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a, Behind the Bench, Sports

Chris Bosh: the ultimate ‘third-wheel’

by Steven Lampert on

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My Toronto Raptors fandom was born when Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady first flew through the newly opened Air Canada Centre, leading what was arguably the most exciting young team in the NBA. Admittedly though, my clearest Raptor memories are rooted in the Chris Bosh era, when mediocrity was the norm and yelling ‘onions’ after three pointers was acceptable.

As a result, most avid Raptors fans of my generation have a strong opinion about Bosh— whether we regard him as the leader of the team’s transition from the Carter years, or the backstabber that left the organization out to dry when he departed for South Beach in 2010. In any case, the NBA community—particularly Raptor fans—were shocked by and mocked Bosh’s response to a question about his Hall of Fame chances on Jan. 25:

“I [was] a Hall-of-Famer like four years ago; and I say that very seriously, though. I’ve talked about it before with my friends.”

While Bosh seems quite sure of himself—“four years ago” seems a bit extreme—is he out of line in his prediction? Looking at the crude numbers and past trends, he might not be too far off. He is one of only 35 players to amass over 13,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 700 blocks, and 500 steals. Of this group, 20 are either in the Hall of Fame, or are considered locks to make it once eligible. At just 29 years old, Bosh is the youngest in this group and his numbers will continue to rise, barring any injuries. Bosh also has eight All-Star selections to his name—only one eligible player in NBA history with eight All-Star appearances has yet to make the Hall (Larry Foust). Bosh, in all likelihood, will be selected to a few more All-Star games before his career is over. Finally, he has a great chance to add a few more championship rings (“not three, not four …”) to his hand, assuming Miami can keep the ‘Big Three’ together.

However, as Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports noted, basketball— unlike sports like baseball—does not have the type of significant numerical benchmarks that all but guarantee a player’s spot in the Hall. So while Bosh is on pace to reach all of these numbers, do they actually matter? It’s fair, then, to question whether Bosh will leave a legacy in the NBA. Upon discussion with anyone who follows the league, the initial consensus answer is ‘No.’ When he was the leader in Toronto, his teams were never serious contenders. Currently in Miami, the perception is that Bosh is playing ‘third fiddle’ to LeBron and Wade’s duet.

However, it can be argued that Bosh did, in fact, play an instrumental role in their championship run last season. When he was hurt, the team faltered and looked as if ‘LeBron wasn’t clutch.’ His return sparked the Heat’s dominance (LeBron may have helped, too.) Perhaps Bosh will follow the path of Hall-of- Famer James Worthy—who won three championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in the ‘80s, playing ‘third-wheel’ behind Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar— and cement his legacy as the ‘ultimate third-wheel.’ That probably wouldn’t look so good on his plaque, though.

For those still skeptical, it is possible that Bosh can find his legacy outside of the championships he wins in Miami. As more teams try to emulate the Heat’s brand of “small-ball,” organizations will seek out centres likes Bosh—athletic big men, who can rebound and run the floor. If the NBA continues in this direction, Bosh may eventually be perceived as the prototype centre for this new era of basketball.

Although Bosh’s legacy with the Raptors isn’t particularly impressive when taking into account the team’s lack of success, Toronto fans should come to terms with the fact that he will likely be inducted to Springfield one day. He is deserving, after all; even if it kills us that his time in Toronto didn’t play the largest part.

Dean Manfredi speaks to students about course reductions planned by the faculty. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune)
a, News

Dean of Arts addresses student concerns over course cuts

by Erica Friesen on

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Last Tuesday, Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi listened to students’ concerns about cuts to arts courses, during a Town Hall hosted by the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS). AUS Vice-President Academic Tom Zheng invited Manfredi to speak about the faculty’s decision to cut up to 100 courses and reduce the number of temporary lecturers teaching in the faculty for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Manfredi said he would pass students’ concerns along to department chairs during the next step in the process, where individual departments will decide which courses they can cut without affecting students’ ability to complete their programs. He announced the reductions to professors and students at a faculty meeting on Jan. 15.

According to Manfredi, the restructuring is intended to increase the proportion of courses taught by permanent teaching staff, and to get rid of classes that are typically under-enrolled. With the remaining funds, the faculty intends to hire more teaching assistants (TAs). The goal is to hire one TA for every 60 students, rather than the current ratio—one TA per 80 students.

Some students, however, expressed frustration at the implication that full-time faculty members provide a better educational experience than part-time lecturers.

