When protection crumbles: An investigation into Quebec’s youth care system TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12
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Through love, we can protect the heart of democracy
Murray Sinclair’s legacy lives on
“He showed us there is no reconciliation without truth,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said
Jasjot Grewal Editor-in-Chief
Murray Sinclair (Mazina Giizhik-iban) was born in 1951 on the former St. Peter’s Reserve. He grew up in the Selkirk area north of Winnipeg, Manitoba and later attended the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law, graduating in 1979. In the
The
years to follow, Sinclair dedicated his work to defending the rights of Indigenous persons and exposing the systemic oppression the Canadian justice system imposed on Indigenous peoples. Sinclair passed away on Nov. 4 at age 73.
Sinclair became the Associate Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba in 1988, making him the first Indigenous judge in Manitoba and the second in
Quebec’s healthcare system needs a prescription for change
uebec Health Minister Christian Dubé recently announced reform plans for Quebec’s healthcare system, which include restricting new doctors to the public sector and potentially invoking the notwith-
standing clause to enforce compliance. The provincial doctor shortage is a pressing issue: Quebec has seen a 70 per cent increase in physicians moving to the private sector since 2020. Contributing factors like difficult working conditions, excessive paperwork, and restrictive policies have driven doctors
out of the public sector, yet the minister’s plans do not adequately address or offer solutions to these underlying issues. As a result, public healthcare accessibility has worsened, with increasing wait times for essential treatments and over two million Quebecers lacking access to a family doctor.
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IInaugural
Canada. Sinclair’s recommendations included an emphasis on Indigenous offenders’ backgrounds and circumstances when applying sentencing, which allowed the court to consider historical inequalities and the legacies of colonialism when sentencing. This was later enshrined in the 1996 Gladue Principles. In 2001, Sinclair became the first Indigenous judge appointed to the Court of King’s Bench, the highest trial court in Manitoba. PG. 4
Palestinian Film Festival celebrates art, heritage, and hope
’m nothing without Palestine. Palestine is my everything, all my values are based on being Palestinian.”
These words, spoken by a
member who wished to remain anonymous of the Palestinian Cultural Club (PCC) at McGill, resonated deeply across the university’s campus on Friday, Nov. 8. That evening, the PCC hosted its much-anticipated Palestinian Film Festival, If I Must Die, transforming the Leacock Building into a breathtaking celebration of Palestinian culture.
In a conversation with The Tribune, another PCC organizer who wished to remain anonymous expressed the club’s motivation for organizing the festival.
“A lot of people, especially in Montreal, only knew Palestine after October 7. We want to show people that it did not start on October 7, and it did not start in 1948,” they explained.
PG. 7
(Zoe Lee / The Tribune), PG. 6
McGill and other Quebec universities call for exemption from potential cap on international students
Heads of major Quebec universities urge the government to amend proposed Bill 74
Daniel Miksha Staff Writer
On Nov. 5, McGill President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini, accompanied by the heads of other major Quebec universities and CEGEPs, spoke at a public consultation at the National Assembly of Quebec regarding the province’s proposed Bill 74. If passed, the bill would allow the provincial government to put a cap on the number of international students that can be admitted to Quebec universities and CEGEPs.
McGill, alongside Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, and Université Laval, called to be exempted from the proposed cap. They argued it would hurt Quebec’s competitiveness as a centre for research, and restrict universities’ autonomy by granting the government control over the number of international students admitted, and the programs they could enroll in.
In the past decade, the number of international students in Quebec has risen from 50,000 to nearly 120,000, which the government says has contributed to a strain on public services and real estate. In response, the Quebec government proposed Bill 74, titled ‘An Act mainly to improve the regulatory scheme governing international students.’
The bill would amend the Québec Immigration Act, allowing the government to enforce a cap on the number of international students admitted to higher education institutions. The bill would also allow the government to determine the number of international students at any given institution, and even accept students based on their program and mandate certain courses.
The National Assembly of Quebec held
a public consultation regarding the bill on Nov. 5, in which Saini and other university leaders argued that certain universities ought to be exempted from the cap.
“At McGill, the percentage and actual number of international students has remained more or less constant over the past 10 years,” Saini said at the consultation. “We’re not responsible for the huge increase [in the number] of international students here in Quebec.”*
In a joint statement presented at the consultation, the universities argued that placing a cap on the number of international students accepted would stifle research output and jeopardize institutions’ ability to retain student talent.
“In its current form, Bill 74 jeopardizes our universities’ ability to attract highly talented international students, further reducing our capacity to attract high-calibre professors and researchers,” the statement read. “The autonomy of universities enables them to be the place where disciplines and discoveries emerge, with measurable long-term benefits [....] The introduction of a bill whose regulations could limit or constrain universities threatens this autonomy, which has proved highly beneficial to Quebec in the past.”*
The universities acknowledged that some higher-education institutions may have accepted more international students than their communities could absorb. However, they urged the government to pass more nuanced legislation to prevent harming research institutions through a generalized cap.
“The problem is there are some bad actors in our system,” Saini said in the consultation. “The government has all the tools that it can possibly need to solve that problem. We just have to be surgical. We don’t give medicine that will have a whole bunch of
McGill has 11,715 international students hailing from over 150 countries and comprising nearly 30 percent of the student body. (Lilly Guilbeault / The Tribune )
side effects.”*
Jennifer Elrick, Associate Professor of Sociology at McGill and Chair of Multiculturalism in the department, told The Tribune that she believes that Quebec’s attempt to regulate international student numbers is a logical extension of the control the government already has over permanent economic immigration.
“[Temporary immigration] numbers have been going up against the backdrop of domestic policy areas like housing, and healthcare infrastructure, all sort of being retooled and starved for funding since the 90s,” Elrick said. “No one really had their eye on what it meant to be bringing in more people
while neglecting healthcare, education, infrastructure, and other areas of society.”
However, Elrick does not believe that international students are the primary source of strain on Quebec’s public services and housing market.
“Tinkering with immigration levels, be they international students, temporary foreign workers, [or] permanent residents, is not going to solve deeply-rooted and complicated domestic policy issues like housing, education, climate change, [or] the economy,” she said.
*These quotes were translated from French.
Fall
referendum
CKUT fee
increase passes, SSMU base fee increase fails for fifth time
SSMU President Dymetri Taylor hopes
Amelia H. Clark & Olivia Ardito Staff Writers
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) closed the Fall 2024 Referendum polls on Nov. 8. Just 17.2 per cent of downtown campus undergraduate students cast a vote, two percent less than that of the Winter 2024 referendum. Six out of eight of the referendum’s ticket motions passed with a majority vote, including fee increases for CKUT, the Quebec Public Inter-
has requested to raise their membership base fee in the last two referendums and was also denied each time, with 58.3 per cent of the participating student body voting ‘No’ last March. ( Eliot Loose / The Tribune )
“this serves as a waking-up call”
est Research Group at McGill (QPIRG-McGill), the Ambassador Fund, alongside renewals for the SSMU Legal Essential Fee, Community Engagement Fee, and the Equity Fund. Students rejected the request for a Creation of a Contribution to Support Francophone Affairs along with the SSMU Base Fee increase, which has been denied five times since 2019.
The SSMU Base Fee increase was rejected with 58.1 per cent of voters casting a “No” vote. The motion sought to raise the semesterly fee that students pay for SSMU services by $14.68 CAD for full-time students to a total of $85.81 CAD and an increase of $7.22 CAD for parttime students to a total of $41.66 CAD. SSMU claimed the increase in funds would allow the organization to eliminate its current deficit of between $400,000 to $1.3 million CAD, and increase SSMUnion members’ salaries to reflect inflation. Without the added increase, SSMU stated that the organization will have to cut staff as well as funding for clubs, initiatives, programs, and student financial assistance.
In a written statement to The Tribune, SSMU President Dymetri Taylor explained that he believes the referendum question was rejected due to waning interest in the student union.
“Frankly, I’m neutral about the results,” Taylor wrote. “I hope that this serves as a waking-up call that perhaps the SSMU needs to work on improving its relationship with the student population and showcase why it is a vital
part of our university’s culture, which has been degraded in recent years.”
Voters also rejected the Creation of a Contribution to Support Francophone Affairs. A vote in favour would have support creating an opt-outable fee of $1.00 CAD per semester to support francophone clubs and translation services. The measure failed with 59.7 per cent of voters selecting “No.” Maëla Dube, the SSMU Francophone Affairs Commissioner, explained to The Tribune that current francophone groups receive little to no funding from SSMU.
“I think [it] is a reflection of the experience of being francophone at an anglophone university in Quebec while also being a consequence of current governmental politics that make advocating for francophone rights and promoting the French language difficult,” Dube wrote.
While SSMU did not get some of the results it hoped for, many other organizations were successful in the referendum. CKUT, a campus and community radio station based at McGill, received its first fee increase since 2012, with 60 per cent of participating students voting “Yes.”
In a written statement to The Tribune, Madeline Lines, a representative for the radio station, relayed that CKUT staff, volunteers, and community members are “elated and relieved” with the result.
“CKUT’s deficit will be eliminated, staff will receive a more livable wage, and the workshops, student jobs, and overall offerings the station will be able to offer will be expanded,” Lines wrote. “CKUT will be able to go from surviving to thriv-
Murray Sinclair’s legacy lives on
ing with this result.”
Voters also approved the Committee Engagement Fee Renewal with a 67.9 per cent “Yes” vote. The $0.72 CAD per semester opt-outable fee funds students and clubs at McGill, and seeks to give students autonomy to create events.
SSMU Community Engagement Commissioner Nika Rovensky highlighted that the fee increase will help establish new initiatives, such as the creation of a free food pantry that seeks to address food insecurity on campus.
The QPIRG fee increase from $5.00 CAD to $6.75 CAD passed, with a 53.8 per cent “Yes” vote. The increased funding will help QPIRG maintain programs like its free textbook loan program, upkeeping its alternative library, and supporting independent research projects over the summer.
“Passing this referendum ensures that we can strengthen the communities around us, and that we can support activists who fight for social change for the years to come,” the QPIRG team wrote to The Tribune
The group also noted how significant this favourable vote is for them, especially considering students’ financial limitations.
“We don’t take it for granted that students have voted to increase our funding at a time of unprecedented inflation, when their own finances may be severely constrained,” QPIRG wrote. “We aim to give them back greater value than what they contributed to us.”
“He showed us there is no reconciliation without truth,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said
Jasjot Grewal Editor-In-Chief
Continued from page 1.
In 2009, Sinclair was appointed Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC)—which provided those affected by the legacy of the Indian Residential Schools system an opportunity to share their stories and experiences.
The establishment of the TRC was mandated as a result of the 2007 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history. For six years, the TRC facilitated reconciliation among residential school survivors, their families, their communities, and Canadians. It heard over 6,500 witness accounts across Canada, hosted seven national events, and created a historical record of the residential school system which is housed by the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.
The TRC delivered their six-volume final report to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December 2015. It outlined recommendations to the Canadian government for carrying out reconciliation with Indigenous communities. This included 94 specific calls to action relating to legacy and reconciliation. While the TRC failed to recognize the oppression
rooted in land dispossession for Indigenous persons, Sinclair’s work to platform Indigenous stories was monumental in the fight for Indigenous restitution.
Sinclair was appointed as a Senator from 2016 until 2021. From 2021 to 2024, Sinclair was a chancellor of Queen’s University.
Throughout his life, he won notable awards, including his King’s Counsel designation in 2024 and over 30 honourary doctorates. On Nov. 10, 2024, Sinclair was honoured in a memorial service held at the Canadian Life Centre in Winnipeg, drawing thousands of friends, family members, colleagues, and supporters.
His son Niigaan Sinclair expressed at the memorial service that his father was often the first in any room he walked into. Sinclair’s legacy as a trailblazer will live on—he changed the course of the country and fostered groundbreaking reconciliation efforts with Indigenous communities. He brought Indigenous voices into the legal system and platformed survivors of residential schools. Sinclair never hesitated to call out the abuse, oppression, and racism that existed within the Canadian system, including lacklustre attempts at reconciliation, while simultaneously working within it.
As Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew noted after Sinclair’s death, “He showed us
there is no reconciliation without truth.” Sinclair left a deep mark on the Canadian populace through his life-long dedica-
tion to seeking justice for Indigenous peoples. He will live on as one of the most influential voices of the 21st century.
SSMU
McGill governance meeting highlights: Week
of Nov. 4-8
The Tribune reports on joint BoG and Senate, PGSS GM, and SSMU Legislative Council meetings
Malika Logossou & Titouan Le Ster & Eliza Lee
Student Life Editor & News Editors
Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) Nov. 6 Fall General Meeting
PGSS’s Fall General Meeting included key discussion points such as an update from the Quebec Student Union (QSU), a motion to share an Expression of Concern (EoC) on Palestine, and concerns from a Macdonald Campus student about parking and childcare services.
