Bully: The Movie

Alex, Kelby

I watched the movie Bully recently. It's a movie that I've been wanting to see ever since it came out in 2011. Directed by Lee Hirsch it's a documentary about peer to peer bullying in the American public school system. I'm sure what happened there can be extrapolated to include most schools worldwide.

While the subject of bullying isn't new it's still very painful to watch. The film follows a number of young students around and documents the abuse they endure each time the set foot outside their homes.

Kids are picked on (to an alarming degree) both physically and mentally because they are smaller, skinnier, look different or because of their sexual orientation. They are ostracized, put down and tormented constantly. Sometimes they manage to cope with help from their family or close friends. But, tragically, some find suicide their only escape.

I believe part of the problem (at least in this movie) lies with the school and the school board. They're either ignorant about the problem or they don't care enough to do anything about it. They say things like, "Kids will be kids." as if that's a valid excuse to ignore bullying. Of course, Kids will be kids. But, sometimes they have trouble grasping how damaging their taunting can be. As educators it's your job to teach them.

As well, intolerance is bred into some communities. There are so-called "Christian" communities in the U.S. (and elsewhere I'm sure) which preach hatred. Young people who don't fit in (i.e. gay or lesbian) are shunned. And it goes even further. Not only are they shunned, but their families are too. It's disgraceful. I suppose this is a worldwide problem.

One scene that infuriated me was when the principal at one school takes a young bullying victim aside after recess and asks him how he's doing. He's upset and tells her that this fellow has been bullying him. It's something that's been going on for awhile. The principal sees the bully and calls him over and tells the two of them (victim and bully) to shake hands as if this will magically mend fences. The victim refuses and is admonished by the principal. She tells him he's as bad as the bully for not shaking his hand (which is pretty f**k'd up if you ask me). He already feels like sh*t and you're making him feel even worse. Good job, you moron. The victim tells her the bully doesn't mean it and is just going through the motions, but the principal doesn't seem to understand. She seems to believe all the children under her stead are gentle, harmless souls without any fault.

One of the saddest moments was when one young boy (who was probably around 8 or 9) helped carry the casket of one of his friends (similar age) at his funeral. This was after he committed suicide due to being excessively bullied. It was heartbreaking. He (the boy who helped carry the casket) was once a bully himself, but realized the error of his ways and befriended this young lad. Still, this friendship wasn't enough to suppress the immense pain this lad felt and keep him from taking his own life.

I think this movie is a must see for anyone 8-years-old and up. It's such a valuable teaching tool and is sure to have a positive impact on anyone who watches it.

Remembrance Day, 2011

I went to the Remembrance Day service at Old City Hall today. It was my first time attending it there. A couple of years ago I attended the service at Queen's Park with Premier McGuinty speaking. This time our mayor, Rob Ford, spoke.

By the time 11:00 a.m. rolled around, quite a crowd had amassed around the cenotaph. There were veterans and their guests, news crews and the general public. It was a nice service even though it was quite chilly out.

The bells at Old City Hall tolled at 11 o'clock. Then there were two minutes of silence. An elderly vet and young student read out In Flanders Fields afterward. There were musical interludes with hymns, the national anthem and other songs sung too.

At the end many different organizations laid wreathes of remembrance at the base of the cenotaph there. A time to pay tribute to all the men and women who've made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms we so often take for granted.

Congratulations, Cadel Evans

Tour de France runner up Andy Schleck, winner Cadel Evans, and third place finisher Frank Schelck

The 2011 Tour de France finished last Sunday (July 24th) after three grueling weeks of riding. 34-year-old, Australian, Cadel Evans emerged the winner. I believe he's the second oldest winner since the Tour first started in 1903.

It turned out to be a very exciting race. There were a few main contenders for the GC (General Classification). Along with Cadel Evans, runner up in 2007 and 2008, there was three-time winner (2007, 2009, 2010) Spaniard, Alberto Contador, and two-time runner up (2009, 2010) Andy Schelck from Luxembourg.

In the Lance Armstrong era things had gotten a bit stale. He was so dominant that no one else was given a chance. But, after he retired things changed.

This year it was pretty much wide open. From day to day one ride would perform well, whilst another would falter. Andy Schleck seemed to have seized control of the race on the last day riding in the Alps taking a 57 second lead over Evans.

It all came down to the individual time trial on the penultimate day of the race. A 42.5 kilometre circuit around Grenoble, France. No teammates to rely on. Just you against the clock.

The bar was set high by Brit Tony Martin. He finished with a time of 55:33. No one challenged until the third last rider of the day, Cadel Evans. He went out guns a blazing. When the dust settled he had nearly bested Martin's ride finishing only 7 seconds in arrears.

