It’s music monday!This week we have “Sorry Snowman”. A band from Ottawa that has a unique indie rock sound. “Sorry Snowman” currently has 1,254 monthly listeners.What is now a 4 […]
Valentina Ortiz Galvis
Photos:
March 15, 2023 Revised: March 22, 2023 1:19pm
It’s music monday! This week we have “Sorry Snowman”. A band from Ottawa that has a unique indie rock sound. “Sorry Snowman” currently has 1,254 monthly listeners. What is now a 4 person band, originally began with Sean Lundy, a first year student at Carleton University. During his first year at Carleton he released a solo EP. Soon after he met Owen Allan, Cole Hallman and Dax Cardoso-Grant in their Carleton residence, and bonded over their shared interest in music.
A hit song of theirs is “Halloween Party” and is apparently one of their favourites to play live.
The 50th photography exhibition has come home for the big anniversary. The exhibition, which opened on March 9 in the A-building at Algonquin College, is held to display and purchase […]
Blaire Waddell
Photos: Blaire Waddell
March 14, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Blaire Waddell
Students show their work to family and friends at the photography exhibition.
The 50th photography exhibition has come home for the big anniversary.
The exhibition, which opened on March 9 in the A-building at Algonquin College, is held to display and purchase the work of second-year students while raising money for a charity of the students’ choice.
This year, the students decided to raise money for CHEO, a pediatric hospital located in Ottawa and a trauma centre for children in Eastern Ontario, Nunavut and Northern Ontario.
“It feels pretty cool to display all the work we have done over the past two years. It is also pretty great to also see our money go to CHEO and help the community,” said Gabby Lugli, a second-year photography student.
Past photography exhibitions have taken place in various spots in Ottawa, but this year it took place where the program is located.
“It’s quite amazing to see that the program has been going this long and it’s nice to have the 50th come back into the program because we haven’t been doing that in the past. This way we can show off the students’ work as well as the space,” said Jason Machinski, professor of the Algonquin College photography program.
Throughout the evening of the opening event, you could find students, alumni, professors and family members in the first-year classroom with snacks and drinks arranged on various tables. There were portraits, commercial photography and street photography spread throughout the photography hallway.
While the exhibition happens every year, alumni always stop by and support the graduating students and catch up with their former professors.
“Coming back to the college after being an alumni is definitely different for sure. It feels good to catch up with all the professors and it is a great opportunity to network,” said Lauren Pare, a photography alumni. “Being an alumni has really helped me connect with students, encourage them and give them words of advice. I’m glad that I can still be involved in the Algonquin College photography community even after graduating.”
The photography exhibition is happening until April 9 and prints will be available to purchase in various sizes through the photography program website. All money raised will go to the CHEO Foundation.
Local News CTV: An Ottawa mother, Boravy Buth, has been charged with second-degree murder and criminal negligence resulting in death, after her infant son died in 2021, Ottawa Police announced […]
Brandon Plant
Photos:
March 14, 2023 Revised: March 14, 2023 1:23pm
Local News
CTV: An Ottawa mother, Boravy Buth, has been charged with second-degree murder and criminal negligence resulting in death, after her infant son died in 2021, Ottawa Police announced Monday.
This comes a few weeks after the police had charged Buth and another man, Patrick O’Connor, after failing to provide the necessities of life to the infant boy.
The infant boy was seven weeks old when he died on Oct. 26, 2021.
National News
CTV: Vital Statistics, an agency that records all important records for Canadian citizens, and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, signed an agreement to ensure the centre receives copies of birth and death records of Manitoban residential school victims on Monday.
One of the ways this information will be used is to create a national child registry, to help identify children who died at the schools.
The registry however will only be available to members of the victim’s family, as the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) considers the information private.
While provinces such as Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta have already shared similar information, a few provinces have yet to do so.
It’s imperative the NCTR receives this information from all provinces and territories in Canada to ensure families have proper closure, according to Manitoban Government Services Minister James Teitsma.
International News
Reuters: After the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, U.S. President Joe Biden announced some new protective measures to restore trust in the banking system on Monday morning.
