Author: Mia Anhoury

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News

ConU’s inaction prompts students to protest

Students demand a standalone policy on sexual violence and misconduct

Many Concordia students are unhappy with the way the university has handled sexual misconduct complaints. So much so that students will be protesting this Friday in front of the administration building to demonstrate against Concordia’s inaction.

Gaby Novoa, one of the organizers of the demonstration, said it’s important to unite in support of survivors of sexual violence. “The administration has demonstrated that they are not interested in listening to students—we are protesting to make sure that our campaign for a survivor-centric policy is heard, and recognized as urgent and essential,” said Novoa.

According to Bill 151: An Act to prevent and fight sexual violence in higher education institutions, universities must have a standalone policy. Although Concordia has repeatedly said its current policy is a standalone one; it refers to the academic code of conduct and the various collective agreements and contracts with faculty regarding the appropriate procedures for filing and responding to a complaint.

“It’s really hard to read if you’re a survivor going through this process,” said Margot Berner, one of the demonstration’s organizers. The current policy, according to Berner, “really cements that gap between faculty and student because they are held to different standards and they have different protections under these policies.”

Although the university’s Standing Committee on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence has been holding community conversations to hear feedback from the students, Berner said they haven’t been heard. Students have even presented the committee with an extensive document outlining the issues they perceived in the current policy and how to mend them.

For Berner, the protest is a “response to the administration being very focused on PR and not really focused on making actual changes to their policy.” She added “there’s been no action, there’s been no assurances, there’s no concrete timeline we can hold them accountable to and it’s mostly been institutional gaslighting.”

The students are demanding a standalone policy on sexual violence, a concrete action plan with timelines to respond to student recommendations and that Concordia lobby the Quebec government to change its privacy laws.

Per Quebec’s privacy laws, educational institutions cannot reveal the result of an internal investigation to the public nor to the complainant. “As a university, they have a lot of power, and a lot of pull, and they have a lot of friends in government,” said Berner. “Even just making these demands public and working towards this step-by-step is something they can do.”

Berner said the university’s been dismissive of the students’ request at community conversation, going as far as changing the format of the community conversations. Instead of the initial back-and-forth conversations students were able to have, the sessions were changed to a presentation and a controlled question period. “If they are going to ignore our voices, we’re going to get a lot louder,” said Berner.

Diana Gerasimov, another organizer of the protest, said “I think we, as current students within the current sexual violence climate at Concordia, have a greater responsibility to persevere with our aim for policy changes to be seen as high-priority.”

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

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News

RiZe, New Community elected

Cut the Crap slate is appealing their disqualification to the Judicial Board

Candidates from both the riZe and the New Community slate have been elected as executives for the Concordia Student Union (CSU). All Cut the Crap candidates were originally elected until they were disqualified by the Chief Electoral Officer, Florian Prual.

Danielle Vandolder-Beaudin, the finance coordinator candidate from Cut the Crap, incited students to vote for the slate during the polling period, which is in violation of the union’s standing regulations. “It’s probably one of the worst things she could have done,” said Prual.

Cut the Crap announced they will be appealing the disqualification to the union’s Judicial Board, however they refused to comment further on the matter.

Elected executives for the 2019-20 year are:

From riZe:

  • Margot Berner – General coordinator
  • Manuela Simo – Loyola coordinator
  • Paige Keleher – Student Life coordinator
  • Apochele Christina Kamwendo – Sustainability coordinator

From New Community:

  • Jessica Avalos Salas – Academic & Advocacy coordinator
  • Emily Faraj –Internal Affairs coordinator
  • Nicolas Chevalier – External & Mobilization coordinator
  • Désirée Blizzard – Finance coordinator

New Community general coordinator candidate, Marcus Peters, said “I think it’s clear that online presence in popular Concordia Facebook pages will now arguably be the strongest factor in determining the victor in an online election.” Half of the elected executives were from the New Community slate.

The first-ever online-only election brought in the highest voter turnout in the CSU elections, with over 4,600 voters. Since the 2017 elections, voter turnout has hovered around the 1,000 mark, out of the 30,000 students eligible to vote.

