On Jan. 26, Postmedia, a Toronto-based media conglomerate and the parent company of over 130 local newspapers across Canada, including The Montreal Gazette, revealed its plan to lay off 11 per cent of its total editorial staff. This devastating decision, made in a Toronto boardroom, will put up to 10[Read More…]
Editorial
Representation, not impersonation
On Feb. 7, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond returned her honorary degree from Royal Roads University. This is the second honorary degree she has returned—one of 11 she received, including from McGill—after an investigation late last year by the CBC called her claims of Indigenous identity into question. The Canadian lawyer and[Read More…]
Targeting Elghawaby is a bigoted political play
On Jan. 26, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Amira Elghawaby as the country’s first federal representative on combating Islamophobia. Within mere days of her appointment, various politicians and Members of Parliament began calling for the resignation of the Canadian journalist, communications professional, and human rights activist. Elghawaby was accused[Read More…]
Stricter bail is a far cry from justice
On Jan. 13, all of Canada’s premiers signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging him to take immediate action in enforcing stricter bail measures. Such reform would place the onus on the accused to qualify for bail, increase the number of people held in jail without trial,[Read More…]
Privatizing health care won’t fix a failing system
The Quebec health-care system is in a state of crisis. ER wait times are dangerously high, and there is a chronic lack of staff—including nurses who are exceptionally underpaid and overworked. Amidst a similar crisis in Ontario, Premier Doug Ford unveiled plans to increase the role of private clinics in[Read More…]
In debating existence, expect resistance
On Jan. 10, McGill University’s Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism (CHRLP) planned to host a talk entitled “Sex vs. Gender (Identity) Debate In the United Kingdom and the Divorce of LGB from T.” The debate featured Robert Wintemute, a human rights professor and lawyer with ties to the[Read More…]
The Wellness Hub can’t solve McGill’s mental health crisis
Content warning: Mentions of suicide Funded by a $14 million donation, McGill opened its Student Wellness Hub in 2019. Since its inception, the centre has been understaffed and strained by unreasonably long wait times for students seeking help. At McGill, there is an urgent need for accessible mental health services[Read More…]
SSMU executive midterm reviews
President – Risann Wright (she/her) Risann Wright campaigned on a platform of facilitating policy-driven and equity-focused institutional change at SSMU. Over the summer and Fall 2022, Wright has been actively fulfilling these objectives. She created an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) working group to develop an EDI plan that promotes[Read More…]
PGSS executive midterm reviews
Secretary General: Kristi Kouchakji (she/her) Kristi Kouchakji is currently serving her second term as Secretary General, a position at the helm of PGSS’s operations. She has found this past semester to be uniquely challenging, with learning to navigate newly-hybrid governance meetings and an abundance of responsibilities, including serving on the[Read More…]
Protecting disability rights is the only way forward
On Nov. 16, Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dubé recommended the use of face masks in public spaces again. In a press conference, he cited the rise in COVID-19 cases as well as the uptick in respiratory syncytial virus and influenza cases as a serious risk to public safety. What is[Read More…]