The collapse of SVB is the largest bank collapse since the 2008 financial crisis.
In response to this, bank stocks in the United States and internationally have begun to sink rapidly, forcing the federal government to act swiftly to stop the market free fall.
During his televised statement on Monday, the president announced that he will be working with banking regulators and Members of Congress from the House of Representatives to strengthen the rules on banks to ensure a collapse like this never can happen again.
Biden also announced the federal government will be creating a new department to give banks access to emergency funds. The president as well intends to make it easier for banks to borrow from the Federal Reserve in emergency scenarios.
She watched her neighbours killed, and with her family, Michaëlle Jean fled Haiti to escape Duvalier’s regime, under which her father was arrested and tortured in 1965. “Growing up in […]
Kerry Slack
Photos: Kerry Slack
March 12, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Kerry Slack
Former governor general Michaëlle Jean gives a passionate International Women's Day talk at Nawapon on Wednesday.
She watched her neighbours killed, and with her family, Michaëlle Jean fled Haiti to escape Duvalier’s regime, under which her father was arrested and tortured in 1965.
“Growing up in Haiti, indifference was not an option,” Jean, the former governor general of Canada, said in an impassioned presentation hosted by the Leadership Development for Women Group which started International Women’s Day in Algonquin College’s Nawapon on Wednesday.
Staff, students and online attendees packed the venue to hear Jean share her experiences growing up, in her career and in her current role fundraising for underrepresented youth.
“I’m excited,” Diane McCutcheon, vice-president of human resources said. “I’m so grateful to the Leadership Development for Women group for getting her to speak with us.”
Jean, connecting with her audience said: “Your energy re-enforces mine. I can’t wait to share my energy with you.”
That she did.
Jean reflected on and honoured gritty women who paved the way, such as: Agnes McPhail, the first woman elected to the House of Commons; Emily Murphy, a women’s rights activist and author; and, Mary Ann Shadd, an abolitionist.
“These women fought for us all,” Jean said. “They fought for every one of us in this room. I think that they fought for the greater good.”
A former journalist, broadcaster and filmmaker, Jean served as commander-in-chief of Canada from 2002 to 2010. She is the first black woman to reach the highest constitutional office in the country.
At the end of her mandate, the United Nations asked her to support reconstruction efforts in Haiti, which was devastated by a massive earthquake in 2010. She also served as chancellor of the University of Ottawa from 2011 to 2014.
Together with her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond, she co-chairs the Michaëlle Jean Foundation. Programs help support platforms and civic initiatives alongside some of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised young people in Canada for action against exclusion.
The event saw attendees shed tears and through her innate ability to connect, Jean was able to bring the guests to laughter as well. She addressed sensitive subjects — the right to vote, the British North America Act, violence against women and the fast-growing numbers of cyber crimes against women — with confidence and infectious ease.
“She was able to educate us through her storytelling. She quoted history, and statistics, but also backed it all up with personal experience, her story,” said Emily Roberts, a student success specialist and coordinator of the bachelor of commerce program. “That to me is truly an art form.”
Diane McCutcheon, Emily Roberts, Edward Matwawana, and Michaëlle Jean talk ahead of the presentation. Photo credit: Kerry Slack
Delving into more current realities, Jean focused heavily on exclusion.
“Exclusion takes lives,” Jean said, then paused for a few seconds, letting it sink in.
“A society that fails to include not only shirks its responsibility and fails to care for its people, it deprives itself of vital contributions,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to exclude.”
“Not being recognized undermines a person,” Jean said. “By not recognizing you they seek to make you invisible. Yet still, we are classified as visible minorities. Such torment can kill a person and it does. The facts are there.”
“We need to unite. Hand-to-hand, solidarity extended across life experiences, skin colour, gender identities and cultural backgrounds,” Jean said. “It is essential that all of us unite. Black, First Nations, Inuit and Metis people, white, Asian and humans of all stripes around our future. Around the sacredness of life.”
