Volume 46 Issue 0

Culture lives here

By Vanessa Runions

Vanessa Runions is a PCVS graduate who returned to Peterborough this summer to be in intern with the City of Peterborough’s cultural mapping initiative.

I’m not sure what’s worse, a city that wants to support culture but has none, or a city bursting with culture that exists well below the radar.

I spent my formative years in Peterborough, and was lucky enough to attend PCVS high school. I’ve been working in the cultural sector in Toronto for several years now and I’ll admit to being apprehensive about returning to Peterborough for the summer. I was afraid I’d be bored and uninspired. However, after receiving an exhibition postcard from Artspace at the gallery I worked for at the time, I realized that exciting things were happening in Peterborough.

When I was hired for a summer internship at City Hall to work on a cultural mapping initiative, I was understandably excited. With organizations like Artspace and the youthoriented cultural group We Live Here Too, there was finally a culture in this city I could relate to.

The cultural mapping project entails the collection of in-depth information pertaining to the cultural sector, which will eventually be transformed into an interactive map and a database. Basically, the City wants a profile of culture in Peterborough, and I was responsible for collecting the data that would inform that profile. So where to start?

Peterborough is only one of many municipalities that have participated in cultural mapping initiatives: Toronto, Vancouver, Vaughn, Regina and Thunder Bay are a few of several cities that are surveying their cultural resources. Why are they doing this? Because it has become apparent to the “powers that be” that cities with strong cultural communities thrive in more ways than one (obviously). Cities that recognize and support culture create a platform for social and economic prosperity, and the evidence is abundant.

Considering this fact, and with the plethora of culture in Peterborough, why does it often feel as if the only people who care about culture in this city are the ones involved in it? Because City Hall doesn’t have enough quantifiable

data to communicate the cultural community’s priorities. But that’s changing.

On July 15, City Hall released a series of surveys with the goal of collecting important information from the cultural sector. The surveys were designed by several people, myself included, in the Arts, Culture and Heritage Division. They were created to allow the cultural community to self-identify to ensure that an accurate profile would emerge.

Culture is a fairly loose term, which is inclusive of more than the creative arts. Based on UNESCO’s definition of culture, we decided that, for the purpose of this initiative, culture would be defined as whatever the community values, be that art, music, food, heritage and so on. The next step was to inform the community about the surveys and encourage participation. A promotional campaign was launched, articles were written, radio interviews were conducted, mass emails sent out, and nearly 150 people contacted by phone. The surveys came pouring in, but not nearly as much as I had hoped.

With so many cultural businesses, organizations and events in the city, I was surprised that only 120 people filled out the survey for individual cultural workers and artists. The same disappointing results followed the cultural businesses and cultural festivals and celebrations surveys. The best results came from the cultural organizations survey with over 97 responses, but I contacted many of those organizations directly.

Another disappointment was the underwhelming participation from the youth sector, with only 15% participation from the 2534 age category. Being in that particular category myself, and seeing first-hand some of the cultural work coming from that demographic in Peterborough, I was frustrated that the data wouldn’t be representative of this new and thriving cultural scene in the city. And thus the dilemma: if you can’t collect information from enough people in the cultural community to create an accurate profile, is the data even useful?

I certainly don’t think so.

Thanks to my superiors’ enthusiasm for the project, the initiative has been approved for extension, and the surveying will continue until it’s done right. The information I collect has the

Volume 46 | Issue 0 | September 5, 2011

Photo credit: Bradley Boyle & Iris Hodgson

potential to impact city planning and policy making when it comes to recognizing the importance of culture.

The Municipal Cultural Plan, set for release late this fall, will include recommendations for a possible arts council with a focus on youth. If city council has solid information that indicates a thriving cultural youth sector, it is less likely they can ignore the necessity for such an organization.

I’m writing this article as a plea to all those working in the cultural sector: I know that there’s animosity towards City Hall in consideration of cultural policy and support, and I know participating in an initiative like this can feel futile. But the least we can do is try. If we provide City Hall with this data, they can be held accountable for making future decisions in spite of it. If the cultural community doesn’t participate, we give policy makers the opportunity to throw their hands up and declare “Well, no one told us culture lives here.”

Our Summer Plans

By Sarah McDonald

I once read somewhere that “summer should get a ticket for speeding.”

Personally, I’d like to hand a ticket to this one. The moment I took off my graduation gown and tossed my cap, time took on a mind of its own. Suddenly I was halfway through August in a blink of an eye, with barely anything done that I had wanted to tick off on my summer list. Too much work, not enough play, too much thinking, not enough doing.

Is it too cliché to think that the summer after graduation is the summer to get stuff done? The acquiring of dreams, and the final freedom of being an irresponsible

teenager, before you’re packed off and ready to face your impending adulthood, that’s what this summer was supposed to be about.

So what are we all thinking now, as we stand outside our dorm rooms, staring at the place we are supposed to live in for the next eight months? Are we pleased at what we’ve accomplished? Or are our fingers shaking while we grip our suitcase handles, thinking I’m not ready for this?

If I were a proud accomplisher, I would easily list off to you all the useful things I have done this summer. Sadly, that isn’t the case.

Let’s see, that Saw marathon was… pretty gruesome. At least we got some laughs out of it. Then there was that failed attempt at hiding

the fact my brother and I threw a party while our parents were out of town. Being a Teenager 101: You Have To Be a Good Liar. And there were the many days I sat around doing…nothing. Oh, the stress of it. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve had better summers. But wasn’t this supposed to be the one?

We planned trips. Work was always in the way. Why is it that, as soon as responsibility looms, we suddenly cower in its presence and think, I can hit the snooze button one more time, let’s put it off until tomorrow? And we crawl back into our teenage covers and reminisce the good times, the ones we can’t really remember but the fact you can’t just stands as a glowing reminder that indeed, it was a good

night.

Maybe I’m horrible at relating to people, and the majority of you are perfectly capable of having a summer worthy of remembering and are laughing cruelly at this article, so yes, go ahead, have a laugh. At least I can say I successfully made someone chuckle.

Trent has been good to us.

Thanks to Facebook, we’ve already connected with each other. Our questions are answered, our fears eased. I think the excitement of ISW is mostly holding us through until classes actually start, and that’s when we’re going to start second-guessing ourselves.

So maybe the “most important of summers” should become the

“hardest of summers.” The pressure is certainly applied. You have to learn to let go of people close to you, even those you spent a vague four years of high school with and only recognize them now as valuable acquaintances. Skype becomes your lifeline. And for most of us, home doesn’t hold the same value anymore.

