Fabienne de Cartier was a News Editor and Director of Digital Strategy at The Tribune from 2024-2025. She passed away on August 12, 2025, from osteosarcoma. Fabienne lived as the truest kind of journalist—thoughtful, curious, ambitious, honest—and the truest kind of friend. Her smile was contagious, her love and care[Read More…]
Articles by Shani Laskin
Farewell to The Tribune: The last words from our graduating editors
Drea Garcia Avila, Creative Director: During my first year of university in November 2021, my friend off-handedly mentioned that The McGill Tribune was looking for illustrators. What started as a creative outlet led to me becoming a Staff Creative for two weeks, Design Editor for the next three semesters, and,[Read More…]
Protecting trans children’s right to sport is everyone’s responsibility
Since the start of Trump’s second term, the U.S. has seen a slew of executive orders, policies, and lawsuits attacking a fundamental right for transgender youth—the ability to play sports. Last week alone, the U.S. Department of Agriculture froze funds to educational programs in Maine due to the state’s support[Read More…]
McGill announces intent to end contractual agreement with SSMU, taking parties to mediation
On the afternoon of April 7, the McGill community received an email on behalf of Interim Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Angela Campbell with the subject line “Termination of the SSMU-McGill Memorandum of Agreement.” The email—which condemned the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) student strike the week before—outlined[Read More…]
Recap: McGill allows SSMU VP University Affairs to remain in their position following disciplinary case
A precarious few weeks have come to an end as the Interim Dean of Students Tony Mittermaier communicated that Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) University Affairs Abe Berglas could remain in their position. The decision follows the Committee on Student Discipline’s finding that Berglas had violated the[Read More…]
“I have no idea what’s going to happen next”: SSMU VP University Affairs’ future uncertain following new agreement with McGill
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the administration signed a new Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Feb. 28, outlining the terms of their relationship. However, a newly added clause barring students with any disciplinary record at McGill from serving as executives at SSMU has put current Vice-President (VP)[Read More…]
Which way does the wind blow? What wind can tell us about city wildfire pollution
In late June 2023, the Montreal sky turned orange-grey, the skyline overtaken by a thick haze. The city’s annual air quality report for that year showed that pollution reached its highest point in eight years and on June 25 and 26 of 2023, Montreal had the worst air quality in[Read More…]
The Tribune Explains: SSMU’s new Memorandum of Agreement with McGill
On Feb. 28, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the administration signed a new Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)—a document outlining the two parties’ cooperation. Coming in at 118 pages long, The Tribune breaks down what students actually need to know about the new MoA, how it differs from[Read More…]
McGill athletes strive for victory in playoffs
Last week was a milestone for McGill Athletics as several teams competed in playoff games and meets, striving to move onto future playoff rounds or to surpass their season bests. McGill Swim RSEQ conference championship: The men’s and women’s swim teams dominated their respective competitions on Sunday, Feb. 16, both[Read More…]
For a second time, the Board of Governors CSSR does not recommend McGill divest from weapons manufacturing
The McGill Board of Governors (BoG) held its first meeting of the Winter 2025 semester on Feb. 6. The BoG—which has the final say over all academic, business, and financial affairs at the university—began after nearly two hours of private session, closed to the public and media. The meeting’s open[Read More…]
Eleven years of eco-resistance
The anatomy of Divest McGill’s successful student movement Written by Shani Laskin, Managing Editor & Designed by Mia Helfrich, Design Editor For over a decade, Divest McGill ignited defiance against institutional apathy. The student-led activist group, founded in 2012, took on the task of convincing McGill’s Board of Governors (BoG) to withdraw[Read More…]
McGill governance meeting highlights: Week of Jan. 13-17
The McGill Senate, Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) Council, and Legislative Council of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) each held their first meetings of the semester during the week of Jan. 13-17. Senators explored the potential impacts of Bill 74 and Bill 83, and concerns regarding McGill’s new policy[Read More…]
Arts & Entertainment recommends
The Eternal Memory (dir. Maite Alberdi) – Shani Laskin, Managing Editor From Chilean director-producer Maite Alberdi, The Eternal Memory follows life partners Paulina Urrutia and Augusto Góngora as they navigate the latter’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The film intertwines the couple’s day-to-day routines with home videos and archived footage of Góngora’s career[Read More…]
School of Continuing Studies becomes McGill’s fourth faculty union
In a less than 60-day process, on Dec. 31, Quebec’s Tribunal Administratif du Travail certified the Association of McGill Academic Staff of the School of Continuing Studies (AMASCS), forging the fourth faculty union at McGill. The School of Continuing Studies (SCS) marks the first faculty to bid for unionization following[Read More…]
