Dear Marauders,
You will soon have the chance to make a difference. How? By voting in the federal election.
There are thousands of eligible voters at McMaster. If you all voted, you could put the concerns of students and youth on the agenda for Ottawa. Voting is a small personal step on a life journey that can change the world.
Why cast your vote for me?
For the past twenty years I have worked on the front lines with youth and their families.
We confronted many serious problems: bullying, suicide, criminal charges, loss of friends and loved ones. I am humbled to have been able to help youth and their families through these issues. As a Liberal, I am committed to continue to work to ensure that our youth are engaged and empowered. When our youth are empowered, amazing things can be achieved.
Under a Liberal government, I will help form Canada's first-ever prime minister's youth advisory council, ensuring your generation has a voice at the highest levels of government. That means a seat at the highest table in the land for young people, aged 16-24. As someone who has devoted the last 20 years of my life to our community’s youth in my role as a high school chaplain, I know that giving youth this powerful voice to speak truth to power will change how Canada is governed. For the better.
As Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau will invest $300 million annually in a renewed Youth Employment Strategy and invest $40 million annually to create more co-op placements for students and increase the number of jobs funded by the Canada Summer Jobs Program. The Liberal plan will create 120,000 job opportunities for Canada’s youth.
On October 19, I hope that you will vote and choose me as your representative in Ottawa. Let’s bring the student and youth agenda to Ottawa together. I pledge to you that I will do that.
- Filomena Tassi
On Sept. 22, McMaster was host to a panel of Indigenous speakers and representatives as part of its continued awareness efforts through Perspectives on Peace.
The session, titled “Truth & Reconciliation Teach-In: Residential Schools in Canada,” highlighted a joint effort between the Indigenous Studies program and the Perspectives on Peace campaign to educate students about the problematic history of the residential school system in Canada.
“We wanted to give an opportunity to the university community that maybe isn’t able to take indigenous studies courses,” said Vanessa Watts, full-time lecturer with the Indigenous Studies program.
Part of the timing of the event stemmed from the recent conclusion of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada, which identified 94 “calls to action” to remedy the legacy of residential schools. The TRC itself lasted for over seven years and came as a result of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement in 2007, the largest class action settlement in Canadian history.
The residential school system existed in Canada from the 1830s and on, with the last federally-operated facility closing in 1996. In that time, it has been estimated that out of the 150,000 indigenous children that passed through the residential schools, at least 4,000 of them died while attending the schools.
“[The goal was] to put some context to what’s been in the media lately. It’s one thing to read recommendations or see it in the news, it’s another thing to visit an actual residential school,” said Watts. “It was an extremely successful event.”
The day before the panel, members of the university community were invited to visit the formerly-named Mohawk Institute in Brantford, which served as the first and longest-running residential school from 1831 to 1970. It now stands as the Woodland Cultural Centre, and acts as a reminder to the history of schools just like it across the country.
The panel itself consisted of survivors from the location, who shared some of their experiences at the residential school.
“To see a panel of Indigenous speakers speaking to the university community about their experiences, their personal stories, even that in and of itself without context is a feat because that doesn’t happen often,” said Watts.
“People need to learn about what happened, and to know that it’s not that far in the past,” she continued.
“What we tried to do was to talk about the knowledge that is inherent with stories of those survivors, what healing looks like, and why there is a need for reconciliation. It’s not just a policy issue, or a historical fact; it’s a lived repercussion for many people.”
Perspectives on Peace was officially launched in late 2014, with an aim to promote understanding and discourse on various issues that relate to the greater, global community.
Photo Credit: Matt Clarke
CIS football could be getting a major redesign in the new year.
Saskatoon businessman David Dube and broadcaster Jim Mullin are partnering to pitch the idea of an interlocking conference football schedule to the CIS and its conferences. The idea is that those games would be attractive enough for a TV broadcaster to air.
Dube is willing to pay the television production costs and universities would pick up the tab for travel and accommodations. Dube is the CEO of Concorde Group Corporation, a major development company in Saskatoon.
He is a supporter of the University of Saskatchewan football program, regularly donating cash to the Huskies.
Mullin’s ties to CIS football run deep. A play-by-play broadcaster for 20 years, Mullin also has a weekly CIS football show, Krown Countdown U, which Dube sponsors.
The news about the interlock schedule comes from the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, who gave a more detailed report on the proposal on Dec. 26 after Le Journal de Quebec published a story hinting at the possibility of an out-of-conference schedule happening in 2015.
