A tucked-away campus lot is becoming the go-to choice for students looking for cheaper parking
Nicklaus Korim
Photos: Nicklaus Korim
December 7, 2025 Revised: December 7, 2025 12:17pm
Photo: Nicklaus Korim
Parking Lot 16 at Algonquin College on Dec. 3, 2025.
Parking Lot 16 at Algonquin College was introduced to students in the fall of 2023. The initial reason behind the construction of Lot 16 was to offer some students who may be struggling with tuition, rent and various other expenses.
Lot 16 aims to mend the issue of high parking rates with an alternative payment plan.
Alastair Kerr is a former heating, refrigeration and air conditioning student at Algonquin College.
Kerr still uses the gym in the Jack Doyle Athletics Centre on campus to work out.
“I have never paid for parking on campus and just parked at Lot 16 for the most part,” said Kerr.
“Campus security, for whatever reason, just doesn’t really check Lot 16, so I parked there for free for like half a year in the winter term.”
Lot 16 is hidden in the back part of the parking lot, farther from E-building than most of the other lots. This is why Kerr decided to risk a parking ticket to save some bucks, and allegedly it’s worked out pretty well for him — and still is.
Lot 16 is listed as $399 per semester. Comparatively, Lot 8 is $1,122 per semester, and monthly parking averages between $180 and $190.
Lot 16, while being a cheaper alternative, it is the only unpaved lot right now, which can raise concerns during the winter. The snow builds up quickly, and it is harder to completely shovel off the surface, potentially causing issues for a winter driver.
The Algonquin Times contacted the college for comment on this issue but received no response by deadline.
Mark Ploughman, an electrical mechanical engineering student, loves the idea of more affordable pricing and is concerned with the risk.
“It can be a little concerning, especially when it gets icy out, but if you have winter tires on, you should be alright,” said Ploughman.
Overall, students now have a more affordable option to park at Algonquin College —just make sure you have winter tires.
The Black Bears almost completed a monumental six-goal comeback but couldn't conquer the Seals at the Canadian Tire Centre on Nov. 29
Jaiden Martin
Photos: André Ringette/Freestyle Photography
December 7, 2025 Revised: December 7, 2025 12:01pm
Photo: André Ringette/Freestyle Photography
Luc Magnan fighting Patrick Shoemay during the second quarter
The Ottawa Black Bears lost 16-13 against the San Diego Seals on Nov. 29 at the Canadian Tire Centre, kicking off the Black Bears’ second season in the National Lacrosse League.
Seals faceoff man Trevor Baptiste dominated the draws throughout the game and helped his team control the pace of play in the first quarter.
Corey Smalls opened up the scoring, netting two of the first three goals of the game for the Seals. Heading into the second quarter, the score was 3-0 Seals.
At the start of the second quarter, the Seals ramped up their offence, scoring another three unanswered goals to pull away with a 6-0 lead. Black Bears’ goalie Zach Higgins pulled himself out of the goal for a shift after the fifth goal. He reclaimed the goal after backup goalie Tyler Carlson let in the sixth goal.
Head coach Dan MacRae talked about how the slow start for the Black Bears is something they need to fix going into their next game.
“The start, just coming out and not going down six, would be great. It felt like we were in second gear when they were in fourth,” said MacRae.
That fight brought the energy the Black Bears needed, which led to Ottawa scoring their first goal of the game, before scoring another two unanswered goals. The score going into halftime was 7-4 for the Seals.
The Black Bears looked to improve their roster after finishing ninth in the league standings with an 8-10 record last year. Heading into this season, the Black Bears did exactly that by picking up hometown hero Sam Firth, who had a great showing in the 2024 playoffs for the Albany FireWolves, scoring 15 points in just five games.
The Ottawa native grew up playing minor lacrosse for the Nepean Knights, one of two teams in Ottawa. During the summer months, Firth and his family host lacrosse camps for kids to learn the game from the best. It was a no-brainer for the Black Bears to try to acquire him.
In a blockbuster trade, the Black Bears sent goalie Cameron Dunkerley, defencemen Andrew Dalton and Dustyn Birkof, plus a future second-round pick, to acquire 33-year-old Rob Hellyer. Swapping youth for experience, Ottawa will be hoping that the 2020 NLL MVP finalist can contribute to performing at a high level this season.