Varsity Report Card: Fall 2024
Martlets Field Hockey (0–10): C- The 2024-25 season concluded with the Martlets Field Hockey team once again finishing at the bottom of the Ontario University Association (OUA) standings. However, this year marked an important shift for the team as they hosted their first home game in over five years. The[Read More…]
Nurturing action through collective care
Five days a week for the past four years, my classmates and I have sat in lecture halls and listened to how humans are destroying the Earth. We’ve learned about global leaders who keep failing to meet their stated climate commitments or how others choose to deny climate change entirely,[Read More…]
McGill administration and students consider potential ramifications of federal government immigration restrictions
On Oct. 24, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Minister Marc Miller announced the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan which aims to decrease the number of temporary residents in Canada from 6.2 per cent of the population in 2023 to 5 per cent by the end of 2026. To achieve this,[Read More…]
SSMU VP Student Life Chloé Muñoz resigns
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Student Life, Chloé Muñoz, announced her resignation from the role at the Oct. 24 Legislative Council meeting. Her resignation is effective Oct. 29. SSMU will run a by-election to fill the position and the remaining executives will share the responsibilities of[Read More…]
Rodents run rampant in McGill residences
At 2:30 a.m. on June 26, Tobias Gurl, a third-year master’s student in the Department of Family Medicine, woke up to the sound of a rat squealing and thrashing, its head stuck in a trap. Unsure what to do, Gurl swept the dying rat onto the fire escape of his[Read More…]
Hundreds rally in solidarity with Palestine day before Superior Court of Quebec grants McGill an injunction
This is a developing story Several hundreds of protestors rallied in solidarity with Palestine through police-lined streets in downtown Montreal on Oct. 7. Protestors dispersed after police employed tear gas following individuals smashing the lower windows of the Sylvan Adams Sports Science Institute (SASSI) on Avenue des Pins. The following[Read More…]
“This is a union campus”: AMPL permanently ends its strike
This is a developing story. On Oct. 6, the Association of McGill Professors of Law (AMPL) officially ended its strike, after striking periodically since April. A few days prior, on Oct. 1, the union announced that it would suspend its strike and resume classes for law students effective Oct. 3.[Read More…]
Office of Indigenous Initiatives kicks off 13th annual Indigenous Awareness Weeks
McGill’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives (OII) commenced its 13th annual Indigenous Awareness Weeks with an opening talk given by Laara Fitznor, formerly with the University of Manitoba, on Sept. 19. The event, held in the Faculty Club, was titled “Engaging Indigenous Philosophies and Practices for Mutual Respect and Leadership across[Read More…]
‘The Bachelorette’ has lost the plot
Jesse Palmer’s piercing gaze finds me through my computer screen as he tells me, “Tonight we’re going to watch something that we have never seen before in Bachelor Nation history.” I groan. I’ve spent more hours of my life than I would like to admit watching ABC’s The Bachelor, The[Read More…]
Protestors and Concordia University security clash at SPHR rally
A student rally in support of Palestine resulted in tense interactions between protestors and Concordia University security on Sept. 12. The rally was organized in conjunction between chapters of Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR) at McGill and Concordia—formerly known as Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights—and Palestinian Youth Movement[Read More…]
Fleeting Form Studio forges community-based climate action
“We created this workshop not to enrich the community, but to build community,” co-founder of Fleeting Form Studio Hannah Marder-MacPherson said at the onset of the group’s inaugural event on Sept. 6. The organization, supported by McGill’s Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF), is hosting a series of six workshops inviting various[Read More…]
The Tribune’s sports moments of the summer
The adrenaline has been high this summer, with several high-profile tournaments and events falling within months of each other. Alongside annual events such as Wimbledon and the Formula 1 Grand Prix that draw tens of thousands of fans every year, this summer also featured the UEFA European Championships (Euros), the[Read More…]
Martlets soccer defeats UdeM Carabins in season home opener
Martlets soccer victoriously kicked off its season, defeating the Université de Montréal (UdeM) Carabins with a tight scoreline of 1-0. The players battled it out in the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium to energetic cheering from the nearly 800-person crowd. McGill dominated the beginning of the first 45 minutes, controlling the[Read More…]
McGill administration dismantles Palestine solidarity encampment after 75 days
In the early hours of July 10, police swarmed the lower field of McGill’s downtown campus to dismantle the student-led Palestine solidarity encampment. After being forced out, campers protested under the rain on Rue Sherbrooke alongside supporters from the broader Montreal community. The action by McGill’s administration brought an end[Read More…]