After Speaker Vibhuti Dikshit opened the meeting, Vice-President of the QSU Tania Michaud provided updates on the union’s campaigns to address food insecurity, student mental health, and financial aid. The QSU is an association that represents its member associations, such as PGSS, to the provincial government for improvements in student conditions. Michaud emphasized the need for more funding through the Quebec Research Fund. She also encouraged students to fill out the Quebec Provincial Survey on Student Mental Health in Higher Education and its Determinants.
Most of the meeting’s discussion centred around Motion 7.1: “Motion for the PGSS to share the recent Expression of Concern submitted by the McGill community.” This EoC, submitted by the McGill Graduate Students for Palestine, urges McGill to divest from companies complicit in Israel’s occupation of Palestine.
Andrew Carkner, a PhD candidate in chemical engineering, introduced the motion, stressing that divestment has been an effective tool for social change at McGill, citing South African apartheid as a historical precedent. Following a petition that gathered over 600 signatures, the EoC was submitted to McGill’s Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility for review. Through Motion 7.1, Carkner argued that PGSS members ought to know the content of this EoC.
During the discussion, Jonathan Hubermann and Eleane Hamburger, two Master’s students in experimental surgery, expressed concerns about the clarity and consistency of the motion. They argued that the document was vague in its terms, lacked proofs and definitions, and had spelling mistakes. The two advocated for the vote to be delayed to the next meeting so that people would have time to reexamine the motion.
Nick Vieira, a PhD candidate in astrophysics, proposed amendments to the motion for it to reflect what he alleged should have been the version on the agenda. This included having “Palestine” in the motion’s title. He also raised concerns that PGSS had altered the language to “share the context” rather than directly distributing the EoC, which he viewed as diluting the motion’s intent. Eventually, the assembly voted to approve the amended motion put forth by Vieira, with 73 in favour and 10 against.
The meeting concluded with Macdonald Campus graduate student in Food Science Ekua Manful raising concerns about parking availability for students with dependents and the lack of childcare services on the satellite campus. PGSS executives said they would work with the Macdonald Campus Graduate Students’ Society to address these issues and
invited Manful to contact the PGSS External Affairs Officer and Mac Campus Commissioner.
Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Nov. 7 Legislative Council meeting
The council’s fourth meeting of the semester began with reports presented by committees, executives, and councillors. Vice President (VP) Operations and Sustainability Meg Baltes announced her resignation, effective at the end of the semester. She noted that bi-elections for hers and the position of VP Student Life—vacant since Chloé Muñoz’s resignation on Oct. 29—are open.
The council moved on to debate four motions; the first was the Motion Regarding the SSMU Policy Against Anti-Semitism, presented by VP External Affairs Hugo-Victor Solomon. The motion aims to provide specific cultural, ethnic, and religiously sensitive measures to combat antisemitism for students. It also seeks to improve advocacy, communication, education, and trust between the SSMU, the McGill administration, and Jewish student groups. Solomon explained that consultation for the policy involved many actors including various Jewish student groups on campus. During the Q&A period of the meeting, he explained that he did not consult Israel on Campus as he was unaware that the group was once again an active SSMU club.
SSMU’s proposed definition of antisemitism was derived from the 2020 Jerusalem Declaration Definition on Antisemitism and the Nexus Document. ( Emiko Kamiya / The Tribune)
the Commission des affaires francophones and part-time translators, and enhance accessibility to services for francophone students. Arts Councillor Rishi Kalaga asked to postpone the motion, saying he couldn’t understand it because it was in French, despite receiving it two weeks earlier. During the debate, some councillors expressed frustration that others had not taken the time to read the policy in advance of the meeting. Ultimately, the motion was approved.
Later on in the Q&A session, several council members expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed definition of antisemitism in the motion. It defined antisemitism as the discrimination against Jewish people or Jewish institutions, as well as conditions that marginalize Jews, hindering their ability to participate as equals in political, religious, cultural, economic, or social life.
Multiple executives disagreed that the definition was unsatisfactory. VP Internal Affairs Zeena Zahidah expressed that the policy was broad in order to encapsulate various Jewish student experiences and to provide swift action against antisemitism.
In response, Music Senator Seraphina Crema Black put forth a motion to create a working group to amend the proposed policy which would include SSMU External Affairs and representatives from all interested McGill Jewish student groups. Her proposal sparked intense debates, with some believing the working group was necessary to come to a consensus while others saw it as a measure to shut down the conversation and leave the council without a working policy to address antisemitism. Some councillors pointed out that since no concrete amendments had been proposed, the motion should be passed. Ultimately, the council tabled the motion until the next meeting, cancelling Black’s motion.
The council then moved on to the Motion Concernant la Politique des Affaires Francophones de l’AÉUM introduced by Solomon. The motion aims to promote the growth and endurance of the Francophone Affairs Committee (CAF). It also strives to provide funding to help cover the salary of
Council also approved a motion on the Legislative Council Statement on Campus Emergency Measures 2024-2025, presented by VP University Affairs Abe Berglas. Additionally, Baltes introduced a motion to allow the VP Operations and Sustainability and President to fulfill the VP Student Life’s responsibility of leading the club committee until someone assumes the role. The motion passed unanimously.
McGill Senate and Board of Governors (BoG) Nov. 7 joint meeting
The Senate and BoG came together in the Faculty Club for the annual joint meeting of the governing bodies. The group focused on financial challenges the university faces arising from a number of pressures from the provincial government, including the tuition increases for out-of-province students, efforts to impose a cap on international students through Bill 74, and limits on funding for university capital projects.
McGill President and Vice-Chancellor Deep Saini noted in his opening remarks that there is a perception that measures to adapt to these financial pressures are the responsibility of the senior administration team alone.
“We need to shed that fallacy,” Saini said. “It’s our collective responsibility.”
Addressing members of the Senate and BoG, Associate Provost (Teaching and Academic Planning) Christopher Buddle explored ways that the university could cut costs by reviewing the academic programs it offers. While some study areas are growing in enrollment—such as bioengineering and psychology—others are decreasing. Buddle drew attention to the fact that McGill cur-
rently offers roughly 415 degree programs, yet in Fall 2023, 73 programs had no students enrolled in them. He did not specify which programs. As Buddle emphasized, changing the university’s offering of programs would not necessarily mean slashing them. It could, however, mean retiring, restructuring, and even developing new programs.
In his presentation, Vice-President (Administration and Finance) Fabrice Labeau discussed how the university can begin to “transform” its delivery of services. Labeau stressed the need to increase efficiencies, such as through eliminating red tape—bureaucratic formalities that waste time—and to ensure that all members of the university community are working together to integrate changes. He also pointed to the imperative in increasing space efficiency on campus, especially since more McGill staff have begun to work from home since the pandemic.
Then, Provost and Executive VicePresident (Academic) Christopher Manfredi gave a presentation on how McGill hopes to change its budget model to respond to financial challenges. Manfredi explained that McGill has an incremental budgetary model wherein all revenue flows to the Provost, who distributes the funds to different units. This stands in contrast to the Responsibility Centre Management or Activity-Based Budgeting models, wherein each unit controls its own budget and revenue. According to Manfredi, McGill will seek to move to a hybrid model, which may help incentivize faculties to develop new programs to attract more students and revenue.
Following presentations from various members of the senior administration, there was a discussion period in which Senators and BoG members brought questions and concerns to the administrative team.
In his closing remarks, Saini highlighted the need to engage all members of the McGill community in addressing the university’s financial situation, including students. He also addressed the “trust deficit” between faculty and administration at the university and acknowledged the need for the latter “to restore it.”
Editor-in-Chief
Jasjot Grewal editor@thetribune.ca
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Quebec’s healthcare system needs a prescription for change
The Tribune Editorial Board
Continued from page 1.
This situation reveals systemic failures in supporting public-sector doctors and exposes a troubling pattern of neglect toward marginalized communities.
Due to being understaffed and overwhelmed, Quebec doctors struggle to provide adequate time or empathy to their patients—a deficiency whose effects particularly impact BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ groups, who face discrimination and inappropriate medical questioning. The Canadian healthcare system still predominantly serves a white, cisgender, patriarchal model, contributing to widespread misdiagnoses for those who do not fit this profile. As such, nonwhite individuals are more likely to experience medical discrimination; women of colour are often dismissed by doctors who fail to take their symptoms seriously, while dermatological medical conditions are often misinterpreted on darker skin.
The detrimental impact of this crisis disproportionately affects Indigenous populations who face life-threatening discrimination within healthcare settings. Inuit patients from Nunavik, for example, must often travel to Montreal for medical care, as their region lacks sufficient healthcare resources. Ullivik Lodge, intended as a supportive space for these patients, has faced serious issues—unsanitary conditions, staff disrespect, and mismanagement—compromising patient well-being. Furthermore, the provincial government’s oversimplified and superficial 90-minute online sensitivity training course for healthcare professionals fails to meaningfully engage Indigenous voices or ensure cultural safety for the large Indigenous populations it serves. This broader issue of disrespect and trauma faced by Indigenous patients is clear all over Canada, as was made clear in Saskatoon when doctors cut off Métis elder Ruben St. Charles’ long ponytail—a symbol of his heritage— without consent during a hospital stay.
Indigenous health needs, which are deeply influenced by cultural
Jenna Durante Science & Technology Editor
The first time I saw democracy in action, it was not through a cast vote, but a love letter to the future.
Before I was old enough to vote, my mom and dad would bring me to the polling stations in my hometown of Barrie, Ontario to watch the events unfold. People lined up patiently, one by one, to cast their vision of our country’s future. At a young age, I found it thrilling to see everyone united by a shared purpose: To make their voices heard. In my small, passionate community, voting was more than just a routine—it was a tradition treated with reverence
values, go mostly unrecognized in Quebec’s healthcare system, which was designed without Indigenous input. This maltreatment has led to severe consequences for Indigenous communities, who already experience reduced life expectancy, insufficient or even harmful medical care, and cultural insensitivity, exacerbating historical trauma.
One major obstacle to overcoming this crisis is Quebec’s recent tuition hikes, which restrict access to medical education and discourage aspiring healthcare professionals. These financial changes not only limit McGill’s ability to foster new talent in the healthcare field but also exacerbate the existing shortages in Quebec’s public health sector. Still, it is not completely out of the university’s hands: As a leading research institution, McGill has a responsibility to drive progress in Canada’s healthcare system through education and innovation and a duty to support other essential public sectors, such as healthcare, that serve the broader community—a commitment that is more critical than ever in light of the current crisis.
To address these structural
issues, healthcare leaders need to proactively work to dismantle systemic racism. This involves more than short sensitivity courses; it requires integrating Indigenous and marginalized perspectives into healthcare education. Universities, especially those like McGill which have significant influence, must implement comprehensive cultural competency training in their medical programs. This training must centre unlearning ingrained biases, not simply learning new concepts. Incorporating Indigenous health perspectives as mandatory components of the curriculum, as seen in Manitoba’s Indigenous studies prerequisite for medical school, could pave the way for a more inclusive healthcare system. McGill can further support these efforts by encouraging inclusive innovation and the inclusion of cultural lifeways within the medical field. This would foster a new generation of healthcare providers who approach medicine with a culturally-informed perspective, not only to better serve Indigenous communities and communities of colour, but to enrich Canada’s healthcare system as a whole.
Through love, we can protect the heart of democracy
and care.
On one of those days, my parents explained how people had fought for this right, and how others around the world still dreamed of having it. They taught me that democracy is a gift we should never take for granted. But as I’ve grown older, my perspective has changed, coloured by the weight of the system’s fragility.
After the Nov. 6 US election, I question what we must do to truly protect the gift of democracy.
At its core, democracy is built on the voices of the people. It’s a system that hinges on participation, accountability, and respect for the will of the community. Yet, democracy is not a fixed system— it evolves with those who uphold it. Today, its foundation is under threat, with political polarization, misinformation, and attacks on the electoral process sowing seeds of doubt and division.
It’s okay to feel discouraged––I know I am. I worry that the world is slipping out of our hands, burdened by the challenges that feel too heavy to hold. We may believe our efforts are too small, or that the change we need is too far out of reach. But these feelings—
of uncertainty, frustration, and even fear—are part of the process, challenging traditional notions of democracy and reshaping them for the future.
In a recent Philosophy of Race lecture (PHIL 327), we explored the ideas of democracy in the face of adversity. Feeling lost, my professor offered a powerful insight: Every effort to protect and redefine democracy must come from the heart.
The teachings of American author bell hooks describe love as the foundation for justice. Her words—both gentle and bold— redefined love not as a mere sentiment but as something fierce and transformative at the core of democracy. To build and sustain the system, hooks reminds us, we must nurture it with love; with compassion, humility, and a commitment to the well-being of all. Conflict, she suggested, is the true test of trust—it’s in these moments that we learn how to make amends, listen deeply, and rebuild what has been wounded.
