POISONED RIVERS
Mercury still threatens FN lives
GrassyNarrowsdemandsendtogovernment’sinaction
Robin Lo
Annays Medeiros
HumberETC News
Savi Wolfear hails from the Blackfoot and Mohawk tribes and was among the hundreds who rallied at the Grassy Narrows River Run on Sept. 18 against the government’s inaction about the mercury poisoning on Indigenous land.
It began at Grange Park at Dundas and Beverley Streets and they marched to Queen’s Park.
“This march means that we’re trying to protect our home,” the 19-year-old said. “That’s kind of how I see it. That’s why I said on my poster, ‘Protect our home.’”
Grassy Narrows River Run Rally was held to support the people of Asubpeeschoseewagong Netum Anishinabek and all other Indigenous communities affected by a chemical company and a pulp and paper mill that used mercury in a process to bleach paper.
The province ordered the company to top polluting the Wabigoon River, but only after more than 9,000 kg of mercury was dumped.
The mercury is still in the water today, affecting the Indigenous community, due to the government’s inaction.
“This protest is about protecting our home, our land, our family, and even the people that are non-Indigenous because eventually, the mercury water will go into their area,” Wolfear said. “At this point, it’s not just us trying to save and help ourselves.”
Wolfear understands the difficulties Indigenous communities face when seeking help or trying to be heard.
“I want to make a difference for Indigenous Peoples,” she said. “It’s been many years since it’s been known that the mercury poisoning occurred and yet nothing has been done.”
She said few people outside the Indigenous communities know about the issues First Nations face, including the boil water advisory which 28 nations still require to follow.
“This protest is about protecting our home, our land, our family, and even the people that are nonIndigenous because eventually, the mercury water will go into their area, ” - Savi Wolfear
“We don’t get listened to as we’re supposed to,” she said. “They rather give us money or gifts over actual proper healthcare, water, food or homes.”
Tanya King, a federal government worker who identifies as Anishinaabe-kwe, an Ojibwe woman whose family is from Chimnissing, part of the Beausoleil First Nation, was among the hundreds of protesters who demanded more awareness of the issues facing Indigenous People.
“The government is doing some cleanup,” she said, but are letting the longest-standing issues remain. “None of the communities should actually still be experiencing that.”
Dryden Chemicals Ltd. and Dryden Paper Company began dumping mercury into the Wabigoon River system in 1962, about 130 kilometres upstream from Grassy Narrows and Whitedog First Nations.
The chemical plant used mercury to produce chlorine, which
Humber Et Cetera is the Humber Polytechnic journalism program laboratory newspaper. It is created by journalism students in the Advanced Diploma program. Et Cetera serves to inform the Humber community and give its readers well-rounded coverage on the things that matter to them.
was used for bleaching paper at Dryden Paper Company Ltd.
The Ontario government ordered the company to stop dumping mercury waste into the river system in 1970, but this order only pertained to the water pollution, not the air emissions.
The government also banned all commercial fishing in the English-Wabigoon River system because the fish in the river system was discovered to contain dangerously high levels of mercury. The ban was a devastating blow to the people of Grassy Narrows since fishing was their main source of income and a staple of their diet.
Airborne mercury pollution continued until 1975. In 1976, the Dryden Chemicals Ltd. closed down.
The effects are still felt today by the Grassy Narrows and Whitedog communities.
Protesters at the Grassy Narrows River Run holding up signs to demand justice for the communities suffering from mercury dumping on their land
FLAS reintroduces food bank
Candace Iron, a Liberal Studies professor and program coordinator with the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the food bank was a part of student appreciation month as faculty devised a plan to address student needs.
“We thought giving away food would be one way to show to show our students that we appreciate them, and we appreciate that they’re busy and they’re running from class to home to work to taking care of families,” Iron said.
She said they started offering food once a week and would stagger the dates both here and at the Lakeshore campus where students would come to get free snacks or a bowl of amen.
STUDENT CONCERN
Iron said students would tell her they appreciated the meal or the snack because they were experiencing food insecurity.
“Life is expensive,” she said. “They are paying rent. They’re dealing with paying for transit and then buying food.
“For a lot of students was sort of something that they were having trouble managing,” Iron said.
Iron said with the support of John Stilla, the senior dean at FLAS, they were able to extend the food giveaways until the end of the last school year’s winter semester and developed it into a graband-go food bank.
“The Grab ‘n Go is supported by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sci-
ences so our senior dean very generously has given me some funds that I can put towards it,” she said. “It’s also supported by donations from faculty staff.”
According to the 2024 Ontario Pre-Budget Submission by Feed Report Canada, one in five food bank visitors reported they have no money or less after paying housing costs alone.
The report said while every Ontarian is feeling the pressure of the rising cost of living, it is those already living in an economically precarious position who turn to food banks to survive and deserve particular focus and assistance.
Iron said they must restock the cart three to four times a day because it will be gone even though students are so conservative about what they take.
She said she wants to keep things sustainable for now and would love
to see it expand.
“Would I love to see something expand, sure. I think there is a need for that,” Iron said. “Do I know how we’ll do it, not at the moment, but there are a number of us working on food insecurity or issues of food security more specifically at Humber.”
The next Grab ‘n Go Food Bank is scheduled on Wednesday, Oct. 2. Other scheduled dates are Oct. 10, Oct. 18, Oct. 21 and Oct. 29.
She said she believes that expanding the effort needs to be a collaborative effort from people working on issues of food security and coming up with something that’s sustainable.
