Latest News

Out on the Town, Student Life

Montreal ranked ‘best beer city’ in Canada: The Tribune takes on the top three bars

by Audrey Carleton, Marie Labrosse, Emma Carr on

More in Out on the Town:

If there’s one thing Montreal is known for, it’s the town's bustling party scene. So when travel agency Expedia recently rated cities across Canada for their local beer, it came as no surprise that Montreal topped the list. The McGill Tribune took a look into this rating by exploring three of the best local breweries—two recommended from Expedia’s list—outside of the McGill bubble.

Brasserie Harricana

This quaint Jean-Talon spot exudes sophistication. With millennial-pink tiling, gold-handled taps, and brown and white accents throughout the space, Harricana’s defining trait is its aesthetic. As large front windows welcome rays of light onto short round tables, Harricana feels more like a tea room in Cuba than a Little Italy brewery. Its selection of beers—showcased in large metal cylinders through clear glass windows behind the bar—is extensive, and can be ordered in three glass sizes. For those interested in tasting a wide selection of their brews, made on location, we recommend purchasing multiple 5 oz. drinks. The four of us tasted a succession of beers varying in strength and colour. The Blonde Funky, a derivative of a typical blonde beer, satisfies with sour corners and wild hues. Le Rosé Cidre proved to be another strong choice. An amalgamation of wine and beer’s best traits, it’s both tart and foamy, with the distinct sweetness of any rosé. But be warned: The size of these drinks makes them easy to knock back in a few gulps if you’re not careful.

 

 

Nous sommes ouverts! Venez prendre un break de déménagement le temps de manger un petit brunch! #brunchdudéménagement

A post shared by Brasserie Harricana (@brasserieharricana) on

 

Vices & Versa

A self-described “friendly bistro” nestled in the heart of Little Italy, Vices & Versa is a welcoming shelter from biting autumnal winds. This brewpub prides itself on its selection of 35 tap beers made in microbreweries across Quebec, which patrons can enjoy in both a 5 oz. tasting format as well as in traditional pint and pitcher sizes. Vices & Versa also serves other alcoholic beverages among an extensive list of snack food options. The beer choices are inscribed on a chalkboard which, while quaint, is difficult to read and makes choosing a drink a bit more difficult. We opted for the Gaélique Cream Ale, the Ginger Beer au Curcuma, the Motel Coconut, and the 26 Brown Ale. Our beers were unpretentious—good, but certainly nothing out of the ordinary—with the notable exception of the ginger beer, which was a zesty surprise for the four of us.

 

 

Beer carousel after a real carousel #postlarondestop #vices&versa #beercarousel #datenight 💕🎃🎡🎢🎠🍻

A post shared by Emilia Mastrofrancesco (@emiliamastrofrancesco) on

 

Pro tip: Follow up your beer tasting with a piping hot pupusa—a Salvadoran stuffed tortilla—from Sabor Latino Andes farther up Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

Dieu du Ciel!

Lines start forming outside Dieu du Ciel! well before happy hour, and upon entering, it’s easy to see why. This trendy neighbourhood institution has been serving beer to Mile End residents since 1998. On the outside, it looks like your run-of-the-mill gastropub with its modest design, crowded tables, and dim mood lighting. However, there’s a lot more to Dieu du Ciel! than meets the eye. Its in-house brews experiment with audacious flavour combinations that incorporate less traditional tastes, such as peach, caramel, and hibiscus. For the beer skeptic, we recommend any of the bar’s fruit-infused beers. Été Indien, a sour mango beer, and Solstice d’Été aux Prunes, a sour prune beer, both pack a punch; the strong citrus notes counter the bitterness of traditional brews. Route des Épice, a rye beer with peppercorn, is another adventurous pick, but not nearly as rewarding. The pepper taste is overpowering, making this beer good for a sip, but not for a whole glass. Nonetheless, Dieu du Ciel!’s unorthodox offerings and eclectic selection make it well worth the trip up Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

McGill, News

Floor fellows’ naloxone training aims to counter fentanyl crisis

by Cherry Wu on

More in McGill:

In September 2017, Montreal Public Health declared the increasing presence of fentanyl in recreational drugs a public health emergency. Since the beginning of 2017, 10 drug overdoses linked to fentanyl—two of which were fatal—have occurred in Montreal. To counter the fentanyl crisis, McGill Student Health Services (SHS) held Naloxone administration training between Oct. 24 and 27 for all floor fellows at first-year student residences.

