Laurentian's use of the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act admist bankruptcy has sparked conversation about the legality of this resource from community members, the CUAT and federal government
In February 2021 the leadership of Laurentian University made the decision to file for creditor protection from the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act amidst bankruptcy. The CCAA allows large corporations facing insolvency to receive guidance, including plans to restructure their corporation. As a federal law, the Government of Canada introduced this act to help companies proceed with their work as they manage their internal finances. The university has since exited insolvency and terminated their protection under the CCAA as of Nov. 2022.
A review done in 2022 by then Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk found that since the incitement of the CCAA, 195 university staff and faculty lost their jobs.
With the protection of the CCAA, they were not required to honour agreements previously made with labour groups, such as senior staff firing and severance. Additionally, 76 academic programs were cut, impacting roughly 932 students.
CTV news coverage shared their firing had been done through zoom, where Laurentian University’s Vice President of Academics promptly exited the call after sharing the news.
To protect the release of this information reaching the public for review, Laurentian university has spent $30 million in advisors and lawyers.
A statement and commissioned report by the Canadian Association of Universities Teachers shared that they believe that the decision made by Laurentian can become a precedent for others if access to CCAA is not legally halted. The CAUT stated that it is important to prevent public universities to file for bankruptcy in the same manner as commercial businesses.
Following these demands for prevention of public universities to utilize resources like CCAA, the Canadian federal government released statements. In Nov. 2023, they shared that they will be taking active steps to change CCAA so that public universities can no longer utilize this tool amid financial hardship. The exact steps taken are yet to be released and are awaited by many in 2024.
As the country’s economy weakens, students need to prepare for the financial consequences of a recession
The Canadian economy has undeniably been facing a rough patch for the past year. With the cost of living rising and wages lagging far behind, inflationary pressures left many Canadians squeezing their wallets dry.
However, experts predict things are about to become much worse for Canadians as the economy nears a recession.
A recession is defined as a period of economic decline. Marked by a decrease in a country’s gross domestic product, a recession brings severe job cuts as businesses reduce production, sales suffer, and consumer spending falls.
So, why should you care?
While the weakened state of the economy affects everyone, students, and especially socioeconomically disadvantaged students, are more disproportionately burdened by the consequences of a recession.
Students already grapple with a range of education-related costs, on top of their basic necessities, but the volatile economic state could lead to even further financial constraints and unexpected expenses.
As universities also begin to feel the effects of a recession, educational budget choices become difficult, often resulting in cuts to financial aid programs to support students.
The lack of financial aid, joined with the hiking interest rates on existing student loans, makes students more vulnerable to accumulating debt during a recession. Of greater concern, however, is the fact that some may end up digging themselves an even bigger hole, as they’re forced to borrow more money as a means of short-term relief.
Beyond these financial constraints, graduating students and those who are employed or searching for employment will need to navigate an unstable job market. The rise in layoffs may hit some working students, but graduating students and those searching for work will face a range of challenges securing a job as employment opportunities become scarce. The inability to secure a job during a recession only magnifies the financial hardships endured by students who rely on employment to support their day-to-day needs and pay off their student loan debt.
Though the recession will widen economic disparities, stretching students thinner than ever, preparing now can help mitigate the way you experience the economic downturn.
As with inflation, reducing spending on unnecessary purchases is a fundamental starting point to saving up for the heightened financial pressures brought by a recession. However, paying bills and credit card balances on time is also vital to ensuring you aren’t slammed with late fees and high interest charges during an already stressful period.
Since the recession will hit individuals with less skills and work experience harder, graduating students will need to think more about the implications of entering the job market during this time.
Not only will they face worse job prospects, but research also suggests that students who leave school for work face a range of long-term consequences.
For instance, those graduating in a recession are dealt lower wages and lose out on initial earnings compared to students who graduate prior to a recession. Research also suggests that these students are less likely to hold managerial or skilled positions by their thirties. These issues in employment, however, translate to more concerning impacts such as lower socioeconomic status and poorer health outcomes.
While the prospect of graduating in a recession is daunting, preparing yourself for the unstable job market through career counselling and making yourself more hireable are important steps in increasing your chances of employment. The basic advice for advancing your competitive edge in the job market has always been to diversify your skillset through further training or taking on job and volunteer opportunities that contribute to professional development – and that advice is still valuable.
The bottom line is recessionary pressures will affect you no matter what – but doing your research on how best to prepare and taking preventative actions can help to reduce anxiety and mitigate some of the effects of a recession.
McMaster’s international student population faces struggles navigating the housing market, including housing scams, communication barriers and exploitative landlords.
For McMaster University students, navigating the Hamilton housing market can be a challenging experience. With a housing crisis on the rise and rent prices rapidly increasing, many McMaster students struggle to find affordable and accessible places to live.
International students in particular face unique struggles with finding housing. Fourth-year international computer science student Nisheet Kumar Sobti explained how communication barriers between international students and landlords complicate the already difficult process of finding student housing.