“A lot of course lecturers are better at teaching courses than fulltime professors,” Arts Senator James Gutman said. “I know a lot of full-time professors who are great at research but aren’t so good at talking to a crowd of 200 people. Course lecturers are great at that, so why, I ask, are we cutting them?”

Manfredi said consultation on the subject took place with teachers and students in 2008, and a dean’s working group on academic program delivery was held in 2010-2011. He expressed surprise at recent student criticism of the decision, saying that he had already discussed the upcoming course reductions at faculty meetings in September and November, although he and the AUS were unable to plan a Town Hall until last week due to exams.

“There’s nothing secret about it,” Manfredi said. “We did these consultations, and we learned that students were dissatisfied with the level of teaching assistant support, [and that] students were concerned that there was a disconnect between research and teaching in the faculty.”

Although the cuts will target courses with fewer than 20 students, Manfredi emphasized that the intention is to cut courses that are under-enrolled, and not simply small.

“If a course is small by necessity … [or] because pedagogically it has to be small, no problem,” he said. “However, some courses are small by design because the professor doesn’t want to teach more students … and some courses are small because their topics are so esoteric and uninteresting to students that they don’t enroll in those courses.”

Associate Dean of Arts Gillian Lane-Mercier, who also attended and spoke at the Town Hall, emphasized that relatively few courses will be “retired.” Options include offering courses every two or three years, and creating new courses that combine the topics of several smaller courses.

Manfredi said funds from courses that are no longer offered would be reallocated towards teaching assistantships, internships, and advising. However, some students expressed skepticism that the additional funds created by reducing courses will lead to an improved learning experience.

“We’ve been told to get less with a very whispering promise of ‘more,’ ” Gutman said. “What we do know is that course lecturers [and] small courses are going to be cut.”

Manfredi responded to the claim that students may not see “more.” He estimated that the faculty will be able to reallocate $500,000 towards teaching assistantships and $200,000 towards advising and internships.

Students also questioned TAs’ ability to compensate for smaller classes taught by temporary instructors.

“I’ve heard from TAs that they feel ill-equipped when they go into conferences because they’ve never facilitated conversations before or they’ve never really learned how to teach,” Talitha Calder, president of the Political Science Students’ Association, said. “If there are more resources that are being put into the number of TAs … will they also receive the adequate training that is needed to fulfil that position?”

Manfredi encouraged students  like Calder to submit their general feedback about the quality of teaching at McGill by completing course evaluations, and by reaching out to the undergraduate representatives of their department.

“We don’t want to offer a low quality educational experience,” Manfredi said. “We’re trying to deliver the best programs we can deliver with the resources we have, and none of us benefit from doing that poorly.”

Zheng said the AUS is committed to preserving the diversity of courses offered by the faculty of arts, and will try their best to ensure that student consultation continues to be part of the process.

“There were a lot of questions that were answered [at the Town Hall] … and there was some good rationale on his side of the story,” Zheng said. “But the changes are going to occur, and people still aren’t going to be happy about it.”

Flood takes on McGill campus. (Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune)
a, News

Burst water main damages buildings

by Erica Friesen and Carolina Millán Ronchetti on

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Severe flooding from a 48-inch water main break Monday evening caused widespread damage to buildings on campus, confirmed Doug Sweet, Director of Internal Communications of McGill’s Media Relations Office (MRO).

“[The damage is] very extensive to James Annex, where water broke windows in the back of the building and rushed through the main floor,” Sweet said. “That building requires significant repairs.”

According to Sweet, McGill staff and a cleaning firm worked through the night to clean up debris and complete repairs.  Water continues to flow near the Wong and James Administration Buildings, but according to a message from the MRO, the water does not pose a threat to the buildings and is being diverted into the sewer system.

Classes reopened on Tuesday in most buildings following the cleanup operation.  Classes in Wilson Hall and Birks Hall were cancelled, and those at the Wong Building were relocated. Additionally, Service Point and the James Administration Building were closed.  Sweet noted that Wong will likely be closed for a few more days and that administrators are trying to determine when other buildings may be reopened.

The flood began at 4 p.m. when a water main burst under Doctor Penfield Ave. in front of the McTavish Reservoir. Campus buildings were evacuated and all evening classes were cancelled.

The flooded area stretched from Dr. Penfield Ave. to Ste. Catherine Street, and from Union Street to Peel Street, causing pedestrians and traffic to be re-routed in downtown Montreal. At about 9 p.m., the MRO announced that the City of Montreal had shut off the water from the burst main.

