Cockroaches infest Guy Concordia metro
The Société de transport de Montréal has called in an extermination company to handle an infestation of cockroaches at the Guy-Concordia Metro station on the green line. Passengers saw the bugs on walls and stairs of the metro station, which connects directly to Concordia’s downtown campuses via a series of tunnels and underground passages, according to a report by QMI Agency. STM spokesperson Marianne Rouette said the STM has been struggling to get rid of the roaches since the summer, increasing the number of times exterminators have been called in from once a month to once a week. Food and water left on the metro platforms is being blamed for the infestation.
Search in progress for new JMSB dean
Provost David Graham brought Board of Governors members up to speed on the hiring process for the next dean of the John Molson School of Business. At Thursday’s board meeting, the Provost said search consultants have been in contact with 122 potential candidates, at least nine of whom have already gone through preliminary interviews and will be added to the list of 12 to 20 candidates. The committee aims to meet in January to consider this list of candidates for the position of JMSB dean. Current interim dean Alan Hochstein was appointed to the position on July 1, 2011.
Big brother is Googling you
Education Minister Line Beauchamp and her department are facing heavy criticism from both the Official Opposition and student groups for manipulating Google searches concerning tuition fee hikes. The Gazette reported that the provincial government paid a Montreal-based communications firm $50,000 to buy out certain keywords and bumping www.droitsdescolarite.com, a government-run website, to the top of the list when a student makes Google searches about the tuition fee increase. Google is able to identify students because it keeps a running profile on who uses its search engine by keeping track of what you search. This method of purchasing key words in order to influence search engine results is commonly used as a marketing tool for businesses.
Extreme sport #485: crossing the street in MTL
Montreal is doing little to ensure that roads are safe for pedestrians, according to a recent special report by CTV. The report found that Montreal’s pedestrian charter, a plan adopted in 2006 aiming to make the city safer for those who walk, was never implemented. According to a list compiled by Dr. Patrick Morency of the city’s public health department, the number one collision location for pedestrians is the intersection of Lacordaire and Henri-Bourassa East. For cyclists and motorists, the most dangerous spots are the corner of Parc and Mount Royal and Highway 40 at Stinson, respectively.
