Food Collective Centre at McMaster University shares how they are contributing to supporting students through the ongoing food crisis
Food insecurity has become increasingly relevant in Canada, with reports from 2023 indicating that throughout Canada people are struggling with food for many different economical factors, such as cost of living.
This issue is also prevalent in Hamilton. The Hamilton Food Share coordinates emergency food shipping throughout their their 23 hunger-relief programs. They found in March 2023 there was a total of just over 33 500 visits across their 23 hunger-relief programs.
The Food Collective Centre at McMaster University is a service that offers a food bank system and resources for students. In addition to their food bank, the FCC has fronted other food security initiatives such as Lockers of Love, Good Food Box and the Community Kitchen Workshop.
FCC director Samantha Cheng shared that the food insecurity for students presents in many different ways. Cheung explained that food illiteracy, or not being able or struggling to find time to cook, is a common contributor to food insecurity.
“Fresh produce is what's most difficult to obtain, students tend to turn to the quicker options. Which often look like processed foods [or] snacks and so produce might be at the back of their agenda. Which is obviously not great, because you want to promote eating more fruits and vegetables for better health outcomes,” said Cheng.
Fresh produce is what's most difficult to obtain, students tend to turn to the quicker options. Which often look like processed foods [or] snacks and so produce might be at the back of their agenda
Samantha Cheng, Food Collective Centre director
Cheng explained that due to many of these factors, food insecurity is experienced at higher rates by marginalized communities. She expressed that this holds true not just at McMaster, but the larger community that spans Canada.
Within marginalized student communities, Cheung explained how international students are specifically at risk of being subjected to food insecurity. This demographic is recognized within the FCC and they are currently in contact with the International Student Services.
Cheung shared how at one of their recent International Food & Grocery Trips, the FCC presented their work, and exchanged information with the students.
“International students, [FCC’s] also seen, they struggle with adapting to the food systems here in Canada, and especially like not being able to access cultural, like food that they're used to in their culture,” said Cheng.
Currently the FCC is planning an initiative with the Indigenous Health Movement to raise awareness on Indigenous food sovereignty. She shared that raising awareness is important, and can further educate students on an aspect of Indigenous sovereignty.
Cheng ultimately believes that by working with groups on campus that focus specifically on marginalized populations that they can better understand how to address the needs of food insecurity from these communities.
“One way we are trying to address specific marginalized groups is to reach out to different communities on campus that are that perhaps have people who can who represent these groups and work towards these groups, and we partner with them. We hope to partner with them to raise awareness for the greater student population,” said Cheng.
Cheng shared that the biggest barrier to services they currently face is budget. She shared that while they do not focus specifically on donations from the community, they do accept them.
“A lot of times our partners are disappointed or frustrated because they go to the pantry and they see there's nothing there. We are limited by budget in terms of how much we can purchase for the fridge in the community [and] the fridge in the pantry space, despite having [a] give what you can take what you need model. It's definitely been unbalanced. So funding is the largest barrier for all services, not just the food center,” said Cheng.
We are limited by budget in terms of how much we can purchase for the fridge in the community [and] the fridge in the pantry space, despite having [a] give what you can take what you need model.
Samantha Cheng, Food Collective Centre director
Cheng expressed that students are more than encouraged to reach out to the FCC whenever needed. They can answers questions, and help guide you through their services.
“We're here to support you, and we understand. We understand that your situation so you're not alone in this struggle,” said Cheng.
To learn more about FCC please visit their website, and get updates on current events please follow their Instagram. McMaster University has a McMaster Campus Food Council, where they share a list of resources on campus for students to utilize.
The victims of scams, cutthroat competition and more scams – students need better support navigating the housing crisis
With the brutal race to find listings, equally intense bidding wars and scams everywhere, McMaster University students continue to face unrelenting obstacles in attaining off-campus housing this year. And they need support – support that the university is failing to provide.
Fuelled by the impacts of the pandemic, the shortage of on- and off-campus housing and the rapidly growing number of McMaster students, affordable housing has evolved into a luxury that few are fortunate to find. While the Hamilton housing crisis may seem like a simple supply and demand issue at first glance, the unstable rental market poses unique challenges for different groups of Students.
International and out-of-province students, for one, are faced with difficulties when trying to arrange their accommodation from a different country or province. Being unable to view listings and meet with landlords in person only makes them more vulnerable to scams and difficult landlords. On top of that, McMaster’s own off-campus housing website does not screen listings and fails to protect students from scams.