We’ve got to learn not to be so afraid of the unknown. Sometimes I wish I could press the fast-forward button of my life and get past all the awkwardness and terrifying reality of being a first-year. This isn’t the movies. This is regrettably, understandably real life. And I’m looking forward to discovering how it all begins.

in the paper this week: Supplement: Volume 46 | Issue 0 | September 5, 2011

Masthead by Jackson Creek Press 751 George Street • Suite 104 Peterborough, ON • K9H 7P5 tel: 705-745-3535 • fax: 705-745-3534 editors@trentarthur.ca www.trentarthur.ca

Co-Editors Business Manager Iris Hodgson Miranda Rigby

Copy Editor -

Associate Editors -

News Reporters

Tyson Shennett

Photographer -

Proofreader -

Webmaster

A friendly hello from the Trent Central Student Association p. 3 - trent radio & sadleir house p. 4 - OPIRG

p. 7 - biking in peterborough p. 12 - listings

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editorial(s)

Distribution -

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Board of Directors Chair • Kate Taylor Secretary • Caitlin Currie Treasurer • Not yet named Members at Large • Matt Rappolt, Brett Throop

“Growing Up”

By Miranda Rigby

Contributors Natalie Guttormsson • Matthew Davidson Bradley Boyle • Clifford McCarten Sara Ostrowska • Cara Moynes James Kerr • Hilary Wear Brett Throop • Sarah McDonald Vanessa Runions • Radz Mpofu

Submission guidelines A r t i c l e s A rticl e s s h o uld be s u b mi t t e d v i a e m a il to e dito rs @t re n tart h ur . ca , in t he b o d y of the mes s age , o r as an * . r t f , * . d o c , o r * . t x t atta chme n t . Th e bo d y s h o uld b e a p p rox im a t e ly 800 word s . Lis t in gs , ann o u n ce m e n t s, o r b r i ef s s hould n o t exce e d 100 wo rd s. Fe a t u re p i e ce s ca n be up to 1500 , but m u st b e a r ra n g e d in advan ce wit h t he e d i to rs.

I m a g e s H a rd copie s (ph o to grap hs, o r i g in a l a r t wo r k, etc.) sho uld be bro ught in to t he offi ce ( 751 Ge orge St re et , S uit e 104 ) to b e sca nn e d . I f s ubmittin g fil e s e l e ct ro ni ca ll y , p le a se sa v e a s *.tif, wit h a d pi of n o l e ss t ha n 3 0 0 p i x e l s.

L e t t e r s Limit lette rs to t h e e dito rs to 25 0 wo rd s. Let t e rs lon g e r th an 25 0 wo rds m a y b e p u bli she d b u t A rthu r re s e rve s t h e right to e d i t fo r l e n g t h a n d cl arit y (but n ot co n t e n t ).

Conribu t e rs are e n co ura g e d to a t t e n d t he we e kly s to ry me et in g o n We d n e sd a y a t 4pm, or to co n tact t h e ed i to rs i f co n sid e r in g su bmit t in g to an u p co min g i ssu e .

Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of Arthur staff, volunteers or its Board of Directors.

Contributors are encouraged to attend the story meetings Wednesday at 4pm or contact the Editors to discuss story ideas. All article submissions are due Thursday at midnight.

Letters, Listings, Classifieds, and Events are due Friday at five and should be sent to listings@trentarthur.ca. Advertisers are encouraged to contact advertising@trentarthur.ca for ad rates and contracts.

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p. 9 - dare you to care p. 11 - maps of your classes

When we are young, people always ask us what we want to be when we grow up. It’s a cute question that adults always have for their friends kids and children, as a right of passage, are expected to have a quick-draw answer to. As a former child, age 8-15, I would have told you I want to be a speech writer.

Some secret ghost writer to a famous person with words that inspire all who hear them. I am sure you had an answer too. You may have wanted to be something your parents were, something inspirational, something you thought you were the best at. However, our minds change. We realize 8 years of school in medicine might be time consuming, cost too much, or we just lose interest. So if your are one of many undeclared students who don’t think they will be ready to “declare” by their second semester or later, I am here to say you are not alone.

When I first came to Trent I was a mature year student. I knew what I wanted to be but I knew that getting it would be

tough. I am not talking about speech writing either, I am talking about teaching. Even with goals in mind, University is scary. I have watched a majority of friends switch majors, doubt themselves, and I will admit along the way I doubted myself too.

We grow from this. We learn, we adapt, we change, and ultimately it makes us stronger. So on this first day at Trent I ask of you not to put pressure on yourself to know the answer to that question. When your parents’ friends ask what your major is, instead of what you want to be, say whatever you want. Look at the bright side, saying, “I am a major in English literature with a minor in cultural studies and an emphasis in teacher education” might stop them in their tracks so much that if you change your mind, they will give up at asking. No one truly knows what they want to be when they grow up because, I believe, one never stops growing up. We learn, we add titles to our resume and we journey forward. I can only hope this is an exciting journey and that, for you dear Arthur reader, it has only just begun.

We are Arthur and so are you

By Iris Hodgson It doesn’t matter whether you pulled this issue of Arthur out of your ISW kit, picked it up in a cafe downtown, or are flipping through it at the bus stop - something just happened to you. You’re an Arthur reader now. Maybe if you had some sort of time machine you could change your mind, walk past the stack of papers, throw your copy straight into the recycling bin, but you can’t. Even if you stop reading right now, it’s already too late. You’re one of us.

Welcome. This is Issue 0. It’s meant especially for students who are new to Trent and for community members who are new to Peterborough to get acquainted with what’s happening in this city and at the University. It’s also for all of you returning students and longtime residents to get caught up on what has been going on this summer.

So why should you care? Arthur is as old as Trent itself. It’s created by students and community members for students and community members. What we report is researched, written, and produced for you by your peers, without censorship from the administration or academic departments.

Arthur is also funded mainly by our readership - we receive a levy from full-time undergraduate and consecutive education students. The bulk of our advertising comes from local downtown businesses. We provide paid positions to Ontario and International students, funded by OWSP and TIP, and we have co-op placements available for high school students. Our responsibility is primarily to our readers, but we’re accountable to a Board of Directors, which is also comprised of Trent students, faculty, and Peterborough residents. We’re desperately seeking new folks to join us on our Board, and new students are especially welcome.

I know that all of you have publication experience. You “publish” photos on your Facebook news feeds, your blogs, your tumblr accounts. You have an intuitive sense of how to do this, I can tell. The next thing for all of you budding writers and photojournalists to do is show up at a story meeting. There’s one on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7pm in our office in Sadleir House. If you have the time and the enthusiasm, we can teach you what to do next. If you’re not a writer but you are a good speller, you’re in luck, because we need people to help us proof read. Not into interviews but great with design? We need help with layout and with our website. Do you drive a car? We need someone to distribute the paper downtown and on campus. This is the most

important job of all – at least according to last year’s distribution manager.

Since Trent University doesn’t have a news wire, our anonymous tips come from what we overhear on the Trent Express or in the library. Our writers pitch stories based on what is happening in their classroom, at City Hall, at their College Cabinet meetings. We write what we know. But we also have a responsibility to write what we want to know; to use our research time and to conduct interviews to make news that is relevant to all of our readers. The best way for us to do that is to expand our staff and volunteer base. Arthur used to have an award-winning sports column, for instance, but our sports writer graduated and this year we’re gonna need a replacement. If you don’t see the things you’re passionate about covered in your paper, think about making a contribution. If your group has an event coming up, send us a listing or a press release. Send us an email with your leads on developing news items – editors@trentarthur.ca.

Or, we’re @trentarthur on Twitter.

