Tag: canada

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News

The abortion debate: behind Canada’s bilingualism

The idea of having a Conservative government under Andrew Scheer reopening the debate on abortion comes as a shock, as most Quebecers believe it’s a vested right.

On Aug. 29, Tourism Minister Mélanie Joly tweeted a video of a pro-life organization leader, Scott Hayward, confirming that Conservative leader Andrew Scheer was on board with his cabinet ministers raising issues related to abortion. The claims of RightNow’s founder were received as mixed messages from the Tories, while a few party members were saying that such a debate was definitely closed.

The very same day as the video was shared online, Scheer expressed his position on the issue in a press conference, saying there is no contradiction in his discourse. Instead, he argued that “a Conservative government will not reopen this issue and I, as prime minister, will oppose measures that reopen this issue,”

But as reported by CBC, RightNow, which is currently registered as a third party with Elections Canada for the upcoming election, has the intention of recruiting and training more than 50 volunteers to run as electoral candidates. This raised concerns among experts as to whether Scheer would have the authority over his caucus to truly shut down debate on abortion.

“In the past weeks, people have been comparing Scheer with Harper, saying Harper said the same thing that [he would not reopen the debate],” said Anne-Marie Rivard, a PhD student at Concordia, whose research mainly focuses on post-Morgentaler abortion rights in Canada, and political translation surrounding the issue. “The thing is that Harper had some control over his caucus, whereas Scheer being the new guy, I’m not sure he has the same type of stronghold over his caucus the same way Harper did. So when he says that he wouldn’t allow a private member to propose private bills, that remains to be seen.”

The anti-abortion group is tackling mostly English provinces such as British Columbia and Alberta, where such discourse seems to resonate the most. Indeed, the questions on abortion have always divided Canada’s francophones and anglophone provinces. According to a Léger survey, close to 90 per cent of Quebecers believe that abortion should be completely legal, whereas the percentage drops considerably in the rest of Canada.

Rivard argues that the disparity comes from Quebec’s Quiet Revolution in the ‘60s which provoked a great nationalist-separatist movement, but also a separation from the church. The wide religious dissolution also nourished feminism across Quebec, stronger than elsewhere in the country, said Rivard. Such an empowering movement arguably caused the approach to abortion in a more humane way and secured its access in Quebec. The province was even reimbursing and offering the procedure a few years before the 1988 Morgentaler’s decision to decriminalize abortion.

“Comparing the English and French vocabulary, I have found that words in English use baby instead of fetus or mother,” said Rivard. “Whereas when it’s translated into French or even just originally spoken, they will use femme instead. Even the term abortion, in French, you will often hear “interruption volontaire de grossesse” which, obviously, with the term volunteer, implies that it’s a choice.”

Talks about reopening the debate might then come as a surprise for most Quebecers. But what most people tend to ignore is that, while the Supreme Court decriminalized the procedure, it is still unprotected by law; nor is it a constitutional right. This is where anti-abortion groups such as RightNow could gain leverage if they were to be backed by a government, as there is no law governing its access.

Indeed, conversations regarding abortion are arduous to bring into a province where its citizens believe it’s a vested right. Such confusion also leads to the belief that its access is guaranteed because of its legality, which is unfortunately not the case in provinces such as New Brunswick, as shown in a 2016-2017 annual report by Health Canada.

Andrew Scheer, a known devotee of Catholicism, insisted on the fact that whatever his own beliefs are, his party will not reopen the debate. But will he be willing to actively support and even improve the system? The answer is yet to be determined.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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News

World in Brief

Donald Trump said that peace negotiations with the Taliban were officially dead on Monday. According to the BBC, Trump canceled the hosting of a Taliban delegation after the group admitted to killing a U.S. soldier. The two sides were said to be getting closer to a deal. The talks were aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan. The Taliban had previously said that the U.S. would “lose the most” if negotiations were canceled.

