English soccer player John Terry resigned from further international matches this week. His retirement came amidst a hailstorm of controversy stemming from a well-publicised racial incident involving fellow Briton Anton Ferdinand in 2011. In his resignation statement, Terry announced that the Football Association had made the situation “untenable.” This is just one of the increasing number of occurrences of racism in soccer, highlighting the need for strong action against this unacceptable behaviour.
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As Euro 2012 wound down, very little about the sport had changed; fans still loved soccer, and players were still diving. Spain remained the untouchable champions and kings of football; and the other elite nations—chiefly Germany and Portugal—had fallen in nicely as well. Of course, merciless England blundered another round of penalties, and returned home to their tea and crumpets prematurely. Unchanged was the brooding and ugly presence of racism in Eastern European soccer stadiums.
Realistically, to continually refer to soccer in its current state as ‘the beautiful game’ is to be willfully or woefully naïve. The days of the beautiful game are gone. Those inspiring pictures and videos of impoverished but united youth, kicking paper balls across compact sand pitches have been buried under a mounting list of scandals and hateful chants. Contrasting the superficial on-field failures like flopping, laziness, and contrived showboating—which merely cause the raising of a cynical eyebrow—the sweeping pandemic of racism damages soccer’s greatest asset: its ubiquitous worldwide appeal. It all but obliterates FIFA’s famous, but misleading mantra “My game is fair play.”
Quite simply, today’s fans neither live in the beautiful age of soccer nor relish its golden aura. Instead, soccer faces a legitimate threat to its global popularity and relevance—a threat made worse by the egregious shortcomings of its two principal governing bodies, FIFA and UEFA. FIFA seems far more concerned with threatening Canadian Olympians who disagree with suspect officiating, than with defending basic human rights by enforcing racism-free stadiums. It would appear a complete rethinking of the timeless sport is in order by fans, players and organising officials wishing to restore the game’s global pull.
When Poland and Ukraine were awarded the honour of hosting the 14th edition of the European Championships in mid-2007, many were skeptical of their capabilities to saddle the momentous cost such an international event demands. The doubt seemed well-founded: both are former Soviet-bloc states in different stages of social and economic development, and are the first of their kind to host the quadrennial tournament. After analyzing the figures, reported preparation costs soared to over $39 billion across the two nations and amassed a debt of $8 billion in Ukraine alone.
[pullquote]With increasing amounts of bigotry across the entire spectrum that is football, one must remember thatsoccer is the chosen ambassador of globalism in sport and thatracism affects not only those subjected to it, but the entire two billion fans worldwide who long for a prejudice-free medium.[/pullquote]
Yet, there is some benefit in allowing nations to host events like the Euro if they believe they have the capacity to afford it—inasmuch as they will not require long-term bailouts (think of the Big “Owe” here in Montreal). It is in the spirit of international events to enhance global awareness and equality, and instills national pride and wonderment. However it is up to these nations to operate under the umbrella of fair play and social justice. It is here that not enough scrutiny was placed. Nobody, much less the UEFA, seemed to be paying any attention to the increasing incidences of racism in that region since the early 90s, both related and unrelated to soccer.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, most countries in the Eastern Bloc have seen a steady increase in ethnic tension as they struggle to forge identities following years of social oppression. The war in Yugoslavia at the conclusion of the 20th century provides a strong example of how deeply and fundamentally this feeling is rooted.
To put this specific European Championships’ region into perspective, an internal 2010 Ukrainian poll conducted by the Kuras Institute highlighted that 70 per cent of Ukrainians exhibited xenophobic behaviour and described ethnic outsider influence as disagreeable. In Poland, the European Values Survey revealed similarly disheartening numbers, despite an initial levelling out following Poland’s entrance into the European Union. Meanwhile, in Russia—the host of the 2018 World Cup—over 3,700 racially fuelled, violent attacks causing death or injury occurred between 2004 and 2011. Most disturbingly, however, is that all sources point to a high level of governmental ambivalence, which breeds this sort of behaviour.
But what does this all have to do with soccer? On the surface, nothing—as bigotry and intolerance are omnipresent cultural issues that affect every aspect of society, and can be separated from sport. However a hard line cannot be etched between sport and society. In fact, an 18-month bigotry exposé of the host nations, undertaken by the Warsaw anti-racism group ‘Never Again,’ found numerous instances of racism classified as “giving rise to concern” leading up to the games. Most abashedly, the study highlighted an incident in a 2011 Polish match where a massive anti-Semitic poster was put on display for most of the contest without any police or security groups intervening. The inquiry gave credence to 195 individual events occurring in each of the two countries before “Never Again” closed its study in mid-2011.