One of my favourite stories from Trent University lore is about the Harry Hobbs memorial library, which is still located in Sadleir House, just down the hall from our office. In1966, Hobbs was a first year Trent student who ran a library out of his closet. As a joke, he was awarded a plaque at a College Cabinet meeting that read “H. Hobbs Memorial Library.” Hobbs called his dad, who called the Canadian Press Wire. All of a sudden, the story about Trent’s decision to name a library after a living undergraduate student was all over the news. President Symons allowed the name to stand. The moral of the story is: it can be really fun to be involved in journalism as a student. What we publish has the power to demand real changes, both silly and serious.

Finally, I’d like to say a few special thank-yous. To Brett Throop, a dedicated Arthur staff member who is organizing our first-in-a-long time Speaker’s Series. Andrea Houston, who we got to know at The Peterborough Examiner and who currently writes for Xtra, will be doing a talk on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7pm in Sadleir House. Thank you also to all of our contributors, but especially to Sarah McDonald, a new student who will find her first article ever – written even before she got to Peterborough - on the cover of the paper this week. And to my awesome Co-Editor, Miranda Rigby, whose talent and positive attitude amaze and inspire me. Thank you to all of you Arthur readers, too: there’s no turning back now. See you next week!

Clubs and Groups

“Trent Radio Wants First Sadleir House is Your House!

Year Students…and returning students are okay, too.”

By James Kerr

Trent Radio wants to expose you. To creative stimulation. To a world of interest and excitement. To radio broadcasting! Students of Trent University, you are now part of a community. At your disposal is Trent Radio, 92.7 FM, CFFF in Peterborough – owned and operated by the students of Trent University. We are not a commercial radio station, which means we are not-for-profit. Our interest is in encouraging a sense of community through fostering selfish artistic interests in Trent University students like you. You may have certain objections (read: excuses) for not getting into radio when deep down you really want to, and I assure you they’re all nonsense. The most common ones, and their rebuttals, are: “It’s too scary.” (Really, we’re nice. Free coffee. Stop by anytime.)

“I’m not good enough [at whatever].” (If you can speak aloud, then you’ve accomplished most of the technical training.)

“It’s too cool for me.” (We most certainly are not.)

“It’s too strange.” (It is what you make it! You are the guiding principal, it’s *your* idea in which we have interest.)

“It’s too cliquey.” (Every season we have over 100 programmers. And they never agree on anything.)

“I don’t have the time.” (This is a much better way to spend a half hour a week than most network television programmes.) ’m sure you’ll now agree that there are no significant obstacles to getting you involved with radio. Sure, you can spend your whole first year locked in your dorm room socially terrified like I did, and pass by your assignment deadlines chatting with your high school friends over the Internet. Or, here’s an opportunity to do something really neat: radio.

Trent Radio is not the kind of organisation where you have to volunteer to lick envelopes for thirty hours before you get to do something fun – our mission is to get you on the air chatting about your favourite idea as fast as possible. We want you to explore, through the power of the airwaves, the topic of your choice. Reggae music?

Sports? Radio Drama? Celtic jamborees? Local Interviews? Do you want to be the premier radio animal psychic in Peterborough? It’s entirely up to you. Trent Radio has no programming. It all comes from interested volunteers, and if you have an interesting idea (or half of an underdeveloped interesting idea) then we’d like to talk to you, work with it, and help you realise the goal of radio broadcasting. Through this you strengthen your ties with the Peterborough and University communities. And most importantly, it’s a lot of fun to be on the radio, knowing your voice is booming across the landscape, bouncing off water, echoing through the woods in subsonic frequencies and blasting off into space.

The key to all this wonder and mystery is the Programme Proposal. It is a simple form that can be downloaded from our website, trentradio.ca. You can also pick one up at Trent Radio House, 715 George Street North (the Corner of George Street and Parkhill, just down the street from Sadleir House, your student community facility). The Programme Proposal is simple: Who are you? What are some of your ideas? What would you like to call your show? What time would you prefer? All the necessary information for us to work things out with your schedule the best way we can. If you’re interested but short of ideas, or are not sure if what you’d like is a good idea or not, we’re holding a series of Programme Proposal Workshops throughout September. You can attend any one of these, because it only takes a few minutes of your time to sit and chat and develop ideas so that we can get you on the air.

Programme Proposal Workshops will take place at the Peterborough Public Library, Tuesday September 13, 7:00pm, at Trent Radio House, 715 George Street North, corner of Parkhill & George, Wednesday September 14 at 2:00pm, and finally at Sadleir House, 751 George Street North, Thursday September 15 at 3:00pm. (We like to get people out of their dorm room and onto the downtown campus space so they can discover all the cool stuff down here.) Still unsure? Come meet with us at the Bata podium during Clubs & Groups Day, Monday September 12. There will be no free coffee, there, but we promise to be encouraging.

Important Dates: The Fall Pre-Season starts Tuesday September 6. Tune in to 92.7 FM in the evenings for previews of Trent Radio programming.

Deadline for Fall Programme Proposals – Friday September 16 at noon at Trent Radio House, 715 George Street North Regular Fall Season begins Monday September 19, so tune into 92.7 FM (or online at trentradio.ca) and listen in!

Photo credit: Holly Norris, Trent Alumni

By Cara Moynes

Sadleir House is a student and community building located at 751 George St North – just north of the Parkhill and George bus stop. It’s the gorgeous old three-storey red brick building with green trim and a turret! Sadleir House is funded, in part, by a levy from every full-time Trent University student. It is owned P.R. Student and Community Association and operated by a board of directors that must consist of more Trent University students than community members. So, it really is your house!

Sadleir House has free wireless internet throughout, and a comfy Senior Common Room on the second floor with natural light, couches, armchairs, desks with outlets for your laptop, and even a piano. You’re welcome to come and use the space for studying or relaxing – we even have coffee available for $1. There’s a third floor with more couches and desks, too, if you’re looking for a cozier spot, or you could check out the Sadleir House and Alternative Resource Library on the first floor. The library has books, obviously, but they’re usually books that you can’t find at Bata – over 3000 books on social justice, feminism,

philosophy, and other cool stuff that have been donated by professors, students, and other community members.

Sadleir House has a great performance space – with a licensed bar – that has been used as the college dining hall during its University days, and as a carriage house and stable, before that, in the 1910s. It has regular film screenings and workshops in the Lecture Hall, and yoga and dance classes in Hobbs Library, which is a bit of a misnomer, as the books have been moved in order to preserve the gorgeous original hardwood flooring. You can rent all of these rooms cheaply for workshops, meetings, or for other events.

The building also houses a variety of student and community groups’ offices, including Arthur, The Peterborough Student Cooperative, OPIRG, Theatre Trent, the Centre for Gender and Social Justice, and the Trent Queer Collective.

Sadleir House is a rather impressive reminder of what students value – and how that can sometimes differ from the values of the university’s administration (since Trent sold the building in 2002). So, please, visit Sadleir House – it’s yours!

