McGill students have recently found themselves a steamy new Wednesday night mistress. It would appear that weeknight beer-drinking types have left Gerts, a McGill institution, in favour of a newer, larger establishment—Ace Bar and Grill. This Winter, Gerts has felt the painful backlash of its once loyal customers leaving its [Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Commentary: Exercising justice at the McGill Fitness Centre
Controversy stirred on campus last week as Soumia Allalou and Raymond Grafton, two McGill Law students, reached out to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) asking for endorsement for the implementation of women-only hours at the McGill Fitness Centre. Despite the fact that this is a common feature in[Read More…]
Commentary: Employment insurance ineffective in Canada
Over the past few decades, Canadians have taken steps—from the Canada Pension Plan to universal health care—to make Canada a more caring and equitable society. However, despite politicians’ best intentions, these societal efforts can sometimes produce unintended negative consequences. Nowhere is this more evident than with the current design of[Read More…]
PGSS interim secretary-general profiles and endorsement
SATURNIN NDANDALA Saturnin Ndandala, PhD student in Management and Higher Education, currently serves on the PGSS Policy and Structural Advisory Committee. According to Ndandala, his primary goal if elected would be to improve transparency within the PGSS. Other goals Ndandala lists include establishing minimum funding for all post-graduate students, and[Read More…]
Editorial: Debating divestment – Editorial and dissent
Divest McGill, a student group that attempts to lobby the university to divest its financial holdings in fossil fuel companies, recently submitted a proposal to the McGill Board of Governors (BoG) Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR). This proposal specifically targets the estimated five per cent of[Read More…]
Fears of extremism limiting freedoms in Canada
Since Stephen Harper proposed Bill C-51 against terrorism, several events have taken place that call into question the establishment of laws and rulings to combat extremism that some fear may be growing in Canada. Officially, Bill C-51 gives Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) agents greater power to address “security threats” both[Read More…]
Why Canada should reinstate the mandatory long-form census
The first week of February saw the defeat of a bill to reinstate Canada’s mandatory long-form census, prompting a sigh of discontent and discouragement from many Canadians. While every opposition Member of Parliament (MP) voted in favour, all but one Conservative MP voted against it, preventing the bill from passing[Read More…]
Towards a new system of social security
The Canadian government has a wide array of programs in place to alleviate poverty. At the federal level alone, the government spends 10 per cent of GDP on a multitude of cash transfer programs. Despite this, around nine per cent of Canadians still live in poverty. The solution could be[Read More…]
Low rates of sexual assault in university records highlight problems with reporting
The unfortunate truth about sexual violence is that it is something that many women face in their lifetimes, with an especially worrisome frequency at universities. Over the past couple of years, the media has been flooded with stories about the problem of sexual assault on university campuses. However, across Canada,[Read More…]
Commentary: A progressive paradox
Across North America, left-wing politicians are proposing a raft of new spending programs. In Canada, both Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair have plans for universal, government-funded childcare, and in the United States, President Obama wants to introduce tuition-free community college. There are good arguments both for and against these programs,[Read More…]