“First, you need to understand how difficult it is to find a house for an international student. Especially if you're coming from a different country and you speak a different language. A lot of students when they come to Canada don't even know how to speak English,” said Sobti.
First, you need to understand how difficult it is to find a house for an international student. Especially if you're coming from a different country and you speak a different language. A lot of students when they come to Canada don't even know how to speak English.
Nisheet Kumar Sobti, fourth-year computer science student
In the 2022-2023 school year, approximately 6,500 of McMaster students were international, making up 17.5 per cent of the student body. Sobti explained that the struggles specific to this student population are real and ongoing, which became most apparent to him during his experience finding housing.
“Finding a house the first time was so difficult. There were a lot of scams going on. A lot of landlords, they didn't want to give a house to international students because we couldn’t meet in-person,” said Sobti.
Housing scams can include advertisements for houses that don’t exist or already-rented properties, suspicious requests for money or false lists of amenities. Many incoming international students are unable to attend in-person house showings prior to signing a lease, making them subject to misleading advertisements or housing scams.
Second-year software engineering student Aysu Özdal echoed Sobti’s sentiments. Özdal explained that despite feeling apprehensive to sign her lease, she was desperate to find somewhere to live for the upcoming school year.
“Until the day I moved into that house, I was so scared that it could be a scam. I paid first and last months’ rent and I was so scared that it would be a scam, because there's no getting the money back,” said Özdal.
Until the day I moved into that house, I was so scared that it could be a scam. I paid first and last months’ rent and I was so scared that it would be a scam, because there's no getting the money back.
Aysu Özdal, second-year software engineering student
Özdal explained that although her lease agreement ended up being legitimate, this is not the case for every student put in her position. Beyond language barriers and physical distance, international students aren’t always well informed on their rights as a tenant and navigating potentially exploitative landlords.
McMaster arts and science graduate and current CFMU community outreach coordinator Sharang Sharma spoke on this barrier, explaining that international students a prime target for exploitative landlords.
“Half the time [international students] don't know what the laws are, what our rights are … So those kinds of predatory practices are particularly effective,” said Sharma.
Half the time [international students] don't know what the laws are, what our rights are … So those kinds of predatory practices are particularly effective.
Sharang Sharma, arts and science graduate and CFMU community outreach coordinator
McMaster does have programs in place, such as International Student Services office, that aim to address these barriers and assist international students in their transition to Canada. However, many international students still face these struggles and are victims to scams and unlawful housing conditions.
Fourth-year international health science student Vitoria Murakami Olyntho shared her thoughts on this shared circumstance and suggested some potential avenues for McMaster to get involved.
“I wish McMaster could take more of an involved role in helping students find housing. Maybe having groups of McMaster accredited landlords or regions where there's kind of a partnership between the school and the housing market…It would be easier to navigate, it would be less confusing and [feel] more trusting,” said Murakami Olyntho.
Not only does this student population face specific barriers when navigating finding places to live close to campus, such as facing housing scams and communication difficulties, but they also are often scapegoated market.
This year, federal government officials stated that the growing number of international students entering Canada has put a strain on housing availability and as a result has driven up rent prices.
Rates of issued international student study permits in Canada have increased by 75 per cent over the last five years. and this increasing blame has resulted in the federal government considering an international student cap.
Conversations around an international student cap are ongoing, all the while incoming international students continue to struggle to find secure and affordable places to live. For more information on resources for international students, visit the International Student Services office.
Though policy 713 was introduced in New Brunswick, the debates it has sparked around gender identity and parental rights has implications for all Canadians
Policy 713 was introduced in New Brunswick in 2020 to serve as a legislative basis regarding the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ students in the province. This policy has undergone revisions twice in 2023.
First, in June 2023, the province's government amended a portion of the Self-identification Section 6.3. The section now prefaced that students under the age of 16 would require the consent of parents to be addressed with their preferred pronouns in educational settings. This change in June 2023 sparked much debate about whether or not the policy was in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
These debates prompted another revision in August 2023 which while still maintaing the requirement of parental consent, introduced intervention steps if there were complications in obtaining it.
This change meant that students under 16 would first be referred to a guidance counsellor or school psychologist to determine how to gain consent from their parents. The Government of New Brunswick believes that this change encourages students' exploration of gender identity and ensures support from adults.
Hamilton Community Legal Clinic is a not-for-profit that serves as a legal service for Hamilton residents. HCLC released a statement regarding Policy 713 that acknowledged their stance against the proposed policy and its implementation.
Michael Blashko, staff housing lawyer and the lead on the Queer Justice Project at HCLC, expressed that the primary concern is around the impacts on children under 16. He pointed out that many educators, social workers and psychologists have expressed deep concern.
“The potential impacts [on children under 16] are quite well known and not only professional educators and different associations of educators have come through with comments against this policy change. . .but also just health professionals,” said Blashko.
The potential impacts [on children under 16] are quite well known and not only professional educators and different associations of educators have come through with comments against this policy change. . .but also just health professionals.