Theatre at Trent: Fabulous

By Hilary Wear

Theatre Trent is a group that administers money for theatre related projects. There are usually three funding deadlines: one in October/November, one in January/February and another in April/May for summer projects. We have a storage space at Sadleir House where donated and purchased costumes and props are available for re-use. We are fabulous – please join us in providing funding to the Trent students and alumni who make theatre happen. We have a particular need for first & second-year undergraduate students to join our executive. Application forms and more info are available on our website, theatretrent. ca. Please contact us to get involved at theatretrent@trentu.ca.

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Clubs and Groups

Sounding the Call

By Matthew Davidson

Do you hear that? Over the sounds of the college chants, I think I can hear some other noise. It is the type of noise that emanates from small conversations and from massive demonstrations. It is the type of noise that says “Enough! We won’t take this anymore!”

We’re all excited to start the new year. But sometimes when we are sitting in class learning about the practices of Canadian mining companies, or hearing about Canada’s history of colonization, that academic banter just doesn’t seem enough. Sometimes, as we are exploring the amazing city that is Peterborough, we can’t help but notice the poverty and inequality that exists here. And sometimes, we want to do something about it. But how?

Well, let me tell you about OPIRG! A student- and community-based organization, OPIRG works toward environmental and social-justice in the Peterborough community, and it may just be the group for you! Whatever aspect of progressive social change you are interested in, OPIRG can help you work towards it.

One of the best ways to get active is to join one of our working groups. Canadians for Mining Awareness is perhaps our most active group, promoting “discussion of the social and environmental impacts of the mining industry” the group “advocates for the democratic rights of sovereign nations and indigenous peoples around the world in their efforts to protect their land and their livelihoods from harmful mining practices”. Another highly active group is

Safe and Green Energy (SAGE), a group that “peacefully opposes the renewed focus on nuclear energy and the mining of uranium in Ontario, and is an advocate for safe and renewable energy sources”.

Our newest group is Canadians Advocating Political Participation (CAPP), which sprung out of opposition to Harper’s 2009 proroguing of Parliament. CAPP “strives to return democratic power to Canadian citizens”, and has focussed heavily on facilitating political engagement in Peterborough. OPIRG’s longest-running working group is the Trent chapter of Amnesty International, which is part of the global movement to demand an end to all human rights abuses, with no exceptions. Now, if none of these working groups cover the issue that you are interested in, that’s ok, you can just start your own!

OPIRG also runs some amazing services that you should totally check out, whether it be to get involved with, or to use!

Based out of Sadleir House (751 George St. N.), you can find the Free Market and Emergency Food Cupboard. The Free

Market is a totally free thrift store, where you can drop off old, but perfectly good items, or go ‘shopping’ for some sweet ‘new’ stuff. It keeps good stuff out of the landfills, and keeps cash in your pocket, since we all know that tuition takes far too much! Right beside the Free Market is our Emergency Food Cupboard, part of the Kawartha Foodshares Network, which is open to all students and community members who may find themselves running a little low on the cash needed to access nutritious meals.

Often involved with other community issues as well, whether it be fighting the cuts to public transit in Peterborough, or fighting privatization at Trent, you’ll be sure to run into the good folk of OPIRG at some point. You’ll definitely be able to find them at the clubs and groups day during ISW, so stop by and say hi if you are interested in getting involved or learning more. You can also check out OPIRG’s website at www.opirgpeterborough.ca.

Join Canadians for Mining Awareness

By Natalie Guttormsson

(CMA)

Canadians for Mining Awareness formed in April 2010, after three community activists from Junín, Ecuador came to Trent to speak about their community’s struggles against a Canadian mining company called Copper Mesa. A week later, three of us who were in the audience met to discuss what we had learned and decided we did not want to

passively forget their story. We wanted to do something.

Mining is one of the biggest industries contributing to the Canadian economy and with nearly 75% of the world’s mining companies having their head offices in Canada, it is shocking how little the average person living in Canada knows about the problems associated with mining. However, the tides are changing with strong groups like Mining Watch Canada in Ottawa, and both the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network and Protest Barrick in Toronto steadily and persistently organizing action, resistance, promoting awareness and creating change in Canada and globally.

What we decided to do here in Peterborough was create a local group to do the same. One of our members had already taken the initiative and submitted a proposal to OPIRG-Peterborough (Ontario Public Interest Research Group) to form a working group related to mining issues. Through OPIRG Peterborough we had official group status, material resources to pull from if we needed it, and networking potential.

Our goal is to promote awareness and take action around mining injustices both in Canada and around the world, particularly involving Canadian companies. Our first action was to create a radio show on Trent Radio precluding the G20 meetings last summer. During the show we focused on the Canadian government’s policy of allowing mining companies to use certain fresh water lakes as tailings ponds to save the company construction and operational costs (known as ‘Schedule 2’), the impact and presence of the industry in the Canadian economy, and the then-active Bill C-300 that was an attempt to hold Canadian mining companies accountable when they violate human rights and environmental rights in other countries. We were fortunate to record an interview with the writer of the bill, Liberal MP John McKay, for the radio show.

During the school year both Bill C-300 and Schedule 2 became our focuses. We held two documentary screenings. The first

and Take Action film, “Blue Gold: The Tsilhqot’in Fight For Teztan Biny” highlighted the fight against Taseko Mines Ltd. and the BC Provincial government allowing Teztan Biny/Fish Lake to be turned into a tailings pond, which is sacred territory of the Xeni Gwet’in First Nation as well as important fish habitat.

The second was a film about the struggle in Junín, Ecuador, as mentioned earlier.

We also organized a fundraiser at The Spill for Intag Radio, a community radio initiative in Ecuador aimed at keeping the communities in the Intag valley, including Junín, connected. Independent musician, Jean-Paul de Roover and local talent, Mercy Steelwood performed while photos by Ben Powless were part of a silent auction.

Even though we were not directly involved in the organizing of the annual Community Movements Conference organized by Trent students, we did use our connections to help bring Jennifer Moore of Mining Watch and John McKay, writer of Bill C-300, to the conference to sit on the keynote speakers panel on mining.

Throughout the previous year we maintained, and will continue to maintain this year, a weekly column with Arthur newspaper, to keep both students and community members aware of the ongoing struggles, loss of lives, and destruction of communities and environments due to global mining and extraction. Trying to keep up with the stories between gold and copper strip mines, the oil sands in Alberta and the risks of uranium mining, our work is daunting at times, but it is what we are passionate about.

If any of the topics touched on in this article moved you in some way, or you have ideas about what we need to include in our focus, please don’t hesitate to contact us and join our group. With a core membership of only a few people, we need others to help us stay on top of the news stories, the organizing, and the research. We can be reached at canadianminingaware@hotmail. com and we can be found on Facebook as “Canadians for Mining Awareness”.

If you are interested in writing a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly column, please send your ideas our way. Columns are typically written by volunteers who are passionate about a subject, or even a group they are part of at Trent. Send all your ideas to editors@trentarthur.ca.

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The Trent Central Student Association, The Central, is the undergraduate student union representing over 5500 fulltime students and full and part-time Consecutive-Education students in Peterborough. We are run by a dedicated and elected Board of Directors, with a four member executive committee and staff.

The Central endeavours to make student life at Trent and Peterborough easier and more enjoyable, and we do this in three ways: Service, Student Life and Political Advocacy.

