I said I wouldn’t cover the G20 riots. It’s the same thing every summit – a peaceful protest march is met with a show of police force, someone makes the first move, a riot breaks out for the cameras, the protestors are blamed, and everyone forgets about it by the next week.
Instead, I attended a friend’s barbeque in west Toronto. By chance, I ended up only two blocks away from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre during the mayhem Saturday evening.
The story begins in Hamilton. A friend picked me up at The Spectator building around 3:00 p.m. We drove towards Toronto listening to reports of the rioting occurring within the city. As we approached Ford Drive, we decided to head for highway 401 planning to take highway 427 to Dundas Street to avoid the Gardiner Expressway which we assumed would be closed.
Passing Pearson Airport, I caught a view of the United States Air Force One. We merged onto the 427, where we quickly hit a wall of traffic – all exits from the 401 to QEW were closed. There went our brilliant plan. Listening on the radio, we were told the Gardiner had been closed and all traffic was being diverted onto the Hamilton-bound QEW – great, we’re back to square one.
We crawled south and noticed a passing motorcade – the case of all our troubles. Finally we reached the QEW, when suddenly the OPP blocking the Gardiner moved out of position and the highway was reopened. As a bonus, we had an open highway with OPP escort – two cruisers leaving the area – in front of us. …

I received an email late last night asking “Joey, I thought The Olympia (33 floors) was the 2nd tallest bldg in Hamilton. How high is 100 King?”

Here’s my response:

The Olympia has more floors at 33, but is “only” 98.0 m tall. The Stelco Tower is 103.0 m.
Thank you for posing the question. If you’re interested, Hamilton’s urbanist community has posted the information to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Hamilton,_Ontario

I made an error in my article. I stated that All Saints Church is on Queen Street North. I know better and should have realized the mistake. All Saints is on Queen Street South. I regret this error and am quite embarrassed to have made it. …

I know I’m a little late on this horse, but I feel I need to speak to it. Jon Stewart of The Daily Show put the spotlight on one of the worse practices of some journalists – valuing their “special relationships” and access to the subjects they are suppose to cover over their seemingly not-so-special relationships with the readers they are suppose to be working for.

The Huffington Post does a great round-up of what I’m referring to:

Jon Stewart Mocks Media Reaction To Michael Hastings’ Ability To Do Actual Journalism

I take great pride in being “blacklisted” by many in the Canadian higher education establishment because of my honest reporting of what occurs within the university sector.

My job is to make sure public institutions are accountable and transparent to the public. I want Canadian universities to be successful, and I firmly believe the best way for them to succeed is by being honest, transparent, and accountable.

When a reporter worries more about access than reporting the honest unfiltered truth, everyone loses.

It is for this reason that I don’t mind being ignored by a few public relations representatives.

I’ve been very fortunate to have started my journalism career under the direction of Tony Keller who was my managing editor at Maclean’s. He always stood behind me and always supported me when universities called to complain about my coverage.

He stood behind my editor and I when we reported the hard truths that nobody else was willing to report.

I often wonder if I would value access as much as some other journalists if I had not been guided by a managing editor that valued getting the full truth – no matter how uncomfortable – over getting “exclusives” and “special access” handed to our publication as a reward for being docile. …

My 2010 earthquake story

The Spectator’s Jeff Mahoney will be on the hot seat tomorrow at the Art Gallery of Hamilton following a controversial column he penned about an AGH fundraiser.

I don’t really know much about the AGH event and haven’t paid enough attention to the controversy to speak to it myself. (The whole high society beat doesn’t interest me)

I’m attending the event to learn exactly what complaints the AGH holds against Mahoney’s column – is it that he wrote what happened? (there are some in the media that sugarcoat or avoid uncomfortable truths), do they disagree with his interpretation of events at the fundraiser? or was he wrong?

The festivities begin at 3:30pm at the AGH in downtown Hamilton. Admission to the “show” is free and includes the opportunity to walk throughout all Gallery exhibitions for free. (I’m actually going to arrive early and take advantage of the freebie)

My BlackBerry is in for repair. If I’m able to get some free WirelessHamilton signal on my netbook, I’m be blogging the event.

Full event details are online. …

I keep saying that I’ll update this blog and never do.

I use Twitter, but complain that 140 characters isn’t enough to express all short ideas.

I use this blog, but think I have to express long ideas.

I’ve started to think of this blog as a similar format to my GlobeCampus “blog” online column.

I need to stop and just write.

Here goes:

It 1610 and I’m at Wentworth and Stinson. It’s been a productive day, but the results won’t make today’s publishing deadline. I have a more important deadline to meet – at 1630 the new editor-in-chief will be addressing the news room at the Spectator building.

I don’t have to be there – the new editor seems the type that prefers I be out of the building reporting on stories – but I rather hear his remarks for myself.

So, I have twenty minutes to get on the bus, ride to Dundurn, run to the Spec building, run up the stairs, and find my place.

Will I make it?

Update: I made it a little late, but before the speaking had ended. …