The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran is installing new centrifuges, trespassing the limits of a nuclear deal. According to the Associated Press, the nuclear deal was meant to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons in exchange for economic incentives. However, the U.S.’s unilateral withdrawal from the deal last year prompted struggle from other signatories to meet Iran’s demands and salvage the treaty.

A typhoon with wind speeds up to 207 km/h killed two and caused travel chaos in Tokyo on Monday, according to the Agence France Presse. More than 30 people were injured and about 2,000 had to take refuge in nearby shelters. The train system and the airport had to shut down their services. Taxis and buses were the only remaining options.

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News

Simply Scientific: Cultivating plants by farming fish

Imagine cultivating plants with endless sources of natural fertilizer. Considering Earth’s current state, such a process would answer many of our problems regarding food production and the viability of the soil.

Yet, such a sustainable system broke from the imaginary and is now known as aquaponics.

Historically practiced by Aztec and Chinese populations, aquaponics is a combination of fish farming (aquaculture) and soilless farming (hydroponics). Yielding as much as 12 times the amount of crops produced in soil per square foot, aquaponics successfully addresses farming in resource-scarce areas.

But how does it work?

The three main components of aquaponics are plants, fish, and bacteria.

Fish excrete high amounts of ammonia, increasing the toxicity of their environment. That water is then transferred to another tank, where bacteria (Nitrosomonas) break down the ammonia into nitrate. Pumped to the last tank, the nitrate-concentrated water will be utilized as nutrients for the plants. The water, now purified by the plants, is redirected to the fish tank for the process to be repeated.

Some companies in Canada have started using this farming technique. AquaGrow Farms is an aquaponics company and one of its operations runs at The Mississauga Food Bank to provide fresh food to people in need. Around 900,000 Canadians make use of food banks every month, on average.

Aquaponics has incredible potential because of its low need for resources. This helps lower any environmental impact while producing quality goods that are in high demand.

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Opinions

Editorial: What’s new with The Concordian

The 2019-20 academic year at Concordia University is here. The familiar routine of book-buying, Tim-Horton-guzzling, shuttle-bus-taking, Stingers-cheering and library-seat-searching begins once again. For all returning students, welcome back to downtown living / NDG commuting. For all new students, welcome to Concordia, home of (the always terrifying) Buzz the mascot and the always-convenient Pizza Bella.

As The Concordian prepares for another busy year, our first editorial of the year is dedicated to what we’re doing differently in 2019-20.The biggest item on the agenda: we’re changing from a weekly printed newspaper to a bi-weekly printed newspaper, moving from 26 print issues a year to 16.

This doesn’t mean that you’ll be getting less news; the opposite actually. We felt like we were spending more time putting together a physical issue instead of reporting what was happening on campus in a timely manner. This change means we’re going to be able to provide you with more stories as we transition to a digital first approach.

There were a couple reasons for this decision. The first, of course, being to best serve the Concordia community. Another major reason was sustainability. Based on research done by The Concordian last year, we found that the vast majority of our readers catch up on Concordia news online. We also found that a lot of the physical copies of the paper weren’t being picked up, due to us printing too often and too many copies per issue.

This year, we’ve also reduced the number of copies to better reflect this. This means that we’re using significantly less paper. Our goal to have more students pick up copies of the paper without flooding both campuses with copies that will go unread. Keeping the print version of The Concordian was important to us because that’s how a lot of students first hear about us on campus. From there, many would then move from print, to being regular readers online.. It’s also the way many of our writers first heard of us.

This switch will help us better achieve our goal of producing consistent, timely, and valuable reporting to the Concordia community. Looking at the landscape of student journalism across Canada, we found that more and more publications have begun to take a digital-first approach, and that switch has helped them connect with their university communities more effectively.

For The Concordian, recognizing this trend in student media has helped us plan a clear vision for the future of the publication, which includes focusing on producing timely online content, producing more content, connecting with the Concordia community, being more environmentally conscious and preparing our staff for the digital needs of the media industry.

Anyways, that’s what’s new with us this year. From the editorial team at The Concordian, it’s good to be back. We look forward to waiting for the shuttle in -40°C with you.