Hundreds of ralliers flood SSMU BoD meeting, call for Society to uphold student democracy
Roughly one hundred students disrupted the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) meeting on Nov. 30 to voice their support for the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine. Students questioned executives face-to-face on the Society’s decision to consent to an injunction against the policy—a decision that has[Read More…]
Students vote in favour of Policy Against Genocide in Palestine, reject SSMU Base Fee increase
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall referendum closed at 11 a.m. on Nov. 20, with 35.1 per cent of undergraduate students casting a ballot—up from the 16.7 per cent that voted in last semester’s election. Students overwhelmingly voted to pass the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine and to[Read More…]
Along Party Lines: A guide to Montreal’s municipal politics
Montreal’s municipal government announced the approved city budget for 2024 on Nov. 15. The budget sees a $235 million increase in spending and, on average, a 4.9 per cent increase in residential property taxes. The 2024 budget also sees increases in spending on public transit and housing, as well as[Read More…]
Recap: SSMU Board of Directors Nov. 16 meeting
The Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) met on Nov. 16. Before the board dove into the meeting’s agenda, they welcomed a new director, Fawaz Halloum. Sierra Fallis, Deputy Speaker, led the board through the meeting’s agenda points. First was an executive committee report presented by[Read More…]
Pop dialectic: AI and The Beatles’ “Now & Then”
The Beatles released their latest and final song, “Now and Then,” on Nov. 2, over sixty years after the release of their last album. The remaining Beatles—Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr—used artificial intelligence (AI) to splice together old demos with new recordings. The resultant song presents the four Beatles, dead[Read More…]
Gairdner Foundation celebrates new frontiers of biomedical research
McGill’s Office of Research and Innovation invited two recent recipients of the Canada Gairdner International Award to present their research to the McGill community. Demis Hassabis, CEO and co-founder of Google DeepMind, and Lynne Maquat, J. Lowell Orbison Endowed Chair and professor in the University of Rochester’s Department of Biochemistry[Read More…]
The Tribune Explains: Quebec tuition increases
On Oct. 13, the Quebec government announced its plan to increase tuition for out-of-province Canadian university students. The policy will nearly double out-of-province tuition at McGill from the current $8,992 to $17,000 annually for Arts students. With concerns swirling around the McGill community about how this will affect students and[Read More…]
The Dread of McGill’s Deferred Maintenance
Climate change and degrading infrastructure are forcing McGill University into a game of catch-up—will they ever win?
Having it all: How to be a singer, journalist, and barista
For a large part of my adolescence, I was sure that I wanted to be a professional singer. For nearly a decade, I participated in competitive choirs, took voice lessons, and performed in more musicals than I could count. I dreamed of Broadway and worked toward it earnestly. If someone[Read More…]
‘I’ll be thinking about this all my life’: Students react to asbestos exposure at McGill
Students at McGill’s Macdonald campus cite feeling frightened, isolated, and frustrated following the release of a report detailing the events that led to the asbestos-related closures of three buildings on the Macdonald campus in Winter 2023. The Internal Audit Final Report, which was released on Sept. 18, shows that Quebec[Read More…]
“Some of us are traumatized”: McGill student pleas over asbestos exposure
Hiba Kamel, a third-year McGill PhD student, stood up poised and palpably angry at McGill’s asbestos town hall on Sept. 22. “Some of us are traumatized. Some of us have actually interacted with the dust,” she said. Kamel is a researcher in the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences department. She is[Read More…]
OSVRSE hosts ninth annual #ConsentMcGill campaign
Content Warning: Mentions of sexual violence McGill’s Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE) hosted the ninth annual #ConsentMcGill campaign—a week devoted to educating the McGill community about consent, healthy relationships, and sexual violence through various events and workshops—from Sept. 11 to Sept. 15. Created in 2016, OSVRSE[Read More…]
QPIRG-McGill launches free textbook loan program
The Quebec Public Interest Research Group at McGill (QPIRG-McGill) opened registration for its newly-launched Free Textbook Loan Program on Sept. 11. The program, largely funded by the Arts Undergraduate Society’s (AUS) Arts Undergraduate Improvement Fund (AUIF), allows students to borrow textbooks donated by other students for free. QPIRG-McGill is a[Read More…]
Water advisories issued due to high lead levels in six McGill buildings
On July 27, the McGill community received an alert from Interim Vice-Principal for Administration and Finance Diana Dutton that water advisories had been issued for six McGill buildings: La Citadelle, Carrefour Sherbrooke, Elizabeth Wirth, Ferrier, Thomson House, and 3647 Peel. Routine water testing found that the lead levels in the[Read More…]
Big tech has to pay, but Bill C-18 is not the way
