Saturday, February 02, 2008

Miss Toronto Tourism

Happy Imbolc, everyone. This just in… Canada’s three groundhogs – Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam, Ontario’s Wiarton Willie, and our own Balzac Billy – unanimously agree that there will be an early spring (Welcome news after the last week or so!). However, Punxsutawney Phil is calling for a long winter Stateside.

On a more serious note, some of you have heard about the latest Canadian pagan cause célèbre. Stephanie Conover, the reigning Miss Canada Plus, had been asked to be a judge at the Miss Toronto Tourism Pageant, but her invitation was withdrawn two weeks ago, when it was discovered that she practises Reiki and uses the Tarot. She also admits to being Wiccan. Quoted in the Toronto Star, pageant director Karen Murray explained, “We need a Judge who has an upright reputation and we would be proud to introduce to the audience. Tarot Card reading and Reiki are the occult and not acceptable by God, Jews, Muslims or Christians. Tarot card reading is witchcraft and is used by Witches, Spiritists and Mediums to consult the dark world….We hope that Stephanie Conover will turn from these belief systems and will repent from her practice of them.”
According to spokespeople from the City of Toronto and the Tourism Toronto, the pageant is independent and not associated with either. According to its website, http://www.misstorontotourism.com, the winner of the pageant is used to fundraise for various charities, and one of the qualifying factors is that the contestants (and by extension, the judges) must be “of good character”. What that means is obviously up to the organizers, and in this case, it excludes practising Tarot and Reiki. Then again, according to the Facebook group, “I support Stephanie Conover”, recent reports indicate that two pageant directors are also directors of Man and Woman Union, a lobby opposing same-sex marriage in Canada. (Pots and kettles…)
In reaction, several Facebook groups have sprung up, and there has been lively discussion in various e-groups. The Toronto pagan community has mobilized, and will be picketing the pageant Saturday night.
There is no doubt that this will be another crucible for pagan rights in Canada, much like the Sam Wagar case in British Columbia several years ago. I fully support the efforts to have Ms. Conover re-instated, on moral if not legal terms. And it is an opportunity to promote the reputation of paganism in Canada against conservative prejudice. Still, I’m trying to be a bit more pragmatic about all this, wondering if this is all a tempest in a teapot. If one can presume to judge from the website, the pageant is a small-potatoes affair, a private organization with its own rules. Here it’s a case of an invitation being withdrawn, and not an employment contract. The issue might be even more high-profile if a contestant was refused because of her religion, but a judge? It does put the case on interesting legal ground.
If the pageant was worried about their reputation before, it may have shot itself in the foot now. 16 of the 18 sponsors have pulled out, and one really wonders about the pageant’s future viability. Perhaps they would have been better off not to announce those bits of Ms. Conover’s bio, and saved themselves the embarrassment.
(From articles in the National Post, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, and Facebook )

February's Birthdays: Ary, Mandy C., Margarian, Selena, Megan, Sandra M., Bryn, Rikki, Sheri F., Gwyn, and probably some of my Facebook friends. (Whew! There’s gotta be something about that “Merry Month of May”!)

February Events:
Note these events are listed for information purposes only. Dates and locations may be subject to change; see the source for details. If I’ve missed anyone and you’d like to add to this listing, please contact me. Next deadline: Feb. 24.

Feb 2: Groundhog Day Breakfast at Balzac Community Centre. Balzac Billy prognosticates at 8:10 a.m. Info: http://www.balzacbilly.com
Feb. 2: COGCOA Coffee Cauldron. Info: info (at) cogcoa (dot) ab (dot) ca
Feb. 6, 8:44 p.m.: New Moon. Luis (Rowan) lunar month begins.
Feb. 9, 6:00 p.m.: Calgary Pagan Potluck: Vasant Panchami (Hindu) Celebration. Info: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/calgarycommunitypotlucks
Feb. 13: Pagan Night Out. Info: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CalgaryPaganNightOut/
Feb. 14, 7:00 p.m. Pagan Paths at the Witchery.
Feb. 15-17: COGCOA Winter Mysteries
Feb. 18: Family Day
Feb. 19, 7:00 p.m.: Calgary Witches Meetup, hosted by yours truly, in south Calgary. Info: http://witches.meetup.com/1322/
Feb. 20, 8:30 p.m.: Full (Wolf) Moon.
Feb. 28, 6:00 p.m.: Calgary Druid Meetup, hosted by Athelia. http://druid.meetup.com/93
Feb. 29: Leap Day

Blessings,
Hergest