Author: Fern Clair

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International students struggle with hybrid system

Concordia’s hybrid school system leaves international students frustrated

As students return to Concordia with a new hybrid system of online and in-person classes, international students are feeling like they have been left in the dust.

In March, the university sent an email encouraging international students to return to school for September. It was anticipated that the provincial government would want students to be physically in Quebec for the new semester.

“It really felt like Concordia just completely left us behind in the equation,” said Jane Doe*, an international student from Kentucky who is majoring in environmental geography. “They were just so eager to be back in person, whether it was Concordia or Quebec, I don’t know. But we were totally left out.”

Doe explained that because of border closures, many international students are unable to fly to Canada in time for the start of the fall semester. Concordia University told international students that they have until Nov. 8 to arrive in the country. The Concordia website states that if an international student does not have their visa approved by Nov. 8, which is the DISC deadline, their registration will be removed and tuition refunded.

According to the Government of Canada’s website, international travel into Canada is now allowed only if the person is symptom free and has received the full series of an accepted vaccine. But International students from Morocco and India won’t be able to fly into Canada until Sept. 29, with possibility for a renewal of the ban.

“I was so pissed because I thought for sure that they [Concordia] wouldn’t do that so soon,” Doe said. She explained that she assumed Concordia would continue online school into the new school year. During the past year online Doe moved back to the U.S., got an apartment, a job and expected that her last semester at Concordia would be online.

Doe is currently paying for rent for her apartment in Kentucky and in Montreal, and had to quit her job in Kentucky. According to her, international students, specifically from the U.S., cannot apply for a loan if they are attending online school.

“I had slowly moved into my own place, totally moved on from this part of my life [in Montreal] and then I was told I had to come back,” said Doe.

Doe is currently not in Canada as a student but is in the country on a tourist visa, which means in three months she will have to return to the U.S. and return again to Canada as a tourist. Doe said that she applied for her study permit extension five months ago, but has received no update even though the process is supposed to take six to eight weeks. Despite calling, she still hasn’t received a response. She explained that this is caused by the massive amount of international students also applying for a permit extension.

“There’s a lot of students that I’ve heard from that are really concerned about this because they might not get their documents in time,” said Hannah Jamet-Lange, a French international student and the Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) academic & advocacy coordinator.

Jamet-Lange explained that if international students are unable to get their documents in before Nov. 8 they are disenrolled and the student can take a leave of absence for the semester. But Jamet-Lange stated that taking semesters off can impact an international student’s visa and work permits.

“We’ve been advocating a lot for a hybrid system just because it will make it easier for students that are still abroad to still access their classes,” Jamet-Lange said, who explained that the CSU released an open letter to Concordia in August, which laid out concerns about the unclear reopening plan, and gave recommendations on how to best accommodate students.

One of the recommendations was recordings of all classes, both those held in-person and those held online to ensure accessibility. The letter further stated that this includes but is not limited to, “students who are self-isolating and international students who are unable to enter Montreal due to travel bans and/or delays in immigration procedures.”

Vannina Maestracci, Concordia university spokesperson, stated that all universities have to follow eligibility criteria and regulations for study permits.

“The request to be in Montreal is linked to their study permit and immigration status, not to the delivery format of their courses,” stated Maestracci, who explained that the provincial and federal government are allowing international students who are having difficulties traveling to Canada the ability to start their semester online.

She explained that Concordia has offered international students until the beginning of November to travel to Canada while letting them start their classes remotely.

 

Graphic courtesy of James Fay

*Granted temporary anonymity for external circumstances.

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Fairy Creek protest in Montreal

Protest in Montreal against logging in B.C.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, more than 60 people marched through downtown Montreal in support of activists and land defenders protecting an area of old-growth trees in B.C. called Fairy Creek.

In August 2020, a blockade was set up near the Fairy Creek Watershed after it was discovered that Teal-Jones, a privately owned timber harvesting and primary lumber product manufacturing company, was building roads in the area. Since then, the Fairy Creek movement has been on track to become the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history based on the number of arrests — over 800.

