Ottawa's anarchists inside Exile photo: Lara Purvis

Each member of the collective is a self-proclaimed black sheep, an identity that they've embraced by choosing that animal as the logo for their new, fittingly named venture: an anarchist infoshop called Exile.

The project is supported by several members of the community, including long-time activist and Ottawa University professor Denis Rancourt. Organized around the anarchist principles of anti-oppression, equality, community-building and worker control, the collective finds itself forced to work within the system of capitalism that it's fighting. That fact is just one of many debates that will take place at Exile.

To step inside Exile is an experience in itself. Located on the second floor, the infoshop opens into a room painted in bold colours; ambient lighting casts shadows that fool one into thinking that the walls and floor merge. Light dances, reflecting off books and revolutionary patches and stickers that dangle from twine. There is nothing docile about the place. Deep, organic colours, the books, the patches and the defiant murals speak of strength, history and change.

Intimidating for some, that quickly changes when a young revolutionist, shy and smiling, offers me a cup of tea. I suddenly felt at home with this group of people who, introducing themselves through laughter and conversation, profess to care about a better future.

Standing among the literature, under the hand-painted murals and scribbled quotes Arpin explains the significance of Exile. "It's important for cities to have this kind of safe environment for activists and curious people alike, to be able to exchange ideas, find out about events, form groups, get involved, or simply read and hang out. Infoshops are meant to be completely inclusive and function on a non-hierarchical basis. That means shared responsibilities and, most importantly, no boss! Remember, your boss needs you but you don't need your boss!"

Exile's library space invites dialogue (or debate!) through its comfy couches, message boards and vegan treats. While the issues covered are serious global concerns, the "Free Skool" workshops, radical spelling bees, lectures, movie screenings and acoustic shows make this an attractive, even enjoyable rebellion.

But to underestimate these young activists would be a mistake. Regarding Exile's ultimate goal, collective member Sarah Armstrong responds with strong words, "We shouldn't just 'rock the boat'- we have to sink the fucker!"

Exile Infoshop, 256 Bank, second floor, open Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
 
 

		Write your comment on this article!

