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Concordia announces that summer 2021 will be delivered remotely

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

Students can expect more on-campus activities this summer, on a voluntary basis

On Feb. 18, Concordia announced that the summer 2021 term will be delivered remotely. This follows the Feb. 2 announcement from the Legault government that CEGEPs and universities in the province would be permitted to resume some on-campus activities as of Feb. 8.

“Despite the Government of Quebec’s announcement in early February that universities can begin reopening their campuses under certain conditions, the public health situation in Montreal remains uncertain, with concerns about new virus variants and delays in the mass vaccination program,” read Concordia’s statement.

Sent in an email to Concordia students, the statement went on to say that students can expect more access to campus this summer for socially distanced activities on a voluntary basis. Additionally, the university plans to “hold in-person final exams for a limited number of courses,” for the summer term — if they deem it safe to do so when the time comes.

The statement also reminded students that convocation will be held online this summer; CU Celebrate, a virtual graduation celebration, will take place on June 17.

Acknowledging that many students are growing curious about what the fall semester might look like, the university says they plan to make a detailed announcement in early May. They did note, however, that a hybrid learning model for the fall term would be the best-case scenario.

For some Concordia students, this hint about next school year is helpful, so far in advance. Michelle Lam, a third-year student in Communication Studies and Economics, returned home to Toronto after last year’s winter term.

“I’m thankful that they’re giving this info in advance because it gives people, especially international students, enough time to plan ahead,” she said.

With this announcement in mind, she says she’ll likely come back to Montreal for the fall, but hopes that she won’t be required to attend classes in-person.

“If I was given an option to do in-person or remote next year, I’d probably choose remote because I wouldn’t feel comfortable being in a classroom again unless everyone is vaccinated,” said Lam.

Another Communications student, Morgan Salama, feels similarly about being back in class.

“I’d love to be back in the classroom, but not until things are back to normal. The idea that the regulations could shift again and we’d be left going back to online anyway just isn’t worth the risk,” she said.

Salama lives in Pointe-Claire and used to commute to campus by train. When asked which option she would take if given the choice between online and in-person classes, she said, “It’s really hard for me to say; I love the lack of commute, but I really miss the camaraderie of being physically in class … I’d only want to be in-person if we really had cases under control.”

Since more details have not yet been given, it’s hard to say exactly what a hybrid semester will look like, or whether in-person classes and activities will be completely optional or not.

In the meantime, summer term students can plan for another semester with all the conveniences and difficulties online learning brings.

 

*Michelle Lam is the social media manager for The Concordian.

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New study shows COVID-19 could become as common as a seasonal cold

Scientists explain that Coronavirus is likely here to stay

“It’s important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away,” said Dr. Michael Ryan during a press conference held by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 13 of 2020.

It is just shy of one year later and it still doesn’t seem like there is an end in sight for COVID-19. However, a new study published in the Science journal shows that the virus is likely here to stay.

As a matter of fact, four of the six types of coronaviruses that are known to affect humans are already endemic, according to a study in the journal Trends in Microbiology. These four viruses circulate freely and are just about as disruptive as a common cold.

But what does it mean when a virus is endemic and how does it get to be that way?

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, “Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent in a population within a geographic area.”

Diseases that are usually present in a community — without causing disruption — are referred to as endemic or “baseline.” A disease can continue to circulate at this “baseline” level indefinitely, and continues to be considered endemic so long as its level of prevalence does not get any higher.

“Our model, incorporating these components of immunity … suggests that once the endemic phase is reached and primary exposure is in childhood, CoV-2 may be no more virulent than the common cold,” states the abstract in the Science study.

That is to say, COVID-19 will still be contagious but won’t cause people to get as sick over time, eventually becoming just another viral infection, as a result of herd immunity.

According to pharmaceutical company and developers of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer, this type of immunity takes place when a greater part of the population becomes immune to a disease as a result of either vaccinations or immunity developed as a consequence of having contracted the disease.

However, according to a 2020 article published by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in order for herd immunity to be effective, approximately 50 to 90 per cent of the population must be immune.

