By Faisal Kutty, Washington Report
THE Canadian Peace Alliance, the country’s largest umbrella group of peace and justice organizations, held its 20th Anniversary Conference Nov. 11 to 13 on Parliament Hill in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. The conference was co-sponsored by Muslim Presence Ottawa.
The conference, titled “Challenging Canada’s Role in Empire,” featured a number of workshops and seminars covering Canada’s complicity in the U.S. occupation of Haiti and Afghanistan; Resisting Bush’s war crimes: the case for asylum for U.S. war resisters (see article p. 46); GI Resistance: Vietnam to today; …

By Faisal Kutty, Washington Report, January/February 2006, pages 46-47
A FEDERAL court in Toronto has agreed to hear an appeal from an American soldier turned down for refugee status in Canada after refusing to serve in Iraq. If he is sent back to the U.S., Jeremy Hinzman faces a court martial and the possibility of up to five years in jail as a deserter.
Hinzman joined the elite infantry division, the 82nd Airborne, about three years ago. He served in a noncombat role in Afghanistan and was later turned down by the …

From CTV Toronto
The makeshift Yonge Street memorial for slain 15-year-old Jane Creba has become too large for its home outside of Foot Locker where the teen was killed.
With the support of Creba’s family, the rapid accumulation of stuffed animals, flowers, posters, notes and candles has been removed from the spot of her death by city officials.
“We understand that the messages and other items left on Yonge Street in Jane’s memory have been removed,” Creba’s family said in a statement Monday. “We feel it is an appropriate time for that to …

By Joshua Errett, Torontoist
On Yonge Street just north of Elm Street, in front of the store in which 15-year-old Jane Creba killed by an errant bullet, a group of about 200 gathered to mourn the deaths of all those killed by guns in 2005. There was a moment of silence before each candle was dedicated to a shooting victim; one candle for any one of the 52 victims. Organizer Himy Syed placed his candle down for Jane Creba.
Around 5 pm, one lane of traffic on Yonge …

By Natalie Alcoba, National Post
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
( Photo Credit: Brent Foster, National Post )
A week to the minute that a 15-year-old Toronto girl was gunned down on the city’s busiest strip, a crowd of people huddled around her makeshift memorial and pledged to reclaim their city from the clutches of gun violence.
A moment of silence at 5:19 p.m. marked the time Jane Creba was killed in front of the Foot Locker store on Yonge Street, south of Gerrard Street, on Boxing Day.
The vigil, meant to honour …

By Joshua Errett, Torontoist
Tonight, photopia photoblogger HiMY SYeD invites the city to join a moment of silence and candlelight vigil for all victims of gun violence in 2004 2005. He attemted a vigil last Tuesday, 24 hours after the shooting, and has since regrouped for a more organized effort. A website, with a blog, pictures and information, has been set up for the event by Mr. Syed. More details about the vigil and moment of silence:
- A candlelight vigil along both sides of Yonge Street from at least Elm …