International and out-of-province students, for one, are faced with difficulties when trying to arrange their accommodation from a different country or province. Being unable to view listings and meet with landlords in person only makes them more vulnerable to scams and difficult landlords.
Male students are also overlooked in the housing crisis. Though advertising for female-only housing tends to be abundant in Facebook groups and other listing websites, male and co-ed student housing is scarce. Even on McMaster’s off-campus housing website, which features co-ed residences, a majority of the listings are over a thousand dollars per room, rendering the homes unaffordable for many students.
And let’s not forget the incoming first-year students who are waitlisted for residence at McMaster due to the limited availability of rooms and competitive eligibility criteria based on academic achievement. Not only are these students inexperienced, but they also lack the advantage of starting their search earlier in the school year since residence applications take place in June. Without sufficient time and resources provided by McMaster, incoming students are forced to fight for the last few available rentals.
And let’s not forget the incoming first-year students who are waitlisted for residence at McMaster due to the limited availability of rooms and competitive eligibility criteria based on academic achievement.
As many McMaster students have yet to secure affordable, safe and convenient housing, they face a year of uncertainty.
Some students may need to make a commute worth hours or exceed their budgets to afford a sub-par room near campus, while others with limited financial flexibility and fortune are on the verge of homelessness. The sheer infeasibility and severity of current circumstances could even push some students to consider dropping out this year.
To make matters worse, the period of economic inflation continues to put a strain on students. It also doesn’t help that McMaster’s bursary applications close during the winter term. The uncertainty of being accepted for funding and ill-timed disbursement doesn’t allow students to plan their finances for the academic year.
Though McMaster is working to create more residences, there is a need for unique short-term solutions to address the current state of the crisis.
McMaster must recognize that the Hamilton housing crisis is about much more than housing.
From the search for housing to life in their new homes, the crisis has taken a significant physical and mental toll on students, putting their success and well-being at stake. The stress of managing finances, employment, commuting, school and poor housing conditions, such as overcrowding, is draining students across the country.
Students should not have to think twice about purchasing a meal or saving up for next month’s rent. They should not have to compromise their own well-being or academic success because of unaffordable housing. McMaster and other post-secondary institutions need to do better.
C/O @hamiltonartistsinc
Local artist-run centres remain committed to supporting community through global and local crises
From the climate change to war, homelessness to pandemics, there is no shortage of crises in the world. Community is crucial to not only navigating and surviving these crises, but also thriving in such times.
Over my last few years as part of the arts and culture team, I’ve seen how important not only art is for brining communities together, but also the artist-run centres that house these works.
Hamilton’s artist-run centres, including Hamilton Artist Inc. and Centre[3] for Artistic + Social Practice, are core components of not only the city’s arts community, but also the larger Hamilton community. These centres have been committed to holding space for community from the day they opened.
Art is something many turn to in times of crisis and these artist-run centres can act as waystations, holding space for this work and offering refuge and an opportunity to connect with others.
“A lot of times art is a way for people to reflect on what's going on around them. It's a way for them to cope and to grieve and to heal and to find hope. For a lot of folks, art is a way to find meaning but also, it's where they find survival and solace. An artist-run center is a way for people to come together around those sentiments and it's a way for us to gather but also share,” said Lesley Loksi Chan, artistic director of Centre[3].
Like everyone else, artist-run centres have been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ve had to close their physical location, shift their programming online and contend with the challenges each new wave brings. However, they have actively risen to the challenge, continuing to host thoughtful exhibitions and valuable programming while supporting artists.
For example, the Inc. has continued to support artists financially as they had prior to the pandemic, while also expanding their staff, keeping individuals employed throughout the ongoing crises.
“We've committed to finding experimental and innovative ways to pay artists. During this time, our artists fees and the amount of money we're pushing out into people's pockets has not decreased . . . Artists are also experiencing this crisis. Things like the housing crisis are affecting artists who are primarily renters and in a precarious position, so we want to find ways to support them,” explained Derek Jenkins, the executive director of the Inc.
Centre[3] has also worked to create new opportunities for artists through workshops and the opening of their new studio space this past November, while recognizing crises affect different people in different ways and as such, people will need support in different ways.