Here is what the interlock group wants, in simple terms: eight teams (four from Ontario, two from the West, two from Quebec) would play two out-of-conference teams each season.
Those games would be put on national television, which is not currently the case for regular season CIS football. The only time that the entire country can catch a game is in late November, during the national semi-finals and the Vanier Cup.
Details are scarce, but the interlock group wants to make this happen by 2015 in order to entice broadcasters. Mullin told the Star-Phoenix that they are targeting Sportsnet, TSN and CBC to pick up the property. Sportsnet owns the Vanier Cup as well as the national semifinal bowl games, but their acquisition of NHL rights ties up a lot of their resources.
TSN has been buying television properties recently, suggesting that they are looking to acquire more products. However, in airing regular season football but not the Vanier, TSN would essentially be marketing for Sportsnet.
CBC’s new strategic plan states that they are looking to promote amateur sport. They could be the best fit for CIS football, especially since costs would be low because Dube would fund the broadcast.
The idea is still in its infancy, so the number of loose ends to tie up should be expected. As CanWest executive director Diane St-Denis said, there are more questions than answers at this point, but in order to have a 2015 season launch, answers need to be coming quickly. Dube and Mullin are supposed to meet with CIS executives later in January.
Interlock would drastically change CIS football as we know it. More information should become available throughout the winter and spring.
By: Celestina Aleobua
Canada, a nation that prides itself for its multiculturalism, being a “melting pot” of all cultures, and with equal rights for all, has failed to provide substantial justification for why international students pay significantly higher tuition fees than domestic students.
Currently, international students pay almost four times the amount of fees that local students pay, though the amount can vary by school or degree. However, international students do not receive any added benefits. International and domestic students share the same facilities, the same professors and tutors, and the same bus services. Additionally, they are not eligible for most scholarships, or for financial aid services such as the Ontario Students Assistance Program (OSAP) that are available to local students. This begs the question of why there is a huge disparity between local and international student fees.
One common argument justifying the high price of international student fees is that international students do not contribute to the Canadian economy, because they do not pay taxes, and should therefore be charged more in tuition. International students may not pay income tax, but they definitely contribute to the economy in terms of expenditure. A 2012 study by Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development Canada on the Economic Impact of International Education in Canada said, “in 2010, international students in Canada spent in excess of $7.7 billion on tuition, accommodation and discretionary spending; created over 81,000 jobs; and generated more than $445 million in government revenue.”
The report also goes on to state that international students in Canada make a significant contribution to the economy, and it recommends that Canada “ensure that international students are recognized and supported commensurate to their importance to Canada.” Educational institutions recognize that the international students that can currently afford their high fees are those that are affluent, and they share this view of these students being valuable. However, this view puts them at a huge disadvantage.
The arguments of domestic students agreeing with the high international student fees stems from the expectation that there be available space for all Canadian citizens in educational institutions, and that there should be a priority for admissions given to local students over international students. Institutions limit the amount of admissions given to local students and free up space for international students in order to reap the full financial benefits.
Educational institutions excuse general increases in fees with lack of funding from the government. According to the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, increments in local student fees are capped at three percent every year, however for international students, no such limit exists. International students are vulnerable to tuition increments at the discretion of the educational institution. This is simply unfair.
Entering Canada as an international student is like being the eleventh man in line at the opening of a new H&M. The first ten people get a discount, and the rest settle for the inflated prices. Canada comprises of many different cultures, and in this sense, Canadian students are no different from international students. It is high time Canada includes the eleventh man in the discount club.
By: Sal Sbrega
It was announced last week that any citizens from countries with large outbreaks of Ebola are restricted from flying to Canada and that many visa applications from the people of these countries will be denied.
This restriction will apply to West African countries: Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. It is quite a shock to hear this from Canada, a country so well-known for its multiculturalism.
Was this a good move from Canada? I understand the need to contain the Ebola virus and stop its spread among Canadians, but our actions do not necessarily mean that this will happen; in fact, they may make the situation worse. The World Health Organization seems to think Canada’s actions are illegal with respect to the International Health Regulation which says that countries should not impose travel restrictions outside of WHO’s recommendation.
WHO has in no way recommended any travel restrictions; they have in fact stated that shutting out countries with large Ebola outbreaks will cause more harm to the matter than good. Does the Government of Canada think that if we close the door on West African citizens they simply would not travel here anymore? No, of course not.
They are just going to take an alternative route. They will come into Canada through the back door, which cannot be regulated. We should not wait around with the risk of someone entering Canada illegally and starting an outbreak before taking action. At least if we allow immigrants to travel legally, they can be properly recorded and tracked, and hopefully stop any outbreaks before they start.