Racist soccer fans in Italy. (yfrog.com)
The build-up to the tournament was again sensationalist in bigoted misfeasance from its infancy. The BBC visited the region just prior to the opening match to comment on the progress of the grounds, but was instead shocked to discover the prevalence of anti-Jewish and anti-African chants that swept through the stadiums and post-match events. These chants were so widespread that British soccer officials recommended that families of black athletes on the English team remain at home, safe from persecution in the stadiums.
Mario Balotelli, an up-and-coming Italian star, threatened “to kill” anyone found throwing a banana at him and to “walk off the pitch at the first sign of trouble.” Although his sentiments were about as tactful as a bull in a china shop, they offer insight into the fear and resentment of many promising players towards racism in the sport specifically when it came to Euro 2012.
[pullquote]Open your ears. If you did hear it and don’t want to hear it, that is even worse. — Dutch Manager Mark van Bommel[/pullquote]
The actual event itself served to solidify pre-tournament trepidation and highlighted UEFA’s inadequate stance on racism. When the Dutch national team arrived for their first training session before the event, they were met with malicious singing from Polish spectators, leaving captain Mark van Bommel crestfallen. In an interview with the BBC, van Bommel said “Open your ears. If you did hear it and don’t want to hear it, that is even worse.” UEFA, who had cameras at the event, cited no offence and chose not to respond the incident.
Eventually, UEFA would fine three nations “for improper behaviour of [their] fans… racist behaviour and racist chanting.” First, Croatia was dinged with a fine of €80,000 for verbal assaults on the frightened Balotelli, €40,000 of which were actually for setting off fireworks in the stands. Russia and Spain were quickly slapped with additional €30,000 and €20,000 fines respectively, for similar for similar transgressions. On paper, this appears progressive, as if UEFA was actually taking a resolute stance on fighting racism in Europe. In reality, it is far from doing so.
Euro 2012 spectators may recall a different, though newsworthy altercation when gleeful Danish striker Niklas Bendtner pulled up his shirt and slightly lowered his shorts to reveal a green pair of “Paddy Power” drawers after scoring his second notch in his match against Portugal. The penalty for this obviously farcical display? Bendtner was fined €100,000 and earned a one-match competitive fixture suspension for the upcoming World Cup Qualifier. To reiterate, the harshest punishment handed out by UEFA during the Euro Cup 2012 was for a cheeky goal celebration, and not in response to insults and bananas being hurled at black athletes. It is as if the grey-haired heads of European soccer gathered in a conference room to discuss how they could appear to care about crucial problems facing their sport whilst not actually caring about them at all, proceeding to get completely sidetracked in order to uphold 20s’ indecency laws against exhibiting undergarments in public.
UEFA’s Executive Board is not diverse. First of all, there are 17 members. All of its members are Caucasian and all of them are quite old. Only one of them is under 50 (49 and eight months) and only four are younger than 60 years old. But, in a hip and defiant move, UEFA broke up the boys’ club by adding a single, relatively young (51) female… in 2012. Not surprisingly, these executives are either a little out of touch as to how to correctly run and police a sport dominated by youthful exuberance and multiculturalism.
These events are not occurring in Eastern Europe alone. It is often easy for fans in the “civilized” Western world to wrongfully dismiss the problems experienced in the “barbaric” East as a hangover from years of radicalism and irrelevant to our age-old democracies and equal-rights societies. In actuality, when the wrongdoings are scrutinized, the West is anything but chaste.
For instance, among the countries penalized for racism in the European Championships was Spain. The West is not immune to bigotry. Moreover, in some areas of Germany the problem has risen so substantially that in FC Cottbus’ stadium, racial epithets are considered the norm. England appears to be the worst offender of all, with at least five supporters ejected in the past year alone for racially abusing opposing players and fans. Anti-Semitism also runs almost rampant in football expositions in Britain. Most infamously, Chelsea and Arsenal have long persecuted members of Tottenham, a team with a significant number of Jewish supporters.
