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Research Briefs, Science & Technology

The hidden costs of ‘orphan wells’

by Amir Hotter Yishay on

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According to some estimates, there may be up to five million oil and gas wells in Canada and the United States. In Alberta alone, more than 600,000 wells have been drilled—one for every seven people in the province. The consequences of the extraction, refinement, and use of petroleum is well understood; the effect of extraction on the immediate environment, less so.

The oil drilling process creates pathways for the movement of fluids within the Earth’s subsurface, allowing for the extraction of oil, natural gas, and groundwater—yet, these very same pathways can also facilitate leakage of gases and harmful contaminants. On paper, if wells are properly sealed and maintained, this should not happen, but in practice, it often does—especially when they are abandoned, or ‘orphaned’ by the companies that drilled them in the first place.

Mary Kang, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Engineering, is an expert on the environmental cost of orphaned wells. In 2013, when Kang was conducting research for her PhD, the wells were mainly considered a risk factor for carbon dioxide emissions. 

“I thought, ‘Could they be a source of methane emissions?’” Kang said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Apparently, at that time, there was nobody who measured them.” 

As a greenhouse gas, methane is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Kang’s measurements of abandoned wells in Pennsylvania, the oldest in North America, found that they were in fact emitting significant amounts of the gas, and to an extent far beyond what scientists and oil executives had imagined. Since the publication of Kang’s findings in 2014, methane emissions from abandoned oil and gas wells have finally been included in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions inventories—crucial tools used by government and business alike to calculate their greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions inventories are generally calculated using emission factors, averages based on measurements taken elsewhere.

“All studies show that if you take, say, 100 oil and gas wells, it’s only two or three that emit a lot,” Kang said. “So you can see how using an emission factor from another study can give you uncertain estimates.” 

Kang believes that emissions accounting needs to be more measurement-based, a conviction echoed by the National Academy of Sciences in a 2018 report.

Kang’s work has also shed light on other consequences of orphan wells, finding that they are at risk of polluting groundwater aquifers, the primary source of water for nearly nine million Canadians.

Under the ‘polluter pays’ principle, oil and gas companies are legally bound through Asset Retirement Obligations (ARO) to account for the cost of cleaning up and dismantling wells. However, until a Supreme Court of Canada ruling this January, declaring bankruptcy allowed companies to shirk these responsibilities in lieu of paying back creditors, saddling the government with the cost of clean up. From 2012 to 2017, a downturn in oil and gas saw the number of orphan wells in Alberta catapult from 100 to upward of 3,200. Meanwhile, the number of wells that are effectively out of business and not yet properly sealed or remediated reached the staggering figure of 155,000, which amounts to 30 per cent of all wells in the province. The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) publicly claimed the total financial liability of clean-up measures for the province’s oil and gas industry to be $58 billion. In 2018, however, journalists unearthed private AER documents warning that the actual sum could be closer to $260 billion, of which only 1.6 billion in liability securities had been collected from the private sector. 

While action lags on the issue, the orphan wells will continue to contaminate groundwater and belch methane into the atmosphere. Given the magnitude of the issue at hand, one can only hope that government and industry will be able to pick up the slack, and soon.

Arts & Entertainment

Expozine 2019 opens up the world of independent publishing

by Jonathan Giammaria on

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Mainstream culture often seems omnipresent—but every mainstream contains lively subcultures, and in the case of publishing, that subculture is zines. Montreal’s Expozine, which took place Nov. 16-17, had over 270 vendors set up in Église Sainte-Arsène’s basement and drew over 15,000 visitors. 

Typically, a zine is an independently published work meant to circumvent more traditional avenues for sharing art. Zines have often been associated with fringe issues, speaking for and about marginalized people and providing a platform for countercultural ideas and movements. Since zines have often had small circulations due to their DIY nature, their distribution has generally remained within the communities that produced them. 

