REGINA, Saskatchewan—Arizona investigative journalist John Dougherty’s cross-Canada tour showing his documentary film “Flin Flon Flim Flam” was featured last week in a Canadian newspaper story and a one-hour radio show hosted by Amnesty International.
The radio interview was broadcast live on CJTR 91.3 FM in Regina and is available as a podcast from Amnesty International’s Human Rights Radio. The wide-ranging interview discussed the key facets of the documentary that focuses on Toronto-based Hudbay Minerals’ worldwide operations in Manitoba, Guatemala, Peru and Arizona.
The issues highlighted in Dougherty’s film continue to receive national and international attention. Just today, the Toronto Star reported on the far-reaching implications of criminal and civil legal proceedings occurring in both Guatemalan and Canadian courts regarding the murder of a leader of a local indigenous community in that Central American country. In today’s, article Hudbay remarkably would not acknowledge whether or not it is paying the legal costs of the alleged murderer.
The Toronto Star article comes on top of an April New York Times article critical of Hudbay’s role in the same case.
The Flin Flon Reminder noted in its June 16 story that Mr. Dougherty is advocating for broader responsibility by mining companies in their relationships with communities that are economically dependent on the companies.
“The mining companies need, I think, to be held responsible for maintaining the society that they created,” said the veteran journalist.
Dougherty believes companies must do more than fill in the holes of their mines when their operations close: they should make substantial contributions to economic development and help retrain displaced workers.
Mr. Dougherty added a special field screening on Saturday to show the film to Indigenous people and their supporters who have created an encampment in downtown Regina on federal property to protest conditions in Canada’s First Nations.
The Regina protest, along with others in cities across Canada, is featured in a May 20 story on Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now.
Mr. Dougherty will show the film Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Globe Cinema in Calgary before traveling to Edmonton for a 4 p.m. show on Saturday at the Metro Cinema/Garneau Theatre.
All screenings are free and followed by a question/answer session.
The tour continues in July with screenings at 7 p.m., July 9 at the Okanagan College Lecture Theatre, Kelowna; 3 p.m., July 10 at the Salmar Classic in Salmon Arm; 7 p.m., July 12 at the Cinematheque in Vancouver, and 7 p.m., July 15 at The Vic in Victoria.
Contact Mr. Dougherty to have the film shown in your community.
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