“It’s really startling to be in the forest and be shaded [by trees], and you hear all the beautiful animals, and then you go beyond into the cut blocks where there is absolutely nothing, and you’re kind of just brought into this reality of like: this is our future. These cut blocks, this desolation, this heat — this is our future,” said Sasha Golvin, a Concordia masters student who helped organize the protest, and was at the Fairy Creek blockade.

When asked why Montrealers should care about Fairy Creek, Golvin explained that in Quebec, there are similar situations where colonial resource extraction impacts Indigenous land, and that people should care because Indigenous sovereignty is being impacted across Canada. 

In a speech at the protest, Golvin described the police brutality she saw at Fairy Creek, particularly towards Indigenous land defenders. According to an article by CTV, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC), which holds the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) accountable, has received over 73 complaints dealing with enforcement at Fairy Creek.

A video was posted online of an Indigenous land defender being arrested by police, where the caption stated, “Her hair was literally on the road after her body was dragged away.”

In a press release from Climate Justice Montreal, it is stated that the RCMP are stopping and arresting journalists at the blockade and targeting Indigenous people. Some officers have been reported wearing “Thin Blue Line” patches, a symbol with connections to white supremacy. The RCMP has advised its officers across Canada not to wear the patch.

Members of the Pacheedaht, Ditidaht, and other First Nations support the movement against old-growth logging. Yet Pacheedaht chief Jeff Jones and hereditary chief Frank Queesto Jones, said in a statement that they were against the Fairy Creek blockade, and that all sides of the conflict must respect how the Pacheedaht decided to use their forestry resources.

In June, the B.C. government approved the request from First Nations to halt old-growth logging in Fairy Creek for two years, yet the RCMP continue to arrest protesters and land defenders.

Leela Keshav, a student at the University of Waterloo who went to the Fairy Creek blockade and the Montreal protest, believes that while the blockade is B.C. oriented, it affects everyone.

“It’s the last old-growth, and because we are in a climate crisis it’s so incredibly valuable to protect,” she said.

According to the Ancient Forest Alliance website, only 2.7 per cent of B.C.’s old-growth is still standing, and 75 per cent of that is slated to be logged in the coming years.

“We all live on this shared planet, seeing these connections, at first it seems like this is an isolated thing in B.C., but actually, it is part of all these interconnected movements across Canada,” said Keshav.

 

Photograph courtesy of Youssef Baati.

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Tenants in the Plateau are protesting a renoviction

Residents are being asked to leave their apartment for seven months due to renovations

Residents at Manoir Lafontaine were given notice on March 31, stating they must vacate the building by June 30 for seven months, due to renovations. The residents are currently refusing, as they worry this is an instance of “renoviction.”

Renoviction is when a landlord evicts all the tenants under the pretense that a large-scale renovation is needed, and then rents out the apartment at an increased rate once the renovations are complete. Montreal is currently in a housing crisis, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19.

“At first, like a lot of people, I couldn’t sleep. I was shocked to receive the eviction notice in the middle of a pandemic,” said Renee Thifault, who is 67-years-old and has lived at Manoir Lafontaine for over ten years. She explained that many of the building’s residents are older.

“I love my apartment, and I will fight until the last minute to be able to stay,” said Thifault, explaining that she sees the situation as unfair, and is ready to go to the Quebec housing tribunal.

“It’s awful that a person could have so much power to kick people out on the streets with no good reason. And that the government tells us the only way we have to defend ourselves is to take them to court,” she said.

According to a La Press article, the owners of Manoir Lafontaine, Brandon Shiller and Jeremy Kornbluth, own at least 800 apartments in Montreal under the company Hillpark Capital. In 2017 they bought a 36-unit building on Coloniale Avenue, the next year they evicted all but three tenants who refused to leave, and according to the article turned the building into modern luxury apartments.

Cecilia Marangon, assistant at Concordia’s Off-Campus Housing and Job Resource Centre (HOJO) said that if anyone finds themselves in a situation like this, it is important for them to know their rights as a tenant and make sure those rights are respected.

HOJO offers free assistance on housing and job rights to anyone in Montreal. While Marangon stated they do not give legal advice, they can help inform people of their rights.

“Remember that they have the right to refuse,” she said, explaining that if tenants believe their landlord is evicting them without a good reason, they can refuse the eviction. This is the case for the tenants at Manoir Lafontaine.

