March 2014 by The Newspaper

March 2014

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO STUDENTS’ UNION LOCAL 98, CANADIAN FEDERATION OF STUDENTS

UTSU ELECTIONS INFORMATION UTSU is your Students’ Union. We are governed by a Board of Directors elected by YOU. Our campaigns and services are also shaped by you. Our aim is to provide services and events that save you money and enrich your university experience.

VOTINg PERIOd: Tuesday march 11, Wednesday march 12, Thursday march 13 FROM 9:00 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.

POLLINg LOCATIONS: sT. geORge CaMpus:

Mississauga CaMpus:

• Sidney Smith • Bahen • Gerstein • John M. Kelly Library • Victoria College • Faculty of Dentistry

• Instructional Building • CCIT Building

Online: • Access: utsu.simplyvoting.com **The Victoria College polling station will be closing at 3:30pm on March 11 due to a prior booking

VOTINg INSTRUCTIONS: Voting will take place both online & at the above polling stations. For voting at a polling station, please bring your UTORid for identification purposes. For voting online, please have you UTORid number & password ready to access the online system. eleCTiOn DaTes:

sTaRT / enD

CaMpaign peRiOD

sTaRT: MARCH 3 at 9:00 A.M. enD: MARCH 13 at 6:30 P.M.

THe eleCTiOns FORuM

THuRsDaY, MaRCH 6 aT 6:00 p.M. | BaHen CenTRe in ROOM 1130

VOTing DaYs peRiOD

sTaRT: MARCH 11, 12 & 13 FROM 9:00 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.

For more information, visit your Students’ Union website at utsu.ca/elections or contact the Chief Returning Officer at cro@utsu.ca. VISIT US aT WWW.UTSU.ca/ElEcTIonS

facEbook.com/UTSU98

TWITTER @UTSU98

thenewspaper.ca

the newspaper Editor-in-Chief Yukon Damov

Serving up a good time Every time since 9T6!

Managing Editor Dylan Hornby Production Manager Camille Leon-Angelo Design Editor Odessa Kelebay Associate Design Editor Daniel Glassman News Editor Isaac Thornley Web Editor Marsha McLeod Associate Web Editor Yasmine Laasraoui Arts Editor Carissa Ainslie Associate Arts Editor Jane Alice Keachie Online Arts Editor Laura Charney Comment Editor Zach Morgenstern Features Editor David Stokes Photo Editor Grant Oyston Associate Photo Editor Paulina Saliba Illustrations Editor Nick Ragetli Managing Copy Editor Samantha Preddie

Get yer boots on!

the editorial While we’re on the subject (see: cover, Campus Comment), self-reflection seems like a process in validating our existence. We think; therefore, we are. The newspaper has done it since its beginning. Sept. 6, 1978, a teaser on the cover of our first issue read “the editorial: Why does the newspaper exist? pg 4” and the newspaper was lower-case forever. The answer today is much the same as it was 36 years ago, when the newspaper’s founders proclaimed that the newspaper exists to provide U of T with a free press. They said this publication is the only truly free publication on campus because you (if you are a U of T student) do not pay for what amounts to a compulsory paid subscription for it. Even if you don’t read The Strand or The Varsity, for example, you might pay for them. Unlike other campus publications which must serve the markets from whom they are subsidized (e.g. the 44,000 full-time undergraduate students of UTSU), the newspaper can serve the entire U of T community. “We seek to integrate the community rather than fragment it, and will work towards improving communication between the various estates that make up the university,” the editors wrote. That the newspaper is funded solely by advertising allows for a certain kind of freedom, but it also means that it will only exist so long as it is attractive to advertisers and the people who read it. “If nobody reads this newspaper, it will fold,” the editors stated bluntly. “In order to maintain our readership, and therefore survive, we must publish a quality newspaper. ... We cannot afford incompetence.” And from this, the broad parameters for our content were also established: “We must cover the issues and activities that are of interest to the members of the university community, and must in some way reflect the diversity of opinion that exists within this community. If we represent a narrow range of commentary, then we will alienate much of the campus, and lose a large part of our readership.” What the newspaper is meant to cover are not necessarily student issues, but timely issues that students have an interest in, which can include campus, local, national and global. This is all still true today and since 1978, the newspaper has been more or less faithful to that mandate.

Social Media Mogul Paulina Saliba Business Manager Anna Afshar Ad Sales Representative Tommy Wilson Events Coordinator Chelsea Hirons

Weekly Events: MONDAYS Man vs. Martini & Red Hot Poker Tour (6pm registration)

Toonie TUESDAY (Shots ‘n apps)

Open Mike / Pub Quiz WEDNESDAY Good tunes, great prizes. hilarious host and free stuff@9pm

(Stein Special)

the newspaper is published by Planet Publications Inc., a non-profit corporation. We print monthly issues and publish daily content online at www.thenewspaper.ca. thenewspaper@gmail.com 256 McCaul Street, Suite 106 Toronto, ON M5T 1W5 All of U of T community members, including students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to contribute to the newspaper.

Associate Events Coordinator Anna Bianca Roach

B.U.R.P! FRIDAY (Big Ugly Rockin’ Party)

Live Music SATURDAY The best acts from our open mike take the stage @ 9pm

Free Pool & Comedy SUNDAY Toronto’s funniest people take the stage @8pm!

Happy Hour 8-9pm (everything on sale!)

Cover Image Daniel Glassman

Contributors: Lisa Monozlai, Melissa Vincent, Regan McNeill, Clarrie Feinstein, Marsha McLeod, Jane Alice Keachie, Isaac Thornley, Yukon Damov, Caitlin Taguibao, Lena Binnington, Paulina Saliba, Max Parr, Grant Oyston, Daniel Glassman, Caitlin Roach, Samantha Chiusolo

St. Patrick’s Day: Get some Irish in ‘ya...Cheap!

Giant Beer Sale THURSDAY

Copy Editors Phil Metz Anna Bianca Roach Poppy Sanders Video Ted Rawson Max Parr

1 litre Leprechaun Boots available now!

All Day Breakfast every weekend! 229 COLLEGE STREET

Dept. of Corrections In last month’s issue, the author of “Reinventing virginity” was not “*names have been changed” (though that was true and necessary) but, rather, Jane Alice Keachie. the newspaper deeply regrets the error.