[pullquote]To believe the problem of racism in soccer and society stops at the fallen Iron Curtain, then, is as short-sighted as those engaging in racism to begin with.[/pullquote]
To believe the problem of racism in soccer and society stops at the fallen Iron Curtain, then, is as short-sighted as those engaging in racism to begin with. Again, it can be said that the organizing committees have been almost willful in their compliance. The British FA continually refuses to indict fans accused of racism. Instead, the FA chooses to slap them on the wrist with menial bans that are difficult to enforce. This all but nourishes a sense of appropriateness amongst the general public.
This is not to say that the offences and faults rest solely with soccer fans. In actuality, the principal and often repeat malefactors are the players themselves. The competing teams, leagues and countries have become somewhat of a hyenas den, mercilessly gnawing and biting at the foes’ race or creed until the spirit of competition is lost.
During an October 2011 match, Luis Suarez of Liverpool racially abused Patrice Evra of Manchester United repeatedly, which ultimately led to the Suarez’s suspension by the FA. Weeks later, amidst a media-fuelled fire, former England captain John Terry was cleared, by a court of law, of racial allegations against Anton Ferdinand, an English soccer player of African descent. Terry admitted to using “black” and “extreme sexual language” in the same sentence towards Ferdinand. Ferdinand’s brother, famous footballer Rio Ferdinand, was then accused of racism over Twitter, towards fellow African-Englishman Ashley Cole, who supported Terry throughout proceedings.
Russian fans unfurled this inflammatory banner at a Euro 2012 match against Poland in Warsaw. (yfrog.com)
The list runs on and on. Brazilian soccer star Roberto Carlos was frequently subjected to racial remarks by competitors after signing a contract in Russia in 2011, and German player Kevin Großkreutz was suspended twice over his career for using racially insensitive language. Whether or not this behaviour by players is waning remains to be seen. With many anti-racism campaigns in football cropping up across the continent, what is clear is that players too, need to realize their faults in the steady trend of racism and fall into the mould of social conscientiousness if football is to transcend racism in the immediate future.
Regardless of whether the blame is assigned to players, spectators, or governing officials, or if it is Eastern or Western Europe worthy of condemnation, the fact of the matter is something must change. With increasing amounts of bigotry across the entire spectrum that is football, one must remember that it is the chosen ambassador of globalism in sport. Racism affects not only those subjected to it, but the entire two billion fans worldwide who long for a prejudice-free medium. Unless UEFA chooses to abandon its archaic form of rule, fans are subjected to more austere penalties for hooliganism, and players are less acrimonious in their exchanges with fellow competitors. Then, soccer faces the risk of losing its global relevance and its title as ‘the beautiful game.’
On Sept. 27, McGill’s Board of Governors (BoG) convened for the first time this fall to discuss the university’s goals this academic year.
Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum opened the meeting with some remarks regarding enrollment strategies at the university.
“We got the year off to a good start,” Munroe-Blum said. “Our goal is to maintain the overall number of undergraduate students, but target some areas [like Macdonald Campus enrollment]. Then, in addition to maintaining the quality of our students, which is exceptional, [our focus will be] the proportion of graduate students to undergraduate students.”
According to the principal, around 25 per cent of the McGill student body are current graduate students. This ratio compares favourably to the average at other Canadian universities, where only 15 per cent of the student body is generally composed of graduate students, but is significantly lower than American universities, which often have 40 to 60 per cent in graduate school.
She added that it is difficult to determine whether there has been any significant change in graduate admissions this year, as graduate applications generally happen throughout the school year.
Munroe-Blum said McGill’s overall enrollment has increased by 2.6 per cent since last year. The geographical basis of the students has remained similar, with 55 per cent of students coming from Quebec, 25 per cent from the rest of Canada, and 20 per cent from other countries.
According to Munroe-Blum, McGill’s enrollment mix is just one of five core priorities outlined in the university’s Strategic Reframing Initiative. The other four are cost efficiency, performance enhancement, philanthropy, and transformative research and innovation.
She also stressed McGill’s commitment to pursue “technology-enabled, campus-based education,” saying that the administration is working to provide students with an applied experience wherever possible.
Jonathan Mooney, secretary-general of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society and one of two student representatives on the BoG, mentioned several topics that he hopes it will address this year. These include the potential establishment of fora that will allow the McGill community to engage with the governors.
“ I [also] think there should be a lot of discussion about the future of universities in Quebec and the role McGill and its students will play at the upcoming education summit,” Mooney said. “I think the governors will have a lot of insight and guidance for the university in approaching these crucial and far-reaching issues.”