That was far too quick for final rider of the day and yellow jersey wearer, Andy Schleck, to overcome. He finished in 17th place 2:38 behind Martin and, more importantly, 2:31 behind Evans. That wiped out his 57 second advantage of the day before and his dream of wearing yellow in Paris.

The Maillot Jaune wasn't the only jersey that was up for grabs in the final few days of the Tour. The Green (Points) jersey (for the best sprinter) was decided on the last day in Paris too. Brit, Mark Cavendish, nicknamed the Manx Missle because he hails from the Isle of Man and that's the language they speak there, took the honours.

Over the course of the race there were many different flat stage winners. But, Mark Cavendish, was the most dominant winning five. With 334 points total he bested Spanish rider, Jose Joaquin Rojas (272 points) and Belgium champ, Philippe Gilbert with 236.

A shout out goes to the 2008 Olympic road race champ, Samuel Sanchez, from Spain who won the Polka Dot jersey for best climber, and Pierre Rolland from France who won the White jersey for best young rider (under age 26).

2011 Toronto Pride Parade

I went to the 2011 Pride Parade this year. It's the third parade I've attended over the years. I like going. It's always a lively, colourful event. As long as it doesn't conflict with my boarding home visit then I'll try to make it.

I went with my friend Kerry this year. We met for lunch at Rol Jui after church. I was worried about not getting a good spot if I stopped for lunch, but we still got there on time. I was only behind one row of spectators. But, since I'm fairly tall I managed to shoot over them (or between them).

It was a hot, sunny day. You had to make sure you kept hydrated or you could get into trouble. I have to say I didn't drink any water, so I was getting pretty baked. That's the sacrifice I was willing to make not to lose my spot so I could get some good photos. My friend Kerry stood in the shade of a building further back. So he was a bit more comfortable than me.

As usual, the parade was long, but upbeat. I heard there were over 1 million people who either participated or lined the parade route. One notable exception was the mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford. It was the first time the sitting mayor has missed the parade in many years. Supposedly he was at a family retreat north of the city.

Nevertheless, I think it's his duty to support an event this big. Pride week is a huge event here in Toronto. It brings in visitors from all over the world and a lot of money for local businesses. To snub it is to marginalize the LGBT community. Even the former mayor, David Miller, was there, not to mention federal NDP leader, Jack Layton, and his wife Olivia Chow and Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

So, even though I'm a Rob Ford supporter in general, boo to you for missing the boat on this one Mr. Mayor.

Check out my shots here.

2011 Doors Open Toronto Pt. II

Since St. James Cathedral was less than five minutes away from the King Eddie. I made an unscheduled stop there. It may seem odd, but it was the first time I've ever gone in to take pictures there.

(From the 2011 Doors Open Toronto site) Built of local brick and Ohio limestone in the Gothic Revival style. this is the fourth church to be built on the site. The former Cathedral was destroyed in the fire that destroyed much of the Old Town in 1849, and Cumberland's design was the winning entry an international competition. It features the highest church tower in Canada, higher than the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, and houses the only peal of 12 bells in the country. There are only two towers higher in England - those of Norwich and Salisbury Cathedrals. Wooden features within the Cathedral are the work of Jacques and Hay furniture manufacturers in Toronto in the mid 19th Century who worked in close cooperation with the architect. While the stained glass windows are largely English, there are also those of German, American and Canadian manufacture. The most recent of these by Stuart Reid of Toronto was unveiled by The Queen in 1997 to mark our 200th anniversary. This church dates back to the founding of the city and was also the site of this city's first hospital. The rectory is the site of the first publicly funded school, now Jarvis Collegiate.

Time was getting short now. It was 3:45 p.m. and I had a few places I still wanted to see. I quickly went to the Metropolitan United Church on 56 Queen Street East (beside St. Michael's Hospital).

(From the 2011 Doors Open Toronto site) Metropolitan United Church began in 1818 in what is now the commercial heart of Toronto. The first building was a small Methodist chapel located on nearby King Street. The population of the city and membership in the church grew, so in 1831 it moved into the Newgate Methodist Episcopal Church, to accommodate 1,000 people.In 1868 the Methodist Church constructed Metropolitan Wesleyan Methodist Church, which was dedicated in 1872. The building seated 2,300 and was described as Canada's "cathedral of Methodism." The United Church of Canada was formed in 1925 by the union of Methodist and Congregational and two-thirds of the Presbyterian churches in Canada. Metropolitan Wesleyan Methodist became Metropolitan United and was chosen as the site of the first General Council of the United Church. In 1928 when fire destroyed the church building the congregation commissioned a redesigned structure. The largest organ in Canada, built by Casavant Freres in Quebec, was installed and first played in 1930. The organ has 8,233 pipes.