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News

Poli Savvy: How Campaign Slogans Are Identically Different

In the last weeks of August, both Liberals and Conservatives unveiled their TV ads and campaign slogans, ahead of the Oct. 21 vote.

While Trudeau’s campaign decided to go with “Choose forward,” Tories went for “It’s time for you to get ahead,” which you can only imagine fueled many waves of laughter on Twitter, as they are now just one typo away from being ridiculed. For Elizabeth May’s Green Party, “Not left. Not right. Forward together” is their campaign slogan. The NDP has yet to reveal theirs.

Do they all sound the same to you? Truthfully, as we live in a time where scrolling and swiping quickly is generally the way we consume our information, slogans will sadly end up being the only piece of the political puzzle voters acknowledge when heading to the polls.

Yet, the difference is there. What often sounds either like a call for action or an embarrassing pickup line can actually make or break an election.

“The Conservatives are talking about putting individuals ahead, while the Liberal’s forward movement revolves around government and country – ‘you’ versus ‘we,’ if you like,” wrote national columnist Susan Delacourt in The Star. 

Words are charming, yet very dangerous as they hide an entire platform. And as Canadians head to the polls in October, forward or together, there will be no coming back.

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair

Climate change ads as partisan activities?

As we come to the end of a summer with some of the highest recorded temperatures, Elections Canada’s decision to declare climate crisis ads as partisan activities during the election period fueled a lot of reactions across the country.

Although Election Canada says it only applies to “activities or ads that specifically identify a candidate or party,” Dianne Saxe, former environmental commissioner of Ontario, argues that such regulations means the absence of science-based information.

“It’s absolutely outrageous. It’s wrong in law, it’s harmful to this election and it’s dangerous to public trust,” Saxe said in an interview with CBC Radio’s Metro Morning.

The decision came after the leader of the People’s Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier, made some remarks questioning the urgency and legitimacy of the climate crisis. As a result of such claims, any groups planning to run paid advertisements over $500 must now register with the government as a third party.

While there’s much misinformation and fake news threatening our democracy, declaring such an important issue as partisan is stopping environmental organizations from carrying the facts and helping Canadians make the best decisions throughout the election.

The environmental crisis is not an opinion. Nor is it a choice. It has become everyone’s responsibility, especially our leaders, to start making decisions that will positively affect our planet. And if we can’t even talk about it during elections, we are destined to remain blind.

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair

Categories
Music

Caribbean carnival season up north

Colours and feathers flourish at Carifiesta. Photo courtesy of Carifiesta.

Caribbeans in Canada use musical festivities to shine a global light on their culture

While Canada might be best known for its harsh winters and polite citizens, many seem to overlook the extremely diverse blend of people who make up many of our major cities.

One of the most influential diasporas in Canada is the Caribbean one, comprising about two per cent of the population, or more than half a million people. In metropolises like Toronto and Montreal, Canadians of Caribbean descent use “Carnival” – a festival of Caribbean culture and traditions most widely known for its bumping music and vibrant costumes – to give other Canadians, and the world, a taste of what being Caribbean is all about.

Caribbean culture is known to revolve around music, having birthed internationally popular genres like soca, reggae, and dancehall. Its Carnivals represent just that. The importance of musical celebration is highlighted in its people’s history and existence. Carnival is a physical representation of Caribbean culture.

Montreal’s version of Carnival, Carifiesta, began in 1975, in an attempt to bring the celebration of Caribbean people and culture to the diaspora in Montreal. Since its inception, Carifiesta has continued to grow as local Caribbeans and non-Caribbeans alike submerge themselves in the celebration of Caribbean nations’ music, creative expression, and vibrant energy.

At a Carnival’s main event, or “Grand Parade,” huge amounts of participants walk among massive, creatively-designed floats stacked with mega speakers, while each respective DJ blasts Caribbean anthems from the float. Participants dress in creatively-designed costumes with feathers and vibrant colours, walking side-by-side with the giant floats that flow down the streets on flatbed trucks.