Concordia student Miriam Lafontaine was elected as the arts and science student representative for senate. As one of the journalism students who motioned for a strike in March, Lafontaine hopes to influence decisions about unpaid internships in the university. A fall reading week, according to Lafontaine, would be beneficial to students.

Following these elections, the CSU will be adding three new stances to the union’s Positions Book. The CSU will support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Green New Deal climate plan for Canada, which was tabled by the group La planète s’invite à l’université.

As previously reported by The Concordian, the union is in conversation with the university about the possibility of being in charge of the health insurance plan for international students. The union has reaffirmed its goal by asking students if they agree and a majority of voters approved the referendum.

CSU Finance Coordinator John Hutton said students “are tired of paying for the country’s most expensive health plan.” He added that “the results send a strong message to the administration that student union management is the way to go.”

In the other approved referendum, the CSU will support the Food Autonomy Campaign through funding, research and campaigns. Its objective is to create a student-run and owned food distributor and to increase flex dollars given to students in residence, among other goals.

Finally, a new fee levy of $0.09 will be introduced in the summer 2019 term to help establish a Student Refugee Program at Concordia. The program will sponsor refugee students and support them in their integration in Canada and at Concordia. The referendum was tabled by Concordia’s chapter of World University Service of Canada.

Photo by Mia Anhoury.

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Khalid – Free Spirit

Khalid’s sophomore album is a 17-track compilation of his maturity, his rise to fame and his heartbreaks. He goes back to his R&B roots in urban beats after experimenting with reggaeton and pop instrumentation in his Suncity EP. If you thought Khalid couldn’t perfect his falsetto more than he already has, you were wrong. The 21-year-old displays more control than ever in “Alive” and “Paradise,” using his falsetto without overdoing it. Free Spirit begins with a couple mellow tracks before getting into the upbeat ones, like “Right Back,” which you’ll enjoy while driving in the car with the windows down. His songwriting is more personal, and covers his loneliness and tendency to get attached quickly. The album, however, is a well-weighted accumulation of his strengths as a storyteller and a singer; Khalid didn’t take many risks. It’s an overall summer banger you won’t regret listening to.

8.5/10

Trial Track: “Self”

Star bar: “He knows I hear him cryin’/ Cryin’ out for help /I don’t know how to save him/ I can’t even save myself / There’s many people dyin’ / I’ve always been afraid / Not that I’m scared of livin’/ I’m scared of feeling pain.” -Khalid on Self

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU runner-up candidates elected

Photo by Mia Anhoury.

Cut the Crap announced they will appeal the disqualification to the Judicial Board

Following Cut the Crap’s disqualification from the Concordia Student Union (CSU) elections, Chief Electoral Officer Florian Prual said candidates with the second most votes are elected.

From the slate riZe, the elected candidates are:

  • Margot Berner – General coordinator
  • Manuela Simo – Loyola coordinator
  • Paige Keleher – Student Life coordinator
  • Apochele Christina Kamwendo – Sustainability coordinator

From the slate New Community, the elected candidates are:

  • Jessica Avalos Salas – Academic & Advocacy coordinator
  • Emily Faraj –Internal Affairs coordinator
  • Nicolas Chevalier – External & Mobilization coordinator
  • Désirée Blizzard – Finance coordinator

Prual said his decision to call on the runner-ups to be elected was because executive seats cannot remain vacant.

Cut the Crap was disqualified for violating the union’s standing regulations. Danielle Vandolder-Beaudin, the finance coordinator candidate, was inciting students to vote for the slate during the polling period.

However, Cut the Crap announced it will appeal their disqualification to the Judicial Board of the union. The slate still refused to comment.

The violation in question was brought to council by CSU councillors Patrick Quinn and Chris Kalafatidis, both from Cut the Crap. As members of the participation committee, they were involved in drafting the online voting regulations.

Photo by Mia Anhoury.

A previous version of this article said Kalafatidis and Quinn were on the appointment committee, when in fact they were not. The Concordian regrets this error.

