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Science & Technology

Moving beyond classical computers

by Thomas Bahen on

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A Google research paper describing one of the most powerful quantum computers in human history was leaked on NASA’s website on Sept. 20. In 200 seconds, the quantum computer executed tasks that would take the fastest of today’s computers 10,000 years to compute. 

Google was referencing an experimental type of computer that exploits complicated subatomic physics to run certain programs differently than the ‘classical’ computers we use every day. Unlike regular computers, which use bits to encode either a one or a zero, the primary unit of quantum computers is the qubit, a piece of information that can be zero, one, or both. With only 56 qubits, Google’s quantum computer achieved quantum supremacy, the point at which a quantum computer can complete a task faster than its classical counterpart. 

While the paper was swiftly removed from NASA’s website, the idea of a quantum computer is not as shocking as it seems, since such machines are limited to algorithms that take advantage of quantum properties. An enormous amount of work went into the Google project, which modelled a quantum system, an impractical task that can be done in a classical computer very slowly.

Despite this, quantum computing has the potential to change how we use computers in general. Claude Crépeau, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and a quantum computing pioneer, noted the importance of the leaked Google paper.

“It is a milestone,” Crépeau said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “With limited technology [today], we can make things [that would have been] unbelievable 20 years ago.” 

Today’s technology is the result of companies like Microsoft and Google shovelling millions of dollars into projects. Companies are investing in quantum computing at a large scale because they already know of applications to take advantage of its strengths. One such applications is in cryptography, the field concerned with protecting information through code. Quantum computing could be used to dismantle current cryptographic systems, but it could also create amazing ones.

The internet relies on cryptography for secure data transfer. Public key cryptography is the most common cryptographic system in use and is based on the idea that finding a large number’s prime factors is computationally difficult, making it harder for hackers to access private information. Quantum computers could, however, pose a threat for cryptography and internet security, since they could potentially guess key combinations very efficiently. 

While quantum computing might be the biggest problem that cryptography faces, it could also be its saviour. By using quantum computers, computer scientists will be able to develop quantum secrecy, a stronger way of protecting information.

“In 50 years, I cannot guarantee public key cryptography will work,” Crépeau said. “In 100, it will probably not work. Quantum secrecy is perfectly valid, […] unless we are completely wrong about quantum physics, which would be a revolution.” 

Investigating quantum secrecy for cryptographic use could have profound implications. It may not affect all cryptographic communication, but it could still allow us to keep our most important secrets safe. There are many other promising quantum applications, such as simulating chemical interactions and financial markets, in addition to breaking old and creating new cryptographic systems. Researchers still need to create the hardware to implement quantum computing, which may still take several decades.

“[I can say with] 75 per cent certainty, something practical [will develop] in 20 years,” Crépeau said. “[But] I could be completely wrong about all that.”  

According to Crépeau, we could soon be looking at a world where people use quantum computers to execute tasks impossible to do otherwise. With the right breakthroughs in hardware, the potential applications for quantum computers are as limitless as they seemed for classical computers in the mid-20th century. 

candidates at debate
Montreal, News

SSMU hosts federal election candidates debate

by Nina Russell on

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Candidates running in the Montreal riding of Ville-Marie—Le-Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs clashed on Oct. 1 at the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) federal candidates’ debate, in anticipation of the Oct. 21 federal election. Marc Miller of the Liberal Party, Sophie Thiébaut of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Liana Canton Cusmano of the Green Party, and Michael Forian of the Conservative Party discussed issues related to the riding. There were three questions set by the debate organizers, focused on the environment, reproductive rights, and Senate reform, followed by an audience question period.

Forian and Cusmano condemned the current Liberal government on their waste disposal policies, specifically regarding the dumping of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River. Forian claimed that a Conservative government would move to make the practice illegal, while Cusmano emphasizes that other issues, like air quality and freight train traffic, have also fallen under the radar on the Liberal’s environmental agenda.

“The fact of the matter is that in Montreal alone, nine billion litres of raw sewage were dumped under this Liberal government,” Forian said. “Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment, has to take responsibility for that. I would hope under Marc’s watch that he would have been able to stop it, [but] he did not. So I think it’s very important for us to recognize that this is something that a Conservative government will make illegal come October 21.”

Miller responded by pointing to a $26 million green infrastructure fund created under the Liberal government to deal with those issues.

