set up like a typical restaurant or cafe. The two floor restaurant we had come to find out was previously a BMO bank and a hair salon before becoming the Emporium. This location came to mind when we were discussing place and non place in class.
The Great Bank Robbery of '59

The Gourmet Emporium is where the great bank robbery of 1959 took place. We had coffee in a place that was once the site of a cops and robbers real life drama. There were 3 tellers at (what was then the BMO) bank on June 9, 1959.Two men (Nicholas Hamilton and Kenneth Irwin came in wearing white jackets, hoods, black gloves and sunglasses . Armed and ready the robbers took $10, 733.
Both men were arrested and sentenced to jail time at the Kingston penitentiary.

Two's Company!

2009-03-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Your trip to France this summer just got 6, 054km closer than what you expected, Canada has another neighbour in addition to the United States! Only 25km off the coast of Newfoundland in the North Atlantic there are a group of islands which belong to the French Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon making France Canada's next closest neighbour (Greenland is 230km at its closet point). These islands are the only remnant of the former colonial empire of New France which remain under French control.

This community has a rich history of France – Canada and France – U.S. relations which stems back to the age of exploration with the European colonial expansion into the Americas. Prior to European contacts, the islands were inhabited by the native Indians known as the Beothuk which became extinct in 1829. Initially the area was coveted for its prime fishing, which led to disputes between English and French settlers. Though the islands were frequently visited it was not until the 17th century that the islands came to have permanent French residents. The 17th century saw British attack and takeover of the islands, which with the Treaty of Paris resulted in their turnover again to the French as is ceded all of New France to British possession except these islands specifically.

The islands have acted in North American history in varying degrees, playing a role in the prohibition period, acting as bases for smugglers, for example. Suspected of Nazi allegiance in the Second World War, there was rumor of plans for a Canadian invasion of the islands, though the attack never took place. It was one of the first territories of France to be liberated and form Free France in 1941, as a French submarine crossed the Atlantic and secured the islands. The history of this area is truly incredible, with strange French connections to North America such as the only use of the guillotine in the continental area in 1888.

The government functions through electing a prefect who answers to the President of the Territorial Council of France who in turn is overseen by the President of France. Saint-Pierre and Miquelon operate under the Euro currency and has an area of 242km2. The permanent population is 6,125 people. Their economy currently resides on fishing, and tourism with minimal agriculture and no industry.

While the real political effects are quite minimal it’s fascinating to have French territory so close to Canada!

Onion News Parody

2009-03-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Onion News Network (an over the top news website devoted completely to ‘fake American news’) has an amusing parody of the U.S. – Mexico border issue. Their 'In The Know' segment considers the border issue and their team proposes an elaborate moat as an alternative solution.

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/in_the_know_the_u_s_moat

The lunacy and complete silliness of this parody perhaps holds truth when considering the dramatic and complicated nature of the fence which aims to prevent mobility; the free passage of people.

"HEY YOU! Stay over there!"

2009-03-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

John Stossel (mustache and all) presented a series on ABC’s 20/20 ‘Bailouts and Bull’ which comments on the array of issues currently at hand in regard of American politics and policy making. Part 5 considers the current border issues and ultimately trivializes the efforts to ‘fence America’, focusing mainly on Mexico. Though the segment is brief, it highlights the main point of concern in creating this fence, maintaining the position that it just doesn’t work.

Homeland Security concentrates the fence in correlation to population density, but as Robert Crooks a self appointed border patrol puts it, “the smart smuggler ‘aint going to go where the high security is at, the smart smuggler is going to take their shit to the weak spot.” Congress seems to think that the wall is the solution to all and as seen in the video, there are even suggestions of electrifying the fence so that the function is similar to that which is used for livestock.

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7081574

To further the issue, Stossel points out that the majority of ‘illegal’s’ come to the States by legal means though documentation and check points, but just stay past the expiration of their visas.

While Stossel recognizes that people should be restrained from freely entering the country for the sake of stopping ‘freeloaders’ and terrorists, Stossel does not provide an alternative which renders his efforts to be more of a rant than an effective opposition.

Detroit Afternoon Trip

2009-03-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Today I went over to Detroit to check out the Dequindre Cut, a pedestrian trail running on an old sunken train line (which i will tell you more about next class as it pertains to my border book) and as per Lee's recommendation i went over to Belle Isle for the first time. I just wanted to share my experience a little as it was a great time. Here are a couple photo's.

Whitcomb Conservatory - Belle Isle

Dequindre Cut - Greenlink

Mind you this is only a small sampleing of the amout of graffiti art on the Dequindre Cut. Its worth checking out, it seemed quite safe as there are many cameras and the odd police car patroling be i did still feel uneasy as you are very much out of sight from people on the street. But its definatly worth checking out.