The Reservoir is in the middle of the second phase of renovations, which aim to replace the surrounding tank and water mains. The repairs, conducted by the City of Montreal and estimated to cost $16.4 million, began in October 2012 and are expected to be completed in August 2013. Built in 1852, the Reservoir provides drinking water to 500,000 Montrealers in seven boroughs of the city.

A McGill Fire Prevention Crew worker who chose to remain anonymous said that, despite the harsh weather conditions of the past week, the cold was probably not the reason for the break.

“[The construction workers] were working with the big machinery,” he said. “They hit the seal, it broke, and they thought there was no pressure in that pipe, but there was pressure in the water.”

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President Clubs and Services Allison Cooper said the flooding was a great inconvenience for SSMUfest, the Winter semester’s Activities Night. The event was planned for the evening, but had to be rescheduled for Tuesday night, the day after.

“It’s the worst possible timing,” she said. “We told the club leaders to get here at 3:30 p.m., and now they are trapped with no people to greet.”

The MRO sent out a series of emergency emails throughout the evening. One message referred to the flooding as “a serious situation,” and mentioned that “a number of buildings” on the downtown campus had been flooded.

“We are trying to assess damage as best we can, but it will be extensive,” read an MRO message from Monday at 4:55 p.m. “We will provide more information as it becomes available.”

Following the evacuation of the SSMU Building, SSMU President Josh Redel said that there were no signs of flooding in the building.

“We’ve been checking the basement, and everything’s good to go,” Redel said. “We haven’t seen any leaks in areas where we’ve noticed them before.”

In Sept. 2011, a leak in a 16-inch water main at the entrance of the pumping station of the Reservoir

flooded Service Point, McLennan Library, and Wilson Hall. In 2009, a burst in a 42-inch pipe at the top of Dr. Penfield Ave. flooded many of the same buildings.

“We continue to assess damage and costs and will work as hard as we can to get our teaching and research spaces reopened,” Sweet said. “Our prime consideration, of course, is the safety of the members of our community.”

a, News

Water main break in McTavish Reservoir floods campus and downtown Montreal

by Erica Friesen and Carolina Millán Ronchetti on

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McGill’s downtown campus suffered severe flooding after a 48-inch water main burst under Doctor Penfield Ave. in front of the McTavish Reservoir on Monday. Campus buildings were evacuated and all evening classes were cancelled.

The flooded area stretched from Dr. Penfield Ave. to Ste. Catherine Street, and from Union Street to Peel Street, causing pedestrians and traffic to be re-routed in downtown Montreal.

The Reservoir is in the middle of the second phase of renovations, which aim to replace the surrounding tank and water mains. The repairs, conducted by the City of Montreal and estimated to cost $16.4 million, began in October 2012 and are expected to be completed in August 2013. Built in 1852, the Reservoir provides drinking water to 500,000 Montrealers in seven boroughs of the city.(Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune)

A McGill Fire Prevention Crew worker who chose to remain anonymous said that, despite the harsh weather conditions of the past week, the cold was probably not the reason for the break.

“[The construction workers] were working with the big machinery,” he said. “They hit the seal, it broke, and they thought there was no pressure in that pipe, but there was pressure in the water.”

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President Clubs and Services Allison Cooper said the flooding was a great inconvenience for SSMUfest, the Winter semester’s Activities Night. The event was planned for the evening, but had to be rescheduled for Tuesday night, the day after.

“It’s the worst possible timing,” she said. “We told the club leaders to get here at 3:30 p.m., and now they are trapped with no people to greet.”

(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)
(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)

 

McGill’s Media Relations Office (MRO) sent out a series of emergency emails throughout the evening. One message referred to the flooding as “a serious situation,” and mentioned that “a number of buildings” on the downtown campus had been flooded.

“We are trying to assess damage as best we can, but it will be extensive,” read an MRO message from 4:55 p.m. “We will provide more information as it becomes available.”

Following the evacuation of the SSMU Building, SSMU President Josh Redel said that there were no signs of flooding in the building.

“We’ve been checking the basement, and everything’s good to go,” Redel said. “We haven’t seen any leaks in areas where we’ve noticed them before.”

In Sept. 2011, a leak in a 16-inch water main at the entrance of the pumping station of the Reservoir flooded Service Point, McLennan Library, and Wilson Hall. In 2009, a burst in a 42-inch pipe at the top of Dr. Penfield Ave. flooded many of the same buildings.