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News

Cut the Crap disqualified for ‘serious’ violation

One member of the slate incited students to vote for the team during the polling period

Shortly after the release of the results of the Concordia Student Union (CSU) elections, it was announced that Cut the Crap, the elected slate, was disqualified for violating standing regulations.

Florian Prual, chief electoral officer (CEO) of the elections, said a slate member incited students to vote for the entire slate during the polling period, which is in violation of the union’s standing regulations. “It’s probably one of the worst things she could have done,” said Prual.

Danielle Vandolder-Beaudin, the finance coordinator candidate, messaged students asking if they had voted, and introducing them to her slate. “You down to vote for us?” wrote Vandolder-Beaudin in one of the messages obtained by The Concordian. Vandolder-Beaudin proceeded to tell students how to vote online and listed the names of the Cut the Crap candidates.

Prual said this falls under “abuse of electronic balloting,” which includes pressuring voters to vote in the presence of a candidate, and bringing the means of electronic voting to a voter.

“That’s an issue and it’s pretty unfair to the other candidates. You cannot incite someone to vote for them during the polling period,” said Prual.

The standing regulation article in question was in fact brought forward to council by CSU Councillor Patrick Quinn, also the academic and advocacy coordinator candidate for Cut the Crap.

According to the standing regulations, it is up to the CSU CEO to declare who is elected 24 hours after the counting of the ballots.

CSU General Coordinator, Sophie Hough-Martin said “this is profoundly disappointing.” Hough- Martin said there is still some confusion as to what the next step is. She added, “I would like to assure the student body that we’ll do our best to rectify this […] to protect the interests of students and democracy in the university.”

Vandolder-Beaudin is banned from running in any CSU election in the next year.

Members of Cut the Crap refused to comment on their disqualification.

Photo by Mia Anhoury.

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News

Allegations of harassment on campus

Photo by Mia Anhoury

Concordia increases security after student files complaint

Concordia has increased security on campus after a student spoke publicly about two times she was harassed at school by strangers in the last month.

Concordia student Lisa Komlos was approached on campus by two different men on two separate occasions, who complimented her with a sense of urgency. The compliments were followed by a line of questioning about her personal information. According to Komlos, the men also tried to isolate her from the crowd in both instances.

In a statement released on Saturday, the university said they increased security on the Sir George Williams campus and they are “committed to fostering a safe and respectful environment.”

Concordia is in contact with the police. “We are in touch with our colleagues at McGill and UQAM to ensure a coordinated response,” said Fiona Downey, university spokesperson.

Komlos was walking to her class through the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV) when the incidents occurred.

Komlos posted a video describing the incidents to her Instagram story on Friday afternoon.

In the video posted to her Instagram, Komlos describes the men as “aggressive” and “angry” when she told them to leave her alone. “I was feeling unheard, frustrated, and frankly, I was annoyed,” said Komlos about the first incident, which happened on March 11. “I finally got away from him and went about my day thinking that this was just another daily occurrence of harassment.”

Komlos realized that the encounters were scripted and rehearsed during the second incident on March 26. “It is because of situations like these that I purposely never take the same route to my class,” she said. “Having a routine makes you predictable, and being predictable can make you vulnerable. It is exhausting having to always be on alert.”

The public service announcement Komlos made now has over 152,000 views. “I felt that it was my duty as a woman to come forward with this story,” she said. “I wanted to share these encounters so that I could warn others to keep their eyes open.”

Komlos is in contact with the university’s security department to identify one of the men who approached her. The man was caught on video surveillance footage.

Over a dozen women from Concordia reached out to Komlos with similar stories on campus after seeing the video. “There was also a flood of responses from other women sharing their personal experiences with sexual harassment and sexual assault,” she added.

People who feel unsafe or are harassed on campus can call Concordia security at (514) 848-3737 option 1. A Safe Walk program is also available on campus. Find more information on the security department’s website.

Photo by Mia Anhoury

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News

In brief: St. Joseph’s Oratory, Quebec couple and Morroco

City in brief

An 18-year-old Marianopolis College student died on Saturday from a meningococcal infection, according to CBC. Montreal public health officials are communicating with her family to make sure it doesn’t spread. Meningitis can be spread through coughing or kissing. It is still unclear how she contracted the disease.