Wrapping up by highlighting the present disparities in women’s roles in the technologies and science sectors, Jean said she holds hope for the youth. She sees the youth today as creative and ready to speak up and challenge the system.
Michaëlle Jean says thank you with a heart hand gesture. Photo credit: Kerry Slack
When asked how to make change, her answer was so simple. “Speak up, listen,” Jean said. “Take action. This provides other people with the space to do the same.”
“When you make space to listen, when people see that you get it, when you give space for people to understand, it’s a great way to serve,” Jean said.
Kara McNeil, the equity, diversity and inclusion coordinator, quietly said, “I love that.”
“I know,” Jean replied. “I can see it in your eyes.”
Featured Story | News
#news | Activism | Events | International Women's Day | Politics
Local Ottawa Citizen: Following various weeks of trials and deliberations, an Ottawa man was found guilty of second-degree murder on March 8 in the death of Jonathan Hammell in Chinatown. […]
Stephen Priel
Photos:
March 10, 2023 Revised: March 10, 2023 1:58pm
Local
Ottawa Citizen: Following various weeks of trials and deliberations, an Ottawa man was found guilty of second-degree murder on March 8 in the death of Jonathan Hammell in Chinatown.
Kevin Richer testified that he killed his neighbour in self-defence on Nov. 11, 2020.
Richer had accused Hammell and other neighbours of stealing his bicycle. This accusation saw Richer start yelling at him his fellow street-mates.
He then had a confrontation with Hammell, who after being accused fled and armed himself with a golf club. When Hammell ran into Richer again, Richer sliced his throat and left Hamell in a pool of his own blood.
There is no set date for the hearing to determine whether Richer will face criminal charges. There will also be psychiatrists’ testimonies and reports included in the hearing as well.
National
Global News: People facing the possibility of their own death are welcome in a Moncton cafe for bi-weekly discussions about the meaning of death and more.
Michelle Tupy, the community services director of the Hospice of Southeast New Brunswick, says that the hospice decided to host these meetings to allow people to let their feelings out.
“I see people get emotional, which I think is a wonderful thing because in this society we are afraid to open up and really share those feelings,” said Tupy.
The gatherings are not based on any preconceived ideas or viewpoints regarding death. They cover a variety of topics, such as comprehending sadness and discussing the dread of dying.
Death cafes are a worldwide phenomenon that have taken place in 44 different countries, Moncton, N.B. being the latest to enjoy this concept.
International
BBC: The hashtag #OscarsSoWhite has changed the culture of the Academy Awards ceremony, according to the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
This hashtag was created eight years ago to highlight the lack of diversity and representation in the nominees for the award. This is due to the Oscars’ historical preference for white men.
The study, led by the University of Southern California, shows that there has been a positive upturn in numbers going from 8 per cent to 17 per cent in terms of diversity of nominees.
Janet Yang, president of the academy, has made a conscious effort to expand its spectrum of participants with younger and more multicultural people spearheading the club so that the level of diversity continues to increase.
Local Ottawa Citizen: Liberal MP Marc Garneau is resigning his seat after 15 years in politics. Garneau, a former minister of foreign affairs and transportation and a senior Liberal MP, […]
Kate Playfair
Photos:
March 9, 2023 Revised: March 9, 2023 1:58pm
Local
Ottawa Citizen: Liberal MP Marc Garneau is resigning his seat after 15 years in politics.
Garneau, a former minister of foreign affairs and transportation and a senior Liberal MP, announced his retirement to his party’s Quebec caucus Wednesday morning. He shared the news to the national caucus afterwards. He will be addressing his announcement in his speech at the House of Commons on Thursday .
Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos said the news was a “great shock” and a “great loss” for all Canadians.
National
National Post: Ontario “looking closely” at following B.C.’s example in covering prescribed contraception.
B.C. announced its budget plan last week to dedicate $119 million to cover the cost of prescribed contraception over the next three years, including most oral contraception, injections, copper and hormonal intrauterine devices, subdermal implants and Plan B.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said she is “looking closely” at what B.C. has proposed and whether Ontario will follow suit.