416/59•STEIN

Facebook: einsteinpub Twitter: einbierhalle www.ein-stein.ca

March 2014

U of T urged to divest from fossil fuel Perceptions to prove key in 350’s struggle for climate justice

n a brief written for the U of T Governing Council, Toronto350 has called for U of T to immediately commit to the principle of divesting from fossil fuel companies. It also demands that U of T make no new investments in the fossil fuel industry, wind down its investment in the 200 fossil fuel companies it is currently invested in, and within one year divest from Royal Dutch Shell. Toronto350 is a local branch of 350. org, an international group that participates in numerous campaigns. The group’s name refers to what climate scientists argue is a safe atmospheric CO2 ratio in parts per million (current global levels are above 400). In contrast to everyday environmentalist campaigns that encourage more personal responsibility, 350 emphasizes the role

SAMANTHA CHIUSOLO

of political stagnancy in the continuation of climate change. In order for the U of T divestment motion to succeed, however, Toronto350 may have to convince voters that this campaign is not particularly political. The brief to the Governing Council reveals the complex nature of U of T’s relationship to taking political positions. On the one hand, the University’s Statement of Institutional Purpose makes “a resolute commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, equity and justice.” On the other hand, it is also U of T policy not to make politically-motivated investment decisions, unless there is perceived academic consensus on an issue as targeted by a divestment campaign. U of T has complied with divestment motions in the past, such as withdrawing hold-

ings from Apartheid South Africa and the tobacco industry. In the brief Toronto350 lists numerous arguments in favour of divestment in an economically pragmatic manner. The brief cites reports that come up with monetary costs incurred by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, while also warning that current investments in the fossil fuel industry are based on the incorrect belief that fossil fuel extraction can continue indefinitely. The brief also goes over many of the tolls that climate change will take on the planet. It notes that climate change could affect agricultural production by altering precipitation cycles and triggering more droughts and wildfires. Climate change will also cause sea levels to rise, which could in turn lead to the

mixing of saltwater and freshwater-aquifers and flooding. Climate change could also bring about an increasing number of health issues and increasing death rates, especially in the third world and among various indigenous peoples. Numerous species are threatened by climate change, including salmon, which will face thermally-altered migration routes and an increasingly acidified ocean. One of the most pressing threats of climate change is that it is a self-perpetuating problem. Warmer weather can trigger certain tropical plants to release CO2. The melting of permafrost soils leads to the release of CH4 (methane), a far more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. Perhaps the most important research cited in the document is science historian Naomi Oresekes’ meta-study on climate change research. Oreskes looked at 928 peer-reviewed articles relating to climate change and found that all of these pieces either accepted the theory of anthropogenic climate change or took no position. The brief also notes that many fossil fuel companies openly acknowledge some of the costs inherent to their business and argues that when U of T divested from the tobacco industry it did so in part because even big tobacco acknowledged how dangerous their product is. In short, Toronto350 argues that as far as the University should be concerned, divestment from the fossil fuel industry should not be considered politically contentious. Academics, including U of T researchers, governments, international institutions and even voices in the fossil fuel industry acknowledge that climate change is a real, anthropogenic phenomenon. That does not mean, however, that persuading governing council to vote in favour

of divestment will be easy. When discussing the length of the brief, Toronto350 President Stuart Basden said that “Fossil Fuels permeate our society in a way that Apartheid and tobacco did/do not.” This illustrates the odd way in which the reality of the problem of anthropogenic climate change may not be politically contentious, but actually doing something about this problem is. To r o n t o 3 5 0 has collected endorsements from a range of individuals including U of T professors and high profile environmentalists including David Suzuki and Naomi Klein. Many student organizations have endorsed the campaign as well. For some it was an easy decision. According to the Victoria College Students’ Administrative Council President Jelena Savic there “was relatively little discussion [over whether to support the brief ], given the fact that all of the students on the council are conscious of the environmental impact of fossil fuels, and eager to see the University reinvent itself and its investment portfolio to reflect an interest in a sustainable future.” For other student organizations, however, the decision did not come as easily, as they did view divesting from fossil fuels as a contentious political decision. U of T Environmental Action (UTEA), a new, campus-activist-organization has been working to get student organizations to endorse Toronto350’s campaign. One UTEA activist tried to get the Trinity College Meeting to endorse the campaign. The endorsement passed by only one vote. The activist afterwards explained how she was told by a dissenting voter that the TCM should not take political stands. The dissenter also reportedly emphasized that this view on politics was a point of contention

between the TCM and UTSU. The UTSU, for that matter, has also endorsed fossil fuel divestment. According to UTSU Vice-President Equity Yolen Bollo-Kamara, the UTSU board of directors had a lengthy debate, but ultimately, nearly-unanimously endorsed 350’s campaign. Bollo-Kamara argued that UTSU members are students at “one of the largest and most influential post-secondary institutions in North America, [and that] we must acknowledge our direct contributions to climate change and the symbolic effect of our perceived inaction.” In response to the campaign, President Gertler will decide whether to strike an ad hoc committee, which would present recommendations in response to the brief. There are no doubt complex financial questions that will influence governing council’s vote. Indeed, Badsen feels that one challenge his campaign faces is to show that “divestment makes financial sense as well as ethical sense.” The brief does do a good job of making this case. It points out that U of T is not overly dependent on its fossil fuel assets, and as Badsen re-emphasizes, “Many international institutions—including the World Bank and United Nations—are now recognizing the strong likelihood that much of the world’s fossil fuels are stranded assets and are contributing to the Carbon Bubble, a financial bubble similar to the 2008 housing bubble that is potentially larger and more far-reaching.” U l t i m a t e l y, however, governors will have to find ways to justify yes or no votes. It is for this reason that the question of whether choosing to divest from fossils fuels means taking a controversial political stand, could play a decisive role in this debate. • Zach Morgenstern