“They have the right to know exactly what kind of work is going to be done, to know what is going to be the compensation which needs to be adequate with the rental market,” said Marangon.

She explained that renovictions are not a new occurrence, and it is common for people to come to HOJO with issues relating to renovictions.

Manon Massé, Quebec politician and one of the leaders of the Québec solidaire party, visited Manoir Lafontaine in support of the tenants. She posted on Facebook, “Evictions camouflaged by building work are multiplying.”

“We hope to gain support. And not just moral support,” said Thifault, who was very excited that Massé visited. “I am happy to see that people are coming together.”

 

Photograph by Chloë Lalonde

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Concordia student groups cancel event with Turkish ambassador

Armenian students saw having only the Turkish ambassador speak at event as harmful and offensive

A panel on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was cancelled due to pressure from the Concordia Armenian Students’ Union (CASU) and other Armenian groups. The groups spoke out because Kerim Uras, the Turkish ambassador to Canada, was a speaker, and no other perspectives of the conflict were planned to be presented at the panel.

The panel was supposed to be held on March 19, and was organized by the International Relations Society, and the Strategic and Diplomatic Society at Concordia, which are funded by the Political Science Student Association (PSSA). The PSSA is under the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA), which is independent of the Concordia administration.

The Nagorno-Karabakh region is a disputed territory between the country Azerbaijan and its ethnic Armenian majority. Turkey and Azerbaijan have economic and military ties, while Turkey and Armenia have a history of hostility.

In September 2020, war broke out between the two groups, with Turkey siding with the Azerbaijan government, supporting the government with military resources. A ceasefire agreement was signed in November 2020.

According to an Aljazeera article, Armenia calls the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians in the late Ottoman period a genocide, while Turkey disagrees.

“As an Armenian, we’ve been persecuted with the intent of erasure, so to resist that, social cohesion among us is very important,” said Arad Banis-Khatchadourian, a graduate-level student in Chartered Professional Accountancy (CPA) at Concordia, and active member in the Montreal Armenian community.

Banis-Khatchadourian explained that he has always kept a connection with the CASU, and that when the organization found out about the Nagorno-Karabakh panel, they reached out to Armenian Concordia students, and Banis-Khatchadourian wanted to help.

“I wanted to voice how completely messed up this event was, and how the PSSA shouldn’t allow it to happen, at least in its present one-sided format that showcases the victor’s propaganda and enables the rewriting of history,” said Banis-Khatchadourian.

He reached out to a PSSA executive, who expressed sympathy but stated they would rather have the CASU and the organizers of the panel come to a solution. Banis-Khatchadourian stated he saw this as a lazy response to the issue.

According to Banis-Khatchadourian, the CASU wanted to make a joint event with both the Armenian and Turkish ambassadors, but the organizers of the panel insisted the Armenian ambassador speak on a different day, and have the Turkish ambassador continue with the original date.

“You will still get a bunch of students, smart as they may be, attending the Turkish event and internalizing some of their propaganda,” said Banis-Khatchadourian, who explained that while the CASU disagreed, they went ahead and confirmed the Armenian ambassador for a separate panel.

“Despite not getting the fair debate we wanted, Armenians were willing to get at least this much, the bare minimum,” he said.

Banis-Khatchadourian stated that the Turkish ambassador refused to speak at any event that involved the Armenian ambassador, forcing the panel organizers to choose between the two ambassadors.

According to Banis-Khatchadourian, this is when Concordia University started getting involved, and while he is unsure of the direct reason, soon afterwards, the event was cancelled.

The CASU and other Armenian organizations made a press release stating, “By choosing to provide a free platform to a representative of a State with an official policy of #ArmenianGenocide denial, and inviting them to speak about the Artsakh conflict, the IRS and SDS [organizers of the panel] failed to evaluate the harmful and offensive consequences of the “perspective” of the Turkish official.”

The Turkish ambassador, Kerim Uras, tweeted that it was an “Unfortunate decision for academic integrity and basic freedoms at Concordia University. A sad day for freedom of speech and Charter rights in Canada.”

In the tweet thread, Uras referred to the Armenian student groups as “radical Armenian groups.”