“We just have to wait and see where if we’re able to do it and where it leads, but for now at least we have something, which is always better than nothing,” Iron said.
She said anyone who wants to donate anything to the food bank is most welcome to just stop by the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences and drop anything off at the front desk.
It will make its way to her office and be put to good use.
IGNITE’S VIEW
Isabella Vergara, IGNITE’s new student advocate, previously a brand ambassador, is involved with dealing with food insecurity at Humber.
“From IGNITE, we understand that this is a really big issue that unfortunately a lot of students have to go through,” Vergara said.
She said being an international student she had the opportunity to interact with many students dealing and struggling with food insecurity.
“We have taken a lot of steps to fight this issue and try to generate a positive impact to [on] the students,” Vergara said.
She said IGNITE has several
initiatives, including the soup bar where students can grab hot or frozen soups.
Vergara said just last year the soup bar helped students save $40,000, which she described as impressive.
“In my advocacy, I tried to be really involved with Humber’s campus food selection, we have a meeting with the whole committee, and we vote,” she said.
Vergara said they always push for affordable and healthy options for students because sometimes the prices are too high for them.
She said every collaboration the student government has with other Humber departments follows a process.
“It’s not like things happen just randomly,” Vergara said. “Everything’s a process, it all starts with that first email, someone reaching out to us or us reaching other departments to work together on this project.”
She said she doesn’t know if a local food bank is being planned.
“There are (IGNITE) management decisions that need to be considered and IGNITE always operates at least one year in advance,” Vergara said.
“We really try to raise our voice during these committees because we know how important it is to advocate and be involved with food insecurity.”
She said IGNITE is open to the idea of collaborating with faculties and departments to deal with food insecurity.
“We also welcome student feedback in that sense,” she said.
“I think for now with the initiatives we are taking ... has been working and we hope to continue supporting students any way we can. We’ll see what happens in the future.
“I know from the Humber side, there are a lot of things that can be done as well,” she said.
Juggling school, work and motherhood
Amanda Freire, a first-year international Business Marketing student at Humber, says juggling school, work and children is challenging.
“I have days when I study, days when I have my children’s tasks to do, and days when I try to be just in college,” the wife and mother said.
“I’m having a different but good experience this semester from my last term because there were more people than when I started in the summer,” she said.
Freire started in the summer but she said she preferred the fall semester. The fall semester was more her speed.
The student, who moved from Brazil, said studying in her free time helps her feel organized. Time management and making the most of her days are crucial for her, she said.
Freire works on the weekends, and because of her busy schedule, she said she prefers doing her homework during school hours.
She’s currently in her most challenging and hardest semester so far.
“I have some classes that I don’t like so much, but I know the next semester will be better,” she said.
She said her message to students with a lot on their plates is to persevere.
“I don’t know if I’m the right person to give advice, but ‘don’t give up,’” she said.
HUMBERETC/ISABELLA D’ANGELO
Amanda Freire from Brazil is a Business Marketing student at Humber Polytechnic.
Humber’s Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences resumes Grab ‘n Go food bank at North and Lakeshore.
HUMBERETC/REET ARORA
Candace Iron, organizer of Humber Polytechnic’s student food bank.
HUMBERETC/REET ARORA
Reet Arora HumberETC News
The truth is out there, but it is being hidden
It’s World News Day on Sept. 28. This year’s theme is truth, which is hidden from Canadians.
Canadian news outlets were blocked on social media since June 22, 2023, following the passage of Bill C-18.
The Online News Act, Bill C-18, was originally proposed as a way for media businesses to have more bargaining power with social media companies but they did not want to pay.
In retaliation, companies like META chose to block accounts run by Canadian news outlets, leaving the spread of news to blogs and individual journalist accounts.
META owns Facebook, Threads and Instagram.
In a world where the public consumes mass media daily, having the news on social platforms becomes a necessity.
Many Canadians in Ontario follow blogs like 6ixbuzz to get their information. The current online newspaper publishing model puts stories behind a subscription wall on websites or applications.
EDITORIAL
Since subscribing isn’t free, consumers find it easier to get their news for free rather than paying for it.
To add to the restriction of information, META announced on Feb. 9, 2024, that they’d implement a setting that reduces “political content.”
A report by Human Rights Watch alleges that META’s content policies silenced voices that were in support of Palestine on Instagram and Facebook as the policy was implemented during the rise in support for Palestine.
META has doubled down on the setting on reducing political content as they updated it.
“We spent the last few years refining our approach on Facebook to reduce the amount of political content,” META said in their transparency center.
META does this by allowing their AI systems and survey responses to assist in, what they think is informative, meaningful, and worth your time.
Canadians have a right to know what is happening, which is why
the same week as World News Day, is also Right to Know Week. Both of these events are significant as they put a focus on journalism and on the right and ability to know.
Right to Know is longstanding as it started in 2002 in Bulgaria. It began as International Right to Know Day, but in Canada, Right to Know is extended to a week and
works to remind Canadians of the critical role information has to the public.
This is why Sept. 28 is International Day for Universal Access to Information.
UNESCO created this day to promote the expansion of laws related to information. Its Director-General Audrey Azoulay said on its page that it works to
protect and promote information access. They recognize its role in development, democracy and equality.
All these days show how important accessing information is to the public and how big companies like META are blocking us from a tool that would benefit the public and keep them more informed.