2009-03-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

Recently, I toured the Sandwich First Baptist Church in Windsor. There is so much history on the underground railroad in the local area that is not even known about. One of the tour guides worked with Rosa Parks for three years and attended one of Martin Luther King's marches. Under the church floorboard's is a hideaway area for the free slaves of the underground railroad. This is a huge deal, not only historically, but this effects the future as well. The Detroit-Windsor crossing was boarderless during the late 1800s. There is a major difference between the the past and present of crossing the Detroit river. Now security is a big concern. I have included images of my tour to the Sandwich First Baptist church. Here is a historical write-up on the churche's history:

"Sandwich First Baptist Church is the oldest active black church in Canada. A group of former slaves, led by Henry Brown, John Hubbs and Willis Jackson, began an informal church group in the 1820’s. In 1840 eleven fugitive slaves from the ‘Close Communion of Baptists’ organization formed the congregation. They worshipped outdoors or in the homes of individual members until a log cabin was constructed in 1847 under the direction of Rev. Madison Lightfoot. One acre of land was donated by the
Crown for a new brick church on Lot 22 West Peter Street. Fugitive slaves worked to construct the new church with hand hewn lumber and bricks. The clay for the bricks was obtained from the riverbank and fired in a hand-made kiln. In August of 1851 the church was dedicated with Robert H. Jackson as pastor.The church was a terminal on the Underground Railroad because it was situated near an ideal river crossing point. There is evidence that a series of tunnels and trapdoors helped facilitate safe arrival of fugitives. Individuals escaping slavery in America could make their way, with the assistance of members of the congregation, from their riverfront landing to travel by lantern light through secret tunnels and emerge in the
cellar of the church. Following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in America slave catchers would venture into Canada in attempts to capture fugitive slaves and claim their bounty. In the event that a slave catcher would arrive in the church a rehearsed plan would go into effect. It is said that the pastor would raise the alarm by singing predetermined hymns such as “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” or “I’ll Fly Away to Glory”. Fugitives would then escape via a trap door in the church floor while the congregation created a diversion. In 1986 Rev. Owen Leslie Burey became the pastor of the church. He led a campaign to see the church recognized as a valuable historic site. In 1998 Sandwich First Baptist Church was designated as a National Heritage Site. On June 14, 2003 a plaque was dedicated at the site with of Members of Parliament Susan Whelan and Sheila Copps in attendance. Rev. Burey remained as pastor until his death October 2, 2003. The site is still an active church with a dedicated membership and visitors to Sandwich First Baptist can still view the trapdoor in the church floor."

source:www.windsor-communities.com/african-religion-sandwich.php

The New Medical Building

2009-03-15T12:01:00.001-07:00

While attending the Elizabeth May talk last week I got to explore the new medical building with a fellow student.
At first I thought it would put the University Of Windsor on the map. This idea that this building could encourage these students to open their practice in this area, to have more doctors, and to get more people interested to coming to this great city let alone University of Windsor. When I got home I decided to look up more information on this building. I discovered that it cost 15 M to build and only 24 students attending. This building has so much potential why then does it have a different University controlling the admissions into this program? So I ask the question is this building an aid for the future or a failing attempt?

http://www.uwindsor.ca/units/medicalbuilding/construction.nsf/SubCategoryFlyOut/E308646ED78FBEFA85257372004B72BB

Day Labour Station

2009-03-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

This is a piece by a group called Public Architecture (PA). PA is an architectural firm that promotes and practices pro bono architecture.

The Day Labor Station, a project of Public Architecture, is a structure that can be deployed at informal day labor locations.

The design is based on the realities of the ways in which the day labor system operates, and responds to the needs and desires of the day laborers themselves, as clients.

Public Architecture is currently working to locate a permanent site for the first Station. Ultimately, Day Labor Stations will be deployed across the country.

Check it out here:

http://www.daylaborstation.org/Gallery/Model/model1.htm

Detroit Windsor Tunnel Construction

2009-03-08T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a 90 second video, its short but interesting, a brief explanation of how the tunnel was built

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30012-assignment-discovery-the-detroit-windsor-tunnel-video.htm#

Detroit: City on the Move

2009-03-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

An interesting documentary made in '65, 2 years before the riots. This has a lot of grest imagery of a better time, as well as a quick bit about the ease of crossing the friendly border into Windsor.