 

Logos courtesy of the Concordia Armenian Students’ Union (CASU)

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The Woodnote gives an update to the CSU

Concordia’s housing co-op gives an update

An update on Concordia’s housing co-op, The Woodnote, was given at the Concordia Student Union (CSU) meeting on March 10.

The Woodnote was first proposed to the CSU in 2014. According to its website, it is a non-profit organization that aims to facilitate access to affordable, inclusive housing for Concordia students. The co-op is the first of its kind in Montreal.

Michèle Le Moëligou, who gave the update during the CSU meeting, is the director of operations and marketing at L’Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE), a non-profit that promotes student housing in Quebec.

According to her update, The Woodnote was supposed to open in July 2020, but, because of COVID-19, there were delays in the building’s construction that pushed the official opening to September 2020.

Since then, over 140 tenants have lived at The Woodnote. It has a mix of studio, two bedroom and four bedroom apartments, and there is one family currently living there, said Le Moëligou during the meeting.

The update by Le Moëligou showed that 88 per cent of the tenants are from Concordia, with the rest being a mix of students from McGill, UQAM, and other universities. Most of the tenants have a yearly income of less than $12,000, Le Moëligou stated, showing the need for affordable housing.

Le Moëligou said at the meeting that The Woodnote is currently signing contracts with other universities to build similar models of student housing.

“This is the CSU’s baby, it’s been passed down from generation to generation [of CSU councils],” said Isaiah Joyner, the general coordinator of the CSU, at the meeting. There is a priority leasing period for Concordia students until the end of March, after which leasing will open up to students from other Montreal universities.

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Referendum question on change to CSU bylaws

CSU wants to change bylaws to allow easier removal of councilors who committed misconduct

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) is sending a question for referendum to change bylaws regarding the CSU Code of Conduct and Sexual Violence and Safer Spaces Policy, ensuring that these regulations are cohesive with the CSU bylaws.

According to Isaiah Joyner, the general coordinator of the CSU, the Sexual Violence and Safer Spaces Policy and the Code of Conduct don’t properly reflect the bylaws. This means that if there is a dispute, or a councillor violates the regulations, the process is tedious to remove them from the CSU.

The questions going to referendum will ask students if they support two changes to the bylaws, allowing for easier enforcement of the Sexual Violence and Safer Spaces Policy and the Code of Conduct.

Joyner explained that the proposed changes will allow for a more streamlined way to remove councillors, where the issue will be brought to the Judicial Board or another CSU committee “empowered by such policy and Code of Conduct.”

As an independent and impartial branch of the CSU, the Judicial board has the mandate to pass judgement on cases brought before them. They interpret the bylaws and standing regulations, and judge over a myriad of issues.

The motion to put this change to referendum was made on Feb. 17 during a special council meeting, which, according to Joyner, is the only time council can change to the bylaws.

Bylaws are the governing rules of an organization. Meaning that no matter the policy or regulation, if there is a dispute, council must defer to the bylaws. However, these bylaws currently disagree with the Code of Conduct and Sexual Violence and Safer Spaces Policy.

For the CSU to implement certain rules, such as changes to the bylaws, the change must be put on referendum, where students will vote on whether they support the modification. The upcoming referendum, which will include several questions for students to vote on, will be held during the CSU’s general election period in November.

“There is no such thing as a perfect policy,” said Joyner. “But this is the first step towards a better and more accountable CSU for serious issues.”

The new proposed system will have the Judicial Board make a decision on the issue and then send a recommended action to the CSU.

“If the Judicial Board or other committee so empowered by such policy or Code of Conduct determines that a Representative or an Executive committed a misconduct under such policy or under the Code of Conduct, and determines that the appropriate sanction for such misconduct is removal from office, then, the Committee [Judicial Board] shall prepare and present to the Council of Representatives [CSU] a report of its findings and recommended sanctions,” states one of the proposed amendments to the bylaws.

When asked if the common claims of the CSU being a toxic environment had a role in creating this new system to remove councillors who committed misconduct, Joyner said it was not.

“This is something that should have taken place a long time ago,” he said. “This has been a long standing issue, so now it is finally being put to rest and resolved”

Joyner stated that one of the goals of this new proposed system will be for the CSU to be a safer and better environment for people that want to participate in the union.