When we look to the future, may we act not only with conviction, but with the courage to love as a force that seeks the truth.
The future of democracy feels uncertain, making it easy to fear the unthinkable. But through caring for one another and standing together, we can protect it. Democracy isn’t just a system; it reflects our shared hopes and commitments to something we believe so deeply in. We can’t take it for granted, but we don’t have to defend it alone.
Looking back on my visits to the polls with my parents, I remember the reverence they instilled in me—their belief that casting a vote wasn’t just a civic duty, but a powerful act of faith in democracy. Today, that faith faces unprecedented challenges, but the essence persists: Democracy endures through every protest we attend, every truth we speak to power, and every right we stand to protect.
At the heart of it all lies love—the force that compels us to stand for something greater than ourselves. It is through love, not just for the values we cherish, but for each other, that we fulfill democracy’s promise. By fighting for the principles that define us, we can keep the tradition alive—not as a relic of the past, but as a force to shape a more resilient future.
Celine Li, Ella Gomes, Jasjot Grewal, Sophie Smith
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Alex Hawes Silva, Amelia Clark, Asher Kui, Annabella Lawlor, Bianca Sugunasiri, Bianca Tri, Charlotte Hayes, Daniel Miksha, Daniel Pyo, Ellen Lurie, Ethan Kahn, Jamie Xie, Luken Castañeda Garces, Mahin Siddiki, Mairin Burke, Olivia Ardito, Reuben Noam, Samathar Senso, Sarah McDonald, Tamiyana Roemer, Zain Ahmed.
Aiqing Qiu, Anna Seger, Ariella Morgan, Eliot Loose, Hannah Nobile, Lilly Guilbeault, Nour Khouri, Ruby Reimer, Ryan Dvorak.
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Bruno Cotler, Clio Blazer, Evelyn Li, Emiko Kamiya, Holden Callif, Val Muñoz
Ellen Lurie Staff Writer
ICafé Campus ticket scalping and the real cost of FOMO
t’s Halloween day, 2024. You and all your friends are in pursuit of what may be the pinnacle of McGill first-year social life: Halloween Thirsty Thursday at Café Campus.
The tickets are bound to sell out as soon as they drop, and to make matters worse, sales are only going live at noon. However, your plan is foolproof. You and your friends will all log on to the Café Campus website and simultaneously attempt to buy the tickets in bulk. That way, even if the online queue is disgustingly long, someone is bound to secure the highly sought-after tickets. The clock strikes 12. Across the McGill residences, first-years and upperclassmen alike are refreshing their browsers. A 504 error later and your place in the queue is being calculated. Your heart drops. You are number 2,381 in line.
This Halloween, Café Campus’ tickets sold out almost immediately, making attendance at this coveted location incredibly exclusive. But, how much would you pay in the face of FOMO?
Tickets for Halloween Night One were already valued at a higher price than the usual club entry fee, with tickets being sold for $30 CAD at the door instead of the $20 CAD online ticket. Yet, clearly—and perhaps unsurprisingly—thousands of students were prepared to spend these inflated amounts.
What is surprising are the prices students were offering in McGill residence group chats. Within an hour of Café tickets selling out, students were reselling theirs at extreme prices ranging from roughly $50 CAD to over $200
CAD. Of course, the unrealistically expensive tickets were likely not purchased at the prices proposed by their sellers, but a broader truth still remains: McGill students are practicing extreme, unethical ticket scalping.
Although it may sound silly in writing, Café Campus is a space many McGill first-years flock to when seeking to make friends and experience Montréal nightlife for the first time. When tickets are increasingly financially difficult to obtain, economic barriers fracture the student body between those who can afford the steep resale prices and those who cannot. Ticket scalpers capitalize on this reality; it’s Café Campus’s status as a popular social space that enables exorbitant markups.
What McGill students may not know, however, is that a ticket-scalping side hustle can be illegal in Quebec. While most Canadian provinces require ticket scalpers to file a T2125 tax form for profits from ticket reselling, Quebec has stricter regulations. The Office of Consumer Protection in Quebec has prohibited the resale of tickets at prices above their face value since 2012, as per Bill 25. Those who violate the law will face fines between $1,000 CAD to $2,000 CAD for first-time offences and up to $200,000 CAD for repeated violations. For students who have been making a habit of ticket scalping, this legislation should serve as a terrifying deterrent.
So, will McGill students be attacked with lawsuits and charged with fines? It depends. Café Campus ticket scalpers are dancing along an interesting loophole. Currently, the resale of tickets at inflated prices is not punishable by law if the transaction occurs between two consumers. Many websites like StubHub take advantage of
this legal loophole, describing their website as a platform for inter-consumer ticket sales, much like AirBnB is a platform for inter-consumer house or apartment rentals. In this way, sites manage to serve as vendors for illegally pricegouged tickets without facing fines. The question of whether a residence hall Instagram group chat violates the concept of the two-consumer rule is unclear. It will likely come as no shock that
Charlotte Theofanous Contributor
Mthere is no Canadian legal precedent for a Café Campus Halloween ticket scalping frenzy. Still, regardless of the potential legal repercussions that ticket scalpers may face, McGill students should feel a social—or even moral—responsibility to avoid the harmful practice.
And yes, I am bitter that I didn’t get a Café Campus ticket.
Major flaws in Montreal’s metro system leave McGill students at a loss
$20 million CAD was set aside by the provincial government to improve public transit, yet financial cutbacks rather than improved services are foreseen in the coming years. (Anna Seger/ The Tribune) COMMENTARY
ontreal’s metro system has long been the lifeline of student life, whether it’s a late night out at Café Campus or an early 8 a.m. at Leacock Building. The metro system connects many major universities: Concordia, Université de Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), Université de Montréal (UdeM), Université de Sherbrooke, and of course, McGill. It is fast, convenient, and affordable, enabling direct access to these educational institutions. In recent months, however, it has become apparent that it has many flaws, one of the more significant ones being frequent service delays. The causes of these holdups vary, from equipment failure to degrading infrastructure to leakages. Some of these delays last minutes or hours, but others are far more drastic, lasting weeks with no clear end in sight. Serious measures must be taken to enhance the functioning and reliability of Montreal’s public transportation system, for the sake of McGill students and the community at large.
A prime example of this is the ongoing shutdown of the St-Michel station on the Blue Line due to degraded concrete. Though this station is on the far end of the Blue Line, far from any downtown universities, it still affects those Montreal students living far from campus, as well
as the many community members who also rely on public transportation. As a result of this station closure, Montreal is urging the province of Quebec to take action on this matter and increase funding for public transit to $560 million CAD per year, a significant jump from the current annual projected sum of $240 million CAD.
Though there have been mixed reactions to this demand for increased funding, the overall consensus is that the metro system needs significant improvement. Denis Martin, mayor of Deux-Montagnes, agrees that the city has waited far too long for changes to be made. Geneviève Guilbault, Quebec’s Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, also acknowledges that service must be improved. Despite these highlevel discussions and shared concerns, the reality remains stark: Montreal’s metro system faces budget cuts rather than the vital funding it needs. Students everywhere, myself included, cannot afford to keep arriving late for lectures or missing them altogether due to circumstances out of our control.
McGill students, many of whom depend on public transit to reach campus, face increasingly unreliable commutes with few alternative transportation options. McGill must play a role in advocating for its students and pushing for better services, by collaborating with the Societé de Transport de Montréal (STM)
on initiatives to ensure transportation accessibility for students. The distribution of temporary taxi or Uber vouchers in times of STM system failures could be implemented, to guarantee that students can still arrive on campus in an affordable and timely manner. Alternatively, McGill could allow for flexible class schedules in times of delay. The university should allow students to attend lectures, labs and/ or exams virtually during transportation disruptions, or at the very least allow for some degree of lenience, especially for classes that have a participation or attendance grade.
The current trajectory of budget cuts rather than increased funding that
STM desperately needs threatens not just daily commutes, but the fundamental accessibility of higher education in Montreal. As students navigate the pressures of academic life, the added uncertainty of reliable transportation creates an unnecessary burden that disproportionately affects those with fewer financial resources or schedule flexibility. This transit crisis, coupled with Quebec’s recent tuition hikes for out-of-province students at Anglophone universities, suggests a troubling trend of provincial policies that create additional barriers to education rather than fostering the accessible educational environment Montreal has long been known for.
Café Campus opened in 1967. (Holden Callif / The Tribune)
Inaugural Palestinian Film Festival celebrates art, heritage, and hope
If I Must Die reclaims culture, identity, and resistance
The building buzzed with energy as upwards of 300 people gathered to enjoy a carefully curated program of three short films, a full-length feature, and artistic performances highlighting the beauty and resilience of Palestinian culture. An array of Palestinian vendors offering handmade goods lined the halls, while an art exhibit, shown in collaboration with the Palestinian Museum in Palestine, captivated viewers with stunning works by Palestinian artists throughout history. Attendees enveloped themselves in the warmth of traditional thobes and keffiyehs; Palestinian flags proudly hung from the staircases, creating a powerful atmosphere of unity, pride, and remembrance. This event was, in a way, an act of protest against the ongoing injustices in Palestine; as one organizer said, “Art is a form of resistance.”
Once settled into Leacock 132 for the screenings, guests stood for the Palestinian and Lebanese national anthems, followed by a land acknowledgement. The PCC executive team then outlined their organization’s goals, announcing plans to make this film festival an annual tradition. They highlighted recent projects,
such as their collaboration with SSMU to offer Dabke classes and their partnership with Concordia’s Palestinian Cultural Club to establish a Palestinian library.
In the beautifully animated short film Checkpoint , British-Palestinian filmmaker Jana Kattan explained the symbolism of the Jaffa orange in a voice-over. Representing strength and resistance, the fruit’s ties to the loss of agricultural land and displacement reflect themes central to the festival.
Before the screening of the 2024 feature film Where Olive Trees Weep , a Palestinian singer performed a musical rendition of the poem If I Must Die by Refaat Alareer. The poignant performance set the tone for the film, evoking a shared sense of dispossession—and resilience— that touched everyone in the audience.
The occasion was more than a simple film festival; it was a tribute to Palestinian identity, a celebration of heritage, and a powerful act of solidarity with those enduring the ongoing struggles of occupation and displacement. Each film and performance served not only as a display of artistry but as a form of resistance, a reclaiming of narratives, and a reminder of the enduring spirit of the Palestinian people. The evening showcased the strength that has defined generations, connecting the audience to a shared history and identity that transcends borders
and unites Palestinian communities, from Gaza to the diaspora.
“I want people to know that we exist,” the organizer said. “We exist on campus, we go to class, we are active members in clubs. It’s really hard—exhausting—to prove to everyone that we exist. But we do exist on campus. We have a history, we have a rich heritage, a rich culture.”
As the screenings came to an end, the event’s lasting impact was undeniable. For many, this was not just a demonstration of Palestinian culture, but a
call to understand and support the rights and history of a people whose stories are too often overshadowed by violence. The PCC’s selection of moving and relevant films offered a lens into the realities of Palestinian life, stressing that Palestinian identity is more than a reaction to loss— it is a legacy of beauty, fortitude, and an unbreakable connection to the land, traditions, and future of Palestine. Through events like these, the PCC at McGill sends a powerful message: Palestinian culture is alive, vibrant, and will not be erased.
‘CHROMAKOPIA’ may be Tyler, the Creator’s most authentic work yet
On his seventh album, the esteemed rapper grapples with fame and personal truth
Lily Dodson
Contributor
CHROMAKOPIA , released on Oct. 28, is Tyler, the Creator’s most authentic album yet, following 2023’s CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale . Typically, Tyler adopts a new “character” for each album cycle, such as Igor for his 2019 album of the same name, or Wolf Haley on his earlier albums Wolf and Goblin . By taking on these different personas, Tyler is able to honestly explore different aspects of himself and his musical sensibilities without being overly vulnerable. In the music video for “Sorry Not Sorry,” the closing track of The Estate Sale , Tyler kills off all of the alter egos that served as the protagonists of his previous albums, a symbolic gesture that represents how he is finally accepting that he needs to be himself in his music.
However, leaving his characters behind is not an easy feat for Tyler. On the album’s cover, he is seen donning a mask of his own face, demonstrating how he cannot help but hide even when he is trying to unveil his true self through his music. This is the most prevalent theme of Tyler’s newest album: Grappling with his rise to fame while also embracing who he is. Even though he takes on the persona of St. Chroma—a masked military figure who is seemingly another protagonist—in the album’s music videos, I interpreted CHROMAKOPIA as him abandoning the use of characters to tell his story—and finally telling it
himself.
