Rag Trade

This morning, on our front porch, we found a copy the May 2010 edition of the Ward 31 News. At first glance this appeared to be another in the long line of harmless community newspapers that circulate around the city. Upon closer inspection I realized that "harmless" would be the last word I would use to describe this rag.

Right there, on the front page, in an editorial entitled "Vote NO to Smitherman" was this nice piece of hate speech:

"Furious" George (nicknamed for his aggressive and abrasive manner) and his hubby have been approved as adoptive parents by the Toronto Children's Aid Society.....not that there's anything right with that. Obviously, educated citizens do not approve.

The rest of the article, and in fact the entire paper, is riddled with inaccuracies, typos and difficult to read, often incoherent ranting. So, who is the brain trust behind this bastian of journalistic integrity? A quick google search of the Editor, one LeRoy St. Germaine revealed not a journalist, but a music festival producer with a troubled relationship with City Hall.


A disturbingly naïve profile of LeRoy St. Germaine on Walrus Magazine's blog, where they paint him as some sort of anti-establishment hero, reveals that he started the newspaper (and two others like it for different wards) to feed his personal vendettas against certain members of city council, most notably Sandra Bussin (Ward 32) and Janet Davis (Ward 31). The blogger at The Walrus asked him how he started up his newspapers:

I picked up the telephone and started pitching ads. You know what? I’ve watched this [Toronto councillor Sandra] Bussin for a few years now, okay? And her actions disgust me… I’m just a guy who’s not into unjust and unfair things. That’s all. I’ve been in the sales game all my life and selling ad space is nothing new to me. So what do I need to put out a newspaper? The ability to raise the money, which is to sell space. And the ability to write a little bit, which I have. I’ve seen too much of this Bussin, I’ve seen her crush the little people around here. I’ve seen the conspiracy of it all. I’ve seen the games they play, and I thought, ‘somebody’s got to get even with you’.

Now, I'm not worried about Bussin or Davis or Smitherman or any of the politicians that he attacks in his newpapers. Dealing with public dissent is part of being a public servant. They can take care of themselves. In fact, Bussin appears to be suing St. Germaine with a little help from Toronto's tax payers.

What worries me is the kind of hate speech, that he so casually tossed around in the Smitherman editorial, being spread around my neighbourhood every month. The only way St. Germaine can continue to print his rags is if he continues to raise advertising money from local businesses. As someone new to small business ownership, I understand all too well the desire to reach local consumers. It is my hope that the advertisers in St. Germaine's papers don't know about the kind of hate he espouses and that once it is pointed out to them they will realize that their advertising dollars are better spent elsewhere.

It took 4 redirections on the newspaper's helplessly out of date website to find a rate card for his advertising, but what I discovered is that companies like Marble Slab Creamery who have a colour ad on 1/3 of the front page of the May 2010 edition of Ward 31 News likely spent somewhere in the neighbourhood of $800.00 to be associated with St. Germaine's hateful ranting.

I should acknowledge that this is a personal, memoir style blog. I realize you're used to hearing me talk about my photography, pop culture and my pregnancy. I don't get political here too often and certainly not in a way that isn't more...abstract. The thing is, this is personal to me. This neighbourhood is where I've decided to put down roots. I've spent a great deal of money getting into the real estate market in Ward 31. This is where we are going to raise our family. And I'm not going to take this kind of hate speech landing on my front porch lying down.

I hope that, whether you are a resident of Ward 31 or not, you will join me in this attempt to shine a light on LeRoy St. Germaine's hate speech and show his advertisers that where they spend their advertising dollars matters. I have sent this blog post on to all the advertisers in this issue (listed below) and hope that they will respond in a positive manner. Until that time, I will be boycotting their establishments and services and hope that you will do the same.

Please feel free to link to this post, email your friends and contacts, call and email the advertisers and in fact, give LeRoy St. Germaine a call at 416-693-6325. No apathy...let's put a stop to this.

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Fabutan
844 Danforth Avenue
416-423-7778

ANA Renovation Services
1543 Kingston Road
416-699-6549

Henley Health Group
Moravac Chiropody Professional Corp.
1089 Kingston Road
416-698-1844

Metric Renovations Ltd.
905-660-6164

Dog & Pet Service
"Call Marlene"
416-694-4059

QS Nails & Spa
1089 Kingston Road Unit 7B
416-694-8999

Right at Home Realty Inc.
Bruce Palait, Sales Representative
Direct Line: 416-200-7479

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UPDATE

The following businesses have pulled their ads from Ward 31 News in response to the call for a boycott. I am very grateful to them for their swift, positive responses. May their positive actions not go unnoticed! Let's SUPPORT the businesses that are no longer advertising with Ward 31 News!

D&G Trophies
1517 O'Connor Drive
416-694-2698

The Feathers Pub
926 Kingston Road
416-694-0443

TNT Custom Contracting
647-686-1046

IGS Systems
1268 Danforth Avenue
416-461-6090

Marble Slab Creamery
2032 Queen Street East
416-691-7522

Celestial Stained Glass
862 Kingston Road
416-691-1422

Aske Canada
2813 Danforth Avenue
416-694-3963

Centres for Early Learning
391 Dawes Road
416-755-8348

Fairney & Sons Contractors Ltd.
416-659-7003

Dr. Cirone, Chiropractor
Victoria Park Chiropractic Rehab Centre
3100 Danforth Avenue
416-691-8717

Tire Depot
3465 Danforth Avenue
416-699-5535

Agni Restaurant
2825 Danforth Avenue
416-699-1177