McGill could not be reached for comment.

a, Editorial, Opinion

Accountability must come first in Access to Information debate

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A fundamental pillar for the success of a publicly funded institution is the public’s right to know and understand where its money goes, and what is being done with it. McGill’s recent motion to the Commission d’accès à l’information seeking the authority to ignore Access To Information (ATI) requests threatens this right, and risks severely compromising the school’s accountability to students and staff, and to taxpayers in general. As a media outlet, the Tribune firmly believes in the importance of a fair and functional ATI process. We feel that were the university’s motion to be approved outright, it would set a dangerous precedent and concentrate excessive power in the hands of the administration.

While we disagree with the broad implications of McGill’s request, various aspects of this issue stirred much debate amongst members of our editorial board. We felt that certain grievances brought forward by the administration are legitimate, but the school’s response has been equally problematic. The claims brought forward in the university’s motion do not justify the severity of the course of action being pursued.

McGill claims that its recent backlog of ATI requests is the product of a deliberate and coordinated attack on the school “as a retaliation measure against McGill in the aftermath of the 2011-2012 student protests.” If a conscious effort to hamstring the administration is really being undertaken, then this is also extremely worrisome. Money spent needlessly compiling thousands of pages of documents is money that will never reach a classroom, and such action benefits no one. However, these allegations on the part of the school amount to speculation at best, and the proposed solution could also put a stop to well-intentioned requests. We feel that when freedoms and liberties are at stake, people must be given the benefit of the doubt.

Another complaint put forward in McGill’s motion pertains to the nature of the requests, stating that they are frivolous, repetitive, or too broad in scope. Once again, there is a fair argument to be made to this effect; spending excessive amounts of time disclosing the contents of fridges prevents the administration from making more effective use of its resources. However, other topics outlined in the motion include corporate ties in fossil fuels and weapons research, as well as breaches of privacy. These are some of the issues that matter, and under this motion, it would be entirely within the university’s purview to avoid them altogether. Giving an institution the ability to decide what is and isn’t important to disclose directly enables it to dodge accountability in the future.

In addition to seeking to reject ATI requests based on their topics, the motion outlines a specific list of individuals whose requests it seeks to disregard. Moreover, its broad terms include student journalists, all McGill students, and anybody the administration feels “could reasonably be linked” to any of the above. The lack of clarity here and the resulting level of arbitrary power on the part of the school are both extremely troubling, and would further put McGill in a position to extensively limit what can or cannot be disclosed; in essence, the passage of this motion would allow McGill to become its own arbiter.

Rather than pursue such a dire course of action, we feel that the university should be willing to invest in  necessary infrastructure that would facilitate responses to such queries. The Government of Canada is currently in the process of implementing an online repository of previously disclosed files, to which duplicate queries can be referred. A similar system would also help to alleviate strain on the university. While this would be an investment on the part of the school, it is one which would serve to bolster the rights of the McGill community, and encourage institutional accountability.

Nevertheless, the motion has not yet moved beyond its submission state. It seems unlikely that McGill will be granted its desired level of freedom in this domain, but the request itself is clearly indicative of the administration’s attitude towards the issue. Although the pressure that an increased number of ATI requests puts on the administration may not be sustainable, it is important, as we move forward to ensure that our rights are valued above all else.

a, Sports

Records fall at biggest indoor track meet in Canada

by Jeff Downey on

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Famous Canadian sprinters Bruny Surin, Nick Macrozonaris, and current Olympian pentathlete Jessica Zelinka hold all-time records in the Tomlinson Fieldhouse in their respective events. Over the past weekend, further history was made, as McGill played host to the 18th Annual McGill Team Challenge Meet—the largest indoor track meet in Canada.

The event saw 11 new meet records while three other Fieldhouse records were established. More impressively, 41 CIS standards (qualifications) were met, as the participants won the chance to compete at the National Championships, held in March in Edmonton. Most notable amongst them were Alex Brussieres from the Laval University Track Club, who ran to a new Canadian Junior Record in the 1000m (25:60), and Olympic Pole Vaulter Mélanie Blouin, who posted a new Fieldhouse best at an impressive 4.35m.

The results of the day were slightly more ambiguous for the McGillians, as the men’s and women’s squads finished 11th and eighth overall, respectively.

Nonetheless, there were a few standout performances. Chief amongst them were a pair of podium finishes for the men and women. Alana Battison dominated the competition en route to a personal-best, gold medal performance in the pentathlon, collecting 3492 points over the race’s five events.