Carnival’s origins can be traced back to the beginning of the 18th century on the island of Trinidad and Tobago. Many freed black slaves began to live among the Spanish and British settlers, carrying on their masquerade party traditions and taking it to a new level – one that still has its place in countries around the world today, as far as Switzerland and Japan.

The Carnival in Toronto takes shape in the form of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival, which began in 1967. With an extremely significant Jamaican population – about 71 per cent of Canada’s total Jamaican population –  Toronto’s Carnival is the nation’s largest, with an estimated 1.1 million attendees earlier this month. It attracts close to 200,000 tourists and has an economic impact of approximately $400 million annually, according to the event’s Chief of Public Affairs, Denise Herrera Jackson.

The Toronto Caribbean Carnival takes place during the first weekend of August, with various Caribbean-themed musical jams held throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The Grand Parade, the weekend’s main event, is held on the Saturday every year. It features the extensive street parade, which is essentially a huge musical party on wheels. People gather to admire the costumes and float designs, while others walk among the floats and dancing crowd in the parade.

“The Grand Parade is the expression of freedom reminiscent of the freedom expressed in 1834, when slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire,” said Herrera Jackson, who’s also the producer of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival.

“Music is an integral part of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival and all other Caribbean Carnivals,” Jackson said. “Each year, new music is created in celebration of Carnivals in English, Spanish, and French-speaking Caribbean countries. This has resulted in a dynamic and exciting exchange of Caribbean music among Carnival aficionados and the development and internationalization of Caribbean music on the world stage.”

Montreal’s version of Carnival, Carifiesta, began in 1975, in an attempt to bring the celebration of Caribbean people and culture to the diaspora in Montreal. Since its inception, Carifiesta has continued to grow as local Caribbeans and non-Caribbeans alike submerge themselves in the celebration of Caribbean nations’ music, creative expression, and vibrant energy.

For Jason Forbes, Carifiesta’s public relations representative and liaison to the city, Carifiesta is an important event to help Caribbean-Canadians demonstrate their culture and even build connections with others interested in learning more about it.

“Carifiesta brings a festive event to the city where travelers across Canada and USA attend,” said Forbes. “It provides Montreal a way, as a city, to acknowledge our diversity and support our heritage. It also brings tourism and economy into the city each year.”

It provides Montreal a way, as a city, to acknowledge our diversity and support our heritage. It also brings tourism and economy into the city each year – Jason Forbes

Carnivals in Canada are consistently looking to widen the scope of their influence and impact, welcoming participants and volunteers of all walks of life. This is something that Forbes puts a lot of attention towards, as the event’s public relations representative.

“Carifiesta is a community run organization,” he said. “I would encourage any and every young person who reads this, to take ownership of Carifiesta. Inform yourself on how you can be a member and help contribute to build this beautiful representation of your heritage. No matter who you are, Caribbean or not, we are all one family.”

According to 22-year-old Montrealer and self-proclaimed “Carnival junky” Dhantae Ashby, the recipe to Carnival’s success throughout Canada is not as complicated or premeditated as some might think.

“From what I’ve observed in the past 10+ years of [attending the Toronto Caribbean Carnival], non-Caribbean people love our music, food and love to take pictures with the costumes,” he said. “They always seem to enjoy the vibe.”

Both the Toronto Caribbean Carnival and Carifiesta are set to be held next year during their usual weekend in August and July respectively. It’s safe to say that many are already awaiting Carnival’s return to Canada.

 

Feature photo courtesy of Carifiesta

Categories
Opinions

The absence of Montreal in pop culture

graphic by Ana Bilokin

Exploring how the city’s French language hinders it from integrating with larger society

“Montreal? I’ve never heard of it.”

That’s what my cousin from the UK told me when I met her for the first time. She knew I lived in Canada, but the only Canadian city she knew was Toronto.

However, Montreal isn’t a stranger to the world—it’s Canada’s second biggest city. It’s the second largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris.