“As an artist run center it's really our responsibility to pay attention to those different types of effects that are being played out in the community and to really try to offer everyone the support that they need . . . even in terms of what does it mean to offer artistic support? For some people that is equipment; for some people, that is time and space; for some people it is moral support,” said Chan.
To offer the support the community needs, it’s important to understand the issues. The artists behind these centres are often politically and socially engaged individuals and they have been working on building an awareness and an understanding of these crises internally over the years through symposiums and workshops.
“We're constantly doing consciousness raising . . . when there was a fever pitch around helplessness and encampments and there was a lot of work being done in the city, but . . . we were in a position to understand our relationship to that work because we had been building this capacity internally,” explained Jenkins.
The housing crisis has been a concern for many in Hamilton these past few months. For the Inc., part of their response to this local crisis included issuing a statement in support encampment residents and Black housing advocates, following the violent actions of the Hamilton Police Service at the end of November.
“It's an act of solidarity. I think it's important, but it's not material, right? It doesn't actually impact people's safety in ways that are material and we do want to find ways with our internal
and external policies to support people and to make them feel safe and welcome in our community. . . We want to find ways we can contribute to the work people are doing to take care of their neighbors and actually do work to help our neighbors feel safe and feel supported,” said Jenkins.
There is a debate around the effectiveness of statements as a tool, as while they can be an opportunity to show support and share resources, they also run the risk of being performative.
Centre[3] also recently released a statement in solidarity with Ukraine, and both Jenkins and Chan spoke further about how the decision to issue a statement can be a difficult one.
“There’s so much conversation that goes into it...and I feel like [the statements] are there to actually encourage discussion,” said Chan.
Both viewed statements as an important way of showing support and solidarity but stressed that it cannot be the only action taken; it should be done in conjunction with other, including sharing resources and considering possible adjustments to internal policies.
There will never be any shortage of crises in the world, but one does not have to face them alone. Hamilton’s artist-run centres continue to support the community through these times and to holding space for conversation and connection.
“It's an important thing to remember...it’s not a one-way relationship and building those relationships and building and practicing good relations involves recognizing whole people, recognizing whole communities and our attachments [and] obligations to each other,” said Jenkins.
The McMaster Ukrainian Student Association on community support and how war permeates the personal lives of Ukrainian students
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, each Ukrainian student at McMaster is filled to the brim with emotion, yet the pain they experience is not theirs alone, but that of an entire community that stretches within and far beyond the walls of McMaster. Having continuously been exposed to a string of disheartening news and images of their homeland ravaged, it is no surprise that these students are finding it difficult to focus on their academic obligations.
Aleksa Gobosz is a third-year honours biology student and Larisa Hemon is a third-year honours life sciences student. Alongside participating in Ukrainian cultural activities for over 10 years and representing Ukrainian interests nationally, the two vice-presidents of fundraising for the McMaster Ukrainian Student Association are tirelessly dedicating themselves to the Ukrainian cause at great personal cost.
“We are a patriotic country and people. Not only are we a part of MUSA, but we do Ukrainian dance, Ukrainian Saturday school, we play national instruments [and] we actively participate in the Ukrainian church. People may think that because we are Ukrainians, we are bringing this issue to the forefront now. However, that is not true at all. We are deeply invested in our culture and always have been. It is integrated into every facet of our lives,” said Gobosz.
Despite the countless years students like Gobosz and Hemon have dedicated to their cultural communities, they face assumptions that as Ukrainian-Canadians who were born in Canada, the war bears negligible impact on their personal lives. McMaster is a multicultural environment with a sizable portion of its student body comprised of the children of immigrants. However, the impact of unique cultural positionalities and their subsequent impacts during crisis on individuals’ lives are not taken into consideration.
“[P]eople think [because] it’s a war thousands of kilometers away, it is not affecting us. That is far from true as it is affecting us daily. We speak Ukrainian at home, we are part of Ukrainian organizations, we are part of Ukrainian dance groups and have many Ukrainian friends. Our families are Ukrainian. This war is the only thing being spoken about in our communities,” explained Hemon.
“[P]eople think [because] it’s a war thousands of kilometers away, it is not affecting us. That is far from true as it is affecting us daily. We speak Ukrainian at home, we are part of Ukrainian organizations, we are part of Ukrainian dance groups and have many Ukrainian friends. Our families are Ukrainian. This war is the only thing being spoken about in our communities.”