Breadth requirements don’t entail well-rounded education Not mind-opening, just one more hoop to jump through

readth requirements: U of T’s latest and greatest way to make graduating more difficult than it needs to be. As fun as it sounds in theory “to provide students with meaningful exposure to areas of knowledge outside their primary area of study,” as described in the original proposal put before the Arts and Science Faculty Council in 2009, for many students, breadth requirements offer nothing more than one more hurdle in the long track of undergraduate study. Breadth requirements, first introduced in 2010, make it necessary for students to select courses from a variety of four or five different groups. Essentially what the breadth requirement amounts to is requiring Science students to take at least one Arts course and vice versa. One course, that’s it. Surely any “meaningful exposure” to a new area of study would require more time and effort than that. With that said, this article is certainly not advocating to increase the number of courses required to satisfy the breadth. Rather, it is important here to emphasize that any will to expose oneself to diverse fields of knowledge should be a project taken on freely by the students themselves, not imposed on them by the administration. It is of course important to draw one’s knowledge from a diverse array of fields, especially in the earlier years of one’s academic career, before the long fall toward obscure specialization begins. The question, of course, is whether breadth requirements really do introduce students to new fields, new critical lenses, encourage the value of interdisciplinary study, or whether all of that good stuff is lost somewhere in the process and instead remembered as an oblong lump of cramwork about astronomy. The current structure has failed to deliver on the university’s initial good intentions and has left many students feeling more confused and jaded than ever. Everyone’s designated programs already had specific requirements, but now stu-

dents have to consider and make space for classes that have no connection to the field of study they intended to pursue. “It just makes no sense. I want to go into English and History. Why do I have to sit around in a class learning about plants, where I have two exams, three assignments and a huge project for one term, which is more work than my major? I shouldn’t have to be paying to be forced to take something that will have no impact on my future,” said Greg,* a student from Victoria College. As easy and cute-sounding as courses like “Sun and its Neighbours” and “Plants and Society” sound, are they really opening up anyone’s minds? Students should want to expand their horizons and dabble in diverse fields of knowledge because they want to, not because they have to. Another student, Lia, from St. Mike’s had a more positive perspective: “I’m majoring in History, but I always really liked math in high school. I was just naturally inclined to that subject. So, I’m going to take stats, which I know I’ll enjoy and then I’ll have that over with.” However, therein lies the problem: “I’ll have that over with” is the common phrase when discussing breadth requirements. The courses are just seen as classes on a checklist of priorities to get accomplished in university. A more straightforward way for the university to encourage interdisciplinary learning and critical thinking would be to have less requirements and leave students with more freedom to build their own degrees, and to experiment and experience at their own pace. Parents, professors and TAs say, “You don’t get a degree for nothing.” No one can argue that diligence and perseverance are not required. Nevertheless, that should be the main requirement—to apply passion and curiosity to courses you wish to pursue. • Clarrie Feinstein

With files from Isaac Thornley

thenewspaper.ca

High rise recycling rates not so high How to account for residential recycling disparity?

ticality, convenience and infrastructure, but also in culture, a sense of anonymity and lack of community pressure. Recycling is measured in diversion rates, i.e. the percentage of material that is reused and “diverted” from waste in landfills. The City of Toronto is almost as eager to divert waste from landfills as Trinity College is to divert fees from the UTSU. The current diversion projections for Toronto in 2014 are 68 per cent for single-family residential buildings, compared to only 30 per cent for multi-residential buildings. To put these statistics

to get people aware and talking about waste diversion and recycling, banal practices many people take for granted. The ads may seem a tad harsh, but they attempt to tap into a sort of community policing, raising awareness and perhaps a sense of guilt or responsibility. Markham is leading the charge in Ontario with an 81 per cent diversion rate. One of their strategies has been allowing residents to put out as much trash as they want, as long as the garbage is in “see-through” bags so everyone can see who’s throwing out what. The strategy is twofold: it forces people to reflect on how they separate and manage their waste, and also forces them to put their waste on display for all their neighbours to see. The strategy works well in a city like Markham where, unlike Toronto, there is a far greater proportion of single-family homes relative to multi-residential buildings. There is a “neighbourhood watch” for recycling. The problem of recycling in apartments and condos is tied to a larger problem of developing a sense of community and neighbourhood within high-rise buildings. Higher levels of individualism and anonymity are produced simply by the physical arrangement of the buildings. The resident is disconnected from their waste, but also from their sense of shared responsibility and community belonging. “Recycling [in an apartment building] is an entirely individual pursuit. There is no visible effort from the landlord to encourage recycling. Since there is a garbage chute on each floor, you barely have to leave the apartment room to do the garbage,” said Ben Triolo, the Sustainability Commissioner for the UTSU. Sferrazza also highlighted the “transient nature” of apartment living, “Seeing that they are not going to be permanently at that location, [the tenant] may be less inclined to dedicate their time and resources into separating materials into streams, unlike say a single-residential family. They come and go.” There are also linguistic and cultural factors that influence people’s recycling behaviours. Individuals from countries or cultures that do not practice recycling may not know to do so in Toronto. To combat this, explained Sferrazza, there is material and information on waste management offered in several languages, and there is a general emphasis of graphics over

MAX PARR

oronto’s apartment and condo residents—a demographic referred to as “multi-res” in the field of waste management— recycle at less than half the rate of those living in houses, a complicated issue that the City is working to change. In December, the City of Toronto’s Solid Waste division launched an awareness campaign advertised throughout the TTC urging condo and apartment residents to “get with the program”—namely, recycling. The cause for low multi-res diversion rates seems to be based in prac-

in context, San Francisco has the best rates in America at around 80 per cent, and aims to produce zero waste by 2020. U of T posted an annual waste diversion rate of 71.5 per cent in 2012. “In Ontario, Toronto is unique. We are a city where 50 per cent of our population now resides in multi-residential homes, if not over 50 per cent,” said Vince Sferrazza, Director of Policy and Planning for Solid Waste Toronto. A City report confirms that approximately 55 per cent of the City’s “dwelling units” are contained in multi-res buildings, meaning essentially that apartments and condos make up the majority of Toronto homes. “Now that the city is growing up, rather than out, we must focus on improved participation and diversion in apartments and condominiums,” said Denzil Minnan-Wong, city councillor and chair of the public works and infrastructure committee, in a statement last December. “Condo and apartment residents must stop treating their recycling like garbage, and understand their responsibility and role in reducing, reusing and recycling,” said Minnan-Wong. Is it fair to point the finger at apartment and condo residents? Regardless of the answer, it certainly seems necessary

text, to instruct without language. The infrastructural reasons are straightforward; many high-rise buildings, particularly those built in the 60s and 70s, have garbage chutes but no recycling chutes. Although by-laws have been passed in recent years to add certain recycling requirements to new developments, and to improve old developments, the biggest obstacle for multi-res residents is still the problem of inconvenience. New buildings being constructed must now include one of four recycling systems: a chute system with a separator for waste, recyclables, and compost; two chutes, one for separated recyclables and compost, and one for waste; three chutes, one for each type of material; or finally, a waste management area on the main level. Although the dispar-

