GroundWire is a monthly dose of grassroots independent journalism from the campus community radio sector of Canada and a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association.

The May 2009 Edition of GroundWire is available for listening online! More information here at the NCRA’s Program Exchange.

This month:

* Adam Fox brings us a CJAM station report
* Kristin Schwartz reports on Barrick Gold’s Annual General Meeting
* Catherine Fisher speaks with representatives of the Sinixt about their land claims
* Kelly Ebbels tells us about an exciting new bike initiative: Velo Libre
* Tariq Jeeroburkhan compares Paul Robeson and George Galloway
* Plus national and international headlines, and national event listings!

All this and more on GroundWire!  This month’s edition was produced by CHRY in Toronto.

I’ve been working with the Community Radio Fund of Canada for quite a while now. I’ve been consulting there since April of this year, but I’ve been working with a group of people to get this started since the fall of 2004. It’s quite exciting and something I’m very proud of. We held our first Annual General Meeting (AGM) and board elections on September 30. And coming up in about a week and a half, that first board is going to meet here in Ottawa. If you are interested, check it out at www.communityradiofund.org. The front page talks about the board, and the minutes from the AGM and reports are on the “Governance and Documents” page.

MP3: click here

Headlines: Court drops most of the charges against Shawn Brant, Aaron Lakoff (CKUT); Adam Gould from Membertou Radio and David Parker from CKDU on the recently held Mikmaw Gathering on Moose; Day of Action to Stop the Attack on Abortion, David Koch and Gretchen King (CKUT);

Features: Naomi Klein focusing on the economic crisis in the US and its implications for Canadian voters, by Sharmeen Khan (CHRY); Derailing the Olympic Spirit Train by Aaron Chubb (CJSR); Unclear future for Uranium mining in Nova Scotia by David Parker (CKDU); Courtney Kirkby on the Ontario Mining Act consultation process (CKUT); Review of historical strike in Sudbury in 78-79 and exploring the significance of the strike for todays labour policies in the extractive industries in Canada, by Amy Miller; Queen’s Pow Wow, by Christopher Currie (CFRC).

Recording Location: CKUT 90.3fm (Montreal, Qc)

RUNS: 30m41s

GroundWire is a 29-minute news radio program featuring headlines, reports and features from the community radio sector in Canada. The program aims to be a strong, reliable, high-quality newscast, engaging the audience with geographically and culturally diverse features that address issues of interest to specific communities as well as to a national audience.

On this month’s GroundWire, the August Six Nations Gathering, over a hundred people meet in Tatamagouche Nova Scotia for FreeSchool, and an in-depth look into the Tar Sands in Alberta. Plus headlines on a strike at Montreal’s largest hostel, Bill C484 replaced by Bill C543, and a union drive at Queen’s University.

Credits: Tim Crabtree, David Parker, Noel Thomas, Aaron Lakoff, David Koch, Gretchen King, Kate Lerman, and Courtney Kirkby.
Recording Location: CKUT 90.3fm (Montreal, Qc)
RUNS: 28m04s
Program Details on the NCRA Program Exchange
Download the MP3