The Black Bears looked like a different squad starting the second half. The offence was playing smart, but shots were not bouncing Ottawa’s way. The defence was staying solid, playing their wall-style defence. Both teams only ended up finding the net twice in the third quarter, sending the score to 9-6 for the Seals heading into the final quarter.
New addition Hellyer shone bright in the fourth quarter, scoring two goals and tallying an assist to add to his game total of seven points in his new Black Bears uniform.
Black Bears celebrate together after scoring a goal. Photo credit: André Ringette/Freestyle Photography
Unfortunately, the Black Bears didn’t have enough time to bring the game back in their favour. Cutting the lead down to just one goal with 3:15 left to play, the Seals scored another goal and an empty netter to “Seal” the deal.
Forward Riley O’Connor had an impressive home opener. He led the Black Bears’ offence on the score sheet, scoring two of the four Black Bear goals in the first half. O’Connor finished the game with two goals and four assists.
“For every guy in this room, it is about wins and losses. It’s about the team. We’re a brotherhood, and it doesn’t really matter about personal success. It’s about the team,” said O’Connor after his home opener performance.
The Black Bears look to claim their first win of the season as they take on the Saskatchewan Rush in their next matchup on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Canadian Tire Centre.
Post-secondary students looking to buy tickets can purchase them through the Student Den program for a discounted price. Tickets can also be purchased from Ticketmaster for $38.
The Wolves closed the semester with a grounded, hard-working win where they saw their bench put together a performance to build off in a late-night win over Seneca
Gavin Oregan
Photos: Gavin Oregan
December 5, 2025 Revised: December 5, 2025 9:10am
Photo: Gavin Oregan
Algonquin Wolves guard Albert Opena dribbles the ball against Seneca on Nov. 28 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
The Algonquin Wolves walked off their home floor last Friday night carrying something they haven’t always had this semester: a sense of calm, earned confidence.
Their 76-64 win over the Seneca Sting wasn’t just their third victory of the season. It was the clearest picture yet of what this young roster can look like when the energy is right, the rotations click, and everyone shares the load.
“We played very good defence, our best of the season,” said forward Frank Thomas.
Algonquin Wolves guard Frank Thomas looks up during a stoppage in play against Seneca on Nov. 28 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre. Photo credit: Gavin Oregan
In his most complete performance as a Wolf, Thomas came off the bench and delivered 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals.
“We knew their main guys and stuck to the game plan. Once we did that, everything opened up for us,” said Thomas.
It didn’t start beautifully. The Wolves spent most of the first quarter trading baskets, trying to settle in. But a late jumper from Gezim Pjetergjokaj pushed the Wolves ahead 17-16 after one, and from there, the game began to tilt their way.
The second quarter showed the version of the Wolves head coach Trevor Costello had been waiting to see. Centre Haven Holder grabbed everything near him, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Albert Opena attacked the rim and moved the ball with confidence. And the bench, often a question mark this season, stepped in and completely changed the tempo.
“We had a good week of practice, and we were ready,” Costello said. “Our depth really showed tonight. Gezim had his best game of the year, and Frank, that’s who he is. That’s what we expect from him every night.”
Pjetergjokaj added 10 points, hitting all six of his free throws and keeping the Wolves steady during a 21-5 run that stretched the lead to nine at halftime. The Wolves never let Seneca get comfortable again.
Algonquin Wolves Center Haven Holder lines up for free throws against Seneca on Nov. 28 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre Photo credit: Gavin Oregan
On the defensive end, the Wolves forced 13 steals and held Seneca to 19 per cent from three. But the energy, the body language, and the communication were just as important.
“Honestly, our defence spoke for itself,” said forward Aydin Gilani, who added six points, eight rebounds and three assists.
“High energy, that’s Algonquin basketball. Once we play at our pace, teams can’t match it. And when we keep finding each other, pushing the break, we’re tough to guard.”
Gilani paused, smiling. “I had a sh–ty first half, but I cleaned it up,” he said. “That’s just us. We lift each other up.”
The win sends the Wolves into the two-week break with momentum and a clearer identity than they had a month ago. Costello said the focus now is simple: stay healthy, stay in shape and stay connected.
“This time of the year always worries me,” Costello said. “But if the guys keep working, we’ll be ready for January.”
For one night, the future of the team looked promising.