Whether you are taking the Trent buses to and from campus, or filling a prescription with your health benefits, the Central has you covered.

Some of the services we offer are: free International Student Identity Cards exclusively for our members; the first ever annual student discount map of Peterborough (discounts available to all Trent students); the free student

day planner; and our consignment book program. Last year our consignment book program put $15,000 back into student hands and also provided much needed textbooks to students at reduced costs.

Further, we strive to foster student life on campus and in the community. The Central coordinates and funds well over 100 clubs and groups, everything from the Trent African Caribbean Student’s Union (TACSU), or the SouthAsian Association at Trent (SAAT) to the Pre-Medical Student Society and more. The Central also organizes our own events, notably our welcome back concert INTROfest, and our year-end party Dionysus.

Lastly, the Central coordinates student political interests throughout Trent, the extended community as well as externally throughout the province and country. The Central is the largest student association on campus and as a result

we have the ability to effectively campaign to fulfill students’ goals and ambitions. Whether we are campaigning to end the sale of bottle water on campus (which we achieved last year), ensuring the fair trade policies of the campus are upheld, or raising the concern of sexual assault on campus and proposing solutions, the Central is the union to make our campus safer, more accessible, and better for everyone.

This is only a brief glimpse into the role the Central plays at Trent in Peterborough. In the following pages of this spread you will find more information on a few of our services and some of our plans for the weeks to come. If you have any further questions, or you want to get involved, come by our office, or send us an email to learn more.

From the Executive Committee

Trent Central Student Association fall by-elections The Central’s fall by-elections nominations period opens on September 5. This election will complete the 2011-2012 Board of Directors. The Central holds fall by-elections to enable first-year students and returning students an opportunity to get involved with the undergraduate student union. The vote will be held on September 26 to 29.

Nomination period: September 5 9am through to the 16 at 4pm.

Any member of the association is able to run for a position on the Board. All full-time undergraduate students and full and part-time Consecutive Education students are members. A member requires ten students to nominate a candidate.

Nomination forms, election policies and procedures can be found in our office.

Campaign period: September 16 at 4pm through to the evening of the 25.

Campaigning for the Central is restricted to public space on campus. No materials or campaigning is allowed in academic space (classrooms and the library).

The complete campaign regulations can be found in the nomination package.

There will be eleven open positions for the by-election.

They and their descriptions are: Indigenous Students Commissioner This Commissioner acts as a liaison between the Board and indigenous groups, such as the Trent University Native Association (TUNA) and Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, and students within the Trent community for the purpose to give a voice to indigenous issues. The Commissioner must identify as an indigenous student.

Ethical Standards Commissioner This Commissioner acts on behalf of the organisation ensure fair and ethical procurement processes are utilized both within the university and the association. The Commissioner liaises with campus labour unions and student groups, such as OPIRG, to further issues of social and economic justice on campus.

time Student Association as well as campus groups to raise awareness of barriers experienced by mature and parttime students.

Students with Disabilities Commissioner This Commissioner should identify with dis/ability and works on behalf of the Association to challenge barriers found at Trent and the community at large. The Commissioner works with the Centre for Gender and Social Justice as well as the Disability Service Office on campus.

Environment and Sustainability Commissioner Works with campus and community organisations, namely Sustainable Trent and OPIRG, to promote environmental preservation, and ensure environmentally friendly operations within the university and advocate for changes as necessary. The Commissioner sits on the University’s Environmental Advisory Board.

Women’s Student Commissioner The Commissioner works on behalf of the Association to raise and organising around gendered issues on campus and in the community. The Commissioner should identify as a woman. Historically, the position has worked with the Centre for Gender and Social Justice as well as other community women’s groups.

International Students Commissioner The Commissioner should identify as being an international student to be eligible for this position. This Commissioner liaises with the Trent International Student Association, as well as KWIC and other campus groups.

The position helps to bring an international voice and perspective to the Association.

Gender Issues Commissioner This is the most recently created Commissioner, this position works to ensure the trans and gender-queer community’s issues are being raised and addressed on campus and in the community. The position works with the Centre for Gender and Social Justice, the Trent Queer Collective and community groups.

Queer Students Commissioner This position works with community groups, such as Peterborough AIDS Resource Network and the Trent Queer Collective to ensure and promote safe space on campus.

The Commissioner should identify as queer or trans.

This position also works on the Association’s sex-positive campaigns.

First-year Off Residence, and On Residence Commissioners These two Commissioners are reserved for first year, to Trent, students. These positions work to ensure first-year’s issues and concerns are addressed by the Association. The Commissioners work with College Cabinets, Residence Dons and community groups to provide resources of need, often landlord-tenant related, to first years.

Mature Students Commissioner To be eligible for this position the student must identify as being mature. This position works with the Trent Part-

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Summary of your s This summary guide outlines major aspects of the Benefits plan and its administration. For specific details on coverage, exclusions and eligibility please refer to the Health and Dental Benefits Guide. Where there are discrepancies between this summary and the 2011 Benefits Guide, the guide is accurate.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE: Eligibility is determined by the number of credits you are registered in by September 28; F/T equals full-time and means you are registered in 3.5 or more credits. If you are eligible you will automatically be charged for, and enrolled into, the Benefits Plan: UNDERGRADUATE F/T (SEPTEMBER START ONLY) CONSECUTIVE EDUCATION F/T AND P/T *Students with disabilities, exchange students and year abroad students please refer to the full Benefits Guide for complete details regarding the benefits and your student status.

HOW MUCH DO THE BENEFITS COST? Eligible students pay $262 as an annual levy fee for the TCSA Health and Dental Benefits Plan ($150 for health and $112 for dental).

OPT OUT Students may opt out with alternative coverage by visiting trentcentral.ca in the month of September. Opt out cheques or Direct Deposits will be made available in November. Students who had opt-out status last year, and received a refund, do not need to opt out again; your status will carry forward automatically.

OPT-IN Students who have opted out in previous years can opt back into the plan either in the month of September, or within 30 days of losing their alternative coverage, at trentcentral.ca.

WHEN DOES COVERAGE START AND END? Coverage begins on September 1 and ends on August 31 of the following year.

Although coverage begins on September 1, students are unable to submit claims or use their benefit cards until approximately October 15. Save your receipts during this time and submit them for reimbursement once the plan is live. For details on how to have your benefits activated early, please contact the benefits office.

CAN I ADD DEPENDENTS TO THE PLAN? Dependents may be added in the month of September, or within thirty days of losing alternative coverage or adding a family member, by visiting trentcentral.ca.

RATES: NUMBER OF DEPENDENTS COVERAGE

HEALTH & DENTAL

1

2

3

>3

$262

$393

$524

$655

HOW DO I USE THE PLAN? Pick up or print your benefits card and claims forms in our office or at trentcentral.ca. Providers (dentists etc.) can use the benefits card to submit claims electronically for you; you will be charged only what fees are outstanding i.e.

20%. Claims can be mailed to the address on the claim form or dropped off at the TCSA office. You will need: PLAN#: 515648 CERTIFICATE#: 000+your student number+J (ten digits) PROVIDER: Claimsecure CAN I COORDINATE THIS PLAN WITH ANOTHER? Yes. Please see the full Benefits Guide for details.

