To Justin Trudeau’s relief, we haven’t heard about the WE Charity scandal in a minute. To his dismay, here’s a reminder of it, and why it’s important we don’t forget.
So what exactly happened?
In mid-April, as the Federal Government was still scrambling to make sure all those financially affected by COVID-19 were given proper support, Prime Minister Trudeau announced additional funding for students, whose income relied on job availability during the summer.
Introduced alongside the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) was the Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG), a program where the government would compensate university students and recent graduates under 30 years old who signed up to do volunteer work. With a budget of $912 million, this program would be administered by the WE Charity, a Toronto-based international human rights organization focusing on youth empowerment, who would be allocated $43 million in management costs.
When Conservative Party members asked to verify how the charity was chosen, Trudeau stated that they were the “best and only organization able to deliver on the scale that we need.” Of course, this isn’t true: not only is the government itself well-equipped to handle this project, but 20 other organizations were considered for the management of the CSSG starting in April.
Why is it a problem?
Justin Trudeau and his family have been closely affiliated with WE for years. He, his wife, his brother, and his mother have attended and been invited as keynote speakers at WE’s annual WE Day event as far back as 2007, the year of the event’s first edition.
Over the years, the Trudeau family was paid an estimated $283,400 for speaking at these events.
This begs the question: how was the WE Charity chosen as the “best and only” organization? And why did no member of Trudeau’s Cabinet, whose role is to oversee his decisions, speak up on the conflict of interest at play?
Why does it matter now?
The PM’s recent decision to prorogue Parliament is going to be a big setback for the ethics committee currently investigating this deal. Because all Parliamentary activity is being put to rest, the investigation will only continue after Sept. 23, when MPs are due to reconvene.
For now, WE Charity has cancelled its WE Day events indefinitely, cancelled the deal made with the government, and repaid the $30 million it had been handed for the administration of the project.
To many, though, prorogation is simply Trudeau’s way of further delaying this investigation, as well as the one currently looking into the country’s relations with China. Considering this isn’t the PM’s first rodeo when it comes to corruption charges — what with the SNC-Lavalin case and his trip to the Aga Khan’s island four years ago — only time will tell what and whether he will be facing any consequences once Parliament returns.
The Saskatchewan-born artist narrates a tale of a lonely man spending a night out with his friends, and his regrets.
Canadian singer-songwriter Andy Shauf has a seemingly innate ability to capture and express human emotion through the stories he tells. On his latest release, The Neon Skyline, Shauf plays the narrator in a first-person story with a full cast of characters that charmingly and intimately explores the full spectrum of human emotion.
Shauf tells the story of a young man who calls up his friend Charlie one night and they head to their favourite local bar, the titular Neon Skyline. While they’re enjoying their drinks together, Charlie breaks the news to our narrator that his ex-girlfriend Judy is back in town.
This news begins to consume our narrator’s thoughts, as he becomes ruefully nostalgic about their relationship, recalling everything from the pleasant times to the miserably bitter. From “Where Are You Judy” to “Things I Do” we hear the narrator’s poetic reflections on their time together, from more pleasant memories to those that led to their relationship’s eventual ending.
While reminiscing on the love that they once shared, he begins to hope that he’ll run into her while he is out so he can attempt to rekindle the flame they once had. As the night progresses, we see the narrator and his friends having deep conversations and drunkenly deciding to hit the town, when they run into Judy on “The Moon.”
This track and “Try Again” feel almost like a single song with two parts, as they both focus on the time the pair spend together after running into one another. During this time, our narrator becomes enamoured with her once again, though this doesn’t last long, as Judy reminds him, both directly and indirectly, that they can’t restore what they once had. These two tracks are clear highlights on the album, with beautiful writing that is simple and concise yet completely captivating as we see our hopeful narrator fumble his way through their time together.
The last two tracks see their night reach its inevitable end, and with that end comes clarity for our narrator. As he looks at the mostly pleasant night that he and Judy have shared, he realizes he’s gained the closure necessary to move on. Realizing that he doesn’t have to continue repeating his habits and actions, he may not be able to undo what’s been done, but he can grow from it.