We have Just For Laughs, the largest international comedy festival in the world, held in Montreal every July. Dishes like poutine are known to taste better here than they do elsewhere. We’ve also got bagels and smoked meat, that are uniquely made here.

Despite its prominence, pop culture shies away from Montreal. It’s not commonly referred to as the best city in Canada. It’s not a cultural hub for food, sports or music. Why not? What does Montreal fail to offer that other major cities do?

It’s not a question of what the city doesn’t have. It’s what we do—French is what makes the city different, unlike any other North American city. Our official language makes us stand out from others, but it’s also the reason we’re excluded. Living in Montreal and in Quebec, there are things we don’t have access to because of language restrictions.

You won’t find some popular restaurant chains here, and I’m assuming it’s because their businesses don’t offer services in French. Red Lobster, Popeyes, and Nando’s are just a few of the restaurants that are English-based, and nowhere to be found in Quebec. The amount of money they would have to invest for translation purposes and whether these restaurants are in demand from Francophones is another issue to tackle. Not to mention, Quebec’s language laws, like Bill 101, which requires businesses to make French the most predominant language when offering their services.

In sports, we have the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens as a proud part of the city’s culture. The hockey team encourages sportsmanship, and brings people of different ages and backgrounds together to support a representative of Montreal. But back in 2012, Francophones protested outside of the Bell Centre for the exclusion of French-speakers in the Habs management––they had an English-speaking coach at the time and barely any Francophone players on the team, according to CBC News. Montreal is the only city in the NHL league that had to fight for language rights; the other teams are from American and Canadian cities, and are unable to relate to language being an integral part of a city’s culture.

Within the NBA, the only Canadian team in the league is the Toronto Raptors. Previously, the Vancouver Grizzlies existed but was merged into the Memphis Grizzlies. There are investors who’ve expressed interest to the NBA Commissioner in an expansion for a Montreal-based team, and even though the Raptors play an annual preseason game here, the NBA just isn’t French. Yet, according to Sportsnet, a Montreal team in the NBA would most likely be successful, based on a “market attractive index.”

In terms of local talent, Montreal is home to few popular artists. Sure, Leonard Cohen and Celine Dion are highly respected and have received notable achievements, and both called Montreal their home at a time in their life. But today, you probably won’t hear their music topping the charts. Popular artists in this generation are people like Drake, who shared his spotlight with Toronto and is credited for generating $440 million of the city’s tourism industry. Montreal, on the other hand, is lacking a comparable figure. Francophone artists seem to be more promoted than Anglophone artists. We see them given the opportunity to be on French shows like La Voix and Star Académie––opportunities the English-based artists wouldn’t have. The top two Montreal playlists on Spotify are French, with more than half the songs in French.

Pop culture is hard to define, but food, sports and music are just a few components of it. It’s more or less the same in different North American cities, but Montreal isn’t a part of western pop culture. I’m not saying this city lacks culture—I’m saying French makes it harder for us to integrate into larger society.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

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Opinions

The U.S. government shutdown

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

Why we should care about the government shutdown in the U.S.

The U.S. government has shut down yet again, only this time it’s being regarded as the longest shutdown in U.S. history. It all started on Dec. 22, right before the holidays and unfortunately for the time being, there’s no end in sight. According to CBS News, this is the third government shutdown in 2018 alone. In order to gain a better understanding of the magnitude of the problem, there have only been three government shutdowns in the past 25 years up until 2018.

Government officials failed to come to an agreement concerning President Donald Trump’s decision to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump’s refusal to approve a federal budget unless it includes funding for a border wall is beyond absurd. Democrats have rejected Trump’s request to do so for $5.7 billion. This has affected nine federal departments, leaving about 800,000 federal workers without pay.

The shutdown has had an impact on all sorts of industries. Employees such as prison guards, FBI agents and airport staff have been working without pay. Flying is now deemed less safe than before due to a shortage of TSA workers. Airline companies such as Delta airlines will lose revenue of $25 million this month given that fewer government contractors are flying.