About 20min total running time

PART 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUbsw28PCpA&feature=related

PART 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evxDI7ce6Z0&feature=related

Enhanced Drivers Licence / Passport Cards

2009-03-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

I guess the US is now producing a new passport card. The card cannot be used for travel to most countries, only Mexico, Canada and some Caribbean countries.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

BC is now doing a test on a new "enhanced drivers license" which can be used instead of a passport to cross into the US. Hopefully we can get this card into full production for the rest of the country soon. The US already has these cards too.

http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2008/nr20080121-eng.aspx

Photo tours of Detroit

2009-02-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

http://detroityes.com/0tourdetroit.htm#The_Fabulous_Ruins

some great photos here, thought id share

Tax Resistance and Resistance Tax

2009-02-28T10:06:00.001-08:00

I came accross a blog regarding the issue of resistance and how it relates to geographical borders. According to Steve Pile, in the book 'Introduction to Geographies of Resistance,'

"Since resistance opposes power, it hardly seems worth mentioning that acts of resistance take place through specific geographies: in the spaces under the noses of the oppressor, on the streets, outside military bases, and so on"

Stories of smuggling rings out of Dearbourn are examples of how geograohy and borders play out in acts of resistance. Refusing to pay taxes is a very common form of resistance that many of us that choose to cross the border try and take advantage of.

Organized crime in Canada and the US purchase large amounts of products such as cigarette in the States where taxes do not exist (North Carolina, Kentucky, Indian reservations etc.) and sell them for profit.

Read more on this discussion on the blog: http://www.borderculture.org/blogger/2006/03/tax-resistance-and-resistance-tax.html

Lets focus on something nice in the D

2009-02-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

i just wanted to show you something i've found in my searches, everyone focus on the decay of detroit and i thought it would be nice to show some of the nice areas.

Grandmont-Rosedale
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=153119

Indian Village
http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=indian+village+detroit&sll=42.366503,-82.981281&sspn=0.009512,0.04549&ie=UTF8&ll=42.363871,-82.99716&spn=0.037734,0.090981&z=14&iwloc=addr

http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&safe=active&q=indian%20village%20detroit&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Lafayette Park - Designed by Mies van de Rohe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_Park,_Detroit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OROh-5c92Ag

Windsor / Detroit Attractions

2009-02-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

Im starting an ongoing list of great places that are unique to Windsor or Detroit. They can be resturants, bars, coffee shops, stores, parks, other public areas, etc etc.

I'll start... please contribute freely!

Fenton's Resturant - As big of a dive as they come, $3.50 breakfeast: really really good
3448 Walker Road, Windsor

Phog Lounge voted number 1 live music venue in Canada

2009-02-25T15:33:00.000-08:00

I know this has nothing to do with "border culture" but it does have something to do with our class, sort of...
I've been interning at the Windsor Star for the past week so I've been oddly in touch (more than normal for me who manages to live in my own little "student" bubble) with whats going on in Windsor these days.
Anyways, I thought I should point out that Tom Lucier's Phog Lounge was voted #1 live music venue in Canada in a CBC Radio 3 contest today, beating out 100 other venues. I thought it was interesting because I was in the newsroom when one of the reporters read it on Twitter (a new phenomenon I still don't think I really get). Anyway, seeing as how he is giving us a talk tomorrow in class I thought it might be good if we all knew and maybe congratulated him. I promise I'll post something relevant asap. If you want to read the article here's the link http://www.windsorstar.com/Entertainment/Phog+voted+Canada/1328871/story.html (you might have to copy and paste)
GO WINDSOR!

Are Photographers Really a Threat?

2009-02-24T10:02:00.000-08:00

Justin posted a link in the comments of the last post (here) about people no longer being allowed to photograph police.

It reminded me of a very interesting article I read a while back about photographers being harassed and having their film taken away/deleted by authorities since 9/11, especially if they're seen photographing things like bridges, etc. that could be construed as some kind of reconnaissance for 'terrorist attacks.'

We all know this kind of stuff happens. Many people around here have had issues simply taking pictures of the Ambassador Bridge. The great thing about this particular article is that they clearly point out that the fear authorities have is false: it is based on movie plots!

Please read the article here for a little more insight into the false idea people have of terrorists & photographers alike.

De Plane, de plane! Fantastic Fun at the Manitoba Border

2009-02-22T19:04:00.000-08:00

Our neighbourly neighbours to the south have decided that the wild frontier of Manitoba is just not safe enough and have begun to use unmanned drone airplanes for surveillance along the Manitoba – Minnesota / North Dakota border.

This is a similar operation as along the U.S. – Mexico border and began last Monday.

Here is the Article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2009/02/16/drones-border.html

Based at a military facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the $10-million Predator B drone aircraft are equipped with sensors capable of detecting a moving person from 10 kilometers away.

The aircraft is able to fly at an altitude of 6,000 meters and can remain in the air for 18 hours.
The planes will gather information as they fly along the 400-kilometre border and transmit it to operators who will in turn contact border agents. The drones will not carry weapons, such as missiles or laser-guided bombs, and the U.S. will need permission to send them into in Canadian airspace.