International
CBC: Joe Biden’s green energy investment is putting pressure on other countries to invest quickly.
The U.S. president’s climate bill, signed six months ago, has made an impact that has spread across the globe, making the pressure for other countries to offer similar subsidies rise.
The Inflation Reduction Act, a program pledging to direct government dollars into developing low-carbon energy, could force countries around the world to introduce their own subsidies to improve climate change conditions.
The Algonquin Wolves women’s basketball program collected the bronze medal in a thrilling 56-52 win over the Fanshawe College Falcons at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championships on Sunday. Canadian […]
Brandon Plant
Photos: Niagara College Knights
March 8, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Niagara College Knights
The Algonquin Wolves women's basketball program is all smiles after winning the bronze medal on Sunday.
The Algonquin Wolves women’s basketball program collected the bronze medal in a thrilling 56-52 win over the Fanshawe College Falcons at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association championships on Sunday.
Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association All-Canadian guard Dasia McDonald led the way for the Wolves, registering 19 points during the contest, while first team CCAA all-star Libby Hirst in the paint rebounded the ball 13 times, eight of which were defensive rebounds.
“This was a fantastic season and I am so incredibly proud of the team and the hard work they put in this year,” Wolves head coach Jaime McLean said. “We were aiming for gold but are very happy with the bronze result.”
Sydney Moore was awarded the player of the game for the Wolves, registering three blocks and three rebounds to go with her eight points on the day.
Player of the game Sydney Moore defends the Wolves zone. Photo credit: Niagara College Knights
“Sydney has been a huge piece of this program the past two years, and I am so proud that she finally got some of the recognition that she deserves for all of her hard work,” McLean said. “Her stepping up in the second half is what being a veteran is all about.”
After going undefeated in the regular season with a 14-0 record, the Wolves suffered their first loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion against Lambton College, the eventual silver medalists, in the quarter-final matchup by a score of 53-38 on Saturday.
The Wolves, however, would salvage their season the next day with a triumphant bounce-back win in the bronze medal game.
Algonquin Wolves players explode in jubilation after securing the Bronze medal. Photo credit: Niagara College Knights
While this may have not been the result the Wolves were looking for, McLean believes the program has plenty to look forward to next year.
“The future of this program is very bright. We have pretty much the entire roster returning next season and will have some great additions as well,” McLean said.
“I’m excited to have the bronze medal finish as motivation for next year.”
Algonquin College’s public relations program is close to publishing the Beyond the Barriers zine, which focuses on student and faculty perspectives of the pandemic through personal stories. Beyond the Barriers […]
Noah Leafloor
Photos: Noah Leafloor
March 7, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Noah Leafloor
Arkyn Kornell and Shion Hyde, second-level PR students, work on the zine in the Student Commons E-Building on Feb. 8.
Algonquin College’s public relations program is close to publishing the Beyond the Barriers zine, which focuses on student and faculty perspectives of the pandemic through personal stories.
Beyond the Barriers is a digital and print fundraising event. The digital zine, which readers can access for a low cost, is on the PR website and will have a link to a charity. There will also be links on their ACPR Instagram. A limited number of print copies are being sold on the ACPR campaign website.
According to the campaign website, limited physical copies will be available at certain campaign events. There will be the option to pre-order a physical copy of the zine, which will be available following the closing deadline, the website says.
The digital zine will be published on March 21 alongside the overall campaign launch event, which is called “Conquering the Current.”
The charity the PR program is working with is an organization called Upstream Ottawa. Upstream specializes in high-quality, client-centred, community-based mental health services. The organization loves fundraising events because fundraisers keep their services and programs running for the community.
Arkyn Kornell, a second-level student in the PR program, came up with the zine idea. Kornell has worked on zines before and presented the Beyond the Barriers idea with passion.
“To me, it’s all about self-reflection,” said Kornell. “This was a time of global change, and we captured the emotions it brought with it through powerful mediums.”
The goal of the zine is to provide personal stories, and with that, create connections between the readers and the contributors.
