MAKING PEACE VIGIL Newsletter - August 9, 2026

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MAKING PEACE VIGIL Newsletter - August 9, 2026


WANTED: CALLS FOR PITCHES FROM SASKDISPATCH
For this issue, we’re looking to focus on the current push to fund and support AI, whether that be integrating it into workspaces or petitions to build data centres in the province. Suggested approaches include: environmental impact, a look at who is pushing for data centres and who is pushing against, a look at the protests happening throughout the province, a critical look at the potential economic impact, and any other approaches writers are interested in exploring.
Broadly, we’re always looking for pitches covering provincial and municipal elections, grassroots activism, rural stories, Indigenous rights, arts and culture, economic justice, ecology, gender equity, harm reduction, and more.
Submission Guidelines
We welcome pitches from unpublished writers, seasoned freelancers, front-line activists, and anyone with a compelling story.
Pitches should be sent to [ amielle@briarpatchmagazine.com ].
Include contact information, an estimated word count, a list of recent publications (if applicable), and a short writing sample.
Submissions should be aimed at a progressive, non-specialist audience and avoid unnecessarily complicated language.
Once a pitch has been accepted, we’ll go through 2-4 rounds of collaborative edits that will last over several weeks.
Rates
$100 for profiles, short essays, and reviews (less than 1,000 words);
$200 for feature stories (1,000-1,500 words) and photo essays;
$300 for research-based articles and investigative reportage (1,500-2,000 words).


SPECIAL READING & VIEWING & LISTENING: RALLY FOR SOCIAL HOUSING


ADVOCATES ASKING WHY A SOCIAL HOUSING PROPERTY IS NOW AN EMPTY LOT
[ https://www.sasktoday.ca/provincial-new ... t-12638003 ]


ADVOCATES DEMAND REGINA BUILD MORE SOCIAL HOUSING UNITS
[ https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.7299117 ]


REGINA ORGANIZATIONS CALLING FOR NEW HOUSING PLAN
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPd36fIyq4U ]


GOOD READING & VIEWING & LISTENING

TENT COMMUNITY NEAR DOWNTOWN REGINA RETURNS
[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVhaVqb2uIc ]


CITY OF REGINA SET TO FOLLOW SASKATOON BY DRAFTING AI DATA CENTRE POLICY
[ https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/c ... r-AA29yWQ2 ]


10 YEARS LATER, COLTEN BOUSHIE'S FAMILY SAYS STEREOTYPES, MISTRUTHS STILL SURROUND HIS DEATH
[ https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/col ... -9.7298801 ]


2 SASK. RESTAURANT OPERATORS CONVICTED OF TRAFFICKING WOMAN FROM BANGLADESH
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatch ... -9.7300366 ]


SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT SPENT $17,401 ON TWO FLIGHTS BETWEEN REGINA AND SASKATOON
[ https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/saska ... -saskatoon ]


SASKPOWER DISPUTES ALLEGATION THAT COAL POWER WAS EXTENDED FOR AI DATA CENTRE
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatch ... -9.7298398 ]


ALBERTA GOVERNMENT PUBLISHES PRO DATA CENTRE PROPAGANDA
[ https://rabble.ca/politics/canadian-pol ... Newsletter ]


AMID GROWING FEARS OF ROGUE AI, EXPERT URGES GOVERNMENTS TO “BRING THIS TO A GRINDING HALT”
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2026/8/6/ai ]


ECONOMIST BAKER EXPLAINS: AI BUBBLE ABOUT TO BURST
[ https://therealnews.com/economist-baker ... t-to-burst ]


WHITE SUPREMACIST MEETING SHAKES RESIDENTS OF ALBERTA TOWN
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/large-wh ... -9.7297070 ]


IN ALBERTA, REFERENDUMS MUST SERVE SMITH’S AIMS ONLY
[ https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2026/08/03/ ... rve-Smith/ ]


HAMILTON ANTI-RACISM GROUPS GIVE TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID UNWITTINGLY RENTING VENUES TO GROUPS DEEMED EXTREMIST
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton ... -9.7299728 ]


SHANNEN’S DREAM, by Charlie Angus
[ https://charlieangus.substack.com/p/shannens-dream ]


WHO WILL PROTEST CARNEY’S RICH FRIENDS BUYING CANADA? by Yves Engler
[ https://yvesengler.com/2026/08/09/who-w ... ng-canada/ ]