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student health plan SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: HEALTH: Prescription medication: 80% ($3000 yearly max) Paramedical 80% with $300 max/discipline: Massage (referral required) Naturopath Chiropractor Chiropodist/podiatrist Orthotics Physiotherapist Counselling (Psychologists including MSW): $50/visit $500 max/year) Eye Exams: 80% with an $80 max once every 24 consecutive months Eye Wear (glasses or contacts): $80 once every 24 consecutive months (TCSA administered) Ambulance Accident Benefits Travel Benefits DENTAL ($1000 maximum): Basic and Preventative 80%: Exams X-rays One unit of cleaning One unit of polishing 4 units of scaling One Fluoride treatment Minor Restorative 80%: Fillings Space maintainers Extractions and oral surgery 50%: 2 wisdom teeth Endodontics 50%: Root canal therapy Root amputation Periodontics 50% Major Restorative 15%: Crowns Bridges Dentures

WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS? Claims and coverage information: ACL Student Benefits 1-800-315-1108 help@wespeakstudent.com Administration: Tracy Milne Benefits Administrator 705-748-1000 benefits@trentcentral.ca

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What’s happening during Welcome Back Week?

Monday Clubs and Groups Day, 9am-4pm on the Bata Podium: This is the day to come and find out what our university offers beyond academics. If you are looking to get involved at Trent in any way, whether flying in the skies with the Aviation Society, or the Fencing group on campus, or the Latin swing dance club; our university has a lot to offer. Usually this day brings out more than 60 clubs on the Bata Podium all day long.

Tuesday Vendor Day, 9am-4pm on the Bata Podium: Campus is beautiful and all, but downtown Peterborough has some fabulous food, bars, clubs and shops to see. To give you a taste of it all, we invited nearly 30 vendors to come to campus so that you can have a sample of what downtown offers. Splice will be providing music during the day.

IntroFEST @ the Venue, 7:30pm Our annual welcome to Trent concert! This year Down With Webster is performing at the Venue! Tickets will be available for first-year students, in our office, from Monday through to Wednesday. After Wednesday tickets will still be in our office, but available to all Trent students. The show starts at 7:30pm, and there will be buses taking people directly back to campus after the show.

Wednesday Trent World Day, 10am-3pm, on the Bata Podium: This year Trent World Day, we will take you around the world in one day! If you’re curious as to how that can happen, come and check it out yourself. All we can tell you now is that fun activities and giveaways are a certainty; the rest is a secret so you’ll just have to come find out!

Saturday Trent International Student Association (TISA) and the Central Welcome Back BBQ @ The Riverside Zoo, come check out Trent World Day for more information on when.

TISA hosts a welcome back bbq for all students, so come out and catch up with old friends and meet new ones. This year, the bbq is happening at the Riverside Zoo, at the corner of Carnegie Avenue and Water Street, just a south of campus on the Trent bus.

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The Central does Transit in 2011!

It’s official, the Trent Central Student Association is now your one stop shop for transit enquiries, complaints and schedules.

If you are a regular transit user in Peterborough you will have noticed changes to the Trent transit system.

After a successful referendum in which 882 students voted 69% in favour of the TCSA administering the university’s transportation portfolio, the Central has been hard at work over this past summer to make improvements to the service.

Effective this fall, our transit pass is no longer incorporated into our student cards.

The new student cards are useable for your entire stay at Trent. This created the need for a separate transit pass, as your course load status is directly tied to your eligibility for a transit pass. Eligible students are automatically charged $241.75 for the transit pass, which can be picked up at the Card Office in Blackburn Hall.

If you still have your 2010-2011 student card and transit pass, drivers will accept its use until Friday September 23. Any student (part-time, graduate, and those not automatically enrolled on the transit plan), staff or faculty and support staff wishing to purchase the transit pass can do so in the Card Office for an additional $20.00 premium.

One of the most exciting changes implemented this summer was the extension of the transit pass throughout the summer, making our transit pass last 12 months. This move has saved, and will save, students who use the transit system over the summer over $200.00 a year.

The Central has also saved the university over $20,000 a year on staff and faculty transit passes. Before the transfer of portfolios, transit was billing the university every time staff or faculty used their transit pass. This practice will stop; staff and faculty will be given the same transit pass as students and as a result, the university has an opportunity to use these savings in the classroom.

Also new to our office and Trent this year is our streamlined process with GO Transit. Previously, students who wanted to purchase student-priced tickets had to acquire a student card from Union Station in Toronto. This no longer is required: fulltime students can now come to our office and we will give students a sticker which allows your student card to be used as student identification on the GO Transit system.

The student discount saves you nearly $25 on a 10-ride pass.

Currently Peterborough Transit Services and the Central are exploring the possibility of an east bank DNA building bus stop. The Central’s transportation committee will consider scenarios for this change over the fall, and examine the extra time and cost requirements.

For information on schedules and route maps, go to our website at www.trentcentral. ca/transit or contact our Transit Co-ordinator at bus@trentcentral.ca.

political opinion

Dare You To Care

Engaging the Youth Vote

Le Bon

Jack

By Sara Ostrowska

By Radz Mpofu with Lucie Kellough-Garrett and Heather Pollock

With a federal election recently past and another provincial election on the horizon, a familiar question is resurfacing. Our public leaders, political parties, interest groups and non-partisan agencies such as Elections Canada, are probably wondering “How do we engage our youth and student (18 – 30 years old) voter market and spark their interest in the political process?” Or are they? Have we even given them a reason to engage us?

Politicians say that students don’t vote. Students say they don’t want to vote because they feel that their voices won’t be heard. And the endless waltz continues. Although there have been some solid efforts from both parties to connect, we unfortunately haven’t been able to meet on common ground. How can we end this dance?

Canada has been making an effort to resolve this issue. There is currently a “Youth Research Action Plan” being conducted by Elections Canada on how to we can get more youth participating at the polls. Youth engagement has been identified as a key priority in their 2008-2013 strategic plan.

I would like to share my thoughts about the honourable Jack Layton.

As you all probably know, he died of cancer recently on August 22. I found out when I logged onto my Facebook account early Monday morning and saw Elizabeth May’s status about Jack.

I thought, “What the hell, is this for real?” I then searched Google and saw multiple articles about his death.

I read, and read, and read, and cried. I couldn’t believe it. I actually still can’t.

Good people aren’t supposed to die, right?

I was devastated by the death of this bright orange flame. Jack had this amazing energy. He was so fun and so civil. He got people excited about politics. He shared his hope with people. He was infectious. That’s how he became the leader of the Official Opposition, something no one in the NDP had ever done. He was very different from other politicians.

He gained the trust and respect of Canadians. He was trying to make the country a better place for everyone.

Jack spoke for the homeless, for working class people, poor people, people trying to thrive but held down by the system in place, for the environment, for women, for families, for students, for Quebecers, for those with disabilities and illness, for the LGBTQ community, for health care, for art and culture. He was a voice for fairness, equality, positivity, and a voice for change. His smile was genuine, and even if you did not agree with his politics, you

had to love and respect him for his sincerity and optimism. He really did want Canada to be a better place for everyone. He really did care.