Michael Blashko, Queer Justice Project lead, Hamilton Community Legal Clinic
He shared one of the most concerning parts of the policy was the actual lack of consultation that went behind the changes.
“I believe it was first implemented by the party that actually has made the changes now, which raised a lot of eyebrows. My understanding is that there were little to no consultations that occurred with any experts, any interest groups, [or] any students who would be impacted. Nothing like that,” said Blashko.
Moreover, the changes in New Brunswick have guided other provinces to take the same actions. Saskatchewan has followed suit, implementing an almost identical policy. Manitoba's Premier has expressed that the desire to have their province want to follow suit as well.
“I think my general position is just discomfort and disappointment that that's the approach that they– not just New Brunswick– but several different premiers and government seems to be taking,” said Blashko.
Despite the province's changes to 2SLGBTQIA+ student rights, there are many who are challenging the legality of the policies.
Blashko shares that in New Brunswick a lawsuit is being issued by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association in opposition to the policy. In Saskatchewan, the same is being done by the UR Pride Centre for Sexuality and Gender Diversity.
He shared that Saskatchewan could lose the case due to the potentially unconstitutional nature of their policy. However, he also shared that in the face of such a case, the province could refer to the notwithstanding clause.
The clause allows them to override the violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Blashko feared this will create a precedence for this type of lawmaking.
“If Saskatchewan becomes the first province to invoke the notwithstanding clause as essentially a direct attack on Trans[gender] and Queer human rights. That's certainly a concerning precedent. And if that happens, there's not a lot that can that, you know, people can do to defend against that. It's literally a mechanism to violate rights,” said Blashko.
If Saskatchewan becomes the first province to invoke the notwithstanding clause as essentially a direct attack on Trans[gender] and Queer human rights. That's certainly a concerning precedent. And if that happens, there's not a lot that can that, you know, people can do to defend against that. It's literally a mechanism to violate rights
Michael Blashko, Queer Justice Project lead, Hamilton Community Legal Clinic
Overall, Blashko shared that in the midst of these legal battles, he’s hopeful people all over Canada will show their disapproval of these policies. He hoped that governments and educational entities will step away from these policies and protect the rights of 2SLGBTQIA+ students.
C/O Gayatri Malhotra, Unsplash
Roe v. Wade should be an eyeopener for Canadians on its issues surrounding abortion access
In 1973, Roe v. Wade became a landmark case for reproductive rights as the United States Supreme Court affirmed the right to abortion. On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, making abortion illegal or highly restricted in twenty states as of July 9, 2022, with others slowly following.
But this is all happening in the United States, not in Canada. So why should we care? As we are known for our amazing healthcare, it’s not an issue for us, right?
But this is all happening in the United States, not in Canada. So why should we care? As we are known for our amazing healthcare, it’s not an issue for us, right?
Being Canadian, I am beyond grateful for the ease I have had in terms of healthcare and knowing certain accommodations and procedures will always be available for me, but not every Canadian can say the same.
For instance, individuals living in provinces and territories such as Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories and Yukon, face many issues when it comes to receiving abortions. These regions often only have one abortion provider, usually found in urban areas. Moreover, these provinces and territories only have a gestational limit of 12 to 16 weeks, whereas here in Ontario the limit is around 23 to 24 weeks.
This lack of accessibility only makes it so much more difficult for individuals to go and receive abortions due to both location as there are so few providers and the shorter gestational limit.
This lack of accessibility only makes it so much more difficult for individuals to go and receive abortions due to both location as there are so few providers and the shorter gestational limit.
Additionally, abortions are not only used when one wishes to terminate a pregnancy. They are the procedure when an individual has a miscarriage or is in a condition where the baby cannot survive and will only cause harm and danger to the mother's body. Meaning as ironic as the concept of abortions may be to some, they do also save lives.
It has also been well established that restricting abortion access impacts marginalized populations heavily. According to Statistics Canada, in 2016 38 per cent of Inuit women and one in four off-reserve Indigenous and Métis women cited the most common reason for dropping out of school was pregnancy. In a study on young pregnancies in Nunavut, researchers found that Inuit women generally, have their first child at an early age and have more children than other non-Indigenous women.
Given the state the ongoing effects of COVID-19 has left our economy and society in, our government not solving current challenge and causing even more challenges for marginalized communities is more than reason enough for why we should care about what's happening here.
With the lack of funding, access, care and the history our country has over controlling certain communities, it becomes immensely difficult. This law change affects individuals economically, it will increase poverty rates, kill mothers and leave families grieving and disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
Currently in Canada inter-provincial abortions are restricted to those who can afford to travel, have the money and the available necessities. With all of the major changes happening around abortion laws and rights in the States, it should make you open your eyes to what is happening here, especially with the preconceived notion that Canada’s abortion laws are perfect. It is important we continue to do our research, never stay quiet and support our peers, even as we still have improvements to make ourselves.
With all of the major changes happening around abortion laws and rights in the States, it should make you open your eyes to what is happening here, especially with the preconceived notion that Canada’s abortion laws are perfect.