This album is absolutely fantastic — it plays like a short film, with nuanced characters and real, tangible explorations into human emotion. Having written, performed, arranged and produced every song on the album, Shauf not only shaped a great story but gave it a living world. The warm, folk-tinged indie sound of this project, gives each scene character and context, creating a perfect marriage between the lyrics and the music. The Neon Skyline is as cinematic as it is poetic, and it excels greatly at being both, making it one of the best releases of this year.
The new Conservative leader’s potentially quick rise to national power
Erin O’Toole recently became the Conservative Party’s new leader after a whopping 57 per cent vote victory. Self-described as a military man who will fight for the rights of Canadians, O’Toole’s election comes at a critical time in Canadian history, as the country struggles with a pandemic and the Liberal Party loses trust following the WE Charity controversy. In just a few months, he could even become Prime Minister.
This parallel universe in which O’Toole becomes the leader of Canada just a few months after winning the leadership of his own party exists because Parliament is currently in prorogation.
But what exactly is prorogation?
According to the CBC, prorogation “suspends all parliamentary activity, including all legislation and committee work,” until Parliament is next summoned.
In a nutshell, prorogation is like hitting Parliament’s reset button. Ongoing committee work such as bills, studies and investigations are paused during this period and can be reintroduced once the break is over. To top it off, a fresh agenda will be proposed by the Trudeau government upon the reopening of Parliament activities.
In point of fact, Justin Trudeau considers that Parliament has been due for a reset because “the throne speech [they] delivered eight months ago had no mention of COVID-19.” Trudeau said his government wants to test the confidence of the House.
On Sept. 23, the new session will begin. A speech from the throne will be given, and a confidence vote will be taken.
If confidence is lost…
Should the House decide that it does not have confidence in the government, elections would be triggered.
Canadian elections have historically been ruled by the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party, suggesting that a race to power in this scenario would be dominated by either Justin Trudeau or Erin O’Toole.
However, O’Toole does not intend to trigger this scenario. In an interview with The West Block in Toronto, the pro-choice leader states that Fall elections are not his priority.
Over 20,000 Montrealers came out to support a message against racism and police violence yesterday.
Clashes between police and protesters broke out Sunday night in the aftermath of a peaceful demonstration against police brutality. Organizers of the protest said they want the focus of the event to remain a message against racism and police violence.
An estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people gathered downtown to attend the protest, which had been dubbed Justice for Victims of Police Killings and was organized by a group of community activists. The event was created in solidarity with protests in the U.S. surrounding the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota last week after a police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes. Floyd was suspected of using a counterfeit 20 dollar bill to purchase cigarettes.
Marlihan Lopez, one of the protest’s organizers, said the event aimed to address the systemic issue of police violence not only in the U.S., but in Canada as well.
“This is not an American issue, this is also a Canadian and a Quebec issue,” said Lopez, before naming Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old Black woman from Toronto who died after an intervention with the police last week. Police had been called to assist in a domestic conflict involving Korchinski-Paquet. Shortly after arriving, police emerged from Korchinski-Paquet’s apartment and informed her family that she had fallen from the 24-story balcony. The incident is currently under investigation.
Protesters take a knee in front of a police line that had formed later in the evening.
Those who attended the protest said they came to support changes to systematic injustice. Chants such as “No justice, no peace,” “I can’t breathe,” and “Black lives matter” rang out throughout the march.
“I have four boys and we live to make sure that they will be growing in a safe place,” said Karen Abelard. “[Being] here is important not only for us, but for the future, for our kids.”
26-year-old Lindsay Williams, a white protester, said,“I feel like we need to use our voice and our privilege to do this. Even though this is scary and uncomfortable, it’s time to be scared and uncomfortable.”
Events began to turn around 8 p.m. Although the majority of protesters had left the area, police began lining up in full gear on certain streets, blocking the path.
“The moment that we want to do something for Black people they’re blocking us off,” said an anonymous protester in response to this issue. “We’re being peaceful about it [but] we’re still not getting the chance to get our word across.”
At 8:11 an SPVM bus equipped with a loudspeaker announced that, as some protesters were engaging in unlawful conduct, the protest was now deemed illegal. The crowd was ordered to disperse.