Munroe-Blum also mentioned that the administration is considering several issues that arose from the previous academic year. McGill is looking to create an “open security approach” with a professional reception area in the James Administration Building, in order to improve student accessibility. According to Munroe-Blum, another issue is the adequacy of the McGill student disciplinary system, indicating that it is not a transparent procedure.
Dean of Arts Christopher Manfredi, who ran an open forum series last year on the topic of free expression and peaceful assembly, will submit his report on his findings in mid-October. Munroe-Blum expressed hope that the administration can use his findings to create a permanent protocol—to replace the current provisional protocol—by the end of the year.
Munroe-Blum also drew the BoG’s attention to the numerous recognitions and awards McGill has recently received, including Professor Graham Bell’s appointment as president elect of the Royal Society of Canada, and the 14 prestigious Vanier scholarships award to McGill graduates.
Mooney said he was generally impressed by the BoG’s first session.
“Several of the most pressing and concerning questions I had planned to ask on a few issues were actually asked by other governors before I could ask them,” he said. “I think [this] shows how discerning and sharp the governors are.”
On Sept. 28, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson published a statement on the McGill Student Accounts website confirming that, in accordance with the Parti Québécois’ (PQ) recent cancellation of the tuition increases implemented by the former Liberal government, the university will return the difference in tuition fees to students.
Pauline Marois’ newly elected government repealed the tuition hikes by decree during its first cabinet meeting on Sept. 20. This move fulfilled a promise Marois made during her election campaign.
However, all Quebec universities had implemented the tuition increase for this fall semester. As a result of the freeze, McGill is expected to lose $90 million over the five years of the original tuition increase, according to a statement from Provost Anthony Masi.
In his statement, Mendelson explained that students’ Minerva accounts will be credited, and afterwards, “students will be able to request refunds according to established practices.” Currently, students may request other refunds through the Student Accounts’ menu on Minerva.
However, Mendelson added that McGill has yet to receive any “official written notification” from the provincial government. According to Mendelson’s statement, McGill is unable to undertake any further action on tuition refunds until the PQ informs the university of the amount of the new tuition rate.
“This is the third time this year that proposed tuition rates have changed,” Mendelson wrote in the statement. “We need to wait for the precise numbers from the government so that we are sure to reimburse students the proper amount.”
The online statement also mentioned the provincial government’s interest in creating “an alternative formula” for calculating tuition adjustments. Despite just having cancelled the tuition hikes, the PQ has recently demonstrated support for indexing tuition to the rate of inflation.
Marois has promised to hold a summit on education within her first 100 days in office, where discussion over the financing of universities will take place, and where the PQ government will suggest a policy on tuition indexation.
Mendelson’s statement also touched upon the slow communication between the PQ government and McGill throughout the past month. According to Mendelson, this delay in the transferring and confirmation of information is one that can be attributed to the current restructuring of the former Ministry of Education, Recreation, and Sport, which is being split into two ministries.
“A senior official in the new ministry responsible for higher education … noted that he understands our impatience to move forward with this matter as soon as possible,” Mendelson wrote. “When we receive our instructions from the government, we will inform students immediately and launch the process of credits and refunds.”
Conrad Anker and Kenny Broad are two explorers who have, respectively, scaled the highest peaks and dived into the deepest oceans on the planet. On Sept. 29, the two spoke at McGill in “An Evening of Field Research and Exploration,” a free public event hosted by the National Geographic Society. Before their presentation, Anker and Broad spoke to the McGill Tribune about their explorations and why exploration continues to be relevant today.
McGill Tribune: Can you briefly describe what you do?
Conrad Anker: I’m a mountain climber. I participated in research with the National Geographic Society in 2002, when we studied the chiru, a Tibetan antelope. I’ve also helped out climatologists studying glaciers.
Kenny Broad: I’m an environmental anthropologist. I look at the ecology and policies for human-environment interactions and decision-making. I’m mainly a diver, and I like to put together groups from different scientific disciplines because sometimes, you only get one shot to go to a remote area, so you try to work as much as you can in that one shot.
MT: How did you become interested in your field of exploration?
CA: I grew up in the mountains, so it was what my parents forced me to do … and I ended up loving it! I’m just hard-wired for a high-risk, high-sensory-input type of environment.
