Windsor. Ontario takes a hit from an ice storm that features electrical outages and significant ice accretion. Be that as it may, I take time from my usual subject matter of late and concentrate on form, shape, and composition of ice and trees from two walks.

General and evolving portfolio featuring portraits and long term projects.

Making Home book print files for the upcoming book published by Black Moss Press. The book is about alternative temporary housing for homeless people during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Kitchener and Waterloo area.

Peeks into Process was a seven day open workshop from 08 June 2022 to 14 June 2022 in Windsor, Ontario. There were studio drop in and photodance workshop components. The participants were Louise Paquette, a dancer, Mary Jo Mullins, a choreographer, and me. This was my second collaboration with Mary Jo. Our first was the successful Stone and Sky art residency in September 2021 on Pelee Island, Ontario. Peeks into Process is funded in part by an Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance Grant. More information about OAC is found here: www.arts.on.ca

Peace Quatrains is the seventh collaboration with Jeff Noonan, a university philosophy professor. There are twelve poems---four line quatrains---and twelve photographs in a handmade, 4.5 inch by 6.5 inch handmade book. Jeff's introduction connects the poems to the Ukraine war. You may purchase the book online here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/2Y7X7VDJBWC73/checkout/TPZWI5GMB6VWHU7PCISG2Y56

Freedom Convoy blockades traffic to and from the United States near the Ambassador Bridge in February 2022 In Windsor, Ontario. The protestors are successful in closing one of Canada's major commercial trading crossings, which the local police are evidently allow, until a complete removal of protesters on 13 February 2022. Next up, the Emergencies Act.

Collette Broeders, a performance and visual artist from LaSalle, and Ed Janzen, a visual media and performance artist from Windsor, worked together and individually on various projects during their Stone and Sky residency in July 2021 on Pelee Island. I felt strongly connected to their work and process. This gallery is a mix of art documentation and art making by the artists.

"The Mission" is about some of the guests, volunteers, and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Downtown Mission in Windsor, Ontario. The book of the same name is published in December 2020 by Black Moss Press of Windsor, Ontario. Note these are the book reproduction grade files sized to nine inches at the longest side. Larger sizes available upon request.

These are the final toned images used for publication for "In the Face of It" published by Black Moss Press, Windsor, Canada on 04 April 2019. The book is a compilation of my work from the 1980s to 2010s, ranging from public protests to rural healthcare.

Paul Thistle archive taken by others and him in Zimbabwe and Canada of his work and family. Other copyright holders gave Paul permission to use the photos. In turn he granted me permission to distribute these images. My involvement is to help reduce Paul's photo administration burden--he is busy enough. The photos are available for free for use supporting Thistle's good work at Karanda. Some conditions apply mostly related to stating the intention of the use of the images.

I visited Dadaab in 1997. As we touched down on the dirt airstrip, two machine gun mounted jeeps drove along side us. We took an armed convoy to Hagadera Camp. The next day we took an even more heavily armed convoy for a short visit to Ifo Camp. The Dadaab refugee camp complex in northern Kenya is one of the largest in the world. They were formed more than twenty five years ago and mainly house Somalis fleeing or forced out of that country’s civil war. I was completely unprepared for daily life at a refugee camp. At the time, I was in Kenya working on a street photography project. I accepted an offer from a friend working with the Canadian Red Cross to visit Dadaab. I knew absolutely nothing about the situation. My stay was short and memorable. It was my first introduction to Islam. I was startled to see a functioning society: schools; shops; local government. I listened to horrific stories about women being raped while searching for firewood outside the camp perimeter. Seven years later I visited several internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in northern Uganda. If Dadaab was and is the high water mark for refugee camps, then the Uganda IDP camps were the worst of human settlements. The northern Uganda experience scarred me especially concerning IDP camps. The Government of Kenya started relocating Somali refugees from Dadaab in November 2013 after the Westage Mall attack. They made a decision to close the camps after the Al-Shabaab attack on Garissa University in April 2015. The camps were to close in 2015 then the date was expended to November 2016 and now I read the closure may be as late as December 2018. The repatriation efforts are voluntary at this point. Those who agree to return to Somalia are given a free bus ride and US$400. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports from the period of 8 Dec 2014 to 30 Sep 2016 exactly 32,949 people have been voluntarily repatriated. Of that total, the agency reports 26,848 people left in 2016. I am not certain what those people are returning to. My 1997 interviews suggested most of the refugees were fleeing because they were the wrong tribe. I was intrigued to discover many of the refugees I encountered were professionals and business owners. Not what I expected. Further I understand many are arriving to IDP camps in Somalia. Somalia today is second on “fragile states index”.