On Tuesday, Jan. 15, a federal judge in Washington denied the request to pay workers who are continuing their jobs during the shutdown, including the nation’s air traffic controllers. According to NBC News, the union that represents thousands of air traffic controllers filed a lawsuit on Friday. They’re searching for a temporary restraining order against the federal government for violating the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. constitution, given that they’re being denied “hard-earned compensation without the requisite due process.”

On Thursday, federal workers all over the country missed their first paychecks since the beginning of the shutdown. According to NBC News, air traffic controllers and TSA workers expressed their concerns surrounding passengers’s safety during the shutdown. The air traffic control system in this country is an economic engine. At this moment, we’re seeing this incredible strain on the system, which is unacceptable given that it’s negatively impacting thousands of people.

Meanwhile on Craigslist, listings from federal workers trying to sell their possessions have been flooding the site. These items varied from beds to old toys, which have been listed as “government shutdown specials.” According to the BBC, of the 800,000 federal employees going unpaid, approximately 350,000 are furloughed, which is a temporary lay-off, while the rest remain at work. This past weekend, one of the country’s major airports, Miami International, closed an entire terminal because too many employees have been calling in sick.

Both the House and Senate have passed a bill on Friday to guarantee that all government workers will be receiving retroactive pay once the shutdown is over. Trump is still expected to sign the legislation but for the moment he’s still demanding that Democrats approve funding for a border wall. People’s lifestyles have been placed on hold as a result of this shutdown. Some fear for the worst, wondering if they’ll have enough money to pay next month’s rent, or for their medication.

Even though the shutdown isn’t directly affecting Canadians, it is highly relevant. Thousands of American citizens are left wondering how they’re going to pay their rent and provide for their families as the shutdown perseveres. Trump has been directing all his attention towards building this border wall when in reality this shutdown isn’t a fight about security. It’s affecting thousands of communities and families across the nation and makes us question whether Republicans in the White House are living in the same reality as the rest of the country.

All we can do now is hope for this shutdown to end before more damage is done. Even though they’ll get their pay back once the government reopens, these federal employees aren’t receiving money as their costs of living keep piling up.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

 

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Opinions

O Canada, home of the lucky ones

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

Oh, Canada. The land we often associate with tolerance, diversity and acceptance––especially when it comes to immigration and refugees. We’ve sold ourselves as a nation that loves rather than hates, while simultaneously comparing ourselves to the U.S. in order to highlight our exceptionalism. Sure, we’re better in the sense that our leader doesn’t expend his energy and time promoting hatred and ignorance. And yes, we haven’t been in the headlines because of a recent government shutdown over the construction of a wall. But we’re way over our heads if we really believe that we’re a standing example of what a great country should be. Take immigration and refugees for example. It seems like Canada has always been leading by a few points when it comes to accepting others. But is that really true?

Recently, Canada granted asylum to an 18-year-old Saudi Arabian woman named Rahaf Mohammed, who used social media to highlight the abuse she allegedly suffered from her family. She fled her home and is now in Toronto, considering herself one of the “lucky ones” according to CTV News. We at The Concordian celebrate this success for Mohammed and are proud of Canada for accepting her. Yet, we can’t help but notice the various media headlines that are emphasizing how great Canada is, and how we’re the world-heroes of accepting refugees and immigrants.

To be frank, that’s just not true. Canadians are really divisive when it comes to the issue of immigration. A 2018 Angus Reid survey found that half of Canadians want to see the number of immigrants arriving to Canada decrease, according to CBC News. Not only are Canadian citizens tough on immigration issues, but the actual government isn’t that open-hearted either. Immigrants who choose Canada have to wait for months or years before Canada lets them in, and over the past 20 years, only about 5 million immigrants have entered Canada, according to The Atlantic.

And while we’re berating the United States for their desire to build a wall, we need to remember that Canada has border walls too. Not only are there physical borders, but there’s the big, bureaucratic one: the government. According to The Atlantic, in 2012, Canada rejected 18 per cent of the more than one million foreigners who applied for a visitor’s visa. By 2017, that number had risen to 26 per cent, and in the first three months of 2018, it’s risen to 30 per cent.