A cheap-yet-powerful opioid, fentanyl can be laced into most drugs, and, if ingested, can lead to a lethal overdose. Naloxone is a reversal agent that effectively slows the ingestion of fentanyl for 30 to 60 minutes, allowing time to administer other emergency treatments. Dr. Hashana Perera, director of SHS, has been working with McGill Clinic nurses since September to provide access to naloxone on campus.

“Around mid-September, the Quebec government introduced a new plan that opened administration of naloxone to third parties who are not health practitioners,” Perera said. “We quickly worked to come up with a plan to provide naloxone to the various McGill parties. Besides the floor fellows, we also provide training for the Residence Life Managers, McGill Security, and [the McGill Student Emergency Response Team] MSERT.”

Currently, naloxone can be administered as both an intramuscular injection and an intranasal spray, the latter of which McGill provides. The floor fellow training sessions, led by McGill Clinic nurses, lasted 45 minutes, and consisted of a basic introduction to fentanyl, naloxone, and the emergency procedures for the management of fentanyl poisoning. New Residence floor fellow Aden Feustel, U3 Science, is now equipped with the knowledge to save students in emergencies following the training.

“I think the biggest thing is recognizing an opioid overdose,” Feustel said. “We were told it’s usually the shallow, slow breathing that’ll give it away.”

Residences will now possess two naloxone kits, each containing one single-use naloxone intranasal spray. In an interview, New Residence floor fellow Corinne Bulger, U2 Arts, highlighted the safety of naloxone intranasal sprays.

“Once the first dose of naloxone is given, a second dose could be administered if emergency services do not arrive in time,” Bulger said. “A good thing about naloxone is that it does not cause any harm to the body, so there is no risk related to using it, even if you use up both kits.”

There have been no reported incidents of drug overdose related to fentanyl at any McGill residence. Although floor fellows say the likelihood of such incidents is unknown, they agree that Naloxone training is necessary for prevention in the future.

“There is never enough training,” Bulger said. ‘Even if there is only one case, or no case at all, the possibility of any outliers makes the trainings totally worth it.”

SHS is also working on information campaigns on fentanyl education for students, which will be carried out across campus by Healthy McGill in the upcoming weeks.

 
Science & Technology

Daylight savings affects industry and human health

by Sam Min on

More in Science & Technology:

On Nov. 5, Daylight Saving Time (DST) ended, and we were gifted with an extra hour of sleep. 2 a.m. reverted back to 1 a.m., and clocks were changed.

Benjamin Franklin first suggested the idea of implementing DST in 1784, joking that extended daylight would save candles. He also found several people around him sleeping and waking up late. Franklin speculated how much more productive people would be if the local time were to be set one hour ahead of Standard Time, forcing everyone to wake up early and thereby ‘saving candles.’

George Vernon Hudson, a New-Zealand astronomer, officially proposed DST for the first time in 1895. Then, golfer William Willet supported DST, which would reward him with an extra hour of golf after work. Up until his death in 1915, Willet lobbied the House of Commons for DST, but to no avail.

Germany and Austria were the first countries to opt for DST in 1916. Soon after its implementation in 1916, support for DST spread across Europe. The United States followed suit in 1918 to conserve electricity during World War I. After the world wars ended, DST fell from federal to state jurisdiction. Some neighbouring states follow different time systems. Although these were the first countries to implement DST, the people of modern day Thunder Bay in Ontario turned their clocks back in 1908.