He always said that he was going to be Prime Minister one day.

Unfortunately, that day will never come. I am so sad that he suffered such an untimely death, and that I’ll never get to see him get what he and Canadians deserve. Though I’m glad he died peacefully with his family around him, it shouldn’t have happened at all. He was going to beat this cancer, just like the last. He was going places. He just needed a few more years. He could’ve seen his change. He could’ve been there with us all. I feel such immense sorrow for him and for his family.

Jack’s final letter to Canadians really touched me. If you haven’t read it yet, please do. It ends: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear.

Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.

And we’ll change the world.”

Jack inspired me, just like he did many people. I want to run for office one day because he gave me hope.

I will continue to be involved in politics, and to be engaged with what is happening in the world. I want to be a voice that spreads the same optimism, hope, and love.

Thank you, Jack. We won’t stop until we get the job done. We will continue your work. You will never be forgotten. People have a lot to say about you. I wish you could see it.

Rest in peace, Mr. Jack Layton.

“

That scale of turnout hasn’t been seen in Canada since the 1960’s when about 7 in 10 of those eligible to vote for the first time went to the polls.”

Youth account for approximately 20% of Canada’s diverse population. Even though we account for a fifth the nation, only a 22.4 % of us between the ages of 18-20 voted in the 2000 general election. Compare that to an overwhelming 80% turnout from those over the age of 58. It’s no wonder Rick Mercer made that joke about John Baird spending a month of his campaign route in old age homes and ignoring students.

44% of 18 to 24 year-olds voted in the 2006 Federal Election. In the 2008 federal election, 37.4% of voters ages 18 to 24 cast ballots. Yes there has been a slight decline in recent years, but this turnout is still a dramatic increase from 20% participation in the year 2000.

South of the border, it took an aggressive initiative by Obama’s campaign team in the United States’ 2008 Presidential Election a to witness a high level of enthusiasm from youth.

According to John Della Volpe, Director of Polling for the Harvard University Institute of Politics “1 in 10 voters said they were voting in 2008 for the 1st time, and 6 in 10 of those voters were under age 30, representing 18% of the voters in the 2008 election.”

That scale of turnout hasn’t been seen in Canada since the 1960’s when about 7 in 10 of those eligible to vote for the first time went to the polls.

How did they manage this? By going to where their target market was, online and on campus. They used social media and face to face marketing to get the attention of students.

Canadian politicians could take a few pages out of their playbook. Some already have. I remember seeing the NDP logo and Jack Layton’s face all over Pokemon metagame forums leading up to the Election in May. In North America there has been a steady increase in the use of social media sites among our demographic, 73% of us were using sites like Facebook and Twitter in 2010. This is up from 65% in 2008. And just 55% in 2006. And since post-secondary life is such a cohesive environment, it only makes sense to go online (like Facebook did) and contact students in their natural habitat in order to get our attention. Look what happened in the United States when a candidate focused on youth (online and on campus) as well as seniors as opposed to just seniors. It can happen here too.

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Gettin’ places

A Bikey Guide to Peterborough

By Clifford McCarten, Director of B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop

Peterborough is an eminently bikeable city, with a vibrant host of organizations, groups, and stores to enable you to ride free and easy. This is a quick guide of what’s available to support your cycling action, and what’s going on in the city with cycling issues.

DIY: LEARN TO WRENCH! B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop is a nonprofit offering a supervised workshop space with the tools, parts, and expert guidance for bike repair. For a $30 annual membership, or $5/hour, volunteers will guide you through every step of bike repair, from flat tires to complete custom builds.

Trent students voted last year to support B!KE with a levy, and we’re currently working with Trent admin to secure a space for an on-campus workshop. With lots of volunteer opportunities and year round service, B!KE is a vibrant organization at the heart of Peterborough’s bike culture. communitybikeshop.org | 336 Rubidge St DOWNTOWN SHOPS: GET YER GEAR! The four locally-owned downtown shops should cover all your needs: from used to new, cheap to fancy!

Wild Rock Outfitters | 169 Charlotte St Spokes’N’Pedals | 464 Aylmer St N Fontaine Source for Sports | 384 Queen St B!KE |336 Rubidge St

BIKE CULTURE Peterborough sees a great deal of bikey action year round. + In summer months, Peterborough Moves runs the sustainable transportation Shifting Gears challenge, and May’s BikeFest provides a chance for all the different cycling organizations to show off what they’re up to. + The Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee (p-bac. org) is a citizen committee working with local government to advise and comment on cycling issues. + The Peterborough Cycling Club (peterboroughcc.com) runs group rides from April-August for all levels of riders, and has the highest city-wide per capita membership of any cycling club in Ontario. + Web savvy riders will appreciate local blogs ptborides.com and trailswag.ca, tracking some of the bike action in our fair city.

BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE Depending on where else you’ve lived, Peterborough either has lots or is suffering from a lack of cycling infrastructure.

Despite the decidedly questionable bike/parking lanes on George and Water St north of downtown, Peterborough has a remarkably progressive transportation plan in the works that aims to eventually build a comprehensive network of cycling lanes and corridors throughout the city. Maybe if you’re at Trent through your PhD you’ll see it come to fruition.

In the meantime, grab a copy of the Downtown Peterborough Cycling map at any shop to see the best routes around town and to Trent! It’s also a great map to hang on the wall if you’re new to town. There’s another fabulous map available called the Peterborough and Kawarthas Road Cycling Map, which features a complete road rating guide and recommended routes for hundreds of kilometres of roadway outside the city.

CYCLING AND THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW Aside from the occasional downtown ticketing blitz, cyclists and police have a pretty decent relationship in Peterborough.

The few things that will keep you hassle free are common sense and, for the most part, the same rules as every Ontario city. The primary thing to keep in mind - as with any city - is that bikes are vehicles under the provincial Highway Traffic Act (HTA) and they require a few things to be compliant.

These things aren’t really too paternalistic and, in the long run, should work to keep you safe and comfortable. + Don’t ride on the sidewalk. It’s actually more dangerous - weird, right? - but cars and pedestrians don’t expect cyclists there, and it’s the #1 cause of injuries (and tickets!). Police happily give out tickets for this, especially downtown. There are a few cases outside of downtown where the sidewalks are shared bike/pedestrian, and some excessively busy roads aren’t very accommodating to cyclists, so use your common sense. + Have a front and back light if you’re riding at night. It’s the law but really makes sense, especially if you’ve almost been smoked by a car that didn’t see you at night. You can get little blinky ones for under $10 at most shops. + Have a bell, ding ding! The HTA also lists a “gong” as an appropriate sounding device. Don’t ask us, but give it a shot! + Make sure at least one brake works.

Keep the rubber side down, and smile as you pass. Since full time undergrad students have supported B!KE with a levy, we encourage you to drop by any time with further questions about bike issues in the city. Enjoy your year!

Peterborough Transit A beginner’s guide to getting around town

By Miranda Rigby

Public transit. No matter where you live in Canada everyone has complaints. Here is the need-to-know information about your (new) local transit system.