A 26-year-old man was charged with attempted murder after stabbing Father Claude Grou during Friday morning mass at St. Joseph’s Oratory, according to City News. The priest suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital. The mass was broadcast on a Catholic television network.

Four men are in custody after allegedly stabbing two men during a fight in the Plateau-Mont-Royal early Saturday morning, according to CBC. A sharp weapon injured two 23-year-olds in the upper body, but police say they are not in critical condition.

The bronze statue of Queen Victoria in Montreal was doused in green paint on Saturday Night, according to Global News. A group called the Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade claimed responsibility for the vandalism.

A 21-year-old woman was hit by an STM bus on Friday as the driver was turning left on 24 Avenue from Jean-Talon Street, according to Global News. The woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition and the 63-year-old driver was treated for shock in hospital.

Nation in brief

A Quebecois couple was found dead in their Florida home on Friday night, according to CBC. The case is being treated as a double homicide. Neighbours were checking on them when they realized their door was unlocked and walked in to find the bodies on the floor.

As southern Africa is being hit by Cyclone Idai, the Canadian government announced on Saturday it will be donating $3.5 million to help humanitarian organizations on the ground, according to CTV. The death toll is approximately 600 with Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe having been hit the hardest.

On Thursday, an oil tanker carrying eight million litres of petroleum drifted away from the southwest coast of Newfoundland, according to The Toronto Sun. The Canadian Coast Guard is monitoring the ship, which was damaged by ice on its way to Montreal.

In its budget released Wednesday, Saskatchewan will invest over $500,000 to create an organ donor registry, according to Global News. This comes after the Humboldt Broncos bus crash that killed 16 people, one of whom was an organ donor and was able to save the lives of six Canadians.

World in brief

Over 100,000 people marched the streets of London to demand a second Brexit referendum on Saturday, according to The Washington Post. This comes after the Brexit day was postponed to April 12 at the earliest, instead of March 29. The march was organized after an online petition asking Britain to stay in the E.U. passed with 4.5 million signatures.

At least five people are dead after a shooting at a government building in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Saturday, according to Time. The country’s deputy minister of labour and social affairs is one of the victims. Another 10 people were injured. Al-Shabab, an Islamic extremist group linked to al-Qaida, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Sunday, Thailand held its first general elections since the 2014 coup, according to Bloomberg. Fifty-one million people are voting after spending five years under a military government.

Teachers in Morocco took to the streets of Rabat on Sunday to demand better working conditions, according to BBC. Several thousand people attended the protest to ask for permanent contracts and to fight the rising cost of living. The protest is one of many mobilization methods taken by teachers who have been striking in recent weeks.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

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News

Fixing international student healthcare

Concordia is currently negotiating its plan with Blue Cross

 

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) wants to add the responsibility of providing international students with a health insurance plan to its Positions Book. The university is currently in charge of this responsibility, but John Hutton, CSU finance coordinator, said “Concordia University has the most expensive plan in Canada.”

This question will be brought up in the CSU’s next general elections. Currently, Quebecois and Canadian students receive insurance from the union, but international students do not. Council approved the referendum in a special council meeting on March 9. The union would work with the Graduate Student Association (GSA) to provide the insurance plan.

Hutton said the referendum is a way of putting pressure on the university to hand over the responsibility of the health plan for international students to the union. With its current plan expiring this year, Concordia is presently negotiating a new health plan for international students. “The referendum is a way to show that students are on the side of making the changes that need to be made,” said Hutton.

The CSU’s Positions Book was last updated in March 2016; it is a document compiling the  positions the union takes on certain topics. Positions, however, don’t mandate the union to execute specific tasks. In this case, Hutton said if the referendum were to pass, it would simply be added to the Positions Book, and he hopes it will pressure the university to hand them the responsibility down the line.

As previously reported by The Concordian, Hutton and GSA President Amir Molaei met with Andrew Woodall, the dean of students, who manages the contract, to discuss the possibility of handing over the responsibility to the union and the association.