Budgeting must be taught before high school
The importance of money has never been greater than in today’s economy. With inflation rates at an all-time high, it is crucial for students to learn how to manage money properly.
According to a 2023 survey by Edward Jones Canada, nearly 95 per cent of Canadians believe it is more important now that students learn how to manage their money.
As important as financial literacy is, Canadian youth are not taught money management basics.
According to the Edward Jones Canada survey of 1,517 adult Cana-
dians between Oct. 20 and 23, 2023, only 46 per cent said they had enough knowledge of financial literacy when they graduated high school.
Teaching financial literacy while students are still in school is the best way to teach them about their finances and how to make money grow.
The Ontario government has taken a step in the right direction to ensure students learn financial literacy in high school.
According to a 2023 Ontario government press release, they have introduced a new financial
literacy graduation requirement. Starting in 2025, students will have to score 70 per cent or higher to meet the financial literacy graduation requirement in Grade 10 mathematics.
With this new addition to graduation requirements, the Ontario government wants to provide students with the skills to create and manage a household budget, save up for a home, invest properly, and protect from financial fraud, according to the 2023 press release.
The government will also implement a new requirement which
entails making the Education Quality and Accountability Office’s (EQAO) test for Grade 9’s worth at least 10 per cent of their final grade.
Learning financial literacy in high school is not early enough. Financial literacy should be taught in elementary school.
High school students, particularly Grade 10 students are already eligible to work a part-time job in Ontario.
According to the government of Ontario, the minimum age to start working in Ontario is 14 years old.
Students in Grade 10 are already old enough to start working and earning paychecks. When students have money and don’t know what to do with it, that could lead them to be financially irresponsible.
Students must learn financial literacy before they start earning paychecks so that are prepared and know how to manage their money.
Learning financial literacy in elementary school can instill the skills and knowledge of how to manage money at a young age.
Grade 8 is the right time for students to learn money management. Before entering the workplace, they should know how
money works and how to manage it well.
According to the government of Canada, topics to discuss with students are the importance of money, how to work towards making money, and how to start saving money.
The key is to start them talking about money and familiarize them with the concept of money so they are comfortable talking about it to their parents.
Once they are comfortable talking about it openly, they’ll have a better understanding of how money works.
Now, when students are entering Grade 10, they are more prepared and will have a better understanding of how money works, instead of just learning about it for the first time.
When students land their first job and receive their first paycheck, they now understand what to do with their money. This ensures students are making smarter financial decisions and starting to save for the future.
Financial literacy is crucial in student development because it can help them make tough financial decisions in the future that can benefit their lives for a long time.
Access to fact-checked and truthful media that holds itself to account is as important as ever for Canadians.
HUMBERETC/GABRIEL NODA
Students should learn financial literacy earlier in their education in order to secure a stable future in adulthood.
HUMBERETC/NICHOLAS REGO
It’s unacceptable for women to lose their right to make choices
There appears to be a growing struggle between the right to do what one wants with their body and the power to prevent that.
Let’s begin with a basic fundamental right: Women have a right to do what they want with their bodies. That includes the right to choose to have an abortion.
American women now do not have absolute access or the care to get safe abortions. They are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies and non-viable fetuses even under the pain of death. It all changed in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling which allowed abortions. That decision has deadly consequences.
Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old woman, died from a rare complication in her pregnancy when she went to an Atlanta-area hospital to get a termination.
Doctors waited 20 hours for them to perform a dilation and curettage to see where the complication in her pregnancy was which ended up with her dying on the operating table.
Candy Millers, a 41-year-old, died from sepsis, a grave and painful infection, after taking an abortion pill.
Millers unintentionally got pregnant in the fall of 2022, at that time Georgia had an abortion ban rule which left her with no choice but to keep the baby.
Her health was at risk as she had lupus, diabetes and hypertension and the doctors told her that having another baby could kill her. After taking the Morning After pill, Miller’s teenage son watched her suffer in pain for days. Her husband found her unresponsive on Nov. 12, 2022.
CANADA’S STANCE
This repressive swing in the U.S. has its supporters in Canada. While it is still legal to have an abortion in Canada, New Brunswick has the most restrictive abortion access law in the country.
Only three hospitals are providing abortion services in Moncton and Bathurst. The majority of the abortions in New Brunswick are now performed in a private
clinic in Fredericton.
Women are paying between $500 and $750 out of pocket because the province has consistently declined to fund the clinic.
Getting access to a funded hospital is next to impossible for those women with no doctor. The government of New Brunswick chose to go against women’s rights.
They choose to go against women who are poor, young, rural, those who are religious and have health issues.
Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall introduced Private Member’s Bill C-225 in 2016 calling for an amendment to the Criminal Code to create separate offences for injuring or killing a fetus when an offence is committed against a pregnant woman. It was defeated.
Five years later, she repackaged the Private Member’s Bill 2021 as Bill C-311 calling for a similar amendment to the Criminal Code. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told the Canadian Press then that he planned to support the bill.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh voiced his concerns on how he is against the bill and that the legislation is a veiled attack on access to abortion, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said It’s so disappointing to see another thinly veiled attempt by the Conservative Party of Canada to restrict a woman’s right to choose.
Abortion bans will result in more women dying. Women are suffering more and more from not getting a termination for their safety.
It should not be a politician’s choice to make decisions about abortion, especially when they do not have a medical degree. This should be a doctor’s decision as they have a medical degree and have much knowledge about it.
Zainab Raza, she/her, is a culture editor for Humber Et Cetera and reporter for 96.9 Radio Humber.
