The Fulcrum - Vol 76 Issue 10

VOL. 76 ISSUE 10

Nov 5, 2015

Healthcare Referendum Fails Pg. 5

This Week

IN THIS ISSUE...

OC Transpo reroutes P.5 LRT construction forces Days since the changes Lees and fireworks have not been used... Hurdman bus routes

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Vintage fashion finds P.10 Fashion museum sets up shop in Ottawa What Nov. 11 means to U of O P.12 The past, present and future of Canada in conflicts It’s a women’s world P.14 Soccer, rugby and volleyball’s winning week Youtube introduces paid streaming service P.17 Why viewers will give Youtube’s new service the red light How to re-use your Halloween costume P.20 Reader tells Di their furry little secret

NEWS

NEWS EDITOR

Eric Davidson news@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0061 @Eric_Davidson93

By-elections fill gaps in SFUO lineup, health plan reform falls flat

Second election called to vote in SFUO president eric davidson News Editor

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) has called a second election in a matter of weeks, to decide whether sole presidential candidate Anne-Emilie Hebert will be elected.

The SFUO has also released the official results for the vice-president finance and vice-president of services and communications positions, and have posted unofficial results for the healthcare referendum on their Facebook page.

The Fulcrum was not able to reach the SFUO election office in time for publication.

The by-election on the SFUO president will be held Nov. 9 and 10.

Hebert, who ran unopposed, confirmed the second election, but did not wish to comment on the reason for it.

Roméo Ahimakin was elected as vice-president of services and communications, with 1,012 votes compared to 272 for Melanie Malo and 208 for CT Larochelle. Ahimakin campaigned on making the SFUO’s services more

visible to students, and wants to find ways to connect students and the SFUO, including an app.

“I’ll keep doing the work I started, I’ll keep bringing forward more visibility for the services,” he said.

Camelia Touzany was elected to be the new vice-president of finance with 1,106 votes, while Nick Robinson got 329. Touzany campaigned on making the budget transparent and making online procedures like club registration easier.

“My job will be to ensure a balanced budget that truly reflects the needs of students, and most importantly that the services and projects that students care about are prioritized,” she told the Fulcrum in a previous interview.

Both Ahimakin and Touzany ran on the “By your Side” slate.

A few days after the elections results were released, the SFUO announced unofficially on their Facebook page that the healthcare referendum was defeated with 801 “no” votes and 737 “yes” votes. The SFUO has not yet updated their website with official results.

“I strongly believe that most of

Presidential candidate and members of the health plan referendum “yes” committe speak at a debate during the by-election.

those who voted ‘no’ did so based on a lack of information,” said Siavash Ghazvinian of the referendum’s “yes” committee.

He said that students “saw an increase of $35 to their fees and voted no because they did not know the benefits of voting yes versus the harms of voting no.”

According to Ahimakin, the SFUO will discuss the plan with the school’s health care provider, Green Shield.

“Before we do that, we’re going to consult with the students… so that we can come out with the best package that is realistic and sustainable,” he said.

Ahimakin said that the SFUO will continue to provide information to students on the health care plan.

“Possibly in the future we can have the referendum question presented again,” he said.

The proposed healthcare plan would have cost those who opted in an extra $35, and the Board of Administration (BOA) would’ve be able to increase it by up to eight per cent per year to adjust to inflation.

The SFUO had been previously subsidizing the health plan through the general fund, which all U of O students pay into.

“The actual cost of the health plan to the SFUO has increased, so they have had to supplement it out of the general fund more and more,” said Veronica Carpani, an engineering student representative on the BOA in a previous edition of the Fulcrum.

“The health plan is currently underfunded, and will have to be eliminated or undergo major cuts,” said Ashley Reyns, a volunteer on the “yes” campaign, in a video on the group’s

Photo: Eric Davidson

website. She said that the new healthcare plan would “avoid reductions or elimination in services in pharmacare, contraceptive care, eye care, and many others.”

Ghazvinian also noted that even after the proposed price increase—from $180 to $215 per year—the health care plan would have been the second cheapest university plan in the province, after Guelph, which charges $171 per year, and significantly cheaper than Algoma, which charges $425 per year.

The changes to the health plan will be felt next September, when the plan is renewed.

“I don’t know what the future of the health plan will be for students, but I am holding out hope that some action can be taken this Winter to save the health plan,” said Ghazvinian.

LRT construction causes changes to major bus routes near U of O Transit between Hurdman and Lees Station to close in December Jaclyn McRae-Sadik Associate News Editor

OC Transpo has announced that the lower level of Lees Station will be closed, and transit between Hurdman and Lees Stations will be halted due to light rail transit (LRT) construction. The closures will start on Dec. 20, and could affect the daily commute of hundreds of students.

The closure was originally scheduled for April 2016, when the school year would be coming to a close, but substantial construction work forced an early closure in order to complete the construction on time.

According to Daniel Spence, Sustainable Transportation Manager for the University of Ottawa, the university meets with the City of Ottawa and the contractors monthly to discuss progress and to raise any issues. It was during one of these recent

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Lees Station

Photo: Jaclyn McRae-Sadik

meetings within the last month that the university was informed that the closure of Lees Station would come sooner than expected.

“We expressed concern that it was going to cut off a lot of students from

being able to access Lees quickly and relied on the Transitway to do that,” said Spence. “(The City) hustled to come up with an alternative.”

A stop and shelter near Minto Sports Complex at Templeton Street intersection will be built. Spence said the route will continue towards Lees Campus, where several stops will be added on the campus, to “drop people off pretty much right outside the front door.”

The 85 will also stop at Laurier Station, continue down King Edward via Laurier Avenue and bypass Campus Station. Before 10 a.m., the 85 will run approximately every 6 to 8 minutes and every 10 to 15 afterwards.

Despite the talk of plans for alternate routes, some students using Lees Station as their point of transportation to the university were blindsided by the closure “I had no idea they were closing it

down. There’s been no kind of signs giving awareness of it,” said Morgan McCullough, a fourth-year history and political science student who lives in an apartment building on Lees Avenue.

“It’s going to be a huge hassle for the students. Everybody comes along this route. This is a huge transit area for most students, right? Either going out of the University of Ottawa or to it,” he said.

Fourth-year public administration student, Rachel Nauta, had similar concerns.

“It’s a big inconvenience not only just because the buses aren’t running, but you can’t walk along the Transitway either, so for students that choose to walk and not take a bus it’s still inconvenient,” said Nauta.

“The 85 is not going to come as often as any other bus that comes on the Transitway. You have so many choices

now,” she said.

A number of bus routes will be affected, and as many as 18 slowed down, including the 95, which is highly used by U of O students.

Spence is assured that the City of Ottawa will continue to work closely with the university should more service adjustments be required to better accommodate students.

“They’ve been very cooperative.

The turn around on this route 85 thing was very quick by municipal standards. We raised it at one meeting and then within a week or two they had come up with something to suggest,” said Spence.

According to the LRT Confederation Line website, which shows detailed timeline estimates for each station, construction at Lees Station should be completed by Summer 2017.

The LRT system is set to be finished on May 25, 2018.

NEWS | 5

News Briefs

Ontario proposes new anti-carding regulations The province of Ontario plans to introduce new regulations designed to prevent police from stopping people randomly on the street, also known as carding. Ontario Minister of Community Safety Yasir Naqvi made the announcement on Oct. 25, following a long debate over the practice of carding in Ontario.

A number of Ontario police forces have faced allegations of racially profiling individuals they card. Ontario is the first province to put forward regulations on carding.

“We are saying that (a police stop) cannot be random, nor arbitrary, nor can it be based on race or the neighbourhood you live in,” Naqvi told the Ottawa

Photo: CC,Brett Gustafson

6 | NEWS

Former Senator Patrick Brazeau was given an absolute discharge on the charges of cocaine possession and assault on Oct. 25. He still faces charges of fraud and breach of trust stemming from his Senate expenses.

Judge Valmont Beaulieu granted Brazeau an absolute discharge, meaning he won’t have a criminal record, after Brazeau pleaded guilty to the charges in September.

Brazeau told the Ottawa Citizen that he plans to return

Citizen.

Ottawa’s police chief Charles Bordeleau told the Citizen that the proposed regulations put an extra burden on police officers by forcing them to document a large number of interactions with civilians. He and Police Association president Matt Skof also denied that police act in an arbitrary way when making street checks.

“The Ottawa Police Service has always maintained that random and arbitrary street checks are illegal and are not practised by our officers,” Bordeleau told the Citizen.

Ontario MPP Bob Chiarelli The new regulation will announced that $334,000 in come into effect in March funding would go towards the 2016.

Hope Ventures program on —Eric Davidson Oct. 27. The program, which is housed at the Salvation Army Bethany Hope Centre, helps young parents start their own business.

The money, would come from the province’s Local Poverty Reduction Fund, an-

Government funding encourages young parent entrepreneurs

Brazeau given absolute discharge, wants to return to Senate

to the Senate “as quickly as possible.”

Brazeau was suspended without pay over his housing expense claims alongside Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, but the suspension was lifted when Parliament was dissolved for the federal election.

Brazeau is currently on leave with pay, with his salary being clawed back to reimburse the Senate for his disallowed housing expense claims.

—Eric Davidson

nounced Chiarelli, which looks to improve the lives of people affected by poverty.

Chiarelli told the Ottawa Citizen that the province selected the Hope Ventures program because it shows “tremendous leadership.”

The additional funding will help the centre expand by allowing for more participants.

—Eric Davidson

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New rez for upper-year students slated for September 2016

Mann Residence to be constructed near Minto Sports Complex Jaclyn McRae-Sadik Associate News Editor

The University of Ottawa has announced it will open another new residence next September, its fourth in the past two years. Unlike the most recently opened residences on Rideau Street, Henderson Avenue, and Friel Street, which house first year students, the new residence on 45 Mann Avenue will be exclusively for second year students and up, including graduate students.

The apartment-style complex will house 385 students, and is located next to the Minto Sports Complex.