According to a World Economic Forum survey, Canada is one of the worst countries for its restrictiveness of visitor visa requirements––it is placed 120th out of 136 countries. And according to Maclean’s, Canada quietly deports “many Haitians to the most impoverished country in the Americas, where more than one in five residents suffer hunger and chronic malnutrition.” In fact, Canada seems to have a problem with its transparency when it comes to immigration and refugee processes. Specifically, it has been criticized in the past for their lack of transparency over immigration detention. According to the Toronto Star, Canada’s practices of detaining vulnerable groups, like children and those with mental health conditions, is problematic. A report by the Global Detention Project highlighted that 371 children were detained over the last two years. There have been many deaths of migrants in these detention facilities, and at least 16 people have died in immigration detention since 2000. Does this treatment sound familiar?

We can’t forget about Canada’s Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States either. Dating from 2004, the agreement claims that refugees who enter the U.S. or Canada first, must apply for refugee status in that country first. Essentially, a country can reject a refugee’s application if they’ve already been given protection by another country. We still have this agreement, even though it’s been made clear that the U.S. isn’t that safe of a country for those fleeing persecution.

A quick search on Google can prove to us that Canada isn’t the knight in shining armour we sometimes think it is. It isn’t the home of the free, and it certainly isn’t waiting with open arms for whoever chooses this country as their new home. It stings to see headlines celebrating Canada as a great nation, because it isn’t true. Our sense of exceptionalism is dangerous; it’s dangerous because it promotes false hope, false ideas and false expectations. We’re glad Rahaf Mohammed has a new home in Canada; we just can’t help but wonder about those who weren’t as lucky.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

 

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Opinions

Editorial // Standing in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en people

We often hear the word “reconciliation” and think of positive connotations: restoring relationships between people, or trying to make certain views more compatible.

But it seems that this word is losing its power and its positivity, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau uses it as a buzzword when speaking about the relationship between the government and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Of course, we have to realize that this word comes up so often because of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Yet, Trudeau very cunningly uses the word to satisfy settlers who don’t follow Indigenous issues too closely, but vaguely know that some compensation is in order.

We believe that, in the background, reconciliation is low on the Canadian government’s list of priorities. At least, it is below economic gain. This has been evident in abundant clarity by the government’s response to recent protests by the Wet’suwet’en people and allies in British Columbia against the TransCanada Pipeline. We at The Concordian strongly stand with the Wet’suwet’en people and their protest against the pipeline being built on their territory.

A court order from Dec. 14, 2018 granted TransCanada an injunction that allows them access to the construction site and to remove the blockade, according to The Guardian. Dozens of protestors gathered on Jan. 7 to block the construction of the Coastal GasLink, a natural gas pipeline, which is a $40 billion project by TransCanada, according to CBC. The RCMP arrested 14 protestors at the pipeline blockade last week.

TransCanada has said that they have the support of Indigenous leaders along the proposed route. On Thursday, Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs came to an agreement, after three days of meetings with the RCMP, but this is not a decision that reflects their true wishes. “We are adamantly opposed to this proposed project and that will never change, but we are here to ensure the safety of our people,” said Chief Na’Moks, who was present at the meetings, according to CBC.

We at The Concordian think it’s clear that this is another case of Indigenous Peoples’s voices being ignored. It’s another occurrence of Indigenous land being taken, despite laws and agreements being put in place to protect that very land. Trudeau himself stated multiple times during his campaign that he would not allow projects on Indigenous Peoples’s land without their explicit consent.

When we hear Trudeau bring up reconciliation and partnership between Indigenous Peoples and the Canadian government, we can’t help but feel skeptical. Constructing a massive pipeline on stolen land in the first place is wrong––how can our leader “work alongside” Indigenous Peoples while simultaneously taking what is rightfully theirs? It’s evident that there is not a clear and honest dialogue taking place. In fact, these recent events that have transpired highlight just how far we have left in order to truly reach reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Oftentimes, when we think of reconciliation, we only focus on the context of past colonial violence. These events are showing us that that is not enough––injustice towards Indigenous Peoples is not isolated to the past; it is ongoing.