Hutton said the meeting was to learn more about the university’s plan since the information about the plan’s management and its data success is not available to them. Hutton and Molaei requested multiple documents and reports—specifically, the claims data of the plan and its loss ratio—from the university.

The loss ratio of the plan is weighted by the total number of premiums paid by the students for the plan and the amount of claims made. “We’re looking for things such as the contract with Blue Cross and past quotes [the university] has been given,” said Hutton.

In their proposal to Woodall, the GSA and CSU asked Concordia not to sign a new health insurance agreement and to hand over that responsibility to them. The position, according to Hutton, “would show a message from students that they want to see action, they want to see change and they want to have a health plan that is by students and for students.”

“We think that student union management is the way to go and that’s why we’re trying to make this case” said Hutton.

Students will be able to vote on this referendum question from April 2 to 4 during the CSU’s general elections.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee.

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News

‘Unhealthy’ climate in the English department

Photo by Mia Anhoury

Over 50 students and alumni say they have been invited for drinks by a teacher

The climate in the English department at Concordia has been described as unhealthy, according to a report by third-party investigators. The report, released last Thursday, was commissioned by the university in January to evaluate the climate of the working and learning environment in the department after sexual misconduct allegations came to light in January 2018.

The review was written by retired Justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal Pierrette Rayle, Business Psychologist Alain Reid, and Organizational Psychologist François Rabbat. The findings are based on an online survey and interviews with people, including students, staff and faculty.

Students and alumni reported that faculty members have committed various forms of sexual violence, which are at the centre of the unhealthy climate in the department. “Certain faculty members have held some classes in bars, had parties at their houses, invited students for drinks […] or drugs. Some students reported that these situations have, on occasion, led to sexual misconduct being committed,” the report stated.

The report said there is a “whisper network” in the department, where incidents are only communicated among students. The network “underlines the lack of trust that certain students have in the university’s handling of these matters,” according to the report. Prohibiting the university from holding classes in bars is included in the recommendation.

Of the 89 students and alumni surveyed, 55 said they have been invited out for a drink by a faculty member, and 28 said they’ve been invited to dinner in a private or public setting. Thirty-eight said a faculty or staff member has engaged in behaviour aimed to stigmatize their identity, such as harrassment, threats and bullying.

Lisa Ostiguy, deputy to the chair on student life, said “we certainly don’t want to ban all opportunities” where students and professors meet off-campus. “But we do want to put some parameters or talk with the standing committee about what those opportunities should look like,” added Ostiguy.

The report also found there is a culture of favouritism towards students by some faculty. The report emphasizes that “there is no place for any romantic or sexual relationship between an instructor and his or her student,” despite the fact that Bill 151, an act to prevent and fight sexual violence in higher education institutions, does not prohibit these relations.

Ostiguy said “the [English] department has already started on a number of the issues around favouritism and some recommendations well before the climate review [was] released.” When asked if the university was aware of the common fraternization between students and faculty in the department, Ostiguy said “I’ve been actively involved in sexual violence and sexual misconduct files and processes, and I was not made aware.”

There is a general mistrust and lack of understanding towards the university’s handling of complaints, according to the review. Most respondents disagreed with a series of statements about the efficiency of the process for consulting resources and the values promoted by the department. This mistrust, according to the review, is why students voice their concerns on social media rather than through official channels.

The report also calls for another climate review in two years. Ostiguy said “the recommendations are certainly things that the university can act on.” Among the recommendations are educational and prevention training for faculty, awareness campaigns, and a selection process for publications to avoid favouritism. The report suggested the university hire a contact person for complainants involved in ongoing investigations.

With files from Mina Mazumder.

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News

In brief: Mirabel barn, earthquake and Venezuela

City in brief

A nitric acid leak in the de-icing centre of the Montreal-Trudeau airport caused the evacuation of a dozen people from the Aéro Mag garage on Monday morning, according to Le Journal de Montréal. Paramedics evaluated employees as a preventative measure.