Candidates also discussed reconciliation with  Indigenous communities particularly in Montreal: Despite making up 0.6 per cent of the general population, Indigenous people constitute 10 per cent of the homeless population. Cusmano called on Miller, the incumbent, to take steps to alleviate some of the burdens that Inuit people in Quebec, in particular, disproportionately face.

“I think that Marc has to speak to the staggering rates of Inuit homelessness,” Cusmano said. “The fact that since nothing has been done, a lot of them are going to be freezing in the streets this winter. And that that’s unacceptable. I think truth and reconciliation comes in many different forms. And in this riding, in particular the local level, it comes down to being there for the people who need it, because they have been systemically and systematically failed by forces that are larger than them and that are still acting on them today.”

Miller cited the Liberal government’s report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and the Truth and Reconciliation report as evidence of the Trudeau government’s effort to increase dialogue with Indigenous communities, and pointed to a number of their investments that serve reconciliation.

“We’re still in the process of reviewing a very, very complex report coupled with the other report that came out,” Miller said. “I want to make clear, particularly with urban Indigenous issues and poverty, the failure at all governmental levels. But the Trudeau government made the largest investment in Indigenous people in Canadian history [and it has] yielded results.”

A question from the audience prompted discussion on student loans, given that the collective Canadian student debt currently towers above $15 billion. While Cusmano endorsed major institutional adaptive changes, Forian said that the Conservative Party’s corporate welfare taxes will redirect savings to Canadians more generally, benefiting students. Thiébaut proposed gradual changes that will work towards the NDP’s goal of making post-secondary institutions part of the public education system.

“We want to make education more affordable,” Thiébaut said. “We want to eliminate the interest of student loans to stop the fact that the bank can profit from student debt. And we want to move away from loans to bursaries.”

Additionally, all four candidates affirmed that they were pro-choice and that none of their respective parties would introduce new abortion laws.

The federal election will take place on Oct. 21. Students are able to vote at at New Residence Hall or La Citadelle from Oct. 5 to 8, or at polling stations in Montreal on the day of the election.

Science & Technology

The science of knee injuries

by Sophia Gorbounov on

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With today’s proliferation of high-intensity sports, the number of knee injuries in North America over the past decade has skyrocketed. Since knee injuries vary depending on a person’s sport, age, and sex, different people may experience different knee injuries in their lives. 

Shawn Robbins, a professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, explained that certain sports carry a higher risk of knee injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears.

“For women, the sports that have the highest rates of ACL injury are soccer and basketball,” Robbins said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “For men, it is football, lacrosse, and soccer.” 

The most common knee injuries today are sprains and strains, which are injuries to ligaments and muscles, respectively. Nearly half of these occur from recreational or competitive sports activity. More severe knee injuries occur when a ligament is torn, or when there is a fracture at the joint’s surface. Certain symptoms usually indicate a sprain: A popping sound at the moment of injury, pain and swelling around the knee, and knee instability. 

One of the most common serious knee injuries in sports is a rupture, or tear, of the ACL. As one of four primary ligaments in the knee, the ACL provides stability to the joint and helps to keep the body properly orientated and stable. ACL injuries can range from a sprain to a complete tear and are classified as contact—the result of coming into contact with a person or object—or non-contact. 

In general, women have more frequent non-contact ACL ruptures, likely due to factors  including differences in strength, hormones, and anatomy. Many ACL tears require reconstructive surgery that uses the patient’s own tissue or donor tissue.

“If it is completely torn, the recovery time could be months,” Robbins said. “If you have surgery to reconstruct the ACL, typical recovery time is six to 12 months, depending on the sport you play.” 

Though less researched, another common knee injury is disruption to the kneecap, or patella. Robbins explained that the biggest cause of patellar injuries are sports with lots of jumping and quick directional changes, such as volleyball, gymnastics, and soccer. Patellar injuries can be as simple as ‘pain behind the kneecap’ and tendinitis, or inflammation of the tendon. They can also be as severe as dislocation and subluxations, which is when the patella moves either partially or completely out of its normal position. 

“Often, these injuries are overuse injuries, including tendinitis,” Robbins said. “Patella subluxations and dislocations are most common in contact sports, like football or ice hockey.”

‘Runner’s knee’ is another umbrella term for a different group of knee injuries, common among those who run frequently and in women, particularly those with knee arthritis. However, runner’s knee can also result from any sport that puts frequent and high pressure on the knee joint. The most common form of runner’s knee is chondromalacia patellae, a condition where the cartilage beneath the patella erodes or softens as a result of overexertion improper knee alignment. Symptoms of this condition include knee pain and grinding sensations, as the cartilage has thinned out. 