 

Graphic courtesy of the Concordia Student Union (CSU)

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Concordia Student Union News

Addressing discrimination in the CSU

The CSU is creating letters apologizing and acknowledging past and ongoing discrimination

A motion to create four letters that apologize, acknowledge, and address the issue of racism, anti-semitism, sexism, and queerphobia in the Concordia Student Union (CSU) was passed on Feb. 10. These letters will be published at the end of each month from February to May.

The CSU has had several councillors who have said they have faced instances of discrimination and racism against councillors, leading many Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) members to resign. Eduardo Malorni, the CSU’s student life coordinator who came up with the idea of the letters, sees them as a way to try to remedy this issue, and is helping facilitate their creation alongside the executive team and other CSU members. Malorni hopes the letters will help fix this issue of discimination in the CSU.

“If you look at the councillors that have resigned, many are members of the BIPOC community,” said Malorni, who explained that many members that leave the CSU don’t want to rejoin since they see no change, and the issue was swept under the rug.

On March 13, 2019, former CSU internal coordinator, Princess Somefun, said she resigned due to the toxic environment and online harassment.

“The union that claims to want to empower marginalized and racialized folks has let me down due to their negligence,” said Somefun at the CSU’s meeting in 2019.

On Sept. 6, 2020, former councillor Paige Beaulieu said they resigned due to feeling unsafe in the work environment. According to an article in The Link, Beaulieu, who uses they/them pronouns, said they were mocked for their gender identity by another councillor. In the article Beaulieu explained that it is common for jokes about racism, white supremacy, sexism and transphobia to be made by some CSU councillors.

Former councillor Ahmadou Sakho said he resigned on Sept. 20, 2020, due to how difficult it was to pass motions relating to diversity. In an article by The Link, Sakho stated that it was like an arm wrestle to get councillors to implement measures that would improve the lack of diversity on the CSU.

Former councillor Christopher Kalafatidis resigned during a meeting on Aug. 26, 2020. Earlier in the meeting, Kalafatidis had accused Isaiah Joyner, the general coordinator of the CSU and a person of colour, of refusing to denounce the KKK when Joyner suggested changing a motion from denouncing the KKK to a broader stance on anti-racism.

Honestly, [it was] one of the most racist things that has ever been said to me in a professional context,” said Joyner in an interview with The Concordian.

“It happens year after year and literally nothing has changed. Not our accountability procedures or the way we approach it,” said Malorni.

Malorni explained that he came up with the idea for the letters because he saw the Jewish, BIPOC, and queer CSU councillors were feeling hurt and that their message wasn’t getting across.

“If these councillors are feeling they aren’t being heard and acknowledged, imagine what it is like for the students outside of council,” he said.

“The first thing the CSU should do is apologize, that’s what you do when you are wrong, you apologize,” said Malorni. He explained that the goal of these letters is to hold the CSU accountable for past instances of discimination, and then move forward by ensuring measures of diversity and inclusivity.

“The letters are definitely, if alone, superficial. Part of the letter is going to be actionable steps,” he said. “If a year from now, nothing has changed, then the letters were superficial and completely failed.”

Malorni explained that while these letters will be apologizing for things that the current CSU council has not necessarily done, it is important for the CSU to take accountability for past councillors’ actions.

He stated that this has to be a communal effort, from the CSU as a whole. And that by acknowledging it, the CSU can take the next step, which is fixing the issue.

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Missing and murdered Indigenous women vigil

The 12th vigil for missing and murdered Indigenous women took place on Valentine’s Day

This Sunday, Feb. 14, marked the 12th vigil for missing and murdered Indigenous women in Montreal. The event was held on Facebook Live, with over 100 people attending.

“It’s an annual vigil where family members and loved ones can come together and commemorate those memories [of those that have disappeared or been murdered]” said Dayna Danger, who has Métis, Saulteaux, and Polish roots, and the campaign lead for Missing Justice  —  a grassroots organization working to bring awareness on the discrimination against Indigenous women in Quebec.

According to Danger, the vigils began in Vancouver, which has a large population of Indigenous people living on the streets. The vigils spread across Canada and have now become two annual vigils on Feb. 14 and Oct. 4.