“The main thing is we are not alone in this. There were a lot of barriers, such as mental health and no physical contact. And that is represented by the cover of the zine. The theatre masks represent the emotional barriers, while the COVID masks are the physical,” said Kornell.
The Beyond the Barriers cover which symbolizes the physical and emotional barriers felt during and after the pandemic. Photo credit: Arkyn Kornell
Thanks to the PR professors and connections, the zine received a healthy variety of submissions from diverse programs.
“We have people from eight different programs that applied,” said Kornell. “This just provides student-wide reach and have contributors from around the school to show their stories.”
One of the PR students will be showcasing their pandemic experience in the zine.
“I think it’s a nice way to bring people back together to show how we emerged from it,” said Shion Hyde, the second-level student in the PR program who will have their own piece in it.
The program coordinator who supervises the charity and teaches the PR students is excited.
“I’m a big believer in this,” said Lara Mills, the PR program coordinator. “It’s a coming together moment. It’s an artifact.”
When asked about future events and charity, she said: “I’d like people to buy it so we can donate to the campaign. Upstream provides hands-on support, and they innovate which helps students and the community.”
The PR program also created a Discord chat where the contributors can get a sense of community with each other instead of feeling isolated.
“It creates some unity. It’s not like, oh, I created this project and the whole point of this is to say we’re not alone. So, we want to make sure they have access to talking to each other about their experiences,” said Kornell.
The zine will have full-page features for each artist to show off the talent of diverse backgrounds. The features will allow family and community to feel represented.
“For example, if it was a recipe, it’s going to have the recipe, what it means to the person and the program with credit,” said Kornell. “All the contributors are getting their time and effort for free. It was getting a volunteer base.”
Going along with the main message, the PR program hopes people will support the zine by coming to events and taking time to reflect on what happened these past couple of years.
The Ottawa Senators played tough against the Columbus Blue Jackets and skated their way with pride to a 5-2 win on Saturday night. The Senators carried a four-game winning streak […]
TJ Sider
Photos: Kerry Slack
March 5, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Kerry Slack
A mother and daughter have a great time while watching their Senators play.
The Ottawa Senators played tough against the Columbus Blue Jackets and skated their way with pride to a 5-2 win on Saturday night.
The Senators carried a four-game winning streak into the game against the Blue Jackets.
Fans at the Canadian Tire Centre were treated to several celebrations Saturday night as they honoured Derick Brassard skating in his 1000th NHL game, which he played against the New York Rangers on Thursday night.
He was joined by friends, family, his team and the home crowd as a special tribute video was played for him, and he was hounoured with a silver stick. In a true show of class and sportsmanship, he invited his team to centre ice for a photo.
Each fan in the arena received a free Senators Pride T-shirt on the back of their seats as the Canadian Tire Centre celebrated Pride Night. The event was held in partnership with the You Can Play Project, an activist group focused on combating homophobia in sports.
Senators Travis Hamonic scored one for the home crowd in the sixth minute of the first period with the Blue Jackets not far behind, as Jack Roslovic scored one for the Blue Jackets 18 seconds later, tying the game at 1-1.
Close to the halfway mark of the first period, Tim Stützle scored the Sens’ second goal. The first period ended with the Sens up 2-1.
Hamonic scored another goal shortly into the second period taking the score to 3-1 for the Senators.
The fans loudly greeted new Senator, Jakob Chychrun, who scored with a wrist shot.
Patrick Laine followed up quickly and brought Columbus its second goal of the night.
In the third period, the Sens scored another goal through a wrist shot by Stützle. The goal brought the final total to a 5-2 Sens victory.
The Senators will play their next five games on the road, starting Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Featured Story | Sports & Recreation
Ottawa Senators | Pride | Senators | Sports | Sports and recreation
On the morning of Feb. 16, Lina Alalwani, a third-year student in the early learning and community development program, stood at a small table in the Student Commons building with […]
Brahim Ait Ouzineb
Photos: Brahim Ait Ouzineb
March 3, 2023 Revised: January 30, 2024 3:36pm
Photo: Brahim Ait Ouzineb
“We are here to tell people what happened and encourage them to donate,” said Lina Alalwani.