Tenants rights organizations in Ville-Marie and Plateau-Mont-Royal are asking Quebec and Montreal to ban short-term rentals like Airbnbs, according to The Montreal Gazette. The two organizations found that such services are replacing affordable housing in the area. They are asking the provincial government to take action and better enforce current laws in place for short-term rental services.

A Mirabel barn’s roof collapsed on 25 cows on Saturday from the weight of the snow, according to CBC. The cows were rescued by farm workers and firefighters. However, rebuilding the barn could cost $100,000.

Quebec’s 13th cannabis store will open in Brossard this week, according to Global News. The Société québécoise du cannabis (SQDC) will be opening more branches across the province to shift cannabis users from the black-market to the legal market.

Nation in brief

On Sunday, Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should let Jody Wilson-Raybould reveal why she left the cabinet, according to The National Post. Members of parliament will meet again this Wednesday and Wilson-Raybould may make another appearance to provide additional testimony.

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake struck northwest of Rocky Mountain House on Sunday morning, according to CBC. There were only minor damages despite it being close to 10 kilometres deep. The area is prone to seismic activity.

Ontario is looking to ban single-use plastics in an effort to reduce waste sent to landfills, according to The Toronto Sun. The provincial government is holding public consultations about the ways in which they can reduce litter, potentially with a deposit return system for plastic bottles and containers.

A man was found guilty of second-degree murder for the death of Mylan Hicks, a Calgary Stampeders football player, on Monday morning, according to CTV. Hicks was shot twice in September 2016 after a fight erupted over a spilled drink at a bar.

World in brief

On Sunday morning, an Ethiopian Airlines flight destined for Kenya’s capital Nairobi crashed minutes after its takeoff, killing all 157 people on board, according to The Globe and Mail. The Boeing 737 lost contact with the airport six minutes after takeoff. Last October, a Lion Air flight of the same plane model crashed in Indonesia, killing everyone on board.

Since Thursday, Venezuela has been in a power and communication outage, according to Reuters. Although some areas had patchy connections, schools and businesses have been closed, and the blackout has endangered patients in hospitals and killed 17. President Nicolas Maduro blamed it on a sabotage by the United States, but opposition leader Juan Guaido said Maduro is to blame.

More than 80 people were injured on board a ferry after it hit what seemed to be a whale in the Sea of Japan on Friday, according to BBC. Thirteen passengers were seriously injured, and the collision caused a large crack in the ferry’s stern.

Siti Aisyah, the Indonesian woman accused of killing Kim Jong-Nam, the half brother of North Korea’s leader, was freed on Monday, according to The New York Times. She was jailed for two years. Siti and the second suspect, Doan Thi Huang, were accused of smearing a toxic chemical on his face when they thought they were taking part in a TV prank.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

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News

Concordia to host first Model UN conference

Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Delegations from all over the world will be participating in the committees

The Concordia Model United Nations (ConMUN) association is hosting its first conference, with a theme of freedom of expression and tolerance, from March 8 to 10 on campus.

Gabriel Guppy-Garba, secretary general of ConMUN has been planning this conference alongside his team since the 2017-18 academic year under his mandate of vice president of special project. “My early job was actually setting the foundation for the conference that would happen this year,” said Guppy-Garba. “I had to set up a framework for it because Concordia [had] never held one before.”

Model United Nations (MUN), are simulations in which participants, who are called delegates, learn about diplomacy and international relations through a series of committees and debates. Created a few years after the UN, “it was made to give people an understanding about different global affairs through simulation,” said Guppy-Garba.

ConMUN’s first conference includes committees on the duties and rights of journalists, the organization of African unity, freedom of speech and social media, the Yemeni crisis, and social activism within the NFL, among many others. There will also be a committee on the Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco’s dictatorship.

ConMUN has been an active delegation in conferences around the world. The Concordia association has had a 30 year-long run, according to Guppy-Garba. He said what inhibited the association from hosting a conference, like other divisions of MUN, “was the fact that we didn’t have a large basis and the group was fluctuating back and forth.” He added that issues with member participation and funding made organizing a conference more difficult.