However, DST affects our lives beyond the extra hour. Some studies show that workplace productivity diminishes significantly for an entire week after DST has begun, because workers lose one hour of sleep. The number of admitted patients for heart attacks has also been known to spike during DST shifts, linked loosely to a lack of sleep. According to a study completed at the University of Colorado, the incidence of traffic accidents increases by 17 per cent on the Monday after DST. Despite these burdens, DST has now been implemented in 76 countries around the world.

Furthermore, despite having a longer day, studies argue that DST does not actually reduce energy consumption. According to Michael Downing, lecturer in the Department of English at Tufts University and author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time, an extra hour of daylight from DST would allow consumers to spend more time outside by shopping, driving, or even honing their golf skills.

“This change was spurred by a large number of lobbies: golf and golf equipment, home improvement, the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association and the gas and fuel industries, which saw a potential boon to their sales,” Downing said in an interview at Tufts University.

As people spend more time outside in daylight, they could negate the reduced cost of energy from fewer hours of indoor lighting.

The sweeping momentum for DST laid out by the retail industries led to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 in the United States, which extended DST to eight months from seven. Candy retailers also lobbied for a DST extension by giving out Halloween candies to every senator to extend DST to the first week of November.  

DST spans from the second week of March until the first week of November, leaving us with eight months of DST and four months of Standard Time. Students should take advantage of the hour gained over the next week, and work on adjusting to the time difference. The aforementioned studies show health risks from the one-hour sleep deprivation, and the harms could be prevented if we applied DST all year round.

Commentary, Opinion

Made in Canada doesn’t mean Canadians will watch

by Gabriel Rincon on

More in Commentary:

On Sept. 28, the federal government announced a partnership with Netflix. The online streaming service agreed to invest $500 million over the next 10 years to create “Canadian content” as part of Justin Trudeau’s cultural strategy, which will in turn pledge $125 million towards promoting Canadian content. Netflix will be creating a Canadian production house. However, “Canadian content” is hard to define, particularly because pop culture in Canada is strongly influenced by the United States, making popular Canadian entertainment often just repackaged American content. This lack of a unique identity makes it unclear what will make the Netflix content distinctively Canadian, beyond a “Made in Canada” label. Thus, the government’s deal seems more like a quid pro quo trade with Netflix to subsidize the Canadian film industry than a way to promote Canadian culture, as Trudeau has claimed.

In Quebec, where there is a strong sense of cultural identity tied to the French language, there have been many Canadian-made French-language shows that have drawn fantastic ratings in the province. Outside of Quebec, however, Canadian content isn’t very popular. In 2017, ratings were very poor for Canadian entertainment: The 50 most-watched network series were all American, the most watched was the National Football League—a staple of American culture. Of the most-watched Canadian-made shows in 2015, several are remakes of American competition shows, and the others—with the exception of The Book of Negroes—lack distinctly Canadian identity. Rookie Blue is just a cop show; Vikings is set in Scandinavia.

Canadian television pop culture doesn’t contribute to the uniqueness of broader Canadian culture or identity. Canada is a relatively small consumer market, so Canadian superstars, like The Weeknd and Drake, have to appeal to the U.S. market to make significant sales and achieve real fame. To make original content to specifically target the Canadian market is risky, since this kind of entertainment rarely goes international, making it less profitable. For example, The Trailer Park Boys never achieved international acclaim. Unless Canadian content becomes a Canadian cultural staple––say, Tragically Hip––it’s hard to sell. It’s easier to make a profit simply repackaging American entertainment.

 

Surely the government can think of better ways to promote Canadian culture—like direct sponsorship of public art—than by subsidizing Netflix and the film industry.