The Friel residence provided 400 beds, Rideau provides 414, and Henderson provides 172. All three of these residences were built with the intention of housing first years.

Michel Guilbeault, director of Housing Service at the University of Ottawa, said that the housing requirements of first year students has been met, and the focus is shifting to returning students.

The property was acquired through a private sector partnership, as were the Rideau and Friel Residences, all of

which are long-term commitments and managed by the university.

Although rates have not yet been disclosed, Guilbeault said they will likely be similar to rooms in the Hyman Soloway residence or slightly higher.

Hyman Soloway is one of the most expensive residences offered, with room cost per person ranging from $10,142 to $10,873 for a 12-month period.

The residence will provide various amenities in each suite, such as a kitchen, washer and dryer, and a washroom in each bedroom. The amenities are a big reason why the price of this residence is higher than others, though Guilbeault says it will still be competitive with the market.

“This is truly a purposebuilt student residence. I think it’s the first of its kind actually in Ottawa in terms of a bed to bath ratio,” he said.

The specifics of this residence have been decided based on survey feedback from students over the course of several years. The data was collected from students in residence towards the end of their 2013 term, and on a broader spectrum of all upper

The U of O is set to open another residence next september.

year students this past spring.

“Based on the surveys we’ve done in the last couple years, privacy in terms of private bedroom and the bed to bath ratio is extremely, extremely important to stu-

dents,” he said.

In addition to the unique layout, Guilbeault says the residence will look to foster community. “They rent accommodation with people they’ve met in residence

Photo: Courtesy of housing services

that they’ve developed these friendships with,” said Guilbeault.

He said that although they will first market it to students already in residence, the new residence will be available to

all students in second year and up.

Guilbeault says many students have already expressed interest in the residence within the past few weeks of its announcement.

Third time’s a charm? SFUO to host General Assembly on campus SFUO hopes change of venue will help GA meet quorum

Last year’s GA in November fell short of quorum by 230 people.

eric davidson News Editor

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa

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(SFUO) will be hosting its third General Assembly (GA) on Nov. 14, however no motions will be voted on because none were submitted before the Oct. 16

deadline.

The GA was implemented to act as a platform for undergraduate students to interact with the SFUO in both official

Photo: Remi Yuan

languages—pose questions, propose motions, and “attend to help direct the work of your student union,” according to the SFUO website.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us and students to convene and talk about all of the different aspects of the student federation,” said Roméo Ahimakin, vice-president of services and communications of the SFUO. “We’re going to do our best to have the information circulated all over campus so that all the students can attend.”

While there were two offcampus GAs last year, both failed to meet quorum, and no motions were passed.

The first GA held last November failed to meet quorum by 11 people, while the second was short 230 students.

One factor that may elicit a larger turnout is the change in time and location. Previously, the GA was held off-campus at the Shaw Centre on weeknights, while the first one this year is going to be held in Marion Auditorium on a Saturday morning.

“One thing that we heard

from students is that they wanted it to be on campus,” said Ahimakin. “We tried our best to make it happen on campus, and also on a day where there wouldn’t be different obstacles for students.”

Any student is allowed to submit a motion, provided that it is accompanied by a petition signed by 100 students. Last semester’s assembly had six motions, and the previous one had five.

As it stands, the GA will feature an update from the executives, a budget update, and a question period.

Since there are no motions, the only difference if the GA does not meet quorum will be that the question period cannot be extended.

The GA will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Marion Auditorium.

More information can be found at http://sfuo.ca/generalassemblies/

NEWS | 7

National News

Vigil for victims of police killings brings stories to light Friends and families of victims gather in remembrance, call for change Gregory Todaro The Concordian

Montreal (CUP)—Dozens of people gathered outside of the Fraternité des Policiers et Policières de Montréal office on Oct. 22 for a vigil remembering victims of police killings.

Taking place just across Gilford Street from the Laurier metro station, the vigil was organized by Justice for the Victims of Police Killings Coalition, an organization created by family and friends of people who died as a direct result of police action and intervention. Police stood guard in front of the police building throughout the evening, overlooking the vigil as family of victims called out for independent civilian inquiries into police killings.

The sixth-annual Montreal event was organized in solidarity with a national day of protest in the United States, coordinated by the Oct. 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality. Organizers of the vigil said more than 60 people have been killed in Montreal by police since 1987.

Julie Matson, one of the founders of Justice for the Victims of Police Killings Coalition, lost her father in 2002 after he died while in police custody.

After taking part in a panel of people who have lost a family member to police killings at a conference in 2010, she said she realized how important it was for the families of victims to have someone by their side who understands what they’re going through.

“Most people just have no idea how to treat you when they find out that not only has your loved one passed away, but in such a violent way, most people… don’t know how to reply to you,” said Matson. “(With the coalition), it doesn’t matter because they all know. There was this amazing solidarity that I’ve never experienced before.”

Matson was one of the speakers at

8 | NATIONAL NEWS

Police watch on as family and friends of victims of police killings gather for an annual vigil outside of the Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montréal office.

the vigil, sharing the story of her father’s death. Ben Matson was involved in a yelling match with an off-duty officer in Vancouver over a parking dispute. Police were called and Matson’s father was beaten and arrested.

Matson said he was kept in a prone position (lying flat on his chest on the ground), which caused him to asphyxiate—and none of the officers involved were charged. She called the fight against police brutality “an uphill battle,” because police are a “brotherhood that keeps protecting (itself) at every

single step.”

Bridget Tolley, founder of Sisters in Spirit Vigils which is part of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, also spoke about the death of her mother, Gladys Tolley, who was struck and killed by a Sûreté du Québec squad car in the Kitigan Zibi Reserve near Maniwaki in 2001.

The vigil comes while Quebec has been in the spotlight for police relations with Aboriginal groups. An investigation published by Radio-Canada featured Aboriginal women of Val

d’Or, who allege that they were abused physically and sexually by police officers.

Tolley questioned the reports and statements from the night her mother was killed, and has since been calling for an independent investigation of the incident. She also said the investigation of the incident was led by the brother of the officer driving the car.

Then, Tolley turned to the police overlooking the vigil and addressed them directly.

“How wrong is that?” she asked the

Photo: Gregory Todaro

officers. “Since when is it allowed for a brother to investigate another brother on the scene of an accident after striking and killing someone? Since when?”

Tolley said despite having pushed for an independent investigation into her mother’s death for the past 14 years, she will continue to fight until the case is reviewed.

“I can’t move on,” she said. “I’m a great-grandmother, I have a one-yearold great-granddaughter, and I think about her and I don’t want this to happen to any other families.”

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A&C EDITOR Allegra Morgado arts@thefulcrum.ca

ARTS&CULTURE

(613) 695-0062 @allietate

BADBADNOTGOOD find a way to do some good Hip-hop jazz trio to perform concert for Ottawa drop-in centre Allegra morgado arts & culture editor

T

here are many ways that musicians get involved with charity work. Few of these artists, however, tend to get involved with charity through their mothers.

Chester Hansen, the bassist of Toronto-based hip-hop jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD (BBNG), and his group will be performing a benefit concert hosted by CBC’s Alan Neal on Nov. 14 in support of Centre 507, a drop-in centre in downtown Ottawa for at-risk community members and the connected art studio, Artistic Expressions Studio.

Hansen said that although the group has been meaning to get involved with charity work for a while, an opportunity had not come up for them. When his mother, a volunteer at the centre and studio, asked him if they would be willing to play at a benefit concert for a fundraising event, the boys happily obliged.

“We haven’t really done a whole lot in terms of charity shows, so I thought it would be a really cool thing for us to do,” said Hansen. “So I brought it to the other guys, and they were into it, and

that’s how it came about.”

BBNG have been gaining popularity from their humble beginnings as a jazz trio posting hip-hop covers online in 2010. They have worked with everyone from Frank Ocean to Tyler, The Creator, and even collaborated on an album entitled Sour Soul earlier this year with Wu-Tang Clan member, Ghostface Killah.

Recent funding cuts at the drop-in centre and art studio have created the need for the benefit concert. Cosette Vandenberg, a fourth-year anthropology and aboriginal studies student at the University of Ottawa and volunteer at the centre, is hoping that the money raised from the concert will help fill in the gaps that have been formed from these cuts.

Vandenberg volunteers at the Artistic Expressions studio, which gives those using Centre 507 services an artistic outlet to cope with tough experiences they endure, and gives talented artists a place and the supplies to make their art when they are unable to do so by themselves.

“At Artistic Expressions, we provide all the art supplies for some of the people that go to the drop-in. So they can come every second Wednesday and hang out for a couple of hours and do some art,” said Vandenberg.

BADBADNOTGOOD performing for an attentive and excited crowd earlier this year.

Vandenberg got involved with the studio through a friend who was volunteering for one of the other programs at Centre 507. Many of the volunteers, including Vandenberg, are artists themselves and they help out the participants by giving tips and answering any questions they have.

Sharing her artistic knowledge, however, is not the only thing Vandenberg loves about the studio.

“I feel like as a volunteer, we’re kind of learning too,” said Vandenberg.

“We can all learn different things from each other.”

The studio gives artists both a space to practice their artistic skills, as well as a place to find a community of like-minded artists who are experiencing similar difficult experiences and, as Vandenberg said, learn from each other. With the money raised

Photo: Courtesy of Mike Dopsa.

from the concert, the studio is hoping that they will be able to continue to provide services like this for years to come.

The show will be held at Centretown United Church at 507 Bank Street at 8 p.m. on Nov. 14. Tickets will be available for $20 in advance at multiple locations across Ottawa, and at the door.

For more information visit http://www. centre507.org/.

Dig for fashionable treasures at the Ottawa Vintage Fashion Show

Fashion History Museum brings excess inventory to semi-annual event feature a variety of different vintage vendors from Hamilton’s Vintage Soul Geek to Ottawa’s REBEL/RECLUSE Vintage Clothing, owned by University of Ottawa alumnus Marley McRae. “It’s nearly 20,000 square feet at the Shaw Centre, and it’s kind of wall-towall booths, and wall-to-wall clothing, and jewellery, and handbags,” said Peter Sutherland, the show coordinator. “It’s a lot of fun to be there.”