Expozine hosted its first convention in 2002, and has since grown to be Canada’s largest small-press convention and one of the most popular events of its kind in North America. With its continued success, Expozine has begun attracting artists internationally. Rows of vendors lined the hall with their visual art, poetry, essays, photography, comics, criticism, and political manifestos. Even within the world of zines, differences in artist resources and funding—some publications are run by a single person, while others boast dedicated editorial teams—make it difficult to reduce the disparity in popularity between larger and more obscure publications. Expozine, however, is an equalizer, where visitors can find kiosks of staple-bound poetry pamphlets next to mainstream publishers displaying their fully-coloured magazines.

Notable attendees included the Quebec literary publisher Véhicule Press, whose kiosk boasted novels and poetry collections from award winning writers. In another corner, Tania Mignacca, the creator of the webcomic Ponto, an endearing series about Montreal’s orange construction cones, displayed her newly published collection of the same name. A few tables down, Concordia’s student-run Queer Print Club exhibited their newest contributions discussing gender and sexuality. In contrast to mainstream conventions like the upcoming Salon du livre de Montréal, Expozine’s value comes from showcasing a variety of artists whose eclectic niches might otherwise be overlooked.

Over the years, Expozine has expanded to include several workshops and talks. One such round table, hosted by La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly on Nov. 14, invited several artists to speak about the collaborative nature of making zines. Jimmy Beaulieu, a Montreal-based cartoonist and comic artist, spoke about the difficulties of distributing work in Canada. Beaulieu spoke of the benefits of working with conventions like Expozine, especially in the era before it was common practice to advertise artwork through social media. Without a major publisher to back his work and distribute it country-wide, concentrated gatherings such as Expozine helped him to reach audiences made inaccessible by Canada’s vast landscape.

Meanwhile, Iris Boudreau, whose illustrations of urban life mix autobiography and fiction, spoke about the benefits of collaborating with fellow artists, some of whom she had met at conventions like Expozine. Boudreau remarked that she has often used collaboration as a means to assuage feelings of self-doubt and to share her projects’ failures and successes with collaborators, many of whom she now considers friends. More than just building solidarity, though, Boudreau also felt that collaboration was a great source of motivation, a tool for completing work and launching new projects.

Embodying this communal spirit, the convention brought together a vibrant collective of artists, writers, and illustrators. As Expozine continues to grow, so will its ability to champion the distinct voices that make up the world of zines.

Arts & Entertainment

Canada’s literary rock star pays a visit to Montreal

by Deana Korsunsky on

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Dark green lights illuminate the walls and ceiling. Hundreds of people cheer and applaud. 

“I’m sorry, this microphone must be broken,” a man in front of the audience exclaims. “I said we have Margaret Atwood here tonight!” The applause in response is deafening.

On Nov. 12, critically acclaimed novelist, poet, and essayist Margaret Atwood presented her latest novel at the St. James United Church. Organized by Librairie Paragraphe as part of its “Words After Dark” series, the event drew hundreds of people to one of Montreal’s biggest literary events of the year. The evening was a stop on Atwood’s book tour for The Testaments, the sequel to her 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale.

Atwood sat in front of the altar, an ironic setting given the novel’s critique of  institutionalized religion. Yet, it was simultaneously fitting: The eager audience was hanging on every word of the literary sermon that Atwood delivered. The green lighting, chosen to match the front cover of Atwood’s new novel, was discernible, but soft enough that one could make out the bright red spectacles that she wore on a chain around her neck.

A self-described Atwood fan, radio journalist and host Ann Lagacé Dowson interviewed Atwood throughout the evening, beginning by inquiring about the decades in between publishing The Handmaid’s Tale and its sequel. Atwood decided to return to the story by the recent rise in conservative and extremist politics.

“We’re in a pushback,” Atwood said. “I got to a point where I couldn’t keep my hands off [of] it. In 2016, just before the election, it was crying to be written.” 

Dowson began to point out the similarities between Atwood’s dystopian novels and the current political events around the world, before Atwood clarified the inspiration behind her novels. 

“Everything I wrote about actually happened sometime throughout history,” Atwood said. “I did that because otherwise people would say I made it all up. I didn’t.” 