For those who play contact sports such as hockey, football, and soccer, meniscal tears are common. The menisci are smooth layers of cartilage that form a circle around the ACL and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Over time, they begin to wear thin, increasing the chance of injury. Damage to the meniscus can also result in damage to the articular cartilage, which lines the ends of the femur and tibia to prevent them from rubbing together. Over time, osteoarthritis, the erosion of the cartilage and underlying bone, can develop, causing knee pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.

Taking the time to recover completely from a knee injury is very important. Knees are fragile, and there is always the chance that ‘just one more injury’ could have life-long consequences.

McGill, News

Updates made to ‘Our Shared Spaces’ to help promote equity on campus

by Kate Addison on

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McGill’s Rez Project workshop series, designed to educate students on issues of social justice and equity, was rebranded this fall to better reflect the message of the program. Created 16 years ago by a group of floor fellows, ‘Our Shared Spaces,’ formerly known as Rez Project, aims to promote a more inclusive atmosphere in residences and on campus. 

The educational workshop, which serves as an opportunity for conversation on race and sexuality, was revamped to include a new name, website, and improvements to the content. There are now 20 facilitators, as well as a new name, logo, and website. Today, ‘Our Shared Spaces’ educates thousands of McGill students living in residence on issues of race and Indigenous issues, gender, and sexuality. McGill’s Equity Education Program Manager Eve Finley explained the nature of the changes to the program’s image and delivery. 

“We also, largely because of the new online consent module swapped the workshop order,” Finley said. “The workshop that [now] happens in the fall is the race and colonialism workshop, and the workshop in the winter is [about] gender, sexuality, and consent.”

Finley also hopes that the rebranding will help the workshop reach more students outside of residences at McGill.

“We are also expanding to other spaces on campus,” Finley said. “We gave a bunch of workshops to incoming medical students and [….] students [living off campus].”

The renaming of Rez Project comes as part of a move away from the term ‘Rez,’ which is considered offensive by some Indigenous students for its connections to Canada’s history of reservations and residential schools. Determined by an online competition last year, the new name is more representative of the nature of the workshop, according to Equity Education Program Administrator Charlene Lewis-Sutherland.

“In the last few years, I think there’s been a larger conversation, on campus and off, about how we use our words, even words we inherit,” Lewis-Sutherland said. “We asked [students] in a survey what would you name the [workshop] if you could name it something. [Our Shared Spaces] really stuck out to us because it hit that note of what we are trying to do. We are trying to talk to people about how they share space [and] about what it respectfully means to share space.” 

The changes made this year are a continuation of a series of updates that began last year when the project moved to the Office of the Dean of Students and received a budget increase to help facilitate its operations. 

“Instead of having a hundred volunteer students that were trained for ten hours we hired fifteen students [who] are now paid by the hour to give the workshop, and they go through […] 40 hours of training in August,” Finley said. 

Adi Sneg, U2 Arts, works as an ‘Our Shared Spaces’ peer facilitator said that budget increases are important to improving the workshop’s accessibility. 

“I’m just hoping our budget increases [further] so we can get more people, more diverse bodies in the room,” Sneg said. “When you learn about this kind of stuff, it’s important to feel as though you are learning it from someone who has some sort of commonality to you.” 

Sneg explained that these updates are all part of the goal to facilitate more conversations about sensitive topics on campus. 

“The goal is to have people walk away with having learned something new, Sneg said. “[It’s] something they can critically consider every day when they live in residence and when they move and navigate through campus at McGill.” 

Arts & Entertainment, Books

Drawn & Quarterly welcomes up and coming Canadian authors

by Jonathan Giammaria on

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Canada’s contemporary literary scene is on the brink of something special. On Oct. 4, La Petite Librairie Drawn & Quarterly converted its tight space into a stage, hosting three significant writers, Alix Ohlin, Megan Gail Coles, and Audrée Wilhelmy.

Ohlin and Coles’ novels have just been shortlisted for Canada’s prestigious Giller Prize—beating out previous winners like Margaret Atwood and André Alexis. As part of their book tours, the two joined Wilhelmy, a revered French Canadian author whose many distinctions include le prix Sade to speak about their new novels. Each gave readings of their newest works, and answered audience questions during a short Q&A period. Sarah MacLachlan, president and publisher at House of Anansi Press, joined the three authors to celebrate the successes each have enjoyed this year. 