When Melanie Joly, Canadian Heritage Minister, announced the Netflix deal, she promoted it as support for the Canadian film industry and part of Trudeau’s “culture strategy.” But, it is unclear what exactly Netflix will do to support Canadian culture––nor what is meant by Canadian culture––other than buying Canadian services. So the deal’s benefits for the film industry—and Netflix—appear to be the central goal. There are really only two reasons Netflix would agree to this partnership. After all, Netflix is a for-profit company and must be benefiting somehow. Either the Canadian market is a profitable investment, so Netflix was already going to invest and just got some free press; or the investment isn’t profitable without some sort of subsidy. It remains to be seen what exactly Netflix is receiving for partnering with the government. However, it is noteworthy that a June 2017 parliamentary report recommended a uniform broadband high-speed internet tax to correct for a trade disadvantage faced by Canadian streaming firms competing with Netflix. The disadvantage comes from nuances in how sales taxes are collected in Canada, but ultimately Trudeau dismissed the proposal. In the meantime, Netflix continues to benefit from the trade imbalance.

Trying to analyze the Netflix deal from the perspective of promoting Canadian cultural content is fruitless. Canadian pop culture is, as near as makes no difference, American pop culture, which calls into question what exactly Netflix is going to pass off as Canadian content. Surely the government can think of better ways to promote Canadian culture—like direct sponsorship of public art—than by subsidizing Netflix and the film industry. Hopefully, Trudeau isn't surprised when the Canadian content Netflix makes is strikingly similar to Stranger Things, except you can catch a glimpse of Toronto or Montreal in the background.

 

 

Gabriel is a U2 Economics student at McGill. He loves cooking and sharing his food with his friends and family.

 

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]

 

 

 
Laughing Matters, Opinion

Lies I tell myself about my upstairs neighbours

by Sydney King on

More in Laughing Matters:

At 19 years old, it seems like I’ve lost the privilege of deciding when I go to bed and when I wake up. No, I don’t live with my parents, and no, my roommates aren’t dictators. I just have really loud, obnoxious upstairs neighbours. Their anonymity makes it easy to bash them in the relative privacy of my own apartment, but standing up to them would shatter my otherwise painstakingly friendly exterior. Not being one for confrontation, I prefer to share my opinions in a newspaper and pray they don’t read it. However annoying they may be, there is always more than one way to look at the story.

So your upstairs neighbours are loud. They stomp. They might be bodybuilders—based on the weight of the stuff that they throw on the ground. You can track their heavy footsteps throughout their apartment, and maybe they shake the hangings on the walls. This behaviour is categorically inconsiderate, but not necessarily intentionally rude. Sure, at night, after a couple hours of sweet peace and quiet, they reappear in the early hours of the morning to yell at each other, and do some late-night home improvement or possibly demolition. But, at least you know that they are home safe, and you don’t have to be up all night worrying if they’ve been kidnapped. You’ll still be up all night because they’re building a roof-top garden shed in their living room, but peace of mind comes at a cost.

On one hand, hearing “Call Me Maybe” 20 times a day might make you want to pull your hair out. On the off chance you actually like their music, it can save you money on your electric bill!

One of the most common complaints about living with upstairs neighbours is their music—specifically their volume control. While blasting rap music may help them study, you are often left out of the decision-making process. Maybe you are trying to fall asleep, or work on a paper, or just listen to your own music. But, your neighbours leave no room for sonic discourse. They simply dominate the discussion. On one hand, hearing “Call Me Maybe” 20 times a day might make you want to pull your hair out. On the off chance you actually like their music, it can save you money on your electric bill! Your neighbours have spared you the trouble of hooking up your own speakers to blast deep house remixes at all hours of the day. Moreover, if your upstairs neighbours like to rehearse their acoustic, breathy dream-pop music covers, and somehow they make it big, you now have the material to write a bestselling memoir about your experiences living underneath greatness. Aren’t you lucky?

If you think your obnoxious upstairs neighbours are probably playing sports inside—hockey, soccer, basketball, you name it—remember that there might be more to the story. Maybe their squash partner bailed on them, or they’re just too lazy to get off the couch to play outside. It’s hard to know what people are going through.

Last, and probably worst of all, upstairs neighbours seem to have a proclivity for loud sex. Honestly, I cannot spin this one. I am sincerely sorry to anyone who has to deal with loud sex noises at all hours of the day and night. This is the more explicit aspect of the intimacy of the relationship with our upstairs neighbours, definitely to the detriment of others’ mental wellbeing.

