FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1998 All Rights Reserved.
| NEWS Women to march in annual Take Back the Night Women in Calgary will gather together Saturday, September 26 to Take Back the Night, as they have done every year since 1981. The annual march brings women together to mourn their fallen sisters, empower them as individuals to continue the struggle, and nurture their sense of community and solidarity. The event reminds people that violence is still very much a part of women's lives everywhere. It also challenges people to continue to fight violence against women in all its forms, overt and systemic. Statistics from a 1994 report by the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women show that among Canadian women, 33 per cent have been sexually assaulted, 51 per cent have experienced physical or sexual violence, 39 per cent fear being home alone in the evening, 60 per cent fear walking around their community after dark, and 76 per cent fear using public transit after dark. The overall theme of this year's march is violence against women, with the focus on poverty as violence. The rally will begin at 7 p.m. at Memorial Park (4th Street and 12th Avenue SW) with the march commencing at approximately 8 p.m. A post-march celebration will be held at the Carpenter's Union Hall (301 - 10th Street NW) starting at 9 p.m., with women-owned business booths and entertainment. Admission is free and the events are wheelchair accessible. Supportive men are invited to attend the rally and celebration, but are asked to respect the symbolic importance of women and children marching unescorted - men can show their support during the march by wearing a white armband (provided at the rally) and lining the parade route, or by volunteering at the event. For more information about Take Back the Night, contact The Women's Centre at 264-1155 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. Calgarians to join nation in annual AIDS Walk On Sunday, September 27, Canadians from over 80 communities across the country will walk to support AIDS services. The 1998 Calgary AIDS Walk will raise funds to help AIDS Calgary and the S.H.A.R.P. Foundation in their efforts to raise support and awareness for HIV/AIDS - "A disease without a known cure or vaccine." Calgarians are invited to come out and pledge their support for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in Calgary and across the nation. This year's walk will start and finish at Eau Claire Plaza, with five-kilometre and eight-kilometre routes, and a festival of activities at the finish line. Pledge forms are available at Gap, Le Chateau, Royal Bank and Canada Safeway. Registration runs from 8:30 a.m. to 10: 30 a.m., followed by a warm-up at 10:30 a.m. and the walk at 11 a.m. For more information about the walk, call 541-WALK. Alberta air quality consistently good Recent monitoring shows that Alberta's air quality is consistent with its top rating over the last 10 years, according to Alberta Environmental Protection (AEP). Based on the Alberta Index of the Quality of Air (IQUA), the frequency of "good" ratings was within two per cent of the 10-year average at Edmonton Central, Calgary Central, Calgary East and Fort Saskatchewan stations during the second quarter of 1998 (April to June). "Good," the highest rating, means there are no known harmful effects to soil, water, vegetation, animals, visibility or human health. The same frequency was from three to 10-per-cent less than the 10-year average at Edmonton Northwest, Edmonton East and Calgary Northwest stations, with a corresponding increase in "fair" ratings. "Fair" means there is adequate protection against harmful effects. Rating changes were attributed to an increase in naturally produced ground-level ozone, likely due to the warm and dry spring weather. The IQUA is calculated every hour and the index is used to rate air quality - good, fair, poor or very poor - based on five pollutants. For current ratings, call 250-2099 or check the Internet. Group challenging flouride campaign The Calgary Regional Health Authority (CRHA) is misleading the public and using taxpayers dollars to do so, says a local group of Calgarians who have gone to court in an effort to stop it. The group alleges that the CRHA has: misappropriated public funds, misled the public as to the costs of water fluoridation, omitted information of the known harm derived from water fluoridation, and put false and misleading information in their promotional material. According to a media release, the group believes the CRHA has a duty to provide the full information regarding water fluoridation. A hearing is scheduled for September 29 at 10 a.m. at Court of Queen's Bench. |