Larisa Hemon, vice-president of fundraising for the McMaster Ukrainian Student Association
Amidst the turmoil that war brings, Ukrainian students are further burdened with knowing that their family and friends are caught in the crossfire with no way out. Hemon and Gobosz shared that many Ukrainian students are in constant communication with their loved ones in Ukraine during and in between classes and throughout much of their day-to-day life.
Many professors of different courses at McMaster have taken the time to post messages with resources for students to access. However, Hemon and Gobosz expressed that leniency from professors and departments affording Ukrainian students with academic accommodations would serve to be a major step towards alleviating much of the mental health decline of Ukrainian students during this time.
“To make the process of attaining academic accommodations less stressful, it would be nice if more profs were able to put out messages acknowledging they understand what a challenging time this is for our community and to make it clearer that accommodation is a possibility. Leniency with deadlines, some extra time for tests and such things are all we are asking for to be able to support our mental health at least in terms of school as we get through this crisis,” explained Gobosz.
While communication is possible through countless different apps, so is exposure to devastation. MUSA members struggled with the aftermath of the longer times spent on social media raising awareness and passing on information about donations and support for relevant organizations. Many MUSA members and Ukrainian students tried to take breaks from going on social media to avoid the continuous flooding of disheartening news. With MUSA’s page and Ukrainian students’ pages having hundreds of other Ukrainian mutuals and friends, all stories, posts and content being shared in these spheres have to do with the conflict and its effects.
“The average person on campus might only see one or two Ukraine posts here and there but for me it is over 100 stories just about Ukraine. I’ll sit there for three hours scrolling and crying because I can’t turn away from the pain they are feeling. I try to avoid going on social media, but that’s the only place where resources from McMaster are coming from at all about how they can help. That’s why posters and QR codes across campus would be so helpful to give attention to those resources in other ways,” explained Hemon.
Moreover, seeking appropriate mental health support through services such as the Student Wellness Centre or the Student Assistant Plan has been a barrier in and of itself. Despite recently dedicating over $800,000 in funding for displaced students, McMaster does not have culturally sensitive crisis management plans in place that are equipped to deal with the unique mental health struggles that arise for students due to ever-evolving global circumstances.
“It’s hard for us to approach the SWC because it’s somebody who is sitting there and telling us ‘it is going to be okay.’ They would just tell us to find distractions. My friends are my distractions. But who are my friends? My friends are Ukrainians who are also struggling. We are all in this bubble of just worrying and that’s the whole barrier,” said Gobosz.
“It’s hard for us to approach the SWC because it’s somebody who is sitting there and telling us ‘it is going to be okay.’ They would just tell us to find distractions. My friends are my distractions. But who are my friends? My friends are Ukrainians who are also struggling. We are all in this bubble of just worrying and that’s the whole barrier.”
Aleksa Gobosz, vice-president of fundraising for the McMaster Ukrainian Student Association
It is evident that beyond help with direct individual arrangements such as academic accommodations, Ukrainian students are asking for mental health supports so they can better support their families, community and country. The individual mental health of Ukrainian students is fundamentally tied to that of their communities and cannot be addressed until action is taken to a greater extent to provide systemic aid to the existing Ukrainian student body.
“Right now, the best way to help our mental state is letting us know that action is actively being taken to support Ukraine and the needs of Ukrainian students. We ourselves will feel better eventually, but we simply cannot sit still right now while Ukraine is hurting. Every part of our life is directly hurting as a result. No matter your background, we ask for the solidarity of other communities with Ukraine and we ask for you to pray for us and stay informed,” said Gobosz and Hemon.
C/O Gustavo Sanchez
Amidst cold weather and high COVID-19 case counts, the city of Hamilton failed to protect and consider its unhoused residents
January 2022 was a difficult month for the city of Hamilton, with temperatures dipping as low as -20 degrees Celsius and hundreds of Hamilton residents hospitalized with COVID-19. Unfortunately, low temperatures and high rates of COVID-19 created even more obstacles for Hamilton’s unhoused population.
“What we've observed as COVID has been ongoing and as the cold weather has been ongoing is just the lack of empathy and the lack of tangible sustainable solutions [from the city],”
Koubra Haggar, member of Hamilton Encampment Support Network’s Steering Committee.
HESN is an advocacy group and support network run entirely by volunteers in the Hamilton community. They advocate on behalf of the needs of unhoused residents of Hamilton and provide unhoused people with support and resources.