Despite continuing to mask himself on this album, Tyler dives into his emotionally fraught upbringing in the song “Like Him.” Singing to his mother—whose voice is featured in interludes throughout the album—Tyler asks if she resembles his estranged father. “Like Him” is a followup to his 2013 song “Answer,” which deals with the resentment Tyler feels towards his father for abandoning him when he was a child, while also wondering if his father would be there for him in times of need. However, on “Like Him,” his mother admits to being the reason why Tyler didn’t have his father in his life, thus turning the page on a topic that has long haunted his work. As a longtime fan of Tyler, this song is a heartbreaking listen, and it is one of the deepest looks into Tyler’s life we’ve gotten since “Answer.”
Though “Like Him” is the album’s biggest standout, other songs such as “St. Chroma,” “NOID,” “Take Your Mask Off,” and “Sticky” are all well done lyrically and from a production standpoint. “St. Chroma” explores Tyler’s inner confidence and his desire for success with backing vocals from Daniel Caesar, while “NOID” details his constant paranoia stemming from being a star in today’s world. “Take Your Mask Off” urges others to embrace themselves as Tyler does on this album, and “Sticky” is a fun, upbeat listen with features from Lil Wayne, Sexyy Red, and GloRilla, placed in the middle of the album amongst some of the heavier themes. The closing track, “I
Hope You Find Your Way Home,” is eerie and slow, closing with chants of the album’s title that make it linger with the listener long after the final notes. Though Tyler has often felt he has had to hide his true self away, CHROMAKOPIA lets fans see behind both the literal and metaphorical masks he has worn over the years. It’s a degree of candour we haven’t heard since 2019’s IGOR , which was largely based upon a previous heartbreak he experienced. CHROMAKOPIA is Tyler at his most vulnerable.
Proceeds from Where Olive Trees Weep go toward humanitarian aid and planting olive trees in Palestine. ( Yusur Al-Sharqi / The Tribune )
When protection crumbles: An investigation
Quebec’s
youth care system is in a state of crisis. This year has seen a record number of children under government protection, with 100, 258 new reports filed—a 114 per cent increase over the past decade. The system is not only overloaded but woefully mismanaged, with countless recent instances of horrific abuse and oversights in the care of children by the government. On Oct. 24, Quebec’s Director of Youth Protection Catherine Lemay stepped down after nine women educators at the Cité-des-Prairies Youth Rehabilitation Centre allegedly sexually abused at least five minors under their care. One of the staff members is allegedly pregnant with the child of one of the youths. Earlier this year, a judge condemned Quebec’s youth services after an Inuk child was placed in 64 different homes before they turned 10, resulting in grave attachment issues and various mental health disorders including PTSD. These problems are just the tip of the iceberg of Quebec’s broken youth care system, and they will persist unless we get to their root: An overreliance on the youth care system, misuse of language, and a shortage of properly trained social workers.
First, it’s critical to understand why government intervention in families is so harmful. Parent-child separation is one of the most profound and lasting traumas a child can experience in their early life. The bond between a child and their primary caregiver is essential for healthy emotional and psychological development. Severing this connection can lead to serious issues such as attachment disorders, anxiety, depression, and difficulties in forming relationships later in life.
In an interview with The Tribune, Tonino Esposito, Associate Professor at the University of Montreal’s School of Social Work and Adjunct Professor at McGill, explained how, whenever possible, the goal of government social work should be to address underlying familial issues before they escalate to the point of separation.
“Family reunification is the primary objective the minute that a child is placed in out-of-home care,” Esposito said.
While the harm of separation is well-documented, there are situations where removal may be necessary to protect a child’s immediate safety, such as in cases of abuse or severe neglect. However, whenever possible, the goal should be to support families through
Quebec’s youth care system is struggling
early intervention services. These include counselling, parenting support, and community resources to address underlying issues before they escalate to the point of separation. In an interview with The Tribune, one youth currently in care in Quebec shared how, despite being abused by her parents, being separated from them left equally painful scars of abandonment.
The separation led her to believe that her parents simply didn’t want her, and that she was unworthy of their love.
The system failed her.
Esposito also shared the chilling statistic that people who experience four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)— such as a guardian struggling with substance abuse or depression, or instabiliy due to parental separation—have a life expectancy 20 years shorter than those who do not. More ACEs are also associated with a 12.2 per cent increase in the likelihood of attempting suicide.
“One in 10 children in the province in Quebec are being intervened, that’s one in 10 kids that have reduced life expectancy of 20 years [...] and these are just the cases we know of,” Dr. Esposito noted.
Keeping children with their families, when safe to do so, preserves emotional stability, family bonds, and cultural ties, ultimately offering the best chance for long-term well-being.
Experts agree that child removal should always be considered a last resort.
In a conversation with The Tribune, Dr. Sonia Hélie, a professor at the Université de Montréal, emphasized how highly troublesome cases of separation and abuse are not generalizable to all youth in care. The majority of youth in care, even those in placement, are eventually reunited with their families or live in a single, stable, healthy placement.
“There are approximately 80 per cent of children for whom we intervene quickly for a few months, we close the file and we never see them again,” she explained.
This intervention ensures that children are protected while social workers devise a plan to support parents in creating a safer environment for their children to thrive. However, Hélie explains that there is a minority of children who are not reunited with their families or end up in homes with unsafe conditions and abusive staff. These situations can be fatal.
A look into the 20 per cent: Rare but tragic cases of abuse in the system
“I remember one worker telling me, ‘Maybe your dad is acting the way he’s acting because of you,’” shared one young person currently in care, whose father attempted to take her life. “One time, [workers] locked me in a room for 48 hours.”
been through trauma, the environment in many group homes can exacerbate their emotional and psychological struggles.
Elijah Olise, a U1 McGill Social Work student and youth advocate, shared one example of a youth home riddled with sexual abuse. He pointed out how instead of finding healing, the trauma is often passed on. The system grouped children who had experienced sexual assaults in the same home—being negligent toward the fact that children often reenact their sexual trauma.
“A lot of the time, if you have a young group home and have one kid who was sexually assaulted, they would end up doing things to other kids, or teaching them, or whatever,” he said. “But the thing is that every single kid in that unit was sexually assaulted.”
“They put all the ‘bad apples’ together and whatever happens, happens. They don’t really care about the consequences, ” Olise continued. “They think, ‘Well, at least this is contained.’”
Government actively neglects Indigenous children
From 1876 to 1997, the Canadian government ripped Indigenous children from their homes, tore them away from their families, systematically worked to erase their Indigenous cultures, and subjected them to horrific sexual, physical, and mental abuse—many times, even letting them die in their care. These institutions were residential schools. But Indigenous children are still being taken from their families, still being separated from their communities, and still suffering trauma— only now, it happens under the guise of child protection. While we might instinctively draw a line between the residential schools of the past and the child welfare system today, the numbers and reports from a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health show that these systems share more similarities than differences.
Of Indigenous communities, First Nations children specifically are over 17 times more likely than non-Indigenous children to be removed from their families and placed in care. Even in cases where no maltreatment or behavioural issues are reported, First Nations children are almost five times more likely to be investigated, particularly when concerns about neglect are raised. In Canada as a whole, statistics show that while Indigenous children make up just over 7 per cent of the Canadian child population, they represent more than 50 per cent of children in the child welfare system.
These types of experiences are not isolated. For children who have already
Written by Yusur Al-Sharqi,
Designed by Mia Helfrich,
residential schools,” Olise says. “Foster homes are not any different––they’re just packaged differently.”
The children and grandchildren of residential school survivors face increased risks for negative health outcomes through several pathways. Beyond the direct trauma linked to residential school attendance, these negative effects are also tied to intergenerational challenges such as discrimination in public services and mental health struggles. Of First Nations youth aged 12-24 who live off reserves, 43 per cent reported heavy drinking. The high rates of parent-child separation within Indigenous communities perpetuate this trauma, and many Indigenous youth advocates argue that this is closely tied to historical colonial interventions that supported and perpetuated child removal practices across generations.
During an interview with The Tribune, Nico Trocmé, Director of McGill’s School of Social Work, explained that while shifts in Canadian government policies during the late 20th century helped reduce the number of children removed from families, this improvement actively excluded First Nations families.
“The number of children in care across Canada, by the end of the 80s, had
“It’s a very colonial way of childcare, a continuation, directly speaking, of the
investigation into Quebec’s youth care system
struggling to protect its
most vulnerable children
Al-Sharqi, Managing Editor
Helfrich, Design Editor
been cut in half,” he said. “The one exception was First Nations families and children because the federal government essentially refused to fund family support services for them.”
In fact, in 2007, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations filed a complaint under the Canadian Human Rights Act, alleging that the Canadian government discriminated against Indigenous families in child welfare services through underfunding. For years, the case was subject to high scrutiny. In 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) ruled that the Canadian government was depriving First Nations children of the same resources that other children in the welfare system received. However, for 15 months the CHRT took this decision under reserve, during which time the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)—which led reconciliation efforts for any Indigenous person affected by the colonial legacies of the residential school sys-
tem—released their final report. In their final report, the TRC listed 94 direct calls to action to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Child welfare equity and reform was number one on this list.
Caseworkers’ willful disregard for the very children they should protect Even more troubling than the systemic overrepresentation of Indigenous children is how some caseworkers in Quebec’s youth protection system often fail to meet basic standards of accountability. Internal documents obtained by La Presse revealed disturbing trends in one centre: Caseworkers at the centre routinely, and knowingly, submitted reports to the courts containing significant errors, and in some instances, they requested no-contact orders between children and their parents without providing sufficient justification. In the sample analyzed in the report, over half of the children placed in foster care were removed from their homes without meeting the required legal or procedural standards for removal. The same horrifying report showed that many children were placed for adoption without all the necessary legal criteria being met. In one case, the investigator highlights a new mother who had been placed in foster care by the Direction de la Protection de la Jeunesse (DPJ) during her own childhood and aged out of the system. Because of her history with the DPJ, a report was filed just a day after her baby was born. Within two days of being born, the baby was placed under immediate protection measures.
into an investigative process, instead of receiving the support they require— such as parenting resources, community services, or mental health care.
“For the majority of these families, they’re being served by the child protection system not because of acts of commission, but primarily because of chronic needs associated with an array of problems under this broad nomenclature of ‘neglect,’” Esposito said.
The child protection system is supposed to be a last-resort intervention for exceptional cases of abuse or neglect, but too often, it becomes an overused tool for more common struggles.
“One in every 10 kids in the province of Quebec will be intervened by the child protection system before they turn 18. So by no stretch of the imagination is that an exceptional intervention,” Esposito said.
2. The Impact of Underfunding and Staff Shortages
Another major factor driving the crisis is the severe lack of resources in youth protection systems.
“They’re so desperate to get workers that some of these workers aren’t even qualified anymore. But if you fire too many, then you have no system,” Olise noted.
tive approaches, which are essential when dealing with vulnerable children and families. Social work is an inherently interdisciplinary field, and the lack of adequate training and specialized knowledge has led to missteps in practice.
Not all hope is lost
To be clear, the majority of social workers aren’t the villains in this story; they are the heroes. They work tirelessly, often under impossible conditions, doing their best to support children and families who need help the most. These professionals are navigating a deeply flawed, underfunded, and overstretched system—one that often leaves them with few options, no matter how hard they work.
What’s behind the disturbing cases of abuse?
1. The Overuse and Misuse of Child Protection Terminology
A significant issue contributing to the breakdown of the system is the way the terms abuse and neglect are applied.
“The language of child abuse and neglect is being stretched way too broadly,” Trocmé said. “Some of the day-to-day crises that any family can face. If you are living in poverty and you don’t have access to other resources, then people misuse terms like neglect or even abuse to describe these situations.”
This overgeneralization leads to families being swept into a system that was not designed to address their real needs. Of course, this is not to undermine actual cases of abuse and neglect. However, in day-to-day family crises that do not involve abuse or neglect, families are often thrust
This shortage of qualified professionals exacerbates the issues facing children in care and the social workers tasked with protecting them. Social workers are overwhelmed, and in some cases, turnover is so high that the system becomes unstable. The situation is even worse in First Nations communities.
“It’s a bit of a double whammy: The federal funding system simply didn’t fund family support services, and the provinces never really developed those services tailored to the needs of [First Nations] communities,” Trocmé said.
3. Structural Failures and Centralization of Services
Quebec’s previous Liberal government decided to centralize health and social services, integrating many community-based social service agencies into larger healthcare systems. This centralization has made accountability difficult. Previously, a local director would oversee daily operations at group homes and be held accountable for the care provided.
“Now, the person who’s responsible for a group home might also be responsible for a major teaching hospital, all services for the elderly, and people with disabilities. That structural change was very problematic in Quebec,” Trocmé explained.