The show is the biggest of it’s kind in Canada, attracting thousands of shoppers who are on the hunt for unique retro finds.

The fall edition of the show will give attendees the rare opportunity to sift through some of the Fashion History Museum’s excess inventory to find that special piece.

The inventory coming from the museum will include everything from 1950s cocktail dresses to Victorian and Edwardian gowns. Although the pieces aren’t necessarily what one would

Carleigh Sutherland, the show’s social media manager, modelling dresses from Ottawa’s Primetime.

Photo: Courtesy of Peter Sutherland.

Menrika Christian & Allegra Morgado Fulcrum Contributor & Arts & Culture Editor

For those who love vintage fashion, having the ability to purchase pieces from the Fashion History Museum

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may sound like a dream. At this November’s Ottawa Vintage Fashion Show, that dream is about to become a reality.

The semi-annual event will be taking place on Nov. 8 at the Shaw Centre from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The show will

wear on the daily, they are great for costumes and vintage fashion collectors. If you’re feeling daring you could even use some DIY skills to give the pieces a modern update yourself.

The museum had the difficult decision to make as to whether they wanted to bring their collection to the Toronto or Ottawa show, but ultimately decided on the Nation’s Capital. Although the Toronto show is growing, Ottawa still hosts the biggest vintage fashion show in Canada.

Peter’s daughter Carleigh Sutherland, U of O alumna and the social media manager of the show, believes that the popularity of the show is not just due to the wide array of vintage clothing and accessories available to attendees, but also because of the energy at the event. They call it “adrenaline-fuelled shopping.”

“With vintage, it’s one of a kind. If you don’t get it, it’s gone,” said Peter.

“It’s a fun event to go to. I really like

seeing people dress up. People go all out,” said Carleigh. “It’s just a really vibrant place to be.”

For students on a budget, there will be many wallet-friendly vendors at the show to make sure that you don’t break the bank. “Primetime is one of my favourites,” said Carleigh. “I really go there because a lot of their dresses are really fun, and their prices are so fair.”

One of Carleigh’s favourite parts of wearing vintage pieces is how they can make a unique outfit without having to go full-retro. Whether it’s a pair of 1940s Babydoll shoes or a colourful scarf, a small vintage piece can make a routine outfit that much more exciting.

And although the thought of spending $8 on a ticket to attend a shoppingrelated event may seem a bit steep, Peter believes that it is completely worth it. “If you can show me a more fun show for $8, I’d be surprised.”

ARTS & Culture | 9

Perogies, pop, and pinball—a perfect night with The Zolas

Vancouver-based indie rockers bring down the House with a crowd of less than 200, but there was a lot of love for The Zolas.

“We were loading in expecting it to be terrible, and there was a great vibe in here,” said lead vocalist Zachary Gray. “All the games and everyone was really friendly and there were steaming perogies with sauerkraut right there, so I don’t know what more you could ask for.”

The Zolas are touring in the wake of the release of their latest EP, Wino Oracle, which came out Oct. 2.

The four songs on the EP are a bit of a departure from the rhythmic experimental rock style of their first two studio albums. With its fast tempos and dance-friendly beats, Wino Oracle is much more lively and upbeat than their older music.

“We definitely wanted to write some bangers and play the kind of music that you want to play to big crowds,” said Gray. “I feel like it’s just

Kim wiens visual editor

The dimly lit basement arcade that is Bank Street’s House of TARG is the perfect setting to host the laid-back, fun group of guys that make up indie rock band The Zolas.

Their casual gregariousness, beanies, and worn denim seemed just as at home on the tiny stage as they were in the dingy storage room where the Fulcrum sat down with them before the show on Oct. 20.

The 4-piece indie rock band is fairly well known in their hometown of Vancouver, and increasingly across the country. “We’ve always had a lot of people come to our shows in Vancouver and that’s, just in the last year, been true in Ottawa,” said Tom Dobrzanski, the group’s pianist.

Last time they were in Ottawa they played at a RedBlacks game, and they were at the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival in 2014. The venue this time around may have been small,

reflective of what we we’re listening to at the time. We’d get into the jam space and that’s the type of energy that felt good and so that’s the way that the songs turned out.”

Once The Zolas hit the stage, that energy translated to their stage presence, especially in bassist DJ Abell’s dance moves, and Gray’s involvement with the audience.

They began their set with a lot of newer music, including the fast and catchy beats of “Male Gaze” and the more relaxed, poppy track, “Fell In Love With New York”.

Then, following a few hits from their first two albums, Gray took the mic out into the middle of the crowd for “Escape Artist”, getting up close and personal with adoring fans.

They left the stage abruptly after “Escape Artist”, but came back for an encore with “Strange Girl” and “Knot In My Heart”, a few favourites from their 2012 album Ancient

The Zolas rocked out at the small, intimate show at House of Targ on Oct. 20.

Mars.

After the show, the band stuck around to hang out by the bar and chat with fans.

The case of the professor and the mystery novel

The ease at which they connected with their audience, both on and off the stage, may be the thing that keeps both

Photo: Kim Wiens

their Ottawa and Canadawide shows growing.

—With files from Kyle Darbyson

U of O professor releases his newest novel, Missing Children Maitland shaheen staff contributor

While University of Ottawa English professor Gerald Lynch’s research focuses on Canadian and Irish fiction, his newly published novel is more reminiscent of his childhood love of the “Sherlock Holmes” novel.

In Missing Children, Lynch finally delves into the genre of mystery for himself.

The novel is Lynch’s fifth piece of fiction, having written two novels and two collections of short stories. Missing Children is set in Troutstream, the same fictitious Ottawa suburb as his previous novels.

The novel follows a successful doctor as his life begins to spiral out of his control—starting with the disappearance of his young daughter.

The real intrigue of Missing Children, lies not in the whereabouts of the protagonist’s daughter, Shawn, who returns home unharmed, butin what caused her disappearance, and whether it’s related to the in-

creasing number of children going missing from Troutstream.

The novel was inspired by a short story Lynch wrote for The Puritan, an online literary magazine. The idea was so compelling to him that he continued to add on to it, completing his novel a few years later.

Lynch can’t pinpoint one inspiration to the story, but credits many events as what made him think about the subject of tragedy and its mysteries.

“My last novel was actually published in 2001,” Lynch said.

“I didn’t intend it this way, but when I look back, it’s, in a way, a post-9/11 novel. It’s about how you cope with catastrophe, how you go on.”

This might just be the very question raised by Missing Children. Of the book’s main character, Lynch said, “he’s mystified, first of all by the fact she’s missing, secondly that such a catastrophe could come into his well-ordered life.”

When Shawn refuses to speak, the race for answers en-

10 | ARTS & CULTURE

sues, and the action escalates.

The novel’s intricate plot is true to mystery literature, but Missing Children is undeniably unique as well. “It definitely has a mystery aspect that would entertain readers, but it’s mostly about the narrator and what happens in his head,” said Lynch.

“The novels I’ve written have all had an aspect of mystery in them,” he said. “The truth is, just about any novel has that element. There has to be a mystery—that’s what keeps the reader reading.”

As an experienced professor who works on ongoing literary research, writing a third novel is a feat for Gerald Lynch, but he says it’s only part of the job. “Writing fiction has always been half my workload,” he said. “The other half is teaching, research, and working on committees. I’m very fortunate.”

Missing Children is available now in stores and online at all major retailers. Lynch will also be doing a reading at Books on Beechwood on Nov. 5 at 6 p.m.

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Ready, set, whoa: A GeeGees’ guide to France Ch. 4: French cuisine raghad sheikh-khalil staff contributor

Long before Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking brought French cuisine to the Western masses, France has been the epitome of culinary excellence. Birthplace of the Michelin Star, the croissant and crème brûlée, it’s the ideal world for chefs and food-lovers alike.

It’s no secret that dining to the French is both an art and an institution. The term “24/7”

is not commonplace here and, unlike in Canada, if you ask for a takeout box at a restaurant you’ll likely be scoffed at.

In France, food is meant to be savoured, and while fast food is available you’ll be hardpressed to find many restaurants open past 12.

To understand the French culinary experience here from back at home, first picture Ottawa. Replace every shawarma restaurant with a bakery, and you have Paris.

try them again, I also wouldn’t mind if they were presented to me.

The smell of butter and freshly baked bread is the eau de parfum here.

For the purposes of satisfying my curiosity and giving you readers the full scope of French cuisine, this edition of my column could easily be renamed to “Ch. 4: The one where I subject myself to seemingly cruel and unusual punishments of the meat-tasting kind.”

Let me be clear—I was raised on chicken and beef kabobs. I’ve never faulted chicken for its ability to satisfy me, but prior to coming to France I never understood the French fascination with raw meats and animals that have no business out of picture books.

This exploration led me to try a selection of foods that Canadians consider to be strange, and formulate my own opinion. Below are my reviews of some classic French dishes that I’ve tried over my past two months here in Paris.

Frog Legs 4/5

Illustration: Kim Wiens

made of the fattened liver of a duck or goose. It is, at least in my opinion, the French equivalent of spam. Having tried it on multiple occasions, it isn’t as bad as it sounds, but not necessarily something I would eat on a daily basis.

Roquefort cheese 3/5 While very few people may want to be presented with a slab of moldy cheese, it’s a classic part of French culture.

Foie Gras 2.5/5 This French delicacy is

Its strong taste is strangely not unpleasant, and if you can get over the mold part, it’s definitely worth a try.

Escargot 3/5 This classic food is available in restaurants all over France. The snails are generally cooked in a delicious garlic basil sauce. Once I got over the hurdle that was the texture of the snails, I finished the plate with ease. Although I wouldn’t go out of my way to

To try this dish, I visited a specialty French restaurant and ordered a Mediterranean twist on frog legs, and was genuinely shocked at how much I enjoyed it. I finished the plate in around ten minutes—partially because it was so delicious and partially because I didn’t want to acknowledge that I was eating frog legs.