OPINION
Varsity hockey should return to play in OCAA, Humber Polytechnic
Humber Polytechnic is known for its successful athletic programs as part of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).
Varsity sports including basketball, baseball and volleyball can all be played at Humber, but one of Canada’s main sporting passions remains left out.
Unfortunately, varsity hockey was scratched from Humber’s athletic lineup.
However, the OCAA and Humber should reinstate the Good Ole Hockey Game.
Brain Lepp, the head of the Athletic Communications Department at Humber, said there are several reasons why Humber does not include varsity hockey.
“Cost, it’s crazy expensive, ice time, equipment, sticks, travel, all that and insurance so it’s very expensive,” he said.
The expense is not the only issue for Humber, but finding teams to play would also be a problem.
“It’s not just that Humber can’t afford it, it’s that the OCAA couldn’t afford it, so even if Humber could afford a team, they have no one to play against,” he said.
From 1967 to the early 2000s, men’s hockey would have a big place in the OCAA, but in 2004, with only three teams left due to cost (Humber, St. Clair in Windsor and Fleming in Peterborough), the league decided to shut down the sport.
Women’s hockey was also played in the OCAA, but only ran briefly in the 1970s and ’80s.
If OCAA hockey were an option, many athletes would not need to travel out of the province to follow their athletic dreams.
Humber, among other colleges, would have an opportunity to bring in more skilled athletes if a varsity hockey program was offered.
Although Humber Athletics does not include varsity hockey, Humber does offer many women’s and men’s extramural sports including the great game of hockey.
Kiera Campbell, part of the Sports Management program who has played extramural women’s hockey for Humber, said although it’s not varsity, it’s a great way to stay involved in the game.
“It was a great experience to get to meet new people, share the love of the game and just overall a wonderful group of girls and coaches,” she said.
Although students have a chance to take the ice for Humber, but recognition for the sport would be at another high if varsity teams were available.
“I would love to see a varsity hockey team at Humber, extramural sports don’t seem to get enough recognition compared to the varsity sports and athletes,” she said.
“I definitely think Humber should look into moving both women’s and men’s hockey into being a part of varsity,” Campbell said.
Connor Grnak, a men’s extramural hockey player who studies Business Management at Humber, agrees with reinstating varsity hockey.
“I would love for the program to switch to a varsity style league. I have enjoyed my time as an extramural athlete, but I believe if we had games every week, travelled around to different schools in a team setting, that would just be awesome,” Grnak said.
At Humber, there seems a passion to regain the sport of hockey at a varsity level, and I do believe bringing hockey back to the OCAA would be the right move.
Especially being in Canada, playing hockey at the college level should be a must. It’s hard to believe what is such an important sport to Canada, athletes are not able to take the ice at a college level.
Luca Tersigni, he/him, is a sports reporter and editor for Humber Et Cetera and reporter for 96.9 Radio Humber.
Luca Tersigni
Zainab Raza
Humber Hawks last had a varsity hockey team in 2004. It’s time for OCAA to bring it back.
HUMBERETC/SANTIAGO HELOU QUINTERO
Humber unites for reconciliation walk
Ethan Alcaidinho HumberETC News
Roberta Hill remembers all too well the pain and horror of her years in an Ontario residential school.
“These institutions were places of cruelty,” Hill said. “They split up our families, caused trauma, and many of us carried that with us for years.”
Hill is a survivor of the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont., and she and others shared their experiences of the cruelty and trauma faced by children in residential schools with about 100 people during the Humber Polytechnic’s North campus in support of Truth and Reconciliation on Thursday evening.
She said it’s important to listen to survivors’ stories to foster a deeper understanding of the lasting impact of residential schools on Indigenous communities.
“We must walk together,” Hill said. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
They walked together from the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation to the Humber Arboretum in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, observed every Sept. 30 to honour the victims and
survivors of Canada’s residential school system, and in tribute to the languages, history and cultures of Indigenous Peoples and Métis and Inuit peoples.
IGNITE student advocate Naisha Suthaharan said the annual walk provided a critical opportunity for reflection and learning.
“The Walk for Reconciliation is a moment to reflect, to acknowledge the land and what happened, and to continue reconciling with the Indigenous community,”
Suthaharan said. “It’s important to educate ourselves and to be united with the community when we do this.”
IGNITE hosted the Humber walk in partnership with Indigenous Education and Engagement and the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.
The Humber community wore orange shirts in a show of solidarity during the walk. The colour has become symbolic of the children whose culture, freedom and self-esteem were stripped away in residential schools. The remains of about 2,000 Indigenous children on the grounds of former residential schools and many more remain missing.
The walk underscored Humber’s commitment to help Indigenous students and communities.
The event highlighted Humber’s bursaries for Indigenous students, which provide financial aid to those facing challenges in their education.
Suthaharan said the bursaries, supported by external donations, are crucial in helping Indigenous students succeed.
“This event underscores that we stand in support of Indigenous students,” she said.
Sarah Rumsey, manager of Planning and Strategic Initiatives at the University of GuelphHumber, said Humber has embedded reconciliation into its institutional framework.
She referenced the launch of Humber’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan, which seeks to ensure that Indigenous education is incorporated across the campus.
Reflecting on the event, Suthaharan said she hopes participants left with a deeper understanding of the importance of reconciliation and the legacy of residential schools.
“I hope people took away knowledge from the stories we shared and reflected on the purpose behind the walk,” she said. “If everyone leaves with new knowledge, that’s already a phenomenal result.”