If you don’t have annoying upstairs neighbours, then you are probably the annoying upstairs neighbour, and there is nothing I can do for you. If you’re like me and you, too, suffer from the heavy-footedness of those above you, these are some lies that I tell myself to suppress the temptation to call the cops on them.

 

Sydney King is a U1 Political Science major. She is perpetually debating dropping out and going to culinary school.

 

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]

 

 
Student Life

The mental health benefits of being organized

by Nina Russell on

More in Student Life:

The concept of organization often conjures up the image of pastel bullet journals, meticulous desks, and obnoxiously-healthy salads stacked neatly inside an immaculate refrigerator. But for the majority of McGill students, whose busy academic and social lives often take priority over everything else, this interpretation of organization as an art form can feel inconvenient and unsustainable.

However, staying organized can be simple. Small tasks, such as keeping a clean room, planning out meals, or making the bed in the morning, have far-reaching benefits. For McGill students especially, organization is crucial for keeping track of one’s responsibilities, even contributing to healthier eating, reduced stress, and improved relationships by creating more time to live a balanced life.

A 2011 Princeton University study further proved the benefits of organization by looking at the effects of decluttering a desk on the brain. When studying in a disorganized space, clutter competes with the task at hand, restricting one’s ability to focus. The simple act of clearing a workspace may prove beneficial when studying.

For many students, however, the issue is deeper than decluttering; it’s finding the time to stay organized given McGill’s academic demands. Cleaning out a closet with three midterms and two essays due the next week can feel like a waste of time and energy, and isn’t always possible. But even the smallest actions can have powerful effects on mental health, making them worth the effort in the long run.

Although students have their own self-care routines, organization can be a simple way to maintain a healthy headspace. To Darian Mavandad, U0 Arts, organization is bliss.  

“[Being organized] relaxes me,” Mavandad said. “Being able to come home and having a clear desk where I can put my things down and begin my work is the most important thing. I’m always at ease when my room is clean.”

Staying organized can also help to ease the anxiety that those who aren’t as organized may have. Traits such as lateness, unresponsiveness to texts or emails, and messiness are all stigmatized, which can create a fear of peer judgement in some.

This is true for Emma Orazietti, U0 Arts, who worries that qualities associated with disorganization affect how others—particularly employers and professors—view her.

“[Being disorganized] absolutely has a negative impact on people’s perception of me,” Orazietti said. “No one wants to be thought of as lazy and disorganized, but that’s how it looks to the outside world.”

For students who consistently find themselves disorganized, there are tools that can make tidying up feel like less of a chore and more like an act of self-care. Apps such as 24me, a virtual personal assistant, and Evernote, which can be used to take notes and sync to-do lists across different devices, can help students organize their lives and manage their time, reducing stress levels.

Of course, having a consistently-tidy desk and healthy meals lined up days in advance isn’t always possible. For some students, it’s just not realistic. But by starting with small actions, such as creating to-do lists, students can decrease their stress levels and spike their productivity in the long run.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Loving Vincent: first ever oil-painted animated film pays homage to Van Gogh

by Avleen K Mokha on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

Loving Vincent, to put it simply, is a work of art. Directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, the film advertises itself as “the world’s first fully painted feature film.” Each shot in the film was hand-painted in Vincent Van Gogh’s style by a team of over 100 artists. A Polish-British co-production with a budget of US $5.5 million, $70,000 of which were raised in a Kickstarter campaign, the film succeeds as being the first of its kind, engaging viewers in its immersive, dramatic story.

The events of the film take place one year after Van Gogh’s (Robert Gulaczyk) death. The postman (Chris O’Dowd) who collected Van Gogh’s many letters, requests that his son Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) personally deliver Van Gogh’s last letter, written to his brother, Theo. On this journey, Roulin meets people who interacted with Van Gogh in different ways. Listening to all of them speculate on the cause of Van Gogh’s alleged suicide, Roulin must distinguish fact from fiction in order to get to the truth.