On the morning of Feb. 16, Lina Alalwani, a third-year student in the early learning and community development program, stood at a small table in the Student Commons building with the flags of Syria and Turkey and some printed news articles in front of her.
Just ten days before, on Feb. 6 at 4:17 a.m., while people were inside sleeping, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria. Some made it out, but 47,000 people are known to have died.
“I asked for that [corner] and they were so helpful,” she said about Algonquin College. “They gave me a space to address the Algonquin College community directly. It is helpful but the people there need more. They really need more. They are suffering.”
Due to the political scene in Syria, Alawani explained, not enough support has been dispatched in comparison to Turkey. The least Alalwani felt she could do is inform the college community about the situation.
The World Health Organization’s press release states that US$43 million is required to support 26 million affected people.
“We are here to tell people what happened and encourage them to donate,” said Alalwani.
The Turkish and Syrian students are deeply affected by the tragedy. Fifty-nine international students from Turkey study at Algonquin College. Algonquin Times could not get the number of students affected by the tragedy due to privacy reasons.
As soon as the recruitment team at Algonquin College that works with students from Turkey heard the news they reached out. “Christine Peachey, associate director of international operations sent out a communication to all Turkish students expressing our concerns and sympathies and advising/informing them of the range of counselling and support services offered by the college,” said Damien Dunne, associate director of international recruitment and business development.
Claude Brulé, on behalf of the Algonquin College team, sent an email to students from both countries on Feb. 7, 2023. The email included all the necessary links for those who need support.
Pinar Deniz Yapici, counsellor at the embassy of Turkey in Ottawa, says he has not heard from any Algonquin College students related to the earthquake but they are ready to help.
Canada and Turkey cooperated at different bureaus to ensure proper support was dispatched to impacted areas. In such extraordinary situations, the Turkish Embassy does not distinguish between Turkish, Syrian, students or ordinary citizens.
“As you can imagine, you have to act very quickly,” said Yapici. “So we cannot differentiate between different groups. We have educational sections in Toronto focused specifically on our students. But this earthquake is a totally different thing, so everybody is involved.”
The current harsh climate conditions in the two countries mean the situation is especially difficult for the people there. They need winter tents, sleeping bags, heaters and generators. As they hadn’t faced a tragedy like this in over 200 years, according to Yapici, they were not prepared. All organizations are mobilized to help the two countries overcome this tragedy.
“It is not easy. This area of the country is not popular, so people have limited resources,” said Gizem Erkaya, a level-four game development student from Izmir, Turkey. “They just lost everything and now with inflation and other things, it is impossible to get what you lost.”
Erkaya thinks the best way to support impacted students is to raise money to buy plane tickets from Canada so they can go back to visit their families.
Students in Canada had only social media to get updates on the situation. For Erkaya, who was following this way from her home here in Ottawa, she observed how social media helped volunteer first responders get to the scene faster than the government.
“Through Twitter, they could follow the people stuck inside the apartments, but just imagine how you can remove more than two tons of bricks. Yeah, it’s not possible with the hands,” said Erkaya.
Haya Kayali, a Syrian dental hygiene student at Algonquin College, wishes the Students’ Association had done more after the earthquake to let the college community know.
“The Students’ Association didn’t mention anything about the earthquake that happened in Syria or Turkey,” said Kayali. “At least, if they let students know what is happening in their countries, maybe impacted students would have then asked for support.”
Kayali, whose close friend lost her parents in the earthquake, learned the news on social media. According to Kayali, whose aunt’s house collapsed, moral support is not enough. People lost their houses and families, therefore, financial support is more important.
When Alalwani heard the news, she called her family who were safe, but they were sleeping in the open air in subzero conditions.
“Just help,” she said with emotion in her voice. “Please try to help, try to support, donate. It’s like, even $1 will be a huge contribution. And instead of having coffee today, just give this amount for trusted organizations working on the ground.”
Any member of the community willing to help can look at the list of needed items created by the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa to help this humanitarian crisis or go to the World Health Organization‘s fundraising site.
