- Briarpatch
"Briarpatch" is an independent alternative news magazine in
Saskatchewan ,Canada . Originating in the 1970s as an anti-poverty newsletter, the magazine aims to provide a forum for disadvantaged peoples and progressive movements working to change unjust structures and build a genuine political and economic democracy. "Briarpatch" supports peace, equality, democracy, social justice, Aboriginal self-determination, and the protection of the environment. "Briarpatch" opposes the oppression of people on the basis of nation, class, race, gender, ability, and sexual orientation."Briarpatch" is published eight times a year by Briarpatch Incorporated, an independent non-profit organization. "Briarpatch" is a member of the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association and the staff are members of RWDSU Local 568.
"Briarpatch" is printed by union labour on recycled paper using vegetable-based ink, the [http://www.briarpatchmagazine.com/"Briarpatch" website] is hosted on servers powered by wind energy, and the editor hauls stuff around (with zero emissions) using a Cargo Sport Utility Trailer.
History
On August 24, 1973, a ten-page newsletter called "Notes from the Briarpatch" was published using a Gestetner machine. A subscription only cost $2 a year. For the next three years, the newsletter provided a forum for low-income earners, welfare recipients and the unemployed. "Briarpatch" soon added extra pages and began covering a broader range of issues.
"Briarpatch" finally became a magazine with a two-colour cover and two staples in 1976. When it's publisher, the Saskatchewan Council of Anti-Poverty Organizations (SCAPO), disbanded, the Briarpatch Society was founded to publish the magazine. The Society continued to receive funding from the Saskatchewan Social Services Department originally obtained by SCAPO back in 1973.
The magazine became increasingly involved in covering issues relevant to women, trade unionists, and farmers. As anti-uranium activities increased throughout Saskatchewan, "Briarpatch" increasingly supported their efforts. This shift in emphasis began to annoy
Allan Blakeney 's NDP government, which supported uranium development. In 1979, the provincial government cancelled Briarpatch 's $54,000-a-year funding because they claimed the magazine no longer reflected its low-income origins. Many Briarpatch supporters felt the real reason was Briarpatch's vocal criticism of the province's embrace ofuranium mining.Donations began to flood in and a number of innovative fundraising events were developed that, over the years, have managed to keep "Briarpatch" afloat. These fundraising efforts include benefit dances and concerts, fundraiser dinners, kitchen parties, garage sales, bottle drives, art raffles, and swim-a-thons.
Briarpatch's finances took another hit on September 27, 1996, when the publication received a registered letter from Revenue Canada informing the magazine that "Briarpatch" had "ceased to be a registered charity." "Briarpatch" had achieved charitable status in 1975, but in 1987, in the midst of Briarpatch's fierce criticisms of the provincial Tory government of
Grant Devine , Revenue Canada audited the publication and determined that the magazine no longer fit their criteria.A lawyer worked on behalf of "Briarpatch" for free, keeping the lawsuits from publication's door for the next eight years. But the case was finally lost in the Federal Court of Appeal, and as a result, "Briarpatch" can no longer issue tax receipts to their donors.
Since 1973, "Briarpatch" has provided news, analysis, and opinions on a wide variety of issues. As
Maude Barlow says, "Briarpatch" is "one of the few voices that will still challenge the corporate agenda and present workable alternatives." Fact|June, 2007|date=June 2007External links
* [http://www.briarpatchmagazine.com/ Briarpatch Magazine Online]
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