This vigil marks two years since the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released their final report in June of 2019. The report made 231 recommendations to provincial and federal governments, 21 of which were for Quebec. 

The Inquiry website states that “The National Inquiry’s Final Report reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA [Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual] people.”

Danger explained that one of the purposes of the vigil is to highlight each individual, as missing and murdered Indigenous women are commonly reduced to statistics and numbers.

Danger references Tiffany Morrison, a 24-year-old mother who went missing in June 2006 from the Kahnawake community just outside of Montreal. Her sister, Melanie Morrison, spent four years fighting to find her sister, explained Danger. In 2010 Tiffany’s remains were found, and according to a CBC article the case has yet to be solved.

“This is the reality a lot of families live with, they have no idea what happened [to their loved ones]” said Danger.

They explained that it’s common for people to see Indigenous women as disposable, that no one will miss them.

“We want those names to be remembered, we don’t want them to be forgotten, because if we do we are doomed to keep repeating,” said Danger.

They explained that support for Indigenous people didn’t really start until 2009 in Montreal. Danger stated that as an Indigenous community, it’s seen that Quebec is 15-20 years behind most provinces in terms of Indigenous support. Danger used the example that Montreal is one of the major Canadian cities that does not have an official Indigenous health centre. There is the Indigenous Health Centre of Tiohtià:ke, however there is no physical centre.

“Indigenous people are the custodians of the land,” said Danger. “Non-Indigenous people, settlers — whether you are BIPOC or not — you benefit from a society that has been built on agreements that have been failsfied. Be accomplices not allies.”

 

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

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News

The 30th Black History Month in Montreal

Montreal’s Black History Month is fully virtual for the first time

February marks the 30th Black History Month in Montreal. This year’s theme is 30 years of success and highlighting individuals who have over 30 years of achievements in areas such as art, media, business, and community.

Black History Month is an annual event, yet with the pandemic, the entirety of Black History Month is virtual, with events being held on Zoom. The launch event was streamed on Facebook on Feb. 1, with over 250 people attending.

One of the twelve laureates selected by Montreal’s Round Table on Black History Month, Kemba Mitchell. They are chosen from numerous candidates, which are nominated by the broader Montreal community for their outstanding achievements.

“Usually there is a huge event of celebration,” said Kemba Mitchell, a social community activist, Chairperson of the West Island Black Community Association, and Concordia alumni. “We are getting our awards in the mail, there is a disconnect.”

Mitchell believes that while there are cons, Black History Month being online created an opportunity that would allow more people to view the events as well as reach people that had no idea about Black History Month in Montreal.

Mitchell is one of 12 laureates who are representatives and spokespersons of Black History Month, nominated by the Round Table in coordination with each year’s theme for their involvement in the community.

“I was taken away,” said Mitchell, explaining how she felt about being nominated. “Sometimes you are in the grind, you are going and going, and don’t have time to reflect on your work. I was humbled by what the acknowledgment meant.”

I celebrate being Black all year round, it doesn’t start in February,” she said. “But I think it is important we have a moment to shine a light on Black history.”

Mitchell explained that conversations about Black history should not be limited to slavery and that Black History Month is to honour the contributions of Black people that are omitted from the education curriculum.

Round Table’s President Michael Farkas was also chosen as this year’s official English spokesperson for Montreal Black History Month, for his decades-long dedication into organizing this event and community work in the city.

“In history books, the beginning of Black people always starts with slavery, that is not where we come from, that is not our origin,” she said. “Black History Month is a way to shine a spotlight on our accomplishments through history.”

Mitchell stated that there was no reason for people not to go to an event this month, learn about the accomplishments of the community, and join in on the celebration.

There are a large range of events happening throughout Black History Month, varying from workshops for children, poetry jams, discussions on Bob Marley, a virtual book launch, and many more.

The president of the Round Table, Michael Farkas, said the major message of Black History Month is to learn about things such as Black inventors — contributions that the Black community made to society that have been swept under the rug.

Quebec can not hide that they were racist, that they come from a society that saw Natives and Blacks as commodities. As slaves, as savages,” said Farkas. “And that’s the foundation until Quebec chooses to change it.”

“The history of Black People is not about slavery, there was a time before, there’s a time during, and there’s a time after,” he said.