Anarchy Leads To...Organization     When I think of "anarchy," I get visions of The Road Warrior. It's a little weird to picture anarchists hanging out on a comfy couch, sipping tea and having snacks together. This sounds more like a bridge club. Also, I'm not sure what a radical spelling bee is, but it sounds like the lamest shit I've ever heard. And wheelchair access? I guess the anarchists should be glad that the municipal government has made a point of making our buildings accessible. In a Road Warrior scenario, I think the disabled would be a tad screwed. Man, what happened to anarchists like McVeigh and Kaczinsky? Now those guys had some panache!
Aaron Brown	{4 votes}	May 16th, 2007
Snowball, Napoleon and Mr. Jones Drinking Herbal Tea and Munching Vegan Snacks?     I did my Bachelor's at the U of O, and (most of) a Master's at U Windsor. My Master's was in Communication and Social Justice, and we did several courses looking at (you guessed it) social justice and anarchy. I could never get anyone to tell me, though, what the anarchists' solution was to this world of oppression, greed, and inequality? "We shouldn't just 'rock the boat'- we have to sink the fucker!". Ok, but what then? Yes, my issue with anarchy (and I do see the irony in anarchists organizing, by the way) is that while I understand the idealistic goals (Utopian, perhaps) of overthrowing "society" as it is presently constructed, I don't quite see the alternative. What will happen when the boat has not only been rocked but sunk as well? What will society look like? How will we live? Will we all hold hands and dance around the maypole, passing out vegan snacks and drinking herbal tea? I think it's great to have ideas and to challenge the deficiencies in a society, and North America (read: Western society in general) has a lot of deficiencies that could use a little addressing, but what is the plan, when it's all said and done? I had a deep philosophical argument with my Critical Theory professor regarding whether or not Humans are still animals. I say yes, he says no. I say yes, because when it comes to a life or death situation, human beings will fight tooth and nail to stay alive, even when the odds are so stacked against us as to be considered impossible. To me, that represents instinct: the desire, above all, to stay alive in a harsh world. And I guess I just don't have the faith in other humans to believe that once oppression is "ended", human beings will sit back with their neighbors and share everything, equally, always. I wish we would, but I think there would always be that one person or small group that would wreck it for everyone. Anarchists, haven't your read Animal Farm? If you overthrow the farmers, what comes next?
Christina DeCurtis	{7 votes}	May 14th, 2007
Anarchy in the CA     After hearing about the environmental scandal it makes me wonder why i haven't been to this info shop. Obliviously, there take on anarchy isn't one that is based on destroying or creating chaos that is would threaten what we could call "Canadian living". In fact, I believe that they may have helped our Canadian living by "leaking" Environment Canada's plans to the media. I am looking forward to check out this info center and am hoping to in the near future. I support there cause and will continue too.
Frederick Warriner		May 14th, 2007
Strength in Unity: Starting at the Roots     Fighting oppression in "the West" (and any number of the regions "the West" has forcibly exported their poison-ass culture to) is, at its very base, about fighting the White male supremacist ideologies that are embedded so deep in our culture and societal structures that they form a whole gamut of daily "givens" that we don't see and don't challenge. The reality - and y'all know it - is that addressing any kind of exploitation or discrimination without addressing the exploitation and oppression of women is going to miss the point - and fail. It is hopeful then, to see men and women working together in this, and I hope that when I get back to Ottawa and check this joint out that there will also be immigrants, refugees, Natives, and people of all kinds of shades and religions also checking it out, and making their voices heard and adding their creativity and strength to this effort at change. Y'all know that unless we are in this together, we will fail.
Millie Dean		May 13th, 2007
What's Ironic about Anarchists Organizing?     i fail to understand where the irony lies in anarchists organizing themselves? in a future without bosses, commissars or politicians -- anarchy in short -- there would be no alternative *except* to organize ourselves. if anything, i think that people with a more authoritarian bent are less likely to get organized than anarchists. authoritarians, after all, will always find someone to tell them what to do.
Jean Claude Ravachol		May 11th, 2007
Fostering Dissent Opens Eyes     To foster dissent is one thing but if anarchists are expecting support from potentials like those who are disabled then they are tremendously shortsighted as was the establishment from which they emerged in not providing access. Access means involvement and lack of that means that the disabled has every right to think of being shortchanged. Ravi on the other hand should realize that providing access also means a certain expenditure and if you look at the people in the picture who knows how they manage to keep the center open, let alone think of the planning required for accessibility to take place. And what is wrong with organized anarchism? Why criticize anarchists for getting their shit together? It would mean that the movement is looking for one direction so that it could follow thorough on its disruptiveness, if it will. If Eggars wants to take the word to pieces, then he has to consider that in this day and age Liberal and Conservative policy ideals have merged and the distinctions we thought we had, are no longer. I for one don't see any great changes from the corruptness promoted by the Liberal government before Harper with Chretien blaming Martin over mismanaged finances and the finance minister admitting to know nothing, and Harper's corruptive means in keeping the Canadian public misinformed about our real involvement in Afghanistan. It's all corruption and yet it's all good to voters that love to only consider Liberal and Conservative alternatives!