KB: I grew up in Miami Beach where, if you go outside, you’re almost in the water. Some people have this different feeling when they get to another environment, whether it’s the mountains or [in] water … it opens up your world, and all the problems that we feel on land kind of disappear.
MT: Describe your favourite exploration.
CA: It’s probably the trip in Tibet when we studied the chiru. We ended up producing a show for the National Geographic that lessened the demand for the Shahtoosh shawls that the animals were being poached for, so it had a good outcome.
KB: My best trip is probably the most recent, when I explored some underwater caves in Florida. We have real challenges with our water resources, so to be able to bring back information and really push for better use of water in my neighbourhood is what I love. It had the best of exploration and also some kind of societal outcome.
MT: Why do you think exploration is important?
KB: The question of ‘why do you do this?’ is not one we ask ourselves. It just feels natural. I heard there’s evidence that people have an ‘exploration gene,’ a certain genetic makeup where you want to push a little further into the unknown. And whether it’s for conservation, or better management of particular resources, or human health findings for a particular drug development … those are all great outcomes, but the core of it is that selfish desire.
CA: In the bigger picture, humans are driven by exploration and discovery. The next continents to be discovered are not the physical continents, because we’ve mapped everything, but how we feed, clothe, and shelter seven billion people today, and nine billion people in twenty years; and where do we do that? Addressing these questions that have concrete outcomes—that’s where exploration and discovery [have] gone. If we don’t keep that [exploration] gene alive and don’t get people excited, then we’re not doing society a favour. Universities are incubators of knowledge and thought—that’s why being able to share our adventures at a university feels really good for Kenny and I.
MT: What advice would you give to students about their aspirations?
KB: Follow your aspirations and go for it. Nothing comes easy, and don’t worry if you fail at something. You should worry if you’re not trying your hardest but don’t worry if you fail, and just keep trying.
CA: And do it because you want to, not because there’s some reward. Find out why you want to do it and be prepared for a lot of work and sacrifice. If it’s really something you love to do, the effort you put into it will come easy. We’re so diverse as humans, that when you find what you’re good at, and you can really excel at it, then you’re doing yourself and your fellow humans a great favour.
—This interview was condensed and edited by Karen Huang.
From Sept. 24-28, McGill hosted its second annual Aboriginal Awareness Week (AAW). This year’s AAW included a variety of events celebrating Aboriginal culture and history, as well as educating attendees on issues of Aboriginal identity and rights.
Events were held throughout the week, featuring two dream catcher-making workshops, film screenings, and talks by prominent leaders of the Aboriginal community. One speaker, Ellen Gabriel, spoke on Tuesday in the SSMU Building on international Aboriginal rights issues.
Gabriel is a long-time Aboriginal rights activist who has dealt with every level of government, from local to international, in support of Canada’s Aboriginal people. Most notably, Gabriel was chosen by the Oka community to represent them during the highly publicized Oka Crises of 1990, when a land dispute between the Quebec town of Oka and a group of Mohawk people escalated into a violent conflict.
Gabriel’s talk touched on many issues facing the Aboriginal community. These issues include self-determination, violations of human rights, land and resource disputes, language rights, and intellectual property rights.
Although the United Nations (UN) has been a centre for discussion on dealing with such problems, Gabriel said it has not proved to be a successful forum.
“The problem is the UN has not come up-to-date with how to allow Indigenous people to participate,” Gabriel said. “We’re considered civil society players or stake holders, when really, [looking] at the UN Declaration of Rights for Indigenous people, [we would like to see] our rights of self-determination addressed.”
Gabriel stressed that it is up to Aboriginal people to determine their future. She argued that decisions are made for the Aboriginals rather than by the Aboriginals. According to Gabriel, Canada has been especially poor at working with Aboriginal communities to address these issues.
“I’m sorry to tell you [but] Canada is losing—or has lost— its reputation [as] a supporter of human rights because of infractions against Indigenous people—not just here in Canada, but for its actions abroad as well,” Gabriel said. “[The Harper government] has been especially difficult to deal with.”
Allan Vicaire, Aboriginal Awareness Week coordinator, attended Gabriel’s talk, and said that her topic is important for Aboriginal issues at both the national and international levels.
“The UN Declaration of Indigenous Rights is important,” Vicaire said. “It sets a standard for how states must uphold Aboriginal rights.”