C/O Cooper Gary
Often overlooked despite being Canada’s national sport, the McMaster lacrosse team deserves more attention
For those not already aware, the national sport of Canada is lacrosse. Despite that, there really isn’t much hype around the sport when it comes to varsity athletics within Canadian universities. Although the men’s lacrosse team is a member of the Ontario University Athletics, they don’t get nearly as much recognition as other sports such as football, soccer and basketball.
With very little exposure for the team, it only felt appropriate to analyze the success and the dynamics of the men’s lacrosse team and figure out how this team fits in at McMaster.
“We’ve basically got three practices a week even during the off season, with each being two hours long. During the actual season, we had one to two games a week and there was a lot going on during that time,” said Ryan Smith, a member of the men’s team.
The most notable game for the team was against Laurier, when the Marauders were trailing 1-7, but ended the game with a score of 9-8, which marked an incredible comeback. This seemed to be one of the most impressive and more memorable games of the year.
“For being a first-year goalie on the team, I am pretty satisfied with the way we played most of our games. Honestly, we had some great games throughout the season, such as the comeback against Laurier. For the team we had and the experience some players had, I think that we were pretty good all around,”
Ryan Smith
The team managed to make it to the playoffs this season, but unfortunately was eliminated in their first-round matchup against the Brock Badgers.
“While we did qualify for the playoffs, losing in the first round to Brock was very unfortunate. I think that we have to focus on coming out stronger and harder, as in some games we would get down early and would have to fight our way back into the game,” said Smith.
It’s evident that although this season was not bad for the lacrosse team, they would be eager to get back even stronger next year. They understand what they are capable of and are looking forward to the next opportunity to get back into competition.
“For the next season I think we will do a lot better as our team was pretty young and we had a lot of players who have never played lacrosse in their life prior to this. We also now know each other much better and have gained more chemistry with one another, as we know the play style each person possesses. We have done a lot of team bonding over time, such as riding on the bus together before the game, team parties or even going to a bar to celebrate a team's birthday. Our coach, Jason Tellevi, is fantastic at bringing us closer together and has helped us improve a lot over the past season,” explained Smith.
During the off season many athletes tend to practice or play scrimmages to keep in shape. The drill is no different with the lacrosse team, who continues their rigorous training methods throughout.
“During the off season, which would be from early [in the year] until August 2022, I know a lot of boys on the team also play junior lacrosse for clubs. Those clubs are on from April until July, which ensures that you are staying in shape and in form as the stick is always in your hands and always playing and moving. We also have group workout sessions running from time to time. They’re great as everyone can push each other to do more and can see the progress individuals are making which will benefit our team in the long run,” said Smith.
Although the lacrosse team is perhaps not the most recognized in university athletics, the team practices and has the same scheduling as every other varsity team at McMaster. Their hard work and determination in the off season may get them an even better season next year, for which the whole squad will be even more experienced.
C/O Don Craig
True advocacy entails more than just empty words
By: Ardena Bašić, Contributor
cw: abuse, neglect
Given the increased attention on human rights issues and the overall mistreatment of the Indigenous population, reconciliation has gained an increase in discussion in many institutions.
Professors and leaders are now acknowledging the ownership of the land they work and live on. The orange shirt has become a symbol of support for victims of the residential school system. Political leaders are making promises to address the issue of water advisories in Indigenous communities and inequities in education and housing.
While these symbolic actions exemplify desires to make positive changes, they are still only symbolic acts. Whether these intentions lead to actual change is contingent on whether leaders and members of society translate their intentions and words into tangible action.
Advocacy may very well begin with words, promises and acknowledging mistakes and atrocities of the past. However, as it pertains to the issues that many marginalized and oppressed groups such as the Indigenous population of so-called Canada experience, words represent only the preliminary step in building a better world.
Both Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau have given formal apologies to the Indigenous community in regards to the residential school system. In 2021, Canadian catholic bishops also communicated their remorse for the role of religious bodies in the residential school system. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church and Pope have not followed suit. Calls for the church to take accountability for its role in the residential school system became widespread this past year given the many bodies of Indigenous children found in unmarked graves across Canada in what used to be residential schools.
Some action has been taken on the part of the Canadian federal government to follow up on their apologies and address the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. For example, the government has budgeted for their intent to address the lack of access to clean drinking water, develop better health and social services on and near reserves and contribute to preserving Indigenous languages.
Moreover, Sept. 30, 2021 marked the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This day sought to commemorate the victims of the residential school system and entailed memorials and other events held across the nation.
There are also calls for institutions to remove statues and names of people who were involved in the residential school system. For example, Ryerson University will be changing its name, given its eponym, Egerton Ryerson, was an important architecture in designing the residential school system. However, changing an institution’s name is only a symbolic act and must be followed by more tangible action to support reconciliation and contribute to social progress.
When Stephen Harper apologized to Indigenous communities years ago, he failed to fund significant projects like the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. Justin Trudeau’s follow up was equally as inadequate, as the campaign promises he made to Indigenous communities during his 2015 election campaign have still not been fulfilled as of publication.