ity between single and multi-res recycling rates is old and quite striking, things are slowly getting better. Between 2007 and 2012, diversion rates for multi-res buildings actually increased more than those for single-family buildings. Overall, however, the disparity is black and white; even with the 2014 projections, apartments and condos divert less than half as much. There are also several initiatives being lead by Solid Waste in addition to the awareness campaign on the TTC. The Ambassador program, for example, looks for multi-res residents interested in environmental or sustainability leadership, provides them with information and resources, and facilitates their role as the recycling ambassador of their community. High-rise recycling is the next great frontier of Toronto’s waste management landscape. Becom-

ing a city of condos means more than concrete and glass dominating our skyline, it also invites a set of environmental issues. Everyone knows why recycling is good. It’s a no-brainer. What is not so straight-forward is figuring out how to pressure people, make them feel a part of something, to develop a certain responsibility, and then provide them with the resources to do the right thing. • Isaac Thornley

March 2014

IT’S NOT EASY BEING A GIRL Hannah Dyer pioneers girlhood studies at U of T

irlhood is contested terrain. The term “girl” is often defined as “a female child,” but it is loosely applied to females from pre-pubescence up until their late twenties or older. Every girl must navigate her girlhood within a range of competing definitions, most of which are filtered through adult-dominated media. So what is “girlhood” and why is it relevant to people who aren’t girls? These issues are tackled in the Politics of Girlhood, a women and gender studies course much bigger

than the New College basement classroom it inhabits. Hannah Dyer, PhD candidate at U of T, designed the course based off her own research, which focuses on popular culture, gender and sexuality, transnationality, and child/youth studies. The entry of girlhood into academia coincides with the recent attention on girls in media popular culture. Girl power isn’t a new phenomenon by any means—it’s been almost two decades since the Spice Girls and polarizing Riot Grrrl movement— but recently there’s been a fresh wave of girls whose voices and work are being seen and heard. Dazed and Confused magazine’s

February issue bore the title ‘Girls Rule the World’; Tavi Gevinson, 17-yearold blogger and media mogul, released her book Rookie Yearbook 2 last November; Petra Collins, the 21-year-old artist behind American Apparel’s vagina T-shirt, just unveiled Discharge, her first solo exhibit; and Girls, created and written by Lena Dunham, is currently on its third season. These are examples of young females exercising their agency and influence through popular culture. Clearly the importance and commercial vitality of girls’ voices is finally being recognized. Rookie.com, an online magazine, is one of the only platforms with an editor-in-chief who is the same age as her teenage reader demographic. This is a stark contrast to publications like Seventeen which, written by adults and influenced by corporate advertisers, targets a much younger demographic than its name suggests. The projection of adult perspective onto girlhood is an issue brought up often in Dyer’s course, as well as the commodification of the girlhood experience.

Dyer broaches an interest in the lives of girls with careful curiosity: “There is a tendency to re-narrate girlhood experiences through an adult perspective. However, this is a course on ‘girlhood’ and not just ‘girls’, so our focus is the interrogation and study of girlhood as a concept and idea (with an understanding that this ‘idea’ shapes the lives of girls).” It is, therefore, the intersection of both real experiences and pedagogic ideas of girlhood that makes the course relevant and engaging for students. Classroom conversation may use M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls” music video as a starting point, but from there diverge into a nuanced discussion of gender and race. In the music video M.I.A. puts forth an image rarely seen in western media: a group of young women wearing niqabs while drag racing. Is M.I.A. presenting a powerful song of resistance and female power, or is she, like many other artists, simply reappropriating another culture for the benefit of her own work? “Recently, there has been a trend in popular music to claim that girls have a unique capacity as social and

political leaders (i.e., Beyoncé and M.I.A.). Applying diaspora and transnational theories of gender and sexuality to this trend produces some really exciting dialogue in the classroom,” said Dyer. While girls have not always been taken seriously for their ideas and knowledge, they are most definitely recognized as active and key consumers of products and pop culture. The politics of

narratives of girlhood experience, like puberty, are controlled and dictated by adultled corporations. Alongside its focus on pop culture and media, the course also looks at how girls are exposed to oppression and violence and critiques the ways in which girls and girlhood are co-opted within feminist discourse and activism. “Girls are expected to represent ‘the future,’” said Dyer. Recently, many cam-

“Students and academics can make an important contribution to lessening the amounts of violence that girls face by reshaping discourses surrounding girlhood.” girlhood takes a critical stance against corporate-controlled media and the ways they influence girls and ideas of girlhood. Beingagirl.com is a website owned by Proctor and Gamble that provides puberty information and advice. The question arises of what is lost when

paigns have promoted educating girls as the answer to raising the standard of living in “developing countries.” Girl Rising is one such example of an international movement that seeks to empower and educate girls. Their website states that, “educating girls can transform

societies” and in 2013 the organization released a documentary which used girls’ stories from nine different countries to expose experiences of girlhood around the world. But it is important to look critically at how transnational movements use girls as tools to conform “developing countries” into western ideas of modernity. The desire to educate girls is a noble and worthwhile pursuit that can sometimes rely too heavily on a long existing white, western saviour complex. “Girlhood studies puts pressure on how girls are used in such campaigns and also explores the historical, transnational and contemporary definitions attached to ‘girlhood,’” explained Dyer. The study of girlhood is a growing field and it is exciting to have it at U of T, as it is vital to constantly expand the amount of voices present in the already diverse women and gender studies program. Dyer saw the necessity in creating a course on girlhood

from working with girls in group homes and shelters. “The complexity of their lived experiences and the stories they shared with me helped to inspire a course that explores how class, race and sexuality, for example, come into contact with ‘girlhood,’” said Dyer. And Dyer does believe academia has the power to change the lives of girls: “It’s my opinion that students and academics can make an important contribution to lessening the amounts of violence that girls face by reshaping discourses surrounding girlhood.” The emergence of girlhood studies, alongside a boom of media made for girls by girls, suggests a hopeful step away from narrow ideas of girls and the lives they lead. Too often girls are commodified, fetishized and categorized. But girls are also greatly underestimated, and therefore we must acknowledge their present, not just future power, to run the world. • Jane Alice Keachie