Another critical issue is the level of training and support for social workers. Hélie points out that many social workers lack foundational training in the legal aspects of child intervention, while the lawyers and judges lack an understanding of child development, attachment theory, and trauma-sensi-
But my deepest empathy is reserved for the children—the ones whose voices are so often drowned out in the noise of bureaucracy and policy. The numbers may be overwhelming, and the problems deeply rooted in policy and structure, but at the heart of it all are children who never asked to be part of this broken system. And in the end, it’s their voices that must be heard the loudest.
This crisis may seem insurmountable, but it can be overcome. The solution lies not in sweeping reform alone, but in our collective commitment to putting children and their futures first. It’s about understanding that youth protection isn’t just a system for the few—it’s a service for the many, and when it fails, it affects us all. We all have a role to play—whether it’s by advocating for policy change, supporting organizations working on the ground, or simply amplifying the voices of those who are too often ignored.
A lack of attentiveness is what allows adults to harm children in the ways they have. To make matters worse, we only know of the investigations that have been publicized. We must have a commitment to preserving children’s joy and innocence. For McGill students, as you graduate and step into your careers, you will inevitably cross paths with children—whether through the legal system, counselling, teaching, or beyond. For better or for worse, your actions will shape their futures. When that moment comes, don’t look away.
Staging Freedom:
‘Two Birds One Stone’ teaches empathetic understanding
Teesri Duniya kicks off its new season with moving play about home in Israel-Palestine war
Adèle Contis Contributor
Content warning: Mentions of genocide
Two Birds One Stone, directed by Murdoch Schon, is a lesson in listening and a reminder that friendship must not be scoffed at when seeking a viable framework for peace. It’s the first show in Teesri Duniya Theatre’s 2024-2025 season: Staging Freedom. Playwrights Rimah Jabr, a Muslim Palestinian, and Natasha Greenblatt, a Jewish Canadian, cowrote the piece in 2016. Eight years later, the pair felt compelled to revisit it, believing its message to be more relevant than ever in light of the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
This autofictional play intertwines stories from Jabr’s youth in Palestine and her move to Brussels after enrolling in theatre school with tales from Greenblatt’s youth in Montreal and Birthright trip to Israel. The women navigate the messiness of young adulthood while searching to make their way back to a family house in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Jabr’s grandmother’s home that she fled during the 1948 Nakba, which Greenblatt’s great grandfather purchased soon after Israeli settlers colonized the area.
While the two playwrights played themselves in previous runs of the play, they are now both new mothers, leaving them unavailable to fill the roles for Teesri’s remounted production. Instead, actors Dalia Charafeddine and Natasha Fagant fill in for Jabr and Greenblatt, respective-
ly, and portray the story’s numerous supporting characters—they sing, they cry, they laugh, and get fake drunk while slipping in and out of distinct accents and physicalities that differentiate these characters. Connecting with the audience in metatheatrical comedic moments, they dispel any awkwardness. We see two friends comment on their own performance, poking fun at the tiptoeing tendency we often see when engaging with Israel’s occupation and ongoing genocide in Palestine, shaping the intimate process of understanding into resistance.
The dialogue takes centre stage, with the simple costumes, set, and blocking emphasizing the words above all else. Language is itself a tool that can obscure or bring truth to light, and Two Birds One Stone implicitly discusses these intentions. The play breathes life and immediacy, gripping us to feel all that is human. In the room, when the lights turn back on, tear-dampened cheeks lean on the shoulders of loved ones.
This is what art is about—collaborative consumption—and there is no better place to be challenged than at Teesri Duniya Theatre. Its warm and collaborative approach encourages precisely these moments of self-reflection and openness.
Creating works by and for the BIPOC community, Teesri Duniya’s commitment to multicultural reconciliation motivates its practices and shapes the stories it platforms. The space invites collaboration through the innovative Fireworks Play Development Program, which supports and mentors a cohort of local emerging playwrights as they develop their writing.
Beyond its collaborations with the artists of Montreal, Teesri Duniya engages audiences in open dialogue via talkbacks after almost every show, mobilizing opinions that often continue to be discussed in the outside air of Avenue des Pins. Teesri Duniya’s founders and theatre directors Rahul Varma and Rana Bose hold fast to the belief that art should shun away from elitism, expanding theatre to all. Essentially, art is about trusting the community as it is, whether
sitting in the audience or pacing its feet on stage. Schon said in a CKUT 90.3 FM interview, “A good director wants people to leave with new questions in their pockets.” I believe this is true of Two Birds One Stone. It’s on my mind; I talk about it in a grocery store and share it with my friends. May we continue to attend theatre performances and feel their transformative power. May we learn from them and perform peace in our lives.
Since 1981, Teesri Duniya Theatre has established itself as an intercultural theatre whose plays are politically engaged. ( Eliot
The literary world’s battles to ban and boycott Israeli literary institutions
Over 6,000 authors and publishing workers have joined the boycott
Siena Torres Contributor
Content Warning: Mentions of genocide
Reading is a political act. Whether it be the choice of what books a predominantly white industry chooses to publish, what books one has access to, or even the privilege of having time to read, literature is not neutral—especially in our current combative political climate.
In the wake of Donald Trump’s recent reelection, readers and experts alike have voiced concerns over possible future book bans. Project 2025, the manifesto in which Trump and his allies are now clearly expressing intent to execute over the United States upon his inauguration, recommends implementing book bans in order to protect children from reading pornography. However, this is a dog whistle meant to conceal that, in effect, books with 2SLGBTQIA+ themes will be the first to go as their content is flattened by conservatives as “pornography.” This plan follows the disturbing trend of libraries and schools banning texts that deal with racism, homophobia, and sexism due to right-wing pressure which has also reached Canada.
In another case of politicization in the literary world, PalFest and other campaign groups put forth a cultural boycott of Israeli literary institutions signed by thousands of authors and literary workers in response to
the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. The boycott follows the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement guidelines that call for the rejection of the normalization of Israeli culture to justify the occupation of Palestinians. This movement follows in the footsteps of similar boycotts of South African goods to oppose the country’s apartheid state in the 1980s.
Specifically, this cultural boycott is targeting Israeli literary institutions that are either silent about or complicit in Palestinian oppression. The boycott’s supporters include prominent and prizewinning contemporary authors such as Percival Everett, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Annie Ernaux, Rachel Kushner, Ocean Vuong, and Sally Rooney, the Irish author who has been deemed the ‘voice of a generation’ after the boom of her novel Normal People. She has been outspoken in her support for Palestinian rights for years. This ranges from refusing to sell Hebrew translation rights to an Israeli publisher in 2021 to expressing her solidarity with the people of Palestine in a speech at the recent launch of her latest novel. Rupi Kaur also showed her support of the boycott by refusing an invitation from the White House for a Diwali event last fall on account of the Biden administration’s continued armament of the Israeli military.
Discussions of the Israeli occupation of Palestine have never been without controversy, especially for Palestinian authors. A few days after the Oct. 7 attack, Adania Shibli, the Palestinian author of Minor Detail, which fo-
cuses on a girl murdered by IDF soldiers in 1949, had her award ceremony for the book cancelled by The Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. This decision provoked outrage from fellow writers and activists as it seemed to be made solely based on her Palestinian origins; Shibli had never condoned Hamas’ actions or expressed any disrespect to the victims of Oct. 7. The Fair responded by declaring their continued support for Israel, which is part of a larger conversation about German institutions’ complicity in Israeli war crimes.
As for the recent literary boycott, over a thousand industry workers signed an open letter that denounced its intention. The letter pushes against the message that book spaces should not be political, arguing that this reduces the transformative power that books and their authors have to create tangible change and stating that
boycotts create more divisiveness.
However, as readers and authors respond to the complex and often controversial calls for political action in the literary world, books remain a powerful tool to create change in the world we want to inhabit. The choice to depoliticize literature is a privilege that only a few have when books have the power to bring awareness and tangibly impact movements. By continuing the boycott, there is a clear message that we must fight against injustice by ensuring that our literature does not stay neutral.
Loose / The Tribune )
Following Trump’s re-election, The Handmaids Tale and 1984 sales surged upward. ( Mia Helfrich / The Tribune )
Professional soccer continues to prioritize commercial interests over safety and ethics
Thomas Partey is the face of Arsenal’s gameday graphics, despite past sexual assault allegations
Zoe Laxton Contributor
Content warning: Mentions of sexual violence, assault, and rape.
The narrative that rape accusations ruin the lives of the accused is dangerous, untrue, and often not the case, especially with high-profile alleged abusers. Athletes, managers, and coaches across the sporting world have faced allegations of sexual violence and face minimal consequences due to their skill level and status. It has become a particularly significant issue in professional soccer, given the sport’s international popularity.
This is apparent when looking at Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, whose career is thriving despite three separate sexual assault allegations. He was arrested for rape in July 2022— which is the second time allegations had reached Arsenal—but has had his bail extended multiple times. Ultimately, the case was not pursued because of a technicality in legislation that prevented prosecution for an offence that happened overseas. Despite the controversy, Partey’s reputation in the media has been protected: UK privacy law determines that he remains anonymous unless charged, disconnecting any news reports related to his arrest with his name.
Any threats facing his career have been purely performance-based. Last year, Arsenal put Partey’s contract under review because of his
level of play. Head Coach of the Ghanaian Black Stars Otto Addo axed Partey from the national team on Nov. 7. While the reasoning was confidential, it is likely unrelated to the sexual assault allegations. He missed the previous games for Ghana due to illness, and, according to Addo, his exclusion is temporary. The decision might even benefit Partey’s ability to contribute to Arsenal, given that all his attention will now be focused on their next fixtures. On Nov. 5, the Gunners nominated Partey for Arsenal’s Player of the Month, featured him on the graphic for their recent match against Newcastle, and have consistently continued to publicly celebrate his performance.
It seems all too easy for professional soccer players to get off scot-free when they are accused of sexual violence, particularly due to the huge fanbase and international following of European competitions like the Premier League. One only has to look at the infamous ex-Manchester United forward, Mason Greenwood, and the sexual assault and domestic violence case he faced in early 2022 to realize that rape allegations against professional soccer players are significantly understated among the clubs and leagues.
Greenwood’s girlfriend, Harriet Robson, accused him of rape and physical assault after leaking incriminating photos and recordings. The Premier League suspended Greenwood during the investigation. The prosecutor withdrew the case, and Manchester United debated his return to the club right until the last minute because they felt a “duty of care” towards him. However, after
discussions with key club stakeholders—including members of the women’s team—ultimately, the club cut ties.
Many women’s rights organizations heavily criticized United’s leadership for this, citing the team made the decision only when met with increased pressure from the media. However, his skill and reputation as a promising young talent means that he can continue progressing in his career; Greenwood now plays for Ligue 1 club Marseille after being on loan to Getafe for the 2023-2024 season, and is still celebrated for his talent. Soccer journalists like Fabrizio Romano have frequently promoted his performances.
Partey and Greenwood’s cases highlight the extent to which status, aptitude, and celebrity can exempt a person from the supposed “life-ruining” consequences of rape allegations. These allegations are typically only disregarded because of trivial bureaucratic details, meaning that prosecution is often nighimpossible. A Google search into these players’ names only yields results related to their soccer careers, while their histories of sexual assault are buried under hundreds of articles praising their performances and discussing their futures.
This doesn’t stop with
Partey or Greenwood. Time after time, professional soccer players go unpunished for sexual assault because of their athletic prowess. Some of the biggest names in soccer, like Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, have faced similar cases with few repercussions on their ability to continue playing professionally.
Players are large investments for clubs that make up their brand and image. Hero-like worship and enormous support from their fans diminish athletes’ misconduct on the grounds of skill. The harmful reality is that clubs and organizations seldom take sexual violence cases seriously due to the focus on on-field excellence.
Uncovering the importance of mental health in men’s sports
November is Men’s Health Awareness Month
Zain Ahmed Staff Writer
Professional sport is a bastion of prowess and unwavering determination. In times where mental health and introspection are evermore pertinent, society is starting to recognize the importance of mental health advocacy, especially for high-level athletes. While recent years have seen a surge in discussions surrounding mental health, particularly among women athletes such as Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles, the discourse around men athletes’ mental health is still often epitomized by silence. Traditional images of men athletes are one of stoicism, resilience, and unwavering toughness. This stereotype, perpetuated by patriarchal expectations, creates a toxic environment where men athletes feel compelled to suppress their emotions and mental health struggles. The “boys don’t cry” mentality, deeply ingrained in society, often leads men athletes to suffer in silence. Expectations to suppress emotions can lead to a buildup of stress, anxiety, and depression. The pressure to perform and the fear of being perceived as weak or vulnerable can exacerbate these issues. The toxic masculinity standards upheld by misconceptions about men athletes can lead to self-destructive behaviours, substance abuse, and even suicide. Misguided and problematic standards stifle open discourse surrounding mental
health, making it difficult for athletes to acknowledge their own humanity.