Although the almost $50 plate was a hefty price, it was by far one of the best dishes I’ve had in Paris.

This experience led me to realize that the brilliance of French cooking lies in its ability to transform mundane and often strange ingredients into extraordinary dishes.

And while my sustenance has thus far been attributed to a large intake of bread and butter, I take comfort in the fact that there is a shawarma place not too far away from my apartment whenever I start to miss home.

The Monks • Bad Habits | EMI

Why you haven’t heard it:

It’s a one-hit wonder by a punk band from 1979 that was hardly listened to, even upon its release. In the U.K., the Monks’ homeland, the band had one Top 20 hit before the Sex Pistols told all of Britain never to listen to the Monks’ full LP. They never released another song in the U.K., and in America they didn’t even exist.

Why it might be tough to get through: There was a time when horrible (or wonderful, depending on your tastes) British accents, lewd lyrics and, well, punk in general, was popular, but that was a musical style that peaked in the early 80s. With song titles like “Drugs in My Pocket” and “Nice Legs, Shame About Her Face” the album paints a vulgar picture. If you aren’t already a punk fan, this album probably isn’t the best introduction to the genre.

Why you should listen to it anyways: The album never slows down from start to finish, and it’s perfect to dance

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along to or pick you up if you’re feeling down. Every song can make you laugh.

It does everything a peppy pop song should do, just presented in a radically different way, and across an entire album instead of one four-minute track.

Fun facts:

The Monks were popular in one place—Canada, and Ontario in particular. The Monks only ever went on one tour, a three-week smash tour of Ontario. They’re beloved enough here that when musician Thomas D’Arcy wanted to do a tribute album, he had no shortage of Canadian artists to help him out.

The Monks were initially members of The Strawbs, a progressive-rock band, who wanted to make a spoof of punk rock. This led to the creation of Bad Habits, and explains the explicit and fun song titles.

The Monks released one other album exclusively in Canada, Suspended Animation, which went gold.

Best lines and songs:

“Yeah cause I got drugs for when I’m dancing, and drugs for down the club, Drugs to watch a movie, I need drugs when I make love!” from the song “Drugs in My Pocket”.

Ryan Pepper Staff Contribut or

“Oo when we kiss, we reach hi frequency/But I prefer the reproduction side” from the song “Love in Stereo”.

“Bad Habits”. The title track is relaxed and easy to sing along to, making it a good track to ease you into rest of the album.

“Nice Legs, Shame About Her Face”.

The cheeky two-minute track is upbeat and fun, and really shows the spoofy image that The Monks were trying to cultivate with this album.

“Out of Work Musician”. This song’s message about the struggles that all musicians face at some point in their careers, rather than the glamorous celebrity life we often associate with musicians, makes it worth a listen.

ARTS & Culture | 11

E

very Nov. 11 for the past 97 years, we’ve stood outside in the cold, with poppies pinned onto our lapels, to honour those men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces who have lost their lives, and are currently serving in military engagements.

While this holiday usually carries the reputation as being a universally benign affair, Remembrance Day in Canada carries a lot more baggage as of late.

Ever since Corporal Nathan Cirillo and Warrant officer Vincent Patrice were murdered last October, Nov. 11 now serves as an uncomfortable reminder of the uncertainty of our domestic security and skepticism surrounding what our soldiers are really dying for.

But perhaps this changing attitude was inevitable.

After all, in a post-9/11 world the fog of war has become increasingly opaque, and in light of certain policies that were passed in the wake of last October’s attacks, it’s more tempting than ever for some Canadians to approach this yearly ceremony with reservations—seeing it as an empty nationalistic enterprise.

But we should resist such temptations.

In light of the new shift in our political landscape, we should look at this upcoming Remembrance Day as an opportunity to remove such cynical thoughts from our minds, and refocus our attention on the issues that matter most to veterans.

For the Canadian military, the past is not the present Of course, the tradition of Remembrance Day is intrinsically tied to our country’s proud military history.

Even though Canadian forces were deployed a number of times before the beginning of the 20th century, the yearly ceremony that we know today began on Nov. 11, 1919, one year after the armistice was signed to end the First World War. While it initially started off as an event that was relegated to family members of fallen soldiers, the event picked up steam with the onset of further conflicts such as the Second World War (1939-45), and eventually became a fixture of national pride for Canadians everywhere.

Take a walk around Parliament Hill in Ottawa this time of year and you’ll see how this pride has embedded itself into the popular consciousness. Outside of awe-inspiring structures like the National War Memorial, there are a myriad of statues, busts, plaques, and seasonally appropriate book stores on display that recall past sacrifices made

by Canadian soldiers, from the War of 1812 to the mission in Afghanistan.

This sentiment extends to the University of Ottawa campus as well.

According to Michel Prévost, the U of O’s chief archivist, “About 1,000 of our alumni went to participate in World War Two and more than 60 were killed.”

To commemorate their sacrifice, Prévost states that a plaque featuring the names of the fallen can be found at Tabaret Hall.

“It’s very important to the university to remind us that some of our students participated (in) wars and peace keep(ing) around the world.” said Prévost.

Of course, the narrative surrounding the deployment of

“Each one of those statistics is a person. At one time they meant something to somebody and I think this is one of the things we forget.”— Les Peate, Korean War veteran

our military has drastically changed over the past century.

The public’s traditional conception of warfare—one that showcases distinct enemies and a clear cut division of allies—has transformed drastically in the last half decade.

In the wake of the Cold War and the modern War on Terror, our military now has to contend with unidentifiable enemies who can’t be found on a map and hide away in the shadows. “(Today) you don’t have set pieces where armies line up against each other, like in the Korean War. Instead you have this guerrilla, asymmetrical type of warfare where (enemy combatants) hide amongst the civilian populations, as the Islamic State is doing in Iraq and Syria,” said Errol Mendes, a law professor and human rights advocate from the U of O. Because of this, large scale militaries such as the United States have increasingly relied on drones and other autonomous mechanisms to conduct warfare.

Even though the Canadian government does not have such a program, this development has led experts like Mendes to believe that the role of the traditional foot soldier is becoming obsolete.

“In the tribal areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan (drones are) being used almost exclusively as the method of warfare,” he said, explaining how the use of these autonomous war machines open up an ethical can of worms when it comes to accountability.

“There are some organizations who are basically saying hopefully we can ban this before it starts happening (everywhere), but I’m not sure it can be stopped.”

Despite these developments, Erin O’Toole, the Minister of Veterans Affairs Canada, believes that a soldier’s role in today’s climate has remained fundamentally the same in spirit.

“A young man or woman that is called to serve will do what’s expected,” he said while admitting that there has now been generations of soldiers who have never served in a theatre of war.

“They will prepare to serve because

they put our country and their values before their own well-being, and that’s sort of at the heart of wearing a uniform and serving the country.”

Blue helmeted bad asses While Canadian troops proved themselves to be fierce and formidable combatants in generations

g n i r e b m e Rem d r a w o t g n i d l i bu

Pow e i nz e Mack tr n o C m Fulcru

past, that reputation began to shift towards a much more humanitarian sentiment in the mid-1950s.

U n der the leadership of future Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, Canada quickly became a leader on the international stage for its participation in peacekeeping missions in the Middle E a s t a n d

Central America.

This tradition largely persisted for the next five decades.

As of 1995, Canada was ranked sixth out of 84 countries for its contributions to United Nations’ peacekeeping missions.

However, that reputation has been in decline for more than a decade.

In the past ten years alone, the number of Canadian peacekeepers has decreased remarkably from a high of 3,300 UN personnel to 88. As it stands, Canadian troops haven’t made a major contribution to the peacekeeping community since 2000, when the government at the time sent 450 military personnel to intervene in the EritreanEthiopian War. As such, in lieu of threats of international stateless terrorism, Canada’s military has quietly slid back into a more traditional military mold.

This trend is evident in Canada’s participation in the fight against the Islamic State, a battle in which Canada has contributed seven CF-18 jets, ground support, and 600 personnel.

Mendes feels that this kind of new direction is inappropriate for our military, mostly because we’re not equipped for this role.

“Even in our combat role, it’s clearly a mess in terms of procurement for the essential needs of the military. We’re in trouble. I mean we lack… good naval vessels.

We may lack serviceable aircrafts and helicopters. It’s a disaster.”

However, the new Liberal government has promised to re-establish Canada’s role as a peacekeeping nation, and has already informed the United States that Canada will stop bombing ISIS targets in Syria.

Throughout his campaign, party leader Justin Trudeau discussed how the Liberals will “recommit to supporting international peace operations with the United Nations.”

Whether or not the new government can follow through on these promises remains to be seen, especially since Mendes believes that this country has been out of the game for too long.

“We don’t have the money to be a major player anymore.”

d n a t as p e g th ter future t e b a s d

on s y b r a eD l r y o K t i d & E l l we ures t a e F & ibutor

Surviving the home front While Remembrance Day is designed to commemorate those who have fought for the country for a 24-hour period, it’s important to remember that veterans have to sustain themselves for the remaining 364 days in the year.

“(Today) you don’t have set pieces where armies line up against each other, like in the Korean War. Instead you have this guerrilla, asymmetrical type of warfare.”—Errol Mendes, U of O law professor, human rights advocate.

And for the last decade or so, this has been a lot easier said than done, even on the home front.

Since its formation in 1944, Veterans Affairs Canada has provided Canada’s men and women at arms with financial services, health and well-being programs, and disability benefits to veterans and their families.

However, those services have become increasingly difficult to administer in past years, since offices have been closed, jobs have been cut, and benefits have been under minded.

That’s not even touching on Ottawa’s sluggish response to the epidemic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), a reality that leaves at least 10 per cent of our military personnel particularly vulnerable to depression and suicide.

