In Robin Ganev and RJ Gilmour’s collection of thirteen essays Queers Were Here, Canada’s queer community is put at the forefront. The essays explore the stories of the figures who shaped gay culture and identity across the country. The book ultimately demonstrates that queer people have always existed in Canada[Read More…]
Tag: Canada
Remembrance Day should not be an occasion for indifference
The time of year has once again arrived when we see bright scarlet poppies pinned on the breasts of innumerable coats and sweaters. Evoking the frightening clashes of bayonets upon bloody fields, the reverberating shocks and explosions of shells colliding with rain-beaten garrisons, and the agonized screams of trembling men,[Read More…]
Invasive species found moving into Canadian ports
Species in one continent can move to and thrive in another in a matter of days. In McGill’s backyard, mussels that have never been seen in Canada were discovered at the Old Port. With humans as their vessels, invasive species are continent-hopping at an alarming rate according to Associate Professor[Read More…]
Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship hosts public forum on electoral reform at McGill
On Oct. 20, the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship (CSDC) held a forum on federal electoral reform at McGill's New Residence Hall with the goal of engaging the public in a discussion on possible alternative electoral systems for Canada. Four distinguished academics, Political Science Associate Professor Sven-Oliver Proksch[Read More…]
Origins of the Canadian accent: Canadian English and factors that contribute to linguistic change
Despite many linguistic similarities with our southern neighbour, the Canadian accent—or accents—can be as distinctive as our love of hockey, maple syrup, and good manners. The origins of Canadian English can be traced back to the American Revolution in the late 18th century when roughly 45,000 Loyalists—American colonists still faithful[Read More…]
Bill C-14’s flaw: Who deserves the right to die?
In 2015, the Supreme Court declared the existing absolute ban on physician-assisted death unconstitutional in the landmark case, Carter v. Canada. In this case, two women, both of whom suffered from degenerative diseases, argued that their inability to access physician-assisted death was grounds for discrimination because neither had the physical[Read More…]
The decline of the Canadian dollar
On Jan. 20, the Canadian dollar (CAD) fell to a new record low: It was the weakest the CAD had been since April 2003. On that day, every Canadian dollar was worth only 68.5 American cents, part of a larger and ongoing decline experienced by the loonie. Since then it[Read More…]
The case for Canadian content on Netflix
Netflix’s recent decision to crack down on the use of virtual private networks (VPN)—location maskers that permit international subscribers to access content reserved for other countries—should ultimately result in greater viewership of Canadian productions. While VPN providers—including Faraz Ali, the digital marketing manager for PureVPN—have expressed their skepticism towards Netflix’s[Read More…]
On the emptiness of ‘post-national’ values
Being Canadian has never been so confusing. According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada has transcended the nation-state paradigm to become the first ‘post-national’ state, where ‘openness,’ ‘respect,’ ‘compassion,’ and ‘willingness to work hard’ are the country’s only distinguishing values. Trudeau’s presumable aim is to counteract bigotry and divisiveness by[Read More…]
The changing nature of Canadian and American border security
The Canadian border with the United States is the longest un-militarized border in the world, a statistic symbolic of the peaceful relationship the two countries have held for hundreds of years; however, it does not take into account recent efforts or attitudes towards strengthening security along this 8,890 kilometre long[Read More…]