Featured Hero | Featured Story | Home Feature | Sports & Recreation
From hot chocolate spills to skating thrills, cozy soups and snowy chills, AC students know how to do winter well
Jade Louise Greenwood
Photos: Jade Louise Greenwood
December 4, 2025 Revised: December 4, 2025 10:03pm
Photo: Jade Louise Greenwood
Rideau Canal, winter 2025, where people are walking around with both skates on and off.
It’s time to take your first step onto the snow-filled streets, where the ice is frozen to trees, lights are being strung on houses and life looks like a Hallmark movie. Winter is a great time for both solo or friendly fun, and these four AC students have great suggestions for enjoying the cold season.
The ByWard Winter Market – 55 ByWard Market Square, Ottawa
When asking Natalie Wilcock where her favourite place to go during the winter season, she said without pause, “the ByWard Winter Market.”
Making your way down the decorated roads, looking left and right at the never-ending vendors and food trucks, you are greeted by twinkling lights, red and green decorations and the sound of bundled-up people, weaving in and out of the scene.
Wilcock describes the market with glee, sharing her experiences grabbing “beavertails and great food,” while enjoying the “exciting environment, and live music.”
Rideau Canal – Ottawa
Skating down the Rideau Canal, a red rest stop comes into view. The feeling of relief floods your body as you decide whether to grab a hot chocolate first or immediately sit down and take off your skates to give your throbbing feet a break.
People skating down the Ottawa Canal mid-winter. Photo credit: Jade Louise Greenwood
“I’m not really a good skater, but it is a fun experience. You can have beavertails on the ice with a campfire you can sit by,” Mercedes Veninga says.
Whether you are an expert or beginner skater, the Rideau Canal is a must-do winter activity, even if you only go once a season.
“I’ve wiped out a couple of times, but that’s expected when you don’t know how to skate. I still try to go back every year,” she says.
Soup-er season — the closest kitchen near you
In the cramped warmth of a small kitchen, barely big enough for two, friends weave around each other like skaters on ice, trying to help one another other while not letting the simmering pot burn on the stove. The scent of garlic and butter fills the air as herbs are tossed into the soup.
“My friend and I make a really good potato leek soup. It is really garlicky, but it’s delicious,” Dalia Legon says.
Sometimes a recipe is even better if you know the secret ingredient, and in this case, “the garlic is roasted before and then added in, and then it’s all pureed together.”
The cold weather is perfect for hot soup, whether it’s chicken noodle, tomato, or Italian wedding, but nothing is better than enjoying such warm delights with loved ones.
“It kind of gives us a way to come together, eat something, feel full, and then have the energy to help us through the world,” Legon says. “Like a little community.”
Silent snow walks — right outside your front door
Have you ever taken a moment for yourself to really enjoy the cold? What about the sound of soft, muffled snowfall that makes the atmosphere go still? Or the crunch of fresh snow under your boots that leave prints behind you? This is one part of winter that some forget, the feeling of enjoying and spending time with yourself.
“I’m more of a solitary person,” Ana Alekseeva says. “Especially in the wintertime, so I like to just take walks by myself. Sometimes I go to those parks that are well-lit or go right on the Ottawa River, and just take a walk there.”
Nighttime walk along the Ottawa Canal. Photo credit: Jade Louise Greenwood
Getting to spend time with yourself and appreciate the weather might be what everyone needs this winter. Alekseeva loves a night sky lit by lampposts with a light snowfall. “For me, it doesn’t matter where, it’s just…if I can get there…it’s comforting.”
No matter who you choose to enjoy the season with, every place and activity is just a walk and a single cup of hot chocolate away.
Featured Hero | Featured Story | Features | Home Feature
Fall 2025, Episode 4: Times journalist Kevin Clasper-Inglis joins hosts William Barritt and Mitchell Ansell to discuss his reporting on students' media literacy in the age of AI, and Mickey Banks has the top headlines
How I grew to love the kitchen, one burnt dish at a time.
Duncan Roi
Photos:
December 4, 2025 Revised: December 4, 2025 4:06pm
Trying not to burn this one.
I take a sprig of rosemary and toss it into the bubbling pot. Stirring my soup with a wooden spoon, I breathe in the soothing steam. I watch the carrots, celery, chicken and noodles soak up the broth. It’s been a long week. But now, I’m in the kitchen, taking in the smells and flavours of my homemade chicken noodle soup, and for a moment, everything feels all right.