However, the gold medal win comes with a slightly sour aftertaste, as Battison just missed out on qualifying for the CIS Championships. Her final score fell mercilessly only 23 points short of the required 3515 points.

Not all hope is lost, however, as there are still at least three opportunities left to qualify before the end of the season. On the men’s side, the sprinters were extremely successful, as the 4×400 metre team claimed silver in McGill record time. However, despite their 3:19:11 time, this too was just short of the CIS standard, outlined for the event at 3:18:11.

In the end, the day belonged to the nationally No.2 ranked Guelph Gryphons. The club bested the 27-team competition all weekend, and climbed to the top of the podium in several events, claiming the championship on both the men’s and women’s sides. The Gryphons dominated the distance events, as Guelph swept the Men’s 1000m and the Women’s 1500m, while amassing an additional three medals in events over 1000m distance.

Although the overall team results were slightly lower than desired and did not amount to many podium appearances, the outlook is still positive for McGill track, as the club will make the trek south of the border to attend a major NCAA competition at the Armoury in New York City next weekend. The meet is sure to be an exciting one, as it will expose the athletes to a strong level of talent.

Following this, the Redmen and Martlets will compete in one more home competition—the RSEQ Championships—at the Tomlinson Fieldhouse Feb. 23-24. It will serve as the final opportunity for athletes to qualify, before the successful parties travel to Alberta for Nationals on Mar. 6.

a, News

McGill Principal says universities will face more budget cuts

by Andra Cernavskis on

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At the Jan. 23 McGill Senate meeting, Principal Heather Munroe-Blum spoke on the government-imposed university budget cuts that the Parti Québécois (PQ) announced in December. Vice-President (Finance and Administration) Michael Di Grappa also updated Senate on the progress of the Statement of Values and Principles concerning freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly.

Munroe-Blum told senators that she has received “signals” from Minister of Higher Education Pierre Duchesne that more budget cuts will affect the budget for the 2014 fiscal year.

“While we are committed to accountability and working productively with the government in every way we can, we also must take the course of not taking these retroactive cuts in this academic year,” she told Senate. “It would be irresponsible.”

According to Munroe-Blum, the university would be in a better position to accept budget cuts this year if the government promised to reinvest back into the university system in the years to come. However, she said Quebec Premier Pauline Marois “refuses to commit” to reinvestment, or indicate when such an action may come.

Munroe-Blum also noted that she has been participating in pre-Education Summit meetings in Quebec City on behalf of the Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universities du Québec (CREPUQ) and McGill. University leaders from Montreal intend to hold their own summit on Feb. 4.

“The goal of the summit is to set an agenda, and create Montreal as a centre of education … before the government summit begins,” Munroe-Blum said.
The principal also asked Di Grappa to provide an update on the statement of values and principles, which will be released this week. He announced that the statement will be accompanied by a separate document, detailing permanent “operational procedures.” These will serve as guidelines that campus security and disciplinary officers will follow when dealing with protests on campus.

Di Grappa confirmed that, while the statement of values and principles will be voted on by both Senate and the Board of Governors (BoG), the operational procedures will be implemented with no vote in either body.

“The operational procedures are an administrative document, not a matter of academic or fiscal policy. We have all kinds of operational procedures at McGill, in various units and departments,” Di Grappa said following Senate. “They are not approved by Senate or Board.”

Although they will be separate documents, the statement and operational procedures will face consultation together.

Consultation fairs over the statement of values and principles, as well as the operational procedures will occur at both campuses, and an open website is expected to launch this week, according to Di Grappa.

Arts Senator James Gutman expressed concern at Senate about how the last consultation period was handled, pointing to the fact that the administration only received 25 responses.

“One thing that upset me when you sent out the consultation email is that you sent it out during exams, and then had it end when students were coming back to McGill on Jan. 7,” he said. “I think that was really bad. … There is a reason only 25 people responded.”

Senate also discussed the possibility of expanding the McGill campus into the Royal Victoria Hospital area, as well as introducing the topic of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).

Following updates from top administrators, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President University Affairs Haley Dinel asked Di Grappa if there were any plans to use Royal Victoria Hospital for university-related purposes like classes or research.

Di Grappa pointed out that the university does not own the hospital, but that before the PQ government was elected in September, there had been talks with the Charest government over the potential transfer of the property to McGill. The hospital will soon move to another site. According to Di Grappa, the government will have to decide what it does with the property once this move takes place.