Vic Wojciechowska, another member of the Steering Committee, explained how shelters in Hamilton have not been adequately supported by the city throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Wojciechowska explained that, earlier this year, all but one of Hamilton’s men’s shelters were experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.
“Given the Covid outbreaks, [people] were being refused at the door. We had testimonies come in from shelter workers about the lack of municipal support for staffing, for adequate PPE, for any sort of code protocols or measures. We are two years into this pandemic now. The city has had adequate time to respond, to prepare, to prioritize and yet we're in the same position that we were a year ago,” said Wojciechowska.
Hagger added that, over the past few months, the city has taken a clear stance against people residing in encampments by saying that tents have to go.
“They care about aesthetics. The city cares about maintaining a certain image. While making these remarks and saying all these horrible things, they aren't providing any alternatives that are sustainable or dignified,” said Haggar.
Hagger recalled seeing police officers and city workers tell encampment residents to move farther into the trees where they would be less visible.
“The city doesn't have an issue in terms of letting people die in the cold; they also have an issue around maintaining a pristine image of Hamilton that excludes all poor and unhouse folks,” said Hagger.
In November 2021, several people who protested against encampment evictions were arrested. These people said that police officers used violence during the arrests, leaving them with various injuries.
In a video shared by the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion, officers can be seen tackling three Black youth in front of Hamilton’s central police station.
“Here is the footage of Hamilton Police arresting [three] Black youth early this afternoon. These violent attacks are a reminder of outright police brutality & systemic racism. Why are Black youth being arrested when they are advocating for better housing options for residents?”
Statement from Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion
Wojciechowska also pointed out how many of the people making decisions about Hamilton’s housing crisis do not truly understand what the options for unhoused people look like. Wojciechowska recalled that, at a community delegation day to inform the operating budget, a city councilor expressed confusion about why one might choose to live in an encampment over a shelter.
“These are the people that are making the decisions. They don't even understand what the conditions within shelters are,” said Wojciechowska.
Wojciechowska highlighted how this lack of understanding leads the city of Hamilton to present options to unhoused community members that are not truly viable.
“We had someone provide testimony that, during the outbreaks in the women’s sector, people who were in COVID-19 isolation would not be able to access the shower for ten days. Again, these are being presented as options to people. In an encampment, at least you have community, at least you have control over isolation and contact and exposure with others. Whereas [the other option is that] you're crammed into a shelter with who knows how many other people, a shelter in an active outbreak and the city is calling this a housing solution,” said Wojciechowska.
Despite the current situation, Wojciechowska and Hagger expressed optimism that through the work and advocacy of HESN, the public has become more aware of Hamilton’s housing crisis.
“There's been a shift in public narrative over the last year regarding encampments. [There has been a shift in] understanding the conditions and the causes of encampments and understanding how these are linked to the housing crisis and how this is aligned to municipal failure to take responsibility of housing people,” said Wojciechowska.
Treating all members of our community with care is crucial, and this involves respecting and considering the needs of unhoused community members. Moving forward, the city of Hamilton still has much work to do in order to support unhoused individuals.
By: Jenna Tziatis, Marketing Assistant, McMaster University Continuing Education
In today’s tough job market a degree alone may not be enough to get you the job or promotion that you’re looking for. Employer expectations are higher and are expecting more than the knowledge that comes with a degree. They are also scrutinizing candidates based on their enhanced skill-sets and experience to ensure they are hiring someone who will fit and integrate into their business and culture with the least disruption.
Savvy students are realizing this trend and responding by upskilling themselves to ensure that they stand out in the employment crowd and that their resume rises to the top of the pile. If you’re thinking about getting ahead, McMaster Continuing Education offers a variety of learning options from diplomas and certificates to micro learning options. Whether your focus is in the field of business, health or professional development, there are many to choose from:
To make it easier for Mac students, McMaster Continuing Education offers a faster route to get you ahead with Degree + Diploma. This opportunity allows you to earn a diploma or certificate while you work toward your degree. You can use your elective credits in your current program of study toward a diploma or certificate with Continuing Education, allowing you to gain your qualifications faster. This opportunity is gaining popularity among Mac students and can be easily set up by contacting your Academic Advisor.