On top of that, Canada has allowed any Canadian citizen to travel from the restricted countries; the ban only applies to non-Canadians. How is this any different from not having a restriction at all? Canadians aren’t immune to Ebola.
There is a very real possibility that the Canadians we are allowing back into Canada are bringing the virus with them. Of course, at least these people will be regulated. But why can’t we do the same for all citizens, Canadian or not, coming in from West Africa.
This restriction puts us at risk for any future disease outbreaks as we could be kept in the dark about them. Have we forgotten about the SARS outbreak already? China decided to keep that knowledge away from Canada, and before we knew it, we had a massive SARS outbreak in Canada.
Now that the world knows that Canada will shut out any country with large infected populations, these countries will fail to disclose their outbreaks as not to risk the economic impacts of coming clean. This will create tense diplomatic and inter-state relationships, failing to encourage discourse among countries that lead to solutions.
The decision to restrict visas for citizens from these West African countries is short-sighted and a harmful precedent for Canadian international health policy.
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By: Sophie Hunt
No one knows the value of money quite so poignantly as a recent university graduate. With a drastic rise in student debt, as well as seemingly unnecessary tuition increases, one would think that having the opportunity to acquire job experience while receiving a paycheque would be ideal for a student with a recent degree and nothing left to do but find the perfect job in their field of study.
According to Stephen Poloz, the Governor of the Bank of Canada, volunteering and unpaid internships are the way to go if you’re fresh out of school and unable to find work in your chosen profession. While this idea may seem completely reasonable to a person making six figures in the business world, the reality is a lot more complex than simply working for free in order to fill the gaps on a resume.
Poloz advocates that young people looking to acquire paid work should start out by working in unpaid positions. As he stated in a speech he delivered to a House of Commons committee, “volunteer to do something which is at least somewhat related to your expertise so it is clear that you are gaining some learning experience during that period.” The period that he is referring to is the time in between finishing school and starting a career, a time when, according to him, youth are presumably taking up space in their parents’ basement. He went on to say, “if your parents are letting you live in the basement, you might as well go out and do something for free to put the experience on your CV.”
What Poloz fails to remember is the importance of money, which is ironic considering he is basically in charge of Canada’s economy. While gaining experience in a chosen field is helpful, expecting young people to work for free for an extended period of time is unrealistic. The future of the economy rests on the heads of these young people trying to find a place in the work force. Telling young people that they should be working for free is irrational, and benefits no one other than the higher-ups looking to save a quick buck at the expense of the more vulnerable.
Poloz also does not take into account that many young people simply cannot afford to work for free. Young people without the means to work without pay miss out on the opportunity to gain this supposedly valuable experience. Poloz’s comments work within the elitist idea that all young people have the financial stability to sacrifice paid jobs for unpaid experience.
Also, assuming that all young people without jobs are simply taking up space on the couch in their parents’ basement is presumptuous and damaging. Poloz’s poorly made remarks completely discredit the work that many young people are doing in order to establish themselves within their chosen field. The reason young people may still be living with their parents has little to do with what Poloz assumes are half-hearted attempts to find work. With a highly competitive job market, a lack of job opportunities, and student debt, many young graduates cannot afford to live on their own. Telling these young people that all they have to do is get off the couch and find unpaid work is not the real issue, which is something that Poloz and other highly paid business leaders fail to realize.
We should not encourage young people to land unpaid jobs. Not only do they need money in order to become functioning members of society, but paying someone for the work that they do should be considered common decency. Why are major companies not offering paid positions to young people looking for work once they are done school? Why are these companies so concerned with having to pay for the work that young people can provide for their companies? “Work experience” should be a result of, not an alternative to, paid work. There is a flaw in the system that needs to be addressed, and volunteer work and unpaid internships are not the answer.
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By: Irina Sverdlichenko
The Harper government proposed new immigration rules that would refuse immigration applications to polygamous and forced marriage families (not including arranged marriages). Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, called these practices “incompatible with Canadian values.”
These measures aim to reduce the barbaric practices justified by these archaic unions. The proposed bill is in response to some cases of honour killings, wherein Afghan men were accused of killing female relatives, like their wives or daughters, to rectify the dishonour that they felt they had brought upon the family. These measures would prevent the use of cultural differences as a mitigating factor of such heinous crimes.