While organizations like Movember have made significant strides in raising awareness about men’s mental health, the conversation is rarely centred around specific challenges faced by men athletes. Constant public scrutiny and the high demands placed on athletes can strain their mental well-being. The shortage of adequate mental health resources for men athletes at the professional and collegiate levels, albeit decreasing, compounds the problem. Although progress has been made, many athletes still hesitate to seek the necessary support and treatment they might need.
The media plays a crucial role in reshaping public perceptions of mental health and challenging stereotypes that prevent open dialogue. While there has been increased coverage of men athletes’ mental health struggles, societal expectations still place elite athletes on a pedestal, perceiving them as unstoppable. Women athletes face immense media backlash for challenging mental health stereotypes. Take, for example, Simone Biles removing herself from the Olympics for her mental health, and being dubbed a “national embarrassment.” For men athletes, the challenge is distinct yet similarly painful; the idea of traditional powerful masculinity is what drives men athletes to hide their emotions from the world to maintain their image. To ignite meaning -
ful change, media and cultural leaders must exemplify a standard of openness, dismantling the façade of perfection expected from athletes.
In recent years, a growing number of men athletes have begun to challenge the traditional norms of masculinity and openly discuss their mental health struggles. Kevin Love, a star NBA player for the Miami Heat, has been a vocal advocate for mental health awareness, sharing his experiences with anxiety and depression. Former NFL player Brandon Marshall has also been a prominent voice, using his platform to raise awareness and reduce stigma.
To address these challenges, sports organizations, coaches, and athletes themselves must create a more supportive and understanding environment not only for men, but for all athletes. This involves breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health, encouraging open dialogue, and providing accessible mental health resources.
By normalizing conversations about mental health, we can empower athletes to seek help without fear of judgment or repercussions. Encouraging athletes to share their experiences can inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of positive change. Additionally, all sporting institutions making the effort to provide adequate mental health resources, such as therapists and counsellors, can ensure that athletes are supported to over -
Up to 68 per cent of elite athletes experience depressive symptoms, and there may be a higher prevalence in individual sports compared to team sports. (Holden Callif / The Tribune)
come these challenges.
By sharing their stories, athletes like Love and Marshall inspire others to seek help and break the silence, demonstrating that it is okay to be vulnerable and that mental health is just as important as physical health. Just as women athletes like Biles and Chiles have bravely spoken out about their mental health struggles, it is time for men athletes to feel as though they can follow suit. By sharing their stories, they can not only inspire others, but can also help to dismantle the harmful stereotypes that perpetuate the silence surrounding men’s mental health in sports. It is only by addressing these issues head-on that we will be able to create a truly inclusive and supportive environment for all athletes to thrive both on and off the field.
Seven out of 20 Premier League clubs have had players or bosses investigated by the police for sexual offences since 2020.
(Mia Helfrich / The Tribune)
Champion Reform: If it wasn’t broken, why’d they fix it?
A
Reuben Noam Staff Writer
The 2024-2025 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League (UCL) season saw the first dramatic change to the league’s format since the second group stage—introduced in 1999—was dropped in 2003. The UCL is an annual, elite showcase for Europe’s most storied clubs. Since its inaugural edition in 1955, the tournament has symbolized the pinnacle of club competition in the continent; it often achieves viewership numbers that events like the Super Bowl could only dream of.
Traditionally, the UCL’s group-thenknockout-stage format offered a clear and competitive pathway for champions and top contenders across Europe, balancing a sense of exclusivity and inclusivity for top teams across nations. However, the 2024-2025 season brings a new chapter, to the chagrin of many. The UEFA Executive Committee’s is making a fundamental change to the UCL’s structure via the “Swiss model” league phase that will replace the classic group stage. In this rendition of the Swiss, 36 (up from 32) clubs will compete, facing eight opponents each. Subsequently, the total number of games will increase from 125 to 189, allowing for thousands of minutes of additional viewing time. The expansion raises an intriguing question: If the UCL is the “competition of champions,” what is the rationale behind adding more
teams?
After these league-phase matches, the top eight teams will automatically qualify for the round of 16. Teams placing ninth to 24th will compete in a play-off round for a chance to reach the knockouts.
Effectively, the new format increases the number of games played by four in the pre-knockout phase. Clubs will now face more opponents, providing fans with marquee matchups earlier on. Meanwhile, the seeding system, wherein teams play two opponents from each “pot,” takes away features like home and away fixtures of the same matchup. However, it attempts to retain the essence of that idea by hosting four,
Know Your Athlete: Ibrahim Chami
an equal number, of both games. The Swiss model’s intention is clear: T1o generate a more varied and exciting group of matches, even if it means altering the established rhythm of qualification and impacting players’ ability to rest.
UEFA has laid out several motivations for these reforms, emphasizing
a need to increase competitive diversity, boost revenue, and respond to the demands of elite clubs and fans alike. UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has said that the changes maintain the league’s tradition of open competition by allowing more clubs to face Europe’s best. Some industry analysts suggest that investor and broadcast interests play a larger role in driving the reform than he lets on. With more games featuring top teams, UEFA and its broadcasting partners stand to see an increase in viewership and, by extension, advertising revenue. The expansion also helps satisfy elite clubs’ managements, which see the new format as both
a financial incentive and a chance for their players to gain visibility in the European audience.
For fans, the Swiss model offers the chance to see their teams compete against a larger variety of European opponents. However, traditionalists may struggle to enjoy the drastically different new format. Players will certainly feel the effects of a longer, more intense competition—with the four extra games in the league phase, there is increased strain on top players, who already face packed domestic and international schedules. There’s also a heightened risk of fatigue and injuries, which could impact performance throughout the season.
UEFA’s investors and broadcasting partners, on the other hand, will benefit from the greater revenue potential that the format changes allow. The Swiss model is designed to increase viewership, and its fruition is aligned with UEFA’s goal of further solidifying the UCL as a commercial powerhouse, particularly in an era when sports broadcasting faces fierce competition from other mediums such as streaming platforms. By expanding the number of teams and adopting a more inclusive approach, UEFA risks compromising the UCL’s identity and exclusivity as a “competition of champions.” The Swiss model undoubtedly introduces something fresh, but whether these changes ultimately enhance or dilute the League’s prestige is yet to be seen. As the upcoming season unfolds, only time will tell if the Champions League’s new format can live up to the legacy it seeks to build upon.
Chami’s strong season performances powered the Redbirds to an impressive fourth-place finish at Nationals
Lialah Mavani Sports Editor
Ibrahim Chami, U1 Arts, a first-year defender for Redbirds Soccer, has made a strong mark on the field in his first season on the team. Starting off his rookie season strong, Chami has been named to the U SPORTS All-Rookie Team, has merited first-team all-star status in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference, and has been a starting player in all of the team’s regular-season games.
Chami kicked his first soccer ball at three years old, practicing on his own and often playing with his dad. At the age of eight, he joined his first team and started playing competitively, and from there, his soccer career flourished. Chami has represented Team Lebanon on various occasions including at the Arab Cup, the Asian Cup, and the 2024 Olympic qualifiers. Now, he plays both for the Redbirds and also semi-professionally for the Association de Soccer de Blainville (AS Blainville) soccer club, where he competes in Ligue 1 Québec.
His transition from playing high-level soccer throughout high school to being a student-athlete at McGill while balancing rigorous academics has been a tough adjustment, but one that has paid off on the field.
“I decided to [come to] McGill University because I know it’s a prestigious school,” Chami told The Tribune on Nov. 7. “Regarding the sport aspect, I wanted to challenge myself a bit, because in the past years, McGill didn’t have [...] good results. So I wanted to change the tendency and try to push the team the highest that I can. And I think that, as a first-year student, things went very well, because we were not expected to be where we are today, and today we’re at Nationals.”
The Redbirds are having an extremely strong season, reaching nationals for the first time since 2011. They placed third out of seven teams in the RSEQ conference, with a record 5–4–3, achieving their highest regular-season record since 2018.
Despite coming off a loss (1-2) to the Université de Montréal Carabins in the conference championships, Chami says the Redbirds are looking to build from the positive moments from the game and the season to fuel them for the tough competition at Nationals.
“We were all disappointed with the result of our final against [the Carabins], but we were pissed that we lost the game on specific details, details that we could have avoided,” he said. “But it was just small details that made the difference. And this is what happens in important games, things can change in seconds, just because of details. So I think we’re ready
to bounce back today and in the upcoming games for nationals.”
Reaching the semifinals, the Redbirds fought hard but ultimately fell short to the York Lions (3-1) in a bronze medal match on Nov. 10.
As the university soccer season comes to an end, Chami is looking to build on the great performance the Redbirds had this year. His first year on the team has shown how much of an impact he’s made and he aims to continue to build off of these positive wins from the season, pushing the team to be the best it can be in his next years at McGill.
As Chami reflected on his own soccer journey, playing competitively from a young age, he stressed the importance of resilience and a strong mentality.
“If you truly have something in mind and you want to achieve it, you just go for it,” he said. “You don’t find excuses [...] you just put in the work. Even if you don’t get results immediately.
But I see it as a process, and this is how it should be. Even if the results are not good for the moment, if you keep working, you keep grinding, at one point, things are going to turn for you.”
Real Madrid have won the Champions League 15 times, making them the most decorated team in UEFA history. (Hannah Nobile / The Tribune )
The McGill Men’s soccer program is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year. (Matt Garies / McGill Athletics)
Seeing superdiversity: How immigration shapes Canadian cities Illustrating immigration census data to enhance data accessibility
Kate Birch Contributor
How do we understand the dynamic population changes taking place in Canadian cities? At the end of 2024, the Superdiversity in Canadian Cities website will launch, designed to make complex immigration census data accessible to a wide audience.
On Nov. 7, the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) hosted a talk by Daniel Hiebert, a Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of British Columbia, showcasing the capabilities of this user-friendly data project.
Hiebert began by introducing his own research on superdiversity—a term coined by his partner for the proj- ect, Steven Vertovec, director of the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity. The “super” in superdiversity refers to superimposition, which captures the layered nature of diversity across nationality, ethnicity, religious affiliation, income, and other traits that shape the population of metropolitan centres in Canada.
The goal of the Superdiversity in Canadian Cities website is to allow Canadians to access census and social demographic data and to illuminate the rapid urban changes in metropolitan Canadian cities that are unfolding as a result of immigration.
Heibert led the attendees of the talk through the primary features of the website, which include a series of interactive graphs
visualizing the population of immigrants over time. These graphs compare socioeconomic measures against other factors like ethnic background, age, gender, and generation. The socioeconomic measures include education level, employment status, income, and housing status, compared to the population average.
Additionally, users can see maps showing where newcomers settle on a local, provincial, and national scale.
“We want to let people see for themselves,” Hiebert said.
This is just the tip of the data-iceberg that will be completely public by the end of 2024, as the website will be highly interactive, allowing the user to explore the intricacies of urban superdiversity.
“We feel that Canadians have developed a set of assumptions about how immigrants integrate or perhaps don’t integrate into Canadian social life,” Hiebert said.
One goal of the website is to dispel common myths about immigration, mainly by emphasizing the complexity of the data, rather than the generalizations we often hear in the news.
Hiebert used his website to illustrate the complex socio-cultural environment in Montreal and the makeup of its population over time.
According to Hiebert, about 1 per cent of Montreal identifies as Indigenous. Within the past 25 years, the population in Montreal that identifies as European has barely grown at all. Notably, the real growth in Montreal has been
133 religious groups in Montreal are identified along with nearly 100 others in and around Sherbrooke, Saint-Jérôme, Rawdon and the Saguenay. ( Mia Helfrich / The Tribune )
in people who are coming from Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
“We want to show that in places like Montreal, diversity and social complexity is the norm rather than an exception,” Hiebert said.
He also stressed an important implication of the data, which is to negotiate a sense of a common identity through all of this diversity.
“At the [Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada] IRCC, they think about policy, but they don’t think very much about the local outcomes of that policy,” Hiebert said.
Hiebert aims for this resource to reach the general population, but also policymakers and the government itself to inform immigration policy decisions.
Given the high degree of diversity in an
urban Canadian city like Montreal, Hiebert explained that it was no wonder that government-mandated advisory committees struggle to accurately represent Montreal’s complex population.
“If you’ve got people from 190 countries, and they’re also differentiated by religion, sex, age, and everything else, what do you want?
A committee of 10,000 people?” Hiebert asked. “Notice the simplicity of this compared to the complexity of [Montreal’s population]. And that’s the superdiversity story.”
Overall, Hiebert’s presentation shed light on the concept of superdiversity and how it is visualized for Canadian cities. He ended by briefly mentioning the need for further development of visualization tools in the future.
UAEM McGill stands for equitable access to medicines
Students push for affordable healthcare and ethical research practices
Jenna Durante Science & Technology Editor
Why advocate for healthcare in Canada if it’s perceived as universally free? Despite the common misconception, increasing awareness of healthcare disparities in Canada—particularly highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic—emphasizes the urgent call for equitable access to medicines. In the fight for affordable care, McGill students are stepping up to advocate for a critical cause: Global health equity.