“It is now unclear how Marois would deal with this,” he said. “McGill needs to expand its space. The hospital represents an important amount of space, in which the school could gradually expand over time.”

“The new government is undertaking a ‘reflection’ on what to do with this property, as well as Hotel Dieu,” he said following Senate. “We have met with representatives of the new government to make the case that McGill should acquire the site.”

Di Grappa also said it might not be the best time for the university to pursue plans to expand.

“It would appear that renovation costs would probably be too high,” he said. “We are examining this more to see if it is feasible. The university is also dealing with budget cuts … and a campus that has buildings that [already] need reparations.”

The majority of Wednesday’s Senate meeting was spent discussing MOOCs—online courses that universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University have begun to offer. The discussion outlined how various members of Senate feel about eventually implementing large online lectures into academic programs at McGill. Opinions on this topic varied widely.

Arts Senator Max Zidel said he supports the idea, but would like to see these programs as one option out of many that students could use when completing their programs.

“I would like to think of them as different [than] conferences and lectures,” he said.

Zidel suggested that high school students could be allowed to take MOOCs before coming to McGill to get certain prerequisite classes and program requirements out of the way.

Other senators showed concern about the idea of online courses.

“My gut feeling is that, at its root, this is ultimately a revenue generation exercise,” said Medicine Senator Daniel Bernard. “I know there might be a feeling that if we don’t get on this train, we might miss it, but I think we should consider that the train may be going nowhere or, worse, over a cliff.”

Dinel expressed hope that the courses would be open to a wider demographic, which could involve people in other countries.

“It could provide a great societal development,” she said. “It would provide access [to education] to students and people who can’t come [to McGill]. … It’s a great way to share our knowledge with everyone else.”

a, News

What happened last week in Canada?

by Chris Liu on

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Dawson Defends Expulsion of Al-Khabaz

Montreal’s Dawson College expelled computer science student Ahmed Al-Khabaz after he discovered vulnerability in the college’s student portal. The college cited this as a violation of the department’s code of professional conduct. As the student portal is shared with other CEGEPs, the error compromised the personal information of 250,000 students. On Jan. 20, Al-Khabaz’s case came to the public’s attention when the National Post reported on his expulsion.

A statement released by Dawson College charges that the National Post article is “inaccurate.” The statement further suggests that Al-Khabaz was issued a ‘cease and desist’ order following his initial discovery of the vulnerability, which he contravened, attempting “repeatedly to intrude into areas of College information systems that had no relation with student information systems.”

Al-Khabaz maintains that he was only trying to help Dawson fix a serious security flaw in its system. He pointed out that in running his scans of the system, he never attempted to conceal his identity. Since his expulsion was first reported, Al-Khabaz has received 12 job offers, as well as one scholarship from Skytech, the company which designed Dawson’s website.

Ontario elects first female premier

Last Saturday, Kathleen Wynne was elected as Ontario’s first female premier at a convention devoted to choosing a successor for former Premier Dalton McGuinty. Wynne beat out former Windsor Member of Provincial Parliament Sandra Pupatello, with a vote of 1,150 to 866 during the third ballot of the convention.

Wynne, who represents the Don Valley West riding in Toronto, is also the province’s first openly gay premier. She faces several challenges as she takes office, including an ongoing dispute with the province’s teachers’ unions, a $12 billion provincial deficit, and a provincial election that may be called as early as this year. The premier has said that she hopes to avoid an early election by working with the opposition.

With Wynne’s election, female premiers now represent 87 per cent of the Canadian population, holding the leadership in six of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories.

Rob Ford Stays On As Mayor

An Ontario Divisional Court ruled in favour of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford last Friday, in an appeal of a court decision in November that would have removed him from the mayor’s office.

Ford’s legal woes stem from a 2010 report by the city integrity commissioner, which obliged Ford to pay back $3,150 in donations from lobbyists and corporations, given to his private football foundation. On Feb. 7, 2012, Ford voted in a city council motion that absolved him of the obligation to return the $3,150.

Ford admitted last September that he had never read the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, which forbids a member of council from voting on motions in which the member has a financial interest, nor a handbook given to city councillors regarding conflict of interest.

Last Friday, the court accepted Ford’s argument that city council did not have the authority to impose a personal financial penalty on Ford, as the donations had been accepted by his football foundation, and not Ford personally.

Chief Spence Ends Hunger Strike

Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence ended her hunger strike last Wednesday, after subsisting on fish broth and medicinal tea for 44 days. Her hunger strike was an effort to press for a meeting between First Nations leaders, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Governor General David Johnston. Johnston has refused to meet with First Nations leaders, citing his inability to shape government policy.

