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Students, faculty raise concerns with U of G’s plans for in-person fall semester
from The Ontarion - 190.5
by The Ontarion
Due to community concerns over the lack of accommodations for the fall 2021 semester, the Guelph Campus Coalition has created a list of demands for a safe return to campus
ELENI KOPSAFTIS
On March 22, the office of the provost and vice-president (academic) sent a mass email to U of G students detailing the school’s plans to have students back on campus for the fall 2021 semester.
The email referred to “positive developments” with vaccine rollout and the advice of local health officials as main factors that inspired the school’s plans for an in-person semester, and Associate Vice-President (Academic) Cate Dewey told The Ontarion that the university is planning to “respond accordingly if there are capacity limitations to our classrooms and facilities.”
There will also be a “similar number” of distance education courses offered as in the previous fall semester, and some classes will have synchronous or asynchronous remote delivery with the exception of laboratories and seminars which will require students to be on campus. Technological upgrades are being made to some classrooms to facilitate remote access of in-person courses.
But given the amount of students uncomfortable with attending university in-person due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Students Association (CSA) and other U of G community members are expressing concern.
According to CSA VP External Horeen Hassan, a CSA meeting with the vice provost of student affairs was held in which students who were uncomfortable attending in-person classes were encouraged to enroll in distance education classes instead.
Dewey confirmed this and encouraged students to return to campus if, when the time comes, the local health unit has deemed it safe to do so, “to ensure that they have access to all courses in their program.”
According to Hassan, there has been “little to no consultation with any of the unions (students nor workers) on campus.”
In contrast, Dewey told The Ontarion “the Return-to-Campus Planning Committee consists of members across our constituencies, some of whom work with union, student, and employee groups and bring those perspectives to the table.”
Further, Dewey says consultations with the employee groups are currently underway, and undergraduate and graduate student dialogue, such as with the CSA and other student groups, is ongoing.
Despite this, student concerns over in-person class delivery remain, and it’s expected that those who will be most affected will be those with health or accessibility challenges, those who are immunocompromised, and international students who have left the country.
“Some [students] might not be in a financial position to return to Guelph for in-person learning, while others might be in countries that have handled the pandemic much better than Canada has,” said Hassan.
Additionally, the email sent out by the university indicated that it would be up to the professor to incorporate online accommodations. For professors, the Office of Teaching and Open Learning and Educational Sup-
port will be available for support and resources. Dewey states that professors using “new technology” in their classroom will be supported as well, though no specifics to these particular supports were given.
Due to potential accommodation issues, the Guelph Campus Coalition has since created a lobby document outlining U of G students and workers’ concerns regarding the university’s current plans to return to campus.
The document states that the U of G community must be given a clear understanding of what the fall 2021 semester will look like since its members deserve to make informed decisions about their learning environment.
To make the school’s plans more transparent, the document urges U of G to provide a timeline for when decisions will be made, how those decisions will be made, and the “benchmarks” that will have to be met for specific activities to take place.
To further accommodate students and professors, it is also advised that U of G provide smaller classes, hire more instructors and
Horeen Hassan is VP external of the Central Students Association (CSA). Amid fall 2021 semester concerns, she and other CSA members are advocating for student and faculty accommodations on campus. CREDIT: HOREEN HASSAN
teacher’s assistants (TAs), and offer technical support on a needs basis to instructors and TAs.
“Safety is a top priority and not everyone is fully confident that things will or can ‘go back to normal’ in the fall,” said Hassan. “Some students are not comfortable returning to campus in the fall, whether it be due to safety, or accessibility concerns.”
To learn more about the Guelph Campus Coalition’s demands for a safe return to campus this coming fall, consult the lobby document on the CSA’s website.
Crafty Ramen began offering a subscription service for their take-home ramen kits as a way to stay connected to their community. With over 800 subscribers, they’ve been able to create a new avenue of growth during the pandemic and hire on new people. CREDIT: DILETTANTE HOSPITALITY
Icon by Flaticon
Downtown restaurants get creative amid pandemic turmoil
With reduced staff and increased food waste, local restaurants offer subscription services and limited menus to keep revenue coming in
TAYLOR PACE
It has been a crippling year for nearly every industry; especially the restaurant industry.
According to Statistics Canada, full-service restaurants in Canada took an approximate 80 per cent hit at the start of the pandemic and have never truly recovered, now hovering around 50 to 60 per cent of their pre-pandemic revenue.
This has led to many industry shifts, including a focus on outdoor dining and delivery services.
In light of this, the City of Guelph has renewed the extended patio program downtown for the next three years, meaning for the next three summers, patio-goers can expect a repeat of the vibrant patio scene we saw last year.
However, city council reached a compromise for the road closure, deciding to only close the intersection at Wyndham and Macdonell on weekends.
Marty Williams, executive director of the Downtown Guelph Business Association, explained that while the road closure will only be happening on weekends throughout the summer, the extended patios all over downtown will be in parking spots and drive lanes throughout the week.