Next was the Toronto Hydro Corporation at 14 Carlton Street East (just east of Yonge). It was pretty disappointing. It's a beautiful looking building, but they only opened the lobby to visitors. On the bright side it gave me time to try and see Canada's National Ballet School.

(From the 2011 Doors Open Toronto site) Toronto Hydro’s Head Office Building at 14 Carlton Street was constructed from 1931 - 1933 by A.W. Robertson Company with designs by architects Chapman and Oxley with associate Albert E. Salisbury. At the time, its neighbours were Maple Leaf Gardens and Eaton’s College Park. The building features an Art Deco style and displays a linear composition, with gargoyles peering down at pedestrians walking by. The structure consists of steel and concrete and is faced with Queenston limestone and trimmed with marble copper. In 1991, the building was designated as a historic site.

As stated before my last stop was Canada's National Ballet School at 400 Jarvis Street (just north of Carlton Street). It almost never happened. I got there at a little after 4:30 p.m. I didn't realize the last time of admittance was at 4:30. I thought it might have been 5:00 p.m. But, that's actually when they're supposed to close to visitors probably. There were a few people standing in line to go in. The security guards said they were sorry, but they wouldn't let any more people in. Luckily one of the volunteers giving the tours came by and let us in. This is another site I was interested in seeing. But, in previous years cameras weren't allowed in. This year they changed their tune. I was really happy about that.

(From the 2011 Doors Open Toronto site) Canada's National Ballet School graces Jarvis Street with a landmark, glass-fronted suite of studios. Formerly the CBC radio headquarters, NBS' campus now mixes historical & contemporary architecture in a multi-award winning campus. Visitors will tour the Celia Franca Centre - the contemporary building - and see how the historical and modern buildings are respectfully amalgamated.

2011 Doors Open Toronto Pt. I

I went to Door Open Toronto again this past Saturday. I enjoy going. There are a lot of neat buildings here to take photos of. I wish I had a bit more time, but, unfortunately, I could only go one out of the two days it was on.

It took me a little while to plan my route. I took the subway to Union Station and started there. From there I went across the street to the Fairmount Royal York. It wasn't actually one of the Doors Open sites, but it was nearby, so I dropped by anyway.

The next stop, 401 Wellington Street West, Stantec Architecture (which was formerly the McGregor Socks Factory) was my first official Doors Open stop. This was one place I've been interested in seeing in previous years, but never got around to it.

(From the 2011 Doors Open Toronto site) Formerly the McGregor Sock Factory, the Stantec Toronto Studio is located in the historic Garment District at the corner of Spadina Avenue and Wellington Street West. Originally constructed in 1905, the timber post and beam building offers the perfect opportunity to reclaim, transform and recycle a piece of the city’s industrial heritage.

Stantec's architects and engineers designed a flexible, high-quality workspace that fosters collaboration, innovation, sustainable design excellence and our commitment to city building. The retrofit gives back to the city; economically, environmentally and culturally. With that in mind, the original retail entrance is reconceived as a public contemporary art gallery, in support of public art in the city.

The LEED®-CI Gold environmental agenda was achieved through a variety of methods including: indirect and low wattage task lighting, daylight and occupancy sensors, low flow showers, solar powered faucets, dual flush toilets, efficient underfloor air distribution and a number of green materials including the use of reclaimed 400-year old pine from Toronto’s Queen’s Wharf to create a feature screen.

Next stop on my route was Hotel Victoria on 56 Yonge Street (at Wellington).

(From the 2011 Doors Open Toronto site) The Hotel Victoria constructed in 1909 during the Edwardian period began its illustrious life as the Hotel Mossop. It was the first completely fireproof building ever in Toronto erected after the great fire of 1904 that levelled most of the surrounding landmarks.

The hotel's charm and intimate embellishments make it a welcome respite for the weary traveler; having gone through a complete renovation. The hotel has maintained its delineation as a heritage property but, with an enhanced contemporary look. The new sleek and elegant lobby and warm updated rooms feature a mix of classic and designed furnishings.

I went to the nearby King Edward Hotel at 37 King Street East (just east of Yonge) after. I should have read the description in the paper before I went. The website surely didn't shed any light on what they offered for people to view. It was just the 17th floor of the hotel which is currently under renovation. It's the former grand ballroom I believe. I didn't think it was that interesting. Certainly not worth waiting in line for (which I did).

(From the 2011 Doors Open Toronto site) Built in the French Renaissance style in 1903, Le Méridien King Edward is the first luxury hotel in Toronto and has played host to past kings and modern royalty. Step through the door and you will be returned to old world traditions and comforts with the lobby’s large marble columns, bright skylight and warm artful décor.