An already-undermined Canadian media landscape is facing further silencing from Big Tech. In retaliation to the passing of The Online News Act, otherwise known as Bill C-18, Google and Meta announced that they will be blocking posts from Canadian news outlets on their platforms. By passing Bill C-18, the Canadian[Read More…]
The journey of a microplastic: An unfolding story
From the packaging of an online order to the takeaway cup holding a morning coffee, plastic is everywhere. In 2019, humans produced 460 million tonnes of plastic, an enormous increase from the mid-twentieth century when roughly two million tonnes were produced annually. A key aspect of plastic pollution is that[Read More…]
The Tribune’s guide to beating travel FOMO
During the summer months, scrolling through my Instagram feed does nothing but foster a deep feeling of despair. Aside from the usual FOMO I get from seeing people have fun without me (how dare they?), summer brings a surge of posts from people galavanting around the globe. Whether they’re taking[Read More…]
Principal and Vice-Chancellor H. Deep Saini begins five-year term at McGill
McGill’s eighteenth Principal and Vice-Chancellor H. Deep Saini began his five-year term on April 1. Saini hosted a round-table discussion with McGill student media outlets on April 5, during which he answered questions about his plans to work alongside students, Indigenous groups such as the Mohawk Mothers, and unions to[Read More…]
Constellations of responsibility
Among lush Amazonian flora in Oriente, the eastern region of Ecuador, pits of viscous, black oil dot the landscape. Iridescent streams infiltrate the rainforest. Aerial shots of unobstructed canopy cover are starkly contrasted with footage of large oil rigs set up in the forest. A few frames follow before the[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: Doing taxes as a student
Tax season is in full swing and the May 1 deadline to file is fast approaching. Typically, the deadline is April 30, though this year it falls on a Sunday, giving taxpayers an extra day. In an attempt to make the process less stressful, //The McGill Tribune// compiled answers to[Read More…]
Students vote to increase Midnight Kitchen fees, usher in 2023-24 SSMU executive
The results of the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Winter referendum and executive elections were finalized on March 17. Alexandre Ashkir clinched the SSMU presidency and all but two referendum questions passed. Of the 23,550 undergraduate students eligible to vote in the referendum, 3,944 cast their ballots. Students voted[Read More…]
Students, faculty frustrated by administrative changes within Faculty of Science
Recent changes within the Faculty of Science concluded with the merging of administrative staff from the Geography, Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS), and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) departments into one administrative pod as of March 13. This decision has brought on significant frustration and stress for staff and students,[Read More…]
Students suffer from ‘food desert’ at Macdonald campus
With the closure of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue’s sole grocery store, Marché Richelieu, in early January and the closure of McGill’s Barton and Macdonald-Stewart buildings due to asbestos on Jan. 31, students at the Macdonald campus have been left with few options to access food. The Twigs Café on campus has also closed,[Read More…]
Three Macdonald Campus buildings closed immediately after asbestos discovered
The McGill community received word from Director (Campus Public Safety) Pierre Barbarie on Jan. 31 that three Macdonald Campus buildings were to be closed, effective immediately, due to the detection of asbestos in the Raymond building. All classes conducted in the Raymond, Macdonald-Stewart, or Barton buildings were either re-located, held[Read More…]
Faculty of Law event to host speaker with ties to anti-trans organization
McGill’s Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism (CHRLP), housed by the Faculty of Law, is hosting Robert Wintemute for a talk titled “The Sex vs. Gender (Identity) Debate In the United Kingdom and the Divorce of LGB from T” at 1 p.m. on Jan. 10. CHRLP’s decision to welcome[Read More…]
McGill begins eighth annual participation in Hydro-Québec Peak Demand Management program
McGill Facilities Management and Ancillary Services (FMAS) has announced that the university is once again participating in Hydro-Québec’s Peak Demand Management (PDM) program—marking its eighth year of participation—this winter. The state-owned energy corporation experiences periods of peak demand on especially cold days from December to the end of March, mostly[Read More…]
PGSS Fall General Meeting discusses expansion of gender-affirming care
Content warning: Mention of sexual violence On Nov. 16, the Post-Graduate Student Society (PGSS) held its Fall General Meeting to update members on the upcoming winter referendum, the 2023 executive election, and to discuss current PGSS initiatives. The meeting, however, did not meet its quorum requirement of one per cent[Read More…]
SSMU’s VP Operations and Sustainability executive position remains vacant despite attempts to fill it
Since the resignation of Anuradha Mallik in 2017, the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) vice-president (VP) Operations and Sustainability position has been vacant. The SSMU Legislative Council approved a motion in January 2022 to remove the position from the SSMU Constitution. The motion, however, was never ratified through a[Read More…]