If you’re not ready to jump straight into getting a diploma or certificate you can always try one of McMaster Continuing Education professional development courses or attend our upcoming free Business Entrepreneur Series micro learning session that is running in spring. It’s a great way to gain valuable and recognized skills in a condensed learning format. To attend this series you can sign up at mcmastercce.ca/events/free-business-entrepreneurship-series
Regardless of what you decide, by recognizing the demands of today’s job market and being proactive to acquire the skills that businesses are looking for will make you more visible and appealing to employers. Continuing Education will give you that competitive edge to get ahead and land that job you’re looking for.
To learn more about these valuable learning options visit www.mcmastercce.ca
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Hamilton is a city of stark inequalities. As the city’s economy booms, many Hamiltonians are swept to the sidelines as a result of a housing crisis and employment insecurity. Compared to other cities in Ontario, Hamilton also has a high proportion of working class people, disabled people and refugees, who are often the first to feel the brunt of these changes.
Health outcomes over the past decade have been bleak, and according to many disability justice and healthcare advocates, show no signs of changing unless bold steps are taken to support Hamilton’s marginalized populations.
In 2010, the Hamilton Spectator released Code Red, a project that mapped the connections between income and health across Hamilton to explore the social determinants of health. Using census and hospital data from 2006 and 2007, the report showed strong disparities in health outcomes between the Hamilton’s wealthiest and poorest neighbourhoods.
The Code Red project shows that social and economic inequalities lead to health inequalities. The lower city, which experiences disproportionately higher rates of poverty, also has significantly poorer health outcomes.
In February 2019, an updated Code Red project was released using data from 2016 and 2017. The updated Code Red project found that in general, health outcomes in Hamilton have declined and inequalities have grown.
Since the first Code Red project in 2010, the average lifespan in parts of the lower city has declined by 1.5 years. Furthermore, the gap in lifespan between Hamilton neighbourhoods has grown from 21 to 23 years.
These results come as no surprise to Sarah Jama, an organizer with the disability justice network of Ontario. According to Jama, given the lack of political change coupled with changes in the city of Hamilton, it was inevitable that poverty would worsen and inequalities would deepen.
Jama notes that health care and social services tend to be compacted into the downtown core, which has tended to have a higher concentration of people who rely on these services.
However, rising costs of living within the downtown core has meant that the people who access these services are being priced out. According to a report by the Hamilton Social Planning and Research Council, eviction rates have skyrocketed in the past decade. As a result, the people who rely on these services have to make compromises about whether to live in a place with supports available close by, or a place that is affordable.
“The more compromises you have to meet with regard to your ability to live freely and safely in the city the harder it is to survive,” said Jama.
Denise Brooks, the executive director for Hamilton Urban Core, works directly with people at the margins of Hamilton’s healthcare system. Brooks noted that the 2010 Code Red project was a wake up call for many.
“For me one of the biggest takeaways [from the first Code Red project] was even greater resolve that this really is a political issue and that it hasn't been looked at and is not being looked at as a crisis,” stated Brooks.
The 2010 Code Red project sparked projects including the Hamilton neighbourhood action strategy and pathways to education program. According to Brooks, while these initiatives were beneficial, more robust policy is needed to substantially address poverty.
“... [C]an we see any change in policy orientation? Did we see a reallocation of resources? Did we see a redistribution of priorities in any way? I would have to say no,” said Brooks.
The updated Code Red project calls for a restructuring of the traditional health care system to include social and economic programs that contribute to people’s overall health.
However, recent political changes have led many health advocates to worry that the coming years will see change for the worse. Matthew Ing, a member of the DJNO research committee, notes that provincial cuts to a slew social assistance programs threaten to further exacerbate the existing inequalities in Hamilton.
In November 2018, the provincial government announced reforms to Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program that aimed to streamline social assistance and incentivize people to return to work. Among many changes, this includes aligning the definition of disability to align with the more narrow definition used the federal government.
According to Jama, narrowing the eligibility requirements for disability support makes it likely that people will slip through the cracks. They will put the responsibility on the municipality to provide services, meaning that care is likely to differ between providers.
“The onus is going to be on individual service providers on all these people to really decide who really fits this idea of being disabled enough to be on the service versus it being like sort of supervised by the province,” stated Jama.
Additionally, in February 2019 the provincial government announced plans to streamline and centralize the health care process. Under the proposed model, Ontario Health teams led by a central provincial agency will replace the existing 14 local health integration networks across the province.
