On Thursday, June 17, with the G8/G20 summits just around the corner, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper led a procession of wealthy bankers through the streets of Toronto.

Harper and his bankers were followed by a human oil slick. Overworked tax-payers scrambled behind the oil slick with mops and brooms to clean up the mess while Harper and his bankers counted their giant $1billion bills.

The action, which was organized by the At the Table Coalition, was a tongue-in-cheek commentary on spending for the G8 and G20 summits when foreign aid has been frozen and Canada’s fair share on climate adaptation has yet to be paid.

Stephen Harper leading a procession of wealthy bankers through the financial district of downtown Toronto.

Marching with Stephen Harper, wealthy bankers count their giant billion dollar bills.

The text on the billion dollar bills read: "the winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. Now they're almost gone and I miss the outdoor rinks."

Harper and his bankers were followed closely by a human oil spill.

Human Oil Spill

Oil

The human oil spill was followed by a group of overworked tax payers cleaning up the mess.

Tax payers cleaning up the mess behind by Harper and the bankers.

Banker steals from tax payer.

Harper makes sure the tax payers don't miss a spot.

$450+ billion from the Robin Hood Tax.

More info on the Financial Transaction (aka Robin Hood) Tax HERE

The human oil spill passes by the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Banker profits from oil spill.

$173 billion a year saved by renewable energy.

Harper Oil Spill

Harper dancing around the issues.

Invest in the future now.

Mommy worries about the future.

More information at: atthetable2010.org

Spanish version of Someone Else’s Treasure – Guatemala multimedia piece:

On Saturday, June 5, 2010, human rights and community organizations mobilized to join an emergency Global Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) Day of Action called by the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC). In Toronto, protesters condemned the fatal attacks by Israel on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the occupied and [...]

Other international delegates included: FELICIANO ORELLANA: is a representative of the Commission for Justice and Peace of the Franciscan Family, in the Department of Jutiapa in eastern Guatemala. Employed by Goldcorp subsidiary Entre Mares in 1998 as one of the first employee, he later got hired in 2008 and suffered an almost Fatal accident on [...]

Mining (in)justice: at home and abroad is a conference on the Canadian mining industry (including Tar Sands) set to take place in Toronto on the weekend of May 7-9, 2010. It will feature leaders in movements against Canadian mining companies both within and outside of Canada and provide space for growing our own movements in [...]

On Tuesday April 20, blurry eyed Torontonians were greeted by a fabled character on their early morning commute. Starting at Yonge and Sheppard station three fearless actors performed skits on subway cars down the Yonge line to Union Station introducing the public to the Robin Hood Tax. (read on at robinhoodtax.ca) Below is a video [...]

As part of the 2010 CONTACT Photography Festival, Someone Else’s Treasure will be on display at Leonardo Galleries from May 1st- May 22nd. Opening Reception on Thursday May 6, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm Location: Leonardo Galleries Street: 133 Avenue Road City/Town: Toronto, ON View Map Broken promises, environmental disasters, human rights abuses, and cultural genocide, [...]

Indigenous representatives from Papua New Guinea and Chile traveled to Canada this week to speak at Barrick Gold’s annual shareholders meeting. At Barrick’s Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea, complaints include house burnings, forced displacement, and a food security crisis caused by the mine’s expanding waste dumps. At Barrick’s Pascua Lama project on the border of Chile [...]

April 7, 2010, Toronto – On World Health Day, members of Grassy Narrows First Nation lead a march of over 250 people to the seat of the Provincial Government at Queen’s Park. The Grassy Narrows People have travelled 1,800 km to deliver their demands for restitution for mercury poisoning whose health effects in the community [...]

April 1st, 2010, Rainforest Action Network Toronto naming Royal Bank of Canada the Fossil Fool of the Year 2010, for being the leading financier of the Tar Sands oil projects. Music: Kevin MacLeod

Someone Else’s Treasure is an ongoing multimedia project which brings to light some of the experiences of indigenous communities around the world that have been impacted by the global mining industry – including communities in the Philippines, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Chile, Canada, and Guatemala. This multimedia piece focuses on communities in San Marcos, [...]

Over 170 people gathered outside the Royal Bank of Canada’s Annual General Meeting on March 3rd to protest the bank’s leading role in funding the Alberta tar sands.  People concerned with the impact of tar sands projects on First Nations, water quality and the climate came from all over the country to tell RBC to [...]

I just finished designing a couple posters for the Rainforest Action Network, advertising their upcoming rally at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) shareholders meeting.  The rally will be at 2pm on March 3rd at the Metro Convention Center in Toronto. The text on the poster reads: On March 3rd, the Royal Bank of Canada [...]

The sights and sounds from the streets of Copenhagen during the COP15 Climate Conference. As broad frustration grew with the direction of the COP15 negotiations, international networks of people’s movements, civil society groups, indigenous peoples organizations and grassroots activists united to expose the COP process as undemocratic, unjust, and inadequate to deal with the scale [...]

Within the Department of San Marcos, in the western highlands of Guatemala, the Marlin Mine is located along the border between the municipalities of San Miguel Ixtahuacán and Sipakapa. These communities are largely composed of Indigenous Mayans who speak their traditional languages in addition to Spanish. 85% of the mine is located in San Miguel Ixtahacán, where [...]

As the COP 15 climate talks entered their final days and world leaders converged on Copenhagen, thousands demonstrated in the streets of Copenhagen as part of the “Reclaim Power” movement.  As broad frustration grew with the content and direction of the climate negotiations, two international networks of people’s movements, civil society groups, Indigenous Peoples Organizations [...]

From the Reclaim Power Protest in Copenhagen, Denmark, outside the COP15 Climate Conference on Wednesday 16 December.  (more to come)

Tar Sands protest outside Canadian Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the COP15 Climate Conference. The protest was led by the Indigenous Environmental Network. Speakers: Mother & daughter Susan and Eriel Deranger from the Athabasca Chipewan First Nation, just downriver from the Tar Sands oil projects in Alberta, Canada.

Nearly a hundred people gathered outside the Canadian Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, to demand climate justice for indigenous communities that are being impacted by the tar sands. Besides these photos, I also video recorded the speeches made by the speakers at the protest.  Some of the speakers included Francois Paulette of Fort Smith First Nation, Naomi [...]

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, towards the COP15 United Nations Climate Conference to demand that the leaders sign a fair, ambitious, and binding agreement. Organizers estimated that there may have been as many as 100,000 people taking part in the march; police estimates put the figure at 40,000. [...]