That being said, with only 2.22 per cent of the Canadian population having been vaccinated with the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines and over 770,000 total confirmed COVID-19 cases in Canada as of Jan. 30, there is still a long way to go until herd immunity is achieved.

Graphic by Taylor Reddam. @5ecret

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Music

OFFISLAND is turning his career on

Meet the 19-year-old producer turned singer with his upcoming debut project, zero.five

Sometimes you need to turn the focus on your own craft and see it through. Coming off his debut project, zero.five, 19-year-old Alex Mavroudis flipped the switch from producer to artist under the moniker OFFISLAND.

What started for Mavroudis at age 12 with Minecraft dubstep remixes on free softwares eventually grew into a curiosity for music making. When it came time for post-secondary, he attended Recording Arts Canada in Montreal to take up audio engineering and music production.

“I picked up mixing and producing because I wanted to make my own stuff,” said Mavroudis.

He asserts that his education in mixing gives him an edge as a recording artist, saying, “If you learn an instrument or a sound you don’t have to rely on a producer.”

With formal education finished, Mavroudis got to work in the Montreal scene, getting in the studio with artists like 3MFrench, nayil, and YNG Travs.

“I admire the people I’ve worked with a lot, these guys are all great and on their way up,” he said.

Having worked primarily in the Montreal trap scene, Mavroudis opted for a different direction on his debut project, zero.five, slated for independent release in February. With a trio of tracks varying from indie rock to psychedelic synth-pop, the variety is there, though it’s not something to hold against him.

“It’s not the first fully defining sound I am going to release,” he explained. “I would describe it as fluid and spacey.”

Through his three-song tracklist of “Burn Down The Bar,” “Cynical,” and “No Make Up,” Mavroudis wrote, recorded and mixed everything except the bass on “Cynical,” done with help of bassist Ilia Galanakis. There is room for comparison between the Mac DeMarco-esque “No Make Up.” He admitted he “Took heavy inspiration from ‘Chamber of Reflection.’ He’s a one man show but he’s insane at bringing a track to life — someone I look up to as a singer, artist, and producer.”

Even with a short tracklist of three songs, Mavroudis’ inspirations are still at the forefront of his creation. For “Burn Down The Bar,” he wrote the song based on a photo of his parents’ old car, the same photo used in the album artwork.

“I wanted to take the feeling I got from that photo and put it in the song,” he said. While the song is close to home, it’s a double-edged sword for the musician, adding, “I saw two young people partying having the time of their lives and I wanted to capture that, but it’s sad also because time catches up to you.”

When it comes to the future, Mavroudis’ plans are ineffable. 

“It’s hard to explain what your vision is sometimes, with words,” he said. Without a set plan in mind, the artist is taking things as they come while navigating new sounds, saying, “I don’t think that far ahead, especially when it comes to making music. The next thing could be completely different.”

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Poli Savvy: Keystone pipeline project stopped in its tracks

Biden administration revokes Keystone XL project permit despite consequences in Canada

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, a long-standing friend to the oil and gas industry, has spoken out in anger against the U.S. government’s decision to halt the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline project.

Alberta’s premier called upon Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a press conference on Jan. 20 to impose economic and trade sanctions on the United States.

“Discuss this decision in the context of a way forward between Canada and the U.S. on environmental policy, climate policy and energy security. Surely that is the least that our closest friends and ally owes Canada,” Kenney said.

Trudeau simply said in a subsequent press conference, “While [Canadians] welcome the [U.S.] president’s commitment to fight climate change, we are disappointed but acknowledge the president’s decision to fulfill his election campaign promise on Keystone XL.”

Furthermore, Kenny mentioned the impact that this is having on Canadian jobs, with 1,000 construction jobs already held up by the news, and 58,000 more at risk.

Nevertheless, on Wednesday Jan. 20, President Biden made his decision, stating in the executive order found on the White House website that “The United States must prioritize the development of a clean energy economy, which will in turn create good jobs.”