Mendes is particularly critical of the unnecessarily complex way that the government hands out lifetime pensions to veterans, which used to be dispersed on a monthly basis, but is now administered through a lump sum payment.

“If you receive a lump sum and it runs out, what else do you live on if you’re disabled or you have PTSD?” If a recent Globe and Mail investigative report by Renate D’Alieso is to be believed, then the answer to that question is that a lot of veterans don’t.

According to the article, the number of suicides of Canadian veterans of the War in Afghanistan currently stands at 54, which is over a third of the amount of soldiers who actually died during the campaign itself.

Justin Trudeau has promised to restore access to the support of veterans. “We will re-open the nine Veterans Affairs service offices closed by Stephen Harper, and will fully implement all of the Auditor General’s recommendations on enhancing mental health service delivery to veterans.”

But again, given the mess that Veterans Affairs finds themselves in, this is definitely a tall order.

More than just statistics At the end of the day, while Remembrance Day still has a reputation of being a universal affair that touches everybody, it affects each individual differently.

But in the eyes of Les Peate, a past member of both the British Armed Forced and Canadian Armed Forces who served in the Korean War, Nov. 11 is much more of a personal affair.

“Remembrance Day is really a time that you particularly remember the individual friends who died,” he said, recalling the callousness with which we consume casualty numbers in the media.

“You’re just looking at the figures, the faceless figures, but each one of those statistics is a person. At one time they meant something to somebody and I think this is one of the things we forget.”

So, however you celebrate Remembrance Day this year, keep in mind that sometimes a soldier’s greatest feat isn’t on the battle field, but finding support on the back home.

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR Spencer Murdock sports@thefulcrum.ca

@SpencerMurdock @FulcrumSports

Gee-Gees rugby RSEQ champs, prepare for nationals Playoff wins prove the Gees deserve a place among the elite David Agbaire Proofreader

T

he University of Ottawa Gee-Gees women’s rugby team were officially crowned as champions of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) on Oct. 31 at Matt Anthony Field.

The team faced off against a tough Concordia Stingers team in the final, after securing their finals berth with a win against the Université de Montréal on the previous Sunday.

This is the second consecutive conference championship that the Gees have won and illustrates the remarkable story of a program that was toiling in mediocrity just a few short years ago. The game also saw a host of individual honours, as several Gee-Gee members were recognized for their high levels of performance throughout the season and their careers.

With the win, the Gee-Gees have earned a spot as a contender in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) final tournament, where they will battle to be the best women’s rugby team in the country.

Their playoff road began with the Gees’ matchup against the Montréal Carabins in the RSEQ semifinals, running to a comfortable 37-3 win.

The Gee-Gees got off to a blitzing start as they scored three tries, two

conversions, and a penalty kick to lead the Carabins 22-0 in the first half. The Gees continued their energetic display with two tries at either end of the period to punctuate a dominant performance.

Despite isolated periods of intense offensive pressure from the Carabins, the Gees were able to hold strong the entire game—with the only Montréal points coming from a penalty kick in the dying moments of the game. After the game, head coach Jen Boyd expressed her happiness with the way the season had played out and looked forward to facing Concordia, saying they were “the team we wanted.”

The Concordia Stingers team, who finished the season 6-1-0, were widely touted as being Ottawa’s biggest conference challengers.

In a close game, the Gees showed their nerves in the opening frame as the Stingers stormed to an early lead with two quick tries in the first 15 minutes of the game. This proved to be the catalyst for the Gees as they then responded with three quick tries of their own to gain a 17-10 lead at the half.

Only allowing Concordia one more try and nabbing one of their own, the Gee-Gees managed to eke out the tough 25-17 win for the conference championship crown.

Ottawa-native centre Ashley Strike was selected as MVP of the match

for her tremendous defensive performance, which included a show-stopping block as the Stingers attempted to kick the ball from their end zone.

Another performance to note was that of fullback Irene Patrinos, whose deadly kicking and electric speed was simply too much for the Stingers to handle. The Mississauga native scored two tries and a long conversion in the game. Boyd said after the game that she was “elated” with the win and was especially pleased with her team’s kicking and line-ins.

The Gees, along with the Stingers, will now go on to the CIS national rugby championships hosted at Queen’s University in Kingston Nov. 5-8.

Despite being ranked as the secondbest team in the nation, the Ottawa squad is being largely underrated for the upcoming tournament due to their weak division. No team from the RSEQ has won the CIS national women’s rugby championship in nearly 60 years, and the Gees face an uphill challenge if they are to break yet another record this season.

Their first round matchup is a team they have seen and beaten in exhibition play a matter of weeks before.

They will take on the St. Francis Xavier X-Women on Nov. 5 at 1 p.m.

If anything, the Gee-Gees have proven that they stare unshaken in the face of adversity, and this next test might be their biggest yet.

The Gee-Gees celebrate their well-deservered RSEQ championship.

Photo: Marta Kierkus

Gees soccer advances to OUA semis in thrilling OT win Cowan shines in 4-3 win over rival Carleton Ravens keeps season perfect A few seconds earlier, the Ravens were given a red card and forced to play a man short for the match. The Gees jumped on this opportunity with another goal in the 20th minute from Ellie Cowan.

It looked like the Gee-Gees were preparing to simply close out the game and secure their win, but the Ravens had other plans.

Midfielder Tina Lacava scored in the 58th minute to spark the Ravens’ offence, who would tie the game in front of a crowded net 11 minutes later.

The fever of the match wouldn’t end there, Cowan would score her second of the match to put the Gee-Gees up 3-2 in the 74th minute. Lacava and the Ravens would continue to hang with the Gees as the midfielder tied the game for a third time and send it to overtime.

Spencer Murdock sports editor

Pilar Khoury, a leader and clutch performer.

Photo: Marta Kierkus

14 | SPORTS

The Gee-Gees women’s soccer team had a phenomenal season heading into the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) playoffs, and after a first round bye the Gees came face-to-face with their fiercest rival.

The Carleton Ravens were coming into the game flying high from a win over the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks.

For the Gee-Gees, the game was about getting prepared for playoff action and performing at a level that deserves a national title.

The first half of the match was dominated by the Gees as fifth-year captain Julia Francki scored in the eighth minute, giving the Gees an early lead.

In the first of the two 15-minute periods, Cowan was two-foot slide tackled, giving her a torn lip and bloody mouth. It was less than a minute after this turning point that fifth-year striker Pilar Khoury scored to give the GeeGees their game-winning goal.

After playing staunch defence for the final 15 minutes, the Gees secured their trip to the OUA final four.

“The first half we were great, we were attacking,” said Gee-Gees head coach Steve Johnson. “We forced a hand ball in the box and got a player ejected so they were playing with 10… the second half we were probably the architects of our own demise, we gifted them opportunities and we didn’t play as well defensively as we should’ve.”

For Julia Francki, the win was sweet, taking out a rival and getting

one step closer to the team’s goal of being national champions.

“That game in general sums up a playoff game,” said Francki. “You have to expect the unexpected. Even though the second half wasn’t as good, we didn’t give up.”

The Gee-Gees will now be the host of the final four, and look to take home another OUA championship at home.

“We’ve got to look at who our first round opponent is and prepare for Saturday,” said Johnson.

As for anything further than the OUA championship, Francki says the Gees aren’t packing their bags for the CIS championship quite yet—they still have some business to attend to.

“We have to take it one game at a time, but of course it’s the ultimate goal.”

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Volleyball opens season showing age is only a number Young Gee-Gees squad start regular season with four consecutive wins Tima Hacini

Fulcrum Contributor After a disappointing 4-11 preseason record, the GeeGees women’s volleyball team surged back into their natural groove with a four-game winning steek to kick off their new season. The early success has paid off, as the team currently sits atop their division.

“Due to injuries and other reasons we didn’t yet understand the roles of each player on and off the court,” said thirdyear left-side hitter Kaly Soro.

“The weekend before our home opener we had finally established that and it gave us some good results.”

The Gee-Gees opened the regular season with their first win, 3-0, at a home-opener game on Oct. 23 against the Queen’s Gaels, in front of about 700 spirited attendees.

With most points coming from errors, the first set proved to be slightly challenging for the Gees. After continuous back-and-forth action from both teams, rookie Kara Haynes and second-year leftside Caroline Lemay each went in for a kill to help their team clinch the first set.

With 10 kills, Lemay led scoring for the Gee-Gees tallying 12 points. Haynes followed with 11 points on 9 kills. On the defensive side, second-year libero Sabrina Roy totaled an impressive 10 digs.

The next day the Gee-Gees played RMC only to get a similar result, winning 3-1. Tying the game nine times in the first set, Ottawa only started to get some sort of lead from four errors committed by RMC. With Ottawa a point away from victory, RMC turned it around and quickly regained their composure to tie the game twice, and ultimately win the set after an attack error and a kill from Nicole Behnke.

The game followed with two more sets of vacillating game play, while the fourth set seemed a relative breeze for the Gee-Gees. Fifth-year Alix Durivage led the scoreboard with 15.5 points and 13 kills.

New Moroccan recruit Sihame Doukali followed with 10 kills and 12 points.

Sabrina Roy continued to be a dominating defensive force with 22 digs. She currently stands ninth in the country for total digs and sixth for digs-perset in Canadian Interuniver-

sity Sports (CIS).

On Oct. 30, the Gee-Gees headed to Toronto to take on the York Lions, claiming another sweep of all three sets.

“Setting and holding the pace of a game for three straight sets is one thing that can be pretty challenging for such a young team,” said Soro. It seems however that the Gee-Gees have been able to find a grove in closing out matches quickly.

Star player Alix Durivage once again led the scoring board with 13.5 points and no errors.

Rookie Kara Haynes, who played an attacking position throughout the season took on a more defensive role in this game with 16 digs. Sabrina Roy continued on defense with 19 digs.

On Halloween night, the Gee-Gees were in high spirits as they continued their winning ways in a 3-0 sweep of the Nipissing Lakers. Despite the final score, it was a much closer match than it shows as each set was won by a margin of two to three points.

