Travel issues broaden the mind at Briarpatch

Timed for the start of the winter holiday season, Briarpatch magazine has taken on tourism and there are some thought-provoking, possibly guilt-inducing and consciousness-raising articles in its November issue. Among the contents:

• They managed to land a high profile lead story by George Monbiot, a very well respected columnist for the Guardian, about the moral implications of travel.
• There's a disturbingly thorough piece detailing the impact of ocean cruising called "The Attack of the Oversized Playpen" by Ross Klein, a professor from Memorial University in Newfoundland.
• And a heart-breaking article by Nichole Huck of Regina (a director of Briarpatch) about the dilemmas of being on the receiving end of begging children while travelling.
  

It strikes me that this relatively small, obstreperously leftist, magazine, based in Regina, is doing a lot of good, investigative stories that we don't read many other places, wearing its heart on its sleeve but delivering quite the combination punch of fact and opinion.

(A few years ago, Briarpatch lost its provincial funding and its charitable status under dubious circumstances after some fierce criticisms of the Saskatchewan government. Now, it carries its outlaw status as a badge of honour and says it may be one of the few magazines in Canada that receives more revenue from its loyal donor base than it does in subscriptions.)

Its website and archive are well worth a visit. A sub is $24.61 a year for 8 issues.