Arriving back to Montreal in the heat and humidity of late August, I was greeted by hundreds of smiling Thomas Mulcair signs. My mother, who was with me, asked me how many shots it must have taken to make Mulcair look that friendly. She had a point. Prior to the[Read More…]
Tag: Canada
The greater goal of the Women’s World Cup
It amazes me when girls, many of whom play soccer themselves, say matter-of-factly that they do not like watching women’s soccer as much as men’s. Perhaps those who watched this year’s Women’s World Cup, held in Canada, might now say otherwise, yet by simply looking at my own experiences, it’s[Read More…]
Considering Canada Day in the context of Bill C-24
Last week, I celebrated my first Canada Day as a new citizen. My family immigrated here a little over five years ago and earlier this year, I took my oath of citizenship. Being Canadian offers opportunities, rights, and privileges that being a citizen of Bangladesh does not. Although I received[Read More…]
Upholding McGill’s student refugee responsibility
The Student Refugee Program (SRP) at McGill is one that few students are aware of. The SRP funds refugees from around the world to come study in Canada. The McGill undergraduate student body currently helps fund two students per year through the program, with a Students’ Society of McGill University[Read More…]
Commentary: Canada needs to renew responsibility towards refugees
Just last month, the Canadian government fulfilled its commitment that it made in 2013 to bring 1,300 Syrian refugees into the country by the end of 2014. The government has announced a decision to receive 10,000 additional refugees in the next three years. However, as the civil war in Syria[Read More…]
Off the board: Gentrification, urban-ecoism, and cultural perspectives
The houses in Kathmandu, Nepal, where my grandparents live are very tall and narrow—there’s not a lot of buildable space in the actual city. My grandparents’ house doesn’t have central heating. It’s wired up to the electrical grid, but the electricity isn’t always there. For several hours a day, electricity[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…]
Scholars examine racial discourse and practices in Canada, United States
A panel discussion on the history and development of anti-black racial practices in Canada and the United States was held on Feb. 16 as part of the David A. Freedman Speaker Series. Titled “Discourses of Race: The United States, Canada, and Transnational Anti-Blackness,” the event was organized by the McGill[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…]