Student advocate Naisha Suthaharan commences Humber Polytechnic’s Walk for Reconciliation by leading participants out of the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation.
HUMBERETC/ETHAN ALCAIDINHO
CEC urges more bargaining over striking
Harnoor Kaur
HumberETC News
The gap in the negotiations between the College Employer Council (CEC) and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), which represents faculty at 24 colleges, appears to be wide enough for the union to call for a strike vote.
Union members can vote between noon Tuesday, Oct. 15, and 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17.
The core of the dispute revolves around the demands for an updated Standard Workload Formula (SWF), which calculates the workload for full-time faculty.
A strike could lead to delayed classes, altered academic schedules, and general uncertainty across Ontario’s public colleges.
Following the last strike in 2017, the Ministry of Advanced Education provided students with a full tuition refund if they decided to not continue with a condensed semester. Some colleges decided to keep the ancillary or the health insurance fee.
The students also were eligible to receive up to $500 for unexpected costs they incurred because of the labour dispute, such as childcare fees, rebooked train, or rent.
The SWF has not been revised in about 40 years, and the faculty union argues it no longer is relevant to modern educational environments, such as multi-modal teaching, compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into classrooms. These additional responsibilities, coupled with the mental health crisis worsened by COVID-19, have increased the workload of faculty, the union claims.
Milos Vasic, president of Hum-
ber’s faculty union, Local 562, said the union wants the colleges to understand that it is harder to teach an online class than it does an in-person class.
A significant gap in the current system is that the SWF applies only to full-time faculty, leaving almost 50 per cent of the faculty, who are non-full-time or partial-load (contract) employees, without similar protections.
An increased reliance on parttime faculty has raised job security concerns.
The contract faculty does
not have the same protections or benefits as full-time faculty. Proposals also address access to holidays, vacation time, and compensation, and their ability to participate in union activities. Program coordinators are calling for an end to the outsourcing of their responsibilities. The union is also advocating for shared governance in decision-making processes in coursework. Counsellors and librarians have reported over-work hours which are compensated variably.
‘’I think the broader Humber
community does need to know the stresses that the counsellors and ALS consultants are under. It is, it is massive,’ Vasic said.
The estimated cost of the non-monetary proposal is $1 billion, according to CEC, while claiming the union has stated that “costing is not our responsibility.”
The CEC on its website stated that the tabled demands jeopardize the Colleges’ ability to be financially responsible and students’ access to the education they deserve.
‘’Changes to SWF factors that would significantly reduce the number of courses and students a professor would be able to teach,” it said.
The CEC stated that in case of a strike, it would collaborate with the colleges to keep students and community members informed. In the past, colleges were able to adjust to ensure that students could complete their courses despite disruptions.
The CEC said on Sept. 19 that there were 14 days of bargaining completed with 12 more bargaining days scheduled. If no resolution is found, faculty members could strike or the CEC could lock out faculty.
Toronto’s e-scooter laws remain confusing
Aislinn E. Millette HumberETC News
Naja Newton, a first-year Journalism student at Humber Polytechnic, has a two-hour commute to school every day between Oakville and North Etobicoke.
She needs to take two buses and a GO train to reach North campus. The journey is repeated in reverse after school. And then she walks the remainder of the way home after stepping off the bus.
“I would ride (a scooter) over walking,” she said.
Her daily routine is familiar to many commuters. Peel Region and other GTA cities have created pilot programs for e-scooters to help with the first and last stretches of commuting.
The introduction of the Ontario government’s pilot programs in January 2020 prompted many regions to add this as an option for commuters, however, Toronto decided to opt-out.
Ontario set a maximum speed of 24 km/h, with riders required to be over 16 years old and wear a helmet, which municipalities are to enforce.
The legalization of e-scooters in Toronto has been very unsteady with the regulations constantly changing. Currently, they are fully illegal in Toronto.
However, police are finding the ban difficult to enforce this because of a lack of time, said Constable Timur Nurjanov, with Toronto Police Traffic Services.
The pilot programs ensure the city can safely regulate e-scooters for riders and other pedestrians.
Markham is the most recent city in the GTA to adopt a pilot program. They launched in early September, partnering with Ontario scooter company, Scooty.
Scooty has worked with other cities such as Barrie and Brampton to create pilot programs specific to
the cities needs.
E-scooters are an addition to a person’s commute, typically used for shorter distances to work alongside transit, Shoaib Ahmed, CEO and founder of Scooty, said.
Scooty’s products are commercial grade vehicles, they have GPS units and are regulated by speed.
The scooters also must meet regulations and licensing requirements
in accordance with the government to be used.
The company works to connect people from their first and last mile to their destination when getting off transit, Ahmed said.
“We started this as immigrants to Canada, public transit is a lifeline to us,” he told Humber Et Cetera. “As you’re taking the train or the bus on almost a daily basis ... the question always was how do we improve this process?”
E-scooters are promoted to work in tandem with a person’s commute, helping them get to transit and their destination.
The government does a fantastic job on a federal and provincial level in expanding transit, but the question always is how does a person get to transit, and that’s where the company comes in, he said.
“Toronto needs multimodal transportation options,” Ahmed said. “This would be a great
Many have the same argument that Toronto would benefit from a pilot program.
Now there are more cars on the road, and fewer scooters, Saxe said.
The colleges’ faculty union has called for a strike vote as the bargaining negotiations made little progress.