Vicaire was very pleased with Gabriel’s speech and Aboriginal Awareness Week as a whole. He said it had exceeded his expectations.
“There are many people who attended across faculties,” Vicaire said. “When we can get people who aren’t from a humanities and arts background [to] learn about Aboriginal peoples, then we are reaching out to the broader community. To me, that’s success.”
Justin Trudeau to run for leadership of Liberal Party
Last Wednesday, reports surfaced that Justin Trudeau is to announce his bid for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada at a press conference today. The son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau has held a seat as the Member of Parliament for the Montreal riding of Papineau since 2008.
The previous leader of the Liberal Party, Michael Ignatieff, resigned from the position following the May 2011 federal election, when the Liberals won the fewest seats in the history of the party. Since then, Interim Leader Bob Rae has assumed the position.
Earlier this year, Trudeau said he was not interested in the leadership position, citing his young family as the reason for his hesitation. However, Trudeau told the press in July that he would reconsider his candidacy and make an announcement at the end of the summer.
A poll conducted by the National Post revealed that a federal election held today with Trudeau in the leadership position would result in a Liberal Party win with 39 per cent of the popular vote. The results indicate that the current official opposition, the New Democratic Party (NDP), would fall back into third place.
With the leadership race set to begin on Nov. 13, the next leader of the Liberal Party will officially be announced on April 13, 2013.
Margaret Wente faces allegations of plagiarism
The CBC announced last Tuesday that they would be suspending Globe and Mail columnist Margaret Wente from the media panel of the popular radio show Q, due to allegations of plagiarism in her columns.
On Sept. 18, Carol Wainio, a blogger on the website “Media Culpa,” published an analysis of a 2009 Wente column, in which she highlighted the piece’s alleged transgressions. The allegations spread quickly through Twitter and other social media.
Globe and Mail Editor-in-Chief John Stackhouse announced last Monday that “appropriate action” has been taken against Wente, although the details of the disciplinary action remain private.
Last Tuesday, Wente defended herself in the Globe and Mail, acknowledging that she had plagiarized a sentence from another journalist’s column, but arguing that it had been unintentional. She further stated that she is not a serial plagiarist and is often a “target for people who don’t like what [she] write[s].”
Wente is the winner of several media awards, including the National Newspaper Award for column writing, and has worked as a columnist for the Globe and Mail since 1992.
Quebec introduces electronics reclycing fee
Starting Oct. 1, retailers in Quebec will add new fees to the sale of electronics as part of a provincial plan to pay for the recycling costs of the appliances. This Environmental Handling Fee (EHF) could cost more than $40 for one product, but will vary depending on how much the product costs and how difficult it is to recycle.
The money raised through this fee will go to the Association pour le Recyclage des Produits Electronique du Quebec (ARPE), where it will be used to fund a new Quebec-wide recycling program. With the implementation of this fee, Quebec joined seven other Canadian provinces that have already adopted an EHF, including Ontario and British Columbia.
While the fee currently applies only to televisions, cell phones, printers, and laptops, it will be extended to other electronic products in July 2013. Some storeowners are handing out fliers to explain the EHF to consumers.
The Enbridge pipeline: B.C. concerned for environment
In a pre-election address this past Friday, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark announced that she plans to inform the Alberta government that B.C. is firmly opposed to putting its environment at risk for the sake of the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline.
If constructed, the Enbridge pipeline would transfer raw bitumen from the Alberta tar-sands across British Columbia to Kitimat, B.C. From there, the bitumen would then be loaded onto oil tankers and transported to China, where it would be refined.
Tensions between B.C. and Alberta have risen recently regarding this controversial pipeline project, which has heavy support from both Stephen Harper and Alberta Premier Alison Redford. Many British Columbians, however, have expressed deep concerns about the environmental risks.
Although Clark’s stance against the Enbridge pipeline has hardened over the past few months, her government has never announced official opposition to the pipeline—a fact that has sparked much criticism towards the current B.C. Liberal government.
This past summer, Clark outlined five conditions that the Alberta government must meet in order for B.C. to approve the pipeline project, which include environmental protection measures and a share of the economic benefits.
Over 6,000 want Rona Ambrose to resign
Last week, an online petition calling for the resignation of Minister of State for the Status of Women Rona Ambrose went into circulation. The petition is a response to Ambrose’s support of M-312, a controversial, private-member abortion motion that was defeated in the House of Commons on Thursday.
