Headlines:

-The Alberta foster care system has come under fire for being too secretive with no external advocate for children. Sam Kriviak and Nick Workman | CJSR, Edmonton and CHRW, London

-Activist David Pepper is mobilizing queer communities and allies to increase public awareness to sponsor queer refugees to Canada. Melissa Albiani |CKDU, Halifax

-A mega quarry has been proposed at the headwaters of several major rivers in the middle of prime agricultural land. Carly Forbes | CFRU, Guelph

Community Radio Report:

-CFRC in Kingston is launching a program to bring Kingston prisoners messages from loved ones. Ed von Aderkas | CHRW, London

Features:

-Walk 4 Justice is a cross-country walk from Vancouver to Ottawa over the summer to raise awareness and call for justice for Canada’s missing and murdered women. We speak with Gladys Radek, one of the co-founders of the walk. Sam Kriviak | CJSR, Edmonton

-The BC Civil Liberties Association is launching a lawsuit to challenge Canada’s laws prohibiting legalized assisted suicide. Grace Pastine, litigation director for the BC Civil Liberties Association and Rhonde Wiebe, co-chair of the Ending of Life Ethics Committee on the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, present two sides of this complex discussion. Jason Vermes |VoicePrint

-AQSAzine is a grassroots arts organization by and for young women and trans people who self-identify as Muslim. Farrah Khan, an AQSAzine member, talks about some of the issues they are seeking to address.  Ellie Gordon-Moershel and Sam Kriviak | CFRO, Vancouver and CJSR, Edmonton

-Canada’s ship Tahrir, part of the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, attempted to make a break for it after being forbidden to leave from Greece. David Heath was on the boat and outlines what happened. Ed von Aderkas | CHRW, London

GroundWire is listener supported - to donate see www.ncra.ca. To contribute to an edition or sponsor GroundWire, emailgroundwireprod@gmail.com.