GRANT OYSTON

thenewspaper.ca “At U of T and specifically, at Munk, it is expected that we view everything with a critical mindset,” said Chase McNabb, a third-year student in the Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies Program at the Munk School of Global Affairs. “With that said, both the Munk School of Global Affairs and the former U of T president [Dr. David Naylor] must have assumed that many would question the ethical concerns of his swift transfer to Barrick,” said McNabb, referring to the December 4 announcement that Dr. Naylor would stand for election in April to Barrick Gold’s Board of Directors as an independent director. Of Dr. Naylor’s suitability for the role, Barrick wrote in a press release, “[He] has been active as a senior policy advisor to domestic governments for 25 years, and through his role at the University had regular interaction with a number of international governments and agencies.” Citing Dr. Naylor’s extensive academic background, Li Pan, a Mathematics and Economics student at Trinity College, wrote in The Varsity, “Naylor is extremely well-qualified for the job. For that reason alone, no one should cry conspiracy without evidence to back up that claim.” Dr. Naylor was at the helm of U of T governance when Peter and Melanie Munk began to negotiate the conditions of their $35-million donation which lead to the creation of The Munk School of Global Affairs. Advocacy group “Peter Munk OUT of U of T” believes that Peter Munk has extended his influence into the Munk Centre, saying that the donation contract signed between Peter Munk and U of T “allowed for a private donor to oversee programming at the school’s global affairs school, despite the donor’s financial interests in global affairs.” Last year, in an unpublished interview with the newspaper, the Director of the Munk School, Professor Janice Stein said, “Peter Munk has never interfered in any way with the academic program of the Munk School, with the research program of the Munk School, or with the outreach program of the Munk School.” Stein also said: “I am not in a position to comment on what any company does or does not do. ... What really is my responsibility is that programs like Peace and Conflict Studies … flourish, are funded, and

Wisdom isn’t better than silver or gold at the Munk School Naylor’s appointment to Barrick board raises questions about corporate connections

CAITLIN TUGUIBAO

grow.” While there is debate on whether or not Peter Munk or Barrick Gold have in any way influenced the Munk School’s programming, it is difficult to obtain concrete and specific examples of ideological stamping out within the school on behalf of either entity. However, speaking over Skype, Catherine Coumans, the Research Coordinator of MiningWatch Canada highlighted a problem relating to the identity of the Munk School: “By naming the school the Munk School, U of T gives Barrick an implicit stamp of approval. … This is high profile marketing, because it is also implicit that this organization has been vetted and found to be a suitable partner for U of T.” Coumans believes that Dr. Naylor’s appointment to the Barrick Board of Directors is a

case of “you rub my back and I’ll rub your back. This appointment is Dr. Naylor’s reward for services rendered to Barrick, and the move should be raising questions about the nature of that relationship.” In our email exchange, Barrick’s VP of Communications declined to answer an inquiry into the substance of the corporation’s relationship with U of T. Based off 2013 figures, Dr. Naylor is slated to earn approximately $200 000 in his role as an independent director on the Barrick Board of Directors. Barrick Gold Corp. is currently operating two non-judicial reparation programs in Tanzania and Papua New Guinea (PNG) after a string of human rights abuses at the North Mara and Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) mines, respectively. The PJV operation

is 95 per cent owned by Barrick, which bought the mine from Placer Dome in 2006. The mine is located in the Porgera Valley, between 2,2002,700m in the highlands of of the country. “The mountainside [of Porgera] has been replaced by an immense open pit, massive waste dumps, and a red river of tailings,” reported Harvard’s International Human Rights Clinic and NYU’s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice on Nov. 16, 2009 in front of the Canadian House of Commons. The Harvard/NYU research team documented ten alleged incidents of sexual assault between the 1980s and 2008 perpetrated by PJV “security personnel.” On their website, Barrick reported that by Mar. 22, 2013, 170 women were filing claims for reparations Women reported that rapes usually occurred

on the outer regions of the mine site, such as the waste dump. Alleged victims also reported being raped by three to nine security personnel and were reportedly subject to beatings—some with sticks, boots and guns. Women are particularly vulnerable in Porgera as some of them must cross the waste flows to access their gardens. These women are subject to accusations of trespassing from security personnel. Also, some women engage in illegal mining on the outer edges of the mine because of their financial insecurity. “The reasons people are on the waste flows is economic,” said Coumans. Sakura Sanders, a human rights activist, travelled to the Porgera mine in 2010 and said that the people living around the mine site voiced several main concerns: “Something I heard again and again is ‘we are squatters on our own land’; there is also a lot of anger towards the company; and also, people said they made more money small-scale mining before the company was there.” In a 2012 document responding to the violence against women in the Porgera Valley, Barrick writes that the remedy framework features “an individual remedy component and a community development program.” Coumans said that despite the promise of an “individual” component to the remedy program, affected women are being offered the same thing: “livestock to sell, primarily in the form of baby chicks.” “When we interviewed about 35 women, their view is that rape is very similar to a killing, for which the appropriate compensation would be about 100 adult pigs and a commensurate amount of money in cash.” In order to receive reparation, Barrick’s framework compels women to sign a waiver agreeing “[they] will not pursue or participate in any legal action against PJV, PRFA [Porgera Remediation Framework Association Inc.] or Barrick in or outside of PNG.” In response to criticism by organizations such as MiningWatch Canada and Human Rights Watch, the waiver was revised and a new copy was posted on May 18, 2013 in which the revised clause states that while the victim still cannot pursue any “civil legal action” or “claim for compensation” towards PJV, PRFA or Barrick, this “expressly excludes any