Brooks noted that this has not been the first time that the province sought out to reform healthcare. Having worked in community health for years, Brooks remarks that the changes that are made to healthcare frequently exclude people on the margins.
“It's always the people who are the most marginalized, the most vulnerable, the socially isolated and historically excluded that remain on those margins all the time regardless of the change that go through,” said Brooks.
Currently, patient and family advisory committees work to inform the work of LHINs. The government has not announced whether PFACs will be retained under the new model, but Ing worries that a centralized model would leave patients and families out of the decision making process.
However, Ing recognizes that the current system is far from perfect, noting that disabled communities were not adequately represented on PFACs. According to Ing, this speaks to the much larger problem of political erasure of people with disabilities.
“Disability justice means that we must organize across movements, and we must be led by the people who are most impacted,” writes Ing.
The DJNO was created in order to mobilize disabled communities and demand a holistic approach to healthcare reform. According to Jama, this includes seeing race, income, and disability as fundamentally interconnected.
However as social assistance measures are cut at the provincial level, the future for disability justice is murky. The results of the updated Code Red project paint a sobering picture of the state of health inequality in Hamilton. Given the direction that healthcare reform is taking on the provincial level, health and poverty advocates worry about the future of healthcare equality in Hamilton.
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Canada is currently plagued by an opioid crisis. Opioids such as fentanyl are drugs that are commonly used to relieve pain. These drugs, however, can be extremely addictive and their misuse has led to thousands of overdoses and deaths.
In 2017, 88 Hamilton residents died from opioid overdoses. So far into this year, Hamilton Paramedic Services has already responded to 161 incidents of suspected opioid overdoses. In comparison to other cities within the province, Hamilton has the highest opioid-related death rate.
While there is no publicly available data on the demographics of opioid use in Hamilton, in general, young adults aged 18 to 25 are the most vulnerable to opioid misuse. As the rate of opioid misuse increases annually, it is imperative that students are aware of the availability of naloxone.
Naloxone is a fast-acting drug that temporarily reverses the effects of opioid overdoses until medical emergency services can arrive. As of March 2019, Public Health and the Naloxone Expansion Sites in Hamilton have distributed 2496 doses of naloxone, with 285 people reported as being revived by the drug.
McMaster University’s student-led Emergency First Response Team and McMaster University security officers carry and are trained to use naloxone nasal kits in case of emergency situations. While Mac’s security officers only recently began to carry the kits, EFRT responders have been carrying them since August 2017.
Fortunately, EFRT has not had to use any of their kits since they began carrying them. While this may imply that opioid-related overdoses have not occurred on campus, this does not guarantee that students are not at risk at opioid misuse.
As EFRT responders and McMaster security cannot always be available to respond to students’ needs off-campus, students should be more aware of their ability to carry and be trained to use naloxone kits.
While the Student Wellness Centre does not carry the free naloxone kit, the McMaster University Centre Pharmasave located within the McMaster University Student Centre does, in addition to the Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies located near campus. To obtain a kit, all students must do is show their Ontario health card.
The fact that this life-saving drug is so readily available to students on and near campus is amazing. It is disappointing then that the university hasn’t done a sufficient job in advertising this information to students.
Students should be given naloxone kits and mandatory opioid information and response training at the beginning of the academic term. At the very least, this information can be distributed during Welcome Week along with other orientation events.
The opioid crisis is one that affects us all, especially here in Hamilton. McMaster University should help fight this crisis by ensuring that their students are equipped with the knowledge to recognize an opioid overdose and have the necessary tools to help reverse them.
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Shloka Jetha is a woman who has always been on the move. After growing up in seven countries, the 23-year old has finally settled in Toronto and is pursuing her dream of working with at-risk youth. Part of what appealed to her about the new Professional Addiction Studies program at McMaster Continuing Education is that it’s online, which means she can set her own schedule and study on-the-go when she’s away from home.
But of course the biggest draw is the way Jetha feels the program will complement and expand upon what she learned in her McMaster degree in sociology, as well as what she is currently learning in a Child and Youth Care program at another school. With the goal of someday working in a clinical setting like the Sick Kids Centre for Brain and Mental Health, Jetha believes the more practical information she has about addiction and mental health, the better.