HOW CANADA’S ELITE ARE SELLING MARK CARNEY’S MASSIVE MILITARY BUILDUP
[ https://breachmedia.ca/how-canadas-elit ... y-buildup/ ]


CANADA TURNS ITS BACK ON UN PEACEKEEPING AT THE WORST POSSIBLE MOMENT
[ https://www.peacequest.ca/p/pm-carney-t ... acekeeping ]


CBC Radio One airs major correction to claim that West Bank is “disputed territory”
[ https://www.cjpmemap.ca/impact_2026_08_04_cbc ]


CLIMATE CHANGE MADE CANADIAN WILDFIRES IN N.W.T. AND ONTARIO ROUGHLY TWICE AS LIKELY, ANALYSIS FINDS
[ https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/wwa-stu ... -9.7297131 ]


WE MOBILIZE TO PUT FIRES OUT, BUT NOT YET TO PREVENT THEM, by Seth Klein
[ https://sethdklein.substack.com/p/we-mo ... es-out-but ]


COGNITIVE DISSONANCE UNDERLIES OIL AND GAS PUSH, by David Suzuki
[ https://davidsuzuki.org/story/cognitive ... -gas-push/ ]

“FIRE CLIMATE”: HOT, DRY, WINDY DAYS ARE BECOMING COMMON, MAKING WILDFIRES HARDER TO CONTROL
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2026/8/6/spokane_fires ]


WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT, by Charlie Angus
[ https://charlieangus.substack.com/p/wha ... p-at-night ]


WHY THE IRAN WAR WON’T END SOON.
[ https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/why- ... end-soon-w ]


ISRAEL'S BRUTAL RETALIATION AGAINST IMPRISONED PALESTINIAN DOCTORS SEEKING LEGAL APPEALS
[ https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/doctor-h ... dical-gaza ]


“THE POTLUCK”: MUSICAL EXPLORES TRAUMA OF 1979 GREENSBORO KKK MASSACRE OF 5 ANTIRACIST ACTIVISTS
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2026/8/7/g ... re_musical ]


DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED ON HISTORIC MICHIGAN WIN: “PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THIS POLITICS OF HATRED”
[ https://www.democracynow.org/2026/8/7/abdul_el_sayed ]


RESIST US IMPERIALIST WARS OF AGGRESSION AND NUCLEAR BULLYING
[ https://peoplesstruggle.org/en/resist-u ... -bullying/ ]


THE NEW FOREVER WARS
[ https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-s ... rever-wars ]


EVENTS, WEBINARS, TV PROGRAMS, & FILMS


THURSDAY AUGUST 13, 11:30 AM: ONLINE DISCUSSION—END THE 500-YEAR WAR AGAINST AFRICA NOW!
[ https://actionnetwork.org/events/end-th ... ica-now-2/ ]


SATURDAY AUGUST 15, 10 am: SANCTION ISRAEL NOW—CAMPAIGN LAUNCH
[ https://ijvcanada.zoom.us/webinar/regis ... DNur-USY1Q ]


SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 10 am-4 pm: QU’APPELLE VALLEY ASSOCIATION PUBLIC GATHERING, ST. ANDREW'S UNITED CHURCH HALL IN FORT QU'APPELLE
The theme of the forum will be "Protecting Prairie Waters, Habitats and Health." The keynote speaker will be Dr. Peter Leavitt who will talk about his latest research on the health of prairie waters.
There will also be a panel of speakers dealing with many topics including concentration of ownership of agricultural land, farmers' concerns regarding lack of drainage regulations, Indigenous land rights, data centres, the need to address the growing dependence on fossil fuels for our electrical grid, youth climate action, and more. All are welcome.


NEW PETITIONS & OTHER ACTIONS

TAKE ACTION TO END HOMELESSNESS
[ https://action.caeh.ca/nhs-letter ]


BUILD A BETTER FUTURE, NOT NEW PIPELINES
[[ https://act.environmentaldefence.ca/pag ... 4/action/1 ]


TAX GIANT AGRIBUSINESS COMPANIES THAT ARE DESTROYING CRITICAL ECOSYSTEMS BY DRIVING RAMPANT DEFORESTATION!
[ https://action.foe.org/page/101294/acti ... id=5862862 ]


TELL BOEM TO STOP LETTING GREEDY FOSSIL FUEL POLLUTERS DRILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO!
[ https://action.foe.org/page/101270/acti ... id=5851346 ]

- Making Peace Vigil