McGill Policy Association hosts ‘Indigenous Voices in Resource-Sector Policy’ panel
On Nov. 9, the McGill Policy Association (MPA) hosted a panel titled “Indigenous Voices in Resource-Sector Policy,” which centred around Indigenous activism within environmental policy. The first of the two panellists was Yolanda Lopez-Maldanado, an Indigenous Maya from Mexico and the recently appointed Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous Affairs Officer[Read More…]
Medical students call for comprehensive abortion education across Canada
Medical students are pushing schools across Canada for greater abortion education in their curricula as a means to improve access to reproductive health care nationwide. Students are emphasizing the issue in light of the overturn of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 24,[Read More…]
Thousands in Montreal join solidarity rallies for anti-government protests in Iran
Content warning: Mentions of violence and misogyny Montrealers gathered in solidarity with Iranians on Oct. 22 to protest Iran’s oppressive regime and detainment and killing of Jina (Mahsa) Amini at the hands of Iran’s morality police for improperly wearing a hijab. The rally was one in a series of similar[Read More…]
Midnight Kitchen re-launches free meal program after COVID-19 hiatus
Midnight Kitchen re-launched its free prepared meal program on Sept. 15 after being forced to suspend its services for over two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides 50 vegan and nut-free meals, distributed every second week, out of the University Centre cafeteria, located on the second floor. [Read More…]
Bill 96 raises concerns for prospective and current international McGill community members
The strict provisions of Quebec’s new French language law, Bill 96, have raised concerns among international students and faculty members at McGill about the impacts the legislation will have on their lives. With the law making it harder to access public services in English, some non-French-speaking community members are worried[Read More…]
Kanien’kehà:ka Kahnistensera file 141 pieces of evidence in court case against McGill
CW: Mention of sexual assault and abuse The Kanien’kehà:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) filed 141 pieces of evidence and three affidavits at the Montreal Superior Court on Aug. 25 in their ongoing legal battle with McGill over the New Vic project. The Mothers presented this evidence in the hopes of winning[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: The search for McGill’s new Principal
During a media roundtable on Aug. 24, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau answered questions about the changing leadership at McGill ahead of Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier’s departure on Sept. 6. //The McGill Tribune// asked all the burning questions about the responsibilities of this crucial campus figure. [Read More…]
QS 2023 Rankings names McGill top university in Canada
The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, published on June 8, listed McGill as the number-one university in Canada and the 31st in the world for the 2022-2023 academic year. In last year’s publication, McGill ranked close behind the University of Toronto (UofT) as the second-best university in Canada. The[Read More…]
Tribune Explains: McGill’s Office of First Nations and Inuit Education
McGill’s Office for First Nation and Inuit Education (OFNIE), nested under the Department of Integrated Studies in Education and part of the university’s Faculty of Education, has been in operation since 1975. In the decades since its inception, the office has amassed partnerships with five different Indigenous education organizations across[Read More…]
Two years after the administration falsely reported her deceased to her family, Fanta Ly speaks about systemic racism at McGill
On July 30, 2020, the sister of Fanta Ly received a call from McGill falsely reporting that Fanta had passed away. In the two years since, there has been little explanation from the administration regarding how this mistake occurred. A Student Affairs case manager had mistakenly called Ly’s sister instead[Read More…]
McGill administration speaks to reconciliation initiatives and Mohawk Mothers federal court case
McGill’s Media Relations Office invited student media to a round table interview on Feb. 23 to discuss the progress of the university’s Indigenous Initiatives unit. In attendance was Christopher Manfredi, provost and vice-principal (Academic); Dicki Chhoyang, interim director of Indigenous Initiatives; and Thomasina Phillips, associate director of Indigenous Student Success.[Read More…]
‘When Injustice is Fully Bilingual’: Emilie Nicolas’ Mallory Lecture discusses linguistic barriers to anti-racism work in Quebec
Emilie Nicolas, a columnist for Le Devoir and the Montreal Gazette, took to the virtual stage on Feb. 15 for this year’s Mallory Lecture, speaking about language barriers to anti-racism work. The McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) hosted the talk. Nicolas introduced her lecture by describing a[Read More…]
‘Women in Policy’ panel talks tackling patriarchy in policymaking
On Feb. 8, the McGill Women in Leadership (MWIL) and the McGill Policy Association (MPA) collaborated in hosting a virtual panel titled “Women in Policy.” The event featured three panelists: Nirushaa Senthilnathan, a senior policy analyst at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC); Maeva Vilain, the borough councillor for the[Read More…]