“When we acquire books at the House, we do it from a great love of the things that we read, of the manuscripts that come in, and these three women have all written extraordinary books,”  MacLachlan said. “All three of them have associations and affiliations with the city of Montreal, and the great thing is that they’re writers that represent the country from coast to coast.”

Ohlin, raised in Montreal and living in Vancouver, read the prologue to her novel, Dual Citizens. The story charts the diverging trajectories of two sisters’ lives in Montreal and later in New York City. The novel is a meditation on the complexity of female relationships, told with a distinct Canadian bent. Its prologue, which introduces a contemptuous relationship between sisters Robin and Lark as they walk through the woods, takes place during a wolf attack. With the books connection to the wilderness of the North, Ohlin shares in a tradition that many Canadian authors have explored, also echoed that night by Willhelmy and Coles. 

Wilhelmy read from her 2017 novel, Le corps des bêtes, followed by a reading of the English translation, The Body of the Beasts. Her story uses the Arctic wilderness as a central vehicle to convey her protagonist Mie’s exploration of herself and her sexuality. Using her main character’s ability to shapeshift into the animals that surround her, Wilhelmy delves into spirituality and the supernatural in order to show the multifaceted nature of identity. Wilhelmy spoke about the strange experience of having her words translated into a language she could fully understand, and of having an altered version of a text she could still identify with. 

“It’s a new discovery of the book for myself,” said Wilhelmy. “Seeing it put in other words […] [the writing] was kind of more crude […] because I [didn’t] really realize how it was crude in French.”

Last to speak was Coles, a Newfoundlander who is currently completing her PhD at Concordia, with her reading of Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club. Coles’ novel pits a group of characters against each other in an isolated diner during a Newfoundland blizzard. The novel’s single setting, emphasizes the dynamics of its characters’ relationships instead of plot-centric action. The focus on dialogue and inner monologues likens Coles’ work to a theatre script. 

While speaking about her writing process, Coles spoke about imagining the characters first and shaping a narrative around them second. The novel’s dramatic influence might come from Coles’ own experience in theatre, having attended the Montreal-based National Theatre School of Canada. Fittingly, Cole’s reading became a full-blown performance. Standing up, employing accents, and using different gestures and movements to reflect her character’s personas, Coles concluded the evening with a raucous scene, in which her protagonist gets berated by one of the diner’s occupants.

“‘Are you stupid girl, are you? Are you stupid!’ She could talk back, but has been socialized against it,” shouted Coles during her excerpt’s last lines. The audience was silenced in awe, rapt by the force of her words.  

Emerging Trends, Student Life

Trottoir barré signs and fairy lights

by Alaana Kumar on

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For many university students, searching for off-campus housing can be difficult. Student housing can mean sharing a small, run-down space with holes in the walls and the occasional mouse sneaking around. Though most adults fear this, students today have embraced it as part of the university experience and cultivated creative ways to turn their temporary space into a cozy home. The McGill Tribune examined common styles of university decor and how they reflect their inhabitants.  

Fairy lights and foliage 

Abundant lighting and plentiful plants can help ease the stresses of a long day. This style may suggest a laid-back persona. Fake plants or succulents can indicate that someone is working to get their life on track, taking small steps while giving off the perception of having it together. On the flip side, real plants may suggest someone who is settled, has a functioning routine, and is ready for commitment and responsibility. In addition to the lights and plants, these individuals will likely have calendars and chore charts on their walls, suggesting an organized and smoothly running household. Fairy light owners and plant parents are known for hosting the best studying and late night cram sessions.

Stolen street signs and posters

A space full of street signs and dog-eared posters perfectly suits students who do not take themselves too seriously. These are generally adventurous students looking for a good time, who don’t shy away from small doses of risk taking. Anyone who spends time with this apartment’s inhabitants is inspired to jump outside their comfort zone. These tenants are social and free-spirited people who enjoy having company around. Therefore, this is generally the space where spontaneous ideas flourish. These apartments are always busy and double as the perfect location for house parties and gatherings. The constant flow of people and the calm, cool, and collected attitude of its residents might result in a cluttered space, but regardless of the mess, these apartments and their tenants are always adored by those passing though.