Cooking makes me feel present. Whether I’m trying a new recipe or throwing together something simple and familiar, it’s become a way to relax and unwind after a day filled with deadlines and responsibilities. I’m no Julia Child or Gordon Ramsay. But in my own way, I have made the kitchen my sanctuary, a break from the stresses of daily life.
I didn’t always feel this way. When I first lived on my own as a student and found myself responsible for three meals a day, cooking was just one more thing to worry about, a tedious waste of my time. Why would I spend the few free hours I had toiling away in the kitchen when mac and cheese, frozen pizzas and Door Dash were available? And does anyone really enjoy slicing up onions, peeling potatoes and removing sticky skins from garlic?
Living on your own for the first time means adapting to a new lifestyle. A lifestyle without the comforts you may take for granted when living at home. And like many other students, I struggled with navigating my new independence and responsibilities. Balancing work, school and cooking seemed like an impossible challenge. Food delivery apps became the easy way out.
Many others feel the same. A recent study by Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab found that one in four Canadians use food delivery apps on a regular basis, up from one in five in 2020. Millennials and Gen Z have the highest rates of use.
But I started to wonder what I was missing by relying on quick and convenient meals. I slowly began experimenting with recipes and pushed myself to do more than the bare minimum. It wasn’t easy. I overcooked dishes, added too much salt, not enough salt, cut and burned myself and even melted a spatula. But I was learning. And even though I wasn’t a great chef, the payoff of making something delicious became really rewarding and addictive.
I began to see cooking as something other than just work, and that made me appreciate it. When it stopped being something I had to do and instead became an opportunity for experimentation and creativity, I started to look forward to it every day. It was okay that I made mistakes. It was sometimes my one chance to relax during the day.
During this time, I started looking for inspiration and stories that captured that feeling. That search led me to Anthony Bourdain. I began watchingParts Unknown, one of the late Bourdain’s popular TV shows, where he travels to different countries and explores their cultures and cuisines. He treated food as a sort of universal way to bridge the gaps between people. Parts Unknown showed me that there was a human connection with food that went beyond cultural or national boundaries. As I developed my own relationship with food and cooking, the show’s messages began to deeply resonate with me. Even if we don’t speak the same language, have the same interests, or even share the same values, one thing most people can probably agree on is that we love a good meal.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with ordering food or eating quick and convenient meals; I still do it. And as a student, you sometimes don’t have the time to cook, and that’s okay. But I do believe people might feel a little better if they tried.
Cooking now simply makes me happy. In a world as uncertain as ours, any opportunity to feel calm, comfortable and content, even for a brief moment, is priceless. For me, cooking is just a chance to enjoy life on my own weird little terms. I’m grateful that I will always have something that brings me comfort and joy, and I hope it can be the same for others.
My soup is finally ready. I take out my spoon and fill my bowl with a satisfying, warm serving. I sip it down, and I’m reminded that sometimes it’s the smallest things that can bring a sense of calm to a busy life.
Students and participants moved through jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts on Nov. 27 with coach Julie Parker to the rhythm of the music
Ana Silva
Photos: Ana Silva
December 4, 2025 Revised: December 4, 2025 11:24am
Photo: Ana Silva
Julie Parker, coach and studio manager at The RIG’s Southpaw location, poses by her poster after the second boxing class on Nov. 27 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre.
The energy inside Studio A was loud long before the music started, as students filled the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre on Nov. 27 for the ARC’s second boxing session with The RIG Boxing Gym.
The one-hour class brought students together for a music-driven workout led by Julie Parker, a coach and studio manager at The RIG’s Southpaw location. With no bags in the room, students followed Parker’s guidance as she introduced the basic punches and movements that form boxing’s foundation.
The collaboration between the ARC and The RIG began earlier in the fall after staff started looking for new fitness experiences to bring to campus.
“The ARC currently does not offer boxing as a group fitness class,” said Erika Johnston, manager of athletic operations for facilities and fitness. “I reached out to The RIG as they have built a wonderful community and I heard that the classes are amazing.”
Johnston later learned that the owner of The RIG is an Algonquin College alumna. That connection helped shape the partnership into something that felt meaningful for both sides.