Kenny failed to mention the dozens of Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States that are delighted to hear this news. There has been lots of controversy following the Keystone pipeline project, previously known as the TMX pipeline project.

Not only will the construction damage the Indigenous land that they build through, but the pipeline in turn can damage marine life and the water supply.

Cooper Price, an organizer with Climate Strike Canada, said in a statement to the Concordian, “The cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline was an environmental and political necessity. The Trudeau government must use the money saved by not building this frivolous pipeline to invest in renewable energy, a just transition for oil and gas industry workers, and support for Indigenous communities.”

This executive order will surely have some lasting effects on the Canada-U.S. relationship, as this exploit will surely not die with the end of the Trump administration. However, it also highlights the beginning of a new relationship between Canada and the U.S.: one that is more politically aligned with the new Biden administration, despite the consequent economic impact.

On the contrary, some Canadians may be ready to take the economic plunge that drifts alongside the need for new sources of renewable energy.

The costly ticket to Gold Mountain

Yet another racist chapter in Canada’s history

Do you ever get carried away in random rabbit holes and spend hours looking things up online? Me too. Here’s my latest one (and the one that has made me frown the most in weeks): the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Immigration Act.

It all started when I watched In the Shadow of Gold Mountain, a documentary created in 2004 by filmmaker Karen Cho for the National Film Board. It follows the director’s journey across the country to interview survivors of the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act and their descendants, while unpacking the historical context behind both of these policies.

The 19th century was a chaotic one in China. The Qing dynasty was faltering under Western military pressure and internal turmoil: circumstances like the start of the Opium Wars in 1839 and the eruption of the 14-year-long Taiping Rebellion in 1850 triggered an exodus from the region, a movement which was compounded by the buzz surrounding the discovery of gold in North America.

Hopeful travelers flocked to British Columbia in 1858, determined to find a better life in ‘Gold Mountain,’ a nickname for Canada that, for decades, became synonymous with opportunity.

The Chinese Head Tax was implemented in 1885, when the Canadian Pacific Railway had been completed and Canada no longer needed Chinese labour. Starting at $50, or just over $2,200 in today’s currency, the price for a ticket to Gold Mountain got steeper and steeper as the government tried to preclude Chinese migration into the country. By 1903, the tax had been brought up to $500, equivalent to over $11,000 today, and accounted for two years of a labourer’s salary.

This exorbitant sum still didn’t grant Chinese migrants citizenship, and between 1910 and 1953, travelers were issued a CI 9 certificate, a document that proved they had paid their entry fee into the country. Authorities could ask to verify this certificate at any moment, requiring migrants to carry it on them at all times.

From collecting the head tax of around 82,000 Chinese migrants, the federal government amassed around $23 million, or just over half a billion dollars when adjusted for inflation today.

On Canada Day, 1923, when the tax failed to keep Chinese people out of Canada, the Chinese Immigration Act was passed, officially barring them from entering the country. The bill was officially repealed in 1947, a victory accredited by some to the enrollment of about 1,000 Chinese migrants into the Canadian military during both World Wars.

Anti-Chinese discrimination was rife throughout the country, which prompted the diaspora to gather into ghettos known as ‘Chinatowns’. Even after 1947, family reunification was the main motive for allowing Chinese travelers to Canada.

When In the Shadow of Gold Mountain was made, the Chinese community was still seeking reparations from the government for those who paid the head tax and their families. In 2006, Stephen Harper’s newly elected government extended a formal apology to the community and compensation for the 20 remaining survivors of the head tax.

The discriminatory policies that peppered Canada’s justice system throughout the 20th century — and that, arguably, continue to this day — were always somewhat skimmed through in our school curricula growing up. The racist reactions surrounding COVID-19 and the memes made out of them while the virus was still regional to east and southeast Asia — and it wasn’t the world’s problem yet — probably won’t make it into the history books. I’ll concede that high school classes are too short to learn about every important piece of Canadian history; and that’s what rabbit holes are for.