The hand-painted nature of each still creates a distinct visual dynamism. The film finds its appeal not in a speedy plot, but in sequencing its 65, 000 meticulously painted stills. From European cafes to scenic backyards and starry nights, the film’s scenery wonderfully replicates Van Gogh’s aesthetic. The animation never comes across as abrupt or unpolished—even shots of clouds and cigarette smoke feel fluid and realistic. The project is ambitious, depicting a range of technical scenes, including distorted point-of-view shots, nightmares, and dramatic flashbacks.

Loving Vincent is reflective but also, surprisingly, investigative. Roulin’s attempts to uncover the truth by retracing Van Gogh’s steps could be straight out of an Arthur Conan Doyle mystery novel. The film’s score (composed by Clint Mansell) employs string instruments and choir vocals to produce a mystical, curious mood. The balance between dialogue and music is highly effective; while the film does rely heavily on dialogue to develop its characters, the dialogue recedes in the more emotionally-charged scenes, which fittingly swell with cinematic music.

The actors’ voice work breathes life into the characters. Jerome Flynn’s stiff voicing communicates the sophisticated—at times arrogant—personality of Paul Gachet, Vincent’s friend and psychologist. Eleanor Tomlinson’s performance as Adeline Ravoux, the caretaker of the inn in which Vincent dies, is lively and charming.

The film develops an immersive narrative with a limited host of characters, but in doing so cannot create a complex plot. The movement from one scene to the next, especially in the first half, is predictable and repetitive. Over the course of his journey to deliver Vincent’s letter, Roulin gets constantly redirected to different locations. The screenplay does not make this inconspicuous, perhaps for the worse; the turns in plot are very explicit, at times even on-the-nose. Nevertheless, this conventional structuring becomes less visible in the latter half, in which the suspense of the story culminates.  

Loving Vincent successfully depicts Van Gogh  as a likeable character, without  romanticizing  his  mental state. The film praises Van Gogh’s eccentric creativity, while also capturing the mistreatment he faced at the hands of those who saw him as a “nuthead.”

Ultimately, Loving Vincent’s storytelling is simplistic but charming, prioritizing characterization over development. With dynamic visuals and a palpable mood, Loving Vincent is a visually stunning and moving depiction of the complexity of human emotions and the difficulty of processing the death of a loved one.

Features

Making an icon

by Marie Labrosse on

More in Features:

Most know Leonard Cohen as the first vocalist of the iconic “Hallelujah.” Others may know him as a poet, a musician, a novelist, or a songwriter. Some may even know him as a painter. And that’s exactly how he would have wanted it. He is a jack-of-all-trades, who deftly evades any labels we may try to ascribe to him, preferring instead to lurk in the shadows of changeability with a fickle smirk.

Leonard Cohen’s artistic career was prolific, to say the least. This in itself makes it difficult to attribute any strict epithet to him or his work. Over the course of his life, Cohen published 12 books—10 poetry collections as well as two novels, ///Beautiful Losers/// and ///The Favorite Game///. The publishing house McClelland & Stewart also plans to bring out a final posthumous anthology, ///The Flame///, in October 2018. Completed in the last months of Cohen’s life, the collection will be made up of previously unpublished poetry, notebook excerpts, and illustrations by Cohen himself. Writing was Cohen’s initial calling and he only turned to music later in life: He released his first album, ///Songs of Leonard Cohen/// (1967), at age 33. He had already enjoyed some degree of public acclaim for his four published poetry collections and his first novel. Between 1967 and 2016 he then released 25 albums, and collaborated on tracks with other accomplished artists such as Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan. Cohen passed away in November 2016.

Student Life

Conscious clothing: Ethical fashion in Montreal

by Leyla Moy on

More in Student Life:

Many students know about Nike’s use of sweatshop labour, but when it comes to the brands they love, the desire to buy comfortable, trendy athletic wear tends to trump the desire to shop with a guilt-free conscience. Consumers share a sense of collective denial of their influence on the deeply flawed world of fashion, believing that they, as individuals, cannot change the larger system, and thus changing their shopping behaviour will have little effect.

