When the Russia-Ukraine war comes for Sum 41

Canadian punks are steering clear

Toronto Star @TorontoStar

Hundreds of demonstrators from the GTA’s Ukrainian community along with other supporters gathered outside the Russian consulate this weekend. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…

Ukraine solidarity protests continued across Canada. But the one on Parliament Hill shared space with opposition to COVID-19 mandates, but Justin Trudeau was off to meetings that included the Queen. And while Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev had a show cancelled in Vancouver, Sum 41 called off summer concerts they had planned in both Moscow and Kyiv.

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Rahaf returns with a tell-all

Daily Mail Femail @Femail

Escape from Saudi Arabia: Woman, 21, reveals her mother threatened to 'burn' her for 'dishonouring' the family

dailymail.co.ukThe reality of modern life in Saudi Arabia as a womanIn Rebel: My Escape from Saudi Arabia to Freedom, Rahaf Mohammed, now 21, explains how her family controlled what she wore, and even how she was allowed to sit.

The escape of teenager Rahaf Mohammed from abuse by her Saudi family, which involved some Twitter intervention as she was detained in Bangkok, ended with her being granted Canadian asylum in January 2019. What sounded like the stuff of a good book is now one called Rebel: My Escape from Saudi Arabia to Freedom, now covered in the Daily Mail.

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Patrick Brown says he’ll soon announce whether he’s running to lead the federal Conservatives. The mayor of Brampton, Ontario, has until April 19 to join what’s still officially a field of one hoping to take over on September 10. Brown managed to get elected after one scandal, but his dealings as mayor have been delivering new conflict stories.

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Journalism school confidential

A year ago, Ryerson University student Jonathan Bradley filed a human rights complaint for being fired from the Eyeopener newspaper for his views. The case was quietly settled last fall. His byline has since appeared at Canadaland, and more often at True North. And now here’s a rant from the aftermath:

Quillette @Quillette

"My experience showed me how small cliques of activist students are now permitted to call the shots at places such as the Ryerson School of Journalism"

quillette.comI Signed Up to Study Journalism. What They Taught Me Was ActivismEven by the hyper-progressive standards of the Canadian education sector, Ryerson University in Toronto has distinguished itself as being unusually energetic in its social justice messaging. Last spring, Indigenous activists destroyed the statue of the university’s namesake, Egerton Ryerson, on the…

Leonard Cohen’s estate has sold his entire 278–title song catalogue. The deal adds to the portfolio of the Hipgnosis Songs Fund, whose purchases for undisclosed sums have stoked the streak of acquisitions. Later this year, the Leonard business continues with the publication of a long-lost 1965 novel.

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Finally, some mean, mean stride

“Tom Sawyer” will get its album opening position enhanced on Rush’s upcoming 40th anniversary edition of Moving Pictures, whose cover was shot at the Ontario Legislature. Sooner than that, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau releases Jacob’s Ladder, which traces how progressive rock brought him religion: