Oh, the impermanence of young love. Not long ago, Canada’s youth naively fawned over Justin Trudeau. But, as flings meet their bitter ends, so too do they begin anew. Canadians have moved on to a new flame—newly-elected, uber-chic New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh. Compared to Trudeau, his suits[Read More…]
Commentary
“Should I stay or should I go?” An Uber story
Back in the simpler days of September 2016, the incorporation of Uber into Quebec’s transportation sector created an upheaval in the province’s usually peacefully monotonous system. After first threatening to shut Uber down, the Quebec government only agreed to a one-year “Pilot Project” with the ride-hailing service—demonstrating that Quebec has[Read More…]
Dear Quebec, give Jagmeet Singh a fair shot
The New Democratic Party (NDP) has been in hibernation since the last federal election. It shed several pounds in Parliament—from 103 to 44 seats after the 2015 election—and ran its it’s base’s enthusiasm enthusiasm dry, leaving a skeleton of good policy remaining but little charisma. In this weak position, the[Read More…]
“What were you wearing?” and other questions to stop asking rape victims
Content warning: This article discusses rape and sexual assault. How much did you drink? Did you realize you were drunk? Did you take drinks from a stranger at the bar? What were you wearing? Why would you walk home alone? Did you try telling him to stop? These were some[Read More…]
To the cocky cyclist: Traffic laws apply to bikers, too
My roommate recently had a near collision with a cyclist at the intersection of Mont-Royal and Saint-Urbain. She, as a pedestrian, had the right of way; the cyclist did not. As a morning bike commuter myself, I have seen firsthand some of the liberties cyclists take with traffic laws. This[Read More…]
There’s no such thing as free public transit
A Quebec think tank recently proposed the idea that Montreal should make public transportation free. The primary goals of the proposal, released by the Instititut de recherche et d’informations socio-economiques (IRIS), are to alleviate traffic and carbon emissions. However, despite its findings, it’s not immediately obvious that making transit free[Read More…]
The VP External should support student initiatives, not direct them
On Sept. 15, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited McGill to inaugurate a new Facebook Artificial Intelligence lab. However important the initiative, Trudeau’s welcome was lukewarm. A group of students, including Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer, protested the Prime Minister’s visit. The protesters accused Trudeau[Read More…]
Rape culture exists: McGill Rez Project must do more to change attitudes
Over the past two weeks, McGill’s first year residents have been participating in mandatory Rez Project workshops tackling topics such as gender, sexuality, and sexual violence. I attended one of these workshops, and what I found was an audience that completely disregarded the importance of the session. A number of[Read More…]
Montreal does not need beautification, but restoration
Among the gaping potholes, crumbling concrete, and constant display of orange construction cones around Montreal, a different colour has sprung up around the Lachine area of Highway 20. Sound barriers and underpasses have been painted blue, little blue reflective signs have been stuck into the ground, and giant blue light[Read More…]
McGill campus is still stuck in the BDS debate
If you didn't understand last week's highly technical debate over the constitutionality of the composition of the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU)'s Board of Directors, you may be in luck. Underlying that debate was an entirely different issue, one much more familiar to students—the dispute over the Boycott, Divestment,[Read More…]