Teen Vogue reported in July that fast-fashion brands, such as Zara, H&M, and ASOS, sourced materials from factories that were polluting local waterways and emitting noxious gases in their production of viscose, a silk lookalike that is cheaper to produce. The quickly-changing tides of consumer taste in fast fashion have led to an irresponsible consumption culture; trends fade too fast for brands to keep up while sourcing sustainably and employing fair labour practices.

“When most people shop, […] they don’t really reflect on what they buy,” Marine Trouillez, U1 Management and fashion devotee, said. “Fashion changes so quickly that it’s just thrown away.”

To alleviate their contributions to the issue, mass-market labels are quick to jump on what has become a trendy ethical bandwagon. H&M now places garment collection boxes in stores for a ‘take-back’ recycling program and releases a recycled denim collection annually.

Yet, despite the troubling influence of fast fashion, there is promise for change in Montreal’s local-clothing scene. Montreal-native Genevieve Paquette founded Kazak, an ethical clothing and accessory line, after a trip to Mongolia. The project quickly evolved into Les Coureurs de Jupons, a storefront that showcases 110 local designers. Paquette uses material from couch companies that would otherwise be thrown away and produces her designs locally, reducing emissions from transportation. For Paquette, a local focus is key for both the brand’s sustainability and its heart.

“[I] relate to the people in my store and my neighbourhood,” Paquette said. “I know them, and that keeps me […] grounded to the people around me, grounded to my customers.”

This personal connection between designer and customer contrasts the impersonality of global mass-market brands lining Sainte-Catherine street. In Paquette’s eyes, connecting her brand to her customers was crucial to opening up a dialogue. In understanding materials, production, and inspiration, shoppers learn the story behind their clothes.

OÖM is another Montreal-based clothing store that focuses on its environmental footprint; it places a focus on sustainable textiles, such as organic cotton, hemp, recycled polyester, and flax.

Larger brands founded on the principles of sustainability and ethical production have also emerged worldwide. Everlane and Reformation bring simplicity and slickness to a predominantly-online consumer base while providing the total cost of production and environmental impact—including pounds of waste, gallons of water, and CO2 emission levels—of every item on sale.

The cost of purchasing new ethically-sourced and fair-trade clothes can stretch a student’s budget. But it’s still possible to subvert the fast-fashion buying cycle; Montreal is home to several stores that are kind to students’ wallets and consciences. Perusing the city’s many thrift shops is one way to add high-quality used pieces to a wardrobe while staying budget-conscious. Another option is simply cutting down on consumption and assembling a workable capsule wardrobe of a small number of versatile essentials to mix and match for any situation.

“Since I became more aware of fast fashion [and its downsides], I’ve definitely shopped less,” Chelsea Jang, U0 Arts, said.  “When I do buy something, 99 per cent of the time it’s something I love wearing and […] am proud to wear.”

Interrupting the vicious cycle of cheap production and high turnover can change consumers’ mindsets around clothes as well. Students have the power to combat the idea that clothing is disposable; whether that means capping consumption, recycling used pieces, or supporting more responsible brands, valuing where clothes come from will go a long way.

Editorial, Opinion

Fall 2017 SSMU Referendum Endorsements

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

More in Editorial:

Motion Regarding Sustainability Projects Fund Fee Referendum Question: “Yes”

The Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) is an open fund that students can apply to to finance community projects and environmentally friendly ideas, thereby promoting sustainable initiatives across campus. Some projects sponsored by the SPF currently are The Plate Club, Rez Life, the McGill Farmers’ Market, and Community Engagement Day. This motion does not change the nature of the SPF on campus, rather, it is an increase in fees from $0.53 to $0.55 per credit. This increase incorporates the estimated inflation for the the next five years, until the fee is brought up again in 2023. The SPF was founded in 2009 by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS), and the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), in collaboration with the McGill administration. McGill matches every student contribution. In sum, this motion promotes the continuation of sustainable community building, empowers students to take initiative on this front, and facilitates student participation and leadership.