Manitoba has 12 official border crossings — only two are open 24 hours a day. Much of the land in between the crossings is swampland, lakes or farmers' fields.
U.S. authorities are concerned that the border has areas that could potentially be exploited by drug smugglers, migrants and terrorists.

"They will try to find the weakest link, and the weakest link is clearly the long border between the U.S. and Canada," North Dakota Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan said. "It's very hard to patrol every square mile."

RCMP Staff Sgt. Ron Obodzinski said the surveillance planes will be a big help in the fight against the smuggling of drugs, alcohol and people.

"The program is going to enhance our relationship between our American partners and the Canadian agencies," he said.

U.S. border protection official Michael Kostelnik said that in these "dangerous times," it's more important than ever for both countries to know who and what is crossing the border.

"There are vast parts of the border where, on any given day, we're not sure what's going on, so part of this is to try to deal with the unknown and not be surprised," Kostelnik said.

Similar drones patrol the skies in Iraq and Afghanistan. The aircraft are also used along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Is this what we need along the U.S. – Canada border?

While I can understand the need for surveillance and security, at what point does Canada step in and take responsibility? If this becomes a complete U.S. operation, then what say will the RCMP have in the management of the border? Currently, the drones do not fly in Canadian air space, though what would Canada do if the U.S. decides to test the limits? Is Canada in a position to take action if something like this should happen? Would the RCMP even care?

It is clear that there is a problem, but at what point will Canada become a functioning part of this relationship and not stand by and nod their head in approval? Would we want spy planes patrolling the Detroit/Windsor border? The launching of this program raises an incredible amount of questions.

Thoughts?

A great opportunity

2009-02-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

correction: 2009 02 21 - due to extreme lack of grammatical editing before posting

I will start off with a short list of some Major US chain stores that are NOT in Detroit.

Walmart, Target, Kroger, Meijer, Safeway, Best Buy, JC Penny, Sears, Home Depot, etc etc

This is extremely unique of any major US city. Though big box stores have been generally taking over cities in the US and Canada and driving out the little guy, Detroit's entire lack of almost any major us shopping centre, weather it is a supermarket or department store is creating problems.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070705/METRO/707050349

As mentioned in the article above some Detroit residents state "You can't buy quality food in the city anymore." This is a HUGE problem for the people living in Detroit. To do almost any shopping, one needs to leave the city.

Through discussions with friends of mine, some of which live in Detroit and others who work and live in the suburbs, I started thinking about how this may be the start of a good thing.

I feel Detroit may be the only US city able to build itself up again with quality neighborhood supermarkets, hardware stores, clothing retailers, and all types of independent businesses. If a strategic plan was set out to encourage this, Detroit may be the only US city with a totally unique economic situation! This could be the beginning of an almost Utopian urban setting with job creation, and an amazing sense of community in the city.

2009-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Bogged Down at the Border

2009-02-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

The National recently had a feature (link provided) which addresses border security issues along the Canada/U.S. border. With the Obama Presidency, Brian Stewart investigated the situation at hand, analyzing what this means for the relationship between us and our neighbour.

"There may be legitimate security concerns, but some fear the U.S. Congress will tighten border security as a form of economic protectionism, and slow imports from Canada."

http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/special_feature/the_obama_visit/bogged_down_at_the_border.html

Windsor's Community Archives

2009-02-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

The Border Culture class travelled to the Windsor Public Library's yesterday to view the Windsor Community Archives. Led by archivist Michael Fish, the class saw some of the first maps of the city and aisles of ceiling high shelves containing documents dating to as early as 1804. Pictured above, a photo of the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel dated July 4, 1953.

The Archives are open to the public and contain a staggering amount of documents and photographs (there's over 10,000 photos alone). You can view, copy, and photograph nearly everything with the help of the archivist and since the archive remains largely not-digitized, the archivist can guide you to find the materials you need.

After spending a brief time in the viewing room, we got to move to the back where many of the archives are stored. The entire facility felt like an archive of a functioning public archive, with posters celebrating the importance of the library and the archive from the mid-90s and earlier, the typewriter stationed at a desk in the back, and tables and shelves made of real wood.

Most of the archives were stored in acid-free boxes, but there were many that were lying on shelves, as pictured above, due to the lack of space in the basement. Perhaps most alarming was the actual space in which the archives were contained. Located beside the water main for the building and under a ventilation system (sans filter), the archives seem to be in a precarious position, to say the least.

A close-up of some of those un-boxed documents.