HUMBERETC/HARNOOR KAUR
Humber artists shine at Nuit Blanche
Preeti Malhi Skedline.com
Humber Polytechnic’s Lakeshore campus is one of many hubs in the upcoming overnight Nuit Blanche Toronto exhibit on Oct. 5. The exhibit provides space for 80 art installations across the city by Humber students, faculty, alumni and local artists.
Toronto-based artist Elham Fatapour and Humber Polytechnic animation alumna Natalie Chiu collaborated to create artwork for this year’s exhibition. The duo com-
bined their skills in painting and augmented reality to create an interactive exhibit. “I was drawn to Nuit Blanche because of its accessibility,” Fatapour said. “Unlike traditional art spaces that some might find intimidating, this festival spreads art all around the city, making it approachable and inclusive.“It invites everyone to engage with art in public spaces, transforming the urban environment into a creative destination,” they said. “The fact that it’s free and open to all also sets it apart from other festivals, creating
an environment where art feels more integrated into everyday life.”
The work by Fatapour and Chiu, Bodies of Water, Bodies of Rocks, explores the concept of immigration. “It reflects the physical journeys immigrants take, as well as the emotional and mental challenges they face, such as hesitation, uncertainty, and the cyclical nature of departure and arrival,”Fatapour said. “By navigating these themes, the project bridges the distance between different cultures and experiences, highlighting both the struggles and
resilience of immigrants in their journey to a new home.”
This year’s Nuit Blanche Toronto theme, Bridging Distance, encourages artists to produce artwork that interprets how people perceive distance and how that span can be bridged through art, allowing audiences to experience the city differently. The exhibit encourages independent artists to showcase their work in unconventional locations such as parks, trails and parking lots, as well as more traditional venues like galleries.
Luthra, a student at Toronto Metropolitan University, said she has always enjoyed the art scene surrounding Toronto. “I think it;s really cool that Toronto always has something going on, and being able to attend various art exhibits, whether it’s free or not, has become a new thing my friends and I enjoy doing. We are especially excited about the upcoming Nuit Blanche exhibit,” Luthra said. She said she’s most excited to see how artists interpret this year’s theme for Nuit Blanche.
Seasonal blues hit as days get shorter
Aliyah Marko-Omene Skedline.com
It’s fall, and there may be noticeable shifts in people’s moods. Perhaps they’re tired, irritable, or unmotivated. Maybe even depressed. More than one million Canadians experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) each year. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression related to a specific season most common in the fall and winter, according to the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH). SAD is often a result of shorter days and lack of daylight.
Madison Leclair, a registered nurse at Regina’s Pasqua Hospital, said many people are not aware they are experiencing symptoms of SAD.
“People tend to shrug off the symptoms, not realizing it’s actually becoming a pattern for them every fall and winter season,” Leclair said. “They need to pay attention to the changes in their mood and behaviours.”Leclair said SAD can range in severity from more debili-
tating cases of depression to simply feeling the blues. “For some people, they may feel tired, depressed, or they don’t want to leave the house, but, for others, it can get to the point where it starts to disrupt how they function in their day-to-day lives,” Leclair said.
Young people are most prone to developing SAD, which is more often found in women than men.
Haley Maull, a fourth-year Digital Communications student at Humber Polytechnic, said the change in seasons is very complicated for her both mentally and physically. “I find myself struggling to maintain relationships and hobbies because everything feels like such a big task, and I end up missing out on a lot,” Maull said. “I just become very isolated and start cutting myself off from everyone.”
Maull said she uses school as a way to cope and stay social during the colder months.
“You have to go to class, right? So, I make sure to use that as a way to get my socialization for the day
because I know I am not going out again,” Maull said. “I also try to use the breaks in between classes to make plans with friends, like go get a coffee or something like that,” she said. Maull said it is important to prioritize self-care to cope during the fall and winter seasons. “It can
be just talking to someone about how you’re feeling, doing yoga in the morning, or even just listening to music for 10 minutes every day,” Maull said.
“I personally will take naps when I need to or do box breathing to help alleviate any stress or anxiety
I have,” she said Humber College offers several resources for health and wellness that prioritize mental health during the colder months. More information is available at Humber’s Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre in the Welcome Centre on campus.
Vinaya
Local artists find festivals like Nuit Blanche a great opportunity to display their creative prowess and garner an audience. Toronto’s Elham Fatapour is a part of this group of artists.
H ousing crisis hits international students
buildings, and most new basement apartments that were built after Nov. 15, 2018.
Esmeralda Garcia, 24, says she was shocked when she heard her rent would increase 30 per cent from September 2022 to December 2023.
“When I first came to Toronto, I rented a one-bedroom apartment in a building near High Park built in 2019. I was paying $1,900 per month, and by the end of next year, my rent had increased to $2,500,” she said.
Garcia, from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is enrolled in the advertising and marketing communication diploma program.
Data from Rentals.ca reported rents across Canada have risen by 22 per cent in the last two years. The same study reveals the average rent for a residential property was $2,187 last month.
The rent percentage increase includes both rent-controlled and non-rent-controlled new buildings, additions to existing
According to Ontario.ca, the 2025 rent increase guideline is 2.5 per cent, but does not apply to the establishments mentioned, occupied for the first time for residential purposes.
Garcia moved last February to the Broadview North neighbourhood in a building built before 2018, which is not exempt from the 2006 Residential Tenancies Act guidelines. She pays $2,200, a cost split with her boyfriend.