 

Photo collage by Kit Mergaert

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News

Thousands of Canadians vacationed in the Caribbean amid second wave of COVID-19

 

Update:

Non-essential flights to Mexico and the Caribbean will be suspended from Jan. 31 until April 30, Trudeau announced on Friday in response to the high volume of travel over the holiday season. 

All passengers will now have to take a mandatory PCR COVID-19 test upon arrival in Canada. They must self-quarantine for three days in a designated hotel before the test results are known—a procedure that may cost “more than $2,000” per traveller according to the prime minister. 

Until May, only Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver airports will service international flights. Canadian airlines such as WestJet, Air Canada, Sunwing, and Air Transat have all agreed to suspend their vacation-bound flights to further limit non-essential travel in the coming months.

 

Since October, Canadian airlines have completed over 1,500 flights between Canada and tropical vacation destinations. Montreal’s Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport alone operated more than 180 flights to and from Cancun, Mexico, over the same period.

While Canadians are advised to avoid travelling outside the country for non-essential purposes, there is no official ban that would prevent one from doing so. Travellers are not breaking any law if they self-isolate for two weeks immediately after returning from their non-essential trip.

On Jan. 2, Canadian airports registered over 50 flights between sunny destinations including Jamaica, Mexico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. That same day, Canada witnessed 10,209 new COVID-19 cases, an all-time high since the start of the pandemic.

As a result, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned potential travellers that more severe travel restrictions may come into effect in the near future, without advance notice. Canadians are expected to follow Trudeau’s advice regarding travel before the government is forced to take more extreme measures.

“Let me be very clear: Nobody should be taking a vacation abroad right now. If you’ve got one planned, cancel it – and don’t book a trip for spring break. We need to hang on and hold tight for the next few months, and get through to the spring in the best shape possible,” Trudeau tweeted on Friday.

As of Jan. 7, all passengers over the age of five who are flying into Canada must present a negative COVID-19 test to be allowed to board the flight. The negative result will only be considered valid if the test was taken within 72 hours before boarding the flight.

Gabriel Martinica, a second-year Computer Science student at Concordia University, returned to Canada on Jan. 11 for the winter term. The journey from his home country of Nicaragua included a layover at the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, where Martinica encountered a concerning situation.

“At the airport, I saw many people who weren’t wearing a mask or following social distancing. The restaurants were open, and the tables were positioned way too close together. It was a pretty scary experience since the airport was so crowded and travellers acted as if the pandemic didn’t exist in the U.S.,” said Martinica.

In fact, the United States currently has 9.8 million active COVID-19 cases, the highest number in the entire world. Moreover, the U.S. has over 75,000 total recorded cases per one million people, while its northern neighbour has around 21,000.

Martinica added, “I was happy to finally arrive in Montreal, because there is a noticeable difference. The immigration officer immediately checked for my COVID test, asked how I was planning to isolate myself and get groceries for two weeks, and he warned me about potential fines.”

Any traveller who does not self-isolate upon entering Canada may receive a fine of up to $750,000 and/or be imprisoned for six months. Two days into the quarantine period, Martinica received a phone call from the Canadian government, which was to make sure the self-isolation process was being thoroughly completed.

Canada seems to have more control over the pandemic and takes it more seriously,” the international student concluded.

Nevertheless, in the first nine days of 2021, over 30 international flights that landed in Toronto had a passenger who ended up contracting the coronavirus.

For many Canadians, including some highly-ranked politicians, travelling to the south is a way of temporarily escaping from reality and forgetting about the pandemic, which has already lasted an entire year. However, just one short getaway during these times can damage one’s career and reputation.

Linda Hasenfratz, a member of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine task force, visited sunny Barbados in December. As the news spread to the general public earlier this month, Hasenfratz stepped down from her position and made a public apology, admitting that her winter break vacation was unacceptable.

Moreover, Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips has also resigned from his post following a trip to the Caribbean island of St. Barts, also in December. Since the vacation took place during Ontario’s strict lockdown, Phillips later called his actions “a significant error in judgment—a dumb, dumb mistake.”