SPVM relations told the Concordian, “at this point objects were thrown to [sic] police officers, so that’s why we gave the warning and said that the demonstrations were illegal— some criminal act[s] had already started.”
According to Luca Caruso-Moro, a Concordia Journalism student who was live tweeting the event, there was still a large group of protesters demonstrating peacefully in front of the SPVM headquarters on St-Urbain when the message to disperse was played.
“[This] was then followed only seconds later by several tear gas canisters being shot into the air,” said Caruso-Moro.
Protestors dispersed as the police line advanced and officers continued to shoot tear gas canisters. Meanwhile, some individuals began breaking windows on the Bell building on St-Urbain, while other protesters yelled at them to stop. Some protesters gathered to form a barricade, which was eventually put to the side for a firetruck to pass.
“The majority of people that I saw continuing to demonstrate after the initial rounds of tear gas were fired were doing so peacefully,” said Caruso-Moro.
Clashes ended around 11 p.m., with officers continuing to monitor the area throughout the night.
Over 70 cases of mischief were reported, including vandalism and breaking and entering. Of the total 11 arrests, nine were for breaking and entering, one was for assault with a weapon, and one was for mischief. SPVM said that investigations are currently underway and may result in further arrests in the following days.
Marlihan Lopez said that, despite the clashes, the message of the protest should remain focused on justice against racism and police violence.
“The vandalism isn’t the story, the graffiti isn’t the story, the looting isn’t the story, and even the protest is not the story: the story is police violence, it’s anti-blackness,” said Lopez.
Another protest is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 7.
Concordia has postponed classes for two weeks. Other Canadian universities have taken different measures
Concordia University announced on March 13 that classes and exams would be postponed for two weeks due to COVID-19 concerns. The announcement came after the Quebec Premier Francois Legault said in a press conference that all schools would be closed for that time period while imposing limits on gatherings of more than 250 people.
Concordia president Graham Carr penned an online letter to the university’s community which stated the following;
“Dear members of the Concordia community,
I am writing to update you following the Government of Quebec’s announcement earlier today that all schools and universities in Quebec are closing for two weeks until Monday, March 30.
I understand that the current situation is causing stress and anxiety for many people. At the same time, I appreciate the patience and perseverance of the community as we work through this situation in coordination with the ministries of education and public health.”
So how does Concordia’s COVID-19 response compare to Canadian post-secondary institutions?
NOTE: Information and news surrounding COVID-19 is rapidly emerging and constantly changing. The attached hyperlinks will be updated by the following universities as responses change or become updated.
In Quebec, universities are following government directions. McGill, Université de Montreal, Laval and Sherbrooke and have all stated that they will be postponing classes for two weeks.
Outside of the province, universities have offered varying responses. In the Maritimes, St. FX has suspended classes until March 20, Saint Mary’s has suspended classes until March 16. Dalhousie has cancelled all in-person classes for the rest of the semester, and stated that some may be moved to online platforms.
In Ontario, Carleton has cancelled in person courses and has moved to online classes for the remainder of the semester. Western has also moved all of its classes online, and all final exams will not take place in-person. As well, students who have already left campus will not be required to return to take those finals. Waterloo, the University of Toronto, Ryerson and York and has also adopted those same measures. Queen’s has suspended all undergraduate classes for one week starting March 16.
The University of Manitoba has suspended all in-person classes for the remainder of the semester. Brandon University and Red River College has suspended classes for a one week period.
All universities linked in this article have stated that essential services such as health services, cafeterias and security on their campuses will remain open, as of March 15.
The federal government has stated that the “PHAC has assessed the public health risk associated with COVID-19 as low for the general population in Canada but this could change rapidly.”
The PHAC has recommended that Canadians wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching their faces, and clean all high-touch frequency objects like phones and door handles regularly.
Official statement from Lisette Johnson-Stapley, U Sports’ Chief Sport Officer:
“As proud partner of Hockey Canada, we understand how difficult a decision this was to make. We understand the disappointment felt by our student-athletes, coaches, officials and wonderful hosts however the decision was made with the best interest of all participants in mind.”