Had M-312 passed, it would have reopened discussion about when a fetus becomes a legal person. Though Ambrose’s vote does not make it clear whether she is pro-life or not, it has sparked debate over whether one can be supportive of women’s rights and also oppose abortion.
Organizations such as the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) have publicly demanded that Ambrose resign.
“It’s her job to represent the interests of women, to defend women’s rights, [and] promote women’s equality,” Joyce Arthur, ARCC executive director, said. “We feel she [has] betrayed the women of this country.”
Supporters of M-312 also deliberately went against Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s wishes to leave the abortion issue closed, resulting in rumours of a Conservative Party rift.
By Friday afternoon, the petition had amassed over 6,000 signatures. To date, Ambrose has rejected all calls to step down.
Last Thursday, the faculty of arts hosted its ninth Annual Internship Event with presentations by nine McGill students—all of whom dedicated their time gaining and applying their skills in various unconventional settings this past summer. Held in Leacock 232, the event was attended by students, staff, and internship award donors.
Dean of arts Christopher Manfredi provided an introduction to the speeches. Interns who spoke at the event revealed a great range of experiences—their work locations included India, Hong Kong, and New York, and their areas of study spanned many fields within the faculty of arts. Between speeches, a short slideshow presentation informed arts students of the internship application and scholarship process, as well of the various resources available to them online.
Karina Perez Jvostova, U3 arts student, spent three months in Panama City. There, she interned with the United Nations World Food Program. Jvostova worked for the Unit of Information and Knowledge Management on a project organizing its online library.
Throughout the three-month span of her internship, Jvostova was able to recognize the significance of her work, as well as the impact it had on the project.
“People there acknowledged your work, [as well as] how important you were for them,” Jvostova said.
A little closer to home, U3 student Emma Stanton spent her time working with Pueblito Canada, a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Toronto, Ontario.
(Sarah Papadopoli / McGill Tribune)
“For over 35 years, Pueblito has been helping the children of Latin America by strengthening communities, safe-guarding rights, and providing the essentials for education, nutrition, and health,” the organization says on their website.
Stanton’s internship was extended from three months to four, and within that time she had direct access to the NGO’s board of directors—a privilege normally exclusive to board members.
“One of the board members—I think he was one of the former presidents of the board—asked me to attend a meeting [and] to observe the conversation about changing funding models in Canada,” Stanton said. “That was … my memorable moment.”
The interns’ presentations were followed by a reception, where attendees were given an opportunity to speak directly with past interns and ask them questions. Audrey Rooney, U1 environment, attended the event with the hope of learning more about the internship options available, and the logistics of the application process.
“It was [informative] in terms of examples of what we can do,” Rooney said. “[It lacked information] in terms of how to apply, but I guess that’s [available] on the website.”
Rooney said that attending the event has kept her interested in applying for an internship in a foreign country in the near future.
Jvostova, who was enthusiastic about her experience, encouraged students not to be shy about applying.
“A lot of people were scared about applying because of [language] skills,” Jvostova said. “[In my case], it wasn’t that important since [I was] working with the UN.”
With regards to the application process, Jvostova asserted that it is not complicated.
Stanton also offered some advice to prospective interns.
“Sit down for an hour and think about what you’re truly interested in,” she said. “[In the past] I have had friends who got jobs in what they think they wanted to do, and did not enjoy themselves. Stick to what you truly want to do—not because it’s a resumé builder, but because you’re into it.”
Beginning Oct. 9, the McTavish Reservoir on Rutherford Park behind McGill University will undergo major renovations, including an overhaul of the surrounding tank and water mains. The repairs, which will cost $16.4 million, are scheduled for the period of 2013-2014 ,and will be conducted by the City of Montreal.
The reservoir on Pine Avenue and Doctor Penfield Avenue provides drinking water to 500,000 Montrealers in seven boroughs in the city. Leaks in the pipes, which are over a hundred years old, have caused damages to McGill property in the past few years. Last fall, a leak in a 16-inch main pipe at the entrance of the pumping station in the reservoir sent thousands of gallons of water down McTavish Street, flooding Service Point, McLennan Library, and Wilson Hall.
According to Doug Sweet, director of media relations at McGill, both McGill and the Royal Victoria Hospital have seats at the stakeholders’ table and will be working with the City of Montreal to ensure that services continue to be delivered despite potential disruptions in access and high noise levels.
