City in brief

Concordia rector John O’Brien dies
John O’Brien, Concordia’s first rector and vice-chancellor, passed away last December at the age of 80. O’Brien helped found the university while acting as principal of Sir George Williams University. Upon combining with Loyola College in 1974, O’Brien was named rector and vice-chancellor of the newly-created Concordia University. O’Brien led Concordia as rector for a decade, remaining at the school for another twelve years after leaving office, teaching economics until his retirement in 1996.

CUCEPTFU to vote on contract with ConU
After much bargaining and negotiations, Concordia has reached a tentative agreement with its Continuing Education Part-Time Faculty Union (CUCEPTFU). CUCEPTFU President Brenda Grant was quoted as saying that the new collective agreement, the details of which remain confidential, will be presented to union members this month. Drafted in December, this settlement between CUCEPTFU and the university only exists in principle – it needs to be ratified by union members and approved by the Board of Governors before going into effect. Support staff unions (CUSSU and CUUSS-TS) and the Library Employees’ Union (CULEU) are some of the groups that are currently in meetings with the university regarding the renewal of their collective agreements.

Man killed in police shooting at Bonaventure
A homeless man was shot and killed by police on Friday after allegedly attacking an officer with a sharp object when approached. The incident took place at Bonaventure Metro where, according to The Gazette, witnesses say they saw 34-year-old Farshad Mohammadi running away from police when they opened fire on him. Two officers were treated in hospital, one for upper body injuries and another for shock. S ûreté du Québec is investigating.

Crossing the border? There’s an app for that!
Questions about border security were raised after a Montreal man tweeted that he got through customs using his iPad as a proof of I.D. Concordia graduate and photographer Martin Reisch claims that he was able to cross the Vermont border into the U.S. over the holidays using only a scanned passport photo on his iPad and his driver’s license. CBC Montreal reported that the U.S Customs and Border Protection Agency, which enforces strict regulations for travellers entering the United States, are denying that Reisch’s iPad is what ultimately allowed him into the country.

 


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