Photos and mementos

A photo wall can indicate a nostalgic, yet optimistic personality. It is likely they are highly ambitious and use their photos and mementos as motivation to continuously work hard for their loved ones. These apartments house grounded, down-to-earth students and are great spaces to vent with friends. Though there may be books strewn around and cluttered desks, the best listeners and most loyal of friends reside in these apartments. These walls have heard the best late-night deep talks, making their tenants the optimal company for movie nights and de-stressing days. 

DIY decor 

Finding alternative ways to decorate can indicate a creative and adaptable personality. A study in Reader’s Digest found that DIY-ers are often more inspired and welcome change more easily than others. The residents of this apartment can take any mundane situation and turn it into a good time. These DIY projects can be simple, like taking an old bottle of wine and turning it into a vase, or more extravagant, like painting lamp shades or creating makeshift shelves. The ability to allocate time to DIY projects may indicate someone who can turn their procrastination into productivity. These apartments house the most versatile group of individuals, making these students the perfect company to study with during the week and to party with on the weekends. These imaginative apartments radiate a welcoming vibe, resulting in lots of impromptu visitors. 

Quebec Quebec Cowboys Fringants
Arts & Entertainment, Music

‘Les Antipodes’ is a triumph from Quebec’s beloved folk rockers

by Lilly Lecanu-Fayet on

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Beloved Quebec folk-rock band Les Cowboys Fringants dropped their long awaited album, Les Antipodes, on Oct. 4. The group had not released new music since 2015, and fans were eager to see if this classic band would stay true to their roots after such a long break. Les Cowboys Fringants have always been known for the  political commentary they weave into their songs, and recurring topics include Quebec sovereignty, environmental justice, and voter apathy. As the political climate has only grown more tense since their last album was released, fans anticipated a commentary-heavy album, and Les Antipodes did not fall short. 

On the evening of the launch, Les Cowboys held a party at La Tulipe, where they signed CDs and DJs entertained the crowd with techno versions of their previous albums. Members of the crowd ranged  from children to the elderly, and businessmen dressed in suits stood next to college students wearing sweatshirts and sneakers. Despite the diverse backgrounds of the crowd, everyone shared a common excitement at the prospect of listening to the music Les Cowboys had worked on for the past four  years.

The day before Les Antipodes was released for the public, the band uploaded its first single, “L’Amérique Pleure,” on YouTube. True to the band’s name, the music video features a line dancing instructor dressed as a cowboy leading a room full of people in a dance to the song. “L’Amérique Pleure” remains subtly political. The lyrics highlight the inequalities that lay behind the veneer of North American consumerism, musing that  “…behind the beautiful landscapes/there is so much inequality/and suffering on the faces”*. The song expresses the sadness and frustration towards the current state of affairs and the hypocrisy the band sees in controlling a complacent population.

No two songs on Les Antipodes feel or sound the same. There are long, somber ballads like “Sur Mon Épaule” sandwiched by folksy dance songs like “La Traversée (de l’Atlantique en 1774),” whose upbeat instrumentals contrast with the heavy subject matter it explores. The eclectic mix of songs make it easy for the band to reach a wider audience: There is truly something for everyone in the wide variety of genres they borrow from, making the album a delight to loyal fans and new listeners. 

 

*Quotation was translated from its original French

Out on the Town, Student Life

Heated terraces for cool days

by Lilly Lecanu-Fayet on

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As the warmth of summer fades into the crisp chill of autumn, it becomes more and more difficult to justify sitting on the city’s lovely open air terraces. Students are drawn to the heat of the indoors and set up their Seasonal Affective Disorder lamps in preparation for another long winter. While most of the outdoor terraces will be closing soon, a select few will remain open and heated through the colder months so Montrealers can get their daily dose of Vitamin D without sacrificing warmth.

Café Olimpico

124 rue St-Viateur O

Hours: 6 a.m.–12 a.m., every day

Price: $

Café Olimpico, which opened in the Mile-End in 1970, has become a beloved neighbourhood staple. This café is open 18 hours every day, making it an ideal location for hours of uninterrupted work. There are a variety of work spaces, from window seating to a dimly lit quiet area in the back. People funnel in and out all day, and the baristas are friendly with every customer. The light music playing in the background is punctuated by the chatter of regulars and visitors. Olimpico’s coffee has been named among the best in Montreal numerous times, and the café was even ranked in the top 50 cafés in the world by The Telegraph. Everything from the coffee to the desserts is simple but made with care. Their terrace stays open all year round and, during the winter, it becomes a cozy annex separated from the bustling cafe where patrons can enjoy sanctuary on a cold day while bathing in the warmth of this aromatic coffee shop.