“We have been disseminating information to our community as it is received through our Building Directors,” Sweet said. “The City has also been advised of McGill activities or events that will have to be considered in their planning. This includes residence access, athletics activities, exams, etc.”
Sweet noted that the university will remain informed if there are changes in access or parking in the area.
“A project of this size and scope is bound to be disruptive to some at some point,” Sweet said. “Our goal, of course, is to try to do what we can to minimize the disruption. It’s important, overdue work, and needs to be completed as soon as possible.”
Project Phases
Phase 1: From October to December, Pine Avenue will be closed between McTavish Street and Doctor Penfield Avenue. The entrance to the Hospital’s third parking lot will be blocked. Two-way traffic will be allowed on McTavish and Doctor Penfield.
Phase 2: From December to March, Doctor Penfield will be closed between McTavish and Pine. Two-way traffic will be allowed on Pine Avenue.
Phase 3: From April until next August, the eastbound part of Pine will be closed from Doctor Penfield to Durocher.
Tears and laughter found their space in a discussion titled “Defending the Land: Indigenous Women’s resistance to Plan Nord and community violence.” The event, held last Friday, was hosted by Concordia University’s Centre for Gender Advocacy’s Missing Justice campaign.
Plan Nord is the provincial government’s plan to develop northern regions of the province. It involves exploring the largely untapped resources of northern Quebec, according to the Quebec government’s website.
“The North’s mining potential affords us an opportunity to capitalize on the development of the emerging countries by ensuring the responsible development of the territory’s resources,” reads a message from former Quebec Premier Jean Charest on the government website.
Friday evening’s event gave three Aboriginal women the chance to speak out and educate the Montreal community about what is happening in Northern Quebec from their perspective.
Monica van Schaik, one of the event’s organizers, said she helped to plan the discussion because she is concerned that Plan Nord is not something that the citizens of Montreal know enough about.
“I just think it’s something that just wasn’t being talked about enough [and] wasn’t being talked about in our schools in Montreal,” von Schaik said. “We decided to plan this event because it’s happening here, and it’s our own government, and it’s just something we wanted to raise awareness about.”
Ellen Gabriel, a human rights advocate and former president of the Quebec Native Women’s Association, discussed how Plan Nord and mining activity affect Aboriginal women in particular.
“Mining companies come in and look at Aboriginal women as if they can violate them,” Gabriel said. “It has to stop. Mining activity is probably one of the worst personal abusers of human rights.”
Gabriel added that violence against Aboriginal women occurs five times more than it does against any other group of women.
The other two speakers were Élyse Vollant and Denise Jourdain. Both women walked from Sept-Iles to Montreal for Earth Day earlier this year, according to van Schaik.
Vollant—an Innushkueu from the North Shore community of Uashat mak Maliotenam—was one of 12 women who were arrested after participating in a blockade on route 138 in protest of Plan Nord last March. At the event, she discussed her personal struggle against Plan Nord.
“After the blockade, I was imprisoned,” Vollant said in French. “There were accusations that I had destroyed the territory. It was Hydro-Québec that destroyed the community.”
Her main concern was for the children of the northern communities.
“Today, what we are trying to do is for the future generation,” Vollant said. “The march was really for the children.”
Jourdain, who spoke next, is a member and community organizer of the Innushkueu community of Uashat mak Mani-utenam, and was also arrested following the blockade. The activist said that she has been participating in blockades and demonstrations since she was 13 years old.
Jourdain spoke of the land she remembers from when she was a child, and how it is now under threat from the Quebec government. She also spoke out against the Quebec government’s offer of $80 million to Indigenous communities as compensation. The compensation is being destroyed for approximately $1.25 a day per person.
“This money means nothing to us,” Jourdain said. “Quebec and the federal government do not respect our Indigenous rights.”
Jourdain concluded her discussion in tears.
“There is no law that will require the government to repair the damage they do to mother Earth,” Jourdain said.
A handful McGill students attended the event, including SSMU VP External Robin Reid-Fraser. She explained that she was not at the event to represent McGill, but out of her own person interest.
“Some Indigenous groups are kind of on board with [Plan Nord], and really that’s not the case across the board, “ she said. “So I felt like it was really important to come and hear what these other groups are saying—the ones that really do see a kind of problem with this kind of [project].”
(Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune)
The event provided a venue for dialogue. (Michael Paolucci / McGill Tribune)
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