The end to the hunger strike came after Liberal, NDP, and First Nations leaders agreed on a 13-point declaration to present to the government. NDP Member of Parliament Romeo Saganash, who helped to negotiate the declaration, and who was a prominent Cree public figure prior to entering politics, expressed frustration at the federal government’s lacklustre response.

“This is Canada, and this is 2013,” Saganash told the CBC. “We shouldn’t beg to have our rightful place in this country.”

The declaration calls for “an immediate meeting … between the Crown, Federal Governments, Provincial Governments, and all First Nations.” It also calls for greater enforcement of treaty rights, environmental oversight, and a review of the constitutionality of the omnibus budget bills passed by the Conservatives.

Keystone XL Pipeline One Step Closer to Reality

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved an alternate route to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline last Tuesday. Heineman’s decision was praised by TransCanada, the Calgary-based pipeline company heading the project, as well as Minister of Natural Resources Joe Oliver, and Alberta Premier Alison Redford.

The old route also went through Nebraska, but the new route avoids an environmentally sensitive area, where erodible sand dunes heighten the risk of groundwater contamination. Nebraska has been a site of fierce opposition to the pipeline, as landowners and activists raised alarm over possible pollution of the Ogallala aquifer. The new route still crosses part of the aquifer.

The $7 billion project now awaits a decision by the U.S. State Department. The fate of the pipeline will lie in the hands of Hillary Clinton’s expected successor, U.S. Senator John Kerry, who has a reputation for being a dedicated environmentalist.

The day after Heineman’s decision, 53 senators signed a letter urging President Obama to approve the Keystone XL project. Polls show that a majority of Americans also support the pipeline.

The U.S. State Department does not expect to reach a decision before April.

Students attending the teach-in learn about the nationwide Idle No More movement. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune)
a, News

First Idle No More teach-in at McGill fosters discussion

by Emma Windfeld on

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McGill’s Thomson House Ballroom was filled to capacity on Friday afternoon during McGill’s first Idle No More teach-in. The event focused on educating attendees about the Idle No More movement, which draws attention to the socio-economic, political, and cultural relationships between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian government.

Friday’s teach-in represented an effort by three McGill entities—the Anthropology Graduate Students Association (AGSA), the First Peoples House, and the Centre for the Study of Society, Technology, and Development—to promote campus discussion on the movement, which began in November. The event was the first in a two-part series.

Chelsey Vowel, a Métis woman who currently teaches Inuit youth in Montreal, explained that clarity on issues such as tax exemption and subsidized education would result in less resentment towards Indigenous peoples.

Vowel said the Idle No More movement is about first breaking down the wall between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous peoples.

“We all want a better life for ourselves—Native or non-Native—and the only way we’re going to get there is if we cooperate,” she said.“We need a better understanding of the history and the obligations we have to one another, [and address] specific legislation coming out that’s threatening to erode Indigenous rights. … Ignorance breeds contempt,” she said.

McGill alumnus and lawyer Jameela Jeeroburkhan discussed certain federal bills that have upset Indigenous communities like Bills C-45 and C-38, which together implemented 114 amendments to federal laws.

“If a potential Aboriginal right or interest is affected by a project, [the government has] an obligation to consult the Aboriginal people affected,” she said. “Less environmental regulation [means] the duty to consult will not arise, and Aboriginal peoples will be less informed about development taking place on waterways that they use.”

The final speaker was Aaron Detlor, a lawyer and Haudenosaunee citizen from the Bay of Quinte, Ontario. Detlor claimed the Idle No More movement is not supposed to have a focus; instead, its purpose is to discuss multiple interconnected issues of Indigenous peoples and the Canadian state. According to Detlor, protests of Bill C-45 are due less to the content of the bills, and more due to the way they force Indigenous peoples to conform to non-Indigenous ways.

“[Bills like Bill C-45] force us into an adversarial system, so even if we were to decide ‘yes we’re going to court’… it denies our most fundamental relationship with the Creator and our most fundamental relationship with each other, and that’s the ability to come to one mind,” he said.

The teach-in lasted just under four hours, beginning and ending with a Mohawk prayer. Each speaker paused frequently to take questions from the audience.

Erin Linklater, U3 arts , said she came to the event in support of the Idle No More movement because it addresses issues, such as the environment, that are important to all Canadians.