criminal action that may be brought by any state, governmental or international entity.” However, experts believe that the likelihood that the PNG government would be willing or able to pursue legal action against Barrick is likely nil. Barrick revised the waiver to be “consistent with the UN Guiding Principles [on Business and Human Rights] and Papua New Guinean law.” The UN Guiding Principles state that actors should work to “ensure that they do not erect barriers to prevent legitimate cases from being brought before the courts” or implement legal and practical barriers that “could lead to a denial of access to remedy.” However, The Principles do not specifically request that States or Business Corporations not implement waivers as a part of their remedy process. The Principles were authored by John Ruggie—currently employed at Barrick as the Special Consultant to the Corporate Social Responsibility Advisory Board. “It’s a huge loophole,” said Coumans. “Yet Barrick can go to Ruggie, and ask, ‘Are we violating The Principles?’ And he can say, ‘Well, The Guiding Principles don’t address this.’” “What Barrick does works; they bring specific people in very close, such that those people become implicated,” said Coumans. A similar legal situation involving the use of waivers is currently under wraps at the North Mara Mine in Tanzania, which is owned by a subsidiary of Barrick called African Barrick Gold (ABG). Women also accused Barrick security personnel of sexual assault. Until December 2013, the waiver which was given to the alleged victims in order to receive reparation was not a public document. Forced into light by a lawsuit from London, the waiver is said to restrict victims from acting in criminal suits in entirety. On their website, ABG writes that the North Mara region is “a magnet for transients, criminals and organized crime” due to migration from other regions and countries. However, the local community alleges that the mine has had negatives impacts on the region. Sanders travelled to the North Mara mine— this time in 2013—to hear the concerns of the local community. Sanders recalled speaking with

7 two young girls: “They said to me, ‘We can’t bathe here anymore [referring to the local water source] because our skin breaks out in rashes.’” “Now the villagers have to walk really, really far to access another water source for drinking,” said Sanders. Under current law, Barrick must abide by the rules and regulations in the nations in which it operates its mines and is not under obligations from the Canadian government regarding its mining practices in other countries. For example, the PJV mine engages in riverine tailings disposal, a practice which is banned in every other country in the world due to the environmental impacts. In 2010, a Bill C-300—which would have asked companies to voluntarily be subject to some degree of oversight and evaluation—was shut down in Canadian parliament by a margin of six votes. Barrick lobbied against the bill on the basis of it being “punitive” and a basis for destroying the reputation of Canadian companies, reported Geoffrey York of The Globe and Mail. Highlighting Dr. Naylor’s skills for a Board of Directors position at Barrick, Li Pan wrote that Naylor’s work with advisory committees and the Canadian government “makes him an obvious choice for a gold mining corporation that … is often lobbying the Canadian government.” Dr. Naylor is qualified to work for Barrick Gold, but as the 15th president of the University of Toronto, and the main liaison at U of T during Peter and Melanie Munk’s donation to the Munk School, the problem of association remains. In his role on the Barrick Board of Directors, Dr. Naylor will continue to represent U of T and will bring this connection to his role on the Barrick Board of Directors; in this respect, our 15th President shames the university by implicitly joining our name to a company deeply out of line with the principles of human rights. And as a student at the Munk School myself, benefiting from, and enjoying the multitude of resources initiated by the Munks’ donation, I question, am I also implicated? • Marsha McLeod

With files from Sebastian Greenholtz.

March 2014

Eclectic pop duo Phedre

The art of being the underdog Wavelength Festival celebrates its 14th year with a bang

figure and his instrument. Since its founding, Wavelength has always captured our unofficial city idealism. In several respects, it’s an essentially “Toronto” festival; Everyone works interdependently in order to share the same final product. Wavelength has always worked to give emerging talent a landing site for their music, making the festival comfortable, welcoming and unpretentious. Throughout the weekend, the familiar faces of artists, coordinators and attendees alike would merge, forming an impromptu merry gang. Take Avem Ondo who operates under the moniker Zoo Owl and demanded a full-body reaction to his set of dense electronica on the festival’s opening night. A clear highlight, he worked the merch table the following evening at Adelaide Hall while decadent Toronto Pop supergroup Diana doused the stage in a lush, pastel-coloured haze. A palpable presence each night, I spoke to Jonny Dovercourt at Wavelength’s wrapup show at The Garrison, not only to congratulate him on yet another home run but to subtly slip in how large an impact Wavelength events had in carving my own idea of live music in our city. Without pretenses or detached aloofness, his reaction was one of genuine gratitude. Unconcealed in his passion, he has long given himself the thankless task of growing Toronto’s music scene from the inside out.

Melissa Vincent

Pharrel and his

toys Design Exchange exhibit explores the

intersection of hip hop, graffiti and manga

harell Williams’ first major venture into museum curation via the exhibit This is Not a Toy is on at Toronto’s Design Exchange (DX) until May 19. The show presents the artistic uprising of the designer toy, first popularized by Michael Lau in 1997, the same year Todd McFarlane shocked those at the American International Toy Fair with his graphic Spawn action figures. This is Not a Toy features the works of several urban vinyl pioneers, such as the New York-based artist KAWS, the Los Angeles-based art collab-

orative FriendsWithYou, and the award winning Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. The art toy is where graffiti, hip hop and Japanese manga find a unique place to intersect. Partly titled after the French painter, Rene Magritte’s This is Not a Pipe, the exhibit juxtaposes the idea that the toys on display are and are not toys. As designer toys they are both pieces of affordable art as well as comprehensive representations of the shifting contemporary youth culture. Entering the exhibit is like being transposed into an alternative world of popular culture icons turned very unfamiliar; the usual campy innocence of classic children’s cartoons has been reappropriated in a warped and sexualized fashion. It is the simultaneity of “rebellion and play,” says a paragraph printed on one of the walls, which explains this exhibition’s principle theme. From the grimacing Charlie Brown with gold grills and shoelaces to SpongeBob SquarePants in the midst of a psychedelic trip, the toys uproot art-goers from their usual relationship with these characters. Like an eerie vibrant wonderland (akin to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) filled with corrupted versions of our favourite children’s commodities, This is Not a Toy comments on consumerism and mass markets, while rebelling against that same production. The popular interest of the exhibition can be attributed to Grammy award-winning Pharell Williams’ involvement in its curation, as well as the accessibility of designer toys’ graphics. “You don’t need an art history degree or design background to appreciate any of these small sculptures— everyone ‘gets’ them because of their accessible aesthetic qualities,” Wee Tom, co-curator of the show, told the Toronto Star. But the popularity of the art toy can also be attributed to

the growing influence of hip hop in the global world of art, fashion and design. We have seen many artists, like Kanye West and Pharell Williams, vamp their own clothing lines, and at same time urban art has inched its way into mainstream consciousness. Designer Jean Touitou, controversially said, “Fashion killed rock and roll … and if hip hop artists are not careful it will also kill hip hop,” in an interview with style.com about his latest collaboration with Kanye West. Touitou might mean that the commodification of hip hop and hip hop culture could ultimately uproot a genre that originated from the underground and existed to subvert

those in control of mass markets. But if This is Not a Toy is as cognizant as it seems, then it disagrees with Touitou, and celebrates hip hop as a genre that is taking over design, marketing, music and culture rather than assimilating into it. The exhibition is a celebration of a new youth culture— one where “rebellion and play” go hand in hand—which is communicated through shocking images that transgress the cartoons, advertising, and ideas that came before us. • Lisa Monozlai