Brutopia

1219 rue Crescent

Hours: 2 p.m.–3 a.m. Sunday–Wednesday, 12 p.m.–3 a.m. Thursday–Saturday

Price: $

Brutopia is a dark and cozy, slightly elevated dive bar with a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. This brewpub in the heart of downtown boasts more than live music and specialty beers. During the winter months, their open air terrace is heated and becomes a haven to enjoy good times and fresh air in the safety of a toasty annex. The terrace is simple, just like most of the establishment, but not to be overlooked. There are lots of tables and the terrace itself is very spacious, so there is no need to worry about finding a seat. Brutopia has live entertainment every night of the week starting at 10 p.m., including an open-mic jam session every Sunday and trivia every Monday. As the name suggests, this pub is home to an active brewery, with a weekly rotating beer list. It’s perfectly suited to a chill night out with friends.

Bar Suzanne

20 ave. Duluth E.

Hours: 4 p.m. – 12 a.m. Sunday–Wednesday, 4 p.m. – 3 a.m. Thursday–Saturday

Price: $$

To say that Bar Suzanne has plants would be an understatement. Plants cover the beam system that runs overhead, and the rest of the room has potted plants and leafy wallpaper. The plants on the beams are really an intermediary for your eyes; the true beauty lies just behind them. Looking beyond, it is clear that the reason all the greenery is able to thrive is because of the skylight that makes up the majority of the ceiling, bathing the entire bar in natural light to offer patrons a terrace feel while remaining fully covered. Students looking for a deal can head over for happy hour and watch the natural light fade, leaving the glow of the candles that stand on every table. Bar Suzanne serves dumplings and specialty cocktails, but they also offer an extensive beer and wine list. As their website says, Bar Suzanne offers “enough to stay out late, but gently.” 

Leméac

1045 ave. Laurier O.

Hours: 11:45 a.m.-12 a.m. weekdays, 10:00 a.m.-12 a.m. weekends

Price: $$$

Leméac is a classic French bistro off of Avenue du Parc, close to Jeanne-Mance Park. Their covered patio remains open year-round and, in winter, has a direct view of the street. The best way to take advantage of everything this bistro has to offer is to head over for brunch on the weekend, where their heated patio provides a protected place for people-watching while you enjoy one of their delicious breakfast plates. Another way to enjoy this renowned restaurant while saving your wallet is by ordering off of the late night menu, a fixed-price menu served after 10 p.m. As the day turns to night in Leméac, the lights bathe the restaurant in a warm glow, maintaining the same inviting ambiance for the late night guests as for the brunch patrons. 

Divest McGill Illustration
McGill, News

Divest McGill builds on momentum from climate march

by Lauren Mayes on

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Students filled Burnside Hall on Oct. 4 for Divest McGill’s ‘Divest 101’ seminar led by Jacqueline Lee-Tam, U2 Arts, and April Kowalchuk-Reid, U2 Science, hoping to capitalize on momentum from the previous week’s climate march. The event highlighted the history of the fossil fuel divestment campaign at McGill and ways that students can get involved.

One of Divest McGill’s earliest actions was submitting a divestment request to the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) in 2013, which was later denied because the committee didn’t see enough evidence of the community being harmed by this issue. 

Since then, Divest McGill has submitted two more requests for fossil fuel divestment: One was also denied due to similar claims that climate change had not yet caused enough damage to the global community. The third request will be decided on later in the fall semester. Kowalchuk-Reid explained the group’s frustration with what they see as CAMSR inconsistently adhering to their mandate.

“[The] McGill Board of Governors is the highest functioning board and they ultimately have the final decision on how much money we have invested in the fossil fuel industry or if we’re involved in it whatsoever,” Kowalchuk-Reid said. “They made a subcommittee called CAMSR, [whose] sole mandate is to just look at [if] this [is] causing harm to the community [and] the environment. They […] made that committee mainly to discuss divestment and they are supposed to not be influenced by money, but that has not happened in the past.”

Lee-Tam emphasized that divestment campaigns have proven impactful in lobbying the fossil fuel industry to make changes. She further discussed the connection between money and divestment.

“[Divestment is] the idea of taking your money out of a [harmful] industry and putting your money into an industry that isn’t harmful or doesn’t cause grave and injurious consequences like whatever industry you were invested in.” Lee-Tam said. “If we get all these institutions to divest from fossil fuels, we’re removing the social license of the fossil fuel industry to operate …[and] insert[ing] awareness about the fossil fuel industry and its negative consequences into the public sphere.”