“I’m learning a lot in my current Child and Youth program,” Jetha enthuses, “but for me there is a bit of a knowledge gap that the McMaster Professional Addiction Studies program will help to close. It’s an incredibly complex field, every situation is new, and you need to be able read between the lines and understand the difference between what a troubled kid is saying and what’s actually going on in their life.”
Jetha believes that having the rich background knowledge the Professional Addiction Studies program will provide, and being able to link that information to her work in the field, will help her excel faster. Most importantly, she feels it will make her better and more effective at helping and healing kids in crisis.
“I’m specifically looking forward to gaining more knowledge about pharmacology, but also about other things as it’s difficult to learn on the job,” Jetha says. “I can learn a tremendous amount from the kids I work with, and that’s invaluable experience, but coming to them with a deeper knowledge base will allow me to talk with them about drugs and alcohol in a way I otherwise couldn’t.”
Jetha has been fortunate not to be personally touched by addiction, but has lost friends and people in her community from overdose. She is also familiar with the impact of this complex issue through the volunteer work she has done.
Even though this is an incredibly demanding career path, it’s one Jetha is proud and honoured to walk. She feels the good outweighs the bad and is determined to continue learning and helping as much as she can. The Professional Addiction Studies program at McMaster Continuing Education is uniquely designed to help her achieve that goal.
Applications for Spring term are open until April 29, 2019. Learn more at mcmastercce.ca/addiction-studies-program
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I found out over reading week that one of my distant cousins died. This, coupled with the death of two grandparents in the span of a year, has led to my first mortality crisis. “One day,” I said to myself, “you will die.”
Here’s the thing; I’ve been worried about growing old for a much longer time than I’ve been worried about what follows it. I wasn’t even particularly worried about a decline in quality of life with age (which has now arrived with Mortality Crisis 1.0). Instead, I’ve been worried — as long as I can remember — that one day I would no longer be a physically attractive woman. The scariest part? My fears are not unique.
Why are we so scared of growing old? Stylist speaks to 5 women over 60 to see how they feel https://t.co/CtaR85nMfr pic.twitter.com/AFCmKcQx9Z
— Stylist Magazine (@StylistMagazine) November 12, 2015
Every woman I’ve talked to about the topic has expressed worry about what will happen to her body. Whether it be stretch marks, or frown lines, or less-than-perky breasts, I have yet to find a woman who is entirely comfortable with the future of her physique. I wish that I could dismiss my own fears as irrational, or label them as an individual case of vanity and move on, but as this seems to be a pandemic, that is clearly not the case. Where do our fears come from?
The depressingly obvious answer is that we are told that our value is in our appearance. From a very young age, everything in my world said that I am most important when I am young and pretty. Even seemingly small things like compliments to my appearance before my intellect all contributed to one message in my young, impressionable mind: being beautiful is the key to success. Every warning of spinsterhood told me something else: never get old.
Notably, the television I watched growing up dictated where I was to fit in this world. Every fictional female character I admired was a young, white, love interest, and in need of male assistance. They were never anything less than flawless in appearance, and none of them were over the age of 25. Mothers were conveniently wrinkle free, and the only older women I saw in Disney movies were either helpless or villains. It is hard to picture yourself as living happily to a ripe old age when you cannot find an example in your pop culture repertoire of a woman doing so, and god forbid we think about having a happy sex life past the age of 30. The message was clear; you are valuable for your youth, and when you get old you disappear, you stop existing.
Every warning of spinsterhood told me something else: never get old.
Fear of old age is hardly an exclusively female phenomenon, yet while I listen to my male friends complain about pattern baldness or a loss of muscle tone, I can’t help but see their complaints as part of an entirely different class of anxiety. It is much easier to handle the impact of ageing when you haven’t been programmed to see your appearance as your entire worth. When ageing actors like Sylvester Stallone and George Clooney are not only still valued for their contributions on screen, but are paired with twenty-somethings as love interests.
So what can we do? Firstly, cut your body some slack. You are not going to have the same butt that you had when you were 17 for the rest of your life, and that is alright. It is natural for bodies to change with time. Your body will not be better or worse, just different. Appreciating yourself as you are currently is an excellent way to accept what may come. Solidarity is also important. We need to build communities and networks with which to support ourselves and others throughout different phases of our lives. Without the ones I love, Mortality Crisis 1.0 would have paralyzed me. Instead, despite struggling with my future, I feel as though one day I might be able to embrace it.
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