About 5,000 to 5,500 migrant workers are needed every year in Essex County to support the production of tomatoes, other vegetables and flowers grown in the fields and, increasingly, in greenhouses. You often see these workers, mostly men, riding on bikes on county roads or sometimes talking on a street corner in uptown Leamington on Friday nights. Collette Broeders, a visual artist, and I wondered who these people were and if we could document some of their stories. We did our research and made our conclusions. The result is "After Work", an intermedia presentation. You may see Collette's video contribution at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMcCLQ5-Rbw You may see our handmade book, the "orange book", at Windsor Workers Education Centre. You may our framed prints and videos at Leamington Arts Centre in July, 2016. Collette and I gratefully acknowledge financial support from Windsor Workers Education Centre Green Shield Canada Fund.

CANADA, Windsor. 2012 to 2017. 'Onwards and Upwards', also known as 'Colour and Light', is a long term documentary project about the former members of Occupy Windsor. I was curious about the people would do after Occupy. Occupy Windsor emerged from the Occupy movement in 2011. Windsor’s particular Occupy lasted longer than most and was modest in size; at its peak there may have been 50 people and 35 tents. I photographed nearly every day and in the end produced with the help of two Occupiers a handmade book called ‘Informal Gathering of Heart’. Windsor, Ontario is a blue collar automotive city that is south of Detroit, Michigan. It is Canada’s sixteenth largest city, has the second highest rate of unemployment and according to Statistics Canada, has the greatest income distribution between rich and poor neighbourhoods. The heart of the story is about human companionship and rising above personal poverty. The group is a mixture of street people, activists, organizers, anarchists, academics, unionists,dreamers. Virtually all have a co-operative line of thinking, that is to say they are on the left of the political spectrum, tending towards socialism although there are a few communists and Marxist-Leninists. It is a local story that covers sensitive issues such poverty, unemployment, street people, panhandlers, protesters, substance abuse and mental health issues. Much of the photography takes place at meetings and public rallies or demonstrations. There is a core group that shows up at many functions. New people come and go while sometimes regulars remain on the sidelines for a while. There are competing groups and for its small size there are many disagreements--almost always along political grounds-- and so they stay stay in “silos”. Most are aware of this situation. I am close to many of my subjects. Paul and Mireille are my closest friends. I would trust Richard, Ron and Vaughan--formerly homeless men with substance abuse issues--with handling my money or chaperoning my daughter. Long term stories are challenging in that over time and with more knowledge things become less straightforward than originally thought. I change points of view as I get to know difficult people over time; acquaintances become friends after I learn and care more about their personal stories. I do not always agree with their politics and often I take a break as the politics becomes overwhelming and discouraging. I always return though--in my heart I like what they are attempting and grateful for their trust. ‘Onwards and Upwards’ was chosen as the title for this submission because I see a lot of positive good work emanating from this group. Much of it is personal development related and overall this will benefit our community. This work is for them and I hope they find it inspiring, good spirited and helpful.7

Another story from the archive, "The Queen's Park Police Riot". The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty called for a protest on June 15, 2000, called "Fight to Win" against policies of the Ontario Government headed by Premier Mike Harris. About 1000 protesters arrived at Queen's Park after which a delegation asked to be admitted to the parliament in order to speak to representatives. They were denied and then a short time later a Molotov cocktail was thrown, by whom I do not know, and a full fledged riot ensued with many arrests and injuries.

CANADA. Windsor, Ontario, 2013. The "Idle No More" movement completed its first phase of protests and planning. The second phase appears to be a summer of nationwide actions. "Idle No More" is a First Nations initiative that has a spiritual and activist component that appears to have a broader appeal. This ongoing series focuses on activities in the Windsor, Ontario area and may include outside trips.

ZIMBABWE. Chiweshe. November, 2012. The Salvation Army transferred than later dismissed the Howard Hospital Chief Medical Officer. His loss, whatever the real reasons for his departure, leave a large number of people in the hospital catchment area vulnerable or worse. Foreign aid has left. Patients refuse to go to the hospital; they want their doctor. This is a portrait series of people I met over the years or ones the doctor recommended I visit. All are deeply affected by this "normal" transfer of a cherished doctor.

"Kenya: How is Your Condition?" is an essay from the archive. The earliest photos are from my first trip to Africa in 1985 which whetted my appetite for sub-Saharan Africa which continues to this day. The bulk of the photos were made in 1997. I like to think of these as my hommage to Cartier-Bresson -- he was definitely on my mind. The visit to the Dadaab Refugee Camps opened my eyes to social themes which I explore to this day.

The Howard Hospital is a rural mission hospital located in Zimbabwe. The Hospital is overrun by patients due to nation wide hospital closings in December 2008. The Howard is in a rural area and hunger is mounting due to a long drought and the time of the year. The situation is exacerbated by a collapsing economy and a national unity government political dispute.