There are still water advisories in place and the presence of inadequate infrastructure and services across Indigenous communities despite promises to address these issues. In fact, government funding for awards that serve to honour leaders in Indigenous communities has decreased. It is clear the government wants to take accountability of its past actions and do its work in laying the foundation for reconciliation, but this is not followed by proper, tangible action.
Only when tangible actions are taken after communicating an intent to do so will greater equity become a possibility. It is time Canadian society and its government follow suit on their promises and intents and invest more towards showing accountability and working towards reconciliation.
In sum, symbolic reconciliation is communication of an intention to right the wrongs of the past. However, this needs to be followed up by real action in order for true societal change to occur.
C/O Yoohyun Park
While lacrosse may be a game many Canadians are familiar with, its history often goes unnoticed
In 1994, by the National Sports of Canada Act, lacrosse was officially declared as the national summer sport of Canada. The term lacrosse came about in 1636 when French missionary, Jean de Brebeuf, compared the stick they played with to a bishop’s crozier, or la crosse. However, the game has existed for centuries, originally played by Indigenous tribes across North America, referred to as stickball, The Creator’s Game, Baggataway by the Algonquin and Tewaaraton by the Iroquois, both of which translate to “little brother of war.”
The Creator’s Game was an essential part of Indigenous culture and religion. This name came from the idea that lacrosse was gifted to the people by the Creator, the being responsible for creating everything on earth. As such, the game was used by the Iroquois to teach lessons, for instance, that everyone has struggles and that the key to survival is friends and allies.
The other name, “little brother of war,” stems from the Iroquois using the game as a way to train young men to be warriors and to settle disputes without going to war. The game could include anywhere between 100 and 1,000 players at a time, playing until the predetermined number of points were achieved by one team. The game was vicious, injuring players with cuts, broken bones and the occasional death.
Indigenous lacrosse was played with three to five foot long sticks made of wood and the netting was made of dried out animal hide. Alf Jacques is an Onondaga Turtle Clan lacrosse stick carver. Jacques explains the significance of the wooden stick in an interview with The Equinox.
“You make that stick from nature. That’s a living piece of wood that you make that out of. The energy of that living tree then transfers to the player,” explained Jacques.
This fits with the Iroquois culture and belief that, when a man dies, his lacrosse stick is buried with him. The first thing he does when waking up in the afterlife is to take the stick and begin playing.
However, after the Indigenous people were colonized and assimilated into Canadian culture, so was the game of lacrosse. In 1834, a group from the Caughnawaga tribe demonstrated the game in the city of Montreal. In 1856, Canadian dentist, Dr. William George Beers, founded the Montreal Lacrosse Club and ten years later came up with an adjusted set of rules for the game including a rubber ball and newly designed stick.
Allan Downey (Dakelh, Nak’azdli Whut’en) is a McMaster professor in the department of history within the Indigenous studies program. His first book, The Creator’s Game: Lacrosse, Identity and Indigenous Nationhood, traces the history of lacrosse in Indigenous communities and demonstrates how lacrosse is an example of the appropriation, then reclamation, of Indigenous identities.
In his book, Downey describes why he played lacrosse, but also the inherent appropriation he recognized within the game.
“When I was a kid, I was always told that field lacrosse . . . was a “gentleman’s game,” and we as players would be penalized if we swore. Later, I learned that this dated from an 1860s effort to construct lacrosse as a gendered white middle-class sport for Canadians who were naturalized as gentlemen,”
Allan downey
The book examines the process through which identity is created, articulated and the transformation within Indigenous communities as they continue to play their sport and maintain it as an Indigenous game amongst external and internal challenges.
While lacrosse is a sport that may sometimes be overlooked in mainstream media, it is important to recognize its Indigenous roots and reflect on how Indigenous culture has shaped the Canadian landscape. There is still much to learn and many inherent biases to recognize and put aside as we work to reconcile the past and create an equitable future.
PHOTO C/O Arnaud Jaegers
An overview of the current state of Canada’s political parties
By: Max Cornblum, Contributor
On Sept. 20, 2021, Canadians across the country voted in an early federal election called by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Results of the election formed another minority government under the Liberal party, leaving Canadians to wonder what the future of the government would look like in the face of a new, but almost identical, parliament.
Liberal Party
After winning 159 seats and maintaining their minority government, many now-former members of parliament have lost their pensions. Pensions are awarded after six years of being seated in parliament and this election was called just over two months before some of those pensions would have vested.
Filomena Tassi, Member of Parliament for the Hamilton West, Ancaster and Dundas constituency, stands by the Liberal government’s decision to call a snap election.
Tassi believes that the party’s win proves Canadians agree with what the party has been doing and what they plan to do moving forward.
“The Canadians have accepted the mandate and that they agree with the way that we have navigated through COVID-19 and they say that they agree with our plan moving forward with regards to [future plans in things] such as environment, childcare and housing,” said Tassi.