The bill would also amend the Civil Marriage Act to ban marriage for anyone under the age of 16 and the Criminal Code to impose a maximum five-year prison term on anyone who “celebrates, aids or participates” in a marriage ceremony knowing that one of the parties is involved against their will or is below the legal age.
The first thing I wondered when I read this article was: what else is new? Canada looked into the validity of the polygamy ban years ago. There’s always ambiguity in these types of cases. Any law that might impede on one's right to practice religious freedom requires serious examination. In 2011, it was decided that it didn't go against the Charter, however, because marriage is defined as a union between two persons.
It makes perfect sense to limit the entrance of polygamous practices, when the RCMP is already pursuing polygamous leaders of large sects, such as in Bountiful, B.C. In 2011, the community was accused of smuggling eight under-aged girls into the U.S to marry pedophiles, one of whom was notorious polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, now in prison.
The lines of uncertainty on whether the pursuit to eradicate fundamentalist Mormon practices is valid become less ambiguous when one considers the sexual exploitation young girls in these sects experience.
Three years ago many women starting coming forward and recounting their harrowing ordeals as child brides in Warren Jeffs’ polygamist community. Among the most poignant was the tale of Elissa Wall, who was only fourteen when she was forced to marry her nineteen year-old cousin whom she despised.
Obviously, there is a need to eliminate these sorts of archaic, misogynistic religious practices. But this bill also aims to crack down on forced marriages which are not condoned by Canadian law. In countries like Afghanistan, forced marriage is still highly prevalent. I am reminded of the story of Humaira Taiba, a young girl whose marriage was arranged to a man 28 years her senior, from the time she was one-month old. When speaking to a reporter about her upcoming nuptials (at that time, she was seventeen), she explained: “I have been roaming for one and half years with a petition in my hand to find a solution for my destiny. Though suicide is illegal, but if I don’t get my right, I have to commit suicide.”
It's great that Chris Alexander is taking a definitive stance on eliminating the immigration of unions known to be tied to the exploitation of women and young girls. The backlash from fundamentalist religious sects and other countries will be strong, but it's more important to assure no one can use religious practices to justify unconstitutional acts.
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By: Anthony Manrique
York University students threatened at gunpoint
Multiple students at York University were threatened by a group of men in three separate but related incidents between 7:15 and 7:40 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18. The first incident occurred between two male suspects and a student, in which the student was left unharmed. The second and third confrontation occurred when five or six suspects approached and threatened the student with a handgun. York Security Services are currently working with Toronto police to investigate the incidents.
ISIS supporter hacks University of New Brunswick Student Union website
On Monday, Oct. 13, the UNB Student Union’s website was vandalized, depicting messages such as “I love you ISIS” and other, more serious statements in support of ISIS. The messages were taken down after two hours, and it has been declared that the messages were not a threat to UNB students.
Four cars stuck on UBC stairs within a two-week period
Three different vehicles have become stuck after attempting to drive down a set of stairs at the University of British Columbia. These incidents have forced the university to place a barrier in front of the stairs. Later that week, a fourth vehicle became stuck on a different set of stairs on the campus. UBC officials have stated they are unsure why the cars are getting stuck.
McGill enriches efforts on sustainability
McGill University has recently released its new sustainability strategy, entitled Vision 2020. The strategy identifies 14 specific goals that are intended to create a working definition of sustainability research, develop a networking platform to facilitate collaborative sustainability research, implement a sustainable laboratory program, and renovate underused indoor and outdoor spaces into community gathering spaces.
What happened in Ottawa was a tragedy. Canadians shouldn’t have to compromise the sense of comfort and safety they have worked for decades to create, but that is unfortunately the route this event will take.
For the woefully uninformed, a gunman opened fire on soldiers standing guard at the war memorial on Parliament Hill. There were many rumours flying around on Twitter and social media circles (as well as briefly alluded to in speeches) that this may have been tied to ISIS. Those rumours are terrifying people. And terror is one of the hardest weapons to combat, especially for a country so used to seeing it happen everywhere else.
Canadians can do something to fight back against attacks such as these, and it is the hardest thing to do when panic is surrounding them. Carry on. It seems simple, and maybe a bit insensitive given the casualties that arise from such attacks, but it is the best thing every individual can do.
It may seem callous to some, and others may accuse you of not caring, but if you alter your way of life because of terrorist activity, then they are accomplishing exactly what they set out to do. Terrorists don’t seek individual lives, they seek to change the mentality of the uninvolved. They seek to anger the masses into sinking down to their level. “If we blink, then the terrorists have won,” is one permutation of the widely-bastardized adage, but it holds truth in that the best defence is to not take offence.