“It evolved into an opportunity for a former student to give back to the current student community by helping them try something new, prioritize their health and participate in a community-oriented fitness experience,” Johnston said.
The group pops into their boxing stance as they wait for Julie Parker’s next count during the Nov. 27 class. Photo credit: Ana Silva
For Parker, being invited into the ARC felt like a natural extension of the work she does at the gym.
“I was super pumped,” Parker said. “This is the perfect space for it, and bringing this to the students gives us a chance to show people who love fitness an opportunity to try boxing, but also for us to bring something special to Algonquin.”
Parker began coaching at The RIG in February 2023 and now manages the Southpaw location. She focuses on making boxing accessible for beginners and starts the class with a clear explanation of the basics.
“All you really need to know is six numbers,” she said as she demonstrated the jab, cross, hooks and uppercuts. She reminded students that boxing uses the whole body even without striking a bag. “Everybody has to start somewhere, and the more you do it, the more natural it will become,” she said.
Students in their boxing stances, arms raised and eyes on Julie Parker as she demonstrates the jab during the Nov. 27 class. Photo credit: Ana Silva
Parker said boxing helps people shut out distractions and reconnect with themselves. “It is such an incredible outlet. I would say it is one of the cheapest forms of therapy you could ask for,” she said.
Many students were trying boxing for the first time, including Calista Fernandez.
“It was great. I mean, I am exhausted. It was a workout for sure,” Fernandez said. She arrived feeling “a little nervous,” but the excitement took over quickly.
“I have been excited for it since about a month ago when Johnston told me about it,” she said.
Fernandez said she plans to come back. “If I can get childcare, absolutely.”
Johnston said she hopes to see students grow more confident as the series continues.
“This class not only provides a great workout but gives students a healthy break to focus on themselves,” she said. “This type of session can melt away stress and provide an hour just for themselves.”
Participants stretch after an energizing boxing class on Nov. 27 at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre. Photo credit: Ana Silva
The final class of the semester will happen on Dec. 16. Parker and Johnston hope interest continues to build.
“Everybody tonight was so welcoming,” Parker said. “They made me feel like part of the ARC family.”
By the end of the Nov. 28 game, the Wolves basketball and volleyball teams had collectively raised close to $6,000 for breast cancer research
Kevin Clasper-Inglis
Photos: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
December 3, 2025 Revised: December 3, 2025 4:17pm
Photo: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
Head coach of women's basketball, Jaime McLean watches a play donned in a pink shirt and pants for the 'shoot for the cure' fundraiser
The Algonquin Wolves’ final basketball games of the year, played against the Seneca Sting on Nov. 28, concluded the semester-long Shoot for the Cure initiative aimed at raising money for breast cancer research.
It was the third year for the fundraiser. The women’s basketball team competed with the Wolves women’s volleyball team to see who could raise the most money.
The Algonquin Wolves mascot supporting the cause. Photo credit: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
While the Wolves fell in a narrow defeat to the Sting, by the end of the night both women’s basketball and volleyball teams were fundraising winners, having collectively brought in close to $6,000.
“Overall, as a varsity program, we’re doing some awesome things,” said Jaime McLean, head coach of the women’s basketball team. In support of the cause, he was donning a pink Algonquin Wolves shirt along with bright pink pants.
Jaime McLean and members of the women's basketball team watch the play. Photo credit: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
He believes that being involved in varsity sports means being a leader beyond the court.
“Part of that is showing a sense of community and involvement, trying to help other people,” McLean said.
The fundraiser began three years ago when the mother of a former player was diagnosed with breast cancer and the team wanted to show their support. Since then, it has become an annual tradition.
Pink Algonquin Wolves shirts draped over the players' chairs. Photo credit: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
“It became a thing where all of our team bonded together for her and it’s just become something really special that started here,” said McLean.
“We started with just Shoot for the Cure with basketball. Then volleyball, being as awesome as they are, jumped in with the Serve for the Cure, which has put us in a really cool spot: varsity stepping up together, doing something bigger than just sport.”
Leah and Anna Hirst, twin sisters who play on the Wolves basketball team, believe it’s important that the Wolves undertake these kinds of initiatives, given their large public audience.
Anna and Leah Hirst, players on the women's basketball team. Photo credit: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
“Especially as a women’s team, it’s important for us to represent women,” said Leah Hirst.
The Hirsts have a family friend who has breast cancer.