Original article:
U Sports has told The Concordian that all of its national championships will go forward, and that the organization is in close contact with Public Health Officials across the country.
Official statement from the organization:
“U SPORTS and our championship hosts are in contact with Public Health Officials in each province where we are hosting national championships this weekend. As of 9:45 this morning, we still have clearance from Public Health to go forward with the championships.
We will provide an update if anything changes. In the meantime, you can read more on the steps U SPORTS and its members are taking to deal with COVID-19 by visiting our website at: https://usports.ca/hq/covid-19-advisory”
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
As COVID-19 cases keep rising in the United States, health officials warned older individuals to avoid large gathering places and travelling on planes.Reuters confirmed that the number of cases was nearing 550 with 22 deaths on Sunday in the US alone. New measures were implemented in European countries as well; with Italy having the second-most cases of COVID-19 after China, the government quarantined nearly a quarter of its population. This weekend saw 133 new deaths in Italy alone, reported the Agence France Presse. France also banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more as yet another preventative measure to counter the spread of the virus. The first death in Africa was also reported last weekend. In Canada, there are 31 cases in Ontario, 27 in British Columbia, three in Quebec, and the first case in Alberta, as of Sunday.
Two avalanches in the Austrian alps killed at least six last Sunday. Five individuals who were believed to be Czech died during a snowshoeing trip while a 33-year-old police officer died in a separate incident, presumably while doing training. Around 100 rescuers were sent to the sites by helicopter. Both avalanches happened in the Dachstein mountain range, around 80 kilometres south-east of Salzburg.
At least 10 people died last Sunday in a hotel in China that was used as an isolation hub for people infected by COVID-19. The seven-story building located in the southeast city of Quanzhou suddenly collapsed, trapping 71 people in the ruins. China’s Ministry of Emergency Management reported that 38 individuals had been rescued and 23 were still missing. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation but the CBC reported that the building was undergoing construction and a pillar was reportedly deformed a few minutes before the incident.
That being said, there is a huge market for it, and it usually reflects what the people want.
The beloved “Bachelor’s” market profits off viewers watching attractive people “fall in love.” Although this show has remained popular, it’s clearly not checking all the boxes.
Netflix has jumped on the idea that unlike what we see on “The Bachelor,” people want authentic, less superficial love. That’s tricky for reality television, but alas they have tried to take it on, in the new reality T.V. show “Love is Blind.”
“Love is Blind” is a show where contestants talk to eligible bachelors and bachelorettes through opaque pods, in hopes to find their true love without actually seeing them. For the sake of this article, we are going to skip over the fact that every contestant is extremely attractive, every woman is wearing a full face of makeup despite not being seen and we are mostly only exposed to heterosexual desires because if we unpack that, I will get a migraine. A grain of salt … we are taking this with a grain of salt.
Before I continue, I would just like to admit that I am not a huge fan of reality television. I never understood the point of “Jersey Shore” or “Keeping Up with The Kardashians” (and, I feel like I may have just lost some readers). So, that being said, I am definitely not here to review the show. There are many more qualified pop culture experts who would do a better job than me. I do, however, want to look at why a show like this exists, and why dating in 2020 is always framed as a nightmare.
Is it really necessary for us to delete our Tinder apps and head to Atlanta, Georgia to find true love through an opaque wall? Is this really where we’re at, team?
The other day I asked my grandfather why he married my grandmother. He told me that she was smart, pretty and nice. They dated, and he thought, wow—smart, pretty and nice, let’s get married. My grandmother, of course, can tell you the exact shoes my grandfather was wearing on their first date, and how the hand-me-down button-up white shirt he had on was just a smidge too small. She just knew he was the right guy. A simpler time, right?
When I think about dating in the past, I always feel like it was easier. Wasn’t it just flowers, phone calls and drive-in movies? No texting, getting ghosted, emojis and definitely no swiping. What a dream.
Except that’s not necessarily fair. As society evolves and changes, so do relationships.
Dating apps get a bad rep, and I can tell you from experience they can be quite draining and discouraging. This being said, the world of online dating is complex. I mean listen, guys, some of my best friends are on the apps. Do you know how damn lucky you would be to swipe on them?