Enforcing the submission of Indigenous Peoples to the interests of colonisers is in fact the reason that the RCMP was created in the first place. John A. MacDonald established the then-named North-West Mounted Police in 1873 to enforce laws created by the Department of Indian Affairs, such as confining Indigenous Peoples to reserves or outlawing their religious ceremonies. The RCMP’s website says their origins lie in “implementing the law in Canada’s newly acquired western territories.” Obviously, that’s not the whole story. In fact, one of the earliest tasks of the mounties was to help negotiate treaties with Indigenous Chiefs, getting them to sign by promising only good will––a promise that Indigenous Peoples soon saw was not, in fact, made in good will.

It’s no surprise that today, Indigenous Peoples are being coerced out of their land rights by our government in favour of highly valued (and highly toxic) construction projects. It would be foolish to trust the government to respect Indigenous rights—and beyond foolish to trust their supposed desire for reconciliation. This is why we at The Concordian commend the many protestors that are opposing the pipeline, and encourage you to stay informed about Indigenous issues and rights, and participate in direct action as much as possible.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

 

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Opinions

The cost of having a wonderful holiday

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

One student’s experience with coming to Canada, Christmas, and consumerism

Whenever my siblings and I asked for a family vacation, my Nigerian mother would say: “How can you go on a vacation when you are already at a vacation destination?” For most Nigerians back home, travelling to a country like Canada would be seen as travel destination but also a place to dwell. However, what happens after we settle here? We consume ourselves with school, work and bills, then travel back home once in a while during the holidays. This has become a repetitive cycle, and sadly it is one that my family found itself in for many years until recently.

The meaning of holiday has changed drastically for my family over the years. In Nigeria, we made the most out of every holiday. This included going back and forth visiting family members from my mother’s side to my father’s side and them paying us a visit. There was always an exchange of cooked meals between neighbours and decorating the house for Christmas.

Living in Canada has completely changed these practices because we are no longer surrounded by the families we used to visit and spend time with. Consequently, the holiday spirit died down in my family. The cold weather that I am still not used to prevents me from partaking in fun activities in Montreal such as celebrating Christmas at Parc des Compagnons-de-Saint-Laurent.

There are also other factors that killed our holiday spirit. The first being that working parents, especially those not in the professional field, have fewer vacation days than most. This makes it hard to travel as a family—especially if raised by a single parent. My mother works at a factory and is only allowed two weeks of paid vacation every year, which is nothing when you consider travelling expenses.

Another factor to consider is the millennial culture of balancing work and school which makes us drained by the time the holidays approach. Therefore, holidays are merely seen as work days with only a few days off, since most employers will want you to work during the holidays. I view it as resting days from school, work and even a break from the social life that I swear I will catch up on once I get the time. These factors put a strain on getting the family together and being festive during the holidays.

That being said, various strategies have helped to bring my family together despite the struggles and the lack of holiday spirit. A tradition that we have maintained is sticking to the true meaning of Christmas, and that is spending Christmas day at church. Thankfully, various churches in Montreal offer different activities on that day for those who attend, such as carol nights, potlucks and plays. I believe one of the advantages of sticking to the traditional meaning behind Christmas is that it takes the stress of buying gifts away, which has only amplified consumer culture. But of course, when you do get a gift, it is appreciated and unexpected.

Another strategy that we started is a tradition of binge-watching a Netflix show during the holidays in new pyjamas. During this, phones are not allowed, and a penalty is usually set for whoever breaks this rule; this keeps everyone at bay. Ultimately, every member of the family is allowed their personal space to do whatever they want after the New Year. Despite the age gap among my siblings and I, we truly enjoy the holidays now due to the effort that we have invested into it as a family. After all, the holidays are what you make of them and what better way to celebrate them than as a family?

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

 

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