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) McGill, a local chapter of the international organization, is led by passionate students who are committed to addressing the barriers that prevent essential medicines from reaching those who need them most.
A mission to educate and advocate
United by a focus on both education and advocacy, the team is challenging the status quo within academic research.
“I had been interested for a while in access to medicine, and at UAEM I saw an opportunity to learn in an extremely motivating yet kind environment,” UAEM McGill President Amanda Leloup, U3 Arts, wrote to the The Tribune
One of UAEM’s initiatives, The Canadian Report Card, measures how well universities follow equitable licensing practices. The evaluation system assesses whether institutions such as McGill adhere to frameworks like the Global Access Licensing Framework (GALF).
This report card is a crucial tool used to hold universities accountable, ensuring that research innovations are accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford them.
By assessing and publicizing how universities manage their research outcomes, the report card pushes for greater transparency and fairness. For students, researchers, and policymakers, understanding and engaging with the report card is essential to advocacy efforts for policies that promote equitable access to essential medicines.
“We hold the university accountable to ensure that there is fair and equitable access to innovations paid for through tax money,” Leloup said. “We want to make sure McGill lives up to their equitable licensing agreements.”
In addition to their ongoing efforts, UAEM McGill is hosting its annual conference in Montreal later this year. This milestone event will bring chapters from across North America together to discuss the role of Canadian healthcare, Indigenous rights in medicine, and other topics regarding global health equity.
The conference will address the reality that even with public healthcare, affordability and accessibility remain pressing issues for marginalized communities in Canada.
Projects and calls to action
Last April, the team launched a Donation Tracker website that invites manufacturers, shelters, and community groups to donate essential goods, such as masks and medications, to vulnerable populations in Montreal. In promoting
the website, the team will be donating to The Open Door during their collaborative donations drive, sending clothes, food, and toiletries to those in need.
Additionally, their Open Science initiative advocates for transparency in medical research, ensuring that students, researchers, and the public can freely access research findings without costly paywalls. This is essential for students, as it enables them to engage with the latest scientific developments and contribute to ongoing research efforts.
UAEM has grown into a worldwide network of over 100 university chapters spanning 6 continents and 20 countries. ( Ryan Dvorak / The Tribune )
Open Science empowers the academic community to push for systemic changes underlying the importance of access and affordability in healthcare.
How McGill students can make a difference
UAEM McGill encourages students to get involved in advocacy and education regarding global health equity. In doing so, they empower themselves to become active participants in shaping a healthcare system that prioritizes accessibility and fairness for all.
“Students can gain access to resources, training, and a network of like-minded advocates who are all passionate about the same
topic, and this enhances their capacity to influence policy, engage with experts, and work on impactful campaigns while making an actual impact,” Leloup wrote.
Leloup also urges student researchers to incorporate Open Science and DEI principles into their research practices. This can help steer academia toward addressing the most pressing issues and focusing on structural inequalities in research.
As the club’s motto goes, “Make medicines for people, not for profit.” This call to action reminds us all that accessible, affordable healthcare is a human right, not a privilege.
Championing Open Science and advancing research accessibility
Open Science promotes collaboration in neuroscience by fostering transparency
Daniel Pyo Staff Writer
Scientific research has undoubtedly become an integral aspect of human existence. It shapes our understanding of the world and drives advancements that impact nearly every aspect of life. With ongoing scientific efforts to combat diseases such as Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, and immune disorders, the demand for accessible data continues to grow, emphasizing the importance of Open Science for advancing scientific discovery.
Open Science is the practice of sharing data, information, tools, and research results. It accelerates discovery by enabling others to build on previously validated research.
On Nov. 7, the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (The Neuro) hosted its sixth annual Open Science in Action Symposium, aiming to highlight the practical implementation of Open Science across all stages of the research lifecycle. The event emphasized areas where the adoption of Open Science remains limited, such as data acquisition in laboratories.
The symposium commenced with a compelling presentation on Open Science by keynote speaker, Ed Lein, a senior investigator at the Allen Institute for Brain Science.
Allen Institute and their open science commitment
Lein strives to enhance the accessibility of science to promote collaboration, team co-
Steering
hesion, and address any potential accessibility barriers in current research methods.
“The aim here is to create resources that can be catalytic much, much beyond our walls. Our core principles really are picking big impactful problems in current health issues and helping researchers tackle the complexities in biology,” Lein said.
The keynote lecture then addressed the Allen Institute’s Open Science commitment as a transformative force within neuroscience and beyond. The Allen Institute’s approach is rooted in an ethos of early data sharing, which is a central focus of the institute. This guiding principle facilitates democratic access to research findings and accelerates progress in scientific discovery by making complex datasets readily accessible to the broader community.
The Development of a Brain Cell Atlas and technological advancements
The remainder of the discussion centered on initiatives, featuring the Allen Institute’s Brain Cell Atlas project.
This ambitious project involves cataloging the vast diversity of brain cells, understanding their unique properties, and mapping their spatial organization across different brain regions.
“We now have a complete cell atlas of the mouse brain, and we’re able to get a first draft in humans,” Lein highlighted.
The Brain Cell Atlas uses a technique called single-cell transcriptomics to differentiate various brain cell types. By examining
the transcriptome, which encompasses all messenger molecules, this process pinpoints the active genes within each individual cell. This data allows scientists to group cells into categories based on their gene expression profiles, providing insights into their specific functions and identities. By analyzing these profiles, researchers can identify specific cell types and their roles in brain function and disease.
While single-cell transcriptomics provides a “who’s who” of brain cells, spatial transcriptomics shows where these cells are located within the brain’s complex architecture. By pinpointing the location of each cell type, scientists can understand brain structure, cellular interactions, and cellular arrangements in different areas of the brain.
Developing the Brain Cell Atlas relies on integrating enormous datasets generated from advanced techniques. The Allen Institute uses sophisticated computational tools and machine learning to analyze and synthesize this data, allowing them to build a coherent map of the brain’s cellular landscape. This integration of
vast datasets is essential for making connections between cell types in animals and humans, brain structure, and cognitive function.
“By focusing our sampling efforts, we’ve been able to identify and map over three thousand distinct human cell types, capturing their complex interactions within a comprehensive database,” Lein said.
Through its commitment to transparency, the Allen Institute has emerged as a leader in Open Science, especially in neuroscience, where complex data often challenges traditional research approaches. Embracing this openness not only enhances collaboration but also accelerates discovery, setting a new standard for accessibility in scientific advancement.
public transport forward with public policy How public perception drives the creation of public transportation policies
Sarah McDonald Staff Writer
The successful development of sustainable public transportation is key in the global fight against climate change, due to its potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate land-use effects. On average, personal vehicles produce one pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile, while public buses, if assumed to be operating at 25 per cent capacity, produce only 0.64 pounds of carbon dioxide per passenger mile. Ensuring high use rates of public transportation also helps increase their impact: The closer buses are to capacity, the lower their emission per passenger mile.
Researchers at Transportation Research at McGill (TRAM) recently published an article in the journal Transport Policy analyzing how public perception influences sustainable public transportation development. They applied these analyses to two current projects in Montreal: A light-rail transit (LRT) system and a bus-rapid transit (BRT) system.
The Montreal LRT, with 27 open stations, is expected to be fully operational by 2027. Meanwhile, the BRT system, centred in PieIX, began its extension to Notre-Dame East Street in fall 2023.
Lancelot Rodrigue, a PhD candidate working under Professor Ahmed El-Geneidy at McGill’s School of Urban Planning, helped design these analysis projects and co-authored the paper.
“It was really to understand [the LRT and BRT] individually, but also to compare them to different types of projects,” Rodrigue said in an interview with The Tribune. “[We wanted to see] what drives support for these types of projects.”
To collect data, TRAM sent an anonymous survey to Montreal residents, analyzing both quantitative and qualitative responses.
“We always tend to focus on very objective data when we look at projects. But sometimes we forget that decision-making is not necessarily done solely from an objective standpoint, so we really wanted to go into this project taking into account the subjectivity of a lot of people’s perceptions,” Rodrigue explained.
The team found a critical difference between the quantitative and qualitative responses: While people generally gave positive ratings in the quantitative section, the open-ended qualitative responses were less favourable.
“When you ask open-ended questions, first of all, not everyone answers them. People who feel neutral won’t necessarily answer, but the people that do answer almost always tend to be more negative,” Rodrigue said. “[This trend] is something that has been found in literature across a lot of different domains.”
The team also found that the public perception was highly impacted by the speed at which the government pursued the construction of these projects.
“There’s kind of a duality between how fast [the project governance team is] willing
to go, but also how properly [the project governance team is] planning the projects,” Rodrigue said. They found that people generally wanted their projects completed quickly, but also wanted to ensure there was enough time to prevent common problems during development. Furthermore, they wished for plans to be public to encourage community input without derailing the project’s timeline. Given all of these concerns, policymakers need to achieve a delicate balance to ensure timely project completion while addressing community concerns and maintaining project integrity.
To better understand these dynamics, the TRAM team is continuing to analyze similar survey data.
“The data from this paper was the second wave, and now we’re just finishing the fifth wave that we just collected,” Rodrigue said.
While their surveys are anonymous, TRAM collects demographic information to contextualize their findings within the Montreal population. They have noticed the results they receive tend to be skewed in favour of upper-class, white individuals, which is some-
thing they are actively working on addressing.
Through targeted advertising, the team has successfully altered their samples in more recent surveys to balance data received in terms of gender and are hoping that balance across race and income level will soon follow.
“We’ve done a lot more targeted advertising, and we’re now weighing our sample to correct these issues as much as possible,” Rodrigue explained. “We’re trying to get a portrait that’s more representative of the Montreal population.”
By looking into the factors that dictate policy decisions, the TRAM team is working towards new policy guidelines that can help support both the decision-makers and the general public in future urban planning and transportation development.
PFounded by philanthropist and visionary Paul G. Allen, the Allen Institute is a recognized leader in large-scale, Open Science research. ( Hannah Nobile / The Tribune )
LRT systems tend to offer higher comfort levels with higher capacity, but the construction of BRT systems is typically faster and more cost effective.
( Anna Seger / The Tribune )
Bianca Tri Staff Writer
IIf walls could
talk, what would they
say? An exploration of billboards across campus and downtown
n my first year of university, I stumbled upon a poster calling for research subjects for McGill’s Translational Research in Affect & Cognition (TRAC) Lab. They were running a study on U0 students’ emotions, by having me wear a strange helmet to measure my brain activity while I played some mental games. I participated, got $20 CAD in cash, and immediately spent it on a burger right outside the building.
Evidently, posters can open the pathway to many opportunities—like a free lunch—and let you know what people care about in the world. The Tribune took a walk around campus, hitting major billboards and seeing what initiatives are vying for your attention.
AUS Billboards
As we began our tour in the Leacock lobby, the sheer number of publications was overwhelming. With various SSMU votes coming up, many of these boards were taken up by posters asking for student support. Importantly, SSMU was asking for the creation of a fee to support francophone affairs and CKUT was seeking a fee increase to sustain their operations as McGill’s student-run radio station. Given that CKUT’s referendum passed, postering paired with other methods of outreach can
interesting upcoming initiatives. Notable events include a physics hackathon happening from Nov. 15 to 17 and PhD Discovery Day on Nov. 21. The most prominent type of communication you’ll find on Engineering boards calls for participants and networking events. Studies typically offer compensation for participation, so if you want an extra $30 CAD for just an hour of your time, stop by for a quick look! It’s double the minimum wage, which is a pretty good deal.
In the city
be a great way to assure services receive the support they need!
On the non-referendum side of things, the Arts boards boast various events such as film festivals and graduate school fairs. If you’re creative, you’ll also find many calls for submissions. Artists, writers, and musicians are always needed for various clubs under the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) portfolio, so if you want to share your genius with the world, just take a walk through the Arts building!
McConnell Billboards
The McConnell Engineering Building has many billboards in its lobby, all promoting
MUS Billboards
The billboards in Bronfman’s basement looked barren on our visit. However, we noticed that Dave’s Store—a student-run snack shop—is now open! Their poster advertised that all items are between $1-$5 CAD. With Couche-Tard upstairs, Dave’s Store is a great alternative for students looking for a cheap energy boost from 10 AM to 6 PM Monday through Thursday. In general, Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) boards showcase career resources for management students, contact links for their 2024 Peer Advisors, and information about upcoming case competitions. Rest assured, there is no shortage of guidance available on Bronfman’s walls! Rounding this exploration off, we looked at digital methods of postering, namely through faculty newsletters. If you don’t have the time to print and post advertisements in-person, or if you generally want to reach a wider audience, sending your initiatives to AUS, EUS, and MUS listservs is a great way to raise awareness.