Martin Dansky	{6 votes}	May 11th, 2007
Yeah     What is up with Anarchy month and now this whole Exile Infoshop and getting together for some vegan treats. Shouldn't real anarchists be trashing some of the establishment rather than sitting for a cup of herbal tea and all. Things really have been weird this week so far and this just lends credence to my thought that the world is going to hell in a handbasket!
Reuven De Souza	{12 votes}	May 8th, 2007
Wheelchair Accessibility of Exile Infoshop     I am with the Exile Infoshop collective, and would like to respond to the comments on Exile's accessibility. It is indeed regrettable that Exile's space is not wheelchair accessible. This issue was much discussed leading up to our accepting of the 256 Bank St. location. With limited funds available for rent payments, and the high cost of street level storefronts, or space in buildings with elevators, we found ourselves in a difficult decision of either taking a a space that was not ideal, or having no physical space at all. Our one to five year plan is to gather the funds to purchase our own fully accessible space. This would be an unattainable goal if we did not have an operating business to bring in revenue to put towards that aim. We are not happy that we were forced into taking an unsatisfactory space because we simply did not have enough money to do otherwise. We are in full support of a campaign to implement by-laws that necessitate landlords to make all public and business spaces in the city fully accessible. Let us work together to make change, rather than pick fights with one another. Anyone who would like to take up this fight is encouraged to contact us by email at info@exilebooks.org. Lastly, when any concerns about Exile arise, it is in the best interest of community-building and mutual support that we be contacted directly, so that these issues can be addressed effectively and immediately.
Sarah Armstrong	{13 votes}	May 7th, 2007
Pigeonholed     Last week I had to take a mandatory Ethics course through work. In the all-day course we had to discuss Canadian societies values which basically amounted to honesty, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and compassion. We were all given mainstream newspapers and given 15 minutes to skim the paper looking for topics that touched on these values and/or ethical issues. We were then told to write down a topic on the board for everyone to discuss. Fine. I got the City section of the Ottawa Citizen and I read about this very bookshop opening. I decided to write it on the board after reading this quote: "We base ourselves on anarchist principles," said Pascale Arpin, a member of the collective. These include such things as anti-oppression, equality, community building and worker control, she said." Obviously these objectives were the same values that Canadians claim are close to their hearts. When It came time for me to discuss what I wrote on the board I read out this quote, talked about how important it was to have access to different points of view and alternative media especially for a democratic country such as ours that loves our freedom. Unfortunately my attempt at a discussion was met with blank stares and silence. Perhaps it's the word Anarchist that sets people off or confuses them. Perhaps it was unsettling to learn that these anarchists had the same exact values that we are all supposed to have. The instructor thanked me and moved on.
Josee Lacroix	{9 votes}	May 7th, 2007
A Work in Progress..     The lack of wheelchair accessibility was a major concern to us from the start. The only locations we could afford, due to our very limited budget, were unfortunately not on ground-level. A few months ago, while discussing our 1 to 5 year plan, we made it a point that, were the infoshop to do well, we would move to a bigger location with wheelchair accessibility. When finding a space, our financial situation limited our choices: we were faced with either existing and not being wheelchair accessible or not existing at all. We chose to exist. We are zoned in a retail space and fall within the city of Ottawa's guidelines for building access. The fact of the matter is that the city of Ottawa is responsible for assuring that stores (in commercial zoning areas) are wheelchair accessible and we are more than willing to support you and lobby with you for the proper changes to be made. We are sincerely sorry about our current situation but like I said earlier, it has been a concern from the start and we are planning on eventually being able to afford a more fitting space. In the meantime, we will make all of the efforts necessary to accommodate as best as we can. For example, we have already helped a disabled friend make his way up to the infoshop.. Which I understand is not ideal (and is virtually impossible when dealing with electric wheelchairs) but it is really the best we can do right now. It's important to realize that it is in no way our intent to be exclusive and that certain aspects of the space were beyond our control. Please do contact us about approaching the city of Ottawa and let's make change happen together.
Pascale Arpin	{8 votes}	May 7th, 2007
~Art of Living~     Anarchists getting organized? You gotta love the irony of it all. We live in a world where the powers that be represent extreme traditional values and naked avarice gone, horribly, horribly wrong while a bunch of anarchists are getting their shit together and trying to make the world a better place. The world is now officially ass backwards.
Pedro Eggers	{3 votes}	May 6th, 2007
What about Wheelchair Access?     I think that fostering dissent and bringing intelligent change are valuable objectives. However, I am deeply disappointed to learn that this Exile space is not wheelchair accessible. As a disability rights activist, I am always dismayed when progressives, be they anarchists or liberals, ignore the fundamental importance of physical access for people with disabilities. This just reinforces oppression and disrupts solidarity.
Ravi Malhotra		May 3rd, 2007

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