Your Student Card Your full time student card serves as an all access pass to all regularly scheduled Peterborough routes. This includes both Trent Express and city routes. Unfortunately, the term ?ll access passmeans little in the town of Peterborough as regularly scheduled routes run their last trip from the terminal at 10:40pm, however Trent Express will get you downtown to make last call. All you have to do with your student card is show the bus driver (there is no scanning system in place for our passes) and they will let you on.

The George North If you are sitting at the Bata Library steps waiting for the West Bank bus you will also see another bus waiting which is called the George North. This is a city bus route that takes approximately 40 minutes to get downtown. The Trent Express takes 20 minutes to get downtown and runs more frequently than city routes. Mathematically speaking (so says the English major) the Trent Express is typically your best bet to get off campus, however there are some times you might opt for the longer route:

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• the Trent Express is packed and you would like to have some personal space • avoiding someone • want to have a long conversation with a friend • live on the George North route (Cumberland Ave area) • need to get some work done on the way out or on your way home • the Trent Express isn’t running (rarely happens, but it can happen on reading week) East Bank vs. West Bank If you’re downtown at the terminal waiting for a bus to take you back to the Symons campus, you can get on either the East or West Bank bus routes. The ?ankreferred to here is the Otonabee river, of course, so if you get on the appropriate bus from downtown you can avoid a blustery wintertime walk across the bridge. The West Bank will drop you off in front of Bata library, and is closest if you’re headed to the Athletics Complex, Blackburn, LEC or Champlain. The East Bank bus stop is in front of Gzowski and is a better option if you’re going there, to Otonabee College, the DNA building, or the Science Complex.

Peterborough Bus Stops vs. Express Bus Stops When you’re standing at a bus stop off campus, make sure to always read the sign of the stop you are at.

Though there is some crossover, some bus stops are only

for Express busses, and others are only for city routes. If you want to take the Trent Express, be sure that you are waiting at an Express stop, not a city bus stop. For example, if you are on Water Street near Parkhill you may be at a George North stop (and ready for what we’ve already established as a long ride).

Bus Routes to Know Overall, Peterborough is a pretty easy town to get around. You can get most of what you need downtown. There’s an LCBO and a Beer Store, two cheap grocery stores, lots of awesome independent stores and restaurants, and if you’re headed to a bar or a cafe, you probably are headed downtown. If you want to go to the mall, you’re looking for Lansdowne place.

Take the Monaghan or Major Bennet bus routes. To go to Wal-mart, or elsewhere in the North end, take the Chemong or Highland routes. One thing to remember is that all of the bus routes begin and end at the terminal downtown, which means that you can explore the city for free and know that you’ll be able to get home at the end of the day, too.

Sidebar: The West Bank and the East Bank routes both take you to Arthur’s office in Sadleir House. Make sure to come visit us! Sadlier House is near the corner of Parkhill and George. Get off the bus at the stop of the Peter Robinson housing complex, and we’re the big red house a couple of doors down.

Gettin’ places

Where the #$*% am I going?

Just last year Trent students voted to keep the 5 day ISW format. Democracy, however, didn’t pan out and so the incoming class gets even fewer days to explore Trent’s expansive campus and downtown before they hit the books.

Here at Arthur we feel your pain and want you to be able to enjoy those fleeting moments by having fun. These maps include the locations of all your classes (a resource that is hard to find elsewhere). Helpful? We sure hope so.

West Bank East Bank

For more maps of Trent campus (including Traill College and the Science complex) and to keep up with the most recent news, please visit trentarthur. ca. You can also follow Trent Arthur @trentarthur on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Listings Introduction to Buddhism: “Travelling from Confusion to Original Sanity” A 10-week Study Group based on talks given by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and carefully compiled under his direction. Starts September 15 at Sadleir House. Whether you are new to Buddhism or already have experience studying the Dharma, this is a great opportunity to engage in lively discussion of Buddhadharma.

For more information, call 705755-0063.

Scottish Country Dancing at Trent: The twenty first year of Scottish Country Dancing at Trent begins Thursday, September 15th in The Gathering Place, Peter Gzowski College, on the Main Campus from 8.00 to 9.30 pm. Social dancing for all ages. FREE nine week introduction. If Thurdsay does not work for you the Peterborough Scottish Country Dance Society have a Beginners class on a Tuesday evening from 7.00 to 9.30 pm in the parish hall of All Saint’s Anglican Church. They offer a special reduced fee for students. For more information on either of these groups call John or Joan Reeves at 748-5255 or e-mail jfreeves@ smpatico.ca.

STRIKE UP THE BANDS- Get Ready to Play! Peterborough has a brand new adult concert band -- Trent River New Horizons Bands under maestro Peter Ford, well known to the music scene in our fair city. We invite you to join us, come play with us, meet new friends, have fun and keep those brain cells alive. Registration Day is Wednesday August 31 at 9:30 a.m. at Immanuel Alliance Church 1600 Sherbrooke St. W. Band starts Wed. Sept 7, Immanuel Church, 9-12- Intermediate band, 1-4 p.m. Advanced Wind Ensemble. Thursday September 8 Beginner/low Intermediate 9-11 a.m. Living Hope Church.

Peterborough Storytellers Monthly Gatherings September Theme: Romance and Adventure Wednesday, September 21, 2011, 7-9 pm.

Peterborough Public Library, Auditorium, 345 Aylmer Street North. Free; newcomers welcome (adults & children over 12) For information contact: Diana 705-874-9859. The Peterborough Storytellers invite you to monthly storytelling gatherings. This event is free and open to the public (adults and children over 12).

Transition Town Fall Curriculum 2011: Sadleir House, 751 George St. N. from 6:30 pm. to 8:30 pm and $5 or pay what you can unless otherwise specified. pre registration requested Contact Joan 705 743 8032 or joanttp@ cogeco.ca. Sept. 17th 10 am. to 4:30 pm. Introduction to Edible Landscapes, Permaculturist Trent Rhode This is a Saturday workshop. Please bring your lunch. Cost is $15 or PWYC. Oct. 4th: Heart & Soul – Episode 4 Sacred Balance Series facilitated by Jo Hayward-Haines. Meeting basic physical needs is just a beginning for human well-being. Like air and water, fire and earth, we need spiritual connection: we need to understand where we belong.

Oct. 25th: Raw Foods with Donna Williams. Donna will take us beyond salads while explaining the benefits of eating raw foods, showing a brief film and food preparation with dressings. Nov. 15th: Gasland Documentary. This film exposes the hazards of gas drilling. Dec. 6th: Touch for Health(TFH) with Linda S. Clarke: TFH is especially effective at quickly identifying and resolving muscle and joint pain, postural distortions and the physical/psychological effects of stress, accidents and trauma.

Listings are your space to put your event information for the Trent community or Peterborough community. We ask that you keep your listing to approximately 60 words. All longer will be edited for size as required. Listings are free and are meant to advertise events within the Peterborough area. Products and services can be submitted as classifieds. Please contact advertising@trentarthur.ca for advertising rates. Please submit your listings to listings@trentarthur.ca.