Despite being greatly discouraged by the Trudeau government, Canadians may still fly abroad with no legal repercussions as of Jan. 24. Deciding whether to go on a tropical vacation during this worrying period now comes down to every Canadian’s personal judgment.

 

Graphic by Taylor Reddam.

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News

COVID-19 vaccine: what Canadians should expect in 2021

With over 100,000 Quebecers vaccinated, the province prepares for mass immunization

Two days before Christmas, Agnes Wong walked into the Berkley Care Centre in North Vancouver to begin her usual shift as a cook. Having worked at the senior home for 15 years, she was feeling particularly nervous that day. It was on Dec. 23 when Wong received her first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

As a staff member of a long-term care centre, Wong became part of the first phase of Canada’s mass vaccination plan. This phase also includes residents of such care centres, as well as seniors aged 70 and over, frontline healthcare workers, and adults living in Indigenous communities.

Before the procedure, Wong was concerned about the vaccine’s potential side effects, as it was developed in less than a year. Pfizer and Moderna, the only companies whose vaccines have been approved by the Canadian government thus far, have both warned that patients may experience fatigue, headaches, chills, muscle pain, or fever after getting the vaccine.

However, Wong told The Concordian that she only felt slight pain in her left arm, in the area where the vaccine was administered.

“The pain disappeared two days later, so I don’t feel that discomfort anymore. I’m ready to receive the second dose of this vaccine, which should happen in about two weeks,” said Wong.

The World Health Organization recommends people take the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine within 21-28 days. It is expected to cause stronger side effects than the first dose, with 16 per cent of vaccinees aged 18 to 55 having experienced fever after its injection, as well as 11 per cent of those aged 56 and above.

The highest-priority groups are recommended to receive the vaccine before the rest of the population in every province and territory by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI). However, each province, including Quebec, is responsible for its own vaccination plan.

Over 115,000 Quebecers have been vaccinated as of Jan. 15, according to Health Minister Christian Dubé. The province has already received 162,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and this number is expected to reach 250,000 next month.

As of now, Canada has vaccinated 1.1 per cent of its population and thus occupies the 13th position worldwide in terms of the COVID-19 vaccination rate. The current world leader is Israel, where a whopping 25 per cent of the population already received the COVID vaccine.

The estimated cost of Canada’s vaccination process remains unknown. However, it will be fully covered by the federal government, meaning all vaccine doses will be free of charge for Canadians.

Going forward, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Tuesday that the country is “on track to have every Canadian who wants a vaccine receive one by September.” This year, the government expects to receive a total of 80 million vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna.

At the same time, Trudeau made it clear that the COVID-19 vaccine will not be mandatory for the general public. The Prime Minister also reassured Canadians that there is no plan to develop a system of COVID-19 vaccine passports, which would act as official proof of one’s vaccination, as he believes it would create a divisive impact on the country.

According to an Ipsos/Radio-Canada poll conducted in late November, 16 per cent of Canadians definitely oppose taking the vaccine, while 64 per cent would be willing to get vaccinated. However, just 41 per cent of Canadians believe that vaccination should be mandatory for all, a poll from the Association for Canadian Studies reveals.

Wong also believes that mass vaccination will help Canada get through such a challenging period and move in a positive direction. She added, “I believe the vaccine should be widely administered because — just like a flu shot — it would give people a sense of security.”

There is no guarantee that all pandemic-related restrictions will be lifted as soon as the vaccine becomes available to the general public. However, mass vaccination is a major step towards returning to ordinary life in Canada.

The quicker everyone gets vaccinated, the quicker we’re going to be able to get back to a semblance of normality,” stated Trudeau.

 

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

Categories
Sports

A disappointing silver medal for Team Canada at the World Junior Championship

Team Canada lost the gold medal game to Team USA

The World Junior Championship (WJC) is always one of hockey fans’ favourite times of the year, especially for Canadians, as we normally have a great chance of winning gold.

This year, Team Canada competed with a roster of 22 talented players, 20 of whom were selected in the first round of the National Hockey League (NHL) Draft.