Farkas said a good way for people to involve themselves in the community is to simply go there and learn the history, to see the landmarks of Black history throughout Montreal.

Farkas recommended taking a tour with Rito Joseph, who does Montreal Black History walks. It states on Airbnb that he provides a way to deepen people’s knowledge of the Afro-descendant community in Montreal and learn more about its members’ ancestors.

 

Photographs of Kemba Mitchell and Michael Farkas are courtesy of Kétiana Bello. Montreal Black History Montreal logo courtesy of the Round Table on Black History Month.

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Concordia Student Union

CSU Positions Book expiry

A referendum question was passed for the points in the position book to expire after four years

A referendum question was put on the ballot at the Concordia Student Union (CSU) meeting on Jan. 27 to remove the recent expiry date on positions in the CSU’s Positions Book.

Back in February 2020, a different referendum question passed, giving all positions in the book a four-year expiry date. This referendum question caused a lot of controversy, including a campaign against it, called Vote NO to ‘Democratise’ Positions Book.

A positions book is a common practice in student unions: it is an outline of the unions’ position on political, social, and student-life issues. The CSU’s positions book varies from points such as the CSU being against unpaid internships to the CSU being against racism in all forms. 

Referendums are held throughout the year, and students can add questions to the ballot as long as they gain more than 500 signatures from other Concordia students and present the question to the CSU. Then, it is voted on during the student election, and if it passes, the CSU is mandated to implement it. The next referendum is from March 16 to 18.

The four-year expiry date was brought to referendum by former councilor Danielle Vandolder-Beaudin, who tried to have a similar motion passed in 2019. According to an article in The Link, it would have revoked over 50 positions in the book, such as freedom of expression and Indigenous solidarity.

“This document represents our political beliefs, and this represents our student body. In 10 years, maybe that won’t be a general statement. We can’t assume things like that,” said Vandolder-Beaudin in the 2020 meeting.

Other counselors did not agree with the referendum question, such as former councilor Hannah Jamet-Lange, who said she did not believe that issues such as feminism and Indigenous solidarity should be regularly voted on.

During the recent CSU meeting, there was a similar divide in reference to the new referendum question that would stop the four-year expiry date. 

Many councilors saw the four-year expiry date as a way to keep the position book updated and focused. While others, such as Harrison Kirshner and S Shivaane who presented the motion, saw this as a way to undermine minority groups in Concordia.

In the general election this past fall, students voted on 19 referendum questions, several being for the positions book: Indigenous rights, Anti-racism/Diversity and inclusion, and Antisemitism/Holocaust denial positions. All position questions passed with an overwhelming majority vote.

“We have heard this is a problem from many, many students,” said Kirshner at the CSU meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27, explaining that many students were surprised the CSU didn’t already support these positions.

“It’s not a good look to say we’re fighting for Indigenous issues every four years,” said Academic and Advocacy Coordinator Sarah Mazhero, agreeing with Kirshner that constantly voting on positions can imply the CSU is questioning their legitimacy.

Councillor James Hanna believes that he has a way to please both sides when it comes to the four-year expiry date.

“I’d much rather prefer the position book to be transformed into something that is binding so the CSU can actually accomplish it,” said Hanna.

He explained that his current idea is to have open-ended headers, such as Indigenous solidarity and climate change. These headers would be permanent, creating an outline of how the CSU should take action.

Under these headers would be things such as actions that should be taken by the university, and organizations to support. These positions would expire after four years, as they change in relevance to the overarching issue.

While the policy committee will work on potentially implementing Hanna’s idea, students will vote on the positions book question during the spring election in March.

 

Logo courtesy of the Concordia Student Union.

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Protest against controversial curfew and increasing police power

Over 100 people gathered to protest against the curfew that is impacting the homeless and potentially giving more power to the police

In response to the rising cases of COVID-19 in Quebec, the provincial government has enacted a controversial curfew, which is seen to negatively impact the homeless and people in poverty. There has been public outcry and protests against the curfew.

The group responsible for the demonstration on Jan. 16, Pas de solution policière à la crise sanitaire, stated the protest was to push back on the increased power being given to the police.

In a press release, the organization stated they do not affiliate with right-wing groups, such as the anti-mask and anti-lockdown protests that have taken place in recent months.

