Miss Vicky’s Offhand Remarks

a photo of Edward Fulgø's "Colony". a painting featuring birds dressed in business suits.

On Bro Politics

I will never forget the time my mother warned me not to refer to myself as a feminist. It was the mid-eighties, during my first or second year of university, and I was home for a visit. She did so in hushed tones, as if it was a shameful label

Book cover, Cynthia Miller-Idriss’s Man Up: The Hew Misogyny and the rise of violent extremism

on hate, and the work ahead

Last week at the invitation of a friend of mine, l attended a networking discussion and an evening book launch hosted by a really interesting research partnership at Carleton University. They were hosting a conference of researchers on Hate, Conspiracy Theories and the challenge to democracy, and the public component

A black pamphlet with white and green lettering, with black and white photos of the 5 current NDP leadership candidates. Above them are pictures of Tommy Douglas, MJ Coldwell, and Jack Layt

Putting your money where your values are

Here's the thing. Any good campaign - in politics or outside of politics - costs money. Campaigns on a national scale can cost a lot of money. When the NDP announced the rules for its leadership race, there was a lot of chatter about the $100k entry fee.

A couple sits casually together. He is bald, wearing sunglesses. She has brown hair, is smiling and has her arms draped over his legs. Both are holding empty glasses

My Uncle Lee

This week we lost my uncle Lee Smallman. OK, he wasn't my uncle - he was my dad's cousin. But for all intents and purposes, he was an uncle to me and to my siblings, and his kids (the closest in age to us in our

A circular fire pit made of brick, with a contemplative wood fire burning inside.

Leadership Musings

A lot of folks have started to ask me if I’m working for or supporting a candidate for leadership. So I’m going to come clean: not yet. It’s early days in this race, and it’s entirely possible others will join in before January. I want to

An woman with shoulder-length wavy gray hair smiles at the camera. She is wearing glasses, a rust coloured turtleneck and a dark gray fleece vest. She sits in front of a bookcase. She has

On Paulette

Last week I attended the celebration of life of one of the best of us. Paulette Dozois, former archivist, indefatigable community volunteer, staunch New Democrat and Hintonburg champion, has left a massive hole in the hearts of many. This was reflected by the crowd that gathered at Tom Brown arena

Stages of Political Grief

If you were a follower of the first iteration of Miss Vicky's Offhand Remarks, you'll know that I am a longtime New Democrat and a proponent of progressive politics generally. So as you can imagine, the last several months have been challenging. Like many New Democrats,

A woman pictured from behind, hiking along a pathway that overlooks the ocean. She is using turquoise hiking poles and is wearing a teal backpack.

Get this party started

It’s been more than 20 years since I first launched Miss Vicky’s Offhand Remarks, a blog about feminism, politics, and my neighbourhood. I loved writing, loved the friends I made and the connections throughout my community that it brought, whether it was local businesses, artists, activists, media. It

Reflections of a Canadian Gen X feminist

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