“We’re also in school for nursing. We’re in health care, so we see breast cancer, all kinds of cancer,” said Anna Hirst.
“Cancer in our family has been really huge, so it’s just nice to advocate for any cancer,” said Leah Hirst.
In a final push to bring in fundraising dollars, McLean and his team upped the ante by promising that McLean would get a certain haircut associated with a fundraising box that received the most money. The “Mohawk” box received the most funds so at the end of the night, McLean was off to get his new haircut.
Jaime McLean receives a Mohawk cut as part of the fundraiser. Photo credit: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
Given the success of women’s team fundraising, McLean says he would really like to see the men’s basketball team step up more next year to help beat the volleyball teams in fundraising.
“The men’s volleyball did a Movember thing, so I think next year we’ll start planning it out and maybe try to encourage the men to get involved with their cause and we can support them on theirs,” said McLean.
Players sported pink outfits for the game. Photo credit: Kevin Clasper-Inglis
The Hirsts would like to see the team do a three-on-three, pay-to-play basketball tournament for the fundraiser next year to try to get more participation, funds and awareness.
“Something a little more interactive with the community as well, just to give back to the people who are giving to us, you know, something fun for them to do, something a little less specific to Jaime getting a haircut,” said Leah Hirst.
The new Algonquin College stop currently under construction.
Algonquin College students say dim lighting, construction and crowded buses make nighttime travel near Baseline station feel unsafe and are urging the school to improve campus and transit-area safety.
Many who walk or take transit say their concerns go beyond inconvenience and focus on real safety issues.
For Maria Giannopoulos, a third-year interior design student, the anxiety begins the moment she steps outside the ACCE building after late classes.
She often parks near the large construction zones surrounding campus and says the walk back to her car is uncomfortable.
The construction fence that is blocking students and forcing them to walk a further distance. Photo credit: Elyse Barker
“Sometimes after class I park near there, so it is dark, and I immediately start walking fast,” Giannopoulos said.
While she believes safety will naturally improve once construction clears, she stresses that students need solutions now.
“Better lighting would definitely help,” Giannopoulos said.
“It’s dark, and it’s also mid-construction season…all these barricades are kind of scary.”
Student Noah Belfer said there is dim lighting and what he believes is poor design choices.
Dim lights and construction between the ACCE building and Baseline station. Photo credit: Elyse Barker
“The grey signs feel scary and dark,” Belfer said.
Belfer thinks a colour change might do the trick.
“A brighter colour, even red or green, would help,” Belfer said.
Neither student has witnessed a serious incident, but both say they’ve heard troubling accounts from classmates.
Belfer noted that many of his friends are women who fear walking alone at night, a concern that resurfaces daily during their commute.
For second-year biotechnology student Yalda Zrabi, the problem begins with the buses themselves.
Yalda Zrabi shared her experience and suggestions about the public transit system. Photo credit: Elyse Barker
Before she started driving, she relied on OC Transpo and often found herself waiting outside in the cold.
“At nighttime, it was the busiest,” Zrabi said.
With space being so limited, Zrabi was often left waiting longer periods as weather conditions worsened.
“I would wait in the cold, and when the bus would come, it was full and packed with students,” Zrabi said.
Zrabi believes increasing the number of buses during peak evening hours would make commuting both safer and more efficient.
Overcrowding, she said, leaves students standing alone in poorly lit areas and adds unnecessary stress to an already uncomfortable situation.
With winter bringing earlier nightfall, Zrabi admits to avoiding staying on campus after sunset altogether.
“You can’t really see much, and it is a little bit scary walking by yourself,” Zrabi said.
Despite repeated requests, Algonquin College security services did not respond to questions about what the school is doing or planning to improve for students travelling during late hours around the Baseline station.
If needed, students can find more information about the college’s security services on their website.
Students can also check the OC Transpo website for more information about the buses that stop at the Baseline station, as well as details about their Safe Stop system.
For a safer experience, the Safe Stop system allows riders to ask the bus driver to let them off closer to their destination after 7 p.m. It’s helpful for those heading home after a 9 p.m. class.
For now, students say they are relying on each other by walking in groups when possible, keeping friends on the phone during late-night commutes and hoping for brighter days and brighter lights ahead.