“This demonstration aims to denounce the political choice of Legault’s government to impose a curfew throughout Quebec in response to the increase in cases, by hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID-19,” read the statement. “After 10 months of a health crisis, the CAQ is again opting for the police solution.”

In a public statement, the group said that the goal of the protest was to denounce the use of police in a public health crisis, and encourage the government to relocate those funds in a more effective manner.

Let us stand in solidarity in the face of police repression, let us learn not to leave anyone behind,” said the statement.

“The police presence really affects the homeless people in a negative way, because they are trying to avoid the police,” said Jessica Quijano, a spokesperson for the Defund the Police Coalition and a member of the Iskweu Project, an initiative of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.

Quijano spoke about the recent death of an Innu man that was living on the streets. According to a CTV article, the man froze to death near the Open Door homeless shelter, which due to the COVID-19 restrictions, was no longer allowed to have clients overnight.

Quijano explained that police presence doesn’t help in a pandemic; she used the criminalization of people during the AIDS crisis as an example.

We can’t trust the police to use their discretion, because we know that the SPVM has a history of racism,” she said.

“At least offer a house to the homeless, and not just shelters, places where people could isolate and be comfortable,” she said, explaining that the best solution to the issue is giving the homeless resources. “Not giving people tickets, not to people that are already in poverty.”

Quijano explained that before the curfew was implemented, there were outbreaks in shelters and homeless people who had tested positive were walking around in public. The curfew has just added to the shelters’ struggles to serve the homeless community in a safe way.

“It makes you really question the legitimacy of the public health [association] when they are making these decisions,” Quijano said.

On Tuesday, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante called for homeless people to be exempt from the curfew, but later that day during a COVID-19 press brief, Premier François Legault rejected it, as he believes people would impersonate the homeless to get out of curfew.

The SPVM said in a statement that officers have to show tolerance and judgement in their interventions with the homeless.

“Before giving a ticket, each situation is analyzed in consideration of the specific context and particularities,” read the statement. “If it’s possible, officers can also accompany these persons to the appropriate resources.”

“These are necessary measures to counter the spread of the virus,” said Marie-Louise Harvey, media spokesperson for the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, who explained that the priority of the curfew and the restrictions was to lessen strain on hospitals.

She also stated that while the ministry has no official survey of the population’s view of the curfew, “It does know that a certain percentage of the population is unhappy with the situation.”

 

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

Indigenous social media influencer donates to Montreal shelter

Inuk TikToker Shina Novalinga donated over $12,000 in goods to the Native Women’s Shelter in Montreal

In the beginning of January Shina Novalinga, a well-known Inuk TikToker from Montreal, donated 100 gift bags to the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (NWSM) for the holidays.

“This year we want to give back,” said Novalinga in a TikTok alongside her mother Caroline, who also has a popular TikTok account. The two had decided to use GoFundMe, a popular crowdfunding platform, to fundraise money to donate gift bags for the women at the shelter.

“They’re often forgotten on Christmas day,” said Caroline in the video, referencing the Indigenous population in Montreal. The video was posted on Dec. 25 and gained 379,600 views. By the beginning of January $12,482 was raised, with donations varying from $5 to $500.

The 100 bags were worth roughly $120 each, including items such as disposable masks, hygiene pads, clothing, Indigenous handmade earrings or bracelets, $15 Tim Hortons cards, and bannock — an Indigenous type of fry bread.

Much more was included in the bags, such as heartfelt handwritten notes that said things such as “I love you for no reason” or “You are worthy of a beautiful life.”

“It’s important to give back to our community and it has always been part of our values,” Novalinga stated on the GoFundMe website.

Novalinga and her mother became popular Indigenous TikTokers through videos of the two throat singing, where traditionally two women face each other and sing in a contest to see who will outlast the other.

The NWSM is the only women’s shelter in Montreal that exclusively serves Indigenous women and their children.

With COVID-19, the shelter is no longer able to pick up donations, but they are currently doing drop-off days for donations twice a month, according to the website.

Kate Legrand, an Administrative Assistant at the NWSM, said that donations can also be made by credit card or cheque, but they are not currently accepting e-transfers.

 

Graphic by @the.beta.lab

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