Despite other institutions, such as the University of California, divesting from fossil fuels, divestment at McGill has remained an elusive and opaque process. This is often due to CAMSR’s mode of operations and differing ideas of what it means to be transparent and inclusive.

Laura Mackey, U3 Environment, expressed her frustration with the results of her attempts to encourage transparency in the CAMSR evaluation process.

“When we found out [that CAMSR was] going to be revisiting divestment, one of the things that we specifically asked for was to be included in the conversation,” Mackey said. “I think if they were asked that question, they would say [that they had] included [us] in the conversation, but for us it’s very much felt the same as always where we’re on the outside, watching these internal deliberations that we don’t really know what they’re talking about or what’s happening. We just hope they’re paying attention to the mood on campus and the things our campaign is doing.”

Julia Elson, U4 Engineering, attended to learn about more effective ways to be involved in environmental protection following the march.

“I think that taking the energy that we’ve gained from the march and channeling that into something like an advocacy campaign […] will give you a lot more value for your time than sitting and being frustrated about it,” Elson said.

McGill, News

Board of Governors convenes to discuss commitments to sustainability

by Manuela Scalici Tremblay on

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The McGill Board of Governors held its first meeting of the year on Oct. 3 to discuss investments and climate initiatives for the coming school year. Although board members were satisfied with the recognition McGill has received for its environmental vision, students advocating for divestment felt that the sustainability initiatives the Board lauded were mostly superficial.

Joel Raby, Chair of the Board’s Investment Committee, presented a report on the performance of McGill’s investable assets in the last fiscal year. A motion to revise the Statement of Investment Policy (SIP), a plan for McGill’s assets managed through the McGill Investment Pool (MIP), was quickly approved. Raby then explained that McGill’s investments have not suffered from inflation and have ultimately preserved donors’ capital. 

Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) President Bryan Buraga asked if Raby had any information about how the fossil fuels investments are performing compared to other investments. Ruby affirmed that although he did not have such information available, the Investment Committee would inform the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) on the university’s  risk-reward tradeoff for the divestment on fossil fuels.

As the board deferred a motion regarding divestment from fossil fuels to the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) last year, that was not discussed at the meeting. The committee has been investigating the matter and will officially recommend a course of action in December. 

Maryse Bertrand, Vice-Chair of the board and member of CAMSR, gave a brief progress report. 

“We started the work on the committee exactly a year ago [in] 2018,” Bertrand said. “The first [phase] was very much a fact-finding, evidence-receiving sort of phase.  I think we’re in the stage where we’re going to try to now deliberate on the information that we’ve received [….]” 

The committee is set to release its official report by Dec. 5. The board’s next meeting on Dec. 12 will likely be the deciding vote on divestment.

The board also focused on their successful environmental initiatives on campus. François Miller, Sustainability Director and leader of the team behind the McGill Office of Sustainability, presented the report. 

“I just want to highlight that we’ve been implementing quite a few successful student and staff involvement programs at McGill.” Miller said. “In fact, those programs were recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education [AASHE]. So both the staff garden programs that we have near the Burnside building and the Sustainable Workplace Certification were awarded the Campus Sustainability Achievement award.”

Miller talked about numerous climate-related programs started in the past year. He mentioned the student-led Desautels Sustainability Network’s Business Conference on Sustainability and a measure setting aside $250,000 to cover the extra cost of purchasing an electric vehicle when a conventional vehicle needs replacement. He also cited Minister of Environment Catherine McKenna’s visit on campus to announce a $1.8 million investment from Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Fund to help McGill meet its carbon emissions goal. Miller also mentioned some of the external recognition McGill has received, such as the Sustainability Institution of the Year award for its Vision 2020 Sustainability Strategy given at an award ceremony supported by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

After the meeting, Laura Mackey, U3 Environment and a member of Divest McGill, spoke with The McGill Tribune about McGill’s failure to divest from fossil fuels. 

“McGill cannot be carbon neutral while still invested in fossil fuels,” Mackey said. “It’s all very surface level commitments to sustainability. And it’s nice to see, it’s nice to hear. But without fossil fuel divestment it isn’t meaningful [.…] It really feels like McGill is using greenwashing and wants an image of being a sustainable university while actually not meeting that goal whatsoever.”

 

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