Up to this point the Gee-Gees average fourth nationally in kills per set. They are also fifth for digs, assists, and service

Logan Potter serves the ball as the Gee-Gees bounce out to a great start in the season.

aces-per-set.

The feel of this year’s team is remarkably different from past years. Nevertheless, the players are proving to triumph despite the team’s more youthful roster.

“A lot of our veteran play-

ers have stepped up their level of leadership on and off court since the English twins have left,” Soro said.

This play will have to continue if the Gees want a shot at another appearance at the CIS national championship this

Photo: Marta Kierkus

season.

The Gees face the Windsor Lancers on Nov. 7 and the Western Mustangs the following day, with hopes of extending the winning streak. Both games will get underway at 2 p.m. at Montpetit Hall.

Gee-Gees strong in season finale, Wendel shatters records Last airing of the Wendel-Stewart show dazzles “With his 564 yards and four touchdowns in the air and 53 yards and one touchdown on the ground, Wendel’s genesis to an elite quarterback was complete.”

Wendel’s career year should’t be defined by the team’s record.

spencer murdock sports editor

After a turbulent season, the Gee-Gees football team saved one of their most emphatic wins until the bitter end.

Coming into their last regular season game against the

Toronto Varsity Blues, the Gees had a slim hope for a ticket to the playoffs. All they needed to do was win, and they did 45-9. Unfortunately they also needed Queen’s to also win, but they were blown out by Laurier.

Ultimately, the Gee-Gees were responsible for their

Photo: Marta Kierkus

own playoff fate, for not capitalizing in games they were projected to win against Carleton and Laurier. Now they are forced to reflect on what went wrong in a season that had so much potential at the start.

In the Gees’ swan song, veteran quarterback Derek

Wendel had another defining performance, highlighting a record-shattering season that has become easily overlooked due to the team’s struggles.

Wendel, like in most other games this year, came out bombing early and often. Once he found his rhythm, he connected with favourite target Ian Stewart for a picturesque 90-yard dart for a touchdown.

Throughout the game, he would continually put points on the board and his name in the record books. With his 564 yards and four touchdowns in the air, and 53 yards and one touchdown on the ground, Wendel’s genesis to an elite quarterback was complete.

Of the records to fall in the game Wendel broke his own mark for most passing yards

in a game (542), and then broke the conference record in the same category.

Wendel was taken out of the game before any national records could fall, but head coach Jamie Barresi allowed him to go back in and get the records.

He proceeded to break the national record for completions in a season, total attempts, and, the crown jewel of them all, possession of most yards in a season.

“We were rolling on offence,” Wendel told Sports Services. “It was a bit distracting but we stayed focused; as you can see by the result. It’s a great feeling, it would have been better if we would have made (the playoffs).”

“I’m still happy to be a part

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of this team. We had a great season and I feel great right now that coach gave me a chance to get a couple yards at the end.”

It was not only Wendel that collected records on the day, fifth-year wide receiver Ian Stewart also etched his name in the record books.

He broke the school record for most receiving yards in a season, and also became the first Gee-Gee to ever rack up 1,000 receiving yards. As his career in garnet and grey comes to a close, the game surely left him with a fond memory to reflect on.

Although the season was disappointing in many respects, there were many highlights and the Gees have left much to look forward to for next season.

Kickoff on a new season may be a long 10 months away, but there is great hope for GeeGees football to return to their dominant ways with a fresh team.

Sports | 15

The rising tide of knee injuries in sport Why ACL tears and other injuries are dominant across the sports world Garry Balaganthan Fulcrum Contributor

Whether it is your fantasy season that has been crippled by an injury to your star player, or a personal injury, sports related injuries in both professional and amateur sports are experiencing a dramatic rise in the number of cases annually in North America.

“Regardless of whether the athlete is a professional, an amateur, an Olympian, or a young recreational athlete, the number of sports injuries is increasing—but the escalation of injuries in kids is the most alarming,” said James R. Andrews, MD, president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), on the organization’s website.

Andrews is a famed orthopaedic surgeon and premiere figure in sports rehabilitation With involvement in organized sports rising globally, there is also a rise in the num-

ber of youth sports injuries and a drop in the age of young athletes with overuse injuries.

With a majority of injuries being attributed to overuse, awareness campaigns have begun to curb the life-altering injuries being experienced.

With injuries such as torn meniscus, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) tears being experienced at exponential rates, patients are more frequently experiencing debilitating effects in performance for life.

There needs to be a priority placed on informing athletes on how to take the proper preventative measures while participating in sports.

“Armed with the correct information and tools, today’s young athletes can remain healthy, play safe and stay in the game for life,” said Andrews on AOSSM’s website.

With so many of these sports injuries being linked to lack of information, the major-

“I went to hard too soon and was playing too many minutes and practicing too long.” — Kellie Ring, Gee-Gees guard.

ity of athletes can stay at the top of their game with a little help from the pros.

Gee-Gees women’s basketball player Kellie Ring, for example, has had first-hand experience with ACL tears, having suffered two in four years.

“The second time I tore it, I was so tired and should’ve listened to my body,” said Ring.

“I went too hard too soon and was playing too many minutes and practicing too long.”

With knee injuries being the most common and the

most likely to have long-term effects, specifically in cases where the ACL is affected, prevention is being promoted more rigorously across sports organizations globally.

The ACL is one of the four major ligaments that stabilize the knee joint. Among other things, it provides protection for the menisci during some of the most common jumping and pivoting moves that take place during athletic events and training.

Long-term health should be considered, too—studies pub-

lished to the National Center for Biotechnology Information have found 10 to 20 years after an ACL injury, the rates of degenerative knee osteoarthritis are greater than 50 per cent regardless of whether the ACL was surgically repaired.

“As a team we’re doing preventative ACL workouts, because as a team we have had our fair share of ACL injuries so enough is enough,” said Ring.

The programs include a combination of strengthening exercises focusing specifically

on the gluteal and hamstring muscles, as well as balance training and an increased focus on landing and jumping correctly.

Combined, these programs will hopefully reduce the long term crippling effects of sports injuries for not only our GeeGee athletes but also for yourself. Allowing athletes to continue performing at their peak is key to the advancement of sport and protecting our athlete’s knees is of extreme priority.

ACL tears are some of the most dabilitating injuries as they require surgury and a long recovery period. Photo: CC, Nevit Dilman

16 | SPORTS

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OPINIONS

OPINIONS EDITOR David Campion-Smith

opinions@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @davidcs96

Paid YouTube Red service may limit content Subscription-style web streaming is step in wrong direction David Campion-Smith opinions editor

Y

ouTube and Google released YouTube Red on Oct. 28, a subscriptionbased video site with extra features for those willing to pay.

While YouTube is well within its rights to expand its revenue streams, if YouTube Red impacts normal YouTube then it compromises the basic service YouTube has become renowned for—access.

Since its creation in 2005, YouTube has provided free, online access to videos posted from around the world and has been at the forefront of Internet connectivity. In 2006, the website was purchased by Google for $1.65-billion and became a part of the Google empire.

YouTube Red costs $9.99 a month and gives users the ability to download videos to watch offline at a later point, view videos in an ad-free en-

“The service has received mixed reviews from YouTubers, with some supporting it and others speaking out against it. “ vironment, and access to content featuring famous YouTubers available specifically for YouTube Red. The new service is an attempt to produce another source of income for YouTube outside of advertisements.

Currently the service is only available in the United States but there are plans to release

it internationally.

The online community has been divided on the topic of YouTube Red with an online petition to stop the service being launched.

The service has received mixed reviews from YouTubers, with some supporting it, as a means to increase income and provide an ability to cre-

ate focused content, and others speaking out against it.

In theory, YouTube Red shouldn’t affect content provided on Youtube. However there has already been one issue with ESPN’s channels and official videos being taken down, after they weren’t able to make their content available for YouTube Red due to

Courtesy of Youtube.com

issues surrounding the ownership of game footage.

By removing content for those who don’t pay, YouTube Red is creating a two-tiered system.

Paying to remove advertisements is fine, paying to be able to download videos to watch offline is simply improving your user experience, and the original content will probably become available to everyone after a certain point.

YouTube has launched careers of performers like Jus-

tin Bieber and has created an entire generation of stars and millionaires, like YouTuber PewDiePie, who gets millions of hits on his vlogs and video game walkthroughs.

YouTube has been an open and free platform, and they should continue to be.

They provide an important platform for people to share their videos and experiences with the rest of the world and that should continue to be available to all, regardless of whether or not you’re able to pay.

Cabinet documents release dates should be made more flexible Earlier release of documents makes government more transparent

CC: U.S. Department of Defense.

Edited: Kim Wiens

Guillaume Durand Fulcrum Contributor

Although they are no longer in power Canadians aren’t able to read about past governments’ cabinet meetings for 30 years, because that’s the deadline for declassification of cabinet documents be-

fore the information is publicly disclosed. With the election of a new government committed to transparency, now is the perfect time for Canada to examine the process by which these documents become available.

Having cabinet documents disclosed is a matter of transparency and freedom of information.

The public has a right to have access in order to keep its government accountable, and understand the results of discussions that concern them but happen behind closed doors.

Releasing these important discussions earlier would provide a clearer idea to the public about how the government is operating.

In a 2010 international

study conducted by The University College London comparing Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Canada was ranked last in public access to government information.

Documents that are declassified can be requested by filling out a request form. Any Canadian citizen can send this request, with a $5 fee, to have access to a document.

This request can take months to process, and sometimes requests are denied because of national security concerns or to protect personal information.

Records physically present at the Library and Archives of Canada can be viewed on location, but that isn’t an option for Canadians who don’t live in or around Ottawa.

Making government documents available to the public sooner would be a good start to having a more transparent government.

However, in certain cases, the 30-year period can help the Canadian government be more functional.

Politicians can speak freely and honestly without fearing the wrath of public opinion.

Consider, for example, the New Democratic Party’s nosedive in the recent federal election, which is credited to their honourable yet unpopular stance on the niqab issue.