Many of these shelves contain documents that by law have to be in the public archive. City Council minutes dating back to the incorporation of the City of Windsor in 1854. According to the Wikipedia entry on Windsor, citing the Windsor Star, as previously noted by Devon, there was a naming controversy in 1892 for what was then the town of Windsor—among the candidates for the name of our city was South Detroit.

I'm not sure the last time I saw aged paper and a pink eraser.

The storage of what I imagine must be architectural drawings or maps in the Windsor Archives.

Tucked under some bristol board, maps peak out.

Lee asked about the possibility of going through entire boxes (you are allowed to do this).

Archivist Michael Fish, pictured right, points out the concession roads of Windsor to Steve Daigle, on one of the oldest maps of Windsor.

And for your information, pictured above are the hours to access the archive, though Michael did note that you can request materials via email. As well, there are other great (and even larger) archives in Detroit, though other than the University of Michigan, I can't remember where or the names of them. Could someone fill in those gaps in the comments?

It was really incredible to visit this basement in which essentially the entire history of Windsor sits, uninsured. But what do you do with all this material? Where on the city's funding priority list should all of this history sit?

2009-02-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here are a few interesting links that I'd like to share. They are from last weeks group presentation on "Detroit Digital: On Tourists in the Apocalypse" by Marcel O'Gorman (http://www.ctheory.net/articles.aspx?id=586)

Detroit Blog- http://www.detroitblog.org/; politics, urban exploration, news, photos and commentary about the city

Paint Cans and Politics- http://www.paintcansandpolitics.com/index2.html; documentary film following two grafiti artists in Detroit, Michigan; I've looked at Blockbuster and Rogers Video for it but I still haven't found it. If anyone is interested in seeing and finds it somewhere let us know so we can also watch it :)

Bodies and Code: Detroit Digital/Serial Consign- http://serialconsign.com/2007/12/bodies-and-code-detroit-digital; blog, references the article as well

Wooster Collective- www.woostercollective.com; graffiti art from around the world

2009-02-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

I was doing some research on the hostory of Windsor and I found this aerial map of Windsor from 1931. I find it interesting to see how Windsor has changed over time. Here is an article of the history of Windsor.-->

Prior to European exploration and settlement, the Windsor area was inhabited by the First Nations and Native American people. Windsor was first settled in 1749 as a French agricultural settlement, making it the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal. The area was first named Petite Côte (Little Coast), and later became known as La Côte de Misère (Poverty Coast) because of the sandy soils near LaSalle. Windsor's French heritage is reflected in many French street names, such as Ouellette, Pelissier, Francois, Pierre, Langlois, Marentette and Lauzon. There is a significant French speaking minority in Windsor and the surrounding areas. Many of them are in the Lakeshore, Tecumseh and LaSalle areas. The current street system of Windsor (grid with elongated blocks) may reflect the French method of agricultural land division where the farms were long and narrow, fronting along the river; it is also consistent with the British system for granting land concessions.

In 1794, after the American Revolution, the settlement of Sandwich was founded. It was later renamed to Windsor, after the town in Berkshire, England. The Sandwich neighbourhood on Windsor's west side is home to some of the oldest buildings in the city including Mackenzie Hall, originally built as the Essex County courthouse in 1855. Today, this building functions as a community centre. The oldest building in the city is the Duff-Baby House built in 1792. It is owned by Ontario Heritage Trust and houses government offices. The François Baby House was built in 1812 and houses Windsor's Community Museum, dedicated to local history.

The City of Windsor was the site of the Battle of Windsor during the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837, and was also a part of the Patriot War, later that year.
Windsor was established as a village in 1854 (the same year the village was connected to the rest of Canada, by the Grand Trunk Railway/Canadian National Railway), then a town in 1858, and ultimately gained city status in 1892.

A fire consumed much of Windsor's downtown core on October 12, 1871, destroying over 100 buildings.[1]

On October 25, 1960, a massive gas explosion destroyed the Metropolitan Stores building on Ouellette Avenue. Ten people were killed and at least one hundred injured.[2] The 45th anniversary of the event was commemorated by the Windsor Star on October 25, 2005 and later reenacted on History Television's Disasters of the Century.

What's in a name? The Windsor Star Centennial Edition in 1992 covered the city's past, its heyday as a railway centre, and its contributions to World War I and World War II. It also recalled the naming controversy in 1892, when the town of Windsor wanted to become a city. The most popular names listed in the naming controversy were "South Detroit", "The Ferry" (from the ferries that linked Windsor to Detroit), Richmond (the runner-up in popularity), and Windsor (which won out over the others). Windsor was chosen over the others because of its English name (to promote the heritage of many English settlers in the city), and so that it would be named after Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. However, Richmond was a popular name used until the Second World War, mainly by the local Post Office.