Hockey analysts had high expectations for the team. In other words, many people had already given the gold medal to Team Canada before the first game of the tournament was even played.

Led by Head Coach André Tourigny, Team Canada started the competition with a crushing 16-2 win against Germany on Dec. 26. The squad dominated the round robin — where each team of the same group played each other once — winning their four games and finishing first in Group B for the start of the elimination round.

Having scored 33 goals and allowed just four in the same amount of games, Team Canada showed fans that they had nothing to fear entering their quarterfinal game against Czech Republic; and they were right thinking that way.

It almost felt weird seeing Team Canada win so easily in an elimination round game. Yes, it was the Czech Republic, but a 3-0 win meant a second shutout, and also another game where our country didn’t seem to have trouble getting past its opponent. Moreover, it was the fifth straight game where Team Canada didn’t allow an even-strength goal.

Our semifinal game against Russia was anything but a close contest. That game probably confirmed many fans’ thoughts, which was that we could win it all. I’ll admit my own confidence was boosted after beating Russia the way we did. The two countries normally offer great battles, but this time it was totally one-sided, with a 5-0 victory for Team Canada.

Another shutout for Canada and a second consecutive one entering the final game of the tournament was as perfect of a scenario as you could imagine. A great way to present yourself to your last opponent.

Unfortunately, things seemed to stop working for a team that had been almost perfect up until then. Team Canada was the only country that didn’t lose a game in the tournament. However, a great showing from Team USA, added to a normal performance by Tourigny’s team, was all our long-time rivals needed to grab gold with a solid 2-0 victory.

It’s hard to judge this WJC for Team Canada, considering they still won the silver medal, something that isn’t that bad in the end. But for a team full of NHL first-round picks that had high expectations, that second place hurts a little bit.

 

Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

Are satellites the future of the Internet in rural Canada?

Trudeau announces $600 million project to connect rural Canada to broadband

The federal government is offering telecommunication companies subsidized access to a network of low-orbit satellites in an effort to increase broadband availability across the country, but questions remain over whether this will be a sustainable solution for delivering Internet to Canada’s remote regions.

On Monday, the federal government announced that the government will spend $600 million to gain access to a group of low-orbit satellites run by Canadian company Telesat. The government will then offer satellite network access to Canadian internet service providers — or ISPs for short — at a reduced rate, who can then pass on the service to consumers at a reasonable price.

If granted access to the Telesat network of satellites, an ISP must pass on the service to consumers at 50 Mbps download speeds and 10 Mbps upload speeds. ISPs will also be “subject to reporting conditions,” according to an email sent to The Concordian from the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development.

Questions remain over whether satellite Internet will be affordable for people in remote communities.

“It’s great to have rural broadband access,” said Daniel Paré, an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Ottawa.

“But if it’s priced at a level that doesn’t make it affordable for people, how much advantage does it really bring at that point?”

In the past, when the government offered companies subsidized access to telephone lines for rural communities, phone plan prices did not reduce significantly. This is partially due to the challenges associated with crossing Canada’s vast terrain. It is also because there is smaller demand in smaller communities, making it difficult for ISPs to justify reducing their prices.

Government officials say this is one of their main reasons for acquiring Telesat network access.

“Canada is a big country,” said Minister Navdeep Bains during a press conference on Nov. 9. “And our geography presents challenges to building networks.”

He said satellites will help overcome Canada’s difficult geography, but did not say whether ISPs will be required to cap their prices when offering satellite access to consumers.

Erin Knight is a spokesperson for OpenMedia, a non-profit based in Vancouver that advocates for changes to Canada’s Internet policies. She also expressed concern over the sustainability of satellites as a long-term solution. She said that, while a satellite network can be effective for covering a large amount of terrain, they tend to have a shorter lifespan than land-based infrastructure.

This study from 2016 suggests that a satellite’s lifespan can be hard to predict; it can change significantly based on its size and distance from the ground.