Knowing that their conversations will be made public, could effect which legislation is or isn’t put forward by politicians.

Is retaining those documents for 30 years so bad

then? Some documents remain critical even after decades and releasing them too early could create scandals, political incidents or deteriorate international relations.

Think about discussions surrounding trade deals, which could seriously affect how the Canadian government is viewed in other countries.

Of course, some other documents should be released much sooner, but because of the former type, there is no general solution.

An appropriate measure could be the creation of a committee to decide a specific timeline for public disclosure, depending on the document itself.

Releasing documents around the creation of new standards for businesses early

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is unlikely to cause a problem, however releasing information about Canada’s military or espionage sectors too soon could put lives in danger. A case-by-case decision process would allow for the nature of each document to affect its timeline.

Before changing the timeline of public disclosure, we have to take into consideration the cost of any measure.

After all, reviewing, transferring and disclosing any document comes with an inherent administrative cost.

However, if done efficiently, allocating public funds into making the government more transparent is a productive use of money because citizens are more informed about what their government is doing.

OPINIONS | 17

Oslo is going car-free, should Ottawa?

Removing cars and increasing other options can only improve downtown

Oslo, Capital of Norway.

Nicholas Robinson Staff Contributor

Many major cities struggle to find a balance between moving both cars and pedestrians around, including in Ottawa where it has been long debated

whether it would be best for Sparks Street to reintroduce access for vehicles. However, not only should Sparks Street stay car free, downtown should eliminate cars altogether.

In Norway’s capital, Oslo, the new city council has just voted

Photo: CC, Ignaz Wiradi

to ban cars from the city centre by the end of the decade. The move comes as part of a plan to reduce carbon emissions in the city to half of what they were in 1990.

Oslo is not alone in moving towards pedestrianisation—

earlier this year, Paris successfully went car-free in some of its most historic areas for a day and there are plans to semipedestrianize the touristic downtown core. The Finnish capital, Helsinki, is also looking at implementing an ondemand public transport plan that would make car ownership less advantageous, by providing such good service that the costs of car ownership are unjustifiable .

In the face of climate change, many cities are trying to cut back on car usage.

The benefits seem clear—of all the transportation options, cars lead to some of the highest rates of pollution creation.

Seventy-five per cent of carbon monoxide pollution in the U.S. is caused by motor vehicles according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Walking, biking, and public transport are all better solutions, as they result in fewer emissions, and they can help Canadians stay healthier.

Ottawa could be another major city to go car-free downtown. The U of O campus already has large sectors that are dedicated to pedestrian only traffic. However further transit infrastructure is needed before the city can introduce such a green initiative downtown. The LRT is a step in the right direction, and will make the concept much more feasible.

An expansion of the carfree Sundays on Colonel By Dr. would be worth considering, as well as pedestrianization of the Byward Market. The city should also consider a fee on cars driving in the downtown area, following the successful example of London, England, to meet drivers halfway.

There are still many issues to consider with these alternatives. A functional public transport system must be on time, affordable and comfortable—nobody wants to ride on overpriced, stinky buses that are 20 minutes late. OC

Transpo needs to focus on making their rides more affordable and more timely if a car-free environment will work.

Public transport also requires a dense environment because in a sprawling suburban city buses are too inefficient to make a difference, and it would be too time-consuming to walk. Ottawa’s downtown core is dense enough to support public transit networks.

Ottawa’s frigid winters might make the idea of car-free downtowns less appealingbut if busses ran in a more timely manner, then people wouldn’t have to be outside waiting for them for as long. In addition, the city needs to provide comfortable and warm shelters for transit-goers.

Removing cars from downtown is an environmental act in an age when we need to take greater care than ever of our delicate environment. A car-free future is possible and it would be healthier, cleaner and nicer for all of Ottawa.

Soylent may be popular, but we don’t know enough about GMOs Cheap meal replacement relies too much on modified soy Brittany Maloney & David Campion-Smith Fulcrum Contributor & Opinions Editor

Soylent, a meal replacement product sweeping the U.S., now officially ships to Canada, but we know little about the impacts some of its ingredients can have on the human body.

Soylent is a complete meal replacement in a bottle. It consists of soy protein, algal oil, isomaltulose, and added vitamins and minerals. Soylent claims this mix is everything you need, a complete liquid meal on the go for just $2.

Soylent was created in 2013 as a crowdfunding project, and is marketed to a younger generation looking for food that’s affordable and adaptable.

The company glosses over certain facts that raise red flags, which calls immediate attention to the fact that this product is only theoretically sound. This food replacement is heavily based on genetically modified (GMO) soy, an ingredient whose physical effects on humans have yet to be determined.

18 | OPINIONS

GMOs are widely believed to cause little harm to humans, however there have been no chances to do long-term studies of their effects. There’s debate that GMO products can be harmful to the environment and the agricultural community. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization it’s possible for genetic material from the GMO crops to transfer to other plants or animals in the area.

Because of the proximity of biological farmers and GMO farmers, GMO products can push out organic crops since they can grow faster.

According to the website Inspired Economist, little of the GMO food produced goes towards feeding people and is directed towards livestock, biofuels or products like corn syrup. While that’s a commendable goal the idea that GMO foods are the key to feeding a growing population is not true, because most of the world is still fed by small scale farming efforts.

Modified crops also disrupt insects in the area due to modifications

and the large scale farming that accompanies it.

Soylent acknowledges that there’s little health information about GMO soy, but they defend its use by referencing the book, Safety of genetically engineered foods: Approaches to assessing unintended health effects. This book states that plants have natural toxins and allergens, and the standard practice of crop breeders is to test the amount of allergens a GMO plant produces.

It ‘s important to note that in Canada and the U.S. this practise is self-monitored and based on a merit system. With no external regulations or accountability, there’s a lot of room for companies to implement systems which increase profit, while turning a blind eye to impacts on consumers.

Soylent is based on an inspirational concept to feed the world. Having a meal replacement that is affordable is ambitious in a world dealing with poverty, hunger and malnutrition. But potential risks to our health from GMO soy forces us to ask whether, Soylent’s efficiency is really worth it.

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McDonalds scraps Big Macs after Subway lawsuit International fast food chain renames major menu items to make them more realistic David Agbaire` Proofreader McDonald’s has shocked the world by recalling millions of buns, patties and cheese slices from locations across Canada.

The move has been described as a “precautionary legal strategy”, as McDonald’s looks to stave off any false advertising lawsuits from the Canadian public. This comes as Subway International settled a court case based on the revelation that that their signature footlong subs were not actually a foot long.

Joan Lennon, second-year English student and Subway enthusiast decried the organization after hearing about the investigation.“I can’t believe they would do this to me, I was under the impression that these giant multinational food companies cared about their customers.”

“I was shocked to learn that I was getting a mere 11-inches of unhealthy fast food, when I was paying for a full 12-inches.”

Her sentiment is echoed by millions of other Subway consumers, who are now contemplating making their own sandwiches in an act of rebellion. Subway would not confirm nor deny whether it had considered calls for each sub to come with its own official standardized ruler. What is clear however, is that the relationship between fast food companies and hungry gullible customers has been jeopardized.

McDonald’s has recalled all of the ingredients for their signature Big Mac. It seems after years of complaints about tiny portions in comparison to their American neighbours, McDonald’s will now release

the “not-so-Big Mac” and “youshould-order-two Macs”, in Canada to stave off any potential lawsuits.

“We don’t want Canadians getting any funny ideas from the events at Subway. We could just make larger portions, but we’d rather recall all of our

burgers and change the oldest item on the menu, just to prove a point,” said vice-president of sales, Donald MacRonald.

In an unprecedented move, the global franchise has opted to undersell its burgers to the Canadian public, with hopes of the policy

CC: Evan Amos

“The Value Menu is rumoured to being renamed “The Tiny Menu” and their fountain pop will now be more accurately named “Water + Sugar (some flavour included)”. spreading to other items on the menu. The Value Menu is rumoured to being renamed “The Tiny Menu”, quarterpounders will be renamed “almost-a-quarter-pounders” and their fountain pop will now be more accurately named “Water + Sugar (some flavour included)”. Food experts see this as a major cultural shift in attitudes from companies towards their customers.

Instead of putting up the façade of a business which provides its valued customers with cost-conscious meal

options for the whole family, companies are choosing to sell their food as is. Internationally renowned fast food critic Sue B. Way remarked, “I like the ‘take-it-or-leave-it approach’ by fast food companies today. I’m an adult, I don’t need to be lied to about what I eat.”

Clearly, this is not the last we have heard of this tumultuous situation. As the nation reels from the devastating global tragedy of “11-inch foot longs”, governing bodies, consumer protection panels, fast food companies, and foodies worldwide are tasked with the difficult question of where to go from here.

social media journalism workshop thursday, nov. 12, 3 p.m.

Ever wonder how to use different types of social media to cover an event?

CBC journalist Kristy nease is stopping by the Fulcrum to talk about how to help your work gain traction online.

Email editor@thefulcrum.ca for more info. thefulcrum.ca

THE TOMATo | 19

DISTRACTIONS Dear Di,

Dear Di

Every Halloween I see all these adults dressed up in animal costumes, and I can’t help but want to get freaky with them. The idea of spending an entire evening wrapped up in a furry orgy just makes me wet. But how does one go about participating in or inviting people over for a night of purely “animalistic” pleasure?

I think it’s great you want to explore your wild side!

Many people fantasize about furry orgies, but some are clueless on how to get an exclusive invite to one of these events.

If you’re open to the idea of venturing out into the shadier parts of the Internet, you can start by surfing on Craigslist. To properly identify an ad for a full blown furry get together, there are a number of key words to look for. These include terms such as “Bear”, “Bedtime”, “Love-a-lot”, and “Come on down”. You can also venture around a number of online communities to meet like-minded people. Once you get involved in the community you can quickly learn who the regulars are in the world of animal fun, and you might even get an invite to one of these elite parties that are being hosted in a bedroom near you.