In literary studies, Atwood is noted for having coined the term ‘speculative fiction’, a genre describing possible consequences of the horrific realities that society creates.

The conversation then shifted to a discussion on climate change and social justice. A long-time environmental advocate, Atwood noted connections between societal unrest and the environmental deterioration. She shared her personal experiences as an activist, and joked about social expectations of activist celebrities. 

“People are saying ‘If Jane Fonda can get arrested, why can’t you?’ to me,” Atwood chuckled, referencing the actress’s weekly protests and subsequent weekly arrests. 

Although the event was advertised as promoting The Testaments, the point of fascination and delight throughout the evening was not Margaret Atwood’s novel, but her demeanour. Throughout her conversation with Dowson, Atwood maintained a relaxed but formidable air of blunt and charming sarcasm. She did not allow Dowson to get away with any stray, misquoted line or not-entirely-correct fact. When Dowson referred to a speech that the writer gave to West Point cadets years ago, Atwood did not hesitate to show some playful attitude. 

“I had said that to more than just cadets, you know. They sat up straighter, too,” Atwood retorted. 

Each time that Atwood made a curt remark, the audience chattered amongst themselves, adoring the literary icon’s authenticity. At times, Dowson was left searching for words, unprepared for and surprised at Atwood’s unapologetic attitude. By the end of the evening, however, both Dowson and Atwood developed a bond in their occasionally off-rhythm conversation, smiling and holding hands as the audience cheered for them.

Librairie Paragraphe’s Words After Dark event left its audience satisfied, and with a new level of understanding of the world-famous writer. The Testaments’ author is not just a brilliant thinker and influential literary figure; Margaret Atwood is a contemporary icon and a celebrity, and she knows it.

McGill, News

SSMU debates Hillel Montreal’s offers of free trips to Israel

by Kate Addison on

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Content warning: Mentions of violence against children

At the fifth Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council meeting, the discussion turned toward an article published by The McGill Daily. On Nov. 13, The Daily reported that several student leaders and executives on campus such as the Black Students’ Network (BSN), had been offered an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel by Hillel McGill, an organization dedicated to providing a space for Jewish students on campus. Many students are concerned about the trip, and whether executives who had accepted the trip were breaking the trust of their Palestinian constituents.

SSMU Arts Representatives Adin Chan and Andrew Chase, as well as Science Representative Jordyn Wright, will be taking part in the Hillel trip and addressed concerns voiced by other SSMU representatives during the council meeting. During the question period, Medicine Senator Andre Lametti initially brought up the issue. 

“I was wondering if anyone here had any comments […] about these trips,” Lametti said. “Do [these trips] constitute a conflict of interest? Are they a gift that should not be accepted by members of council?” 

Reading from a prepared statement, Adin Chan provided an explanation to the council for his desire to take advantage of this opportunity to travel to Israel, a move which is considered by some to be insensitive to the Palestinians that the councillors represent.

“[The trip] was advertised to me as a trip with the purpose of promoting dialogue and a greater understanding of the Israel-Palestine region,” Chan said. “I accepted this opportunity entirely in my capacity as an individual, as a Christian, […] to visit the most important sites [for] my faith [.…] I am not attending this trip in my capacity as Arts Representative whatsoever.”

SSMU Vice-President Adam Gwiazda-Amsel expressed his concerns about the trip presenting a conflict of interest for student governors who have decided to attend. 

“I obviously recognize that it’s very unfortunate and rather sad that people can’t enjoy their heritage [through this trip], that this [has become] a very entangled political issue,” Gwizada-Amsel said. “[However], I think that it’s naive, if not ignorant, to say that there is a separation at this point between a personal decision and the office. I think that you’re just turning a blind eye to […] the reality and the nature of the Israeli-Palestinian debate on this campus.” 

SSMU president Bryan Buraga reiterated the contents of a letter sent to Hillel McGill in response to the invitations. While three members of the SSMU Legislative Council have chosen to be involved with the trip, the SSMU executives have, as a group, rejected Hillel’s offer.

