Saturday digest: Downtown squatters; travel ban upheld; Vikings on fire
When you’re in St. John’s, you might well walk right by an abandoned house without noticing something’s amiss. Take a closer look, though, and you notice things. The electrical meter is missing, or the paint is flaking away. Sometimes, there’s a more obvious clue, like wooden boards where a window pane ought to be.
Ariana Kelland did an interesting report for CBC this week on abandoned homes and the safety concerns for residents. At one house on Gower Street in the downtown, squatters have been moving in, and while a rear window is now boarded up, residents are not feeling much more assured.
The city has options, but they’re limited. Tax sales are one of them; here’s a list from last year, including the Gower Street property, which has been vacant for a decade since the owner’s death, but was by then removed from tax sale. (The current owner did not respond to Kelland’s request for comment.)
As Mayor Danny Breen told Kelland, recent reductions in court staffing have gotten in the way of the city’s efforts to enforce its own rules. “[It] is frustrating to us and it slows down the process,” Breen said, adding that the most the city can even fine is $5,000. If a house is basically abandoned, and the costs of a tear-down or a significant repair are so much more, that’s not much of a threat or incentive to act.
Breen said the city is hoping the City of St. John’s Act — which is provincial legislation — can be amended. “The fine is not that significant,” Breen said.
There’s a whole other conversation needed, of course, about what would drive squatters to find shelter in an abandoned house in the first place, and the social services and remedies needed there. Those issues would also have to land not just at city hall, but Confederation Building.
Some other things to note in this week’s digest:
Travel ban upheld
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Friday that Newfoundland and Labrador’s controversial travel ban during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 was constitutional. The ruling brings an end to an effect of a health crisis that was starting to spiral almost six years ago. Later that spring, Kim Taylor was unable to travel back to Newfoundland for her mom’s funeral. Her case was supported by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Here is the court ruling. Interestingly, Malcolm Rowe, a Newfoundlander on the bench, dissented in part with the majority decision, as he has a different interpretation of specific parts of the Charter.
How Canadian skaters brought new listeners to a powerful song
I’m quite sure ours is not the only Canadian household to have been fascinated with Piper Gillies and Paul Poirier’s dazzling ice skating performance this week at the Winter Olympics in Milan … nor with the music they chose.
Martha tracked down the cover of Don McLean’s Vincent, by a British duo named Govardo, who recorded their version eight years ago and more recently adapted it for Piper & Paul’s performance.
Videos like the one below have found a whole new audience this week. It’s enchanting, and of course McLean’s 1971 tribute to Vincent van Gogh, and his recognition of the devastation of mental illness, still hits the heart.
This is your brain (and the rest of your body) on alcohol
There’s a fascinating piece in the New York Times about what happens from the moment you sip a beer or a bit of booze. Or a lot more than that. A gift link is provided here.
CTV closes its streaming app
I noticed something this week: CTV is phasing out its dedicated streaming app. The idea is to put more under its Crave umbrella (the brand is flourishing, in part lately to Heated Rivalry). CTV is also putting more of an accent on its FAST (that stands for free, ad-supported television) channels, which have been growing rapidly as consumers continue to migrate with changes in available smart technologies.
The many, many details in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show
Yep, people are still talking about Bad Bunny’s performance at the Super Bowl. The politics have been kind of wild; I found it exuberant, but I was also wanting to know more about the cascade of visual details as they flew by. The YouTube channel New Rockstars — which usually does deep dives into the likes of Marvel and Star Wars productions — enlisted guest contributor Kennya Rivera to get into the nitty gritty of dozens of easter eggs. You certainly will look differently at Lady Gaga’s dress, among other things.
Bring out the dragon of fire
Earlier this week, I was reading about a winter festival in the Shetland islands that featured fire, exuberant marches and Viking-style longships.
Could Up Helly Aa be real? Oh yes. I found this video (among other things), and it reveals plenty. As Liz Lemon said on 30 Rock, I want to go to there.