“Low Earth Orbit satellites can last for a few years, versus a fiber connection which can last for more than 70 years,” she said.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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News

Remembering our veterans… COVID-style

Legion members gather to honour the lives of veterans on Remembrance Day at Place du Canada, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Montreal, Quebec on November 11, 2020. Matilda Cerone/The Concordian

How Quebec held  Remembrance Day celebrations under COVID restrictions

 

Since 1919, Canadians have celebrated Remembrance Day as a way of showing gratitude for those who sacrificed their lives fighting on behalf of Canada.

This year, Remembrance Day (Nov. 11) coincided with the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. But due to COVID-19, the ceremonies originally planned were cancelled, and the poppy campaign severely limited.

The Royal Canadian Legion (RCL) and its branches had to find alternative ways to honour their veterans. Westmount’s Royal Montreal Regiment (RMR), for example, had to think outside the box when it came to selling poppies.

The RMR created the “Poppy by Mail” initiative to raise funds for local organizations while respecting social distancing measures. People could donate to the regiment through their website, poppybymail.ca, and receive their poppies right to their door.

This avoided all social contact, protecting the public and the senior veterans who usually run the poppy campaign.

Service Officer Georges Gohier of the RMR said that they mailed hundreds of envelopes each day since the start of the campaign.

“I basically worked on about 100 some odd envelopes myself,” said Gohier, who served 20 years with the branch.

Gohier explained that the initiative was run entirely by volunteers. From active members to veterans, and of course, their families.

“It’s all hands on deck,” said Gohier. And what do volunteers need? “[Just] some available time and a little bit of dexterity to fold the envelopes,” he said chuckling.

The bright red poppy is an iconic symbol of Canada’s Remembrance Day and is worn in the weeks leading up to the federal holiday out of respect to those who fought and are still fighting for Canada.

In addition to the alternative poppy fundraising, Montrealers paid respect to their veterans through the annual Remembrance Day Ceremony. Only this year everything was virtual.

Because regions in red and orange zones are prohibited from having large gatherings, and the average age of Quebec’s veterans is 71 years old, the Quebec Command cancelled all mass ceremonies this year.

There were small ceremonies held around the island for each branch as well as the main ceremony at Place du Canada, but spectators were discouraged from attending.

 

How did we celebrate from home?

The National Remembrance Ceremony held in Ottawa was live streamed on the RCL’s Facebook page at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11.

But even if you missed the ceremony online, Gohier said the most important thing to do was to, “put down whatever you’re doing and take a few minutes to think of the people who’ve passed. Not just the soldiers, but even civilians who were just born and raised living in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

 

Photo by Matilda Cerone

1995: The independence we almost had

The 25th anniversary of Quebec’s bitter defeat

The first time I ever heard the words “vote ethnique” was during my high school Monde Contemporain class. My teacher, a not-so-secret diehard Quebec separatist, explained that it was one of the reasons that many voters felt robbed of a “Yes” majority during the 1995 referendum.

It was claimed that the federal government had rushed the process for immigrants to obtain their citizenship right before the vote in hopes of skewing the results — an accusation that has left a lasting bitterness towards foreigners and minorities.

My teacher also brought up the hundreds of thousands of dollars unlawfully spent by the federal government on their conservative campaign, though failed to mention the ballots illegally rejected by the “Yes” camp.

I’ve been looking back on all this political drama, as the last referendum turned a quarter of a century old on Oct. 30. The separatist ideology has since fallen considerably out of popularity, with 82 per cent of Quebecers siding with remaining Canadians in 2016.

Despite the dwindling sentiment of nationalism, independence remains a major talking point in provincial elections, which brings us to wonder what even still drives this conversation 25 years later.

The economic implications of obtaining sovereignty are almost always the first objection to this matter. Despite Quebec representing just under 23 per cent of the country’s population, our share of Canada’s total debt — which sits at around 37 per cent — would be a major obstacle to our success without the federal government’s help. Our debt to capita and to GDP ratios have also been some of the highest in the country at the time of both referendums.