Amalgamations Sandwich, Ford City and Walkerville were separate legal entities (towns) in their own right until roughly 1935. They are now historic neighbourhoods of Windsor. Ford City was officially incorporated as a village in 1912. It became a town in 1915, and became a city in 1929. It only lasted a few years, as it was amalgamated into Windsor in 1935, along with several other nearby villages. Walkerville was incorporated as a town in 1890, and was merged into Windsor with Sandwich and Ford City in 1935. Sandwich was established in 1817 as a town with no municipal status. It was incorporated as a town in 1858 (the same time as neighbouring Windsor was incorporated as a town). It lasted until 1935. The nearby village of Ojibway was incorporated as a town in 1913, and was annexed by the City of Windsor in 1966, at the same time as the town of Riverside. Riverside was incorporated in 1921, and was merged into Windsor in 1966.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor,_Ontario

Here is a cool video on Exploring Windsor, Ontario: Willistead Manor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYa5XS6domc

Devon

2009-02-11T16:30:00.000-08:00

I was doing some research on the Windsor archives, because of the upcoming field trip and book assignment. History is an important element in boarder cities.

Facts:

archives contain over 7,500 photographs and 20,000 sets of architectural drawings, maps and plans.

1854 was the year Windsor was incorporated as a village.

I found some aerial photos of Windsor from 1931, that I found fascinating. The map makes me think about the different identities or phases the city has gone through from generation to generation.

Here is an article on the history of Windsor:

Prior to European exploration and settlement, the Windsor area was inhabited by the First Nations and Native American people. Windsor was first settled in 1749 as a French agricultural settlement, making it the oldest continually inhabited settlement in Canada west of Montreal. The area was first named Petite Côte (Little Coast), and later became known as La Côte de Misère (Poverty Coast) because of the sandy soils near LaSalle. Windsor's French heritage is reflected in many French street names, such as Ouellette, Pelissier, Francois, Pierre, Langlois, Marentette and Lauzon. There is a significant French speaking minority in Windsor and the surrounding areas. Many of them are in the Lakeshore, Tecumseh and LaSalle areas. The current street system of Windsor (grid with elongated blocks) may reflect the French method of agricultural land division where the farms were long and narrow, fronting along the river; it is also consistent with the British system for granting land concessions.

In 1794, after the American Revolution, the settlement of Sandwich was founded. It was later renamed to Windsor, after the town in Berkshire, England. The Sandwich neighbourhood on Windsor's west side is home to some of the oldest buildings in the city including Mackenzie Hall, originally built as the Essex County courthouse in 1855. Today, this building functions as a community centre. The oldest building in the city is the Duff-Baby House built in 1792. It is owned by Ontario Heritage Trust and houses government offices. The François Baby House was built in 1812 and houses Windsor's Community Museum, dedicated to local history.
The City of Windsor was the site of the Battle of Windsor during the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837, and was also a part of the Patriot War, later that year.
Windsor was established as a village in 1854 (the same year the village was connected to the rest of Canada, by the Grand Trunk Railway/Canadian National Railway), then a town in 1858, and ultimately gained city status in 1892.

A fire consumed much of Windsor's downtown core on October 12, 1871, destroying over 100 buildings.[1]
On October 25, 1960, a massive gas explosion destroyed the Metropolitan Stores building on Ouellette Avenue. Ten people were killed and at least one hundred injured.[2] The 45th anniversary of the event was commemorated by the Windsor Star on October 25, 2005 and later reenacted on History Television's Disasters of the Century.

What's in a name? The Windsor Star Centennial Edition in 1992 covered the city's past, its heyday as a railway centre, and its contributions to World War I and World War II. It also recalled the naming controversy in 1892, when the town of Windsor wanted to become a city. The most popular names listed in the naming controversy were "South Detroit", "The Ferry" (from the ferries that linked Windsor to Detroit), Richmond (the runner-up in popularity), and Windsor (which won out over the others). Windsor was chosen over the others because of its English name (to promote the heritage of many English settlers in the city), and so that it would be named after Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. However, Richmond was a popular name used until the Second World War, mainly by the local Post Office.

Amalgamations Sandwich, Ford City and Walkerville were separate legal entities (towns) in their own right until roughly 1935. They are now historic neighbourhoods of Windsor. Ford City was officially incorporated as a village in 1912. It became a town in 1915, and became a city in 1929. It only lasted a few years, as it was amalgamated into Windsor in 1935, along with several other nearby villages. Walkerville was incorporated as a town in 1890, and was merged into Windsor with Sandwich and Ford City in 1935. Sandwich was established in 1817 as a town with no municipal status. It was incorporated as a town in 1858 (the same time as neighbouring Windsor was incorporated as a town). It lasted until 1935. The nearby village of Ojibway was incorporated as a town in 1913, and was annexed by the City of Windsor in 1966, at the same time as the town of Riverside. Riverside was incorporated in 1921, and was merged into Windsor in 1966.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor,_Ontario

Devon

Detroit Digital: Presentation Follow-up

2009-02-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

As promised here are a few links that were mentioned in our presentation on the 5th of Feb.