So the extended patios will go out onto the road, but will leave enough room, about 23 feet, for one-lane traffic in both directions. “It’s a very small reduction,” Williams said.
While this was reported to be a controversial decision, in a survey conducted by The Ontarion on Twitter, 80 per cent of respondents were happy with the compromise, as well as all of the restaurant owners and partners we spoke with.
“I like the new hybrid program,” said Court Desautels, group leader and CEO of the Neighbourhood Group of Companies, which owns several restaurants, including Mijiida and The Wooly.
“I think the downtown businesses, especially the restaurants, are able to thrive with the closures, and I enjoyed seeing less cars going downtown, but it does have an impact on some of the other businesses.”
While Statistics Canada reports the average restaurant is hovering around 50 to 60 per cent of their normal sales volumes, Desautels says in the summer it could range from 50 to 80, so he is optimistic about the patio season.
However, during lockdowns, Desautels said revenue can drop to a 90 per cent loss. But even with those losses, expenses remain the same due to utilities and rent, so owners have to come up with that money somehow.
To adapt to these struggles, some restaurants have turned to creative ways of increasing revenue.
For example, Crafty Ramen, like many other local restaurants, had to shift from a primarily dine-in restaurant with around 10 per cent of revenue from takeout, to a 100 per cent takeout model.
“Initially the uncertainty was scary; our restaurant locations, especially our original space in Guelph, have a really warm, welcoming and homey vibe,” said Khalil Khamis, Crafty Ramen partner and CEO.
“That feeling is a big part of who we are, and it’s really been important to us that we find ways to keep people connected to that.” They have managed to adapt well by offering takeout, at-home ramen kits, as well as ramen subscription boxes. This has allowed them not only to mitigate inventory loss and keep all their staff on, but hire new people as well.
“Our subscription service was not something we’d ever planned on pre-pandemic,” Khamis said. “We were intending to eventually sell a couple key market items at some point, maybe five years down the line, but never the DIY ramen kits as they’ve taken shape.”
They now have over 800 people signed up for a ramen subscription and are shipping to over 40 cities in Ontario. Khamis says this has been an entirely new avenue of growth for them, but one that has allowed them to stay focused on their main purpose: connecting to people in meaningful and impactful ways.
“We’ve been incredibly lucky in our ability to transition most of our business to takeout and our new meal kit and subscription service, but we feel for so many restaurants who rely on their dining rooms as their main source of revenue,” Khamis said.
To help minimize close contact between staff and guests for the summer, Khamis says their team is working on a contactless ordering option so people can place and pay for orders directly on their patio tables.
As for supporting them during the lockdown, Khamis said “our only hope is that people continue to do whatever they can to support local businesses; we need our communities more than ever. The best way would be to visit one of our local retail partners to try out our ramen kits and give them some love at the same time.”
It’s important to note though that Crafty Ramen’s innovative ability to adapt to the pandemic is the exception, not the rule. Along with the financial struggles most restaurants are experiencing, there is also a distinct loss of staff.
In fact, by May, Restaurants Canada reported that the unemployment level reached 13.7 per cent, the highest rate recorded since 1967. While that number has somewhat recovered, they reported the industry was still around 319,000 jobs below their pre-COVID levels in February 2020.
Only 48 per cent of the lost jobs in the industry have been recovered as of February 2021, compared to 88 per cent in all other industries.
Vienna owner James Sawyer has gone from a staff of 15 to three people, and has had to continuously hire them back and lay them off again with the repeated lockdowns and reopenings.
Desautels said they’ve laid off a total of 150 people at their restaurants.
“I wish I could hire them all back, and the sad reality is I can’t hire them all back, and that’s not because of pandemic, that’s because they’ve left the industry,” he said, adding that people are leaving the industry because they can’t rely on it anymore.
“The impact on the business is great financially, but the longterm effects on people’s mental health and whether or not this is an industry they want to be in, knowing what they were put through is going to be something that will require just as great of a recovery.”
Desautels added that it’s been especially difficult to plan ahead because of the confusing messaging from the government.
Earlier in March, Guelph had moved from red zone to orange zone, and was in orange for about two weeks before the province-wide shutdown was announced. Desautels said the move to orange “seemed like it was too fast and too soon and 12 days later we’re fully shut down and are sitting on a lot of inventory.”
Each time the restaurants have to close — even for takeout — they are selling significantly less, and end up with an excess of food products that they either give to staff or donate, if a charity is willing to take it.
Desautels estimates that it costs around $10,000 to reopen, “from food, to training; and that’s not to mention the infrastructure people put into patios as well.”
“I had, let’s say, like $200 in oranges and then like another $300 in eggs and $400 in potatoes, and on such short notice, I have to get rid of it, donate it or give it away,” Sawyer said, adding that “it’s hard with all the restrictions because people aren’t taking a lot of the donations right now, so it’s been a little challenging with the food waste.”
For Sawyer, it’s not worth it to keep the restaurant open during the lockdowns because of the nature of the restaurant. “At places like mine, an old school diner, people come for the service and sit down,” he said.