Garcia says although she improved her living situation, the 24-hour cap on international students working off-campus hours could make things difficult to sustain herself.
“We come to Canada and pay all this money as international students to receive a certain level of education, and some of us need to put that extra effort to make ends meet,” she said.
the chance to expand their social group in a non-judgmental setting.
Lakeshore’s LGBTQ+ Resource Centre aims to provide students
Martina Revalde, 23, said she first attended an orientation event
“Reducing the amount of hours we can work, more so than positively affecting our school performance, negatively impacts our overall livelihood in Canada,” Garcia said. Federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Marc Miller announced this new government rule in Ottawa last April, and it will be implemented later this fall.
Garcia pays her tuition out-of-pocket and works part-time as a server and in Humber’s marketing department. She is in charge of running social media for Humber’s Hispanoamerica Group and recruiting Hispanic students.
Garcia said facing challenges like these as international students is a learning experience.
“If you’re able to push through this, you can do anything. People underestimate the amount of effort and the amount of sacrifices it takes to be out of your home country, speak a different language, and all while leaving
last year in the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre to meet other LGBTQ+ students. “I wanted to meet people like me, I identify myself as bisexual but have been questioning my identity throughout the summer, I would say I’m within the demisexual spectrum,” she said.
Revalde is from Cebu City, Philippines, and is enrolled in the marketing and graphic design diploma. She said she wishes to have had a space like the LGBTQ+ Resource Centre growing up.
“Having a space like this back in the Philippines would’ve helped me, the Philippines is mainly a Catholic country, and growing up, I was not aware of the many identities out there. I had to discover it
all by myself,” she said.
your support system behind,” she said.
Iuiza Iusupova, 20, from Russia, is in her final year of a bachelor’s in digital communications at Lakeshore campus. Similar to Garcia, Iusupova’s rent approximately escalated to $2,250 from $2,000.
She has been living for more than a year in downtown Toronto near the Fashion District, splitting a two-bedroom apartment with a fellow program colleague.
Iusupova completed her internship at Humber International in the summer, working as a student ambassador, and now is working in its marketing department.
She said she feels lucky to be living in a rent-controlled apartment but fears how the 24-hour cap might affect secondary household costs.
“I hope for the better, I want to feel confident about my presence here,” she said. “I don’t want to constantly have this feeling of uncertainty, but I do feel unease.”
Revalde said she came out to her parents last year, and they didn’t have the best reaction.
“I belong to a family that is still stuck in their traditional ways of thinking,” she said. “I came out to my parents, and they were not happy.
“But after a few months, they realized they couldn’t change me, so they let me be,” Revalde said.
“It is hard to go through life being different when the people closest to you don’t really accept you for who you are.”
The LGBTQ+ Resource Centre is located on the second floor at the Student Welcome and Resource Centre.
LGBTQ+ Resource Centre
Acting Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Matthew Travill said students are always welcome to come in and make the space whatever they want it to be.
“The primary goal is creating safer, braver, and more positive spaces, and that translates into building community for people with different identities and backgrounds,” he said.
Esmeralda Garcia at the International Centre at Lakeshore campus. She talked about her experience as an international student paying for rent and trying to afford to live in Canada.
Martina Revalde stands outside the Student Welcome and Resource Centre.
VICTORIA HINCAPIE GOMEZ
SKEDLINE/VICTORIA HINCAPIE GOMEZ
Hawks women’s soccer remain hopeful Humberlookstoreboundaftertoughstarttotheseason
Samuel D. Brito Salas HumberETC Sports
For Humber Hawks soccer forward Kaylese Callender, last week’s game against Conestoga Condors didn’t end up in the best possible way for the home squad. Indeed, the Sept. 18 game reflected the troubles they face this season.
“I think we got too comfortable,” Callender said after the match. “We just started being too relaxed.”
She was the only player who stopped to talk that night after the 2-1 loss, stretching the team’s losing streak to 0-3. The rest of the squad left the pitch after the final whistle.
The game started evenly with scoring chances for both teams. The goalkeepers — Angela Volpe for the Hawks and Maddy Sloan for the Condors — were the best players in the first half.
But at around the 35th minute, defender Doreen Anane-Bediakoh broke the stalemate and scored her first goal for the Hawks to give Humber the lead by halftime.
The second half saw Conestoga turn the tide, creating more scoring chances, and ending up coming from behind to win the game 2-1.
Humber’s head coach Jose Caro said the impact of the first Conestoga’s goal was on the Hawks.
“Sometimes mentally (a goal) takes you out of your concen-
tration,” Caro said. “The team needs to put the head up and keep playing.”
He said the mental part has been the main cause for the defeats the team has faced.
Caro, however, offered an optimistic message saying that this bad streak can be broken and still get to qualify for the postseason.
Conestoga’s women soccer team head coach Peter Mackie said it’s very difficult to face Humber, especially at in an away game.
“Humber soccer programs are one of the best in the country,” Mackie said. “They’re both (women and men’s teams) perennial powerhouses. He said games against Humber
are different compared to other teams.
“Their goal was a great header,” Mackie said.
But after the Condors scored its first goal, he said it was visible that Humber’s spirit broke.
“At 1-1, I thought there was only really one team that was looking to win the game,” Mackie said.
He said he was very proud of his team’s performance.
This new start of the season wasn’t expected by anyone in the team but there’s still time for the Hawks to improve.
Callender is aware of that and knows how a win would change everything.