Stand-up comedian Randy Feltface sells out his show at the Algonquin Commons Theatre on Nov. 28
Robyn Lanktree
Photos: Robyn Lanktree
December 3, 2025 Revised: December 3, 2025 2:35pm
Photo: Robyn Lanktree
Randy Feltface performing his set at the Commons Theatre on Nov. 28.
Everyone was watching centre stage, empty except for a wobbly bar purchased from Facebook Marketplace. The Algonquin Commons Theatre was still in anticipation, no one knowing they’d soon see a puppet swear at a kid in the audience and belittle a married couple on a date.
In the calm before the chaos, Canadian comedian Adam Christie opened for Randy Feltface to the sound of raucous cheers from the crowd.
Feltface, a purple puppet created by Australian comedian and puppeteer Heath McIvor, has been making appearances in stand-up performances, live television and radio since 2005.
Tickets to see the award-winning puppet at the college on Nov. 28 quickly sold out, prompting the addition of a second show at 9:30 p.m.
Christie and Feltface have been continuously performing on the Gimmick World Tour that will span into 2026. Their show at Algonquin College was their second of three Canadian stops, before heading to Montreal and back to the United States.
In honour of this being their second-last Canadian show, Christie used the opportunity to try some new material.
Gauging the audience’s laughter, Christie would decide which jokes made the future cut — though there was rarely a moment where the crowd didn’t respond positively.
Adam Christie opening the second show for Randy Feltface at the Commons Theatre on Nov. 28. Photo credit: Robyn Lanktree
Christie touched on a range of topics, from trying to afford a house in Toronto, and realizing “There’s no world in which I can do that,” to being divorced.
Christie also shared his inspiration for starting comedy: his late mother, who made him promise to write a stand-up set after she died and to vote for Trudeau in a federal election.
“I couldn’t break two deathbed promises,” Christie said to the crowd, who burst into laughter.
After Christie’s set, the crowd hollered, both to support the comedian and to coax Feltface to begin his material. The dimly lit bar on stage commanded the theatre as the anticipating audience howled in excitement for the headliner.
And then he was there.
Not at the bar, but in a video projected on the stage’s screen. Feltface was delivering some terms and conditions for the audience: there is no filming, photography or phones allowed, and everyone must be respectful to the other audience members.
Right as the video finished, McIvor ran out on stage wearing a Randy Feltface head, dancing to the crowd’s cheers and an original song before Feltface took his place behind the bar on stage.
Feltface’s set focused on gimmicks; how they’ve evolved, or regressed, and how people have sacrificed their lives in the name of a gimmick.
Feltface named Michel Lotito as an example, a French entertainer with a particularly thick stomach lining who ate a Cessna 150 aircraft over two years. He’d also eaten bicycles, door hinges, shopping carts and his Guinness World Record plaque awarded for having the “World’s strangest diet.”
Feltface compared the gimmicks of old, like Lotito’s and Houdini’s, to the present gimmicks of 4K-streamed videos and the reaction content to those videos.
Feltface often intricately combined political commentary with his own experiences on tour, saying he felt more like a “war correspondent” than a comedian when retelling some of his interactions with friends and family back in Australia.
Beyond the themes of gimmicks, Feltface called out to the theatre for crowdwork, only to soon realize there was an eight-year-old in the audience.
Rather than shying away from his political humour and explicit vocabulary, Feltface instead included the young audience member in his set, offering free merch and light banter, with their interactions getting some of the biggest laughs of the night.
Instead of pulling risky jokes, Feltface turned to the audience and called, “Don’t pull back from me now.”
“I always really like his crowdwork,” said May Crober, a years-long fan of Feltface’s. “I do like that he kept coming back to the kid.”
Mackenzey Boisbenue (left) and May Crober (right) after the Randy Feltface performance at the Commons Theatre on Nov. 28. Photo credit: Robyn Lanktree
Crober’s first time seeing Feltface live was no disappointment.
“I was kind of expecting exactly what we got: a little mix of the raunchier, sillier jokes mixed with the political comedy.”
The set also appealed to Sarah Martin, who accidentally discovered Feltface online. “I enjoyed it a lot,” said Martin before rushing to the merchandise stand.
Lindsay Snider, a fan since 2018, also enjoyed the show.
“I like that there’s a blend of some existentialism and philosophy along with comedy and lightheartedness,” she said. “It’s very broad but also very appealing.”