Tassi added that she doesn’t see the snap election as a waste of money, but rather as a mandate from Canadians to have either voice heard.
“It is important that as we move forward, we are listening to Canadians, and this was the opportunity for Canadians to have their say with respect to what we have invested in,” explained Tassi.
“It is important that as we move forward, we are listening to Canadians, and this was the opportunity for Canadians to have their say with respect to what we have invested in.”
Filomena Tassi, Member of Parliament for Hamilton West, Ancaster & Dundas Constituency
Justin Trudeau currently remains the leader of the party. However, following public outrage regarding Trudeau’s decision to call the snap election, it remains to be seen as to whether the Liberal party is still committed to the Trudeau name.
Conservative Party
As the Conservative Party’s leader, Erin O’Toole’s platform let the voters know that he was pro-2SLGBTQIA+ and pro-abortion. He also supported a federal carbon tax, which was unheard of for a conservative leader.
However, the Conservative Party’s turn towards the centre with a more moderate leader such as O’Toole didn’t make up any ground from the Liberals.
As a result of the snap election, the Conservative Party now holds 119 seats in the House of Commons, a loss of two seats compared to the 2019 election.
“While [the Conservative Party] didn’t get the results we had hoped for, I am proud of our team for holding the Liberals to a minority in this pandemic election,” said O’Toole.
“While [the Conservative Party] didn’t get the results we had hoped for, I am proud of our team for holding the Liberals to a minority in this pandemic election.”
Erin O'Toole, Conservative Party Leader
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party was unable to pick up a sizable amount of seats despite their overwhelmingly popular policies. The NDP now holds 25 seats in the house of commons.
Although NDP leader, Jagmeet Singh, has garnered a large amount of popularity through social media platforms such as TikTok, this did not translate to an increase in seats in the House of Commons.
The NDP will reevaluate their leadership and platform to see if they can improve their results with another leader or may decide to continue the course with Jagmeet Singh.
Jagmeet Singh remains the leader of the NDP and has stated that he’s confident he will keep that position.
Bloc Quebecois Party
The Bloc Quebecois won 33 seats, short of their goal of 40 seats. As is the case with other parties, the Bloc Quebecois won a similar number of seats as the 2019 election where they won 32 seats.
Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the party, criticized Trudeau for calling the election.
“We almost feel like saying ‘All of that for this’,” said Blanchet.
“We almost feel like saying ‘All of that for this’.”
Yves-François Blanchet, Leader of the Bloc Quebecois
Green Party
After losing a Member of Parliament to the Liberals because of an internal party dispute about the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Green Party received far fewer votes than in 2019 and won two seats.
Despite climate change being a top priority for voters, the party dedicated to the climate lost ground and credibility with voters.
In her own riding in Toronto Centre, the previous leader of the Green Party, Annamie Paul, was unable to win her seat as well. Even before the election, her standing within the party was already in tatters.
Paul has now resigned and the Green party will begin its search for a new leader.
With only two seats in the House of Commons after this election, the Green Party does not meet the requirement of at least 12 seats to be deemed a recognized party for parliamentary proceedings.
People’s Party
While the People’s Party of Canada was able to increase its share of the popular vote, it remained unable to make any ground and won zero seats.
PPC leader, Maxime Bernier, also lost in his own riding in Beauce.
While the rise of right-wing populism has given great success to parties around the world, it appears that the ideology shared by these parties is not welcomed by enough Canadians to make this party feasible.
After an election that didn’t change the political landscape, every party is left to reflect on what happened in their campaign. Every party must reevaluate its strategies and come prepared for the next election either in 2025 or earlier.
Black McMaster students reflect on the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020
This article is a part of the Sil Time Capsule, a series that reflects on 2020 with the aim to draw attention to the ways in which it has affected our community as well as the wider world.
In the summer of 2020, sparked by the death of George Floyd, there was a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. Protests spread across the United States and the world. Businesses and individuals, both with and without a history of supporting Black communities, began posting messages of solidarity on social media and pledged to do better.
In just over a month, it will be a year since George Floyd was murdered. In addition to the killings, we have also seen how Black folks have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. For Black folks around the world, this year has been exhausting and retraumatizing.
It’s been exhausting and retraumatizing to learn of more killings and what little action has taken place. It’s been exhausting and retraumatizing for our organizers and protesters, who have been met with police violence. It’s been exhausting and retraumatizing to field questions and concern from those in our lives who have never before cared about our Blackness.
It’s been exhausting and retraumatizing for Black students. All year, Black students, alumni, staff and faculty have been observing McMaster University's response to the resurgence and continuing to advocate for safe spaces and meaningful action.
So as this academic year comes to a close, it was important for me as a Black woman at McMaster to use one of my last articles at the Silhouette to discuss how Black students have been dealing with this tumultuous year.