“[The SSMU Executives] oppose the invitations themselves, and now we ask Hillel McGill to immediately make public three points,” Buraga said. “[First, why] these invitations were extended. Secondly, who these invitations [had] been extended to and why these individuals were chosen. […] Thirdly, the details and specific purpose of the trip being offered.” 

Erratum: An article in the Nov. 19, 2019 issue #11 (SSMU debates Hillel Montreal’s offers of free trips to Israel) incorrectly stated that six SSMU legislative council members applied for Hillel McGill’s free trip to Israel. In fact, only three did. The Tribune regrets this error.

Sound bite:

“What’s been going on [in Gaza] is horrible and tragic and unfortunate and a lot of other words that I just don’t have the chance to articulate myself right now. I agree with those sentiments that [it is] something that needs to change [.…] However, in my capacity as a professional, I have faith in my abilities to remain an objective leader even though I plan on going on the trip,” Jordyn Wright, Science Representative to SSMU said on her decision to accept his invitation to join the Hillel trip.

Moment of the Meeting: 

Social Work Representative to SSMU Jo Roy displayed an image of an injured child taken to a hospital and stated to the council that the rest of the child’s family had been killed in a bombing in Southern Gaza. Roy went on to ask those who had accepted the trip to either decline it or resign from their position at SSMU.

HanVoice students posing
Montreal, News

HanVoice hosts panel on the gendered experience of North Korean defectors

by Delphine Polidori on

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McGill Students for HanVoice, a student chapter of the Canadian advocacy group for North Korean refugees and human rights, hosted a panel on Nov. 15 to shed light on the gendered experiences of North Korean migration and to highlight the ways that women are disproportionately marginalized throughout their journeys. 

McGill Institute for the Study of International Development (ISID) professor Kazue Takamura, whose research focuses on the movements of migrants from developing areas, particularly in Asia, opened the panel by contextualizing Asian migration regimes. Takamura spoke about the role of migrant surveillance, which takes the form of border security and detention centers, in creating distinct migration experiences based on gender and the limitations of international human rights regimes in to improve women’s precarious mobility. 

“Migrant surveillance regimes are contributing to [capital-driven migration-related policies], the state of not just opening up borders but also controlling the border and deporting migrants,” Takamura said. “You see intensified migrant surveillance but also […] the [creation] of [forced] displacement, meaning that those asylum seekers are subject to detention and deportation.”

Building on Takamura’s presentation, HanVoice Director of Research Mégane Visette discussed the inherent link between the gender-based experience of refugees and border surveillance regimes between North Korea, China, and other Southeast Asian countries that defectors have to cross to reach South Korea. Most North Korean defectors flee to South Korea because its Ministry of Unification offers them protection through a resettlement program. Since 2004, however, refugees can also seek asylum in the United States under the provisions of the North Korean Human Rights Act (NKHRA), but less than 200 refugees have been admitted to date.

Visette emphasized some reasons for the gender-based experience of North Korean women defectors, pointing to China’s former one-child policy. In Jan. 2016, the policy was loosened to allow couples to have two children; however, the 36-year long policy created a demand for brides, which also increased mobility opportunities for women.

“Marriage, then, [became] a survival strategy,” Visette said. “When you’re crossing the border, you don’t have much choice […] but you [may] know someone who can make you go through the border if you become the bride [to a stranger]. The advantage of [this survival strategy] is that [it allows you to] get into those very invisible spaces [of] famil[ies], which [protects you from being denounced] by the Chinese authorities.” 

Visette concluded by discussing how Southeast Asian countries rationalize their treatment of North Korean refugees by classifying North Korean defectors as economic migrants as opposed to refugees. China, for example, has been able to deny them the protection mandated by the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines the term “refugee” and ratifyies states’ obligations to protect them. 

“[T]he international legal system [offers] such a cookie-cutter sort of interpretation of what a refugee convention [that leaves, which leaves] a lot of people […] in a grey zone,” Visette said. “North Korean refugee women cannot access refugee status [in Thailand, which prevents them from accessing] private sponsorship programs in Canada because this is reliant on the UNHCR […] definition.”