By no means should you not engage in discourse with your peers on the topic. Canadians, after all, have the right and responsibility to defend their ideals and lives, but it doesn’t have to be done under a veil of fear. We can fear for the lives of those involved, and hope your friends, families and fellow students in Ottawa come out unscathed, but tomor- row we should wake up eager to take on the world.
It’s a solemn reminder that we enjoy a different standard of life in Canada.
The idea of violent activity happening in such a public place is unheard of, yet it is a grim, daily reality in many parts of the world.
We should use this opportunity to embolden our resolve; to reaffirm the tenets that make our society great.
To be Canadian means to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
To be Canadian means to assume that everyone else has your best interests in mind, not just you.
To be Canadian means to feel safe around the world, because people from our country have created an international understanding that we are courteous, patient, and tolerant.
To be Canadian means to welcome all citizens with open arms into our seat of government, to see how the sausage gets made.
Don’t let anyone, or any event change what it means to be Canadian.
“Canada will be a strong country when Canadians of all provinces feel at home in all parts of the country, and when they feel that all Canada belongs to them.” -Pierre Trudeau
By: Sal Sbrega
Canada is officially at war. Last Tuesday, the House of Commons voted in favour of sending fighter-bombers along with personnel to join the allies in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 155 conservative MPs won over the 134 opposed MPs, composed mostly of NDP and Liberal members. And so began the countdown of the three weeks until Canada sends six CF-18 fighter jets, two CP-140 surveillance planes, one aerial tanker aircraft and 600 military personnel overseas.
Canada will be joining allied countries like the U.S., U.K., France, Australia, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Saudi Arabia, and many others in the fight against ISIS. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that we must act with our allies to reduce ISIS’s capacity to launch terrorist attacks outside the region, including against Canada.
Normally the House of Commons does not have to approve combat missions, but when this mission was first proposed, Harper promised he would put it up for debate before making any decisions. It seems to me that this was just an act of “kindness” on the Prime Minister’s part and that he really had no intention to follow through with any decision deviating from his own.
In the aftermath of this vote, the big question is: did the House of Commons make the right decision? There is an abundance of evidence that would point to the obvious answer: no. For instance, the invasion of Iraq by the U.S. in 2003 led to even more instability in the country. The same thing might not happen this time, however the government should learn from these mistakes so Canada does not end up in a 10-year war against Iraq.
Harper also stated that it is important for Canada to uphold its reputation by helping instead of standing idly by. But this does not mean that Canada has to involve military action and put our own soldiers at risk. There are other options available for Canada, which Prime Minister Harper doesn’t want to consider.
NDP leader Tom Mulcair devised an alternative action plan that improves Canada’s humanitarian response in Iraq. The plan would remove combat operations and increase humanitarian aid, the investigation of ISIS war crimes, and transport weapons to the allies in Iraq. Mulcair’s plan is what the government should be focusing on as it reduces the possibility of Canadian casualties and our risk of being “stuck” fighting this war.
When the U.S. went wholeheartedly guns blazing to Iraq in 2003, it turned out to be a disaster. Canada should not be involved in a repetition of such things and should instead try a different approach as Mulcair has suggested.
As much as it sounds like a conspiracy to say, I don’t think Prime Minister Harper is telling the Canadian public the whole story. There has been no real explanation of this military plan. There have been no answers to important questions such as: How much will it cost? When did the forces arrive, how many? What is Canada’s exit strategy?
It seems strange that the majority of MPs are voting for Harper’s plan even though he’s being so elusive about its details. The more logical option in this situation seems so obvious: voting for Mulcair’s well-thought-out plan with answers to the important questions. This would be the most logical vote, unless as I said, there is some other important information that is not open to the public eye.
To further my “conspiracy”, perhaps there is knowledge of an incoming terrorist attack on Canada from ISIS, and Harper’s plan is the best way to stop it. There have already been talks of ISIS-‘inspired’ attacks from within Canada. Additionally, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has disclosed information about 130 Canadians that travelled abroad to join terrorist activities, and 80 individuals who returned to Canada and are suspected of involvement in terrorist groups.
CSIS has said there is nothing for Canadians to worry about and that we should go about our daily lives and be vigilant. But I remain unconvinced. There could be an imminent terrorist attack given our government’s seemingly ‘easy’ choice to join the warfare against ISIS. A decision like that has to be rooted in something deeper than Harper’s vaguely explained and mysterious plan.
