Ulture Tyson Kelsall Culture Editor arsha Walia, currently a Vancouver-based activist, has just released her first book via AK Press in the Anarchist Interventions series. Walia is a member of No One Is Illegal, and a grassroots activist in her own right, especially within the area of Vancouver’s downtown eastside; so, the work is not an analysis done by a far-off academic, but by a woman on the front line. Walia points out in an interview with the Canadian Dimension that she had fears of individualizing this anti-oppressive movement with the release of her book, which is probably why she is far from being the only contributor. As a collective shapes the current struggle, and the actions are more successful when people are working together, the book reflects this, deliberately or not. The book consists of several separate accounts from migrants, Walia Takes On Migrant Justice a dialogue between other activists on their stances and theories, and a preface by prominent feminist and intellectual Andrea Smith. The book itself, Undoing Border Imperialism, manages a unique, strong balance of being quantitative and qualitative, experiential and investigative, creative and academic, and all that is within a concise, accessible style of writing. The book features poetry, prose, and textbook-style, logical/rational writings. Undoing Border Imperialism ties together many oppressed groups and social movements, with a distinctive focus on the parallels between colonialism and the oppression of migrants, especially migrants of colour. With an underlying theme that global capitalism is dependent on the global flow of capital, while still punishing the global movement of the labour, especially the labourers (who are Postal Canada: End of an Era Tyson Kelsall Culture Editor WwW the ever-growing, universal accessibility to electronic communication, for many the phasing out of Canada Post’s home delivery was definitely on the horizon. For some, perhaps it was further away, a slow procedure. After all, for many urbanites, having the mailperson drop by each morning has been a tradition since the 1880s. However, some did not see it coming at all. In fact, many critics of Canada Post’s plan argue that this was the worst possible route to take. This argument stems from four main factors: Canada Post has been a profiting entity for 18 of the last 19 years, there will be 6,000-8,000 jobs permanently gone, certain segments of the population who rely on Canada Post’s home delivery could be further isolated and/or marginalized and, lastly, some see economic solutions based on postal services in other countries. The only year Canada Post did not profit in the past 19 years was in 2011, in which there was a long strike. So, as journalist Ethan Cox points out, the only year where Canada Post was in the red was more due to politics, and not a lack of usage from the Canadian population. Labour groups, including the CUPW (Canadian Union of Postal Works), of course, have also lamented the job loss. Canada Post management has argued that many of the jobs that will be phased out would come through retirements. However, the number of employment opportunities will surely be fewer, as there will be less work to be done. It brings up the question of whether a crown-corporation which is profiting should be cutting jobs. When it comes to taxpayer- subsidized programs which are run like businesses, it also creates the question of whether the consumer should be treated as a customer or a shareowner. Theoretically, house delivery is most needed by people who have physical difficulties walking, whether due to age or disability of some kind, especially in the parts of Canada with long, harsh winters. Deepak Chopra, the most vulnerable) and must move to follow the capital accumulation: money moves freely, but there are borders put onto people. The book converges on the great paradox of constructing certain people to be illegal, while the government itself is often acting illegally on non-ceded Indigenous lands within the borders of Canada and the USA, and especially within British Columbia, where a great majority of the land has never been legally given up. However, it also outlines differences felt within this web of solidarity, and the difficulties of certain contexts when it comes to mobilization and action. For example, if someone is about to be unjustly deported from Canada, but does not recognize other forms of oppression, such as feminism, and acts harmfully towards women, how does a feminist activist play a role in this person or group’s liberation? Within these linked groups, there is much overlap in _CANADA > rr working against the current system and power structures; however, there are also different priorities and means of getting to the end goal. Undoing Border Imperialism succeeds in covering the basic understanding of the violence and oppression brought on by the state, both by the creation of certain policies and the ignorance of historical Indigenous laws; as well as covering the power of community, whilst articulating big and small victories that have been achieved over the past years. However, it also delves into the more profound details, the problems and the positives inside the world of social justice activism. Lastly, it possesses a certain urgency for people to stand up and act, now. As the blurb on the back cover indicates, activists should probably have a copy of this book in their backpacks. oo Post Office Be ese _ Is time running out for Canada’s public postal service? CEO of Canada Post, t, argued that senior citizens would welcome the extra exercise, which was criticized harshly. In some other countries, where the question of whether or not the time of the public postal service has reached its end, they expanded their services using the infrastructure that was already in place, instead of phasing it out. For example, Germany has postal banks, which provide citizens easy banking access, as well as low costs. In Canada’s rural communities, where there are already post offices, this has been seen as one useful alternative to shrinking services provided by Canada Post. Prince George is perhaps the ideal Canada Post town in which to analyze the debate on whether or not house delivery is essential postal service. With its isolated, yet somewhat large population and winter weather, the people of Prince George have a fairly good excuse to demand home delivery. For some, the community mailboxes may not be a big ordeal; it might enhance their relationship with their neighbours as they bump into the same people over and over again. On the other hand, for some sections of the population, communication through postal services might become impossible on an icy day. In any case, a tradition is shedding its skin, and a new era of communication is upon us.