For those of you that missed it, this video is a documentary about the creation of techno music. It gives a really cool insight into the relationship between techno music and its birth place, Detroit. The video has a really positive out look on the cultural development in Detroit. The riots of 1967 and the economic downturn of the automobile industry didn't stop the inventiveness of Detroiters. Techno, brought internation attention to the city.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-195672552584716914

This second clip is an exerpt from a discovery channel episode on the Windsorite DJ known as Plastikman. Richard Hawtin, a.k.a Plastikman is an English-Canadian electronic musician. He played a major role in the development of the Detroit techno scene in the early 1990's. According to Wikepedia, Hawtin spent most of his life in Lasalle, Ontario and attented Sandwich Secondary High School.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj4wPEaJrjU

Flooded London

2009-02-05T17:37:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd post the link to more of the images from the series Flooded London that I mentioned in the presentation last week (which I discovered from an article in Adbusters)

Squint/Opera

Out of curiosity, what do the rest of you think about this being a reality someday? Personally I think their vision is that weird kind of balance we're looking for in the cities.
And what do you think about the possibility of survival in the cities after a natural disaster?

2009-02-05T09:09:00.001-08:00

The Ontario government provides extensive archives on an array of historical themes. I've provided the link to the page which discusses French Ontario in the 17th and 18th centuries, specific to the Detroit region. There are an overwhelming amount of primary documents, inclusive of journal accounts, land claims, and surveyor maps in addition to brief historical analysis of the provided papers. If you are at all interested in the history of the region, it is defiantly worth checking out. I'm providing the link directly to the Detroit page, however you can navigate across to a variety of different topics.

http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/ENGLISH/exhibits/franco_ontarian/detroit.htm

2009-01-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

Here are images from the Wyandotte field trip. I find the images fascinating, because it is like viewing a different world through imagination. It is like around every corner is something unique and special. Windsor is a city full of new places to explore through imagination.

Discussion...

2009-01-29T16:24:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd post this question for people to comment on since we didn't get to it during the presentation today:

How do you envision cities of the future? Do you see them as thriving metropolises or run-down wastelands reclaimed by nature? Will cities ever be able to strike a balance between man-made vs. nature?

Discuss!

**Edit**
Also, here are some interesting links I came across while researching the presentation:

Urban Farming in Detroit

Is America's Suburban Dream Collapsing Into a Nightmare?

Zabbaleen

Windsor/Detroit's Urban Sprawl and Public Places

2009-01-29T08:55:00.000-08:00

I came across this video lecture from TED on urban sprawl the other day and thought it’d be worth sharing in regards to today’s planned topic of discussion. James Howard Kunstler is an outspoken opponent to urban sprawl who blames (North) American city planning since the Second World War as concentrating solely on the direct function of the building (For example: a bank only needs 4 walls, a roof and a vault to operate, with all else being optional expenses) and ignoring what it ought to contribute to public space on the outside. Without a sense of place, people have fled the city for a confusing mix of rural and urban living (suburbia) which captures the benefits of neither.

Moving slightly from the video itself, I think the only establishments nowadays that have tried (albeit poorly) to instil a sense of public space are coffee shops. People don’t necessarily go to the place for the beverage, but for the atmosphere in the lounge or on the patio. However these businesses with their pseudo-public spaces can only go so far. As for the downtowns of Windsor and Detroit, they are intimidating and unwelcoming and ought to improve if they ever hope for revitalization. While there are places such as Windsor’s waterfront and Detroit’s Campus Martius Park that offer some hope, I don’t think they welcome or engage citizens to the degree they ought to. The GreenLink border proposal tries to address this lack of public space in the west end, but I fear it could develop into an all ‘Green’ and no ‘Link’ reality.

I also noticed Kunstler and Solnit have differentiating views on the role of nature within cities. Solnit believes urban gardening and ‘wilderness patches’ are practical and useful to envision a new role for post-industrial metropolises while Kunstler elaborates how greenery should be used in a more cosmetic notion to achieve a sense of place which will revitalize a shrinking city over time. I found it very interesting to contrast.

Loiterer's Resistance Movement

2009-01-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

Here is an inspired entry from one of my favorite psychogeographic blogs, the Loiterer's Resistance Movement (see link on the 'links we like' section on the right). They offer up suggestions for things you can do so that you're not bored in your city.