Student activism in summer 2020
On May 25, 2020, in Minnesota, George Floyd was killed while in police custody, for which now-former police officer Derek Chauvin currently is standing on trial, charged with murder and manslaughter. The news and video of Floyd’s murder flooded traditional news and social media. In the days and weeks that followed, protesters took to the streets across the United States and the world.
While this wasn’t the first time a Black person had been unjustly killed, for many, Black and non-Black alike, the summer of 2020 felt different. There are many factors that influenced the increased response, chief among them the pandemic. Black folks, who have been disproportionately affected, were fed up with government neglect while non-Black people quarantining at home had no choice but to pay attention.
“People rioting and actually protesting and doing stuff like that was the reason people started talking about it more, because, essentially you had something for white people to debate about and to fight about . . . [T]hat eventually just made a chain of events so people were being like, “Why are black people rioting?” Okay, well, why are black people rioting and then people were actually looking at it,” said Aaron Parry, a fourth-year student and promotions executive on the Black Students’ Association.
“People rioting and actually protesting and doing stuff like that was the reason people started talking about it more, because, essentially you had something for white people to debate about and to fight about . . . ”
Aaron Parry, a fourth-year student and promotions executive on the Black Students’ Association
Black McMaster students were among those protesting both online and offline last summer, continuing the work that many have been doing for years. For instance, on June 17, 2020, McMaster student organizers held a protest to demand the removal of the special constables on campus and the dismissal of Director of Security and Parking Services Glenn De Caire, who has a history of supporting the highly controversial practice of carding. Students have been advocating for De Caire’s removal since 2016.
Black students also spent the summer further educating themselves and having difficult conversations with friends, peers and others in their life.
“I actually did summer school in June, July . . . Since I'm in political science, race [is] a topic, especially during this course. I feel like I tried, as a Black person, to educate some of my fellow peers about what we experience,” explained fourth-year student and Women and Gender Equity Network Research Coordinator, Shae Owen.
Online, many students responded to McMaster’s statements on Floyd’s death and anti-Black racism at the university with demands that they fire De Caire. Students were quick to point out that McMaster’s statements did little to address Black students’ concerns and calls for action.
Both current and former students took to social media to share their experiences of racism at McMaster. Canadian football player and former McMaster student, Fabion Foote, tweeted about the systemic racism he experienced at McMaster, which was met with support from other Black McMaster students, alumni and faculty.
However, while students were generally glad to see increased awareness, many worried that it was performative or fleeting.
“Doing nothing is no longer acceptable. However, reposting on social media is classified as hardly doing anything, because it lacks your personal tone and influence,” wrote the Silhouette Production Editor and Black Students Association Photographer Sybil Simpson in a June 2020 Silhouette article.
Effects on mental health and academics
While Black students were at the forefront of the activism, many also found the summer and current academic year overwhelming. Students didn’t get to take a break from their everyday lives to grieve, having to continue to work, attend summer school classes and study for tests.
“In Nigeria — this was in October — there were killings of peaceful protesters . . . and that was very close to home. Things don't necessarily slow down. When all of this is happening, it's not like school pauses. You still have deadlines. I used my MSAF for the first time in four years last semester, that's how much I just felt like everything was going on. I had to ask for extensions and I couldn't make deadlines,” explained Toni Makanjuola, a fourth-year student and director of logistics with Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster.
For some students, these feelings of being overwhelmed were compounded by the physical and emotional isolation caused by the pandemic. Students who were not able to go home to see family often had to deal with the devastating news on their own.
“There's a lot going on with just COVID by itself. I couldn't see my family because of COVID and I was already planning to see them. I think I mentioned I'm an international student and my parents live abroad and my family's kind of dispersed. So it was definitely a lonely time,” said Makanjuola.
“There's a lot going on with just COVID by itself. I couldn't see my family because of COVID and I was already planning to see them. I think I mentioned I'm an international student and my parents live abroad and my family's kind of dispersed. So it was definitely a lonely time.”
Toni Makanjuola, director of logistics with Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster
Moreover, Black students expressed how the summer of 2020 changed their relationships. Students reported that they got closer to Black family members and friends as well as non-Black allies. On the other hand, relationships fractured with those in their lives that failed to check-in or speak out.
“I found myself being like, “okay, I can't actually be friends with this person, even if they make a racist joke like here and there.” That’s now too much for me. It wasn't too much before, but now that everything's become more extreme, my barriers have to become more extreme,” said Aaron Parry, a fourth-year student and promotions executive on the Black Students’ Association.
Response to university initiatives
During the summer, McMaster put out several statements, some of which addressed how the university intends to tackle anti-Black racism on campus. While none of these intended actions included firing De Caire as students had demanded, some positive actions included the accelerated hiring of Black faculty, the hiring of an anti-Black racism education coordinator and the announcement of a Black student services office.
“In terms of the hiring, I think that was extremely needed because personally, I'm in my fourth year, and this was like the first year that I've had Black professors and that's because I'm taking history . . . I'm interested in research right so [when I found a potential Black supervisor], I emailed her. I was so excited because I knew she wasn't there before. I got to share a research idea with her. But I don't know that I would have felt as comfortable emailing someone else,” said Makanjuola.