“As an academic, it’s important to be informed, whether you support it or not,” Linklater said.
Ruth Loft, a member of the Montreal community, attended the forum with her husband Dr. Michael Loft, who teaches in McGill’s School of Social Work, specializing in First Nations Issues.

“It’s important for students to get involved because one person can make a difference,” she said.

Paige Isaac, coordinator of the First Peoples’ House and one of the teach-in’s organizers, thought the event was a success.

“The speakers had good focuses, and the questions [from the audience] were great,” Isaac said.

Following the event, Jessica Dolan, a PhD student in anthropology who came up with the idea of having a teach-in, thanked the audience for coming and sharing their perspectives.

The second installment of the series took place Sunday afternoon at the Centre Scalabrini de Montréal.

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McGill seeks to bar students from filing Access to Information Requests

by Erica Friesen on

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McGill is seeking to prevent its students from filing Access to Information requests (ATIs) through a motion submitted to the Commission d’accès à l’information, the organization responsible for ensuring that public institutions comply with Quebec’s ATI laws.

The motion targets 14 individual McGill students and alumni, but also asks that the Commission allow the university to deny ATIs filed by McGill students, student journalists from The McGill Daily and Concordia’s The Link, people associated with McGilliLeaked—a website that posts documents obtained through ATIs—and “persons that could reasonably be linked to such requestors.”

McGill requests the authority to deny these requestors’ ATIs when the request is “overly broad,” similar to previous requests, or “frivolous.”

Christopher Bangs, a U3 arts student and one of the 14 respondents in the case, called the motion “paranoid” and “extreme.”

According to Bangs, this legal action could allow the university to avoid disclosing information to McGill students or student journalists for up to a year and a half, due to the severe backlog at the Commission.

“This is an attempt for [McGill] … to avoid disclosing anything they don’t want to disclose, to shut down campus media, and to really hurt the campaigns that students and allies are running to make this university a better place,” he said.

According to the motion, which was filed on Dec. 7, the university’s attempts to accommodate the growing number of ATIs have caused “serious impediments to its activities.” While McGill received 37 ATI requests in 2011, 120 were filed in 2012.

“The scope of documents and information requested by the respondents is unreasonable, each request often representing hundreds, if not thousands of pages, and spanning a time period of often more than 10 years,” the motion reads. “McGill does not have the resources to process many of the individual requests, notwithstanding the fact that they are all submitted within the same timeframe, even on the same day.”

Many of the ATIs listed in the motion deal with subjects such as military research, university documents relating to Plan Nord, and administrative expenses. McGill alleges that these similarities indicate that the 14 respondents were working together. However, several respondents pointed out that these topics were prominent in campus dialogue last semester—and are still prominent—at general assemblies and during the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Legislative Council meetings.

“I was legitimately doing the requests for [researching] SSMU Council motions,” SSMU Vice-President Clubs and Services Allison Cooper, who is one of the respondents, said. “If you look through which motions I have moved and argued in favour [of in Council], they are clearly correlated.”

McGill’s motion points to one of Cooper’s requests as an example of an ATI that contained the exact wording of an ATI filed by another respondent. Cooper said she sought help phrasing the ATI at the Legal Information Clinic at McGill, and suggested that similarities in wording may have arisen from other respondents taking a similar course of action.

The motion also identifies McGilliLeaked—a website created by Bangs—as a website that encourages people to submit ATI requests to McGill. McGill points to the website’s creation in October as corresponding to a “new wave” of ATI requests.
Several respondents said they were aware of the ATI system before the creation of McGilliLeaked.

“I think that McGill should recognize that there is an increased interest in universities in general, following a lot of the issues that were brought up over the strike, especially related to how they spend their money and what kind of external partnerships they have,” another one of the respondents, SSMU Vice-President External Robin Reid-Fraser, said.

Bangs said he created the website so people could share the ATIs they had received from the University. He said not all of the 14 people that McGill alleges were working together, even knew each other, although he has collaborated with several of them.

“Some of the people there are my friends and we are working on some campaigns together,” he said. “Finding out more information was a part of [these] campaigns, but obviously not all of us are connected through these campaigns.”

According to Bangs, the court case will not be able to progress for another three or four months, when a mediation session between the involved parties will take place. Several respondents expressed disappointment with the way McGill has addressed the issue.

“They could have easily invited us to meet to discuss the issue from their perspective before going to the Commission,” Reid-Fraser said. “It just seems quite unfortunate that they chose this direction, [instead of] a more constructive conversation.”

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