I think to completely write off online dating as a concept is quite difficult. Instead of hating on the apps completely, like the hosts on “Love is Blind” (even though it’s good marketing), we might benefit from a more productive conversation surrounding this dating strategy.
There’s something that smells pretentious to me when people say they would rather meet organically and not on the apps.
I mean, of course, it would be nice to have a smart guy come up to you on the metro, ask you about the feminist literature you were reading, take you out for coffee and spend it talking about how he has 2 sisters and loves his mom. But, as we ask our Google Homes to tell us the weather, and we shove two white plastic headphones that don’t even have a string in our ears, isn’t this just, like, the future? Isn’t finding someone on an app not that crazy, considering everything else we do using technology?
I know I’m oversimplifying the dark world of online dating, but I really just want to talk about the stigma. It’s okay to be vulnerable and try the apps, delete them 16 times and then redownload them—I think it is just part of our 2020 story.
There’s also space for you to disagree with me. I’m not even sure if I agree with me, it really depends on the week. Love isn’t one thing. It’s wonderful, devastating, exhausting and may very well include a little swiping.
Dating is hard at the end of the day, and “love being blind” is just a cheesy song lyric.
It’s not unusual for Carl Neill to spend plenty of time handling the puck—he’s the Stingers’ top defenceman.
Even for a defenceman, in the first period against the Nipissing Lakers, his teammates were making sure to feed him the puck as much as they could.
Finally, near the end of the period, the puck went from Neill’s stick to the back of the net. It was a powerplay goal, like many he’d scored before. But this time, the celebration by his teammates was something special.
“I’m really, really proud of him, we all are,” said Neill’s coach, Marc-André Élement.
Neill’s goal was his 84th point as a member of the Concordia Stingers. He had just moved into first place, as the highest scoring defenceman in Stingers history.
“It’s a great honour,” said Neill, who sits just one short of the team’s all-time assist record as well. When he learned he was approaching both records after just three seasons with the team, the stingers alternate captain was shocked.
Carl Neill reflects on his three years as a Concordia Stingers
“I know Concordia’s been around forever,” said Neill. “I imagined there’s some guys a couple hundred years back that must have got a few points so I never really thought of that.”
Maybe he was surprised, but anyone that’s watched him over the last three seasons shouldn’t be. He’s dominated the university game since day one. He’s been one of the country’s best blueliners and made his mark in the Stingers’ history books.
In his three years Neill has collected awards on and off the ice, all-star nominations, and a collection of impressive stats that any player would be proud of.
He has played overseas representing his country, gone to the national university hockey championships, and done it all with the flare to his game that’s allowed him to be one of the top players in the league.
Neill joined the Stingers with a shining resume in junior hockey. He was captain of the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the QMJHL, where he set records just like he’s started to do with the Stingers.
His 178 points rank fourth all-time in Phoenix history while his 139 assists are second overall. Among defencemen though, he is the sole leader in both, along with goals (39).
Sherbrooke was also where he would end up meeting his best friend, future roommate and Stingers teammate Chase Harwell.
The two played three seasons together with the Phoenix and joined forces again a few years later at Concordia. Harwell’s face lights up with a big smile whenever the topic of his teammate and former captain comes up.
“He’s my best friend,” said Harwell. “We grew up together. He’s a great guy, I’m just so happy to see him have that success. He deserves it.”
Chase Harwell and Neill have played together as teammates for six seasons at the junior and university levels combined
His impressive junior career was enough to get him drafted into the NHL. In the fifth round of the NHL entry draft, the Vancouver Canucks chose Neill. He went on to play in several professional training camps before deciding to take the U Sports route and earn a degree before trying to head to the pro leagues when things didn’t work out in terms of the NHL.
Looking back, there’s no doubt in his mind that he made the right choice by going down the U Sports path.
“I made the right decision coming here,” said Neill. “Coming out of junior, not knowing much of what U Sports is Marc told me it was a good program here. I had faith in him and he had faith in me. It coupled well. I’m really happy about my decision. I’m happy I didn’t go to McGill [instead].”
While it’s been gaining traction and notoriety, U Sports isn’t a league that every player knows about coming out of junior. Neill was entering a completely new world and system of hockey. He’s become a major advocate for the league now, but three years ago, it was a leap of faith.
From the moment Neill walked into the Ed Meagher arena, the expectations were sky-high for him. He was the marquee rookie of a strong class of first years. His coach expected him to come in and become a number one defenceman early on.
“He’s going to be the guy who leads the power play, he’s going to be the quarterback,” said Élement just before Neill’s rookie season in 2017. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to be one of the top defencemen in the league.”
Despite any internal or external pressure to come in and be a top player in a new league, Neill played like a veteran from his very first game.
A cerebral player, he was a key contributor in what would be an explosive offense that season. He showed the vision and ability to rush the puck up ice that earned him NHL attention and became an instant player that opposing teams had to gameplan for.
“He certainly lived up to the expectations,” said former stingers captain Philippe Hudon. “He never second-guessed his decision to play U Sports hockey, and coupled with his desire to become a better hockey player, he was an immediate impact to our team and has done wonders since then.”
Neill would end up leading the entire country in scoring by a defenceman with 31 points in 28 games. His team was one of the top eight in the league, earning a trip to the national championship for the first time in over 30 years for Concordia.
Neill has been the back bone of the Stingers’ defensive group since he joined the team back in 2017
While Neill and the Stingers ended up losing, the defender was rewarded for his impressive rookie season. He was named to the OUA East first all-star team as well as the U Sports all-rookie team.
Off the ice, he was presented with the Guy Lafleur award for his combination of success in the game as well as in the classroom. All in all, a good start to his university career.
His second season, the team lost their top two scorers, including league MVP Anthony Beauregard. Instead of an offensive step back, or sophomore slump, Neill kicked it up a notch. Despite a less productive team, he upped his season totals to 33 points, good enough for second in the country among defencemen. He was named to the OUA East all-star team and earned OUA defenceman of the year honours.
On top of that, he was selected to the FISU games to represent Canada in Russia once his season ended. He was among the team of top university players that won bronze at the tournament.
At the start of the year though, another of Neill’s talents was recognized. He was named an assistant captain for the team and his leadership became a major part of his role on the team. The message constantly repeated by teammates is that Neill takes care of people.
As much as his sarcastic prodding and joking are a part of him, he is someone who truly cares for the wellbeing of his teammates.
He helped recruit former teammates like Harwell and Hugo Roy and made sure they and their fellow rookies were brought into the fold immediately and never had to feel like outsiders.
“Obviously he’s an amazing hockey player but on the other side he’s just a great dude,” said Harwell. “If a guy needs a ride, he picks them up. If a guy is having trouble at home or with his girlfriend, he’s there for you. He’s the guy you want on your team.”
Neill’s goal was always to make the guys comfortable, to show them the ropes and have his teammates enjoy an environment where they felt supported and relaxed.
“It’s important to have that on a team,” said Neill, listing past teammates like Hudon who helped him as a rookie. “I came here my first year, not really knowing what was going on. It’s good to pass the torch and help the boys along.”
He’s the kind of player that teammates light up when asked to talk about him. The respect for Neill in the Stingers locker room is evident.
While this past season may not have been as statistically dominant as the last two (20 points in 25 games), Neill had plenty to celebrate.
He played a preseason game as a member of a Quebec U Sports all-star team against the top prospects of the Montreal Canadiens and etched his name across the Stingers record books.
“All the credit goes to him and his work ethic,” said Élement.
Neill now sits 12th all-time in scoring in Stingers history in addition to sitting second all-time in assists and leading among defencemen.
And for the first time, his Stingers future is uncertain. Neill has turned down pro offers every season. He has focused on finishing his degree before turning to the professional world.
Where he’ll be next year, whether it’s at Concordia or on a new team in the pro sphere, is unclear.
If he is wearing a non-Concordia jersey next season, those around him think he’ll be just as successful in that league as he has been in U sports.
“I certainly think he can bring that same impact at the pro level,” said Hudon. “He has tremendous hockey sense. [He’s] capable of effectively fending off attackers as much as anchoring the blue line. Not to mention his high skill level and smooth skating abilities.”
If it’s Neill’s last run with the Stingers, there would be no better way to cap it off than another run to nationals. Despite an up and down year for the team that has been plagued by injuries, the Stingers are red hot heading into the postseason.
Neill called the mood in the room similar to the excitement of his first year where they made their run to nationals.
He definitely has his mind set on getting back there and his teammates can tell.
Neill amassed 84 points in 81 games as a member of the Concordia Stingers
“He wants it bad, he’s pushing even harder,” said Harwell. “It motivates the guys to go even harder as well.”
Looking back to the end of Neill’s first season, when asked if he felt like he was a number one defenceman as his coach had suggested, the rookie said not yet, but maybe next year.
Since then he’s become a franchise leader for defensive scoring, collected all-star nominations, academic awards, represented his country, and made his mark on the team.
When asked the same question at the end of this season, he had a similar answer.
“I don’t know, there’s a lot of number one defencemen in our league. I guess it depends on the night,” said Neill.
After all of this, it is probably safe to say that Neill can call himself not only a number one defenceman, but one of Concordia’s all-time greats.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had been travelling the world last week seeking approval from African countries in his campaign for Canada’s hope of a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
The UNSC is comprised of five permanent members–China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States–and 10 non-permanent members elected for two years, which currently includes Belgium, Germany and South Africa. For the remaining countries, they are allowed to participate in debates, though without the benefits of having a vote.
The UNSC is the principal body of the United Nations with the goal of maintaining international peace and establishing what is a threat to international security. In a situation where two states are in conflict, for example Israel and Palestine, the security council is in charge of setting the terms of settlement.
But would Canada, a non-council member state–i.e. doesn’t have a vote–actually get a permanent seat on the security council?
It is important to note that all permanent member states are nuclear powers. Now, whether the UNSC represents an international distribution of power is up to a political science debate, but Canada is not a nuclear state because it doesn’t have nuclear weapons. In fact, it is reliant on US anti-missile systems. Furthermore, if Canada was to launch an all-out nuclear buildup, the country would lose all international credibility as it signed and ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty, an international treaty that prohibits countries from developing nuclear weapons. After all, there are many countries with nuclear power who would have the lead on attaining a spot on the UNSC before Canada does like India, Pakistan or Israel.
Being a member state also holds big responsibilities since they become the main actors of international peace. Is the US’s little northern brother really going to make a difference and stand its grounds on certain issues when it cannot even address its own? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
BREAKING NEWS: There are still entitled men in politics.
On one side, we have potential Conservative candidate for the leadership, Richard Décarie who, during an interview with CTV’s Power Play on Wednesday, said “LGBTQ” “is a Liberal term” and that being gay “is a choice.” He then said Canadians must encourage traditional values that have served us in the past, encouraging the defunding of abortion services and reinforcing the idea that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
Then, on Friday, not too far from us, Trump became the first U.S. President to walk in the largest annual anti-abortion rally, the 47th March for Life in Washington.
I’m sorry, I didn’t know this was the 18th century?
While Trump’s decision might actually help him win the 2020 election, as a big part of his electoral voters are evangelical Christians who stand firmly against abortion, a Pew Research Centre survey conducted in the summer revealed that 61 per cent of Americans believe abortion should be legal and are concerned that some states are making it hard to access.
And over here, Décarie just gave a quick crash course on “how to lose an election in Canada.”
Federal elections have displayed over and over again that the Conservatives’ weak spots are their social values being out of tune with Canadian ones. More recently, Scheer’s stance on such topics hasn’t quite helped him win voters––au contraire.
A few Tories, such as frontrunner for leadership Peter Mackay, were quick to denounce the comments on Twitter. Still, Décarie’s reductive and ignorant remarks highlight exactly how replacing Scheer won’t necessarily erase the mentality that runs deep within the Conservative Party. Last October, in a post-election analysis, the co-founder of the anti-abortion group RightNow, Alissa Golob, proudly said they were able to elect at least 68 “pro-lifers” out of the 121 current members of the Conservative caucus.
What’s that expression again? Beware of who’s pulling the strings.