The event ended with a video interview of North Korean defector Yeeun Joo, who spoke about her journey from North to South Korea by travelling through China with the help of missionaries, who protected her from experiencing any gender-based violence. Joo described her 20 years living in the one-party state.

“There’s such a drastic difference in the quality of life compared to South Korea,” Joo said. “There are a lot of people who live unaware of the fact that their freedoms were stolen from them [….] We have this song about freedom [even though] we [don’t] know what “freedom” mean[s].”

Joo also spoke about her experience arriving in South Korea five years ago and the challenges of integrating into the country as a North Korean refugee.

“I was just in a daze,” Joo said. “I really thought that I was in a dream and kept questioning it. And there was a part of me that was really worried. I questioned how to live here, how to act […] We spoke […] differently and, [because] we live so far [from each other], our cultures, manners, stories, and ways of speaking [are] all different, so I had to be careful about everything, but I didn’t know how.” 

Joo dreams of becoming a teacher, with ambitions of creating an education system to teach North Korean children if the two Koreas ever unify. 

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

‘Beastmode: A Social Experiment’ sheds light on the Philippines’ drug war

by Joey Caplan on

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For the latest installment in its weekly film screenings, Concordia’s chapter of Cinema Politica featured Eshei Mesina’s Beastmode: A Social Experiment, a documentary that is part exposé on the horrors of Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime, and part docudrama of how a fabricated viral video became a nationally reported mixed martial arts (MMA) fight. These seemingly unrelated subjects coalesce in a film that tackles the perception of violence in a country where drug users, and even those tangentially related to them, are killed by the police daily in the name of a war on drugs. 

The film begins with shaky footage of Duterte delivering a speech to an audience of citizens protesting against the brutal treatment of drug users and imploring the president to fulfill his campaign promises, such as increasing minimum wage. This frantic moment defines Beastmode, as its hectic pacing and visual style mirrors the social panic as desperation sets in among Duterte’s many opponents. The film then takes a hard turn and focuses on Baron Geisler, a celebrated Filipino actor. Mesina had the idea of orchestrating an impromptu brawl between Baron Geisler and fellow actor Kiko Matos. The fight would be captured on a phone camera with the hope of going viral on the internet. The catch would be that the fight would occur in front of a sign calling for the release of a political prisoner. 

The social experiment aimed to determine whether anyone would notice the sign itself or if viewers would ignore it and instead simply indulge in the fight. Beastmode intercuts the development of the ever-growing hoax with more of Duterte’s speeches, an apparent commentary on how Duterte’s call for extreme violence is a symptom of the country’s admiration for brutality. Unsurprisingly, most viewers fell for the bait, choosing to indulge gossip regarding Geisler and Matos instead of supporting the political prisoner. Some tabloids went as far as to make up outlandish theories about the actors’ motivations and personal history. The internet made it clear that they wanted more from the two actors; one fight was not nearly enough. 

Eventually, the initial premise of the experiment is dropped entirely: The “feud” between the two actors has become a national sensation. Despite the director not intending his social experiment to reach such a scale, Geisler and Matos agree to fight in a genuine MMA match, and throngs of people show up for the spectacle. Once again, Mesina implies, the public has chosen to focus on trivial violence rather than pressing political issues. At a certain point, the movie becomes a parody of itself, promoting the violence it set out to criticize. The film never shies away from its unexpected twists and, as a result, Beastmode provides an incredibly earnest snapshot of the political climate in the Philippines. 

The film’s versatility is its strongest draw, and it makes Beastmode important both as a political statement and a piece of entertainment. Serious, upsetting scenes involving Duterte are often punctuated with an onslaught of chaotic, colourful internet memes about Duterte and Geisler along with animated explosions, juxtaposing political discourse in the Philippines and how the public consumes it. The film prides itself on depicting the country’s crisis with candor and, at times, wit. 

With this portrayal, Mesina creates one of the most honest depictions of the war on drugs yet. Geisler and Kiko’s climactic fight is the lens through which Beastmode inspects society’s attitude towards violence, and though the event has no bearing on the Filipino political climate, it sheds light on life in the Philippines far more than a presidential speech ever could.