My personal favorite game (listed below) is one called "Heart of the city", and all you do is keep asking people you see on the street if they can direct you to the 'heart of the city'. I think this would be a fun game to play in Windsor.

Here are some more:

Make groups of no more than 5 or 6 people.

There are 20 instructions in your envelope – take them out one at a time over the next 2 hours – some of the instructions will take 10 minutes to complete, others can go on for the rest of the walk.

You don’t have to complete one instruction before you pick another – it’s good to combine them.
The instructions are open to interpretation – be creative, have fun and play

UMBRA(GE)
Follow your shadow – if you don’t have a shadow try to find some

MEMORIALS
Cities mark their history in stone – once the names have been carved they are rarely heard again. Find a memorial and read aloud the silent words and names.

ROADWORKS
Find a hole in the ground – instead of thinking of it as an inconvenience, look at it as an impromptu open-air exhibition or archaeological dig.

SIMULACRA
Unintended images are everywhere. Look out for simulacra, they are eruptions of secret history. They mean things...

CIRCUIT
Walk between two arbitrary points or around a block for the next 10 minutes – note what you discover on each circuit. Walk until the streets themselves are taking you for a walk.

NO U-TURN
Find a way to get to where you want to go by walking in the opposite direction.

DANGER
Push to the edge of your comfort zone. Notice, if you reach it, the point at which you no longer feel safe. Then take one more step...

DAY OF THE DEAD
The streets are filled with zombies. Move through the crowds without giving yourself away. Observe the dead and their places covertly. Make sure you always have an escape route. Survive by moving.

NATURE WALK
Look for the non-human. Maps drawn by snails. Birds nesting in alcoves. Spiders decorating windows. Trees on rooftops...

ON REFLECTION
Use the big plate glass windows of your city as cinema screens. Watch them like a movie-goer. Or be a director and call the shots.

EDGES
Identify and explore edges, where one place becomes another. Travel along a boundary – if you think it’s safe enough, leap across it. Are the edges clear cut? Or are there transitional zones? Enjoy the blurred liminal territories.

THE HEART OF THE CITY
Ask as many people as possible for directions to the heart of the city. Keep asking...

PUBLIC/PRIVATE
Find somewhere to be private in a public space.

WINDOW ART
For this week only there is a citywide exhibition of art displays in the windows of the city’s homes. How many can you find?

READ THE CITY
The pavements and streets are a book. Look for the writing on the city – on posters, on rubbish, on graffiti, on manhole covers, on bins, on drains, on street furniture. Use this to guide your drift and rename the streets.

STOP!
Stand still, stay exactly where you are for the next 10 minutes and watch the human traffic ebb and flow around your island of calm.

QUIET!
For the next 10 minutes do not speak or use any sign language. Observe how the dynamics of the group affect the drift when you don’t communicate verbally.

DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT?
Follow your ears – let the sounds around you guide your drift. Hunt for places of quiet or noise – listen out for accidental music and the mutterings of the ghosts under the pavements...

SAFARI
You are now on the hunt – track down as many lions, horses, elephants and ducks as you can find.

EVEN A STOPPED CLOCK TELLS THE RIGHT TIME TWICE A DAY
Look out for clocks on buildings and in windows. How does the city run like clockwork? How does time affect the use and meaning of a place? From Loiterer's Resistance Movement: Manchester UK.

Wyandotte St. East Photos

2009-01-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

When first hearing of adventuring down Wyandotte in the East end I was a little skeptic on whether I would be able to take some good photographs. But still I decided to venture out with the group and told myself I would take photos of anything and everything. I wanted to keep an open mind about my hometown. However, I have to say I really enjoyed the photographs I took of this dirty and odd grungy street. There is much beauty in the little parts of the city no tourist really notices. Talking with a few other of the girls in my group, I came to realise that as a hometowner I really didnt appreciate the city until I found a few hidden gems one could only find as a Windsorite.

Unisex Uncanny

2009-01-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

Two architectural intrigues of Wyandotte Street East. The first: double doors to a 'unisex' salon from the 1970s. The salon still seems to be active, but it seems that they had difficulty with the gender ambiguity of the 'unisex' concept that came about in the sixties or seventies. 1372 Wyandotte leads to the women's side of the salon, and 1374 Wyandotte to the men's. While the two sides share the same front desk, these are distinctly different spaces divided by a mirrored wall that separates the menfolk from the women, with a salon on the left and a barber's chair on the right. The unisex concept isn't so convincing, but the twin doors and doubled spaces certainly make this place a candidate for one of Windsor's most uncanny businesses. The second architectural intrigue, not even a block east of the unisex salon is a spiral fire escape which bears a passing resemblance to a more upright version of Vladimir Tatlin's Monument to the Third International (c. 1920) . Interestingly, the central support doubles as a flag pole.