DANIEL GLASSMAN

onny Dovercourt was frustrated 14 years ago. He was in the midst of a local music scene pulsating with talent but lacking the means to let it evolve organically. Taking matters into his own hands, Wavelength was born. The non-profit, artist-run arts organization has jump-started the careers of acclaimed musicians such as Broken Social Scene, Grimes, and Fucked Up, organized some of the city’s most eclectic events (such as ALL CAPS! Island Festival), and has put on upwards of 1,100 shows. It is a dearly regarded gem nestled within Toronto’s varied music sphere. This year the festival introduced one of its most impressive lineups to date, including renowned saxophonist Colin Stetson, noise punks Odonis Odonis, and female force of nature Petra Glynt. The four-day-long festival was fiercely diverse, which allowed the aesthetic performance art of vibrant pop duo Phedre and the marching band attire of The Wet Secrets to exist alongside bands like Greys and Biblical’s “rocking-outwith-their-cocks-out” brand of classic alternative rock. Headliner Colin Stetson’s transcendental and hypnotic performance at the Polish Combatants Hall was easily the most affecting. Immobilizing the audience with abundant layers of rock-solid sound, it was hard to believe that it came from a singular

Similar to the way NXNE takes the city as its prisoner each summer, despite Wavelength being much more modest, its endearing self-described “little guy” status has become a defining feature. For the last fourteen years, while helping launch bands such as Arcade Fire and Metz, couples have gotten engaged, wide-eyed teenagers have been able to try their hand at setting up a professional show and artists have assimilated into the audience, cycling back as fans. It’s the type of encompassing event that makes anyone’s argument for our city’s crumbling art motivation utterly irrelevant. A Toronto staple that every year welcomes back its guests during the chilliest season, here’s to hoping for another fourteen. •

thenewspaper.ca

Isaac’s

cheap and simple

root vegetable

soup recipe

oup is a great way to save time and money for any cook, including students. They can be made in large batches with fresh, healthy and inexpensive ingredients. They are also dynamic, lend themselves to any flavour profile, and keep well in the fridge. Soups are a good look for students. They can be meals in themselves or can be yummy side dishes if you are planning a more elaborate meal.

Hardware:

- Stovetop or electric heat source - Large pot - Blender, food processor, or metal potato masher (or skip it if you prefer a more rustic texture) - Cutting board or surface - Block knife - Wooden spoon or metal ladle - Veggie peeler or paring knife The great thing about a soup is that the ratios never need to be exact, and the cook can easily adapt in order to perfect the soup. Too thick? Add liquid. Too thin? Add potatoes or some other thickening agent (e.g. corn starch). Too bland? Add salt, herbs, and spices. For those who are inexperienced, just be light-handed when adding things like salt or liquid. It’s easy to make a soup more flavourful or to thin it out, but it’s harder to thicken something up or make it less salty. So, just be patient and add in small amounts.

Ingredients

(for about eight servings of soup): - One large onion (and a few cloves of garlic if you have it) - Olive oil/butter - Milk/cream (optional) - Three medium potatoes - One sweet potato - One celery root - One carrot or parsnip - Enough water or stock to adequately submerge the vegetables (approximately 3-4 cups) - Seasoning: salt and black pepper to taste (usually a couple teaspoons of each). Classic spices with root vegetables are cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger or cardamom. Dried herbs: a bay leaf, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano. Just a few of these herbs and spices will do. If you only have salt and pepper that will work as well, it will just be a little simpler to taste. These herbs and spices are all fairly potent (except for the bay leaf). If you are inexperienced, just add a little at a time. And always season to your own taste! Learn what you like and don’t like, and improvise. A soup is a perfect opportunity to experiment a little bit; as I said, it’s easy to correct any mistakes. Root vegetables really do go with any spice combinations. You could throw in some curry powder, cumin, fresh ginger, chilli flakes. If you like it sweeter you could add a few tablespoons of brown sugar.

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot on medium to high. 2. Chop the onion and garlic and add to the hot oil, and sautée until the onion is soft and translucent. 3. While you sautée the onion, prepare your root vegetables. There is no need to peel the potatoes, sweet potato, and carrot, especially if you intend to purée your soup. Just make sure all the vegetables have been adequately rinsed and scrub off any growths. The celery root and parsnip should be peeled. You can use a veggie peeler or a paring knife. 4. Cut the root vegetables into roughly one inch cubes. The exact size doesn’t matter as much as long as you are consistent. 5. Add the root vegetables to the pot and add enough water over top to adequately submerge all of the vegetables so that they can boil to cook. Now add the salt, pepper, and dry herbs. 6. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are soft and cooked through. 7. Once everything has cooked, remove the pot from the heat and wait for it to cool to a safe temperature. Remove bay leaf if applicable. Once cooled, transfer to a food processor or blender to purée or use an immersion blender or potato masher. 8. Once your soup is at a proper texture, you can focus on its consistency. If you like a thick soup then perhaps you will not need to add any more liquid. You can add milk or cream to thin it out. Or, for a dairy free soup, a little more water or stock will do the trick as well. This is when you want to be careful not to go overboard on thinning your soup! 9. Now you add the final touch: your seasoning! First add salt and pepper to taste. This is when you get to experiment with some spices. I never like telling people exactly how to season their food. It is important to learn what you like. Really do take chances and experiment. As long as you are careful and only add in small increments you will not make a mistake. And make sure you smell your spices before adding them so that you know what you’re getting yourself into! I often serve this soup with a dollop of plain greek yogourt. You could grate some mozzarella or cheddar cheese over top as well. For vegan and dairy free, you could toast up some nuts or seeds. You can also substitute some of the root veggies for squash. Roast the squash in the oven, save the seeds. Boil the seeds, season and roast them and add them as a garnish as well. Try different veggie combinations and different spices every time. Find what you like and make your own recipes! • Isaac Thornley