To adapt to the chaos of the pandemic, he has cut the menu in half, keeping only the most popular items on.
The government also provided wage subsidies and eventually some rent relief, which he says helped him. “Without that, I would probably either be closed or in high debt,” Sawyer said.
As of right now though, he thinks he’ll survive. “But if this goes on for another two years and the help drops off, that’s another story,” he said.
Crafty Ramen opened in 2017, and specializes in Japanese-inspired and locally influenced ramen bowls, with both meat and vegan options. CREDIT: DILETTANTE HOSPITALITY
ON THE RADAR
ONTARIO HITS THE BRAKES, DECLARING THIRD STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LIGHT OF SURGING COVID-19 CASES
PUBLIC HEALTH PREPARES FOR PHASE 3 AS VACCINATIONS PRESS ON
GUELPH TRANSIT INTRODUCES ONDEMAND BUS SERVICE
DEREK CHAUVIN FOUND GUILTY OF MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER OF GEORGE FLOYD
On April 16, the Ontario government announced an extension to its four week stay-athome in order to curb the rising number of COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations throughout the province. The order will now be in place until at least May 20.
On April 9 Ontario reported more than 4,200 new cases of the virus, the highest daily count in the province since Jan. 8, according to The Star.
On April 1, the provincial government noted that the third wave is being driven by COVID-19 variants. The newest variant of concern is B.1.617, which was first detected in India, and has since accounted for 36 cases in Ontario as of April 23. On April 22 the federal government halted all incoming flights from India and Pakistan for a month.
Restrictions in Guelph include, but are not limited to, in-store shopping at 25 per cent capacity for: pharmacies and supermarkets; garden centres; big box stores; and stores selling beer, wine, and spirits. All other retail stores and restaurants may offer curbside pickup, takeout or delivery. Parks and playgrounds are open. For the full list of restrictions, visit covid-19.ontario. ca/zones-and-restrictions.
Wellington-Duffer in-Guelph (WDG) Public Health has begun preparations for Phase 3 of the vaccination process by announcing pre-registration for all remaining residents aged 16 and up.
The announcement came during Phase 2 of the vaccine rollout, which began on April 6 and prioritizes age and atrisk populations.
Public health units are now offering appointments to individuals aged 40 and up. In addition, those who live and work in congregate settings, certain workers who can’t work from home, and pregnant people in the highest-risk category are now eligible.
As part of the city’s goal to improve the connectivity of its transportation system, Guelph Transit will be introducing on-demand bus service beginning May 2.
With no fixed route or schedule, the on-demand service will dispatch buses on a “request-basis,” allowing for more flexibility for transit users who wish to commute at times more convenient to them.
On-demand buses will operate during the same hours as conventional Guelph Transit service hours and will accept regular transit fare. Those looking to book a ride will be able to do so via phone, website, or the free ‘On-demand your way’ app. Once picked up, transit users will be dropped off at a “pre-set location” in Guelph of their choosing.
According to the City of Guelph website, the north and south loop Community Buses and the 16 Southgate route will be replaced with this new service, and it will also be travelling on routes along the Hanlon Creek Business Park.
The on-demand service is being funded by Guelph Transit’s current operating budget which was approved by council on Dec. 2, 2020. As part of its Strategic Plan priority of Navigating our Future, Guelph Transit wants to ensure that those affected by route closures from cost mitigation measures can still have access to bus services.
After two days of deliberation, a 12-person jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on the counts of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter of George Floyd, a Black man whose death sparked protests all over the globe.
On May 25 of 2020, distressed onlookers witnessed Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes after a shop assistant called police over an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.
Officers handcuffed Floyd and attempted to place him in the police car. Floyd resisted, he was placed on the pavement by police, and Chauvin knelt on his neck. The Defence argued that a heart condition and illegal drugs found in Floyd’s bloodstream are what led to his death while prosecutors argued that it was Chauvin’s excessive use of force that killed Floyd.
Chauvin had pleaded notguilty to all charges, but the jury, consisting of six white members and six Black or multi-racial members, found him guilty.
He has since been revoked of bail, had his bond discharged, and has been remanded into custody. Chauvin faces up to 40 years of prison time, and sentencing is expected to take place by mid June.
Philonise thanked activists and advocates for making the verdict possible, and he said he would be “fighting for everyone around the world.”
According to a news release from WDG Public Health, the region hopes to have at least 75 per cent of its population vaccinated by June of this year.
By pre-registering for your vaccine, you will not be booked for an appointment right away. Instead, WDG Public Health will contact you and provide a web link and “unique code” that you can use to schedule an appointment for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
If a resident provides their email as a point of contact, WDG Public Health urges them to regularly check their inbox as well as the junk or spam folders.
Details on eligibility and instructions for pre-registration and appointment booking can be found on WDG Public Health’s website.
To book a ride within city limits once the service becomes available, either call the on-demand booking agent at 519822-1811 with prompt 5, visit book.ondemandyourway.com, or download the ‘On-demand your way’ app from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