If you want to host a party yourself, you can post your own ad with some of the same hints and keywords. If a like-minded person who lives nearby finds it, they’re guaranteed to bring a stampeding herd of furry followers with them.

If you’d like to have an orgy with friends it’s best to talk to them about it first. It’s usually bad form to spring an orgy onto your party guests after you’ve invited them to a strictly vanilla get together.

Now if you’re looking to set the right mood for an upcoming event and you don’t know what kind of music to play, you can check out furrymusic.org as a start.

Not only does this website act as a hub for original music produced by real-life furries, but it also showcases a variety of genres and sounds for you to pick from.

Anyway, happy party planning—I’ll be eagerly awaiting my invite.

Dear SG,

20 | DISTRACTIONS

Dear Di,

Dear FFF,

-Shoe game

Love, Di

features@thefulcrum.ca (613) 695-0062 @KyleDarbyson

-Furry freak fest

Over Halloween my girlfriend dressed up as a dominatrix. But that wasn’t the kinky part.

When we fell asleep I kept dreaming of having sex with the leather boots she was wearing. It got so bad that when I woke up I found myself caressing the boots and smelling the soft leather.

I was even sporting an erection while I was doing this, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them since. Is there something wrong with me?

There is nothing wrong with you! Throughout history people have been known to be sexually aroused by a number of different inanimate objects, including firearms, trees, and large buildings—shoe fetishes are actually quite common within this umbrella of sexual attraction.

It only becomes a problem if it starts impacting your normal every day routine, otherwise it’s a perfectly healthy expression of sexual play.

Shoe fetishism, also known as retifism, is the attribution of sexual qualities to shoes. This fetish is not always sexual in nature, and it may take the form of simple enamoured aesthetic appreciation.

On the other hand, many people incorporate footwear into mainstream sexual play, mostly by having their partners wear heels or boots during intercourse, which can be a simple and easy way to spice things up in the bedroom!

But some people take their fetish to the next level by physically having sex with shoes without the involvement of a flesh and blood partner, which is fine. As long as this practice isn’t negatively impacting your finances (as you purchase more and more shoes to masturbate into), causing you significant distress, or affecting your performance at work or school, then this is a healthy erotic practice.

Just watch out for boots that use zippers instead of laces. Your partner might be less tolerant of your eccentric eroticism if you start bleeding all over her shoes.

FEATURES EDITOR Kyle Darbyson

Love, Di Sex position of the week: Oral train

This is a group sex position where an assortment of people lay on their sides, creating a circle. Each person pleasures the person in front of them orally, forming a human train of sexual pleasure. Full steaminess ahead!

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nov. 6 to nov. 12, 2015

THRYLLABUS

MUSIC arts Sports FUN Thinking

Friday, Nov. 6 Rockcliffe Park Book Fair, Rockcliffe Park Public School—10 a.m.

Gee-Gees Women’s Basketball vs.

Nipissing, home opener, Montpetit Hall—6 p.m.

Gee-Gees Men’s Basketball vs.

Nipissing, home opener, Montpetit Hall—8 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 7 Gee-Gees Women’s Volleyball vs.

University of Windsor, Montpetit Hall—2 p.m.

Ottawa Redblacks vs.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats, last game of regular season, TD Place—4 p.m.

Gee-Gees Women’s Basketball vs.

Laurentian, Montpetit Hall—6 p.m.

Gee-Gees Men’s Basketball vs.

Laurentian, Montpetit Hall—8 p.m.

Cellar Door Film Festival, last day, LIVE! On Elgin—9 p.m.

Jack de Keyser, The Rainbow Bistro—9 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 8 Ottawa Farmer’s market, TD Place—8 a.m.

The Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show, Canada’s largest sale of vintage and retro clothing, Shaw Centre —10 a.m.

Gee-Gees Women’s Volleyball vs. Western, Montpetit Hall—2 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 9 This Changes Everything (climate change documentary), Bytowne Cinema—4:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 10 Flare Path (WWII drama), Ottawa Little Theatre—7:30 p.m.

Dirty Dishes, House of TARG—9 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 11 Remembrance Day ceremony, National War Memorial—10 a.m.

Signatures Show (featuring over 170 of Canada’s most talented artisans), opening day, Shaw Centre—12 p.m.

Criminology Fair, free admission, Faculty of Social Sciences—4 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 12 Whiskey and botany: come taste and learn, discover the botanical diversity at play inside beer, wine, whiskey, and gin, Canadian Museum of Nature—7 p.m.

Ron James live, Centrepointe Theatre—7:30 p.m.

Hollywood: the Epics (music from Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Ben-Hur, and more), live orchestra, National Arts Centre—8 p.m.

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DISTRACTIONS | 21

22 | LETTERS

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EDITORIAL Volume 76, Issue 10, Nov. 5, 2015 Keeping the peace since 1942 Phone: (613) 695-0061 | Fax: (613) 695-9006 631 King Edward Ave. Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Recycle this paper or we’ll give you blue helmets.

International drug policy hinges on Liberal promise to legalize weed

Nadia “Ardennes” Drissi El-Bouzaidi Editor-in-Chief editor@thefulcrum.ca Devin “Dinant” Orsini Production Manager production@thefulcrum.ca Savannah “Antwerp” Awde Managing Editor content@thefulcrum.ca Eric “Gallipoli” Davidson News Editor news@thefulcrum.ca Allegra “Masurian Lakes” Morgado Arts & Culture Editor arts@thefulcrum.ca Spencer “Scimitar Hill” Murdock Sports Editor, Rap Correspondent sports@thefulcrum.ca Kyle “Krithia” Darbyson Features Editor features@thefulcrum.ca David “Dujaila” Campion-Smith Opinions Editor opinions@thefulcrum.ca Reine “Gully Ravine” Tejares Online Editor online@thefulcrum.ca Kim “Achi Baba” Wiens Visual Editor visual@thefulcrum.ca Jaclyn “Somme” Mccrae-Sadik Associate News Editor associate.news@thefulcrum.ca Marta “Passchendaele” Kierkus Staff Photographer photographer@thefulcrum.ca Zach “Verdun” Verret Multimedia Coordinator multimedia@thefulcrum.ca Nicole “Vimy Ridge” Rutkowski Associate Features Editor associate.features@thefulcrum. ca David “Aisne” Agbaire Proofreader Deidre “Beersheba” Butters Advertising Manager ads@thefulcrum.ca Dayne “Marne” Moyer General Manager manager@thefulcrum.ca

Contributors

Raghad “Stalluponen” Sheikh-Khalil Nicholas “Namur” Robinson Maitland “Maubeuge” Shaheen Candide “Charleroi” Uyanze Menrika “Le Cateau” Christian Brittany “Neuve-Chapelle” Maloney Ryan “Bita Paka” Pepper Tima “Tanga” Hacini Garry “Guise” Balangathan Mackenzie “Lone Pine” Powell Guillaume “Heligoland Bight” Durand

C

hristmas came early to the numerous legal Canadian marijuana producers on the morning of Oct. 20. The red tide of the previous evening signified a lot of green on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Dundee Capital Markets analyst Aaron Salz estimates the Canadian marijuana market could be worth up to $5-billion with legalization, according to the Financial Post. “The Canadian marijuana space could be set for another revolution,” he said in a note.

While the effects of marijuana legalization on Canadians has been hashed out by numerous outlets, the possible effects on the rest of the world remains hazy.

Currently Uruguay is the only country in the world to have legalized recreational marijuana use, four states in the U.S. and Washington, D.C. have also legalized it, and some countries including Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands have decriminalized it. If Prime Ministerdesignate Justin Trudeau follows through on his promise to legalize weed, Canada would be the first Western nation to do so at a federal level.

However legalizing marijuana could prove to be more

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difficult than laid out by the Liberals. Currently Canada has signed on to numerous international treaties that have made the War on Drugs a global effort. Canada has signed on to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Drugs of 1971, and the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of 1988.

These three treaties have enforced the international prohibition of the use, trade, distribution, and trafficking of drugs for non-medical or scientific purposes, according to Vox. While these international agreements’ stance on decriminalization is blurry, its opinion on recreational use is clear—and Canada would be violating them.

Depending on the stances

that other countries take, it’s possible that Canada doesn’t legalize pot because of international backlash. However, the U.S., the country with the most aggressive attack on drugs, most likely won’t be criticizing Canada. “(The U.S.) likely wouldn’t tempt an important ally,” wrote German Lopez in a Vox article, “and trying to criticize Canada for legalization would only expose America’s hypocrisy for allowing four states and DC to legalize.”

Harsh drug laws, including those pertaining to marijuana, have done less to make us safer, and more to put us in danger. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, 693,482 people were arrested in the U.S. in 2013 for marijuana law violations, with a whopping 88 per cent of

those offences being for possession only.

And if that’s not enough, more than 100,000 people have died since 2006 as a result of Mexico’s drug war.

Tough drug laws have also served to marginalize minority communities by causing high incarceration rates. According to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, AfricanAmericans are sent to prison for drug offences at 10 times the rate of Caucasian-Americans, despite CaucasianAmericans using drugs five times more than AfricanAmericans.

If the Liberals do succeed in legalizing weed, it would call all the international treaties into question, especially with a special UN session on the global drug session on the horizon in 2016. Canada

could cause a domino effect of decriminalization and legalization, which could first start south of the 49th parallel.

Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, recently said “the time is long overdue for us to remove the federal prohibition on marijuana” at a rally in Virginia, and according to a recent Gallup Poll many Americans are thinking the same way.

Fifty-eight per cent of Americans say marijuana should be legalized, the highest approval rating Gallup has ever recorded on the subject.

In addition to becoming a Canadian hallmark like hockey and healthcare, marijuana legalization could also help restore Canada’s reputation in the world as a progressive, peacekeeping nation.

If the Liberals do succeed in legalizing weed, it would call all the international treaties into question, especially with a special UN session on the global drug session on the horizon in 2016.

EDITORIAL | 23