Off-campus, posters are less schoolrelated and take on various characters. Montreal used to have an anti-postering bylaw, but thanks to local activist Jaggi Singh, citizens can poster on street furniture without fearing fines. Walking on Boul. Saint-Laurent, you may notice advertisements for clubs—either for themed nights or special performances. You may also see community initiatives calling for action, such as protest announcements and posters that raise awareness about local issues. Public art and postering serve as a method of informal dissemination that can be classified as informative in one moment and vandalistic in the next. When you see a paper ripped off of public property, it’s necessary to inquire why some posters last longer than others in the wild. Postering is a call for people to notice the world around them. When we are inquisitive and take time to notice, we engage with the movements, messages, and events happening in our community.
Halloweekend unmasked: How McGill students celebrated
What a typical McGill student’s schedule looks like during Halloweekend
Jeanne Le Roux & Simona Culotta Contributors
This year, Halloween fell on a Thursday, which set the tone for a thrilling and festive weekend to follow. For McGill students—especially those recovering from midterms— Halloweekend served as a reward, with festivities ranging between frat events, parties, club outings, and other fun gatherings. With the large range of options to celebrate, and Montreal’s vivacious nightlife, students ended up with packed schedules for the holiday, making the most of their weekend.
The Tribune compared and contrasted students from different years’ plans for the weekend. When we asked a group of first-years to give us the rundown, it seemed that they were leaving the weekend open to many different possibilities. For example, Nava Menon, U0 Music, shared her indecisiveness.
“There’s a couple things floating around—maybe we’re going to try to get into one of the frats because we know one of the people, but we don’t know if they’ll let us in because we don’t have tickets— so maybe we’ll stand in line for a club, or just end up at a bar,” she said.
On a similar note, Emma Edwards, U0 Arts, who had Halloweekend plans with Menon, expressed how easy it would be to find something to do.
“It’s such a clubbing area—there’s not much else to do,” Edwards stressed. “We always end up going to Café Campus
anyway.”
Yet, Halloweekend also seemed to be a series of events difficult to coordinate, especially for those living in dorm residences, unable to throw their own party. However, while the first years may not have their own places to host a house party or something else for the holiday, Montreal doesn’t make it difficult to find other exciting activities. With Boul. Saint-Laurent expected to be packed with Halloween revellers, the celebration extends far beyond McGill’s campus.
While going to clubs or bars is a firstyear rite of passage, for upper-year students, hosting or attending house parties is an integral aspect of Halloween festivities. Dylan Jacques, U3 Desautels, said he and his friends are “hosting a party on Friday and going to a friend’s party on Saturday.”
As most students live in their own apartments, more casual and homely functions seem to have a bigger appeal. Dania Corbeil, U4 Arts, expressed that feeling in an interview with The Tribune
“House parties allow you not to worry about how much effort to put into costumes or what you are supposed to look like, since they create an environment where everyone feels comfortable,” she said.
Even though some upper-year McGillians still enjoy clubbing as it is a considerable part of Montreal’s vibrant nightlife, the consensus remains that house parties are the best way to celebrate this spooky season. Others, such as Charlotte
Sovka, U1 Arts, decided that getting the best out of both worlds was also an option
“[I plan on going] clubbing on Thursday since it’s the actual Halloween day and attending a house party on Friday and Saturday,” she noted.
In addition to going out, students also enjoy partaking in the Halloween tradition of giving out candy to the trick-ortreaters of their neighbourhood. Corbeil mentioned how she bought candy but is “not sure that kids are going to stop by.”
Although student neighbourhoods like Milton Parc or the Plateau may not be ideally suited for welcoming younger chil -
dren—since they are mostly populated by university students—McGillians still take pleasure in being ready for the possibility.
Each year, as housing situations, friend groups, and personal preferences change, Halloweekend plans look a little different for every student. From freshmen going to bars, clubs, or frats, to upper-year students organizing personal Halloween house parties, this year’s Halloween was characterized by diversity in options. Regardless of your Halloweekend itinerary, nothing compares to Montreal during the spooky season.
Last month saw the impact of postering when a Timothée Chalamet lookalike competition went viral in NYC. (Drea Garcia Avila / The Tribune)
Over 2000 people were waitlisted for Café Campus Halloween tickets. (Clio Blazer / The Tribune)
SLASA’s role in building community ties at McGill A home away from home for Latinx and Hispanic students
Malika Logossou Student Life Editor
McGill is home to various identitybased clubs that enrich its student life. One of the largest is the Spanish and Latin American Students’ Association (SLASA), which boasts over 1,900 members. SLASA offers a vibrant community-driven space for Hispanic and Latinx students on campus.
Since the academic year began, SLASA has hosted a wide array of events to unite Hispanic and Latinx communities. The longest-running one is “Coffee and Spanish,” a bi-monthly event where students can practice their Spanish in a social, stress-free, and fun environment. Each session attracts 25 to 30 students looking to meet new people and reconnect with their culture through language.
Eugenie Renaudo, U3 Arts, told The Tribune that “Coffee and Spanish” is her favourite SLASA activity.
“I love it because I found a lot of my Latino best friends [there]. You get to speak in Spanish, which I didn’t do during my highschool in France,” she said.
October was a busy month for SLASA, with activities stacked one after the other. On Oct. 4, the club launched a mentorship program that pairs students based on their interests and cultural backgrounds. They
hosted a Latin America-themed Trivia Night with free food and drinks on Oct. 9. Then, on Oct. 25, the club organized the Latin American Consulate Panel in honour of Latin American and Hispanic Heritage Month. For this popular event, which attracted over 100 students, SLASA invited four Latin American consular representatives to discuss how youth can integrate themselves into Canadian professions.
Finally, SLASA celebrated Día de los Muertos on Oct. 30 with a get-together at Tacos Lakalaka, offering members a chance to connect and honour the holiday in a fun, non-academic setting.
Attendee Alejandro Sotelo Tapias, U1 Management, highlighted the appeal of participating in the club’s events.
“SLASA’s activities are fun to be at. It can help people from the Latino community like me to meet other people who are Latino,” Tapias explained.
Through its events, SLASA aims to create a home away from home for students, understanding how challenging it can be to stay connected to one’s culture while being abroad.
Co-President Uma Le Daca Jolicoeur, U3 Arts, shared the executive team’s vision for SLASA, emphasizing the unique sense of belonging that comes from connecting with peers from similar backgrounds.
“Part of our goal or mission is to make
people at home and have more of a cultural base in terms of language and social interactions,” she declared. “[There are] certain things that you cannot talk about with friends that are not from the same cultural background as you.”
Going forward, SLASA is working to make events more inclusive for Portuguesespeaking Latinx.
Co-President Júlia de Oliveira Lima Gaspar, a U3 Arts student from Brazil, is helping organize a Brazilian party and a “Coffee and Portuguese” event to increase representation for the community. “A big part of Latin America is South America, and which Brazil is such a big part of,” she emphasized, referencing Brazil’s over 214 million Portuguese speakers.
Non-Latin-American and Hispanic students are invited to attend SLASA events as well.
“It’s not just for Latinos, it’s for people that are interested in Latin American culture and learning Spanish,” Susana Baquero Salah, U3 Arts and SLASA’s Vice President Events, shared. “Going to SLASA is important for
me to reconnect with my peers, with my people, and preserving the culture. And it’s also a lot of fun.”
For some, like Emmanuel Menacho Tardieu, U4 Engineering, SLASA provides a break from academic stress.
“My major is pretty stressful, with a lot of homework, a lot of work to do but having this is the other side of the coin at McGill,” he stated.
Others, as Júlia de Oliveira Lima Gaspar puts it, “Join for the culture but stay for the community.”
To keep up with SLASA’s upcoming events, follow them on Instagram.
Fall festivities flop: A reflection on pumpkin & autumn spice drinks
The quest for the best seasonal drink Montreal has to offer remains in progress
Drea Garcia Avila Creative Director
Despite the ongoing seasonal joy and fall festivities, the best season of the year—subjectively—will soon come to an abrupt end. This marks the beginning of finals and the fast-approaching end of the school semester.
As a fourth-year Science student, my university experience has often consisted of late nights and cheap coffee. But what I’ve failed to find is a fall drink that sparks joy: Something evoking the feeling of being covered with a fleece blanket next to a crackling fireplace. The type you would get while writing for leisure in the chill autumn air as vibrant leaves swirl overhead. Essentially, as close as you can get to a drink-ified pumpkin purée. And that is exactly what I sought during October 2024.
that made you keep going back for more. All in all, the drink was pleasant and tasted powerful and autumn-like, for lack of a better term, but I was still not completely satisfied. 7.9/10
Myriade: Small Latte Citrouille (Medium, $5.24 CAD)
If you’ve also been on a search for somewhere to go (or not go), I’ve done the taste-testing work for you. Here is a personal account of the seasonal beverages from some latte locations in Montreal, based on a 10-point rating scale: 1 is vile, 5 is neutral, and 10 is my dream drink.
Tim Hortons: Latte with Autumn Spice (Medium, $5.19 CAD)
I began detailing this journey at Tim’s, which retrospectively was not a great place to start. The acridity of the coffee was hidden by sugar and a hint of fall spices. Though I tasted cinnamon and clove most, it was almost as if they were afraid of being too flavourful. This barely-spiced latte was inoffensive, but five dollars for a Tim’s drink is… surprising, to say the least. 5.2/10
Tommy’s: Pumpkin Spice Latte (Regular, $6.90 CAD)
This highly popular café held promise. The advertisement featured an intimidating beverage piled high with colourful ingredients and explosions of flavour. The real drink was quaint with aesthetic latte art, and the foam itself was sweet, tasting predominantly of cinnamon. While the coffee was light and tasteful, the somewhat overpowering cinnamon topping prevented the pumpkin and seasonings from truly shining. 7.2/10
COMMODORE Café Montreal: Latte à la citrouille épicée (Medium, $6.33 CAD)
Encased by glass walls and lush overhead foliage, COMMODORE—connected to HONEYROSE Hotel Montreal and its restaurant— seemed to represent “business” to a tee. The place was sleek and fragrant, and so was the drink. The latte’s foam was light on sweetness and heavy on cloves, and the coffee was earthy with a slight tang
This cozy café’s atmosphere was dark, moody, and inviting, which the latte reflected perfectly. The foam was sweet, with fragrant tones of nutmeg, allspice, an elusive pumpkinlike aftertaste, and a nutty aroma. While the previous lattes mostly resembled a coffee with milk and indications of autumn, this drink marked the start of the few coffees that nearly embodied the pumpkin and spice energy that I was so desperately looking for. But despite being flavourful, it was not my perfect drink, so my quest continued. 8.1/10
Milton B: Latte à Citrouille (Regular, $7.07 CAD)
Having spent many nights-turned-mornings at this 24-hour establishment, I was curious about Milton B’s take on a pumpkin spice latte. Being the most expensive drink on this list, I expected greatness. Though I personally feel the price is quite high for what it is, I was pleasantly surprised. The coffee was chocolatey and mellow, sweet and light with spice. The syrup was concentrated and tasted similar to pumpkin purée. Though this drink came nearest to what I was looking for, it may have just been that the sweetness enticed the taste buds more than the pumpkin itself. 8.3/10
both started and ended—for now. Overall, I went back to my humble beginnings three times. Each time, my drink experience differed, and I couldn’t decide how I felt. During my first two visits, the mix of all the spices was strong, and the coffee was dark and rich with a light bitterness. But on my last, the coffee was deep, complex, and flavourful—a pumpkin purée taste topped with a light foam and sweet cinnamon. This last cup added an extra point to my original rating, and while it wasn’t completely my dream drink, this latest visit will certainly not be my last. 8.5/10
Subjectively, the journey to find my ideal drink was unsuccessful. After deliberating with my loved ones, we posited that perhaps the fall drink hype was all a ploy. Maybe pumpkin and autumn spice drinks just leave something to be desired, and that’s why they’re only around one season a year. So we can collectively forget how unremarkable they are when next autumn rolls around. After further contemplation regarding my failed quest, I realized the common denominator was me. Maybe I’m not the right person to review this product. Perhaps what I’ve discovered in this autumnal adventure is that, despite my efforts and retries, I’m not who I thought I would be: A diehard fan of autumn/pumpkin spice drinks. Though I started running out of caffeine tolerance—and money—near the end, they say that life is about the journey, not the destination. Ultimately, it’s okay that I didn’t find my perfect autumn drink. There’s always next year. Also, I may be allergic to nutmeg.
Note: Prices included are what the author was charged after taxes and before tip. This may not reflect the accurate or universal price of the drink in other locations.
SLASA was founded in 1989. (Val Muñoz / The Tribune)
The quest for the best seasonal drink Montreal has to offer remains in progress (Drea Garcia Avila / The Tribune)