When the 1995 votes were cast, it was also uncertain whether the Clinton administration would’ve even recognized Quebec’s independence and accepted it as a member of the

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Without a free trade agreement with its neighbours, it would be nearly impossible for Quebec’s economy to survive.

Not to mention the friction this would cause with Indigenous nations, who would have to renegotiate their position in the country, and with ethnic minorities, for whom the rule of the French tongue may pose an even greater challenge.

But the Bloc Québécois and advocates for secession also do make some good points. Independence would allow us to focus our resources on the development of renewable energy sources like hydroelectricity, and to build up our economy in an environmentally-friendly way.

Less reliant on oil and with full control of major ports like Montreal and Quebec City, the new country could make a name for itself on the international stage and form its own economic and political alliances.

The Bloc’s argument for the inclusion of immigrants is also particularly interesting because it asks newcomers to integrate into Quebec culture — by learning French, for instance — so that they can contribute to a general culture, rather than follow the current Canadian model that they claim encourages foreigners to stay within their bubbles. What they call the “children of Bill 101,” or the second and third generation immigrants who were proudly raised as Quebecers, are proof that this is an achievable and desirable objective.

For now, I’m not sure many expect the third and final referendum to be called. Yet, we can still speculate on what could have happened just 25 years ago, and whether there is still hope for Quebec to regain its sovereign ideology.

 

Feature graphic by Taylor Reddam

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU hosts second event of BLM Campaign: Know Your Rights, Legal Info 101

The virtual workshop helped students to understand their constitutional rights when fighting for change

On Nov. 5, the CSU hosted a virtual workshop as the second part of their Black Lives Matter campaign. The event focused on educating attendees about their basic legal rights when participating in activism and social justice work.

The workshop was given by Arij Riahi, a Montreal lawyer who focuses on cases of racial profiling and works with grassroots communities, students, and individuals from marginalized communities. Riahi has been involved with social justice and anti-racism work for as long as she can remember.

Riahi’s presentation covered the constitutional rights one has if detained, the different crimes that people participating in demonstrations can be charged with, and how to “cop watch” safely and legally.

Riahi hoped the event would equip its attendees with the ability to make informed decisions in their activism.

“I am a firm believer that knowledge is power,” she said. “I am a firm believer that every single person should evaluate for themselves the level of consent when they enter a political action.”

She also advises activists to think of others when protesting. She said, “Come from a perspective of care, and always be mindful of the people around you.”

Put your own political practice within a broader scheme, and make sure that you understand who is involved, and why they are involved.”

While she believes strongly in the importance of sharing legal knowledge and understanding one’s rights, Riahi acknowledges the complexities of the law.

“It’s a learning curve,” she said. “There’s always room to learn more, to know more.”

The event concluded with a presentation from Walter Chi-yan Tom of the CSU’s Legal Information Clinic (LIC). Tom discussed different tickets that can be given at demonstrations, including social distancing infractions, and the ensuing court process, with information about the rights of immigrants and international students when receiving a ticket or a criminal charge.

Tom encouraged students who have legal questions to contact the LIC, a free service for students to receive legal information and referrals.

Jessica Quijano, a spokesperson for Montreal’s Defund the Police Coalition, agrees that it is important for everyone who attends demonstrations and advocates for BLM to understand their legal rights, but emphasizes the importance of centering minorities to ensure safety at protests.

She urges allies to remember the communities that will be targeted and focus on helping the movement.

“It’s really important to not take the voices away from the people that are the most affected by police violence,” she said.

Is this about you or is it about a collective movement?” Quijano asked people to consider.

In addition to attending protests and informational events, Quijano encourages those who want to help the movement to try to do six actions after every protest they attend.

“It could be making phone calls or sending emails to your local representatives … educating people around you, and your family,” she said. “The protests and education part is one piece of it, but then it always has to go further than that.”

The series of virtual workshops provided by the CSU’s #BLM Campaign aims to equip students to participate in anti-racism work. They will be occurring regularly throughout the rest of the fall semester.

Riahi is currently working to allow her workshop to be accessed online.

 

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

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