March 2014

Personal Credits Notice

If you received a Common Experience Payment, you could get $3,000 in Personal Credits for educational programs and services. The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The healing continues. Since 2007, almost 80,000 former students have received a Common Experience Payment (“CEP”) as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. CEP recipients are now eligible to receive non-cash Personal Credits of up to $3,000, for either themselves or certain family members, for educational programs and services. What are Personal Credits? Personal Credits may be used for a wide range of educational programs and services, including those provided by universities, colleges, trade or training schools, Indigenous Institutions of Higher Learning, or which relate to literacy or trades, as well as programs and services related to Aboriginal identities, histories, cultures or languages. How much are Personal Credits? Adequate funds are available for each CEP recipient to receive up to $3,000 in Personal Credits, depending on your approved educational expenses.

the terms and conditions. Personal Credits of multiple CEP recipients can be combined to support a group learning activity. How can I get Personal Credits? Each CEP recipient will be mailed an Acknowledgement Form. If you do not receive an Acknowledgement Form by the end of January 2014, please call 1-866-343-1858. Completed Acknowledgement Forms should be returned as soon as possible and must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2014.

How do I redeem my Personal Credits? Once approved, you will be sent a personalized Redemption Form for each individual using Personal Credits at each educational entity or group. Once the Form is received, provide it to the CEP recipients have the option of educational entity or group listed. sharing their Personal Credits with The educational entity or group must certain family members, such as: then complete and mail back the • Spouses Redemption Form postmarked no • Children later than December 1, 2014. • Grandchildren • Siblings

Which educational entities and groups are included? A list of approved educational entities and groups has been jointly developed by Canada, the Assembly of First Nations and Inuit representatives. If an educational entity or group is not on the list, please consult the website for more information.

Will I receive a cheque? No. Cheques will be issued directly to the educational entity or group providing the service. Who can use Personal Credits? CEP recipients can use the full amount themselves or give part or all of their Personal Credits to certain family members such as a spouse, child, grandchild or sibling, as defined in

What happens to unused Personal Credits? The value of unused Personal Credits will be transferred to the National Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund and Inuvialuit Education Foundation for educational programs. For more information, including how Personal Credits can be redeemed by certain family members of CEP recipients that are deceased, visit www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca or call 1-866-343-1858. The IRS Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) provides immediate and culturally appropriate counselling support to former students who are experiencing distress.

1-866-343-1858 • www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca

thenewspaper.ca

CAMPUS COMMENT What would you like to read about (or read more about) in your student press? Marsha McLeod and Paulina Saliba

Rufina, I’d like to see more about student initiatives. I run a group called Thoughts on Science, and I bet there are lots of other groups like ours which we don’t know anything about.

Miguel, The UTSU, You always see little voting polls, but I never know what it is about. I want to know how the process works, and also how to get more involved with the school in general.

Alexandria and Laura, We’re from the jazz music program and it would be so good to read more about local musicians. We are always playing gigs but no one really hears about them.

Daniella, I think housing and how to rent in the city. I mean I just rented a unit this year that has mice, and you know I looked my landlord in the eye and asked him if there were mice, and he said no.

George, I think there should be more about mental health. We don’t talk about that enough, and the administration doesn’t do enough. The Varsity feature [on mental health] was really great to read.

Ivana, I’d really like to read about whether or not Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are dating. I mean who doesn’t really? But I’d like to read about the Olympics, and other applicable things that are going on.

Ilijia, I’d be interested in human stories that relate to students, and nothing you could just read elsewhere.

Elena, Student issues around campus. I heard there have been issues at the Munk School that students can’t talk about certain things.

Natalie, I’d like to read about other students at U of T, like little profiles. Something like HONY.

March 2014

Four easy steps to securing a rental in Toronto How to prepare yourself for apartment hunting season

y experiences with renting an apartment in Toronto have been a far cry from simple and satisfying. From crowded showings to hellish hydro bills to noisy neighbours to flooding floors, I can personally attest that renting an apartment is no easy task. Thus the newspaper brings you four STEP 2 Ask the right questions when you start steps to find a great, or at least average, place to live in the city. viewing units

STEP 1

Regan McNeill

Prepare to start viewing units Start your search for units on padmapper.com or craigslist.com. These websites are great because you can see units flagged on a map and filter out choices based on price, number of bedrooms, and type of rental. Think seriously about how far you can live from your place of study or work. If you look farther away from U of T campus, try to look for places close to subway lines. Using a streetcar line to get to school is less efficient and reliable compared to the subway system. Consider if you would like to live in a basement apartment. They tend to flood and they can be extremely dark through the winter months. You should also never go to house showings alone (guys and girls). Not only is it not safe, but it’s always good to have a second opinion when you’re looking at a place. If you can, arrange to bring a parent to the house showing. Parents intimidate landlords and know all the good questions to ask.

Find out if your utilities are included in the rent or if you have to pay them separately. If they are separate, ask how much utilities will cost you per month; write this quote down for future reference. Make sure to ask other tenants what they pay. Last year, my roommates and I ended up paying $2,000 for four months of sparse baseboard heating—you do not want to be in a similar situation. Also, make sure you ask who and what controls the central heating and cooling system. This seems minute, but it is important as certain types of heating and cooling are much more expensive than others. Ask if there is laundry in the building, and if not, is there a Laundromat nearby? If the place needs repairs, figure out who will be making the repairs! It could end up being you! Finally, the newspaper recommends inquiring about the three P’s: parking, parties and painting.

LENA BINNINGTON

STEP 3

Securing the deal Be aggressive and show you are interested. If you think you might be seriously interested in a place, bring cheques to the showing. It doesn’t mean you have to use them but it shows commitment. If your landlord seems like a scumbag, don’t rent (no matter how nice the place is)! Remember: security deposits are illegal. Have a parent or an experienced human being read the rental contact and check for hidden fees, such as damage costs. Also, confirm with the landlord that you can sublet the apartment/your room if you need to at some point during your lease.

STEP 4

Remain vigilant once you move in to your unit Check out the unit when you first move in and if there’s something wrong with it tell your landlord right away! This will save you time, money and frustration. For the record: keep your rent receipts. If you haven’t gotten any, ask for them. Continue to ask your landlord questions, it is his or her job to be available even when you’re already moved in. If a dispute arises, you can lodge a complaint to the Landlord and Tenant Board to attend a hearing.