“I think we just need a little bit more hard work,” Callender said. “But as of right now, it’s looking kind of rocky.”
Last Saturday, the Hawks went to Windsor to face St. Clair Saints to try to turn things around, however, they ended up losing 2-1 continuing their bad streak.
Next game will be at home against Lambton Lions at the Ontario Soccer Centre on Sept. 28.
Whitecaps FC capture CanChamp title
Rory Arthur Senior Reporter
Vancouver Whitecaps FC won the club’s fourth Canadian Championship title after beating Toronto FC on penalties Wednesday night.
The match required penalties after the Canadian rivals remained deadlocked at 0-0 through 90 minutes, where the Whitecaps kept their cool, converting four of five attempts from the spot.
Vancouver’s 22-year-old Canadian goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer was the star of the night.
Despite Toronto being the better team through the 90 minutes of play, outshooting the ‘Caps by more than double and holding 65 per cent of the possession, Boehmer stood tall and kept his team in the game.
The Penticton, B.C., native made seven saves in regular time, most notably denying Toronto star Federico Bernardeschi from the spot in the 38th minute.
He followed that up with another penalty stop in the shootout, diving to his right to stone Kosi Thompson in the third round of spot kicks, which proved to be the pivotal moment in the end.
Usually the backup in Major League Soccer (MLS) play, Boehmer started all five matches for Vancouver during their Cana-
dian Championship run, earning three clean sheets along the way, including in the final.
These performances were good enough for Boehmer to rake in the hardware, winning the George Gross award as tournament MVP, as well as the Best Young Canadian Player award.
Vancouver head coach Vanni Sartini was full of praise for his goalkeeper after the game, going as far to put Canada men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch on alert.
“I hope that Jesse was watching the game, because I don’t think there’s many Canadian goalkeepers better than him,” Sartini told reporters in his post-match press conference.
The win gives Vancouver its third consecutive Canadian Championship triumph, equalling a record set by TFC between 2016 and 2018.
Toronto head coach John Herdman was disappointed in the result after his team’s strong performance, but credited the Whitecaps’ ability to hold on.
“Proud of the lads, but at the same time just gutted, absolutely gutted,” Herdman said post-game. “I thought the trophy was close to Toronto tonight.
“Fair play to Vancouver, I thought they
were very resilient, young Boehmer did a hell of a job tonight, took his moment,” the TFC manager said.
Meanwhile, Whitecaps fan Adam Warren is still buzzing about the result, and hoping his team can continue its success in domestic competition in future years.
“Three in a row is really historic and
obviously they have a chance to get four and continue to show they really are the kings of the north,” Warren said.
In addition to the trophy, Vancouver also received a spot in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they’ll be able to test themselves against the best teams across North America.
HUMBERETC/SAMUEL D. BRITO SALAS
Goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer (centre) celebrates with teammates after Vancouver’s victory.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/DARRYL DICK
Men’s soccer off to flying start in OCAA
Hawks’victoryoverConestogaleadsteamtostrong3-0-1kickoff
Samuel
D. Brito Salas HumberETC Sports
It was around 3:30 p.m., an hour before the match as the Humber Hawks players walked into the dressing room. It was a big day, emotionally, as they were to play against Conestoga that day.
Defender Luca Pinto knew before the game that it was special, especially after last year when the Condors defeated the Hawks twice, including in the gold medal game of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).
“It’s a brand-new team,” he said. “We’re going to work hard, and you know, we’re gonna hopefully score, win it.”
It was a fantastic game for Pinto as the Hawks defeated the Condors 2-0 and achieved their first victory playing at home. With a win against the Windsor Saints a few days later, the Hawks now boast three wins, one tie and no losses so far, placing them third in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) rankings of the nation’s top 15 college men’s teams.
The Sept. 18 game was a solid one for the men’s team that started the best way possible with an early goal scored by Pinto in the fifth minute when he headed a free kick.
The rest of the half was more disputed at midfield with Humber not being able to capitalize on its chances.
During the beginning of the second half, Humber started off quite solid, even scoring a goal that was later disallowed for a foul.
Soon after that, at around the 50th minute, a good collective play ended up with forward Marcus
Riviere scoring the second and definitive goal for the Hawks, securing revenge for last year’s games.
Head coach Michael Aquino expressed his happiness after the match.
“That was an excellent perfor-
mance from our boys,” Aquino said. “We had some good success.” He highlighted the clean sheet after conceding goals in their last two games.
Conestoga head coach Stuart Mackie said his team couldn’t attack precisely.
“The targets are on our back, so to speak,” Mackie said of last season’s gold medal.
Pinto said he couldn’t be happier after being decisive in the game. The Hawks deserved the win and got revenge from last year.
“My third year to help the team is an amazing feeling,” Pinto said. “We got the job done.”
After their victory, the Hawks visited St. Clair at Windsor, Ont., on Sept. 21 to get a win away from home, again with a 2-0 score. The win extended their unbeaten streak, and they got two wins in a row for the first time this season. Their next game will be played against the Lambton Lions this Saturday, with the team looking forward to its second win in a row at home.
Humber Hawks defender Luca Pinto sets up for a free kick during the Sept. 18 game against the Condors. The men’s team went on to win its third game in the young OCAA season.
Humber Hawks players celebrating a goal against Conestoga Condors in a 2-0 soccer win on Sept. 18.
HUMBERETC/SAMUEL D. BRITO SALAS
HUMBER ET CETERA SPORTS