Motion Regarding First Year Council Fee Referendum Question: “Yes”

First Year Council (FYC) is an elected SSMU body that represents and organizes social events for all first-year students, regardless of academic program, residence, or age. It aims to ease students’ transition into university and consolidates relations across all first-year organizations on campus. This fee will support the Council’s activities and events, and was first approved in Winter 2014. FYC has encountered some difficulties in the past: It failed its service review in 2016, for not meeting the requirements of a “Service,” and needing stronger “Executive-level” support. However, now under the portfolio of the Vice-President (VP) Internal, the Council is broadening its scope to cater to more underrepresented groups—such as off-campus students and varsity athletes. According to current Vice-President (VP) Internal Maya Koparkar, it is also planning on conducting sustainability initiatives. While the $0.50 fee is opt-outable, the FYC provides new students an opportunity to get involved in the McGill community and engage with fellow students.

Motion Regarding Peer Support Centre Fee Referendum Question: “Yes”

The Peer Support Centre (PSC) is a SSMU student service that provides one-on-one support for a range of student needs, from general support and listening services to suggesting appropriate resources. This motion would create an opt-outable fee of $0.62 for a designated fund for the PSC, charged to all SSMU members from Fall 2017 until renewal in Winter 2021. As McGill’s pattern of deprioritizing mental health issues bleeds into another school year, the PSC strives to address the waitlists and gaps in the administration’s services. The PSC is run entirely by student volunteers, who commit to hours of rigorous training to prepare themselves to help anyone who walks through their doors. Unlike McGill Counselling Services, the PSC is available on a walk-in basis, or by appointment. Located in room 411 in the University Centre, the PSC offers a reliable, accessible support system for students in need. A sustainable source of funding would provide it needed security.

Motion Regarding Renewal of the SSMU Ambassador Fee: “Yes”

The SSMU Ambassador Fund, established in 2010, subsidizes McGill student clubs and services to attend academic competitions and conferences in Canada and abroad. Through SSMU’s Funding Committee, student clubs and services can consult SSMU to plan and receive funding for cost-effective trips that help further their education. One of the most applied for of SSMU’s funds, the Ambassador Fund has subsidized a diversity of projects, including the Chemical Engineering Student’s Society (ChESS) Council’s trip to the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference in Quebec City, the McGill Muggle Quidditch Club attendance at the Canadian Eastern Regional Quidditch Championship in Mississauga, and the McGill Formula Electric’s presentations at local CEGEPS. Without a renewal of the fund’s opt-outable fee of $2 per student per semester, many clubs and affiliated organizations would be unable to send their members on such trips, and students would lose valuable opportunities to interact with peers and professionals outside of McGill.

Motion Regarding the Proposed Bike Centre Facility: “Yes”

The proposed bike centre facility is a jointly-funded effort between SSMU, McGill University, and the SPF, with $800,000 coming each from the former two and $300,000 from the latter. In a 2016 plebiscite, 83 per cent of undergraduate students indicated strong support for this project. SSMU’s portion of the funding will be withdrawn by McGill from the existing Internally Restricted Endowment Fund (IREF); therefore, it does not come out of SSMU’s operating budget and students are not paying for this facility. The bike centre is an ideal use for this fund, as the IREF has numerous restrictions placed on it, making it difficult to access. For example, funds must be spent on improvements to the University Centre, and cannot be used for profit generation. A significant portion of the seemingly hefty cost to this project goes towards renovating the parking garage underneath the SSMU building that is currently vacant. This renovation will repurpose the space to house parking for 350 bikes, shower facilities, a new space for The Flat Bike Collective, and additional space for SSMU clubs and operations. This project is much more than just an additional 350 bike parking spots: It represents a symbolic commitment by McGill and SSMU to sustainable and active transportation, it makes it easier for cyclists to bike to school throughout the year, and it will benefit students by upgrading a currently unused space.

1 … 619 620 621 622 623 … 1,363

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue