Protesters disperse with the remains of a burning paper-mâché Trump left in front of the U.S. consulate
As Donald Trump was sworn into office on Friday, repeating his promise to “Make America Great Again” during his inaugural speech, protesters in Montreal were mobilizing to express their outrage, proclaiming “America Was Never Great.”
Hundreds gathered at the corner of Jeanne-Mance and de Maisonneuve for the Resist Trump and the Far-Right rally, where organizer Eamon Toohey delivered an opening speech shortly after 11 a.m.
“The days of polite protest, of waiting for the next Jon Stewart sketch to limply chastise an emboldened enemy—those days are far gone,” he said.
Photo by Kirubel Mehari.
“To those clamoring for love, [saying] that love trumps hate—resistance is the greatest act of love that you can muster. We need to continue to resist, to take disruptive, direct action until we’ve resigned fascism to the annals of history.”
The march was organized by the Quebec Public Interest Research Group at Concordia (QPIRG Concordia), a left-wing organization with a nearly 40-year history of supporting social and environmental causes. According to QPIRG Concordia’s website, it has previously coordinated demonstrations against apartheid, climate change and the nuclear arms race.
This protest was organized in solidarity with similar, much larger protests in Washington D.C. and throughout the United States, and was followed by another demonstration later that evening.
Protest signs read, “No legitimacy for fascists” and “Trump is evil, Trump is nuts. People hate his fucking guts.” The latter was designed by Kerry McElroy.
Photo by Kirubel Mehari.
“My biggest concern is that he’s going to bring down the country and bring down the institutions and bring about civil war,” she said. “I think he’s an authoritarian and I think he’s a fascist and I think he’ll take whatever power he can.”
One protester, Jonathan Ouzariman, brought a paper-mâché effigy of the new president. When asked if he would burn it, he replied, “Absolutely.”
Journalist Ian Down interviewing protester Jonathan Ouzariman, who made paper-mâché effigy of President Trump. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.
Protesters marched east on de Maisonneuve, and then back west on René Levesque. Order was kept, but the threat of violence was ever-present. Police circled the crowd on bikes. Others formed a blockade in front of the U.S. Consulate as protesters marched by. Shopkeepers watched warily as the crowd poured into the Eaton Centre, their final destination. A small marching band, instruments adorned with political slogans, accompanied them.
“The demo has two aims,” said organizer Nicole Leblanc. “One: A show of solidarity with folks in the United States who will be directly affected by Trump’s policies. Two: To call attention to the fact that what Trump represents is a larger, far-right ideology that advocates a set of racist, islamophobic, sexist, transphobic and anti-immigrant policies that absolutely must be opposed and resisted everywhere it occurs.”
Photo by Kirubel Mehari.
When asked if racists should be afraid to express their opinions, Toohey replied, “Honestly? Yes.”
“We want racists and right-wing extremists to fear and to expect repercussions and backlash if and when they openly express such ideas,” said Leblanc.
By 1 p.m., the crowd had dispersed completely. All that lay in their wake was a smoldering figure dumped in front of the U.S. Consulate—the charred paper-mâché effigy of the American president.
Activists and politicians assembled Friday afternoon at Premier Pauline Marois’ doorstep on the corners of McGill College and Sherbrooke Street to show their anger and disappointment at what they consider the rising state-sanctioned exclusion against Quebec’s religious, linguistic, and ethnic minorities.
Conceived by Canadians for Coexistence (CfC), a group advocating for full Canadian inclusion, only a handful of the planned 200-some individuals came out to brave the wind and the rain. Although the weather might have chilled bodies it certainly failed to dampen the fiery rhetoric.
“We’re a group that believes in diversity in inclusion and the PQ is against our beliefs. They’re a group that very clearly believes in exclusion and division,” said founding member Norma O’Donnell, highlighting in particular the rights of Quebec’s religious and anglophone minorities.
When asked on her thoughts as to why anglophone rights aren’t more visible, she said there were many reasons; from sympathetic francophones who remain quiet because of social pressures, to an inability to connect with students.
“It’s seems like students in Quebec are more concerned about their tuition than their rights and freedoms, which is extremely disappointing,” she said about the number of youth protesters, and referring to the recent Charter of Values which would prohibit ostentatious religious displays and clothing by government employees, and last year’s failed Bill 14, which would have strengthened the primacy of the French language.
“We’ve spoken to students, we’ve encouraged them to participate in these rallies. Students don’t seem to be interested … and that’s where we have to try and bring the two together.”
Photo by Keith Race
Though interviewed well before Monday’s elections, O’Donnell said that one way or another, whoever wins, her group’s ambitions were only just beginning.
“Canadians for Co-Existence, as well as several of our other groups, are very much going to be working alongside these politicians … because we don’t plan to accept the same-old, same-old. We plan to see that whichever party gets into power, that things will be very different. We’re not going to be the same old Anglo groups who sat by quietly and let this happen.”
Echoing O’Donnell’s sentiments was Montreal’s Reverend Darryl Gray, former Kansas state senator and head of English rights group, Alliance Quebec, and current pastor of the Imani Family and Full Gospel Church.
“The reality that there needs to be a stronger voice in the anglophone community is something that concerns me. I think there are those who acknowledge that the PQ government has failed the anglophone community, it has failed communities of faith, it has failed students, it has failed people in ethnic and cultural communities. I think that somebody needs to show up and stand up and speak up,” said Gray.“I’m not concerned about the Bills themselves. It’s about the mindset that would create such a thing.”
Gray, who says he has supported civil rights movements for decades, was careful to draw distinctions and not paint everyone with the same brush.
“There are many people in the PQ … that do not submit or believe in the policies and the behavior and the attitude of their leadership. I think that it’s important to say that. But, having said that, the leadership too often reflects and speaks on behalf of the body — and that is unfortunate.”
“I’m not here to represent the Liberals, or the Green Party, or the NDP. I’m here to represent the person who best speaks to the human condition. Mrs. Marois will have to understand that she’s going to have to stop running away from Montreal, that she’ll have to embrace Montreal for the diversity that it is. I’m here because I need to be here, I’m here because I want to be here.”
Additional speakers included, amongst others, Green Party leader Alex Tyrell and Muslim community activist, Salman Shabad Saidi, who organized Montreal’s first World Hijab Day back in February and has been, like Tyrell, a very vocal critic of the Charter.
“When they introduced the ban on religious symbols, I began to see what direction they [the PQ] were headed,” said Saidi of his motivations. “They were […] laying out the platform for the right demographic — and by right demographic, I mean white, purlaine, speaking the same language.”
Saidi calls the PQ tactics cheap attempts at raising division for political reasons, and mocked Marois’ vision of Quebec.
“We have our own ideas that are based on tolerance, intelligence, diversity, and productivity,” Saidi said, adding that his strong words were necessary to reflect the very real undercurrents in Quebec which are only now beginning to be voiced.
“They’ve unleashed a campaign of hate and intolerance against minorities, [ and these tactics] never embodied any true Quebec values and went against much of the tolerance that this province has been showing.”
Don’t forget that today is the last day to vote for the Quebec provincial elections! Make your vote count. For more information visit http://www.voteitup.ca/. The CSU in collaboration with Vote it Up are holding a contest to win a free Samsung Galaxy ACE II x smartphone ($160 value). For more information, visit the Vote it Up Facebook page.
Election difficulties and advice on how best to deal with them
Concordia’s Michael Groenendyk can attest that voting nightmares aren’t reserved for students — it took him a week and a half, three trips, and many hours spent arguing, debating, and phoning before the matter was settled.
Like many others, Groenendyk’s careful efforts, which saw him bring his passport, a copy of his lease, and pay stubs, were initially insufficient to prove his domicile status, which, according to Quebec law, simply means calling Quebec as one’s primary place of residence for at least six months. If you are a domiciled Canadian citizen of adult age, you can vote in Quebec. The Concordia business librarian, originally from Nova Scotia, and his girlfriend were told to return with additional documentation.
Upon their return, they said they faced a hostile reception from a new, different clerk.
“He repeatedly asked us whether or not we were students. I told him I was a Concordia employee, not a student, and showed him my documentation. I also explained to him how difficult librarian jobs are to come by and, in moving to Montreal, it is my plan to live here permanently,” he said, perhaps alluding to the recent comments by Premier Pauline Marois which insinuated that consideration should be put on whether voters also have the intention of staying in Quebec.
After heated arguments, during which the official seemed to doubt Groenendyk’s girlfriend’s waitressing job as sufficiently permanent as well, Groenendyk was told their documents were sufficient for now, but needed to be further inspected.
Four days later, after the period to add names to the elector’s list had expired, they received letters telling them they had, in fact, not met the criteria. It was only after contacting several newspapers and his party of choice that Elections Quebec invited him to reapply during a special revision period using essentially the same documentation, plus income tax documents, that had been judged insufficient previously. He said he found this manner of decision baffling.
Alison Maynard, project coordinator of the English youth vote mobilization project, Vote it Up, said proving domicile status was a complex endeavor.
“Living in Quebec is not proof that you are domiciled in Quebec — especially if your permanent address is in another province,” she said.
Maynard advised that the best documents to prove one’s status are either a provincial income tax return, a Quebec driver’s license, a Medicare Card, or other provincial documentation stating your status as a Quebec resident.
She also said that fewer Anglophone voters have registered this time around, despite comments by certain Quebec officials of ‘voter fraud’ by an influx of out-of-province students. Maynard stated that the chief electoral officer’s reports of non-eligible students attempting to register are ‘greatly exaggerated’ and that media comments of fraud were ridiculous.
Groenendyk said he believed the fault to a large extent lies with the particular officials, who he believes wield too much power in the decision.
“The thing that worries me about this situation is how easily it is for one individual elections clerk to deprive somebody of their right to vote, and also the standards for the criteria for who is eligible to vote and who isn’t. Why is it that my documentation is okay for one clerk, but not okay for another?” he said.
However Groenendyk also said he still believes that the elections are inclusive, that they are trying to involve everybody, in spite of his experience and what other people are saying. “I do believe, [from] talking to Elections Quebec, that they are trying to run a fair election. I genuinely felt that the people I spoke to were trying to help me and [were] giving me a fair chance to demonstrate that I met the criteria to vote.”
Why everyone should take the opportunity to vote in the upcoming election
Provincial elections tend to bring out the beast in everyone, encouraging debate and unwanted political advertisements wherever one looks. For the first time in recent memory, however, a political candidate has questioned who should be allowed to decide the future of the province in which they reside.
On March 22, at a news conference in Rivière-du-Loup, Pauline Marois, leader of the Parti Québécois, went on record as stating that they are concerned that non-Quebecers will be deciding the fate of our province. The concern, according to Mme Marois, is due to an “abnormal” number of anglophones and allophones who have registered to vote in the greater Montreal region. At this time, it is unclear what figure “abnormal” represents. According to Le Directeur Général Des Elections du Québec (DGE) there have been no abnormalities concerning voter registration.
According to the DGE, anyone above the age of majority, who has lived in Québec for more than six months, and intends to stay in Québec long term has the right to vote.
At a press conference two days later, the Parti Québécois sided with their leader by questioning if the anglophones and allophones registering intended to stay within the province at all. This is a very dangerous line of thinking to pursue, especially given that the DGE has admitted that some names were taken off the electoral list since the last provincial vote.
Voting is a right, regardless of the individual’s primary language. It is risky for any candidate to state otherwise. Allophones and anglophones are Quebecers just as much as French speakers within the province.
What you can do:
1) Register: If you are eligible to vote be sure to register with the DGE. The deadline to register to vote is April 3 at 2 p.m..
2) VERIFY: If you have voted in previous elections, verify to make sure you’re still on the list. Those on the electoral list should have already received voting instructions in the mail. If you have not, please visit the DGE website to verify your voter registration.
3) GET INFORMED: All news services will have a recap section appearing in the next week summarizing all political platforms. Even if you do not have the time to follow what the candidates are up to daily, try to keep abreast of big issues which appear in the media.
4) VOTE: Be sure on April 7 to make your voice heard. These individuals will be directly affecting your life through the legislation passed. Be sure to take 30 minutes out of your day to make your voice heard.
5) GET INVOLVED: Politics don’t stop after the election. If any elected official does something which you disagree with there is always public discourse. Let them know through email, petition, or protest.
Exercise your right to vote. Send the message that ALL Quebecers will stand and be heard. If any politician says that certain citizens aren’t really Quebecers they will find that they are wrong.
À Mme Marois: Je suis fière de la culture Québécoise accueillante et libre. J’ai honte de votre vision de notre province, où le vote n’est pas un droit mais seulement un autre cible a être utilisée dans vos enjeux politiques.
To Mme Marois: I am proud of our unique and welcoming Quebec culture. I am disgusted by your vision of a Quebec where voting is no longer a right but a target to be used in your personal game of politics.
Students might be missing a day of class but they’re gaining a great opportunity
On April 7, all classes and institutional activities will be canceled as required by the Quebec Election Act. This gives students the chance to familiarize themselves about the candidates and election issues, if they haven’t already, as well as give them no excuse for not voting.
If for some reason students aren’t able to make it back to their riding on April 7 to vote, they can take advantage of the advance polling stations that will be set up in the atrium of the Library building, March 28, April 1 and 2, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m..
In sum, all students who are eligible to vote will have the time and opportunity to do so whether they live in Westmount or Longueuil.
Furthermore, who can be upset with a day off from school? Voting isn’t an all day affair so in fact it’s almost like a three day weekend.
However, it’s important that everyone who can vote, does vote. It is also important that these votes be informed.
Election campaigns are hectic and there is always a flurry of activity and media coverage and it can be difficult to keep up. Still, when it comes to deciding who is going to be your voice in provincial decisions you should know as much as possible about the person and party that your vote is supporting. Therefore take the opportunity of a class-free Monday to read about the candidates in your riding and inform yourself about the parties running.
Full-time workers are granted only three hours to vote, whereas students have an entire day; this is a privilege that should be taken advantage of.
Given the number of people who complain that not enough students come out to vote and because students often complain that the people in power don’t address student needs, students should be especially motivated to make a strong appearance at the polls.
According to an article published by the Montreal Gazette, “Liberals hope to court youth vote,” Feb 23, 2014, barely 40 per cent of voters aged 18-24 voted in the last federal election. This may explain why the federal budget took so little consideration of student needs. If the government doesn’t think young people are interested or will get involved they won’t bother to cater to them.
Now is the chance to prove all the people who believe that young voters are indifferent and can’t be bothered to vote that they are wrong.
There’s no excuse to miss the polls, go out and vote.
The Concordia Student Union (CSU) Executive candidate debates were held last week on both campuses to provide students with information and to answer questions about their plans should they be elected for the coming school year.
Despite their differences all three affiliations and independent parties overlapped in their desire and pledge to provide students with improved student space; an increase in communication between CSU, council and students; the uniting of campuses and student groups; and bridging the gap between academic and social functions.
Community Matters believes in connecting communities by forming strong personal relationships, supporting fee-levy groups at Concordia and by remaining transparent at all times by keeping students up-to-date and publicly showcasing their finances.
“Myself and my team have stuck to a method of personal consultations, focusing on the heads of student associations, getting to know them and what they know about the students,” explained Community Matters’ presidential candidate and current CSU VP Sustainability, Benjamin Prunty. “By building relationships with them we can understand, reach and communicate with the largest amount of students possible.”
Backing up their idea to promote transparency, Community Matters has already put their campaign budget online for all students to see.
CSUnited feels passionate about building a united Concordia and making resources easily accessible and known to students, which they believe will give a voice to students who generally do not have one.
“Representing students who are not already part of student politics, we feel we can provide the right resources and information to reach students who generally are oblivious to the CSU,” explained CSUnited presidential candidate, Jon Kim.
Experience CSU is focused on student diversity, showcasing a strong belief in student choice and difference in opinions. They want to represent a wide range of pupils and create a CSU that is relevant to a larger number of undergraduates. Much like their title suggests they want to represent student wants, needs and ideas as their own to create “your experience.”
The Experience slate does not publicly support or reject the ‘per faculty fee-levy opt out’ referendum question. Expressing that their personal opinions only count for one vote, the same as any other student, as a team, they decided to remain neutral, promising to represent whatever outcome the majority of students decide on at the ballot.
“Sure, each one of us has our own opinion on the matter. Each one of us will have our say at the ballot box, just like you. Nevertheless, we feel that as executive candidates for the CSU, it is inappropriate for us to collectively endorse a political position that will alienate a large number of students,” stated the Experience CSU affiliation in a press release sent out March 18.
Independent candidate for VP Sustainability, Michael Abbott, is majoring in ecology and has been a student at the Loyola Campus for the past four years. He has plans to move sustainable focus from short-term issues such as the use of paper to long-term issues such as a waste in energy, in addition to wanting to bridge the gap between the two campuses, he hopes to shed light on what the CSU does for the majority of students who are unaware.
Abbott explained that above all things, he’s learnt that there is a huge lack of awareness in the student body when it comes to understanding the CSU and what it is they do.
“You don’t need to vote for me, but get involved in knowing who’s governing you as a student,” said Abbott.
Graphic by Jenny Kwan
Independent presidential candidate Chuck Wilson explained that he is running independently because to him the main focus of the president should be to unite and mediate the team of executives. Wilson wants to make decisions based off data and concrete information, enforce collaborations amongst students and student groups and deliver important information to all Concordia students.
He stated that a vote for him would be a vote for a “united community experience.”
The question period was first open to general students, then to members of student associations and members of the current CSU government, and finally to questions from students who were not able to attend the debate and had posted their questions online.
Each question was asked to every affiliation or independent councillor, but no specific or personal questions were permitted.
With three affiliations, two independent candidates and a clear divide in student votes, current VP Loyola, Crystal Harrison, asked the candidates how they plan to overcome their differences as a mixed executive team.
On behalf of Experience CSU current VP Finance, and VP Finance candidate, Scott Carr said, “We get elected as individuals, it’s about an individual mindset and every individual should come in with an open mind.”
Presidential candidate Melissa Payette elaborated on that statement.
“We all want to commit a year of our lives to CSU and to Concordia students, on an individual basis that’s a huge commitment.”
On behalf of Community Matters, VP Student Life candidate, Charles Bourassa, explained that “the focus will be on creating common goals as a team, there is an overlap in our wants and ideas for students.”
Following up his statement, VP Sustainability candidate, Jessica Cabana said “it won’t always be easy, but I think it’s really important that we be able to learn together what we’d want to do for Concordia students.”
Independent presidential candidate Wilson reiterated his commitment to running alone explaining that his aim is “to bring the groups together as president.”
“Concordia literally means harmony, working together to achieve a greater community and I feel all the candidates have great ideas,” said CSUnited’s presidential candidate, Jon Kim.
VP Internal candidate, Simon Dansereau added to Kim’s idea by stating that “it’s about a pragmatic mindset, in the end the goal is for students to benefit, there should be no other agenda beyond benefiting students.”
Abbott explained that he was running alone and thus was willing to work with everyone.
With the voting process already started, students are encouraged to research and reach out to candidates on social media, such as Facebook fan pages or candidate websites, as well as in person.
26 candidates made up of three affiliations and two independent candidates
Experience CSU
VP Clubs & Internal Affairs- Maylen Cytryn
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I truly want to help students. [I am] currently a councillor on the CSU Clubs and Space Committee and have tried my best to contact as many clubs as possible to discuss with them their needs from CSU.”
TC: Strength & Weakness?
“My greatest strength is my passion. I do not take on a project unless I am deeply passionate about it, and once I begin the job, I work tirelessly to make it perfect, which brings me to my greatest weakness: my need for perfection.”
VP Finance- Scott Carr
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“Currently CSU VP Finance, I have an in-depth understanding of every aspect of the role, and I actually study finance; there are a lot of technical skills required for this job and I would have trouble believing that a non-finance student could successfully complete the role.”
TC: Strength & Weakness?
“My biggest strength is the fact that I’ve already done it before. I won’t need to go through training and I know what is required in order to get the most of every dollar of student money. My weakness is what work is most important.”
VP Loyola- Alex McCulloch
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“As a student who pays for tuition and living costs, I know the importance of realizing the services provided to us by our university. With my background in communications I can help bring awareness to these services.”
TC: Strength & weakness?
“I would say my biggest strength is my positive attitude, which brings me to my weakness, [I] sometimes having trouble [saying] no.”
VP External & Mobilization- Kristina Rourke
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I have a creative and open mind that wants to collaborate with Concordia students to bring new projects, interesting and inspiring speakers and support innovative ideas. I am here for students and want to celebrate our differences by empowering equality, respect and fairness.”
TC: Strength & weakness?
“I am a doer , I am a hard worker and am passionate for whatever I take on. My weakness is that I sometimes get caught up in the small stuff and have trouble letting go.”
VP Student Life- Sabrina Jorrin
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“Votes for me means votes for someone who will stop at nothing to ensure you enjoy your university experience. If elected I would like to collaborate between faculties to host brand new events that would attract a wider range of Concordia students”
TC: Strength & Weakness
“My biggest weakness is that I am sometimes so passionate about my projects that I put everything else aside…including life.”
VP Academic & Advocacy- Cameron Tisshaw
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I am a passionate academic, my goal is to attend graduate school and study Alzheimer’s disease. I truly care about the education that we receive and Concordia, and I am committed to finding innovative ways to enrich and improve our educational experience.”
TC: Strength & weakness
“My greatest strength is my ability to act as an intermediary between diverse parties with opposing views. My weakness is that I sometimes take on too many projects.”
VP Sustainability-Toshimi Muniz Losos
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I understand that the position is about more than being responsible in executing green initiatives. I believe I can make the significant changes needed that will allow Concordia to become more sustainable; environmentally, socially and financially.”
TC: Strength & weakness
“My biggest strength is my empathy. My weakness is my spontaneous personality.”
Community Matters
President- Ben Prunty
TC: Why do you think you affiliation is the best for Concordia?
“Our team is 100 per cent cohesive, there is not a single weak spot, and I am confident in saying that every single candidate is highly qualified for their positions. As President I can proudly say that our members compliment each other and accentuate one another’s strengths. Committed and passionate, I prioritize putting collective student needs first, and my team echo’s this very loudly.”
TC: Above all things, what does the Community Matters team stand for?
“We stand for a facilitator CSU; one that shares resources and information transparently; that never works alone, but always in collaboration with as many groups as possible; and whose projects and vision are informed by direct student-consultation.”
VP Clubs & Internal Affairs- Katherine Soad Bellini
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I am highly organized and truly care for the success and well being of others. By supporting fee-levy groups and increasing relevancy of the CSU as a student leader, I can ensure cross-faculty development within the university.”
TC: Strength and weakness
“My weakness is my humbleness which lead to people underestimating my experience and qualifications. My strength is my passion.”
VP Finance- Heather Nagy
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?”
“My priority is to once and for all demystify our student finances by making easy to understand financial statements and budgets as well as financial committee minutes. I hope to rebuild confidence in the membership and public at large of the CSU’s finances.”
TC: Strength & weakness
“My strength is bringing together people that hold different ideas. My weakness is my humorous, self-deprecating attitude.”
VP Loyola- Gabriel Velasco
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“Student’s spaces, services as well as student-run sustainable and affordable food is what I commit to bring to Loyola. As a Loyola student who has been actively working on developing a better food system for several years, I am confident that my knowledge and experience is unique.”
TC: Strength & weakness
“Both my greatest strength and weakness is that I am a visionary.”
VP External & Mobilization- Anthony Garousflais-Auger
TC: Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I want to develop exciting campaigns on campus, and bring leading individuals working around issues affecting our generation such as climate change, growing income inequalities, and eroding civil liberties. I also want to use CSU resources to help other student groups reach as many students as possible.”
TC: Strength and weakness
“My greatest strength is my experience with external groups. My weakness is that I hard on myself.”
VP Student Life- Charles Bourassa
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I feel I already have a strong presence on campus, and I am engaged with various student groups, associations and faculties. My overall goal is to bridge the gap between social and academic events on campus.”
Strength & weakness
“Biggest strength: I love meeting new people, and get along well with others. Biggest weakness: I work too much.”
VP Academic & Advocacy- Terry Wilkings
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“My priorities lie in making use of privileged institutional information to directly support students. I firmly believe undergraduate students want to have meaningful participation in academic governance, which is why I helped organize Concordia Student Congress.”
VP Sustainability- Jessica Cabana
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I am passionate, driven and have tangible ideas to make our university more sustainable. I’ve gained experience in sustainability through my employment, education and volunteering engagements at Concordia. I want to implement a student-run, cooperative café, the Loyola Greenhouse project and make sustainable initiatives more accessible to students.”
Strength & weakness
“My greatest strength and weakness are the same thing—that I care.”
CSUnited
President-Jon Kim
Why do you think your affiliation is the best for Concordia?
“Our team best represents the Concordia student body, and the diversity that makes Concordia special. We have representatives from every faculty, and we all come from very different backgrounds, which allows us to look at what the union should be in very different ways. We’re not really part of the political scene in the school, but we still are very involved in the Concordia community.”
Above all things, what does the CSUnited team stand for?
“Above all things we stand for diversity and creativity.”
VP Clubs & Internal- Simon Dansereau
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I wish to foster and encourage Concordia’s diversity by promoting club activities and growing student space, and to empower every student to make their experience here what they dream it to be.”
Strength & weakness
“My greatest strength is my indomitable and effective work ethic, nothing can stop me! My weakness is my difficulty approaching people in large crowds, but I feel I make up for it by being very approachable.”
VP Finance- Alicia Chan
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I’ve been managing Queer Concordia’s financial endeavors since Fall 2012, in the Fall of 2013 I became Queer Concordia’s first Financial Coordinator. I constructed a system of financial organization that can be easily understood and is implementable for my successor, and developed a system of financial accountability for the board.”
Strength & weakness
“My biggest strength is my objectivity, my biggest weakness is that I am uncomfortable talking from a personal standpoint.”
VP Loyola- Niki Fronesca
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“I see Loyola as being a blank canvas where the ideas generated will be able to create a plan for a campus that is more dynamic, involved and part of Concordia as a whole. I’m motivated to put into action the ideas that are feasible and brought forth by students, and I genuinely want to help connect the two campuses.”
Strength & weakness
“My biggest strength is my hard work ethic, my weakness is that I sometimes take on too many activities.”
VP External & Mobilization- Mathieu Guertin
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“Concordia students should vote for me because I am ready to work with all faculties and councillors, fee-levy groups and other outside stakeholders from an objective point of view that is constructive and beneficial for Concordia students.”
Strength & weakness
“Biggest strength: my collaborative approach. Biggest weakness: little patience for delays.”
VP Student Life- Charles-Eric Sum
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“As a student I missed a lot of events regarding orientation and frosh. I want to create more awareness for these activities because I believe they are moments where new students make friends and start making positive bonds with others which will increase their involvement in the university.”
Strength & weakness
“My weakness is that I am not familiar with politics, but my strength is that I can learn anything.”
VP Academic & Advocacy –Mareike Michele
Why should students vote for you?
Academics and Advocacy really do go hand in hand, I am continuously reminded that mutual understanding is largely built through education and productive dialogue can only happen once understanding is reached. My personal goal as VP Academic and Advocacy is to break down walls between groups that rarely communicate, but could benefit greatly from doing so.
Strength & weakness
My weakness is that I take on a lot and sometimes stress easy. Still, my greatest weakness is the other side of the coin to my greatest strength. The desire to execute everything properly and putting as much time and effort into the objectives I devote myself to as possible has yielded very positive results so far.
VP Sustainability- Bailey Watson
Why do you think Concordia students should vote for you?
“Growing up in a First Nations culture, the idea of interconnectedness between all of the earth’s creatures and our tasks as humans to maintain a balance that has taken billions of years to establish, has been something that has become deeply embedded in my psyche and guides my everyday decisions. My focus will be to support existing sustainable student groups by providing them with the resources, initiatives and collaborations they need.”
Strength & weakness
“My strength is my creativity and adaptability, my weakness is that I am shy.”
Independent
President- Chuck Wilson
Why do you think you make the best President for Concordia students?
“I think I am the best candidate for president because of my extensive qualifications, networks within the university, and ability to bring together both sides of an issue. I’ve held positions as a student representative throughout the university, which collectively has given me the legal, financial, and leadership skills to effectively direct the CSU executive. Besides my involvement in student politics, I’ve also experienced Concordia from the perspective of an uninvolved student, a TA, and a staff member. Combined, it’s given me a lot of insight into what students expect from their union and their university, as well as how the University bureaucracy approaches different issues.”
Why did you choose to run independently?
“While being an independent candidate certainly has its disadvantages when campaigning, the lack of “us versus them” mentality is a clear advantage to a presidential candidate in a non-slate system. I am not on one particular team I am on everyone’s team.”
Above all things, what do you stand for?
“Inclusivity and legitimacy.”
VP Sustainability- Michael Abbott
Why do you think you would make the best VP Sustainability for Concordia students?
“My key driving force in running for VP Sustainability lies in developing positive environmental planning via research, practice and hypotheses. I advocate for individual empowerment via sustainable mobility and local food policies.”
Why did you choose to run independently?
“Running independently is an amazing challenge. I was not expecting the amount of courage needed to stand solo and promote my ideas. I chose to run solo because I was tired of not being aware and feeling distanced from a student union that I belong to.”
With former Liberal MP Denis Coderre elected as Montreal’s new mayor, the Liberal party returns to power despite the Charbonneau Commission scandal of 2012 and being faced with increased opposition on city council.
The Nov. 3 election had a voter turnout of 43.24 per cent. Coderre’s win was predicted by many.
“People’s weak knowledge about local politics favours a bias toward popular and public figures,” said Jonathan Durand Folco, a PhD student in philosophy at Université Laval.
“This is particularly the case in the northern region of Montreal, where [Coderre] gathered many candidates of Union Montreal in his team.”
32.13 per cent of Montrealers opted for Mr. Coderre. Vrai Changement pour Montreal’s Mélanie Joly came in second with 26.46 per cent of the vote followed by Richard Bergeron of Projet Montreal and finally Coalition Montreal’s leader, Marcel Côté.
“I would not be surprised to see another scandal revealed by the Charbonneau Commission, like St-Léonard councillor Robert Zambito, who resigned over the UPAC investigation one week ago,” Folco added.
In their book Unionists or Thugs? leaders of the FTQ-Construction, Jocelyn Dupuis and Richard Goyette, stated Coderre had facilitated a secret meeting between Eddy Brandonne, treasurer of FTQ-construction, and Dupuis back in 2000, when Coderre was Secretary of State.
In 2012, Brandonne, a long-time Liberal party supporter, was found to have dealings with the Mafia, and admitted to knowing some members. When the press asked Coderre about his relationship with Brandonne, he refuted the allegation of bias.
This September, Coderre told Le Devoir in a press release,
“It must be remembered that at the time the various unions demanded major changes to the system of employment insurance. The negotiations have been very intense with all the unions, including the FTQ […] I can confirm that there has never been an agreement. […] Richard Goyette admits that the bill filed contained no requests for changes of the FTQ. It is unfortunate that Mr. Dupuis and Mr. Goyette, to sell their book, blame everyone for everything and take no responsibility for their actions.”
Changes to the law on employment insurance agreed in 2000 between the Liberal Party of Canada—Coderre included—and the FTQ-Construction were not billed, which generated discontent and distrust among FTQ members, as well as a sense of being manipulated by the party.
Canadian urban planner, Jane Jacobs, attributes the prevailing corruption from the Liberal Party of Quebec and Canada to the failure of the federation to counteract Quebec’s independence movement as she wrote in her book La question du separatism.
Jacobs told former journalist for Le Devoir and 2007 electoral candidate of the Parti Quebecois, Robin Philpot, that English and British Canada uses legal and illegal bribery to keep Quebec from separating.
The city council comprises 65 members, including 46 city councilors, 18 borough mayors, and the mayor. Équipe Denis Coderre has now 27 seats in the council.
As Projet Montreal came out with the majority of seats in opposition, MP political attaché Nìall Marichiweu says the results show that “Community based politics is the future of municipal politics in Montreal,” he said.
“I think that we’re at the brink of major shifts in the Canadian/Quebec political landscape […] this shows that Progressive Politics will come from the bottom-up as they should” said Marichiweu.
Folco, on the other hand, does not completely agree. He believes although the future of progressive politics will start locally, it would still need to be planned to avoid past mistakes.
“The challenge is to articulate urban struggles, the students movement, neighbourhood associations and other progressive actors like Quebec solidaire to build a new alternative in Montreal and other cities in Quebec,” said Folco.
It would be untrue to say that Quebec’s political scene isn’t wildly entertaining. This zoo we call our political system has been embarrassingly inadequate for the past few years, no matter who has been running it.
Graphic Jenny Kwan
When it came time to hit the polls last year, it was none other than Pauline Marois, infamous leader of the Parti Québécois, that took the vote by a mere one per cent, ousting the corruption-laden Liberal Party.
After over a year of watching Pauline Marois and her minority government struggle to make any valuable contribution to Quebec, Quebecers were eagerly awaiting to see whether she would call an election at the end of this year.
The answer is a resounding no. It seems 2014 will be the next time we’ll be choosing a provincial leader.
“The government doesn’t want general elections in 2013,” Marois told the press on Oct. 26. “The population gave us a mandate and we will continue to assume it. In the next few days, we will present our governmental orientations for solidarity because we think a responsible government must take care of people. We will also present our electrification strategy in transportation because we want Quebec to be a leader in that technology.”
Most importantly for Marois, it gives her a bit more time to convince voters to let her stay, no matter how unlikely that seems when you look at the facts.
Marois’ time in office has been a laughing affair. All the good she’s done politically has been almost completely shunned and overshadowed by a few major stunts that changed her reputation from separatist leader to separatist wacko.
Regardless of when the elections are held the hole Marois and the Parti Québécois have dug themselves will barter the same result: a change of heart politically for Quebecers. Whether it’s the reformed liberals, with Pierre Couillard now holding the reins, or the newly formed Coalition Avenir Quebec, it is highly unlikely that Marois will ever lead this province again.
QMI Agency political analyst Jean Lapierre said the PQ realized it didn’t have the poll numbers to win a majority government.
“Marois got spooked,” Lapierre said, according to The Toronto Sun. “Marois has been preparing for months to open a window for an election, and she choked.”
The truth is that as a province this isn’t what we need at the moment. Like the rest of the world, Quebecers all over the province have real issues that need fixing.
Our education system is in debt and needs more funding, our construction system is a mess, and our province is falling apart economically, mirrored by the economic plan the Parti Québécois announced last week.
“The economic plan announced last week signals a shift away from fiscal austerity, along with a hefty dose of interventionism in industrial policy that is destined to be rejected by the opposition parties at the first possible opportunity,” said Pierre Martin, a professor of political science at the Université de Montréal, in an article for The Toronto Star.
We took a gamble when we gave a separatist party a chance, and we lost our chips. Truth is, Quebec is a diverse province with an amazing population, and preserving the French language is an incredibly important issue. That being said, the party in place is simply too immature to lead. You cannot focus all of your attention and energy to language and “identity issues,” and ignore other pressing matters. It’s especially disconcerting that the one issue they are focusing on is being handled incorrectly.
The people in this province need to be united, and all the Parti Québécois has done is create issues to separate us. It’s time for a change.
With the municipal election growing closer, Quebec Community Groups Network’s (QCGN) Vote it Up campaign encourages students and youth to go to the polls on Nov. 3.
“QCGN is a not-for-profit organization bringing together 41 English-language community organizations across Quebec. Its mission is to identify, explore and address strategic issues affecting the development and vitality of English-speaking Quebec and to encourage dialogue and collaboration among its member organizations, individuals, community groups, institutions and leaders,” explains Director of Communications and Public Relations Rita Legault.
The Vote it Up campaign was created just before the 2012 Quebec provincial elections out of QCGN’s concern that young English-speaking Quebecers were not included in any of the other campaigns encouraging youth to vote.
“We made a proposal to the Directeur général des élections du Québec (DGEQ) to build a 2.0 campaign seeking to encourage young English-speaking Quebecers aged 18-35 to vote. We renewed our partnership with the municipal elections and look forward to continuing this collaboration over the next few years,” said Senior Project Manager Roseline Joyal-Guillot.
According to Creating Spaces, a 2009 study by the QCGN, English-speaking youth in Quebec face lower political participation and representation and higher unemployment rates compared to their Francophone counterparts.
Joyal-Guillot insists, “Vote it Up aims to spark youth interest around voting because voting is the first step in understanding the political landscape and actually contributing to some important decisions that affect their day-to-day lives.”
The main spokesperson for Vote it Up campaign is Rosanna Tomiuk, former national water polo Olympian, singer-songwriter, and young entrepreneur. The campaign has been working hard to recruit young ambassadors to spread the word on the importance of an English-speaking youth vote for Montreal.
“Youth are more inclined to get out and vote and get involved when they are engaged directly by someone they know. We have proposed a series of activities our young recruits can implement in their community to educate their peers about the importance of voting,” explains Tomiuk. “Youth aged 18 to 35 represent 25 per cent of the population of Quebec, but less than 30 per cent of us went to the polls in the last municipal elections.”
To stimulate further interest in English-speaking youth, Vote it Up is reaching out to young people where they gather most: on social networks such as Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.
With the Nov. 3 election day fast approaching, Richard Bergeron, Mélanie Joly, Denis Coderre and Marcel Côté spoke about the changes that needed to be implemented by Montrealers in order for the city to prosper at its full potential.
Photo from olc.spsd.sk.ca
On Friday Oct. 25 Montrealers gathered at the Loyola campus, where CJAD Radio and The Gazette had organized a debate with the Montreal mayoral candidates, in order to raise awareness of the importance of politics among young voters.
Mayoral candidates debated in English, addressing the future of the city of Montreal. The discussion opened with a question on reforming the municipal administration. Coderre started off by saying transparency and a zero tolerance policy needed to be implemented, and Joly added that making information public should be mandatory..
“The best defence against corruption is a well managed organization,” said Côté.
Bergeron pointed out that compliance among civil servants is a concern.
Tightening the belt in regards to possible increases in revenues was foreseen by Côté. Joly, however, pointed out that 70 per cent of Montreal’s revenue comes from property tax, while only 39 per cent of Toronto’s revenue comes from property tax.
Bergeron spoke about the 25 years of economic drama in Montreal. He explained that as a result, in the last 12 years, Montreal had lost 22,000 people and between 6,000 and 8,000 young families.
“2.5 billion dollars a year are invested by Montrealers outside of Montreal,” said Bergeron. He suggested that increasing the number of collective transit operations might keep young families from moving away to the suburbs.
The candidates also addressed multiculturalism, although it was bilingualism that received the most controversy from the audience.
“Montreal has to be run by all Montrealers,” said Côté when alluding to what some English speakers in the city consider to be strict policing on language. “We cannot let the Quebec government be the only actor.”
Bergeron, on the other hand, considered that linguistic balance has prevailed in the municipality.
“We need all to be united and work together,” Kofi Sonokpon, mayoral independent candidate, told The Concordian after the event.
“We need to have a massive turnout at our pools because this is the deciding moment for Montreal […] this is not the time to be cynical — cynicism is a trap that we need to avoid.”
Sonokpon urged people to find the right leadership that can raise the spirit of the city and change it for the better.
Julia Vera, a political science student at Concordia voting for the first time in municipal elections, sees hope for Montreal.
“In every society there are issues,” said Vera. “By going to the elections and seeing the candidates’ positions is the only way to know there is actually a solution and a way to find it.”
Christian Arsenault, 25, is the youngest Projet Montreal city councillor candidate running for Loyola’s district and shares Vera’s sentiments.
“A lot of young people tend to overlook [municipal politics], [but] it’s here at the local level that people can make big changes,” said Arsenault.
Arsenault is currently working on means to increase walkability and active means of transportation at Loyola, along with finding solutions for the needs of residents in the Walkley/Fielding area — one of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce’s poorest neighbourhoods — and Summerland Village.
In an interview with The Concordian Arsenault admitted that it was the corruption and administration problems in city hall that lead to his candidacy.
“There are so many important things that need to be looked at in the Loyola district that used to be ignored.”