“In terms of the hiring, I think that was extremely needed because personally, I'm in my fourth year, and this was like the first year that I've had Black professors and that's because I'm taking history . . .
TONI MAKANJUOLA, DIRECTOR OF LOGISTICS WITH BLACK ASPIRING PHYSICIANS OF MCMASTER
However, the fact that many plans were created without the input of Black students begs whether they’ll be helpful at all.
“What little they do give to Black students, it's not even involving Black students that often and then they just kind of surprise us as if it's a gift . . . They design whatever services they think that we want rather than actually actively involving us and actively asking us, “what do you want, what do you need, what are you looking for in a Black Student Services, what do you think will help?”,” explained Parry.
In response to Foote’s tweets, the university organized a Black student-athlete review, which was completed in October and revealed “a culture of systemic anti-Black racism within the department.” However, many students believe the review did not do enough.
Some of those who were involved in the review noted that internal politics played a role in what actually made it into the report and how what was included was worded.
“[W]e know that they have their agenda and it's not in the interest of Black students most of the time. It was definitely disheartening to know that I was a part of a project that was doing that,” said Parry, who was part of the review’s task force.
Many students wondered why the review was restricted only to athletics when many of the stories told are experienced by Black students across campus. Others were eager to know what comes next.
“[The positive changes] are, however, being done so very slowly and with caution; this is unchartered territory for Mac. However, I’m growing increasingly frustrated, not only with the immediate aftermath but with the contents of the review. How could they let this happen? How has it taken so long for someone to finally put their foot down? Moreover, where the heck do we go from here?” wrote McMaster rugby player Payton Shank in a December 2020 Silhouette article.
Creating safe spaces
Support for Black McMaster students this year didn’t come directly from the university, but through the actions of Black students, faculty and staff. For example, on June 11, 2020, Black staff members facilitated a Black student virtual check-in to give students a safe space to share their thoughts and experiences.
Black community members at McMaster took on this work for no pay on top of their work, school and personal lives. Many Black students at McMaster are executives on multiple Black-focused clubs while the African-Caribbean Faculty Association of McMaster offers mentorship and events with no funding from the university. However, because of the importance of these spaces, Black students, staff and faculty feel an obligation to continue.
“We are going to help ourselves and our siblings because there's not a lot of us at McMaster. But it kind of brought us closer together, because during that time a lot of clubs had talks and chill sessions and discussions . . . I even made some new friends that way,” said Owen.
“We are going to help ourselves and our siblings because there's not a lot of us at McMaster. But it kind of brought us closer together, because during that time a lot of clubs had talks and chill sessions and discussions . . . I even made some new friends that way.”
Shae Owen, WGEN Research Coordinator
All year, Black students have been continuing or creating clubs and events to have important conversations and take a break from the constant stress. Some of these new clubs came from discussions among students that occurred last summer, such as the Black BHSc Association.
Established Black clubs used their platforms to empower Black students and support new Black clubs. For example, BAP-MAC chose the theme Black Resilience for their annual iRISE conference and had talks and workshops dedicated to medical racism and health advocacy. In November 2020, the Black Student Mentorship Program held an event for first-year students that focused on coping with loneliness and online school.
“[The summer] also made me a lot more conscious of other people's mental health and that was like one of the reasons [behind] the loneliness event idea. Because of what I was experiencing during the time, I just thought it would be nice to do something where people could speak out and be vulnerable and know that they aren't alone with that during the school year, especially first years,” said Makanjuola, who came up with the idea for the BSMP event.
However, in creating these safe spaces, Black students had to be wary of other students infiltrating these spaces. On Nov. 20, 2020, the Law Aspiring Black Students of McMaster experienced a racist attack during their Zoom LABS Chat. Since then, Black clubs have been trained on how to avoid Zoom bombing and have had to take special care to avoid similar incidents.
“I was shaking because I never expected something like this to happen at a university, especially because we can’t put a face to the name. We don’t know who these people are. So it’s like am I walking amongst people who feel this way, am I sitting in classes with people who could possibly infiltrate a chat?” said Maab Mahmoud, the vice-president of events for LABS, during diversity services’ podcast, Listen Up.
The incident served as a reminder of the importance of safe spaces, but also made it clear that Black students at McMaster are not safe among their peers. This was also seen in the reactions to Black student initiatives such as the new Black engineering student scholarship, where non-Black McMaster students complained that it gave Black students an unfair advantage.
“Mac did the exact same thing where they just go, yeah, here's the scholarship to help Black students. We're going to ignore all that shit about non-Black students attacking Black students . . . we're going to continually let you go to school with and live with your abusers, constantly,” said Parry.
Yet through it all, Black students have continued to be there for one another and create places where they can be seen and heard. We do not know what the future holds and if the university will become a safer space for Black students.
But I know that we are resilient. As I graduate this year, I have faith that the Black students, staff and faculty of tomorrow will continue to make McMaster a place where Black students can succeed.
