With first- and second-year classes averaging 69 enrolled students—and many required classes tallying in the hundreds—McGill must create more opportunities for students to collaborate in smaller sections. The benefits of small-group learning have been widely documented; it is in McGill’s best interest to draw money from its endowment to expand[Read More…]
Commentary
When Ottawa cuts, Kahnawà:ke pays
Through Bill C-5’s ‘Building Canada Act,’ the Carney administration aims to achieve extensive economic development projects—though without respect for Indigenous rights and sovereignty. When critical funding for Indigenous services is placed on the chopping block, Indigenous communities have no choice but to take sovereign action to secure for themselves what[Read More…]
A local grocer staves off the predatory Loblaws monopoly
In the Mile End, on av. du Parc just south of av St.-Viateur, lies Lipa’s Kosher Market. Lipa’s, established over 70 years ago, belongs to a dying breed of local grocers geared to the needs of their community: In Lipa’s case, the Montreal Hasidic Jewish community. However, this past August,[Read More…]
Fare dodging: Transit accessibility tactic or detractor?
Fare dodging, for many urban dwellers, is simply a part of life. Whether it be leaping over a turnstile at the metro entrance or sneaking onto the back of the bus, the practice of evading public transit fees is regarded by many as innocuous and commonplace. Over the past decade,[Read More…]
The poppy ban gets neutrality wrong
Everything is political—but not everything should be policed. This is the tension that sits at the heart of a recent decision in Nova Scotia, in which the judiciary ruled that court staff must seek the presiding judge’s permission to wear the Remembrance Day poppy, terming it a ‘symbol of support’[Read More…]
Quebec independence will not solve climate change
Hundreds of Quebec separatists—predominantly younger Quebecers—gathered in Montreal on Oct. 25 for a rally reaffirming their desire for independence 30 years after the 1995 Referendum for Quebec sovereignty, which failed by less than one per cent. The young Quebecers at the front of this movement not only argue that secession[Read More…]
The Port of Montreal expansion can be great—if Carney listens to residents’ concerns
The long-planned Contrecœur Terminal Expansion Project aims to expand the Port of Montreal’s shipping container capacity by 60 per cent by building a new port 40 kilometres away from Montreal. At its core, this expansion is a good idea: It will create jobs and stabilize Canada’s American-skewed international trade dynamic.[Read More…]
Reporting on the Garment District’s new bike path doesn’t tell the full story
Last spring, the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville installed a new bike lane, slicing through Montreal’s historic Garment District. Businesses claimed to suffer sales losses as customers who could not find parking started shopping elsewhere. At least, that’s the narrative that news outlets perpetuate. In reality, while controversy around new bike lanes[Read More…]
The true cost of daylight saving: Gaining an hour, losing our rhythm
As we trade our jack-o-lanterns for winter coats, a new yuletide tradition takes over. With the first snow rapidly approaching and the air already crisp with season’s greetings, it must be that festive time of the year: Daylight saving time (DST). Across the country, people collectively forget to adjust their[Read More…]
Housing is urgent; disclosure should be too
There is no debate that Montreal is experiencing a housing crisis. It is also equally evident that Chinatown’s remaining infrastructural heritage is scarce and essential to the preservation of Chinese culture in Montreal. Those two facts should be mutually exclusive, but right now, municipal lawmakers are threatening to turn Chinatown[Read More…]