Student Life

Emergency shelter to open for winter at former Royal Victoria Hospital

by Scott Kennedy on

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After a successful pilot project last winter, the overflow homeless shelter at the former Royal Victoria Hospital is set to reopen for another winter season. The emergency shelter will open its doors on Dec. 2, with around 150 beds available until April 15. The overflow shelter will be open to individuals in a state of inebriation, those with substance abuse disorders, and those with pets. 

“This [shelter] is a low-barrier, high-access service,” Matthew Pearce, president and CEO of the Old Brewery Mission, said. “[It] is intended to support existing shelters in Montreal, which are typically in greater demand during the winter months.”

As extreme cold sets in, most of Montreal’s emergency homeless shelters meet and exceed capacity. The overflow shelter will continue to operate in partnership with local health authorities, homeless organizations, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), and the Montreal police.

The pilot project, which operated from January to April 2019, had over 1500 unique clients inhabit the shelter in the historic Ross Pavilion at the old Royal Victoria Hospital. The project was spearheaded by four Montreal homeless missions: The Old Brewery Mission, the Welcome Hall Mission, Maison du Père, and the Accueil Bonneau. 

Statistics collected over the course of the project were published in a recent report by the Old Brewery Mission’s research department. They found that 55 per cent of interviewed participants self-declared as alcoholics and used the overflow unit frequently. In addition, 85 per cent of the respondents felt that the overflow shelter should stay open year-round. 

The researchers suggested that the temporary shelter provided a service for homeless individuals that was missing in Montreal for homeless individuals and found that the Royal Victoria project highlighted an absence of lower barrier shelter options in the city. Although a majority of women reported feeling safe at the Royal Victoria project, one third reported the opposite . The upcoming project in December will offer goods and services adapted specifically to women’s needs, including a women-only floor.

Recent surveys in Quebec have shed light on the multifaceted dimensions of the homelessness issue in Montreal. As of 2018, there were 3,149 individuals visibly living on the streets in Montreal, making up over half of Quebec’s total homeless population. A study conducted by Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services found that Indigenous people, immigrants, refugees, and queer individuals were over-represented in Quebec’s homeless population. Although Indigenous people make up less than one per cent of the general population, they represent approximately 10 per cent of Montreal’s homeless.

“Right now, housing is the largest service offered by the Old Brewery Mission, bigger than our emergency housing service,” Pearce said. “[…] The [overflow] shelter is not a solution, it is a band-aid. [Our priority] is getting affordable and available housing and not needing homeless shelters in the future.” 

Every year, missions like the Old Brewery depend on volunteers who help these organizations deliver their services, raise funds and provide administrative support. Students interested in volunteering for the Old Brewery Mission can reach the organization by emailing [email protected].

More information about the shelter project is available on the Old Brewery Mission website.

The Rossy student wellness hub.
McGill, News

Students protest Wellness Hub’s scheduled open house

by Tasmin Chu on

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Content warning: Mentions of suicidal thoughts.

Approximately 20 McGill students protested outside of the Brown Student Services Building for accessible healthcare on Nov. 12, the day of a planned open house of the Student Wellness Hub. The open house was postponed the day before due to weather.

The demonstration, organized by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) University Affairs and the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM), highlighted barriers that students face while seeking healthcare at the Student Wellness Hub.

SSMU Vice-President (VP) University Affairs Madeline Wilson delivered a speech demanding shorter wait times for services, more affordable student health plans, and a better complaint system for students. 

“The [current] international student health plan is the most expensive […] plan in all of Canada, and that’s not okay,” Wilson said. “One of the results of transferring long term counselling care out of the Hub means [that] students have to pay upfront [to third party care providers].”

AGSEM member Melissa Marquette condemned the rollback of McGill’s Eating Disorder Program, which was abruptly canceled two years ago, and the absence of long-term counselling services.

“We want to actively ensure that the Brown Building is always physically accessible,” Marquette said. “We want long-term clinical mental health care. Student-run peer support is a Band-Aid. It is not healthcare. We want to bring back the Eating Disorder Program, which was shut down with no warning.”

McGill launched the Student Wellness Hub this year after a $14 million combined investment from McGill and the Rossy Foundation, which aimed to improve health services to students by adding Local Wellness Advisors and merging Psychiatric and Counselling Services to the clinic. 

AGSEM Mobilization Officer Rine Vieth claimed that the administration did not deliver that vision, condemning the lack of investment into student well-being at the institutional level.

“It’s a big shiny façade that has a lot of cracks,” Vieth said. “[Administrators] here seem more into their own careers than […] supporting students or building a community together. [It’s] infuriating.”

Former SSMU Mental Health Commissioner Bee Khaleeli shared the upsetting treatment that they experienced from a doctor at McGill. 

“My clinician here at McGill didn’t inform me of [the] diagnoses [I received when I was hospitalized],” Khaleeli said. “He put me on medication that made me flip between mania and immobilizing depression. I told him early on that it wasn’t working, and he raised my dose […] I told him that I was suicidal and I still have the notes from the appointment [….] He [wrote] that I [was] giggly.”

SSMU Community Affairs Commissioner Claire Grenier said that the Hub rarely seemed to coordinate its services well.

“They call it the ‘one-stop shop,’” Grenier said. “Yet no one is working together. It is so disconnected. I [access] three different parts of the supposed Wellness Hub. None of them are talking to each other, and I’m responsible for playing catch up between all of them to make services and my life easier.”

Graduate student Lindsey Franks claimed that her appointment for Tuesday was canceled for the Open House, despite the postponement.

“I asked why since the event got moved, and I was told that the Hub was still closed to appointments regardless,” Franks wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

At the protest, Franks shared her frustration in trying to access services at the Hub.

“[It’s] been the number one biggest cause of stress for me this semester,” Franks said. “I’m also American, and I know everyone shits on the American healthcare and insurance system […] I got better healthcare in the US than I’m getting here. And that’s saying something.”

Out on the Town, Student Life

Serving sushi with love

by ET Wu on

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With the holidays just around the corner, many students will start to miss the comfort of coming home to a nice family meal. Maggie Yu and chef Kiki Ju, the owners of Parc Sushi, are dedicated to recreating this atmosphere by providing high quality sushi in an intimate setting.

“[Ju] worked for different sushi restaurants, [like] K2 and Sushi Palace, [that] are all-you-can-eat,” Yu said. “Personally, I don’t like [that] because it’s not like 30 years ago where we have to eat a lot, now we need healthy food. [It should be] about the quality. We make our sushi with love.” 

Yu and Ju are focused on quality. Their menu is limited, with a precise selection of fresh and tasty rolls and nigiri, making their sushi an affordable and well-made choice.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Parc Sushi is that the couple runs the operation out of their old apartment, a choice that was influenced by their desire to foster a sense of community among customers. 

“Last year, we moved to a new home, and this place became vacant, and we wanted to do something for the neighbourhood so we decided to open a sushi takeout,” Yu said.

The couple’s decision to operate out of their old house is also influenced by their desire to replicate the hospitality of Yu’s mother.

“Whenever I had friends [over as a child], my mom [was] very generous,” Yu said. “She would cook the food, and we would enjoy [it] and laugh [….] This [atmosphere] is something I want to share [through] my business.”

Customers will definitely feel as though they are eating at home, waiting in the owners’ former living room as Ju prepares fresh sushi. Yu and Ju create a friendly environment, taking the time to chat with and get to know their customers.

“All of my customers become friends, [so] I am really touched,” Yu said. “It’s not just about the business, it’s not just the money. We really don’t charge a lot for the food we are making. It’s just a simple idea to share food with our neighbourhood and friends.” 

Parc Sushi opened for business in May 2019. Though still new, its reputation is growing, and Yu has several ideas for the future of the takeout store, including additional seating. 

“Because now it is a takeout, people cannot really enjoy their food here,” Yu said. “Next year, I want to put some tables and chairs, so people can sit and enjoy the sushi here.”

In the future, Yu also hopes to form stronger links with people within her community. 

“I want them to feel at home, […] have some sushi and talk to me [or] have a cup of tea and warm up,” Yu said.

Because they are in charge of their own hours, the couple can also spend more time with their daughter. 

“My daughter [used to] sometimes ask me, ‘What is Baba doing?’ Before, he worked everyday, especially during weekends,” Yu said.

Parc Sushi is a unique, affordable sushi spot worth visiting, mixing intimate service with professional dishes. 

News, The Tribune Explains

Tribune Explains: The Indigenous Student Equity Fund and Fee

by Ezra-Jean Taylor on

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The Fall 2019 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Referendum included a proposal written by the Indigenous Affairs Commissioner Tomas Jirousek to create a new Indigenous Equity Fund and Fee (IEFF). With a voter turnout of 17.3 per cent, the motion passed with 72 percent of students voting in favour. With the successful passing of the non–opt–outable $1.00 fee, The McGill Tribune spoke with Indigenous student leaders to explain the purpose and future of the new funds.

What inspired the IEFF?

Currently, many Indigenous organizations are registered as SSMU clubs, meaning that they have to submit a motion to the SSMU Funding Committee if they need money. Jirousek, who spearheaded the #ChangeTheName campaign, described how inconsistent funding hindered the initiative last year.

“Without a stable base of funding for the campaign, I was forced to make alternative arrangements [that] fell outside of my portfolio and the original campaign road-map,” Jirousek said. “I had originally wanted to bring in scholars to speak to the topic, but my inability to rely on steady funding from SSMU forced me to delay the launch of the campaign until I could secure outside funding and support, which eventually came from the Indigenous Studies program.”

What will the fund be used for?

The new fee funds Indigenous student groups and initiatives on campus, providing then with financial autonomy from SSMU, as well as an opportunity to hire more personnel dedicated towards support activism efforts. During the #ChangeTheName campaign, a significant amount of work fell on a few student volunteers. According to Catie Galbraith, co-chair of Indigenous Student Alliance, a stable fund that carries over unused capital every semester allows for more dedicated positions. This includes a position investigating McGill’s progress on the Provost’s Taskforce on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education’s 52 calls to action for support and reconciliation from McGill’s administration on Indigenous issues.

“We will create a couple [of] new [paid] positions under the Indigenous Affairs portfolio,” Galbraith said. “There would be a campaign and events manager and then a researcher who would follow up on the 51 calls to action that the Provost made. Their job would be to keep McGill accountable to those [calls to action].”

Indigenous student groups outside the SSMU system could also apply for funding from the Indigenous Equity Fund. Joel Grant, President of McGill Students’ Chapter of American Indian Science and Engineering Society (ASIES), a club promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers for Indigenous students, explains how this fund will support their operations.

“The Equity Fee would allow our Indigenous students to have access to a fund for Indigenous STEM initiatives,” Grant said. “It is important [that] McGill continues to have representation and involvement in the expansion of AISES within Canada [….] Our current approach to funding is [not feasible] and often involves us trying to raise our funds as a student group and generating some sponsorship from the university. The Equity Fund would be a long-term solution that would be reliable.”

What are the first steps for the new funds?

Jirousek stressed that the IEFF will be first used to make sure that vulnerable Indigenous students are provided with the resources and support they need.  

“The very first thing we will do is make sure that the most vulnerable Indigenous students are taken care of,” Jirousek said. “I’ve already began working with vice-president Finance Sam Haward to ensure that an Indigenous-controlled [funding] structure is up and running for the beginning of next semester, which will provide immediate support [for] at-risk Indigenous students.”

In the next year, SSMU Indigenous Affairs and other Indigenous student groups will use their expanded funding to take on new projects.

“I’ve begun the process of planning an academic conference for next semester,” Jirousek said. “This will provide a platform for academics and activists like our confirmed keynote speaker Professor Cindy Blackstock. This event is particularly exciting as we are planning to bring onto campus Indigenous vendors, Indigenous caterers, and an Indigenous art exhibition.”

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