Former ConMUN president, Andrei Bochis said this conference is an important milestone for the association and the university. “In the past two years, most of the financial policies that were implemented to save money were meant also for the club to have the resources to, one day, build a conference,” said Bochis in a statement to The Concordian.

Guppy-Garba said delegations from all over the world are coming to the conference, including Italy, Ghana, Dubai, and Latin America. “What’s really interesting is you get to meet a lot of driven people and a lot of people can be very similar to you, but can also be very different.”

Guppy-Garba said that instead of learning in an abstract and formal way, MUN makes it tangible through the simulation. “It simulates different bodies where you get to play one of the different countries, and you get to learn about their foreign policies and where they stand on issues like healthcare, education, culture and security.”

According to Guppy-Garba, ConMUN became one of the top 50 delegations in North America in the 2017-18 Best Delegate rankings. ConMUN delegates have accumulated 56 awards since 2017.

“A lot of people saw that Concordia was a very strong delegation, but that we didn’t have our place, like having our own conference,” Guppy-Garba said, adding that the first conference can be credited to his team. “They really wanted to see everything that we worked on put together into something tangible. And so, when you have a lot of people that are very involved, forming the team became very natural.”

Bochis said “Concordia having their [conference] is a dream come true for most of us that worked hard in the past years to see this club among the top in North America.”

Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

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News

In brief: Canada Goose, Yukon and Swexit

City in Brief

Hunters held a protest in front of the Palais des congrès on Saturday to object Quebec’s long-gun registry, passed in 2016, according to The Montreal Gazette. The deadline for long-gun owners to register their weapon was on Jan. 29. The 200 protestors planned the demonstration at the same time as a Montreal Outdoor, Hunting, Fishing and Camping Show at the convention centre. Gun control activists said the registry will save lives.

Canada Goose announced on Thursday it is opening a new factory in Montreal, according to The Globe and Mail. The factory would create 300 jobs and accommodate around 650 employees by 2020. The second Canada Goose factory in Quebec would be located in the Chabanel district.

A burning vehicle was found by police officers in Saint-Leonard late Friday night, according to Global News. The officers smelled smoke that led them to the fire, which firefighters were able to put out. The vehicle has been taken to a lab for a forensic analysis to determine the cause of the fire.

Nation in Brief

British Columbia’s gas pipeline’s construction was put on hold when Indigenous artifacts were found on site of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, according to CBC. The Unist’ot’en Clan claims to have found tools made of stone.

Health Canada has seized an eyewash for contact lens users that contains a drug requiring a prescription from a Richmond beauty store, according to Global News. The eyewash has been removed from stores in the past and those who own it have been advised to stop using it.

A strike was avoided at a Yukon hospital after the Yukon Hospital Corporation and its union came to a tentative deal on Thursday, according to Yukon News. The union, which represents 250 hospital employees, was negotiating heavy workloads. The union will vote whether or not to ratify the tabled deal on March 4.

A delivery man was stabbed by two teens who fought him for chicken wings he was delivering to a customer in Toronto on Saturday, according to The National Post. The injuries were not life-threatening. The boys were charged with robbery and assault with a weapon after they were caught by patrol dogs.

London, Ontario’s arenas and community centres will have naloxone sprays in stock for a one-year pilot project that will begin in June, according to CBC. The project, approved last week, will cost around $20,000. The spray is used for emergency treatment of an opioid overdose.

World in Brief

The Left Party of Sweden voted on Saturday not to campaign on a promise to leave the European Union, in a referendum they called Swexit, according to The Local Sweden. The party made the decision a week after a far-right party in the country also dropped the referendum.

Ahead of the Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia significantly decreased the visa fee for Pakistanis, according to Gulf News. The reduction was put into effect on Friday.

The World Health Organization revealed that almost 1,000 children have died of a measles outbreak in Madagascar since October, according to The Independent. This occurred despite an emergency vaccination program that was established in the country. Approximately 66,000 people are currently infected.

Ethiopia and Djibouti signed a deal on Sunday to build a gas pipeline between the two countries, according to The Sunday Times. Djibouti’s energy minister said it is the “most expensive project ever built in the Horn of Africa Region.” Construction is expected to begin in 2020.

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

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